But it was not so designed. Presently the boat
struck upon the huge half-sunk tree; a "snag,"
the Americans call it.

The bows passed over, the stern stuck fast
and tilted up, the fore-part of the boat filled
with water. For hours, they laboured,
endeavouring to bale out the water and get
clear of the snag; but their efforts were fruitless,
and they became exhausted under a burning
perpendicular sun. Half dead with thirst,
they were unable to use the waters of the
river, which recent rains had rendered not
only turbid, but almost fetid with the decayed
vegetable matter and mould of the banks. It
became evident that the moment the boat
slipped off the snag, she would sink like lead.
No sign of habitation was to be seen on either
shore, each distant about half a mile. At length
the owner of the boat, in despair, determined
to swim to land, and try if he could obtain
help, although, from the denseness of the
forest, it seemed a vain hope. He sprang into
the river, which was running at the rate of
nearly ten knots an hour: swimming as only
an Indian can swim. They watched him with
their glasses until he reached the shore,
apparently much exhausted, caught hold of the
branches of a drooping tree, and then, the
forest being too close for him to penetrate,
crept away on his hands and knees along
the shallow margin, disappeared, and was
never seen more. No doubt he was
devoured by alligators; for, shortly afterwards,
a crowd of these disgusting creatures
surrounded the boat, poking against it with
their blunt muzzles, and looking as if they
made quite sure of an early meal from its
contents.

In this fearful position—at a time when
there seemed no hope of rescue—a very small
canoe, paddled by two boys, conveying a young
Indian girl, came gliding down the stream.
As soon as the girl saw the state of affairs,
she landed at the nearest open ground and
sent the canoe, which was only capable of
holding two in addition to the boys, to the
rescue.

When the canoe came alongside the boat,
a contest arose among the Englishmen, not
as to who should go first, but who should
go last. Mr. Young and Mr. Blanshard
insisted that as Captain Carr was much their
senior, it was right that he should have
the first chance of safety. On the other hand,
Captain Carr maintained that, independently
of Mr. Young's character as bearer of the
despatches, it was better that those who had
many years unexpended should survive, than
one who, in the natural course of events, had
seen a large share of life; besides, he could
swim, and they could not. Captain Carr
carried his point—a very important point, too;
for, it seemed probable that when part of the
passengers were removed, the boat would slide
off the snag and sink, leaving the occupants
the two chances of being drowned or
devoured. The Indians pressed forward to
escape as soon as possible; but Robinson, Mr.
Blanshard's servant, declared he would stick
to the boat as long as Captain Carr did, and
would not leave without him!—a trait of manly
gallantry which deserves record. At length
all were landed safely on the little promontory.
with a small portion of the baggage. The rest,
including a series of manuscript journals, (Captain
Carr's Journeys through the three Colonies
of Australia,) went to the bottom as soon as
the last man stepped out of the boat.

As they landed, they were received by their
preserver, the Indian girl, whose beauty,
independently of the great service she had
rendered, made the term "guardian angel" no
exaggeration. Although already a wife and
mother, she was scarcely more than sixteen
years old; below the middle height;
perfectly proportioned; with regular Grecian
features, most exquisite hands and feet, dark
deep melting eyes, and a profusion of glossy
black hair, which flowed over her shoulders
beneath a broad-leaved Panama hat, trimmed
with blue ribands. Her dress consisted of
a robe of gay striped muslin, with a thin
petticoat, open at the throat, and descending
half-way down her bare statuesque legs. Her
complexion was scarcely darker than that of
an Italian.

She was sitting, cross-legged, on the ground
when they landed, smoking a cigarette; but
rose to receive them with the grace of a
princess; condoled with them on the loss of
their valuables, and conducted them to her
farm, after having sent for her husband; who
was working about a mile off.

As they walked up towards the farm, a
little naked boy, about three years old, ran
out to meet his mother; and, after embracing
her, asked and enjoyed, with all the relish of
an English child for lollipops, a smoke of his
mother's cigarette.

Mr. Young, zealous to lose no time in
delivering his despatches, hired a small
canoe, and proceeded, in spite of the danger
of night travelling, up the river in search of
a canoe large enough to convey the party to
Chagres. In this attempt he was successful:
and the next day they arrived at the
"Plague City" of the Atlantic; where the
white inhabitants may be divided into three
classes: strangers just arrived, the dying, and
the dead. In the morning you are quite well;
at mid-day you feel a little sick; at midnight
you are buried. This is literal truth. After
narrowly falling victims to the natives, justly
provoked by the barbarous assassinations
committed by the Anglo-Americans, they safely
reached the deck of the "Medway," and,
with the help of soap, water, razors, and
decent garments, recovered the appearance of
civilised beings.

At Chagres, the railway works were
suspended in consequence of the rainy season.
The piles driven for the purpose of carrying
the permanent way through some miles of
swamp, seemed already rotting.