Sincelandinghereourmilitaryforcehassufferedadiminutionofonlythreepersons，aserjeantandtwoprivates。Oftheconvictsfifty—fourhaveperished，includingtheexecutions。Amidstthecausesofthismortality，excessivetoilandascarcityoffoodarenottobenumbered，asthereaderwilleasilyconceive，wheninformed，thattheyhavethesameallowanceofprovisionsaseveryofficerandsoldierinthegarrison;
andareindulgedbybeingexemptedfromlaboureverySaturdayafternoonandSunday。Onthelatterofthosedaystheyareexpectedtoattenddivineservice，whichisperformedeitherwithinoneofthestorehouses，orunderagreattreeintheopenair，untilachurchcanbebuilt。
Amidstourpubliclabours，thatnofortifiedpost，orplaceofsecurity，isyetbegun，maybeamatterofsurprise。Wereanemergencyinthenighttohappen，itisnoteasytosaywhatmightnottakeplacebeforetroops，scatteredaboutinanextensiveencampment，couldbeformed，soastoact。
Aneventthathappenedafeweveningssincemay，perhaps，bethemeansofforwardingthisnecessarywork。InthedeadofnightthecentinelsontheeasternsideofthecovewerealarmedbythevoicesoftheIndians，talkingneartheirposts。Thesoldiersonthisoccasionactedwiththeirusualfirmness，andwithoutcreatingadisturbance，acquaintedtheofficeroftheguardwiththecircumstance，whoimmediatelytookeveryprecautiontopreventanattack，andatthesametimegaveordersthatnomolestation，whiletheycontinuedpeaceable，shouldbeofferedthem。
Fromthedarknessofthenight，andthedistancetheykeptat，itwasnoteasytoascertaintheirnumber，butfromthesoundofthevoicesandothercircumstances，itwascalculatedatnearthirty。Totheirintentionsinhonouringuswiththisvisit（theonlyonewehavehadfromtheminthelastfivemonths）wearestrangers，thoughmostprobablyitwaseitherwithaviewtopilfer，ortoascertaininwhatsecurityweslept，andtheprecautionsweusedinthenight。Whenthebellsoftheshipsintheharbourstruckthehourofthenight，andthecentinelscalledoutontheirposts\"All’swell，\"theyobservedadeadsilence，andcontinueditforsomeminutes，thoughtalkingwiththegreatestearnestnessandvociferationbutthemomentbefore。Afterhavingremainedaconsiderabletimetheydepartedwithoutinterchangingasyllablewithourpeople。