67 
These were of vital importance to 
our guilty commander, and he ventured 
to go to them for the purpose of pacify¬ 
ing them. One of the Chiefs sat down 
upon the ground with him, and after they 
had set a few moments, Payne accom¬ 
panied the Chief into the midst of the 
natives. After a conference with them 
which lasted nearly an hour, he return¬ 
ed to the tent, saying that he had paci¬ 
fied the natives upon the following con¬ 
ditions. They were to have every ar¬ 
ticle belonging to us, even to the tent» 
and Payne had assured them of his wil¬ 
lingness, and that of the others to live 
with, and be governed by them, and to 
adopt their mode of living ! We have 
reason to doubt the sincerity of Payne 
in this respect, for what was to us a hope 
which we cherished with peculiar pleas¬ 
ure, must have been to him, a source 
of fearful anticipation—we mean the 
probable safe arrival of the ship, in the 
U. Si which should result in our deliv¬ 
erance. Our situation at this time was 
truly alarming ; and may we not with 
