The only other entrance, the main one, in fact, was by water: but it
could be approached only by swimming. The fort was built of stone and
brick, while the door, made of thick posts, and lined with sheets of
copper, would have defied, for a long time, the power of their axes or
fire. Our only anxiety was about the inflammable quality of the roof,
which was covered with pine shingles. Against such an accident, however,
we prepared ourselves by carrying water to the upper rooms, and we could
at any time, if it became necessary, open holes in the roof, for we
greater facility of extinguishing the fire. In the meantime we covered
it with a coat of clay in the parts which were most exposed.
We were now ten men, seven of us armed with firearms and pretty certain
of our aim: we had also sixteen women and nine children, boys and girls,
to whom various posts were assigned, in case of a night attack. The six
warriors who had gone to the settlement for firearms would return in a
short time, and till then we had nothing to do but to be cautious, to
wait for the enemy, and even bear their first attack without using our
firearms, that they might not suspect our strength inside. One of the
old men, a cunning fellow, who had served his time as a. brave warrior,
hit upon a plan which we followed.
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