230 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE 



the first man who came within range of our 

 muskets, which prevented them. 



" It was now about eight 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 ket- 

 tles, a tent, a bale containing blankets and 

 shoes, one of 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 suf- 

 ficiently 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 influenced by the desire of pre- 

 venting unnecessary bloodshed, and after- 

 wards, when the critical situation of my 

 party might have well warranted me in em- 

 ploying more decided means for their de- 

 fence, I still endeavoured to temporize, 



