424 Thirty Years 



and were preparing to follow us ; but 1 desired Au- 

 gustus to say that I would shoot the first man who 

 came within range of our muskets, which prevented 

 them. 



It was now about eisdit o'clock in the evening, and 

 we had been engaged in this harassing contest for 

 several hours, yet the only things of importance which 

 they had carried off were the mess canteen and kettles, 

 a tent, a bale containing blankets and shoes, one ot 

 the men's bags, and the jib-sails. The other articles 

 they took could well be spared, and they would, in 

 fact, have been distributed amongst them, had they 

 remained quiet. The place to which the boats were 

 dragged is designated by the name of Pillage Point. 

 I cannot sufficiently praise the fortitude and obedience 

 of both the boats' crews in abstaining from the use of 

 their arms. In the first instance I had been influenc- 

 ed by the desire of preventing unnecessary bloodshed, 

 and afterwards, when the critical situation of my 

 party might have well warranted me in employing 

 more decided means for their defence, I still endeavor- 

 ed to temporize, being convinced that as long as the 

 boats lay aground, and we were besel by Buch num- 

 armed with Long knives, bows, arrows, and 

 spears, we could not use fire-arms to advantage. The 

 howling of the women, and Ihe clamor of the men, 

 proved the high exoitement towhich they had wrought 



