May.] 



THE NATIVES. 



409 



CHAPTER VI. 



Massacre Islands — Commence building a House — A Garden planted — Friendship 

 of Henneen, the Island Chief — Friendly Disposition of the Natives — Precau- 

 tions against Surprise — Symptoms of Perfidy, Duplicity, and Dissimulation — 

 Drawn into an Ambuscade — Disarm a Host — Amity and Confidence restored — 

 Specious but hollow Professions of Good-will — The Alarm— The Massacre — 

 The Battle — The Rescue — Cannibalism — Deplorable Situation of the Survivors 

 — Sail from the Islands — Arrive at Manilla. 



Early in the morning of Wednesday, the 26th of May, we landed 

 twenty-five men on the point I had selected the previous evening, as 

 mentioned in the last chapter. Each man having an axe, well sharp- 

 ened for the purpose, they immediately commenced cutting down trees, 

 and clearing away the ground directly abreast of the Antarctic, and 

 close to the edge of the beach. With such ardour and alacrity did 

 they pursue their labours, that by six o'clock, P. M., the ground was 

 not only prepared for the site of a building one hundred and fifty feet 

 in length, fifty feet in width, and forty feet high, but a considerable part 

 of the frame of the projected edifice was actually got out in the same 

 time. This day's work appeared to delight the natives very much ; 

 but the rapidity with which the trees were felled by the crew electrified 

 them with astonishment. 



In the afternoon I selected some seeds of different kinds, such as I 

 thought would prove congenial to the climate and soil of these islands, 

 and went on shore for the purpose of planting them. Attended by one 

 of the crew, I carefully examined the ground in several places near 

 the centre of the island, and finally made choice of a beautiful spot 

 which seemed admirably fitted for a garden. Here we went to work 

 with our spades, and soon turned up a sufficient extent of rich mellow 

 soil for our purpose, hundreds of the natives all the while looking on 

 with intense curiosity and amazement. I could not, for some time, 

 make them fully comprehend the nature and purpose of our operations ; 

 which they continued to contemplate in doubtful surprise, until they 

 saw me put the seeds into the ground, when the truth seemed to flash 

 at once upon their minds. 



A tall, slender, well-built man now stepped up to me and gave me 

 his hand, with an expression of approbation and gratitude ; giving me 

 to understand that he now comprehended the object of my hitherto 

 mysterious proceedings, and that he approved of it very highly. The 

 countenance of this man was expressive of deep penetration and great 

 decision of character. His name was Henneen; and he was, as I 

 subsequently discovered, the chief of this island : King Nero, the 

 monarch of the whole group, merely being here on a visit from the 

 largest island in his dominions, lying about seven miles to the south, 

 on which he resided. 



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