ards, had now
lost their influence, or failed to reach to the distance we had gained.
Calms succeeded them, and obliged us to labour continually at the oars.
We lost ground fast, and it was astonishing to remark how soon the
men's spirits drooped again under their first efforts. They fancied the
boat pulled heavily, and that her bottom was foul; but such was not the
case. The current was not so strong as when we passed down, since the
river had evidently fallen more than a foot, and was so shallow in
several places, that we were obliged to haul the boat over them. On
these occasions we were necessarily obliged to get out of her into the
water, and had afterwards to sit still and to allow the sun to dry our
clothes upon us. The unemployed consequently envied those at the oars,
as they sat shivering in their dripping clothes. I was aware that it
was more from imagination than reality, that the men fancied the boat
was unusually heavy, but I hesitated not in humouring them, and rather
entered into their ideas than otherwise, and endeavoured to persuade
them that she pulled the lighter for the cleaning we gave her.

A tribe of natives joined us, and we had the additional trouble of
guarding our stores. They were, however, very quiet, and as we had
broken up our casks, on leaving the coast, we were enabled to be
liberal in our presents of iron hoop, which they eagerly received. We
calculated that we should reach the principal junction in about fifteen
days from this place.

NATIVE BURIAL-PLACE.

The natives left us to pursue our solitary journey as soon as the boat
was reloaded. Not one of them had the curiosity to follow us, nor did
they appear to think it necessary that we should be attended by envoys.
We stopped for the night upon the left bank; and close to a
burial-ground that differed from any I had ever seen. It must have been
used many years, from the number of bones that were found in the bank,
but there were no other indications of such a place either by mounds or
by marks on the trees. The fact, therefore, is a singular one. I have
thought that some battle might have been fought near the place, but I
can hardly think one of their battles could have been so destructive.

IMPEDED BY SHOALS.

We had now only to make the best of our journey, rising at dawn, and
pulling to seven and often to nine o'clock. I allowed the men an hour
from half-past eleven to half-past twelve, to take their bread and
water. This was