almost amounted to a fall. Here the blacks could be
of no use to us. No man could stem the current, supposing it to have
been shallow at the place, but it was on the contrary extremely deep.
Remaining myself in the boat, I directed all the men to land, after we
had crossed the stream, upon a large rock that formed the left buttress
as it were to this sluice, and, fastening the rope to the mast instead
of her head, they pulled upon it. The unexpected rapidity with which
the boat shot up the passage astonished me, and filled the natives with
wonder, who testified their admiration of so dextrous a manoeuvre, by a
loud shout.

It will, no doubt, have struck the reader as something very remarkable,
that the same influential savage to whom we had already been indebted,
should have been present on this occasion, and at a moment when we so
much needed his assistance. Having surmounted our difficulties, we took
leave of this remarkable man, and pursued our journey up the river.

It may be imagined we did not proceed very far; the fact was, we only
pushed forward to get rid of the natives, for, however pacific, they
were always troublesome, and we were seldom fitted for a trial of
temper after the labours of the day were concluded. The men had various
occupations in which, when the natives were present, they were
constantly interrupted, and whenever the larger tribes slept near us,
the utmost vigilance was necessary on the part of the night-guard,
which was regularly mounted as soon as the tents were pitched. We had
had little else than our flour to subsist on. Hopkinson and Harris
endeavoured to supply M'Leay and myself with a wild fowl occasionally,
but for themselves, and the other men, nothing could be procured to
render their meal more palatable.

GOOD CONDUCT OF THE MEN.

I have omitted to mention one remarkable trait of the good disposition
of all the men while on the coast. Our sugar had held out to that
point; but it appeared, when we examined the stores, that six pounds
alone remained in the cask. This the men positively refused to touch.
They said that, divided, it would benefit nobody; that they hoped
M'Leay and I would use it, that it would last us for some time, and
that they were better able to submit to privations than we were. The
feeling did them infinite credit, and the circumstance is not forgotten
by me. The little supply the kindness of our men left to us was,
however, soon exhausted, and poor M'Leay pr