84 VOYAGE TO THE 



chap. Nehow, should desert from their masters, provide 

 v^y^ themselves with arms, and hide in the woods, but 

 Dec. maintain a frequent communication with the other 

 two, Tetaheite and Menalee ; and that on a certain 

 day they should attack and put to death all the 

 Englishmen, when at work in their plantations. 

 Tetaheite, to strengthen the party of the blacks on 

 this day, borrowed a gun and ammunition of his 

 master, under the pretence of shooting hogs, which 

 had become wild and very numerous ; but instead of 

 using it in this way, he joined his accomplices, and 

 with them fell upon Williams and shot him. Mar- 

 tin, who was at no great distance, heard the report 

 of the musket, and exclaimed, " Well done ! we 

 shall have a glorious feast to-day !" supposing that 

 a hog had been shot. The party proceeded from 

 Williams' toward Christian's plantation, where Me- 

 nalee, the other black, was at work with Mills and 

 M'Coy ; and, in order that the suspicions of the 

 whites might not be excited by the report they had 

 heard, requested Mills to allow him (Menalee) to 

 assist them in bringing home the hog they pre- 

 tended to have killed. Mills agreed ; and the four, 

 being united, proceeded to Christian, who was work- 

 ing at his yam-plot, and shot him. Thus fell a 

 man, who, from being the reputed ringleader of the 

 mutiny, has obtained an unenviable celebrity, and 

 whose crime, if any thing can excuse mutiny, may 

 perhaps be considered as in some degree palliated, by 

 the tyranny which led to its commission. M'Coy, 

 hearing his groans, observed to Mills, "there was 

 surely some person dying ;" but Mills replied, " It 

 is only Mainmast (Christian's wife) calling her chil- 

 dren to dinner." The white men being yet too strong 



