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“ A TRAMP WITH REDSKINS,” 275 
business in which these folk pass their lives before they 
are touched by outside influence, 
During the days immediately following, the incident 
most vividly impressed on my mind is of a morning when, 
in walking across a stoney plain, and resting in a tiny 
haven of shade made by an isolated obelisk-like rock in 
the glare of the sun-baked white plain, I most painfully 
realized that my last pair of shoes was worn out. This 
may seem a trifle too ridiculous for mention. Asa matter. 
of faét, I found that this trifle was serious enough abso- 
lutely to prevent a further extension of the journey to 
which I had looked forward. The Redfolk of these 
stoney plains, though the soles of their feet are hardened 
to a quite extraordinary degree, are unable to walk long 
distances barefoot, and make for themselves sandals of 
part of the leaf stalk of a palm. These sandals however 
have to be tied on in a way which involves the passing 
of a small cord between the great toe and the next ; and, 
though in the natives of these parts the skin between 
these toes has acquired the hardness of horn, neither the 
coast Redmen nor I, not having been adapted for this 
fashion were able to bear the strain with which, in walk- 
ing, this cord cut into our too soft flesh. So that these 
sandals were useless to us. The pain of continuing bare- 
foot, as I then praétically was, was. saved me by the 
faithful GABRIEL, to whom, because, having been brought 
up in the swamps, his feet were unaccustomed to the 
hard ground, | had given a pair of cricket shoes, which 
he now insisted on giving up to me again. 
The main obje& of the journey had, however, been 
accomplished, and there was no reason why we should 
not make in as straight a line as the nature of the country, 
