230 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



vered the fummit of the mountains, and gave 

 us for a little time a heavy fhowcr of rain, 

 v.'hich the favages appeared fcarcely to mind, 

 Thcv fought no place to fhelter themfelvesfrom 

 ir_, v/hile v.'e retired under feme very bufuy 

 trees. As foon as it had ceafed., we continued 

 our route, and they followed us, fliewing us 

 manv marks of kindnefs. One of them, wifl^ing 

 to eafc a faiJor wh^ was loaded with a o'reat tin 

 box, already filled with various fpecimens of 

 natural hirtory, confented to carry it for up- 

 wards of four hours. 



Piefently we croiTed the litile river, on the 

 banks of which I remarked the acanthus ilicifo- 

 lilts. We then climbed for fome timie up very 

 ''}.'i&Y^ rocks, and we had every reafon to be 

 pleafcd with thefe favages, who were anxious 

 to fi;pport us by the arm in order to prevent us 

 from falling. 



They each carried a hatchet made of f^rpent- 

 fione, and one of them wifiiing to fhew us hov*^ 

 they ufed it to cut wood, chopped orla branch 

 of iiiclaleuca latifolia^ about a decinictcr in 

 ihicknefs. It was not till after he had given a 

 great number of blov.s, that he fucceeded in 

 making a flight notch in it ; he then broke it off 

 by bending it ftrongly at the extremity ; rhey 

 manifefled the o;realcii furprife at feein;-^ us, in 



a ver^ 



