266 



ItANGE OF THE TIDE. 



started up in it and began to paddle away, with 

 such swiftness, that our cutter could not overtake 

 them. The smaller canoes likewise kept a-head, 

 and at the same time kept up a smart shower of 

 arrows on the cutter, several of which fell into her 

 or struck her masts, but luckily did not wound any 

 of our men. It is probable, however, that ten 

 or a dozen savages were struck, of whom several 

 were no doubt killed. We could just discern in the 

 fading daylight that the canoes made for the west 

 bank of the river above us, in which direction 

 we afterwards saw fires, and also flashes of light 

 occasionally, like those of fire-arms, which seemed 

 to be signals, as they were apparently answered by 

 similar flashes, at the village down below us on the 

 east side. 



At half-past eight o'clock the tide turned ; the 

 water was then slightly brackish, and three and a 

 half fathoms deep, At half-past two, in the middle 

 watch, it was low water, and the depth was then 

 two fathoms : the water perfectly drinkable. 



May 30. —It rained hard during the night, and 

 this morning broke dark and rainy. As soon as 

 we could see before us, we weighed anchor, and ran 

 up with the last of the flood tide, the wind being 

 very light and scarcely perceptible. We saw large 

 canoes crossing the river, a mile a-head of us, and 

 others pulling up each side. One canoe, with four 

 men in it, pulled up boldly within a hundred yards 

 of us, as if to reconnoitre. We could see smoke 



