The
country, however, improved in appearance. We were now making our way
through a fertile tract of open savanna, here and there covered with
fresh green grass, and bordered by small hummocks full of trees,
brilliant with orchids and other flowers. There were birds of sweet
song and beautiful plumage--ivory-bills, red-birds, and mocking-birds,
green paroquets, and many others of the woodpecker tribe--filling the
forest with their various notes.

We now felt sure that we were approaching the river; but again a
faintness came over me, and I doubted very much whether I should reach
it. Suddenly Tim exclaimed, "Hurrah! I see a hut, and people moving
about it. Even the Redskins would not refuse to help us; but I'm afther
thinkin' they're either white men or blacks."

Mustering my failing strength, I hurried on, helped by Tim. As we drew
nearer, we saw two black men, and a woman seated on the ground, with a
child near her. One of the blacks advanced, while the other stood
gazing at us with no very friendly expression. I suspected that they
were runaways, and that they fancied we had come in search of them.
When, however, they saw our forlorn and tattered condition, and heard
Tim exclaim, stretching out his hand, "I'm sure you'll be afther givin'
assistance to your white brothers in distress," the expression on their
countenances changed.

"Who are you? Whar you come from?" asked the man who had approached us.

Tim explained that we were English travellers who had lost our
companions, and that we were making our way across the country to the
Saint John River.

They seemed perfectly satisfied with the account we gave of ourselves,
as we judged by their changed manner. The black woman, getting up at
once, made preparations for cooking some food, and afterwards suggested
that Tim and I should lie down in the shade of the hut and rest. We
gladly followed her advice; even Tim, poor fellow, now that his chief
anxiety about me was over, appeared scarcely able to support himself on
his feet. After we had thrown ourselves on the ground, the black woman,
who had gone out, brought us each a bowl of goat's milk, with which I
felt wonderfully refreshed. Almost directly afterwards we fell asleep.

It was already evening when the blacks awoke us, and placed before us a
mess of rice, pork, and bananas.

We slept soundly all night; and next morning, when I awoke, I felt quite
a different creature to what I had been the d