NATIVES. 141 



night, under the additional security afforded by a 

 large painted coat, contrived to secure two or three 

 hours of unbroken rest, — a luxury few of my com- 

 panions enjoyed. 



It was with much disappointment that we found 

 the channel occupied, at low water, by a mere 

 rivulet, draining the extensive mud flats then left 

 uncovered. Hope, however, though somewhat 

 sobered, was not altogether destroyed by this mal- 

 a-propos discovery, and we still looked forward with 

 an interest but little abated, to the results of a 

 complete survey of our new discovery. 



March 9. — -We moved on when the tide served, 

 keeping close to the eastern bank of the river, where 

 there appeared at low water, the largest stream, 

 then barely two feet deep. Following the sinuosity 

 of the shore, our general direction was south, and 

 after we had thus proceeded two miles, we found the 

 width of the river suddenly contract from three 

 miles to one. The banks were low and covered with 

 a coarse grass. 



Here we saw three natives, stretching their long 

 spare bodies over the bank, watching the leading 

 boat with the fixed gaze of apparent terror and 

 anxiety. So rivetted was their attention, that they 

 allowed my boat to approach unnoticed within a 

 very short distance of them ; but when they 

 suddenly caught sight of it, they gave a yell 

 of mingled astonishment and alarm, and flinging 

 themselves back into the long grass, were almost 



