fear, entreated me not to go on shore that night. "Supposing I don't,
Xury," said I, "and in the morning we should see men who are worse than
those we fear, what then?" "O den we may give dem de shoot gun," replied
Xury, laughing, "and de gun make dem all run away."

The wit and broken English which the boy had learned among the captives
of our nation, pleased me entirely: and, to add to his cheerfulness I
gave him a dram of the bottle: we could get but little sleep all the
night for those terrible howlings they made; and, indeed, we were both
very much affrighted, when, by the rollings of the water, and other
tokens, we justly concluded one of these monsters made towards our boat.
I could not see till it came within two oars length, when taking my
fusee, I let fly at him. Whether I hit him or no, I cannot tell; but he
made towards the shore, and the noise of my gun increased the
stupendious noise of the monsters.

The next morning I was resolved to go on shore to get fresh water, and
venture my life among the beasts or savages should either attack me.
Xury said, he would take one of the jars and bring me some. I asked him
why he would go and not I? The poor boy answered, "If wild mans come
they eat me, you go away." A mind scarcely now to be imitated, so
contrary to self-preservation, the most powerful law of Nature. This
indeed increased my affection to the child. "Well, dear Xury," said I,
we will both go ashore, both kill wild mans, and they "shall eat neither
of us." So giving Xury a piece of rusk-bread to eat, and a dram, we
waded ashore, carrying nothing with us but our arms, and two jars for
water. I did not go out of sight of the boat, as dreading the savages
coming down the river in their canoes; but the boy seeing a low descent
or vale about a mile in the country, he wandered to it: and then running
back to me with great precipitation, I thought he was pursued by some