34 CONSIDERATION OF MOTIVES [1845. 



pected to be the fact at the Meia-co-shimas, their depth 

 (of three inches) is omitted, without this dimension they 

 would not preserve an evenness. 



Having waited patiently until 7 o'clock, without any 

 appearance of boats coming, we made sail, and continued 

 working over the anchorage for the filling in of our 

 survey. 



I now come to the most puzzling consideration of this 

 visit. For my own part, I should, without hesitation, 

 from the confidential communications held with those in 

 power, have maintained that nothing could be discerned 

 which warranted the slightest apprehension of false deal- 

 ing ; yet, in justice to the feelings of my Officers, who 

 had their eyes keenly open to any symptoms of bad faith, 

 I must say, that several differed materially with me as to 

 the medium through which I received our communica- 

 tions with these people ; and yet, no single act could be 

 adduced sufficient to warrant my attaching any sort of 

 duplicity to it. It is true the failure of the Chief to keep 

 his appointment (2 A.M., until 6), during which interval 

 it blew and rained, very much to the detriment of their 

 paper-wrought defences if they ventured, was deemed 

 suspicious; but considering it as I have done, a final 

 fiscal visit, I cannot enter into this feeling. However, 

 after making sail, this afforded a plea for working to and 

 fro over the anchorage, surveying the ground, ostensibly 

 waiting the final visit of this Officer. During this de- 

 tention, we observed the Guard boats, with guns and 

 scaling ladders, pass our bows and go to the southern 

 Cavallo; upon noticing this, some remarks were ventured 

 that it might possibly have been their intention to take the 



