378 DOTTING8 ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap. XXHI.—B. P. 
I had a double motive in undertaking this expedi¬ 
tion ; first, to satisfy a desire long felt by me to exa¬ 
mine for myself a river about which I had heard so 
much, and which, from its position, will doubtless, 
some day or other, be the means of “opening up” this 
valuable country; and, secondly, to lay down its 
course on the map, between the mouth and Kisilala, 
with sufficient accuracy to enable me to judge if 
it might be made available for shortening the road to 
the mining district of Chontales, in Nicaragua, in the 
prosperity of which I was much interested. 
I had bnt very little time at my disposal for the 
trip, having to return to Blewfields by a certain day, 
to attend a public meeting in the town, the first ever 
held there. I therefore took care to provide myself 
with a good canoe and a strong, hardworking crew. 
I hired the canoe from Mr. Christopher Hodgson, a 
creole of good position in the town; and Mr. David 
Israng, a native of Hungary, for many years a resident 
in Nicaragua, but now married and settled at Blew¬ 
fields, obtained the men for me. None of them had 
ever worked with me before, but they were all well 
recommended. The coxswain was a tall creole, quite 
black, strongly pitted with smallpox, who stuttered 
fearfully if the least excited; he was, however, 
good-natured and willing, worked well, and, what is 
more, cheerfully. I engaged them at four strong 
dollars (16s. 8 d.) apiece, the men finding their own 
provisions. The same sum was also charged for the 
hire of the canoe, so that my Blewfields trip cost me 
for conveyance alone exactly £5, which, considering 
