1812. 
LITAKUN IN A STATE OF GENERAL ALARM. 
501 
sensations which may be more easily conceived than described, and 
which were well suited to give a complete idea of a state of warfare 
among savages. One of the chieftains who were sitting with us, rose 
and in the loudest voice, upbraided all his countrymen for their 
cowardice in suffering these marauders to continue their depredations 
in the country, without instantly taking up arms and flying to meet 
them. Others remarked that they had seen, during the afternoon, 
unusual clouds of dust rising from the plains in the direction of 
north-west ; and which, it now appeared, were occasioned by the 
various herds of cattle which their keepers were driving out of the 
way of the enemy, and bringing towards the town for protection ; 
having been warned by Moruna as he passed the different stations 
where they were lying. Many women, in a state of great trepidation, 
entered the mootsi, and assembled around my waggons ; probably, 
supposing that greater safety was to be found under the protection of 
our muskets than at their own houses. 
The panic which had seized these poor creatures, soon com- 
municated itself to my own men, who, alarmed by the serious aspect 
of affairs and the general consternation which prevailed among the 
inhabitants, gave themselves up for lost ; and instead of endeavour- 
ing to conceal from the natives, their weakness and want of courage, 
and of showing, by outward appearance at least, that we felt con- 
fident in the power of our fire-arms, nearly the whole of them 
betrayed their fears by the most distressing agitation, and by the 
greatest uneasiness of manners. Speelman, whom I had hitherto 
believed to be one of the least timid of my party, came to me as I 
was sitting in the waggon, and with terror strongly depicted in his 
countenance, exclaimed, " Sir, this will never do ! Give me some 
more balls and powder ! We shall not one of us ever escape from 
this place alive !" Fright rendered him unable to say more, or to 
explain if hostilities had actually taken place in the town, or if any 
affair had just occurred to cause in him so great an alarm : but it was 
not till I had repeatedly put the question, that his spirits became 
sufficiently composed to admit of his giving a coherent answer. 
I endeavoured now, as I had done on every former occasion, to 
