1812. 
CONVICTION AND PARDON. 
471 
I therefore, after repeating to him the substance of several passages 
in the New Testament, desired him to lay his hand on the book, 
and say, whether, in his own conscience, he really thought that his con- 
duct towards me was influenced by the spirit of obedience which 
that book taught and commanded a servant to show to a master. 
Self-conviction instantaneously operated on his mind, and he answered, 
No. I then asked him, in a tone which might encourage him 
to give the answer I wished, if he now felt disposed to conduct 
himself in future as his duty demanded : to which he readily re- 
plied. Yes. To conclude : I told him, that if he did as, in the 
presence of all, he had now promised to do, I was willing in the 
same manner to promise forgiveness ; and would, according to his 
fulfilment of this promise, even forget all past cause of complaint. 
Then, turning to my own men and to Berends and the other 
people who were assembled, I said, that I felt most happy that the 
affair had terminated thus, as it had been my fixed resolution, in 
case it had been otherwise, to have inflicted the severest punishment 
which the laws would sanction : that so long as we were within the 
limits of the Colony, it would have been my duty to have brought 
an offender before a regular court of justice, or a landdrost ; but that 
when a party of men, legally under the command of one of their 
number as their head, quitted those limits, and at any time refused 
to obey him conformably to their agreement, he possessed the power 
of punishing them himself : that I had no doubt that my men were 
not aware of the great crime which they committed, nor of the 
severe punishment which they incurred, when they disobeyed my 
orders or disputed my authority ; but, that having now explained to 
them the true situation in which they stood, I felt assured that no 
one would be wicked enough, or so forgetful of his own interest, as 
ever to offend in future. 
With this I dismissed them : and, thanking Berends and Hendrik 
for their attendance, these, and their people, returned to their 
waggons. 
My own men had received a useful lesson ; and appeared not 
only disposed to profit by it, but to feel those sentiments with which 
