ble pleasure. We encamped, and fires were kindled in a lovely valley. The negroes fell to dreffing their fnake with great glee, and feafted heartily on its flices and rice cake; while I preferred fome dried fhip beef, which from préjudice I chofe rather than their high-flavoured, luxurious banquet.

Free from the anxieties of the previous night, and fatigued by the labour and exertions of the day, I lay down in the midst of them, and Alept undisturbed by noife or care till the break of day, when I awoke refreshed and cheerful.

The advantage and fecurity derived from our innocent and voluntary fellow-travellers, rendered it painful to me to part with them; I ignified my wish that they would accompany us farther; they expreff ed fome reluctance, 'but the promise of a few trinkets which I fhewed them prevailed, and these children of sature agreed to accompany us further on our journey, to the foot of certain mountains which they called Kaileo.

After bathing, a rule which I refolved to purfue every day when the contiguity of water afforded me an opportunity, and which I purfued thenceforward, we breakfafted on our ufual fimple fare, and set forward.

After a journey direct E. of about fifteen miles, over a beautiful champaign country, we made the banks of the river Dundy, running from the N. E. which being too rapid and deep to ford, we were obliged to bend our courfe four miles along the bank; but the heat of the day growing irkfome, we took to the covert, and refolved to conftruct a raft; we procured timber, and having fecured them by ropes of withy and wine, we croffed a convenient bending, and fet ourselves over by poles,

affifted with great addrefs by our fellow travellers, with whom we were now become completely familiar.

This river difplayed an abundance of various fish, of which our negroes caught feveral with peculiar ingenuity for our evening's repaft; and after a march of four hours, we gained a rifing ground, on the fide of which we determined to spend the night.

The furrounding country in the neighbourhood of this river is truly luxuriant; the foil is foft and loamy, producing a variety of elegant flowering fhrubs, and fruit trees; among which are the wild orange and limes, with tufts of the rich bannana and pine apple. We provided ourselves with as much as we could carry of thefe rich ftores, underftanding that our next day's route would be more irksome and fatiguing.

We rofe early, and as ufual com. fortably refreshed; my health was never better than I had hitherto experienced it in this expedition, and I feemed to feel an agility of mind and body that was fuperior both to danger and fatigue.

The accuftomed formalities of the broiled and roasted, with the morning deffert and the fimple beverage, being difpatched, we fet forward, with a party of our friendly Africans in front. We had afcended a floping ground, and wifhed to reach, by a lefs circuitous route, the elevated country which our little party in advance had gained, when we faw and heard them shouting for us to haften, as we understood it. We found much difficulty to form a new path, but at length fucceeded, and were exceedingly alarmed to find a youth of about feventeen bewailing loudly: his father, a robuft, middle aged, cheerful man, had been bitten by a large fnake, which they called the

HOOPEL

HOOPEL KOPPEL; the animal's head had been cut off by the boy, and the body lay writhing at his feet, while he vented his complaints and the bitterness of his refentments, in language that I could not comprehend otherwife than by the vehemence of his actions, and by his emphafis. Hurdee acquainted me with the particulars of the honeft boy's imprecations; and I haftened to the old man, whom I found in the most tranquil manner applying medicine to the wound, which was on the exterior of his left thigh. The antidote to this moft poisonous of frakes is a imple root, which the Africans al. ways carry about them; they chew it to the confiftence of a foft pulp, and apply it like a poultice to the wound; removing it continually as the poifon difcolours the application, until the chewed root remains of its original colour, when they finifh the operation by washing the part affect ed in clean water, and applying a large portion of the root, which they faften with a bandage over the wound, where it remains till the cure is effected. We neceffarily halted till the procefs was completed, and as it was tedious, were conftrained to prepare for dreffing our mid-day meal earlier than ufual.

The animal that had been thus the caufe of our delay, measured nine feet without the head, which was flat and fomewhat refembling the forepart of the Sole Fib, or black flounder; the tongue forked; the body thick; the back of a dirty yellow and brown, very like the rattle. fnake. The bite is not always curable, to which cause must be attributed the grief of the boy; his father, however, appeared no wife difconcerted, and we had the pleasure to fee the medicine come from the wound without the leaft appearance

of poifon, after about three hours application.-The attention of thefe innocent people to their wounded brother, their activity and kindness in procuring the antidote and encouraging him not to fear, was extremely impreffive, and fuch as is not al ways to be feen among more polished people.

