240 KOEEA. 



natives, although they thronged round howling and 

 hooting, were too discreet to commit themselves more 

 seriously. It was obvious that work done in this way 

 was a mistake, a great loss of time, and necessarily incom- 

 plete. I could not take all the observations myself, but 

 had to send officers to different spots and localities. They 

 were all young men, who might at any moment, under 

 the above circumstances, lose their tempers, or consider 

 it time to check the natives by more forcible means than 

 remaining passive. If blows had once been struck, our 

 difficulties woidd immediately have increased tenfold. 



Next morning I sent several of my boats to sound 

 and examine in different directions. One did not return 

 in the evening, and as morning dawned there were 

 still no signs of her. I therefore got the steam cutter 

 ready, and started for the south entrance of the basin, 

 the particular part I had directed the of&cer in 

 charge of the boat to examine. When I reached the 

 narrow channel which led into the open sea, I found 

 each shore lined with soldiers ; I suppose there were 

 five or six hundred. A score of boats or so were pull- 

 ing up in my direction. Each boat had a motley lot of 

 soldiers on board, twenty-five to thirty, who got most 

 unnecessarily excited over the appearance of the steam 

 cutter, threatening by signs to send us all to the happy 



