214 
BREACH THE DEPOT. 
my adventure, with which he was highly delighted. My 
object in this procedure was to convince the natives, gene- 
rally, that we came not among them to injure or to molest 
them, as well as to impress them with an idea of our superior 
intelligence; and I am led to indulge the hope that I 
succeeded. Certain it is, that an act of justice or of 
lenity has frequently, if well timed, more weight than the 
utmost stretch of severity. With savages, more particu- 
larly, to exhibit any fear, distrust, or irresolution, will 
inevitably prove injurious. 
But although these adventures were happily not attended 
with bloodshed, they harassed the men much; and our 
camp for near a week was more like an outpost picquet 
than any thing else. This, however, terminated all at- 
tempts on the part of the natives. From henceforth none 
of them followed us on our route. 
At noon, I stopped about a mile short of the depot to 
takejsights. After dinner we pulled on, the men looking 
earnestly out for their comrades whom they had left there, 
hut none appeared. My little arbour, in which I had 
written my letters, was destroyed, and the bank on which 
our tents had stood was wholly deserted. We landed, 
however, and it was a satisfaction to me to see the home- 
ward track of the drays. The men were sadly disap- 
pointed, and poor Clayton, who had anticipated a plentiful 
meal, was completely chop fallen. M'Leay and I comforted 
them daily with the hopes of meeting the drays, which I 
did not think improbable. 
