ought down upon him the vengeance of the
tribes. I hesitated, therefore, whether or not to go to his assistance.
It appeared, however, both to M'Leay and myself, that the tone of the
natives had moderated, and the old and young men having listened to the
remonstrances of our friend, the middle-aged warriors were alone holding
out against him. A party of about seventy blacks were upon the right bank
of the newly discovered river, and I thought that by landing among them,
we should make a diversion in favour of our late guest; and in this I
succeeded. If even they had still meditated violence, they would have to
swim a good broad junction, and that, probably, would cool them, or we
at least should have the advantage of position. I therefore, ran the boat
ashore, and landed with M'Leay amidst the smaller party of natives, wholly
unarmed, and having directed the men to keep at a little distance from the
bank. Fortunately, what I anticipated was brought about by the stratagem
to which I had had recourse. The blacks no sooner observed that we had
landed, than curiosity took place of anger. All wrangling ceased, and they
came swimming over to us like a parcel of seals. Thus, in less than a
quarter of an hour from the moment when it appeared that all human
intervention was at on end, and we were on the point of commencing a
bloody fray, which, independently of its own disastrous consequences,
would have blasted the success of the expedition, we were peacefully
surrounded by the hundreds who had so lately threatened us with
destruction; nor was it until after we had returned to the boat, and had
surveyed the multitude upon the sloping bank above us, that we became
fully aware of the extent of our danger, and of the almost miraculous
intervention of Providence in our favour. There could not have been less
than six hundred natives upon that blackened sward. But this was not the
only occasion upon which the merciful superintendance of that Providence
to which we had humbly committed ourselves, was strikingly manifested.
If these pages fail to convey entertainment or information, sufficient may
at least be gleaned from them to furnish matter for serious reflection;
but to those who have been placed in situations of danger where human
ingenuity availed them not, and where human foresight was baffled, I feel
persuaded that these remarks are unnecessary.

NEW RIVER, SUPPOSED TO BE THE DARLING.

It was my first care to call for our frie