anks at this place the cheerful character of a village in a populous
country. Conscious of the alarm our first appearance was likely to
produce, although I could not suppose that all the inhabitants would run
off, I hastened to the water edge with our horses (for they had not drunk
that morning) in order that we might, after refreshing them, recover a
position favourable for a parley with whoever might approach us. I was
much pleased, though surprised, to find the water again quite fresh, and
its current still sustained.* Our appearance caused less alarm than I had
even expected. A sturdy man hailed me from a distance and came boldly up,
followed by another very athletic, though old, individual, and six
younger men with an old woman. I alighted and met them after sending, at
their request, the horses out of sight. With difficulty I persuaded them
at length to go near the horses; but I endeavoured in vain to gain any
information as to the further course of the river. The Callewatta was
still their name for it, as it was higher up. I observed here that the
old woman was a loquacious and most influential personage, scarcely
allowing the older of the men to say a word.

(*Footnote. See below.)

PRESENT THEM WITH TOMAHAWKS.

The curiosity of these people was too intense to admit of much attention
on their part, at that time, either to our words or gestures so, after
giving them a tomahawk and two large nails, and refusing to let them have
my pocket-handkerchief (no unusual request, for such natives always found
it out) I mounted, and we galloped off to the eastward, their very
singular mode of expressing surprise being audible until we were at some
distance. On reaching that point in my track where I had in the morning
changed the direction of my ride, I took off to the north-north-east, in
search of the river, and at six miles we reached a branch of it where it
formed an island. We did not arrive here until long after sunset and
were, consequently, in an unpleasant state of ignorance as to the
locality, but we made our fire in a hollow, as on the preceding night,
and could only rely on the surrounding silence for security. The result
of the excursion thus far was that I ascertained that angle of the river
which I first made on this tour to be the part nearest of all to
D'Urban's group; that its general course thence to the lowest position at
which I had seen it (the direct distance being 21 miles) is nearly two
points mor