RACE WITH A NATIVE. 87 



superiority of speed which might have been expected. 

 Perhaps fright deprived him of his full powers, for 

 what must have been his sensations on finding him- 

 self almost cut off by a party of beings whose very 

 existence was till then unknown to him ? I have 

 since half regretted that I did not see how much 

 nearer I could have approached without discovery, 

 but at the time I did not wish to frig-hten him too 

 far. To have got so near as I did will seem almost 

 incredible to those who recollect the wary character, 

 and the peculiarly restless and vigilant eye of the 

 savage : some strong emotion of love or hate had 

 for the time perhaps rendered him quite uncon- 

 scious of all surrounding objects ! 



We came on the river over a steep bank covered 

 with high reeds, and as a party of natives were dis- 

 tinctly audible below, myself, Mr. Forsyth, and 

 Mr. Bynoe led the way. The natives crossed im- 

 mediately, and were visible for a few moments 

 through the foliage on the other side : however, 

 they appeared but to wait in order to verify the 

 astonishing report just brought in by their breath- 

 less countryman ; for as the foremost of our party 

 emerged from the tall reeds, our opposite neighbours 

 slowly drew off, and were soon hid in the dense 

 obscurity their position afforded. They had 

 evidently examined our old fire-place very minutely, 

 but the precaution taken to preserve the meat 

 canister had luckily been successful. 



I selected the quarters for the night not without 



