CONSPIRACY OF THE SAVAGES* 
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& distance from the shore, and of having one person to keep 
watch all night. To this precaution, which then appeared su¬ 
perfluous to my companions, we were most probably indebted 
for the preservation of our lives. A rude people, who know of 
no moral feeling to check their inclinations, will follow the im¬ 
pulse of the moment, like the brutes, and from a trivial motive, 
will sacrifice the lives of others, when they impede the indul¬ 
gence of their wishes. We were in great danger of having 
evinced the truth of this remark, by a melancholy example. 
The savages had learned from our interpreter, that l had much 
hardware and beads with me, which awakened in them the irre¬ 
sistible desire of getting possession of these treasures : as it 
appeared, however, impossible to steal them, they took the 
resolution of murdering us all on a convenient opportunity. 
They consulted with our interpreter, promising him his liberty, 
and their assistance in conducting him back to his country, 
and at the same time threatening him with the most dreadful 
punishment, if he should make the least discovery. Nor did 
he in fact tell me any thing of the plot, until some time after. 
Their conspiracy was the first time to have been executed on 
the first day of our leaving the vessel; for that reason they ad¬ 
vised me when I halted for the night, to go up farther towards 
the Ashing brook, thinking that that would be a more convenient 
place for them to effect their purpose ; as had already 
been the case with some Spaniards, who, according to their 
own account, relying on their sincerity, had been so imprudent 
as to extend their rambles without any precaution. The second 
time they took the resolution of surprising us, was when we went 
on the shore of the, strait to take our dinner. For this pur¬ 
pose, a party of them, to the number of more than twenty, 
continued sailing about our bark. They were in eight double- 
seated baidars, two in each, ■ sitting in their proper places, and 
the third lying at the bottom. The better to conceal their de¬ 
sign, they affected great civility, and expressed an eager desire 
to do us some service ; while, watching the opportunity of our 
going on shore, they intended to carry off the bark, and thus 
get us completely into their power. But finding themselves 
frustrated in this expectation, they began to throw off the mask, 
and offer our sailors many open insults. 1 now commanded 
my men on the one hand to avoid every cause of quarrel, and 
treat them with civility, while on the other hand, I strove 
to inspire them with terror, by letting them see the effect of 
our fire-arms. 1 accordingly desired one of our hunters to fire 
among a flock of mews, as they were passing; and he fortunately 
hit one of them, and brought it to the ground. They were at 
first frightened at the report, but afterwards eyed the dead bird 
