SEND UP SKY-ROCKETS. 173 



want and sickness. I despatched a messenger 

 to the chief, saying, that unless the bullock was 

 sent down to me, I would most certainly set 

 fire to the town ; and in the evening word was 

 sent by the chief to say that he would have the 

 beast ready for us at the water's edge early in 

 the morning. 



In the evening I sent up two sky-rockets. 

 The night being dark, they had a very pretty 

 effect. As soon as they were fired, a violent 

 shouting was heard on shore. One of the sticks 

 on falling, struck a poor woman without doing 

 her any injury ; and the following morning the 

 chief sent a very serious message, to know if the 

 poor woman would die after being struck by the 

 white man's fetish. 



As I anticipated, no bullock appeared ; and 

 there were no hopes of proceeding. This was 

 the more distressing, as all my white men, with 

 the exception of the mate, were sick, four of 

 them being quite incapable of duty. I was now 

 driven to my own resources, and recollecting 

 that a little pork was on board, I had it melted 

 down ; and the engineer, Hugh Dunleary, being 

 of opinion that it would last eight hours, I again 

 sent to the knavish chief for the promised bul^ 



