Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/337

 319 Wednesday.—Made a tour of all the houses higher up the river to-day, and especially the place where John Eakins is, which is the nearest place to the hills and the most likely to be first approached. I believe I mentioned that the natives had killed several pigs up there lately. The men who did it are known, by information from among themselves; and, because one of Eakins' partners drove one of the delinquents away from the house afterwards, this man said he would spear some one there, and they are obliged to be very watchful. In short, a very general impression prevails that if we do not anticipate the natives, some mischief will be done here. Some of them, however, are friendly, and appear desirous to warn us of the danger. This is a most unpleasant state of things, especially when our instructions are to proceed only according to the forms of the English law, which is to say, in short, we must do nothing.

July 20th.—Took another tour to-day, and found that we could muster about 24 armed men hereabouts. This would do pretty well if the natives would stand fight, but that is not their system. They come by stealth; the mischief is done; they are gone, and you see no more of them. A singular scare occurred here to-day. On a sudden there came a rush of natives down the hill and into my kitchen. There was no one about the house but Letty and a little boy. I seized my gun and ran out, when I found that some of them had taken refuge in the kitchen, whilst others besieged the door, quivering their spears and shouting in anger. It was some time before I could understand the matter. The party outside consisted of Tomghin, Weeip, Beguin, and Daubain; in the house was Daubain's wife, wounded in the thigh, and her child (also wounded), besides some other women. Both Daubain and Weeip were wounded in the thighs. Daubain pointed out to me that the spear had gone nearly through his thigh, and made me cut open the other side with a lance to let the blood out, after which I bound up his wounds. The