, frightened by our numbers, and by the
weapons with which we assailed them, took to flight after several had
been killed, leaving their young ones at our mercy. We caught a number
of other birds, and obtained a considerable supply of figs, plums, and
nuts. We had, also, a general washing of clothes; though, to be sure,
some of our party had but few garments which required cleansing. But
cleanliness we endeavoured to maintain; which tended much, I believe, to
keep us in health. Hitherto no one had suffered, except from fatigue;
and that, of course, was unavoidable.

Our provisions being carefully packed, and other arrangements made, we
only waited for a fair wind to recommence our voyage. We had an
abundance of food. Our saucepan afforded us the means of obtaining hot
water, and of boiling what required boiling. We had bows and arrows and
spears to obtain more food, hooks and lines for catching fish, and two
bottles of schiedam remaining; for the skipper, though very fond of it,
husbanded it carefully, and resisted the temptation he felt to drink it
himself. "We'll keep it, in case of the illness of any of the party,"
he remarked.

The wind still continued blowing down the river. It had the effect of
somewhat lowering the water. This we did not desire; for while it
remained at its height we could with greater ease penetrate into the
interior, and we knew that even long after it had subsided we should be
unable to travel over the country it had left, with any degree of
safety. Again it fell calm. We might perhaps have urged our log to the
westward by means of the oars; but our progress would necessarily have
been so slow that it would not have been worth while to make the
attempt. We waited another day, when, to the satisfaction of all hands,
a light breeze from the eastward sprang up soon after we had
breakfasted.

"On board now, my friends!" exclaimed the skipper; and we hastened down
to our landing-place, each of us loaded with as many packages as we
could carry. As before, Quacko clung to Kallolo's shoulders, while Ara
perched on the head of Maco. Everything we possessed was placed in the
centre of the log. Once more Uncle Paul ascended and took a glance
round the platform, to see that nothing had been left behind. "And now,
my friends," he said, "before we push off, let us offer up a prayer for
protection against the dangers, foreseen and unforeseen, which we may
have to encounter." Kneeling dow