20 
CROSSING OF THE RIVER. 
bills ; and the natives succeeded in killing two or three 
snakes. Our view to the westward was extremely limited ^ 
but to the eastward the country appeared in some places 
to expand into plains. 
After travelling some miles down the banks of the river, 
finding that they still retained their steep character, we 
turned back to a place which Mr. Hume had observed, and 
at which he thought we might, with some little trouble, 
cross to the opposite side. And, however objectionable the 
attempt was, we found ourselves obliged to make it. We 
descended, therefore, into the channel of the river, and un- 
loaded the animals and boat-carriage. In order to facilitate 
the ascent of the right bank, some of the men were directed 
to cut steps up it. I was amused to see the natives volun- 
tarily assist them ; and was surprised when they took up 
bags of flour weighing lOOlbs. each, and carried them across 
the river. We were not long in getting the whole of the 
stores over. The boat was then hoisted on the shoulders of 
the strongest, and deposited on the top of the opposite 
bank ; and ropes being afterwards attached to the carriage, 
it was soon drawn up to a place of safety. The natives 
worked as hard as our own people, and that, too, with a 
cheerfulness for which I was altogether unprepared, and 
which is certainly foreign to their natural habits. We 
pitched our tents as soon as we had effected the passage of 
the river • after which, the men went to bathe, and blacks 
and whites were mingled promiscuously in the stream. I 
did not observe that the former differed in any respect from 
