imond river. We had a
pilot with us who professed to know the navigation, and we believed that
we could trust him. By degrees my eyes began to grow accustomed to the
darkness, and I could distinguish the outline of the shore. We entered
the river about ten o'clock, and slowly groped our way up the stream,
one boat following the other in line, like a long snake wriggling its
way through the grass. On we pulled. Sharp eyes, indeed, must have
been those which could have discovered us from the shore. But few
lights were streaming from the windows of the houses of Nansimond as we
passed that town. Early hours were kept by the colonists in those
primitive days, and most of the inhabitants had retired to rest--not
aware that an enemy was so close to them, or dreaming of danger. As
long as we continued in the wider part of the river we had no fear of
being detected. However, as our object was to obtain information, I
resolved to land near the first house we could see on the shore. My
plan was then to surround it, keep all the inmates captive, carry them
up the river with us, and land them again on our return, so as to
prevent them from giving notice of our expedition, much in the same way
that we had done on our march to Hampton. The darkness, however, made
this no easy matter, for not the sign of a house could we distinguish on
the shore. Sometimes we pulled towards one bank and sometimes towards
the other, but to no purpose. If houses there were, they must have been
among the trees, and the inhabitants must have gone to bed and
extinguished all their lights. At last I resolved to land, and, with
part of one boat's crew, to explore the country on foot. Grampus,
Rockets, and two other men accompanied me, while the boats pulled slowly
along, ready to come to my assistance should I be surprised. I walked
two or three miles in this way, stumbling along through woods and swamps
and other impediments; but, though we crossed several ploughed fields,
no houses could we discover. At last, from very weariness, I was
compelled to take to the boat again. Several times we landed, but with
the same want of success as at first. We came in time to Mackey's
Mills. I had made up my mind to catch Mr Mackey, at all events, and
make him serve our purpose. Accordingly we landed, and having lighted
our lanterns to save ourselves from tumbling into the mill-dams or
traps, which we supposed would everywhere abound, we surrounded the