THEIR SUSPICIOUS CONDUCT AFTERWARDS. 193 



ding- aspect. At length a live pig' was broug'ht 

 down from the village^ slung- on a j^ole^ and was 

 purchased for a knife and a handkerchief This was 

 a master stroke of policy^ as the natives well knew 

 that it would take tAvo of us to hear off our prize to the 

 boat^ thus rendering- our little party less formidable. 

 The number of men had been g-radually increasing- 

 until it amounted to about thirty^ all with spears. 

 They were also becoming- more rude and insolent in 

 their behaviour^ and seeing- this I left my post on a 

 hillock^ and joined Simpson to take part in the 

 expected fray. The natives were now evidently 

 bent on mischief, and we fully expected they would 

 not much long-er delay making- an attack^ with the 

 advantag-e of a commanding* position on a hillock 

 which we must descend to return to the boat. At 

 this crisis one of our party discovered that he had 

 lost a pistol from his belt; and attempted to recover 

 it by shewing- another and making- sig'ns evincing- 

 g-reat anxiety to recover the lost weapon. On this 

 there was a g-eneral movement among- the natives^ 

 who beg'an drawing- back into a cluster^ balancing* 

 their spears and talking- to each other very earnestl}'. 

 It being- evident that the pistol had been stolen^ 

 and not dropped accidentally among- the g-rass^ it 

 was also apparent that by attaching- undue impor- 

 tance to its loss our safety mig'ht be supposed to 

 depend upon its possession. We then slowly com- 

 menced our retreat; two in advance carrying- the 

 pig-; and the remainder covering- the retreat. Being- 



VOL. I. 



