MR. U9B0RNE WOUNDED. 79 



it, the party were returning to the boats, wlien, from 

 the accidental explosion of a musket in the hand of 

 one of the party, a ball entered Mr. Usborne's right 

 side, near the spine, between the lower rib and hip 

 bone, making an exit in a line with the navel. This 

 truly unfortunate circumstance — which for some 

 weeks deprived the expedition of the services of a 

 most valuable oflScer — occurred about 10 o'clock 

 A.M., but the time and trouble of carrying the sufferer 

 through the mud to the boats, and then pulling 

 some 15 miles, made it near 6 o'clock before he was 

 on board and under the charge of Mr. Bynoe : we 

 were all shocked to see our companion lifted appa- 

 rently lifeless into the vessel he had so recently 

 quitted full of health, and animated by an anxious 

 desire to do all in his power to conduce to the 

 general success ; but were ere long assured by Mr. 

 Bynoe, whose personal or professional merits need 

 no eulogium from me — and who immediately and 

 mostcarefuUy attended our wounded messmate— that 

 the best results might be reasonably hoped for : a 

 prediction shortly afterwards happily verified. At 

 the time this unlucky accident occurred, some 

 twenty natives rushed from the concealment whence 

 they had been doubtless watching all the proceedings 

 of the party, as though they designed to bear a part 

 in what probably seemed to them, as poor Usborne 

 went down, an approaching fray : however, the sight 

 of the two boats in the distance, which upon deploy- 

 ing they had full in view, deterred them from acting 



