ATTACK UPON THE SURVEYING BOATS, 235 



of the crew was struck at with a similar weapon, 

 but warded oflF the blow, althoug-h held fast by one 

 arm, when, just as the savage was making* another 

 stroke. Lieutenant Dayman, who until now had 

 exercised the utmost forbearance, fired at him with 

 a musket. The man did not drop althoug'h 

 wounded in the thig'hj but even this, unquestion- 

 ably their first experience of fire-arms, did not 

 intimidate the natives, one of whom, standing' on a 

 block of coral, threw a spear which passed across 

 the breast of one of the boat's crew and lodg-ed in 

 the bend of one arm, opening the vein. They 

 raised a loud shout when the spear was seen to take 

 effect, and threw several others which missed. 

 Lieutenant Simpson, who had been watching what 

 was going on then fired from the pinnace with 

 buck shot and struck them, when, finding that the 

 large boat, although at anchor, could assist the 

 smaller one, the canoes were paddled in-shore in 

 great haste and confusion. Some more musket 

 shots were fired, and the galley went in chase 

 endeavouring to turn the canoes, so as to bring 

 them under the fire of the pinnace's 12-pounder 

 howitzer, which was speedily mounted and fired. 

 The shot either struck one of the canoes or went 

 within a few inches of the mark, on which the 

 natives instantly jumped overboard into the shallow 

 water, making for the mangroves, which they 

 succeeded in reaching, dragging their canoes with 

 them. Two rounds of grape-shot crashing through 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



