Four were armed with muskets, and we were obliged in self-defence to return their fire and drive them off.

When they saw the range of rifles, they very soon desisted, and ran away; but some shouted to us from the hills the consoling intimation, that they would follow, and kill us where we slept.

Only two of the captives escaped to us, but probably most of those made prisoners that day fled elsewhere in the confusion.

We returned to the village which we had left in the morning, after a hungry, fatiguing, and most unpleasant day.
Though we could not blame ourselves for the course we had followed, we felt sorry for what had happened.

It was the first time we had ever been attacked by the natives or come into collision with them; though we had always taken it for granted that we might be called upon to act in self- defence, we were on this occasion less prepared than usual, no game having been expected here.