VI. 



Jan. 

 1826. 



178 VOYAGE TO THE 



C *J AI> - assistants without force, and joined the marines; 

 but Lieutenant Wainwright (who, unknown to us 

 all, was left in the village, ignorant of our having 

 quitted it until informed by one of the natives), was 

 not so fortunate. He had passed through the vil- 

 lage, where the natives were assembled in circles, 

 apparently in debate, without molestation, and in a 

 few minutes would have been among our party; 

 when several of the natives, seeing him alone, assail- 

 ed him, and endeavoured to throw him down and 

 rob him. Finding they could not succeed, they at- 

 tacked him with their poles : but he was then for- 

 tunately within a short distance of us ; and we be- 

 came for the first time apprised of his danger by 

 hearing him call for assistance. Mr. belcher, and 

 those who were nearest, ran to him ; but the islanders 

 assailing them with stones, and the attack on their 

 part becoming general, I ordered the marines to fire, 

 which put them to flight, and I am happy to say 

 that we saw only one of them wounded. 



Thus this interview with the natives terminated 

 in a manner which their general conduct might have 

 led us to expect, though the result is much to be de- 

 plored. It confirmed my opinion, that the natural 

 disposition of the people is highly unfavourable to 

 intercourse, and that they are restrained from acts of 

 violence and aggression by the operation of fear 

 alone. With this impression, and finding the island 

 so extremely deficient in supplies, that the natives 

 could not spare us any thing, I was careless about 

 renewing our visit, and we embarked without fur- 

 ther molestation, and proceeded to the ship. 



The bay in which this village is situated lies on 

 the N. E. side of Mount Duff; it is bordered by a 



