Page:Extracts from the letters and journals of George Fletcher Moore.djvu/316

 280 wonderful dexterity, but were suspected, and narrowly escaped injury by one man's firing too soon. I am sorry to say friend Weeip, and my body guard Doolup, are said to be among the number.

6th.—My shepherd has given notice that he will leave me, if I do not give him three pounds a month, and four glasses of rum in the day. I refused to comply, so I suppose he will go.

14th.—Called this morning on Mr. Harris, and there heard that Ya-gan had been shot at the head of the river; and that a settler had been speared, and an inquest held. You may be sure I was uneasy, and rode home as fast as I could.

On Sunday, when Weeip came here, I charged him and Doolup with stealing the potatoes at Edward's; he indignantly denied it, and ably proved an "alibi," in which he was confirmed by Mr. Bull. He has told since that Ya-gan was the person who was nearly shot then; that the ball went through the hair at the back of his head.

15th.—This has been a day differing in its incident from my usual routine. At breakfast time, two men of Mr. Bull's came for my praam, to take the body of a boy (killed by Ya-gan) across the river, to the burial ground near Mr. Shaw's,—of course I gave it. Soon after I went up to see Mrs. Shaw, and coming home I was witness to rather a ludicrous disaster; James,