l. We directly answered him and conversed across the river for some
time. At length he launched his canoe and crossed to us without distrust
or hesitation. We had never seen him before; but he appeared to know our
friend Gombeeree, of whom he often spoke. He said his name was Deedora. He
presented us with two spears and a throwing-stick, and in return we gave
him some bread and beef. Finding that our route lay up the river, he
offered to accompany us and, getting into his canoe, paddled up abreast
of us. When we arrived at Richmond Hill it became necessary to cross
the river; but the question was, how this should be effected? Deedora
immediately offered his canoe. We accepted of it and, Mr. Dawes and the
soldier putting their clothes into it, pushed it before them, and by
alternately wading and swimming, soon passed. On the opposite shore sat
several natives, to whom Deedora called, by which precaution the arrival of
the strangers produced no alarm. On the contrary, they received them with
every mark of benevolence. Deedora, in the meanwhile, sat talking with the
sergeant and me. Soon after, another native, named Morunga, brought back
the canoe, and now came our turn to cross. The sergeant (from a foolish
trick which had been played upon him when he was a boy) was excessively
timorous of water, and could not swim. Morunga offered to conduct him, and
they got into the canoe together; but, his fears returning, he jumped out
and refused to proceed. I endeavoured to animate him, and Morunga ridiculed
his apprehensions, making signs of the ease and dispatch with which he
would land him; but he resolved to paddle over by himself, which, by dint
of good management and keeping his position very steadily, he performed.
It was now become necessary to bring over the canoe a third time for my
accommodation, which was instantly done, and I entered it with Deedora.
But, like the sergeant, I was so disordered at seeing the water within a
hair's breadth of the level of our skiff (which brought to my remembrance
a former disaster I had experienced on this river) that I jumped out, about
knee-deep, and determined to swim over, which I effected. My clothes, half
our knapsacks, and three of our guns yet remained to be transported across.
These I recommended to the care of our grim ferrymen, who instantaneously
loaded their boat with them and delivered them on the opposite bank,
without damage or diminution.

During this long trial of their p