over a stream, on the second day's journey, I suffered very severely from the pain in descending the mountain. To allay this, I placed my foot in the running stream, wherein I found an excellent, though unexpected, remedy;—a number of leeches soon fixed on it, and were gladly permitted to drink their fill.
From what Mokărē told me, I thought that the natives were in the habit of applying them in certain cases; but, on more minute enquiry, I found he had picked up his knowledge of their utility from having been present when they were applied by the surgeon of the settlement. He said, "they were very good for white fellow, but very bad for the blacks;" by whom great caution was always used while drinking, to guard against their entering into the mouth with the water, which, nevertheless, sometimes happened, and occasioned fatal consequences.
During the night, the bell bird supplied, to us, the place of the wakeful nightingale; and at daybreak, we were awakened by the tuneful voices of several singing birds. This was a pleasing surprise, as we had hitherto supposed that the birds in New Holland were not famed for song[1].
- ↑ Vancouver has also noticed, that some of the small birds on this part of the coast sing very melodiously.
