LAND AT TAJOURAH. 35 



water admitted of its going over the reef in search 

 of it ; and when found, allowed of our bringing up 

 within a very few yards from the shore. This was 

 no little convenience, for our bogalow only carried 

 for communication with the land a small canoe 

 made out of a single tree, and barely able to carry 

 two persons. Mr. Cruttenden's sword was trusted 

 to the hands of one of the crew, an excellent 

 swimmer, who took rather a novel mode of convey- 

 ing his bright burden to the shore, swimming the 

 whole way completely immersed, save the hand 

 and arm bearing the sword, which was thus carried 

 perpendicularly to the body, with an intuitive 

 knowledge of the mechanical relief to the muscles 

 of the arm afforded by a weight being carried in 

 that manner. 



Mr. Cruttenden trusted himself into the frail and 

 ticklish canoe, which bobbled upon the surface of the 

 water as if its ill-adjusted centre of gravity would 

 upset itself. He, however, was placed, not without 

 a certain degree of wetting, safely upon the land ; 

 and the dexterous paddler of this tiny craft returned 

 for me. I really do not know how I managed to 

 convey myself into it, nor can I account reasonably 

 for its doing so much for me to the shore ; but I 

 recollect very well that I considered it a regular 

 escape, for had I been upset in my then weak state 

 from my previous illness, I should certainly have 

 finished my African travels in the Bay of Ta- 

 j our ah. 



d 2 



