MISERIES OF A BIJNGO. 



385 



ing on, we did not discover the extreme discomfort of 

 the place until forced below by the rain. Even the 

 small place engaged, and paid for accordingly, we had 

 not to ourselves. The Peten lads crawled under with 

 us, and the patron and sefiores followed. We could 

 not drive them out into a merciless rain, and all lay like 

 one mass of human flesh, animated by the same spirit 

 of suffering, irritation, and helplessness. During this 

 time the rain was descending in a deluge ; the thunder 

 rolled fearfully over our heads; lightning flashed in 

 through the crevices of our dark burr owing-place, daz- 

 zling and blinding our eyes; and we heard near us the 

 terrific crash of a falling tree, snapped by the wind, or, 

 as we then supposed, shivered by lightning. 



Such was our position. Sometimes the knots in the 

 logwood fitted well into the curves and hollows of the 

 body, but in general they were just where they should 

 not be. We thought we could not be worse off, but 

 very soon we found our mistake, and looked back upon 

 ourselves as ungrateful murmurers without cause. The 

 moschetoes claimed us as waifs, and in murderous 

 swarms found the way under the hatches, humming and 

 buzzing 



" Fee, faw, fum, 

 I smell the blood of an English-mun, 

 Dead or alive I will have some." 



I now look back upon our troubles at that place with 

 perfect equanimity ; but at the moment, with the heat 

 and confinement, we were in anything but an amiable 

 humour, and at ten o'clock broke out furious, upbraided 

 the patron and his lazy senores for not reaching the 

 mouth of the river before night, as is usually done, and 

 as he had been charged by the alcalde to do, and in- 

 sisted upon his hauling out into the stream. 

 Vol. II.— 3 C 