I examined the head of this fnake, and the Africans pointed to me the cavities in which he conceals his venom of death. It is contained in a fack, at the roots of the two teeth anfwering to the canine teeth; the upper and lower jaws are like, wife armed with each a fmaller row of teeth, ufed, as I fuppofe, for mastication only. The Africans defcribe the effects of this poifon as extremely fudden and dreadful, if the antidote is not immediately at hand in this cafe, the Body is faid to fwell to an uncommon bulk, with excruciating torture; the fwelling continues till the body burfts, when death follows and clofes the scene.

We had a difficult journey for the next day; it was therefore agreed to gain the eastern fide of the hill, or rather mountain, upon which we now were; and having fet out about three o'clock, we reached the fummit by an eafy march, through a broken and unequal piece of ground; and at about feven o'clock, being much fatigued, we reached an agree able fituation, where we propofed to reft for the night.

The customary preparations of collecting wood for fire, and arranging our rations of food, were scarcely made, when one of the Africans fignified with fome alarm that he faw a fire at fome diftance. I had feen a fmall blaze myfelf, a few minutes before; but felt no sense of alarm at it, more than I fhould at any other ordinary occurrence, from

being unacquainted with the dánger. The distance might be about three leagues, and it was on a mountain from which we were feparated by a deep and gloomy valley; I found that Hurdee as well as my other companions were extremely uneafy, and fignified that it would be preferable to remove to a fituation, where we fhould be covered from the danger of our fire's being feen at a distance. We accordingly bent our courfe to the fouthward round the contiguous hill; and after a march of about a mile and a half, found a convenient fhelter under a lofty cliff of rocks, where we contrived to drefs fome venifon, caught the preceding day by one of our Africans, in a fnare that he had fet for the purpose. We paffed the night to a later hour than ufual, in converfation with our companions, who were to part with us, on their return, in the morning. We flept till the ufual hour the next morning without alarm. The distance from the water we found to be a very fevere inconvenience; fo we haftened our dry repaft, and having diftributed, as I propofed, a variety of trinkets among our good natured friends, we faw the old man and his fon depart in perfect health and fpirits, and with fome evidences of regret at our feparation, a fentiment which came home to my bofom with new and redoubled fenfibility.

It was in vain to repine, and refolution to perfevere, and fortitude to bear, were now the only feelings, that could be of use to us. I deter mined to brave every apprehenfion and in a critical time, for we were now on the confines of a nation, of

whofe pacific difpofition my guide fuggested some fears; a matter the more alarming to me, as it was not his ufual character hitherto tó betray fymptoms of alarm.

This

We pursued our journey, keeping the deepest covert of the woods, occafionally afcending every prominent ground that could afford a profpect of the country before us. day for the first time I faw a panther; he was discovered by Hurdee; he came frequently in fight, but hung down his head and retired into fome neighbouring thicket whenever we turned round to look at him. My guide, fimply enough, faid the beaft was terrified at feeing a white man, and to this caufe it was he attributed his retiring, when I turned round. Such, however, was the fact; for when I kept advancing, and Hurdee remained a few paces behind, the animal feemed to redouble his pace forward till I turned round, and he then retreated with equal precipita tion.

My companion fuggefted a fear that he might climb a tree and fpring upon us, as he faid it was a common practice with those animals; and being obliged ftill to travel through the woods to avoid difcovery by the natives, it was no lefs dangerous for us to fire our guns. Hurdee feared capture, as he faid he fhould cer tainly be destroyed, if taken, and that I fhould be kept at least a confiderable time à captive, perhaps till ranfomed.-Night approaching with this choice of difficulties, we refolved to retire into a thick recefs, and there keep large fires burning all night; to fleep and watch by turns. (To be continued.)

COMMON

SAID Ned Dash, as he was rebuked by a fober moralist, after entertaining his companions half an hour with the hiftory of his late amours. You, Mafter Dash, are not the only perfon, who would make decorum hypocrify, and hypocrify a

vice.

Both the thoughtlefs beau, and the would-be philofopher, to avoid the imputation of hypocritical profeffions, disclaim their belief in the oracles of truth, and rather than impofe on mankind with the cloak of virtue, will fend their vices naked into the world.

