The miners, who from their several stations had beheld the action, came singing and dancing from every quarter round me, and if I had not drawn my men close in a circle about me, would probably, out of affection, have done me more hurt than two of the governor's armies; for against these common gratitude denied the use of force; and they crowding every one but to touch me, they said, for fear of being pressed to death myself, as some of them almost were, I ordered them to be let in through my men at one side of the ring, and, passing by and touching me, to be let out on the other side; and this quieted them, but kept me in penance a long time.
We then marched in a body all into the town, where we were going to proclaim Georigetti King of Mount Alkoe, when a surly fellow, much wiser than the rest, as he thought, being about to harangue the people against being too hasty in it, was knocked down and trod to death for his pains; and we went on with the proclamation, giving general liberty to all persons without exception.
The next thing to be considered was how to oppose the governor when he came; and for that purpose I inquired into the manner of his coming, the road he came, and his attendants; and being informed that a hundred of his guards who had not the graundee waited for him at the sea-side, and that he had got no other guard, except a few friends and the slaves he went for, and that the slaves always came first, six in a rank tied together, under convoy of a few of his guards, I went in person to view the route he came, and seeing a very convenient post in a thick wood through which they were to pass, from whence we might see them before they came near us, I posted a watch on the sea side of the wood, and myself and men lay on the hither side of it, just where the governor's party must come out of it again: so that my watch giving notice of their approach, we might be ready to fall on at their coming out of our side of the wood.
When we had waited three days, our watch brought word they were coming; so we kept as close as possible, letting the slaves and guards march on, who came by about two hours' march before the governor: but so soon as he approached I drew up my men on the plain within the wood in ranks, ordering them to lie close on their bellies till they saw me rise, and then to rise, follow me, and obey orders.