210 
TRAVELS IN THE 
guide on foot, along the bank of the river, until about noon; 
when we reached Kea, which I found to be nothing more than 
a small fishing village. The Dooty, a surly old man, who was 
sitting by the gate, received me very coolly; and when I in- 
formed him of my situation, and begged his protection, told 
me, with great indifference, that he paid very little attention to 
fine speeches, and that I should not enter his house. My guide 
remonstrated in my favour, but to no purpose ; for the Dooty 
remained inflexible in his determination. I knew not where to 
rest my wearied limbs, but was happily relieved by a fishing 
canoe belonging to Silla, which was at that moment coming 
down the river. The Dooty waved to the fisherman to come 
near, and desired him to take charge of me as far as Moorzan. 
The fisherman, after some hesitation, consented to carry me; 
and I embarked in the canoe, in company with the fisherman, 
his wife, and a boy. The Negro, who had conducted me from 
Modiboo, now left me; I requested him to look to my horse 
on his return, and take care of him if he was still alive, which 
he promised to do. 
Departing from Kea, we proceeded about a mile down the 
river, when the fisherman paddled the canoe to the bank, and 
desired me to jump out. Having tied the canoe to a stake, he 
stripped off his clothes, and dived for such a length of time, 
that I thought he had actually drowned himself, and was sur- 
prised to see his wife behave with so much indifference upon 
the occasion ; but my fears were over when he raised up his 
head astern of the canoe, and called for a rope. With this rope 
be dived a second time; and then got into the canoe, and 
