CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES. 
19 
line, and behind them the warriors were seated on the 
ground. 
I had a young native with me who had attached himself 
to our party, and who, from his extreme good nature and 
superior intelligence, was considered by us as a first-rate 
kind of fellow. He explained who and what we were, and 
I was glad to observe that the old chief seemed perfectly 
reconciled to my presence, although he cast many an 
anxious glance at the long train of animals that were ap- 
proaching. The warriors, I remarked, never lifted their eyes 
from the ground. They were hideously painted with red and 
yellow ochre, and had their weapons at their sides, while 
their countenances were fixed, sullen, and determined. In 
order to overcome this mood, I rode up to them, and, taking 
a spear from the nearest, gave him my gun to examine ; a 
mark of confidence that was not lost upon them, for they 
immediately relaxed from their gravity, and as soon as my 
party arrived, rose up and followed us. That which ap- 
peared most to excite their surprise, was the motion of the 
wheels of the boat carriage. The young native whom I 
have noticed above, acted as interpreter, and, by his fa- 
cetious manner, contrived to keep the whole of us in a fit" 
of laughter as we moved along. He had been named Bo- 
then by some stockman. 
In consequence of our wish to cross the river, we 
ept near it, and experienced considerable delay from 
the frequent marshes that opposed themselves to our pro- 
gress. In one of these we saw a number of ibises and spoon- 
c 2 
