By him, the first bird of paradise ever seen in this
country had been shot; and it was his custom to live upon the flesh of
such birds as he killed, bringing in with him their skins.
With the wood natives he had sufficient influence to persuade them that
he had once been a black man, and pointed out a very old woman as his
mother, who was weak and credulous enough to acknowledge him as her son.
The natives who inhabit the woods are not by any means so acute as those
who live upon the sea coast. This difference may perhaps be accounted for
by their sequestered manner of living, society contributing much to the
exercise of the mental faculties. Wilson presumed upon this mental
inability; and, having imposed himself upon them as their countryman, and
created a fear and respect of his superior powers, indulged himself in
taking liberties with their young females. However deficient they might
be in reasoning faculties, he found to his cost that they were
susceptible of wrongs; for, having appropriated against her inclinations
a female to his own exclusive accommodation, her friends took an
opportunity, when he was not in a condition to defend himself, to drive a
spear through his body, which ended his career for this time, and left
them to expect his return at some future period in the shape of another
white man.
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