220 
WANDERINGS IN 
THIRD 
JOURNKY. 
cayman gave in, and became tranquil through ex¬ 
haustion. I now managed to tie up his jaws, and 
firmly secured his fore-feet in the position I had 
held them. We had now another severe struggle 
for superiority, but he was soon overcome, and again 
remained quiet. While some of the people were 
pressing upon his head and shoulders, I threw my¬ 
self on his tail, and by keeping it down to the sand, 
prevented him from kicking up another dust. He 
was finally conveyed to the canoe, and then to the 
place where we had suspended our hammocks. 
There I cut his throat; and after breakfast was over, 
commenced the dissection. 
Now that the affray had ceased, Daddy Quashi 
played a good finger and thumb at breakfast; he 
said he found himself much revived, and became 
very talkative and useful, as there was no longer any 
danger. He was a faithful, honest negro. His 
master, my worthy friend Mr. Edmonstone, had 
been so obliging as to send out particular orders to 
the colony, that the Daddy should attend me all the 
time I was in the forest. He had lived in the wilds 
of Demerara with Mr. Edmonstone for many years ; 
and often amused me with the account of the frays 
his master had had in the woods with snakes, wild 
beasts, and runaway negroes. Old age was now 
coming fast upon him ; he had been an able fellow 
in his younger days, and a gallant one too, for he 
had a large scar over his eyebrow, caused by the 
stroke of a cutlass, from another negro, while the 
Daddy was engaged in an intrigue. 
