ADDRESS. 57 



wrung with unavoidable and irremediable griefs ; these must be 

 healed by the soothing influence of time, and the consolations of 

 religion. But it is not of these that we speak. The sorrow we 



several canoes, from one of which a chief sprang into the American boat, and 

 assaulted Captain Barnard with the greatest fury. This seemed to be the signal for 

 a general attack, which now took place simultaneously, until the exhausted Americans 

 were overpowered and stripped naked, and in this helpless condition conveyed to land. 



Here they were soon surrounded by women and children, who regarded them as 

 extraordinary objects of curiosity, repeatedly examining them minutely, with their 

 hands as well as their eyes, and evincing much sympathy and compassion for their 

 misfortunes. All the chiefs were assembled on a stone platform near them, to delibe- 

 rate and determine on what was to be done with the strangers. When the result of 

 their deliberations was announced, the women and children were affected to tears> 

 which filled the unfortunate captives with the most dreadful forebodings of a lamenta- 

 ble fate. These apprehensions, however, proved to be entirely groundless ; for as soon 

 as the council broke up, they were treated with a sort of toddy, composed of water 

 and molasses, made from the saccharine of the cocoa-nut. They were then conducted 

 to the chief town, called Ibuel, where the chiefs held another council on the subject of 

 their reception, which was suddenly dissolved by an incident that gave a new and 

 brighter aspect to the affair, and would prove highly effective as the denouement of a 

 drama on the stage. 



In the midst of the council's deliberations, a chief, to the unspeakable astonishment 

 of the Americans, ran towards them from another quarter, and eagerly addressed them 

 in English ! Who can form the faintest idea of the overpowering emotions which 

 shook every American bosom at this instant ? To be addressed in their own language, 

 and that correctly spoken too, in a situation where they had nothing to expect but 

 tortures and death from inhuman barbarians, who would only mock at their shrieks 

 of anguish in an unknown jargon ! But here was one of their own countrymen, (or, 

 what is the same thing, an Englishman,) who announced himself as chief and gov- 

 ernor of the island, and whose will was the supreme law ! 



On entering into conversation with this chief, they learned that he was an English- 

 man, who had deserted his ship more than twenty years before ; had remained on the 

 island ever since ; had been elected as a chief, and exercised unlimited authority 

 among the savages. Through this man's influence, they had a comfortable house 

 assigned them to live in, and were well treated while they remained on the island. 

 Their shirts and trousers were returned, which were all the clothes they had to wear ; 

 they were well fed, however, and not required to do any work. The island produced 

 a plenty of cocoa-nuts and yams ; was well stocked with pigs and goats, and was 

 resorted to by immense flocks of seafowl. So that they lived a life of ease and plenty 

 for about six months, when, by an abortive attempt to relieve their natural longings for 

 home, they encountered a state of toil and starvation, that offered no hope of relief but 

 from the stroke of death ! 



After an exile of half a year, and perceiving no likelihood of a vessel touching at the 

 island, the Americans at length induced some of the natives, by promises of rewards, 

 to build them a canoe, and to let eight of them leave the island, the other three remain- 

 ing as hostages for the promised payment These eight seamen, accompanied by 



8 



