BEATING TO THE SOUTHWARD. 19

not hit him on the head. However, I took up the second piece
immediately ; and though he began to move off, fired again, and
shot him into the head, and had the pleasure to see him drop, and
make but little noise, but lie struggling for life. Then Xury took
heart, and would have me let him go on shore. “ Well, go,” said I.
So the boy jumped into the water, and taking a little gun in one
hand, swam to shore with the other hand, and coming close to the
creature, put the muzzle of the piece to his ear, and shot him into
the head again, which despatched him quite.

This was game indeed to us, but this was no food; and-I was
very sorry to lose three charges of powder and shot upon a creature
that was good for nothing to us. However, Xury said he would
have some of him; so he comes on board, and asked me to give him
the hatchet. ‘“ For what, Xury?” said I. ‘ Me cut off his head,”
said he. However, Xury could not cut off his head; but he cut off
a foot and brought it with him—and it was a monstrous great one.

I bethought myself, however, that perhaps the skin of him might
one way or other be of some value to us; and I resolved to take
off his skin if I could. So Xury and I went to work with him ;
but Xury was much the better workman at it—for I knew very ill
how to do it. Indeed, it took us up both the whole day; but at
last we got off the hide of him, and spreading it on the top of our
cabin, the sun effectually dried it in two days’ time, and it after-
wards served me to lie upon.

After this stop we made on to the southward continually for ten
or twelve days, living very sparing en our provisions, which began
to abate very much, and going no oftener into the shore than we
were obliged to for fresh water. My design in this was to make
the river Gambia or Senegal—that is to say, anywhere about the
Cape de Verd, where I was in hopes to meet with some European
ship ; and if I did not, I knew not what course I had to take, but
to seek out for the islands or perish there among the negroes.
I knew that all the ships from Europe—which sailed either to the
coast of Guinea, or to Brazil, or to the East Indies—made this
cape or those islands; and in a word, I put the whole of my fortune
upon this single point, either that I must mect with some ship or
must perish.

284) 6