CURIOSITY AND FEAR. 411 



of the oars first astonished them, and next the 

 largeness of the boat itself. The exclamations of 

 surprise given vent to by the old man as he gazed 

 on the workmanship of his civilized brethren, were 

 amusing ; suddenly a loud shout would burst from 

 his lips, and then a low whistle. I watched the 

 rapid change of countenance in this wild savage 

 with interest ; all his motions were full of matter 

 for observation. The mixed curiosity and dread 

 depicted in his dusky face, the feeling of secret 

 alarm at this first rencontre with a white man 

 intruding in his native wilds, which he must have 

 experienced, added much to the zest of the scene. 

 I, however, at length almost persuaded the old 

 man to accompany me on board ; he even put one 

 foot in the boat for the purpose, when seeing the 

 depth of the interior, he recoiled with a slight 

 shudder, as if from immersion in cold water. He 

 was now overwhelmed by the woman and elder 

 child with entreaties not to take such a rash step, 

 and their rude eloquence succeeded. 



It was amusing to see the struggle between fear 

 and curiosity plainly depicted in the man's face, as 

 he stood with one foot on the boat, and the other 

 on the shore, hearkening but too credulously to the 

 picture of danger, forcibly drawn by his friends, 

 while curiosity, with almost equal strength, was 

 uro-inff him to dare the perils of the white man's 

 boat. A desire to be better acquainted with the 

 strangers who had come to the shores of his native 



