202 
GOOD CONDUCT OF THE MEN. 
unexpected rapidity with which the boat shot up the pas- 
sage astonished me, and filled the natives with wonder, 
who testified their admiration of so dexterous a manoeuvre, 
by a loud shout. 
It will, no doubt, have struck the reader as something 
very remarkable, that the same influential savage to whom 
we had already been indebted, should have been present on 
this occasion, and at a moment when we so much needed 
his assistance. Having surmounted our difficulties, we 
took leave of this remarkable man, and pursued our journey 
up the river. 
It may be imagined we did not proceed very far ; the fact 
was, we only pushed forward to get rid of the natives, for, 
however pacific, they were always troublesome, and we 
were seldom fitted for a trial of temper after the labours of 
the day were concluded. The men had various occupations 
in which, when the natives were present, they were con- 
stantly interrupted, and whenever the larger tribes slept near 
us, the utmost vigilance was necessary on the part of the 
night-guard, which was regularly mounted as soon as the 
tents were pitched. We had had little else than our flour to 
subsist on. Hopkinson and Harris endeavoured to supply 
M'Leay and myself with a wild fowl occasionally, but for 
themselves, and the other men, nothing could be procured 
to render their meal more palatable. 
I have omitted to mention one remarkable trait of the 
good disposition of all the men while on the coast. Our 
sugar had held out to that point ; but it appeared, when we 
