242 TYE AND SUALIB. 
turn, if he did not desist. This, with a threat to take a shot at him, 
brought him to his senses, and in part restored his wonted good- 
humour. After a rest of two or three hours, most of the boats having 
joined, we left the island, and reached Sualib Bay at about eight 
o’clock in the morning. Here I again awaited the arrival of the 
schooner and boats, which began to drop in. 
The cutter, we found, had been drawn up to a considerable dis- 
tance, and the tide being low, there was a wide mud-flat between her 
and the place where we lay at anchor, through which a small tortuous 
creek led up to her. 
The natives of the two towns on each side of the bay, one called 
Tye and the other Sualib, seemed both to be active in preparing to 
give us a warm reception. Our interpreter gave me reason to expect 
that we should not get the boat without a sharp fight, and that she 
would be perhaps destroyed by fire before we should be able to save 
her. As it would, in all probability, have been attended with loss of 
life to make the attempt at low water, I determined to await until the 
tide rose, and in the mean time to attempt to procure her restoration 
by negotiation. I therefore sent Whippy and Tom to hold a parley, 
and to state to the natives, that if they restored the boat and every 
thing belonging to her, I would, for this time, forgive them. One of 
their chiefs came half-way to meet Whippy, and, both being unarmed, 
they held a long conference, during which they occasionally referred 
to their principals. Finally the chiefs agreed to deliver up the boat, 
which they launched and brought some distance down the creek 
towards us, whither I sent men to receive her; but she had nothing in 
her but her spars: all other articles, of every description, including 
the men’s clothes, books and instruments of the officers, breakers, sails, 
&c., had been detained. 
My conditions not being complied with, I determined to make an 
example of these natives, and to show them that they could no longer 
hope to commit acts of this description without receiving punish- 
ment. 
The dinner hour had now arrived, and finding that the tide would 
not suit for two or three hours, I ordered the boats off to the tender to 
get dinner, telling the men that we should burn the town before sunset. 
We accordingly pulled to the tender and took dinner. In the mean 
time I was occupied detailing the boats with officers and men in divi- 
sions, and when the time came, the boats shoved off from the tender, 
leaving only Dr. Palmer and two men in charge of her. 
We moved on in an imposing array, keeping ourselves well prepared 
for an attack, to which we were necessarily exposed on our approach. 
