Page:Extracts from the letters and journals of George Fletcher Moore.djvu/285

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BROILS WITH THE NATIVES.
259

them as he lay on the ground. A reward has been offered for the head of this Ya-gan, whether dead or alive; and several others who were active in the affair, will probably be proclaimed also. A native was shot a few days since at Fremantle, in the act of breaking into a store at night.

In consequence of these horrible occurrences we have been very uneasy.

A party of natives have been at Mr. Bull's to-day again, and seem to impute blame to the soldiers alone.

Rain to-night—the first we have had for some time—it is very seasonable and refreshing.

3rd.—After breakfast I rode with Captain Irwin to lay out a line of road from the head of the river to Guildford. Messrs. Tanner, Peyton, and Mears called in the evening, and mentioned that the soldiers had shot a native, and taken three prisoners.

4th,—Two natives came here to-day: one of them is learning to speak English, and is very intelligent. I discovered the names of more than a dozen who were concerned in the recent murder; among others, two sons of Ya-gan, Narah and Willim, the latter a young imp not more than ten or eleven years of age: we are greatly in their power, and must keep on good terms with them, if possible. One of them had a number of frogs (which I think he called "dweep") nicely packed up in the bark of the tea-tree, and tied with