mi 



ANOTHER INTRUDO. 



the sooner reach the house ; my friend was be- 

 fore me, and as he scrambled up it, his foot 

 slipped, which caused him to catch at the stump 

 of a small plant, that grew upon the side of the 

 bank. He gave up his idea of going by that 

 way to the house, and returned to me, bringing 

 with him the plant, with its root and the earth 

 about it. On going to throw it away, he per- 

 ceived upon his hand the glitter of a sub- 

 stance which made us return to the spot. We 

 gathered some more of the earth, and this gen- 

 tleman, who had long resided upon the coast of 

 Africa, judged the substance which was mixed 

 with it to be gold dust. 



At this place the intrudo was continued more 

 violently than before ; for even the blackened 

 pots and pans from the kitchen were introduced 

 to besmear each other's faces. We obtained 

 here a view of the females belonging to the 

 house j but every where else, they had been 

 too rigorously guarded, or were naturally too 

 reserved to enable us to see them. Some excuse 

 was made by the young men who were acquainted 

 with the family, to draw them into the sport ; 

 and the ladies and their slaves were nothing 

 loath to see and to participate in what was go- 

 ing forwards. A circumstance occurred which 

 created much laughter, and which is but too 

 characteristic. One man whom we met at this 

 place, had all along begged of those who were 



