Our Ignorance
Arose From Having Never Before Seen The Hill, And From The Erroneous Position
Assigned To It By Those Who Had Been In The Boats Up The River.
Except the behaviour of some natives whom we met on the river, which
it would be ingratitude to pass in silence, nothing particularly worthy
of notice occurred on this expedition.
When we had reached within two miles of Richmond Hill, we heard a native call.
We directly answered him and conversed across the river for some time.
At length he launched his canoe and crossed to us without distrust
or hesitation. We had never seen him before; but he appeared to know
our friend Gombeeree, of whom he often spoke. He said his name was Deedora.
He presented us with two spears and a throwing-stick, and in return
we gave him some bread and beef. Finding that our route lay up the river,
he offered to accompany us and, getting into his canoe, paddled up
abreast of us. When we arrived at Richmond Hill it became necessary
to cross the river; but the question was, how this should be effected?
Deedora immediately offered his canoe. We accepted of it and, Mr. Dawes
and the soldier putting their clothes into it, pushed it before them,
and by alternately wading and swimming, soon passed. On the opposite shore
sat several natives, to whom Deedora called, by which precaution the arrival
of the strangers produced no alarm. On the contrary, they received them
with every mark of benevolence. Deedora, in the meanwhile, sat talking
with the sergeant and me. Soon after, another native, named Morunga,
brought back the canoe, and now came our turn to cross. 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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