ALL MASTERS AND NO MEN. 



horses, and mules were, on the national equality system, 

 as much theirs as mine, and that I was but an append 

 age to be taken to the plains, when and how they 

 pleased. I saw at once that this democratically pleasing 

 notion on their part must speedily be put an end to, so I 

 said, " You, sir don't you hear what I say? If you 

 want to hit your wheelers, do so quietly ; but I won't 

 have any noise, and I won't speak twice in vain." The 

 Boh-boy stared at this announcement as if propounded 

 to one of the majestic people in a very unwonted man 

 ner ; but he refrained from further noise, and so far, and 

 perhaps for the first time in his life, obeyed a master. 

 The fellow Mr Canterall then informed me that he was 

 very ill, and that he feared the fever and ague were on 

 him a circumstance he knew very well before, but took 

 care to conceal till we had commenced our journey. On 

 this I administered to him from the medicine chest that 

 my friend Mr Buckland had prepared in England, and 

 told him to ask me for anything that he thought would 

 tend to his better health and comfort. The announce 

 ment he thus made to me, however, was very annoying, 

 as to him I had been told to look for the vigilance of an 

 honest and an industrious guide, whereas a fellow who 

 destroyed the effect of medicine by choking himself with 

 tobacco, and who was intermittingly prostrated by fever 

 and ague, and lying on his back in a waggon or on 

 the ground, retching for twelve hours out of the twenty- 

 four, was more of a burthen to me than of any useful 

 service. In this, the first commencement of my travels 

 in the desert, I had also to desire that the Boh-hoys, 

 who took turn about at riding and leading my horses, 

 should confine themselves behind my waggons and to 

 the line of march, and not go trotting on to call at 



