STING-RAY FISH. 
381 
In other respects, circumstances had broken through 
many scruples and prejudices, and we were by no 
means particular as to what the fish might be, if it 
were eatable. 
Having buried our little keg of water until our 
return, the King George’s Sound native and myself 
pushed on for five miles further, and then halted for 
the night, after a day’s journey of fifteen miles. We 
now cooked some sting-ray fish (for the native 
with me had speared a second one,) and though it 
was coarse and dry, our appetites had been sharpened 
by our walk, and we thought it far from being un- 
palatable. 
April 11. — Moving away long before daylight, 
we pushed steadily on, and about dusk arrived, after 
a stage of twenty-three miles, at the place where our 
stores were. I found a much greater weight here 
than I expected, and feared it would be quite im- 
possible for us to carry the whole away. By the 
light of the fire, I threw out saddles, clothes, oil- 
skins, &c. that we did not absolutely require, and 
packing up the remainder, weighed a bundle of 
thirty-two pounds for myself to carry, and one of 
twenty-two for the native, who also had a gun to 
take. Our arrangements being completed for the 
morrow, we enjoyed our supper of sting-ray, and lay 
down for the night. 
April 12. — To-day the weather was cloudy and 
sultry, and we found it very oppressive carrying the 
weight we had with us, especially as we had no 
