heir
horsemanship more effectually, they caused their spirited steeds to
prance and rear in their presence, and when they imagined they were
convinced of their abilities, they dismounted to prostrate themselves
before them, and acquainted them of the welfare of their prince. The
carriers who had arrived from Kiama, had preceded them on the road,
and the whole of the men then sat down to partake of a little
refreshment. It was twelve o'clock exactly when they set out on their
journey, and the day being so far advanced, they wished to make all
the haste possible, but the weather was extremely warm, and their
horses were hardly strong enough to carry their riders, so that they
were obliged after all to travel very slowly. At five o'clock in the
afternoon, they reached the ruins of a small town. The path was
through the same forest as they had travelled through on the
preceding day, but this part of it was less thickly wooded. At one
place they remarked two immensely large trees, springing up almost
close together, their mighty trunks and branches were twisted, and
firmly clasped round each other, like giants in the act of embracing,
and presented an appearance highly novel and singular. Ant hills were
numerous on the road; and a few paces from it, they observed, as they
rode along, little cone-shaped mud buildings, erected by the natives
for the purpose of smelting iron ore, which is found in abundance in
different parts of the country.

At sunset they arrived at a village called Benikenny, which means in
the language of the people, (a cunning man;) and they found there
three women waiting their arrival, with corn and milk from the king
of Kiama: this was very acceptable, for they had been without food
for thirteen hours. They rested at Benikenny a little while, and
fully expected to have slept there, for the afternoon had been
excessively warm, and they were all much fatigued. It appears,
however, that their armed escort were not in the same way of thinking
as themselves, and they encouraged them to proceed to another
village, which they said was at no great distance. They, therefore,
quitted Benikenny, yet no village could be seen, and then the escort
confessed that they had deceived them, in order that they might
arrive at Kiama before night. The sun had gone down on their quitting
the halting place, but the moon and stars supplied them with a cooler
and more agreeable light, and they journeyed on through the forest