t escape we should certainly be killed. You may suppose, my dear
brothers, how fearfully agitated I was. I knew how alarmed you would be
on returning not to find us, and yet, if we should remain it might be
still worse. Domingos and Maria settled the matter by seizing me by the
arms, and dragging me to the raft before I had time to write a note or
leave any signal. I scarcely thought, indeed, of doing so, till
Domingos had pushed the raft off from the bank. I entreated him to go
back; but he replied that it was impossible without the risk of being
caught by the savages, and began paddling the raft down the channel. I
looked back, and seeing no natives, again urged him to return. He
replied that he was sure they would lie in ambush to catch us, and that
it would be destruction to do so. Feeling that he wished to secure my
safety, I could not complain. He did his best, too, to comfort me about
you. He said that as you were probably with the friendly natives, you
would be defended from the Majeronas; and that by the time you had come
back, those he had seen would have gone away, and you would certainly
guess that we were not far off. I did my utmost to arouse myself and to
assist Maria and him in paddling the raft. The wind was light, the
water smooth, and there appeared to be no danger in venturing out into
the river. A light wind was in our favour, and he accordingly steered
towards the opposite bank, saying that we should be safer there than
anywhere else, and might more easily get back than by going down the
stream. I looked frequently towards the shore we had left, but still
saw no natives. Poor Domingos was evidently anxious about you, though
he did his best not to alarm me more than he had done already. We
found, after getting some way across, that the current was floating us
down much faster than we had expected, and I begged Domingos therefore
to return. He insisted that, having got thus far, it was better to
continue our course towards the southern bank, and wait there for a
favourable wind for getting back. I was thankful when at length we
reached a sandy beach, where we could land without difficulty and secure
our raft. Domingos fortunately shot a paca, so we had plenty of food;
and Maria and I assisted him in putting up a hut. Had I not been so
anxious about you, I should have had no cause to complain. They both
exerted themselves to the utmost; and I do not think Domingos closed his
eyes al