424 
DOTTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap. XXV.—B. P. 
The light clothing of the men was speedily soaked, 
.and they paddled with a will to keep themselves 
warm, so that I had the satisfaction of seeing the 
canoe making good way through the water. There 
was not a breath of wind, and only the splash of the 
paddles, the ceaseless buzzing of insects, and the 
croaking of the bullfrogs broke the stillness of the 
night, for the men did not seem to care about enliven¬ 
ing their labour with a song; twenty-four hours’ hard 
work with very little intermission, and a similar pro¬ 
spect before them, was apparently not considered by 
them conducive to merriment' and no doubt they 
would have relaxed their efforts and indulged in a 
nap, had they not been well aware that I slept with 
one eye open, and was not likely to let them rest in 
peace many minutes. 
The dawn of day was hailed by all of us with plea¬ 
sure. We were then off the Queen Mother’s planta¬ 
tion, which we had taken about twelve hours to reach 
on the up voyage, so that there was a fair chance of 
arriving at Blewfields before dark, and thus enabling 
me to carry out my programme there. 
Morning light brought with it a double pleasure, 
especially to the Creoles, for, on the branch of a tree 
overhanging the river, was a fine iguana, stretched at 
full length, ready to enjoy the first rays of the rising 
sun. The creature, however, either saw us or was 
startled by the noise of the paddles, as there was 
barely time to get a flying shot at it before down it 
dropped from its perch, plump into the river, and was 
lost to view in a moment. The men paddled rapidly 
