212 NATIVES DESERT THEIR WEAPONS. 
would repent it, so I fired between the two.” “ Where 
were they, man?” said I. “Close to the boat, sir; and 
when they heard me, they swam into the river, and dived 
as soon as I fired between them.” This account was veri- 
fied by one of them puffing as he rose below us, over 
whose head I fired a shot. Where the other got to I could 
not tell. This watchfulness, on our part, however, pre- 
vented any further attempts during the night. 
I was much pleased at the coolness of my servant, as well 
at his consideration; and relieving him from his post, de- 
sired Hopkinson to take it. I have no doubt that the ap- 
proach of the natives, in the first instance, was made with 
a view to draw us off from the camp, vvlnle some others 
mio-ht rob tbe boat. If so, it was a good manoeuvre, and 
might have succeeded. 
c5 
In the morning, we found the natives had left all their 
ponderous spears at their fires, which were broken up and 
burnt. We were surprised to find that our friend had left 
everything in like manner behind him — his spears, his 
nets, and his tomahawk ; but as he had kept so wholly 
aloof from the other blacks, I thought it highly improba- 
ble that he had joined them, and the men were of opinion 
that he had retreated across the plain into the wood. On 
looking in that direction we observed some smoke rising 
among the trees at a little distance from the outskirts 
of the plain, and under an impression that I should find the 
native at the fire with his family, I took his spears and 
tomahawk, and walked across the plain, unattended, into 
