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 226 inducement to any of them who would carry a letter there and bring an answer back. Full of this project I set out for home, but it was already night when I arrived at Guildford, and it began to rain very heavily; so I stopped at Mr. Tanner's, having first made enquiries everywhere in that neighbourhood for any natives, and greatly desiring to see my old friend Tomgkin; but the soldiers had unfortunately just begun a system of patrolling, which alarmed all the natives, and they had disappeared. This was rather a damper to my ardour, but with the dawn of day I set out for home, and, immediately after breakfast, mounted my mare and rode out on the forlorn hope of "looking for natives," wishing that Weeip could be seen for a moment, though I should compromise myself by holding intercourse with an outlawed proscribed murderer—that is, in the eye of our law.

Rode first to Mr. Shaw's; no sign there. Rode to Mr. Bull's; some natives had been there recently, and could not be far away. Followed and overtook some, and began to talk to them, but found they knew little of my language or manner. Suddenly recollecting that one of them had formerly called himself a son of Weeip's, I took him on one side and told him I wanted some one who could understand me. Sounded him about Weeip himself, when, at last, having assured himself of my intentions, he offered to take me to Weeip. I did not hesitate a moment, but went immediately along with him into some thick bush, where he stopped, whistled, and mentioned my name. Like a spectre, Weeip appeared from behind a bush, and came smiling to meet me, with his hand outstretched. I could not refuse it, and coming at once to the point with him, I related to him, in his own language and manner, that "black man" had told "white man" that other white men, our friends, were sitting on the ground at a distance, crying, and that the ship which had walked with them over the sea from England was broken upon the rocks, that the white men here were