16 MATERNAL AFFECTION AND FEAR. 



maternal affection was strong within them, and 

 risking all to save their offspring, they began to 

 tow the raft with all their stren"^th towards the 

 shore. This devotion on the part of the women to 

 their little ones, was in strong contrast with the 

 utter want of feeling shewn by the men towards 

 both mothers and children. 



Captain Wiekham now, no doubt to their extreme 

 consternation, pulled after the men, and drove them 

 back to the raft. Some dived and tried thus to 

 escape the boat, while others grinned ferociously, 

 and appeared to hope, by dint of hideous grimaces — 

 such as are only suggested even to a savage by the 

 last stage of fear — to terrify the white men from 

 approaching. At length, however, they were all 

 driven back to the raft, which was then towed 

 across the harbour for them ; a measure which 

 they only were able to approve of when they had 

 landed, and fear had quite subsided. 



Doubtless, the forbearance of our party surprised 

 them, for from their terrified looks and manner, 

 when swimmino; with all their strength from the 

 raft, they must have apprehended a fate at least as 

 terrible as that of being eaten. 



The raft itself was quite a rude affair, being 

 formed of small bundles of wood lashed toijether, 

 without any shape or form, quite different from any 

 we had seen before. 



Bynoe Harbour was found to terminate in three 



