ing who has passed from their
footmarks, he informed me that the three thieves had been the two wives
of a native of the name Peerat, and a little boy named Dal-be-an, the son
of Peerat. Being now well acquainted with the natives I was well
satisfied that this evidence was of the most conclusive nature, and
proceeded to act upon it by trying to arrest the delinquents; but I found
that they had, immediately after committing the theft, walked off into
the bush, thereby hoping to avoid suspicion and with the intention of
remaining absent until the affair had blown over.

MEASURES FOR APPREHENDING THEM.

My mind was soon made up to pursue my friend Peerat and his fugitive
wives, but it was necessary that I should proceed with great caution in
order not to alarm the guilty parties when they saw us approaching, in
which case I should have had no chance of apprehending them; and I did
not intend to adopt the popular system of shooting them when they ran
away. I therefore determined to take no Europeans, but only four natives
who could track the delinquents.

Previously however to my quitting the town one gentleman joined me, and
thus reinforced we started on Peerat's tracks; these we followed for
about seven miles in a west by north direction from the settlement, when
we suddenly saw the bush set on fire and thus became aware of our
proximity to a party of natives. My European friend was here
unfortunately taken ill, and, as the natives were evidently more numerous
than I expected to have found them, I was sorry to lose his services at
this period; he however faithfully promised to await my return, and I
thus knew that I had a point d'appui to retire on in the event of
anything taking place.

Accompanied by the natives I now pressed forward in the direction of the
fire, and, after proceeding for about two miles further in a west by
north direction, I fell in with several natives, one of whom was old
Tooleegatwalee, well known in the settlement. I at once intimated to Mr.
Tooleegatwalee and his friends the object of my mission; I told them that
Peerat's wives and son had stolen potatoes, that I had come out to make
them prisoners, that if they were given up to me they should only undergo
the regular punishment for petty theft; but if they were not delivered
over that I would stop the regular allowance of flour which was issued to
all the natives every two months, thus punishing them all; and that I
would moreover return hom