us. I dodged and the spear flew past without my seeing what
became of it. I instantly gave the order to watch the bank and to fire at
anything that showed itself above it; and Mr. Walker now had got hold of
his gun and very gallantly ran up the bank and occupied it: in the
meantime the native who had thrown the spear caught up a bag in each hand
and ran off. Several shots which were fired at the distant natives
scraped up the sand so near them that they found it prudent to decamp as
speedily as they could.

CHASE AFTER STOLEN GOODS.

I found that Ruston was wounded slightly in the knee by the spear which
the native had thrown, and we had also sustained a severe loss in the
bags which they had carried off as one of them contained fourteen
fishing-lines and several other articles of great value to us in our
present position. I therefore determined upon a pursuit in the hopes of
recovering these, and taking four or five men I gave chase. The
long-legged natives had however considerably the advantage of us both in
bottom, wind, and cunning; and whenever they found we gained at all upon
them they strewed a few articles out of the bags upon the ground, and
these it took us some time to collect; and in this manner, alternately
running and stopping to pick things up, I continued the pursuit until
near sunset. At this time three of us had completely outrun the rest of
our party, who were far behind; the natives had also latterly made great
headway, so that they were rapidly dropping us astern; we also had
recovered everything but the fishing-lines (which however we could but
ill spare). I therefore determined to collect my forces and return to the
boats. In the ardour of pursuit I found we had come five or six miles,
and it had been for some time dark when we again reached the encampment.

The natives in this attack were far too few in number to render it a very
formidable affair for from five-and-twenty to thirty savages, armed alone
with spears, could have availed very little against eleven resolute
Europeans with fire-arms in their hands. The native who had stolen so
near us was however most decidedly a noble and daring fellow: their
object evidently was to possess themselves of our property; and we had
had one man wounded in the fray, and had lost some fishing-lines, without
gaining any reparation. I therefore felt well assured that they would pay
us another visit; and thus, to the misfortunes we were already suffering
und