CHAP, ftillnear one foot longer than my own; therefore call-
ing to him that Jabres were not made to thruft, b u tto
cut with, I offered to make an exchange i h n f hekefuliQg,'
I dropped mine on the ground, and eagerljb.with . both
hands endeavoured to wreft his from him, till (as I had
hold of it by the blade) I faw the blood trickle down all
my fingers, and I was. obliged to let g©i I. now. grafped
my own fabre, with which I ftmckrat him many'ltipaes,
but without theleaft effe<ft,.as he parried.ev.ery blow with
the utmoft facility; at laft, with all his. force, he made .a
cut at my head, which, beingjconfcious I could not ward
off by my Ik ill, I howedmndeTit, .and at the fame faftant
ftriking fideways for his throat, had the .good fortune to
make a galh in the jhick part of his right arm_.at leaft
fix inches long, th e ’ two lips of. which ...appeared'
through hi& blue jacket, and in. confequen.ee.|af t^Taich'.
his right-hand came down dangling by his fide. I had,
however, not efcaped entirely unhurt, for his fabre, hav-.
ing palled through my bat without touching my fcull,
had glanced to my right fhoulder, and cut it about .one
inch deep. At this time I infilled on his alking my pardon,
or on firing both our piftols left-handed; but he
chofe the firft, which ended the battle. I now reminded
him that fuch Swiff jokes were always too ferious to
Engliflimen; when we Ihook hands, and I conducted
him, covered with blood, to the furgeon of his own
corps, who having fewed up the wound, he went to
his hammock, and for the fpace of feveral weeks performed
no duty, . Thus was I ^reconciled to Captain
Meyland;
Meyland; and what gave me the greatfcft fatisfa<Stion, was
his acknowledging the affront was offered, as finding it
wôùîd be agreeable to Fourgeotrd to have me mortified ;
and indeed ever after this acknowledgment we lived in
•the utmoff intimacy. * Peace, however, was not yet deferred
to be my lot, fof that »very afternoon I found my-
felf under the neceffity of challenging two other officers,
who had 'efpoufed Meyland’s quarrel againft me at
diUnétl -btit in this I had the fatisfaélion of efta-
bliffiiâgr my character without violence or bloodfhed,
both of the* géhtlemen acknowledged their :error ; and I
became at oride the favourite of the camp.
On the 9th of November both columns met, and en-
Campéd together on the north fide of .the Wana Creek,
near its' môüthj Hvhére it runs into the Cormoetibo, placing
advanced -guards ‘at both creeks, at one mile diftance
from it ; and this very evening I took the opportunity of
acquainting Colonel Fourgeoud, that I had nearly cut
off the head :,o'f: his beloved countryman in a duel (well
knowing he muff be informed of it by others)' ; which
trefpafs he was not only pleafed gracioully to pardon, but
to tell me with a fmile that I was a brave garçon^ but in
thofe fmiles I put no more triift than 1 would in the tears
of a crocodile.
My doubts of his fri-eridfhip were foon confirmed,fince
my only true friend, Campbell, going down lick to Devil’s
Harwar, he would hot fo much as allow the boat or pon-
kee to wait till I had finifhed a letter, directed to Joanna,
for