84 The Indian Will Not Expose ITis Feelings. 
daddy, now returned and resting. In spite of tliis apparent want of 
warnath the husband's and father's lieart beats within just as warmly as 
with us, but Pride prompts the Indian — who, when free from observa- 
tion is as capable of indulging in these feelings as extravagantly as any 
European — to strive against exposing them in the presence of strangers. 
How often, later on, liave I not been the unnoticed witness of such a 
scene! So long as any of us was in the neighbourhood of the house when 
such a return took place, the husband had neither a word for his wife 
nor for Iiis joyous cliildren : — for the latter, at best, a reproacliful look 
that tliey Avere not masters of their feelings. The men enter the liouses 
quietly, throw themselves in their liammocks, take the calaliash which the 
wife brings them, re])ly to her query "Have you come,'' at most with a 
"1 am here," and only when we were at a distance and the drink had 
effected Its purpose, did they relate the adventurous happenings on their 
journey. 
212. Several men had also hastened from Awarra to Pirara to assist 
in the transport of the stores to the Station. The 22nd May was a Sunday, 
and so as to get to Pirara before the commencement of Divine Service, 
the rising sun found us already half way on the journey. Towards eight 
o'clock we reached the great oases that stretching south of Pirara were 
still hiding it from our view, and had hardly made our way through and 
shouted our hearty and joyous "Welcome"' to the friendly village as well 
as to the Fort, when twenty cannon shots roared at us in return. The 
people had noticed us from there as soon as we emerged, and by this 
salute wanted us to recognise how glad they were at cur return. The 
noisv greeting changed hitherto 'quiet Pirara into an exc'ited anti hill, and 
soon Mr. Youd and Fryer welcomed us to the village which had become 
quite changed during our absence. The number of occupants like the 
houses had increased in equal proportion, and, goofl gracious! almost 
the whole female portion of them came to meet us with a clean outfit and 
wilh hair neatly combed and plaited. What the late Mrs. Ynucl had 
previously taught the buckwomen in the neighbourhood, was no^ 
foruotten, the ywrnt Itrought l»y Mr. Youd was quickly made into clothes, 
and the broad many-pleated f^drt reaching from hip to knee uncommonly 
enhanced the nntural charm of the young and mostly beautiful figures. 
The pullers who had come with the provision boat from Georgetown lent 
a good deal besides to the unusual liveliness. 
213. In the midst of the first welcome's rejoicings a fresh attack of 
fever drove me to the medicine chest with a view to overthrowing its 
hitherto unquestionable mastery by a dose of 18 grains of quinine. Poor 
Petri, with his arm in a sling, also came to greet us: he still appeared 
miserable enough. The wound continued open, and as completi» healing 
was out of the question up here, it was decided that he should return to 
Georgetown with the military boat and stay in Hospital until recovered 
and cured. 
211. We had been exactly two mouths away from Pii-ara, and had 
traversed over 500 miles, but in spite of the unusual heat and exertion, 
no one had been really sick except Petri and myself with mv 32 attacks 
