Alexander remained for some time in painful thought; at last he turned to Daaka and said, as he pointed to the remains of the wreck, "And this then is your mother?"
Daaka looked at him and shook his head, "No, not my mother this," replied he; "my mother down there," pointing out in a northerly direction.
"What does he mean, Swinton? he says this is not his mother."
"I will speak to him, Wilmot; you are too much agitated," replied Swinton.
"Is not that the vessel which your mother was lost in?" said Swinton, through the interpreter.
"No," replied Daaka; "my mother came on shore in a vessel up the little river out there; I was a boy when this large ship was wrecked; and got some iron from her to make assaguays."
"Merciful heaven! what joy I feel; I trust it is true what he says."
"I have no doubt of it, Wilmot; I told you he was too old a man," replied Swinton; "but let me question him further."
Our readers may imagine the impatience of Alexander while the questions of Swinton were being answered, and by which it appears that Daaka's mother was lost at the mouth of the Lauwanbaz, a small river some miles to the eastward of the Zemsooboo. An old Caffre, who had come down with Daaka, now gave a particular account of the wreck of the Grosvenor, corroborating all Daaka's assertions.
"Were there none of the Grosvenor's people left in the country?" inquired Swinton.