140 Kennedy's expedition. 



what I afterwards saw of their habits^ that theu* 

 cookery is confined to roasting' and baking-. In 

 the camp were several large shells for holding 

 water^ and some calabashes^ made by taking out the 

 inside of a kind of gourd which g-rows plentifully 

 near the camp. These calabashes would hold from 

 one to three pints each. 



June 12th. — This morning Taylor endeavoured 

 to cross the river with the rope for working our punt, 

 but although an expert swimmer, and a very strong- 

 man, he was unable to do so, from the strength 

 of the tide which was running out. We saw 

 several natives fishing in the river from theii" canoes, 

 which are about five feet long and one and a-half 

 feet v/ide, made of bark, with small saplings tied 

 along the side, and are paddled with small pieces 

 of bark held in either hand. We made signs to 

 them to come to us, with which three of them 

 complied. We made them understand that if they 

 would take our rope across, and make it fast to 

 a dead tree on the other side of the river, we would 

 give them a tomahawk. They consented to under- 

 take the task, and after great exertion succeeded 

 in performing it, and received their reward, with 

 which they seemed quite satisfied and hig'hly 

 pleased. We succeeded in getting everything 

 across the river by 10 o'clock p.m., for the moon 

 being up, we would not stop till we had finished. 

 Our horses we took about a quarter of a mile up the 

 river, and they crossed where it was narrower and 



