ks and trees,
without their spears, crowding round him with the greatest tenderness and
solicitude; two passed their arms round him, his head drooped senselessly
upon his chest, and with hurried steps the whole party wound their way
through the forest, their black forms being scarcely distinguishable from
the charred trunks of the trees as they receded in the distance.

To have fired upon the other natives when they returned for the wounded
man would, in my belief, have been an unnecessary piece of barbarity. I
already felt deeply the death of him I had been compelled to shoot: and I
believe that when a fellow-creature falls by one's hand, even in a single
combat rendered unavoidable in self-defence, it is impossible not
sincerely to regret the force of so cruel a necessity.

RETURN WOUNDED.

I had now time to attend to my own state and that of my men, and found
that they were uninjured. I had been severely wounded in the hip; another
spear had just cut my right arm, and a third had deeply indented my
powder-flask, whilst lying in a haversack, immediately over my stomach.
The men were not, up to this moment, aware of my being wounded, as I had
thought it better to conceal this circumstance from them as long as I
could. The natives had gone off in the direction of the tents; and as I
felt doubtful whether they might seize upon a favourable opportunity to
surprise the party there, and thus revenge their defeat, I was anxious to
reach the encampment as soon as possible. We therefore bound up my wound
as well as we could, picked up the spear which I had drawn out from my
hip, and started homewards.

We did not take with us any of the other spears or native weapons which
were lying about in abundance; for I still wished to show this people
that I was actuated by no ill will towards them. They did not however
deal so generously with us; for Coles unfortunately forgot a notebook
which he was carrying for me, containing many observations of great
value; and I sent back a party to look for it, but the natives had
returned to the place and carried off all their own spears, and other
weapons, and my notebook likewise.

The first part of our march homewards was managed tolerably well. We saw
the tracks of the natives, as if they were still retiring in the
direction of the tents; and at one place, close to a group of detached
rocks, were several tame native dogs, near which I have no doubt a party
of men or women were concealed