CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 95 



the water, it must have been walking on the bottom, 

 the head only appearing above the surface. The na- 

 tives tell us that the irregularity of soundings which we 

 found is caused by these animals assembling in a spot and 

 making holes with their feet. Two women, an old and a 

 young one, came on board from one of the plantations ; by 

 their dress and ornaments they appeared to be of a superior 

 class ; I therefore gave them some beads and a glass of 

 rum, which they swallowed as greedily as the men ; and, in 

 return, the old lady offered, through our interpreter, to 

 leave the young one on board, pour m'amuser; a civility 

 which, under existing circumstances, I thought proper to 

 dechne; though the young lady seemed much chagrined at 

 such an insult to her charms. At 3 o'clock the sea breeze 

 set in fresh, and we again crossed the channel ; and at 7 

 anchored on the bank of the east end of Stocking island in; 

 2 fathoms. 



July 2oth. At day-light we observed the Fetiche rock bear- 

 ing W. by S., and theBeacon rock N. E. I visited the Fetiche 

 rock, which is a collection of masses of the oldest granite, 

 mixed with quartz and mica, running into the river per- 

 pendicularly, and entirely isolated, the land behind it being 

 a plain with reedy grass and some corn plantations. It 

 completely commands the passage of the river, being about 



