344 
ENDEAVOUR TO CIVILIZE THE CANOES, [chap. xii. 
we lighted a fire. Mosquitoes were in clouds, and the 
night was so warm that it was impossible to sleep 
beneath the blankets. Arranging the angareps upon 
the sand, with the raw ox-hides as coverlets, we lay 
down in the rain. It was too hot to sleep in the boat, 
especially as the temporary cabin was a perfect mos¬ 
quito nest. That night I considered the best plan to 
be adopted, and I resolved to adapt a paddle as a 
rudder on the following morning. It rained without 
ceasing the whole night; and, at break of day, the 
scene was sufficiently miserable. The men lay on the 
wet sand, covered up with their raw hides, soaked 
completely through, but still fast asleep, from which 
nothing would arouse them. My wife was also wet 
and wretched. It still rained. I was soon at work. 
Cutting a thwart in the stern of the canoe with my 
hunting-knife, I bored a hole beneath it with the large 
auger, and securely lashed a paddle with a thong of 
raw hide that I cut off my well-saturated coverlet. I 
made a most effective rudder. None of my men had 
assisted me; they had remained beneath their soaked 
skins, smoking their short pipes, while I was hard at 
work. They were perfectly apathetic with despair, as 
their ridiculous efforts at paddling on the previous 
evening had completely extinguished all hope within 
them. They were quite resigned to their destiny, and 
considered themselves as sacrificed to geography. 
I threw them the auger, and explained that I was 
ready tp start, and should wait for no one; and, 
cutting two bamboos, I arranged a mast and yard, 
upon which I fitted a large Scotch plaid for a sail. 
We shoved off the boat: fortunately we had two or 
three spare paddles, therefore the rudder paddle was 
not missed. I took the helm, and instructed my men 
to think of nothing but pulling hard. Away we went 
as straight as an arrow, to the intense delight of my 
people. There was very little wind, but a light air 
filled the plaid and eased us gently forward. 
Upon rounding the promontory we found ourselves 
