*793*
June.
V--- -y~
meafure with fee artificial-horizon,) one mile andam half diftant s and
the eye five feet above the level of tire water* gave 5a.4^#i;«J&iorfe.
latitude.
While I was thus employed, the men loaded the canoe without having
received any orders from me, and as this was the firft time they had
ventured» to in fech a decided manner, I naturall y concluded, that
they had preccmcea’ted a plan for their'return. I thought it prudent,:
however, to take no notice of this tranfaftion, and to wait, the iflue of
future eircumftanceSj. At this moment our Indians perceived a< pe*fon
in the edge of the woods above us* and. they were immediately,fefpatebed-i
to difcover who it was, After a lhoit abfenee they returned withva:'
young woman whom we had feen before: henkaoguage was not clearly
comprehended by us, fc that we could not learn from her, at'feaft with
-any degree of certainty, the caufe o f this unfortunate alarm that hadl
.taken place among the natives. She told us that her errand wgs to.
fetch feme things, which fee had left behind her f and one ctf the dogs,
whom we found here, appeared to acknowledge; feer as his miftrefs*.
We treated, her with great kindnefs,. gaye her fcmething to eat; and
added a prefent of fuch articles as we thought might pteafe hetr dm
her expreffing a wife to leave us, we readily confented tother departure,
and induigéd the hope that her reception would, induce the natives to*
return in peace, and give us an opportHnityito-conviUc© them, fhat-we
had ao hoftifedefigns? whatever agaihft them. On leaving*hs, (he went:
up the river without taking a fingle article o f her Own, and the dog followed.
The wind was changeable throughout the day, andithere were
feveral Ihowers in the courfe of it.
Though a very appafienfeanxiely prevailed; among the people for their
departure, I appeared to> be wholly inattentive to it, and at eight in the
evening I ordered, four men to fiep into the canoe>, which had. been loaded
for feveral hours, and drop, dowmtp our gu;ardThQttfe, and. my command
was immefeatelyoheyedt.-fee reft od us proceeded feèro hyl&nd. When
I was yet at. a ednfiderable-. djftanee from the; houfe, and thought it im**
pofTthle fór bow andlqpiyen in my hand,
F .very imprudently! Jt§;fly aaai arrow,; when* to-1 my aftoni&naent and,infinite
alarm j liheard ic ftrike a log; of the houfe. T t e men who had juffc
landed* imagined that .they were attacked, -by an enemy from the woodi
Their confufion was in; proportion to their imaginary sdangerj, and on my
arrival: I. feundfeat thfe arrow had paflfed- wifejn a>;föö£ of one of the men.;
though k had n opoint, the weapon, incredible as it, may-appear; had
entered an hard, dry log of wood upwards o f !an inch. But this was
availed feemfebres! «jf.this cireumfttóce, to
remark «.pon the danger of remaining in the power of a people pof-
fefled of Ihch. means, of dfeftrtfetioni. ! Mr. Mackay having the fifft. watch,
1 laid myfelf' down*in my cloak; I
June.
-V -— '■
About/ rindnightea ruftiing. noife was? heard in; it%«w®ods: which Wedaef. 26.
created asfgeneral alarm; and ! .was awakened to be. informed of the eir-
jfsnmftajace, but heardnothkrg; • At one I took,my, turn of the» .watch;and
eu:r dog eontmuedunceafingly tó run backwards andfforwards along the
fkir.ta ofithe wood&in a/ftato®f re|kle%'vigilance. r- ,At.'hw®dn-hh)e: moRp^
ing the centmel, informed moi * that ■ he faw femefefagslaketan human
figure creeping along^OP* all:’-fouhs|?ahQut fifty paseesoafeovj^'us. After
feme time had pafied in our, fearch, .1 at length difcpveredfeat his infoir-