THIRD JOURNEY. 



201 



have been more perilous than Arion's marine morning 

 ride : — 



Delphini insidens vada cserula sulcat Arion." 



The people now dragged ns about forty yards on the 

 sand : it was the first and last time I was ever on a cay- 

 man's back. Should it be asked, how I managed to keep 

 my seat, I would answer, — I hunted some years with 

 Lord Darlington's fox hounds. 



After repeated attempts to regain his liberty, the cay- 

 man gave in, and became tranquil through exhaustion. 

 I now managed to tie up his jaws, and firmly secured 

 his fore-feet in the position I had held them. We had 

 now another severe struggle for superiority, but he was 

 soon overcome, and again remained quiet. While some 

 of the people were pressing upon his head and shoulders, 

 I threw myself on his tail, and by keeping it down to 

 the sand, prevented him from kicking up another dust. 

 He was finally conveyed to the canoe, and then to the 

 place where we had suspended our hammocks. There 

 I cut his throat ; and after breakfast was over, com- 

 menced the dissection. 



'Now that the affray had ceased. Daddy Quashi played 

 a good finger and thumb at breakfast ; he said he found 

 himself much revived, and became very talkative and 

 useful, as there was no longer any danger. He was a 

 faithful, honest negro. His master, my worthy friend 

 Mr. Edmonstone, had been so obliging as to send out 

 particular orders to the colony, that the Daddy should 

 attend me all the time I was in the forest. He had lived 

 in the wilds of Demerara with Mr. Edmonstone for 

 many years ; and often amused me with the account of 

 the frays his master had had in the woods with snakes, 

 wild beasts, and runaway negroes. Old age was now 



