handsome new musket from Sydney; and
now, poor fellow, he is dead, and cannot shoot
with it i but then you must remember that
his brother Kiney Kiney is still alive, and he
can shoot with it 5 and poor George would
wish that his brother should have his new
musket.” This speech I felt quite irresistible;
therefore, in order to comfort the old queen,
I promised that I would send the musket for
her second son; which declaration seemed to
afford her great consolation, and considerably
abated the violence of her grief.
Just at the dawn of morning we started
from the bay in Rivers’s canoe, accompanied
by his wife, one child, and the two stout
slaves he had mentioned to me. My luggage,
which consisted of one leathern portmanteau
and my bed, was placed in the centre. I had
also provided myself with a small basket of
cooked meat, with bread, and a small bottle
of brandy, which was given me by the captain
of one of the whalers. The day broke
around us with more than usual brightness;
the dewy mists of night were just rising from
the waters, and the huge and abrupt forms of
the mountains were beginning to develope
themselves; flights of wild ducks and stray
birds skimmed rapidly by us. The thoughts
that crowded my mind were strange and
varied, while contemplating scenes of such
tranquil beauty as were now presented, glowing
with the tints of the rising sun. I contrasted
these with the difficulties and dangers
I might have to encounter from hordes of
ferocious savages, who, now flushed with conquest,
were plotting murder and destruction
against each other: even a glance at my
companions banished all peaceful illusions.
While the wife, son, and slaves were using the
paddles with the greatest exertions, Rivers
was carefully examining his weapons. The
beauty of the morning and the romantic
scenery was unnoticed: his thoughts were directed
solely to contemplating the depth and
the width of my stocking of powder, which
seemed to afford him infinite satisfaction. He
had with him a beautiful double-barrelled
gun, and a very good Tower musket; and
seeing so many wild ducks flypast, he drew
the bullet out of one of the barrels of the
o.