PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 49 



ance of clubs and sticks, and the departure of the 

 women, induced Mr. Peard, very judiciously, to 

 order his party into the boats. This seemed to be 

 the signal for an assault : the chief who had received 

 the present threw a large stone, which struck Mr. 

 Peard forcibly upon the back, and was immediately 

 followed by a shower of missiles which darkened the 

 air. The natives in the water and about the boats 

 instantly withdrew to their comrades, who had run 

 behind a bank out of the reach of the muskets, 

 which former experience alone could have taught 

 them to fear, for none had yet been fired by us. 



The stones, each of which weighed about a pound, 

 fell incredibly thick, and with such precision that 

 several of the seamen were knocked down under the 

 thwarts of the boat, and every person was more or 

 less wounded, except the female to whom Lieute- 

 nant Wainwright had given protection, who, as if 

 aware of the skilfulness of her countrymen, sat un- 

 concerned upon the gunwale, until one of the officers, 

 with more consideration for her safety than she her- 

 self possessed, pushed her overboard, and she swam 

 ashore. A blank cartridge was at first fired over the 

 heads of the crowd ; but forbearance, which with 

 savages is generally mistaken for cowardice or in- 

 ability, only augmented their fury. The showers of 

 stones were if possible increased, until the personal 

 safety of all rendered it necessary to resort to severe 

 measures. The chief, still urging the islanders on, 

 very deservedly, and perhaps fortunately, fell a vic- 

 tim to the first shot that was fired in defence. Ter- 

 rified by this example, the natives kept closer under 

 their bulwark ; and though they continued to throw 

 stones, and occasioned considerable difficulty in ex- 



VOL. I. E 



Nov. 

 1825. 



