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command. The verbal instructions
given to me were to the effect
that I should proceed to follow
up the search after the white
woman, at the point from
whence Mr. Walsh returned,
and that I should use every exertion
to rescue her, also the mode of
proceeding which I adopted was
precisely the same as that
pursued by Mr. Walsh and
approved of by Commissioner
Tyers. I requested information
from the Commissioner that in
case resistance was made and
the lives of the party in danger,
how I should act. The answer
he made was that if our lives
were in jeopardy we must
protect ourselves.

With respect to
having

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having acted hostilely towards
the Natives I disclaim having
done any thing of the kind, for
at all times when in communica-
tion with them I endeavoured
to do all in my power to
conciliate them, and I may
also observe that having nothing
at my disposal to make them
presents, or gain their good
opinion their bearing towards
my party was invariably
hostile, and oftentimes I have
considered myself and the men
in my charge in great danger
from their large numbers
and evident inclination to
kill and eat us, if they were able
and I have on every occasion avoided
coming into collision with them as
far as was consistent with the
safety