o the straggling fire, as well as the
insulting mockery of his pursuers. One incident, which occurred in
the flight, deserves to be recorded. A white man named T----,
completely overpowered by his fears, refused to fire on the savages,
who were within a paddle's length of him, but stood up in the canoe,
with a loaded musket in his hand, beseeching them by his gestures to
take him prisoner, rather than deprive him of his life. While in the
act of making this dastardly appeal, a musket ball from the enemy
entered his mouth, and killed him on the spot. The others behaved
with the greatest coolness and intrepidity. The fugitives gained on
their pursuers, and when they found the chase discontinued
altogether, Lander stood up for the last time in the canoe, and being
seconded by his remaining associates, he waved his hat, and gave a
last cheer in sight of his adversaries. He then became sick and faint
from loss of blood, and sank back exhausted in the arms of those who
were nearest to him. Rallying shortly afterwards, the nature of his
wound was communicated to him by Mr. Moore, a young surgeon from
England, who had accompanied him up the river, and whose conduct
throughout this disastrous affray was most admirable. The ball could
not be extracted, and Lander felt convinced his career would soon be
terminated. When the state of excitement to which his feelings had
been wrought, gave place to the languor which generally succeeds
powerful excitement of any kind, the invalid's wound pained him
exceedingly, and for several hours afterwards, he endured with
calmness the most intense suffering. From that time he could neither
sit up, nor turn on his couch, nor hold a pen, but while he was
proceeding down the river in a manner so melancholy, and so very
different from the mode in which he was ascending it only the day
before, he could not help indulging in various reflections, and he
talked much of his wife and children, his friends, his distant home,
and his blighted expectations. It was a period of darkness, and
distress, and sorrow to him, but his natural cheerfulness soon
regained its ascendancy over his mind, and freely forgiving all his
enemies, he resigned himself into the hands of his Maker, and derived
considerable benefit from the consolations of religion. He arrived
with his surviving companions at Fernando Po on the 25th January. It
was there found that the ball had entered his hip, and worked its way
down to the thick o