26 CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH LED 
have taken such precautions, and made such pre- 
vious arrangements as led to the fatal tragedy 
which occurred. All three of the natives were well 
aware, that as long as they were willing to accom- 
pany us, they would share with us whatever we had 
left ; or that, if resolutely bent upon leaving us, no 
restriction, save that of friendly advice, would be 
imposed to prevent their doing so ; but at the same 
time they were aware that we would not have con- 
sented to divide our little stock of food for the pur- 
pose of enabling any one portion of the party to 
separate from the other, but rather that we would 
forcibly resist any attempts to effect such a division, 
either openly or by stealth. They knew that they 
never could succeed in their plans openly, and that to 
do so by stealth effectually and safely, it would first 
be necessary to secure all the fire-arms, that they 
might incur no risk from our being alarmed before 
their purpose was completed. No opportunity had 
occurred to bring their intentions into operation 
until the evening in question, when the scrubby 
nature of the country, the wildness of the night, the 
overseer’s sound sleeping, and my own protracted 
absence, at a distance with the horses, had all con- 
spired to favour them. I have no doubt, that they 
first extinguished the fires, and then possessing 
themselves of the fire-arms, proceeded to plunder 
the baggage and select such things as they required. 
In doing this they must have come across the am- 
munition, and loaded the guns preparatory to their 
