Hamlet at his Tricks Again. 
9 
20. A week after tlie unfortunate accident the eight Indians that we 
had asked for arrived, and as the traumatic fever had run its course, Mr. 
Fryer thought that he, Avith the patient, could undertake tlie journey to 
Pirara. Mr. Youd's letter to my brother of course regarded the misad- 
venture as the direct punishment of Heaven for breaking the third Com- 
mandment: because it was a Sunday on Avhich Petri had goue out hunr- 
jug with Stöckle, and I also. It was on the I'nd of April tliat Mr. Fryer 
and the sufferer, for whom a comfortable stretcher had been prepared, 
left our camp in company with Tiedge and Hamlet, avIio had suddenly 
fallen sick. From the time that our little Indian Cumeru got bitten, 
everybody could foresee that Hamlet would be ill, extremely ill, on the 
day that poor Petri was to leave. The latter's bad luck had stimulated 
Hamlet's superstition, confirmed by Cumeru's mishap with the pirai, that 
the evil spirits were resolved upon our destruction and that it would l»e 
madness to defy the warning voice that had spoken loudly enough. When 
he found that my brother, inspired by criminal obstinacy, was determined 
upon continuing the journey in spite of the evil omens, he feigned sick- 
ness to save himself from the general ruin : however little we were at first 
inclined to believe in its genuineness we nevertlieless finally gave wa;^ 
iind let the superstitious rogue return to Pirara in view of the fact that 
Mr. Fryer had no one to cook for him during his stay there. 
21. To avoid the oppressive heat of tlie day, the party started off at 
B o'clock in the morning. Sympathetically, and deeply moved, we took 
leave of our ])()or countrymaji bnt gave Hainlet an awful fright by sn<l- 
denly calling nim back; no longer able to hide his joy he was just then 
following the stretcher beaming with smiles. Its effect upon the scamp 
was so ])owerfnl tliat anxiety sweated ont of eveiw pore, and there at tlie 
very spot we had checked him he remained for several minutes shivering 
and soeecliless. until we again at length gave him permission to (h^sert us. 
22. We also struck camp on the same day. The two small eorials 
manned liy two paddles lodged the instruments, a portion of the b;vii- 
gage as well as poor Cumeru, who was at yet unable to us;- his foot, and 
could not by any means be prevailed upon to return to Pirara. 
2.1. The thermometrical obseiwations taken at tho mouth, during our 
stay between 27th March and tlie 2nd April, 1.S42, gave the followinü 
mean results : — 
Thermomeieu Fahrenheit. 
6 a.m. 
9 a.m. 
12 noon. 
3 p.m. 
6 p.m. 
Max. 
Min. 
75.72 
88.13 
91.82 
91.92 
86.07 
98 
73 
According to both chronometers the geographical longitude of Pirara 
village was 15' ?Ar (in arc) W. 
24. After crossing the Pirara and climbing tlie steep bank opposite 
with difficulty and troulde, we continued our journey in a south-westerly 
direction over a monotonously level savannah towards the junction of 
the Mahu with the Takutu , We had not followed this course long before 