So far has this undisguised franknefs become prevalent, among what the laft age called licentious, the prefent, liberal, people, that the open avowal of one's difgrace is, with many, a fufficient falvo for his crimes; and a man's confeffion that he is a villain, in the courts of free-thinkers, is given and received as plenary proof of his honesty.

Leaving others to celebrate the praifes of this new-fangled, upftart liberality, I fhall attempt to fay a few things in favour of its vanquished opponent, Hypocrify. Though in this attempt I may prove unfuccessful, as I fhall be obliged to beat against the tide of prejudice, yet I fhall discharge a duty, that humanity owes to an injured exile, which popular clamour has inconfiderately turned out of office, and expelled the community.

There is, indeed, one fpecies of Hypocrify, that never ought to be tolerated, that which conceals a traitor, and is affumed for the purpofe of injuring another. Far otherwife with that kind, which has no other

No. XLIII.

object than to make the poffeffor ap pear better than he is. Where is the harm of this? I fee none. On the contrary, much good refulting from it. We applaud the painter for cafting the defects of his original in the fhade; and none but those who prefer uglinefs to beauty, will cenfure a perfon for calling in the aid of art, to conceal the deformities of nature, and to add charms, where her parfimony has denied them.

Few people are fo depraved, as not to admire the beauties of the mind; and it is, at least, of as much confequence to hide its defects, and fet off its graces to advantage, as thofe of the body.

Hypocrify, in the fubordinate part of its duty, what is called politenefs in manners, has the fame end that it has in morality and religion, the happiness of mankind, in the reftraint of vice and profanity.

If a man have a heavy heart, Hypocrify, or, if you pleafe, politeness, dictates to him to affume the appearance of cheerfulness; if a morofe difpofition, to counterfeit good humour. Though this affectation may not fet upon him with a perfect good grace, yet if he is condemned, it is not because he practifes this innocent diffimulation, but because he has not carried it to greater perfection.

Most people had rather witness an artificial fmile, than an unaffected grin-an affected laugh, than a natural groan and for the fame reason that we prefer a varnished or gilt but ton to the unpolifhed furface of bafer metal. Hypocrify, like the goldfmith, lends her aid to polish and beautify the furface. We ought to commend the art, while we regret

that

that there is occafion for its ufe. Hypocrify deferves our praife for what little the does: we can only cenfure nature for leaving fo much undone. In our moral duties, or rather the breaches of them, the office of Hy. pocrify is more neceffary and important.-Do not understand me, Reverend Sirs, that we ought to be contented with the appearance instead of the reality; but where we cannot have the latter, let us ftrive for the former. For the fame reafon that we prize good above evil, ought we not to value the appearance of good above the appearance of evil? I fpeak the language of man to man, and appreciate the utility of Hypocrify, only as it conduces to the happinefs and good order of fociety.

What we are, is a queftion between us and HIM who cannot be deceived or benefited by falfe appearances. What we appear to be, is the queftion between us and our fellowcreatures, with whom appearances have often the effect of reality.

Though prompted by a bad inclination, we feldom fin without the authority of example. Evil examples are contagious. The more of them we find among our companions,

the more we are in danger of imbibing the contagion. Here Hypoc rify, if allowed, would act the part of charity, and not only hide, but prevent, a "multitude of fins." While we poffefs an inclination to tranfgrefs, fhe takes away half the inducement, by hiding the examples of others. Like a faithful infpector of police, fhe carefully conceals from the eye of the world the filth' fhe cannot remove, in that worst of nuiffances, a corrupt heart; and by sealing the mouth, the outlet to contagion, from a depraved mind, and burying in oblivion the obnoxious deeds that flow from it, cuts off the principal fource of communicative vice.

Is it for this that Hypocrify is cried down as old fashioned and ufélefs, in the prefent liberal age? If fo, it is not that it is criminal, but because it prevents us from being fo. While the substance of morality and religion, as fome affert, "fleeps with our fathers," though we may not be able to recal it to life, we ought to reverence the fhade of our departed friend, and hang up its picture for the folace and contemplation of our friends, our children, and ourfelves.

the white of their eyes, were his

words. At the fecond affault he commended their former calmnefs, affured them "they would now do much better," and directed them "to aim at the officers." They obeyed. The fire was tremendous.

My God,' faid Putnam in telling the ftory, 'I never faw fuch a carnage of the human race.'

Thefe things he related to the Rey. Mr. Whitney, his minifter, by

whofe