APPENDIX. 437 



around, I saw a man raising a club to strike me. After receiving 

 four blows on my head, back, and hands, I drew my knife to defend 

 myself. At this the assassin retreated, and called to the pursuer of the 

 Tahitian for assistance to despatch me. By this time I had slipped 

 off the bank, and fortunately escaped a spear and club that were 

 hurled at me, struggled into deep water, and was picked up by the 

 pinnace. In the mean time the brig kept up a fire from her big guns, 

 on a cave to. which the natives had retreated, and obliged some of 

 them to raise a breastwork, from which they ineffectually fired with 

 their muskets in return, while others were engaged in dragging the 

 dead bodies of our comrades over the beach. On Monday morning 

 we saw nine of our dead bodies stretched on the shore astern of the 

 brig; the tenth, a negro, had been cooked, but the natives had not 

 eaten him, because they fancied his flesh tasted of tobacco. Captain 

 Bachelor, with the assistance of Connel, contrived to get the dead 

 brought off to the brig in exchange for a musket. The bodies were so 

 much mutilated that they could not be distinguished, so we sewed 

 them up in canvass, and buried them alongside. About three days 

 after, we got under way, and went over to Ovolau. 



(Signed) James Magoun. 



Personally appeared before me, the deponent, James Magoun, and 

 took oath upon the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, that the 

 foregoing statement to which he has appended his name, is in every 

 particular true. 



(Signed) William L. Hudson, 



Commanding 77. S. Ship Peacock. 



Witnesses, 



Wm. M. Walker, 



Lieutenant, 77. S. N. 



J. C. Palmek, 



Assistant- Surgeon. 



Wm. Spieden, 



Purser, 77. S. N. 



I certify that I have known James Magoun for several years, and 

 believe him to be a man whose statements are to be trusted. 



(Signed) J. H. Egleston, 



Master of the Ship Leonidas. 

 Feejee Islands, June 15th, 1840. 



vol. in. 110 



