30 BISHOP Mackenzie's grave. 



mained, and of course tlie mosquitoes abounded here in 

 millions. We set fire to the grass, and in an hour's 

 time the conflagration had spread for miles. After 

 dinner, while lying on the bank enjoying a smoke, to 

 the soothing pleasure of which I had quite abandoned 

 myself, being in a spot where there were no mosquitoes 

 to torment me, I was surprised by the sudden appear- 

 ance of a couple of dozen natives, armed to the teeth 

 with bows, arrows, and spears, and headed by a man 

 carrying a gun — a sight more exciting than pleasing, 

 as at the moment I happened to be quite unarmed. 

 None of us were aware of their approach till they 

 were within ten yards of us, but in a moment w^e 

 jumped to our feet. Knowing I had no time to go to 

 the boat for arms, I at once made up my mind to 

 have at the individual with the gun a la Tom Sayers ; 

 but as I approached him, to my great satisfaction he 

 laid down his musket, and commenced clapping his 

 hands, the remainder of the party following his exam- 

 ple. The leader then informed us that seeing the fire, 

 and conjecturing that it was Metakenny's mob, they 

 were the advanced guard of a party come out to 

 fight them. I asked him why he laid down his 

 arms before he knew whether we were friends or 

 foes ? He replied that seeing the boat in the river, 

 he knew we were English, and now he wished to wel- 

 come us. They then went away. It was rather a 

 startling adventure, and I determined not to be caught 

 unarmed again. 



On the 14th we reached the confluence of the Ruo 

 river, close to which Bishop Mackenzie's remains were 

 interred. Taking a guide who said he knew the spot, 



