While This Was Doing, A Native, From His Canoe,
Entered Into Conversation With Us, And Immediately After Paddled To Us
With A Frankness And Confidence Which Surprised Every One.
He was a man
of middle age, with an open cheerful countenance, marked with the small pox,
and distinguished by a nose of uncommon magnitude and dignity.
He seemed
to be neither astonished or terrified at our appearance and number.
Two stone hatchets, and two spears he took from his canoe, and presented
to the governor, who in return for his courteous generosity, gave him two
of our hatchets and some bread, which was new to him, for he knew not its use,
but kept looking at it, until Colbee shewed him what to do, when he eat it
without hesitation. We pursued our course, and to accommodate us,
our new acquaintance pointed out a path and walked at the head of us. A canoe,
also with a man and a boy in it, kept gently paddling up abreast of us.
We halted for the night at our usual hour, on the bank of the river.
Immediately that we had stopped, our friend (who had already told us his name)
Gombeeree, introduced the man and the boy from the canoe to us. The former
was named Yellomundee, the latter Deeimba. The ease with which these people
behaved among strangers was as conspicuous, as unexpected. They seated
themselves at our fire, partook of our biscuit and pork, drank from
our canteens, and heard our guns going off around them without betraying
any symptom of fear, distrust or surprise.
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