SAFELY LANDED 167 



us. So we passed amongst the hanging woods and 

 impending rocks of this romantic river, till we 

 arrived at Stanley, where groups of people were 

 assembled on the hill-top, who shouted to us with 

 all their might, and made signs and gestures, the 

 meaning of which I could not comprehend, but they 

 seemed to be warning us of some impending danger : 

 I could not catch the import of their words, as the 

 sound was but faintly heard amidst the din of the 

 waves. So I did not perplex myself with attending 

 to them, but thought it wisest to trust to my own 

 discretion, which fortunately carried the boats 

 safely to their place of destination. I learned after- 

 wards, that seeing our boats were mere insignificant 

 cockle-shells borne down by the flood with great 

 impetuosity, they were fearful that we should be 

 carried down the mill-dam, and come in contact with 

 the machinery. But a better fate awaited us than 

 such a Quixotic one ; and after a little rough work, 

 in which we shipped a reasonable quantity of water, 

 we at length approached the vast bleaching grounds 

 of Perth, where the river swept swift and ample in 

 an even channel under a wooded bank studded with 

 villas ; we then darted through the middle arch of 

 the beautiful bridge in the town, and hauled up our 

 boats on a wharf below it. 



