The Sergeant
(From A Foolish Trick Which Had Been Played Upon Him When He Was A Boy)
Was Excessively Timorous Of Water, And Could Not Swim.
Morunga offered
to conduct him, and they got into the canoe together; but, his fears returning,
he jumped out and refused to proceed.
I endeavoured to animate him,
and Morunga ridiculed his apprehensions, making signs of the ease and dispatch
with which he would land him; but he resolved to paddle over by himself,
which, by dint of good management and keeping his position very steadily,
he performed. It was now become necessary to bring over the canoe
a third time for my accommodation, which was instantly done, and I entered it
with Deedora. But, like the sergeant, I was so disordered at seeing the water
within a hair's breadth of the level of our skiff (which brought
to my remembrance a former disaster I had experienced on this river)
that I jumped out, about knee-deep, and determined to swim over,
which I effected. My clothes, half our knapsacks, and three of our guns
yet remained to be transported across. These I recommended to the care
of our grim ferrymen, who instantaneously loaded their boat with them
and delivered them on the opposite bank, without damage or diminution.
During this long trial of their patience and courtesy - in the latter part
of which I was entirely in their power, from their having possession
of our arms - they had manifested no ungenerous sign of taking advantage
of the helplessness and dependance of our situation; no rude curiosity
to pry into the packages with which they were entrusted; or no sordid desire
to possess the contents of them; although among them were articles
exposed to view, of which it afterwards appeared they knew the use,
and longed for the benefit.
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