390 
DOTTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap. XXIV.—B. P. 
was not on them, to have a nap, but ronsing them¬ 
selves to action as soon as I became restless and gave 
indications of wakefulness; for, of course, in such a 
ticklish specimen of naval architecture as a canoe, the 
slightest movement on the part of any one is at once 
perceptible to the others* 
On the whole, I was not dissatisfied with the pro¬ 
gress made, which I calculated at about four or four 
and a half miles an hour, but we were all glad when 
the light of day appeared once more; no one seemed 
to regret it,—the change alone was pleasant. The 
men looked chilled through, and were dripping wet 
from the dew, which stood in large globules all over 
the canoe. As the sun Pose, the moisture was quickly 
absorbed; the light cotton garments of the “hoys” 
no longer stuck to their skins, and it Was curious to 
observe as the heat increased how their spirits rose; 
the paddles moved more briskly, and the silence which 
had reigned supreme for some time gave place to quite 
an animated conversation. 
The effect of chill or cold on those who have African 
blood in their veins is always depressing; they seem 
to he quite nipped by any fall in the temperature, and 
to lose heart and strength in proportion to its intensity, 
—-just the reverse of the white man, whose full energy 
appears to he aroused as the thermometer lowers. It 
may he said, indeed, that these respective distinctions 
are the natural characteristics of men born either m 
northern or tropical climates; but I cannot agree with 
this, and rather attribute the fact to a race dis¬ 
tinction. I recollect taking great interest in the 
