But Besides Their Good-Humoured Intercourse, They Showed Humanity
Worthy Of English Sailors.
A terrible scream roused them up one
night, and they pushed off in a boat to the rescue.
A crocodile had
caught a woman, and was dragging her across a shallow sandbank. Just
as they came up to her, she gave a fearful shriek: the horrid
reptile had snapped off her leg at the knee. They took her on board,
bandaged the limb as well as they could, and, not thinking of any
better way of showing their sympathy, gave her a glass of rum, and
carried her to a hut in the village. Next morning they found the
bandages torn off, and the unfortunate creature left to die. "I
believe," remarked Rowe, one of the sailors, "her master was angry
with us for saving her life, seeing as how she had lost her leg."
The Zambesi being unusually low, we remained at Tette till it rose a
little, and then left on the 3rd of December for the Kongone. It was
hard work to keep the vessel afloat; indeed, we never expected her to
remain above water. New leaks broke out every day; the engine pump
gave way; the bridge broke down; three compartments filled at night;
except the cabin and front compartment all was flooded; and in a few
days we were assured by Rowe that "she can't be worse than she is,
sir." He and Hutchins had spent much of their time, while we were
away, in patching her bottom, puddling it with clay, and shoring it,
and it was chiefly to please them that we again attempted to make use
of her.
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