became very loud, and they
commenced uttering their war-cry. This is different from what we
conceive the Indian war-whoop to be: it seems to be a kind of
imitation of the growl of wild beasts, and has a most thrilling
effect.

'Fire now was set to a quantity of huts built for the accommodation
of African soldiers to the northward of the barracks, as well as to
the house of a poor black woman called Dalrymple. These burnt
briskly, throwing a dismal glare over the barracks and picturesque
town of San Josef, and overpowering the light of the full moon,
which illumined a cloudless sky. The mutineers made a rush at the
barrack-room, and seized on the muskets and fusees in the racks.
Their leader, Daaga, and a daring Yarraba named Ogston instantly
charged their pieces; the former of these had a quantity of ball-
cartridges, loose powder, and ounce and pistol-balls, in a kind of
gray worsted cap. He must have provided himself with these before
the mutiny. How he became possessed of them, especially the pistol-
balls, I never could learn; probably he was supplied by his
unmilitary countrymen: pistol-balls are never given to infantry.
Previous to this Daaga and three others made a rush at the
regimental store-room, in which was deposited a quantity of powder.
An old African soldier, named Charles Dickson, interfered to stop
them, on which Maurice Ogston, the Yarraba chief, who had armed
himself with a sergeant's sword, cut down the faithful African.
When down Daaga said, in English, "Ah, you old soldier, you knock
down." Dixon was not Daaga's countryman, hence he could not speak
to him in his own language. The Paupau then levelled his musket and
shot the fallen soldier, who groaned and died. The war-yells, or
rather growls, of the Paupaus and Yarrabas now became awfully
thrilling, as they helped themselves to cartridges: most of them
were fortunately blank, or without ball. Never was a premeditated
mutiny so wild and ill planned. Their chief, Daaga, and Ogston
seemed to have had little command of the subordinates, and the whole
acted more like a set of wild beasts who had broken their cages than
men resolved on war.

'At this period, had a rush been made at the officers' quarters by
one half (they were more than 200 in number), and the other half
surrounded the building, not one could have escaped. Instead of
this they continued to shout their war-song, and howl their war-