ADDRESS. 67 



ble, by a judicious exhibition of our power and policy. Those 

 untutored beings have not always been the first offenders.* Much 



* Although personal experience, during an intercourse of years with our South Sea 

 whaling captains, enables us to bear testimony to their intelligence, great enterprise, 

 and humanity, as a body ; yet there are necessarily exceptions to this general cha- 

 racter. Among a class so daring and adventurous, it is not surprising that we occa- 

 sionally meet with unprincipled men and what profession or pursuit in life in which 

 they may not be found ? who require to be held in subjection by the arm of coercive 

 power, and the dread of legal penalties. To persons of this stamp, the South Sea 

 trade and fishery open a wide field for the indulgence of their vicious propensities. 

 Placed beyond the reach of penal influence, governed by no other law than their own 

 will, it is not wonderful such men should be guilty of oppression and violence in their 

 dealings with the natives. The savage does not pause to discriminate between indi- 

 viduals, and the flagitious act of one man may consign hundreds of his fellows to 

 captivity or massacre. From several similar instances of wanton outrage, the truth 

 of which cannot be doubted, we select the following. 



Captain Barnard, of the ship Mentor, left, as hostages at the Pelew Islands, two men, 

 named Meader and Davis, together with a lad named Alden. They were subse- 

 quently placed under the care of different masters ; the boy at a spot considerably 

 distant from the others, where he was occasionally allowed to accompany the natives 

 in their excursions on the water. Some time within about a twelvemonth of the 

 release of Meader and Davis, as nearly as they could compute, a ship hove in sight off* 

 that part of the island where young Alden resided, and he was taken out in one of 

 three canoes, which were fitted out for a friendly visit to the strangers. Two of the 

 canoes were old craft, but the third was a new and valuable one, belonging to the 

 chief who commanded the expedition. They boarded the ship, and the parties treated 

 each other with reciprocal kindness. Some trading ensued; after which the two old 

 canoes were ordered off* by the captain, while the other, with its crew, including Alden 

 and the chief, was detained the captain being desirous of purchasing it. During the 

 negotiation for this end, a gale arose, which continued with such fury during four days, 

 that the natives remained on board for the time ; but no bargain was effected, the 

 chief prizing his canoe above the offer of the captain, which was limited to three or four 

 old muskets. At length, the vessel having drifted towards another part of the island, 

 and night approaching, the chief consented to make the proposed exchange, provided 

 the captain would agree to land him and his companions in the neighbourhood of their 

 own settlement. It was resolved, however, to land them at the point nearest the ship. 

 To this the chief earnestly objected, alleging that his enemies resided there, and wovJd 

 assuredly put them to death. Nevertheless, in spite of tears and remonstrances, they 

 were thrust into the ship's boat and rowed towards land. Having proceeded some 

 distance, the savages were driven overboard by their inhuman conductors, and com- 

 pelled to swim for life into the very arms of their foes. After incredible sufferings 

 among the coral rocks, exhausted by long exertion, they were captured, or rather 

 picked up, by the hostile tribe. Their Indian enemies, -less cruel than their civilized 

 friends, nursed their wounds, healed their lacerated limbs, and, when their strength 

 permitted, restored them to their homes, though swollen and debilitated. That night 

 the vessel put to sea, taking away Alden, the canoe, and the promised remuneration. 



