l62 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



and to efcort back fuch of our people as were 

 yet up the country. 



Several of the chiefs, who were afTembled near 

 our market along with fome of us, were now 

 getting up to go away ; but they complied with 

 the requcil that was made them, not to quit 

 this fpot. 



We foon faw arrive from the Efperance, a 

 launch, manned and armed, commanded by 

 Trobriant, firfl lieutenant of that fhip. Know- 

 ing little of the fubject of the alarm, and 

 imagining that all the natives were difpofed to 

 fall upon us, he ordered his detachment to feizc 

 a double canoe, at the moment fhe was landing on 

 the coaft, being ignorant of the events that had 

 juft taken place. Mod of the natives who 

 v.cre in her, immediately jumped overboard; 

 but the chief, to whom (he belonged, remaining 

 on deck, Trobriant fent one of his boat's crew 

 to fecure him. This man having attempted 

 to ftrike the native with a club, the latter 

 difarmed him, and got hold of it ; they then 

 grappled with each other, and Trobriant thought 

 it ncceffary to fire upon the iflander, whom he 

 killed by a mufket-fliot. We were all very 

 much concerned at this unfortmiate accident. 



y\nother iflander, who Mas witnefs to this 



deed, threw himfclf into the fea from the top 



of the canoe's maft, not daring to come down on 



2 deck. 



