atever of sea-life.

We had now performed the greater part of our journey home, and had
reached the bank of the larger river, where it extended into lake-like
dimensions, narrowing again shortly to its former width. Here several
rocks were seen rising out of it--the waters rushing between them with
great force, and forming a cataract, down which I should have thought it
impossible for the strongest boat to make its way without being dashed
to pieces.

At this point we sat down on the bank to rest and take some refreshment,
when Quambo pulled out his pipe.

"You no smoke, young gen'lemen; but ole neegur, he fond of baccy, and
you no object," said Quambo.

Quambo was always a pattern of politeness. We begged him to smoke as
much as he liked, although we had not taken to it ourselves.

When Quambo was enjoying his pipe, he was never in a hurry to move, so
we sat on longer than we should otherwise have done. I considered, at
length, that it was time to move; when, looking up the stream, across
the broad expanse I have mentioned, I caught sight of a light canoe
skimming rapidly over the surface. It was approaching us; so, prompted
by curiosity, we agreed to wait its arrival at the shore--for it did not
occur to us it could possibly descend the rapids. It kept, however, in
the middle of the current, and before we had got far from where we had
been sitting I saw that it was about to make its way amid the tumbling
waters.

"These people must be strangers, and cannot be aware of the danger they
are running," I observed. "Their canoe will be destroyed, and we must
do our best to save them."

We accordingly hurried back. As the canoe approached, I saw that there
were four people in her: one in the stern, and two in the bows paddling;
the other, who appeared to be a female, sitting near the after end, was
also dexterously using a paddle, now on one side and now on the other.
On looking again, I felt nearly sure that the Indian in the stern was
our friend Kepenau, and that the female was his daughter Ashatea.

I shouted, but it was too late to warn him to turn back; indeed, from
the calm way in which he sat, I was convinced that he well knew where he
was going: and almost before I had time to think much about the danger
my friends were running, they had passed it, and their canoe was
floating in the calm water at the foot of the rapids.

My shout attracted the notice of Kepenau, who at once recognised me, and
steer