230 TRAVELS IN 
mediately given to him, and he was sent back to his com- 
panions to let them know that for each of them there was also 
a present of this acceptable article. Three others mustered 
resolution to come down to us, but no more chose to venture 
themselves among Christians. I'he manner indeed in which 
their village was wantonly attacked was certainly not cal- 
culated to inspire them with much confidence. On the con- 
trary, it was so directly hostile as perfectly to justify their 
shooting a volley of arrows among us, which was afterwards 
found to be the case, as the commandant had asserted. The 
conclusion of the business, however, must have appeared to 
them very different from what, on former occasions, they had 
always experienced, when those who escaped from immediate 
death were incessantly pursued and fired upon, and their 
wives and children seized and carried away into slavery. In 
the present instance they were well treated, and left at full 
liberty to remain with us or to depart, as best suited their in- 
clination. The women all staid behind ; but three of the 
men accompanied us to the waggons, where they continued 
for several days. Our object was to have spoken with the 
captain or chief of the horde, but they assured us there was 
no such person ; that every one was master of his own family, 
and acted entirely without control, being at liberty to remain 
with, or quit, any society he might incidentally have joined, 
according as it might suit his convenience. 
Little could be obtained that was satisfactory from those 
who returned with us to the waggons. They insisted on their 
innocence, by asserting that their horde, so long as they had 
composed a part of it, had never committed depredations on 
