™ Here a11 the elements now feemed to unite in oppofing
V f th€ water pouring down like a deluge, the heavy
- raie« forced themfelves fo re an d aft into the veffçl,
where they let every thing afloat; .the air infefted
with myriads o f mufquitoes, which, from fm -fet to fun-,
rjfing, conftantly kept u$ company, and prevented us
from getting any fleep, and left us in-the morning be-
fmeared all over with blood, and fpll of blotches. The
fmoak of the fire and tobacco^ which we burnt to annoy
them, was; enough to choak ns ; and not afoot-ftep of
land could we And, where we- might copk our faltpro-
vifions in fafety. To all this miferymay he added, that
difcord broke out between the marines and the negroes,
with whom, as promifes or threats had as yet no weight,
I was obliged to have récourfe to other means. I tied
up the ringleaders of both parties ; and after ordering
the firft to be well flogged, and the latter to be ljorfe-
whipped for half an hour, after due fufpemce and expec-
tation, I pardoned them all without one lafh. This,
had equally the effeft of the punifhment, and peace was
perfectly re-eflablifhed ; but to prevent approaching dif,
cafe was totally Out of my power. Not all the golden
rules in Doiftor Arrrtftrong’s beautiful poem upon health
could avail in this fituation.
We rowed down on the aoth, till we arrived before the
Cafepoere Creek, in hopes of meeting feme relief^ but
were equally uncomfortable. So very thick were the
mufquitoes now, that by clapping my two hands together,
gether, I have actually killed to the number of thirty- CHAP,
eight at o»ne flaofce. , ;
In rowing down to Batbaeoeba, we faw one or two
beautiful fnlkes fwim- aciofsthe river. In the courts
of our progrefs we oeeafiohaly met with a little relief,
bfftepping afl^o^upder ,the?fliadê.^ I now hadyecohrfe
to the advice of an old ne^ro. — « Car»Matea,*-fai.df I ,
« What Methods do you take' to pteferve your health'?*
—« Swim eythy day twice-or fhriee,- 9ify?*;fiid he, “ in the
“ river. This, Mafara, not only fervesifor exercife where
« I: cahnot wafl?,-’ feut kêépg my fkin-clean and eobi> and
“ th e^o re s being open,'! enjoy a free, perfpiratiohv
* Without this, by1 impftftjgptftife filth-, the pores are
«fhuf, the juice? ftagnate, and- difeafei' Muft inevitably
« follow.” HavMg mèómpéhfêdithe-oM-gérftlemaóWitha
d^am, I fitffcihtiy flapped and plunged be&fiori^;into the
river; 1 had, hdWeVer, no fooner taken this leap, than
ho ealed td3»e fcr GodTS'fake to,;cOme on board y which
having done with much afiomfhrnent, He reminded me
o f the alligators,’"as well'' as o f a fitfi which fe here
eafied pery.^“ Both thefe/sir,” find he, « a re excéed-
irrgly dangerous, but by following my directions you
« will run no hazard. You may fwim entirely naked,
^ only take care that! you conftanriy keep in motion;.
M for the moment yon are quiet, you run thé rifk of
** fnappiirg off a ïrdahy m being- dragged to the
H bottom.*
Having