410 



MASSACRE ISLANDS. 



[1830; 



and as bountiful a breakfast as the store-rooms of the well-supplied 

 Antarctic could furnish, they were loaded with presents, and set on 

 shore, to all appearance highly delighted with their visit and the friendly 

 reception they had met. Indeed they seemed to take unusual pains 

 to convince us of their gratitude and good-will. Among other modes 

 of expressing them, Nero and the chiefs voluntarily promised that 

 their people should assist ours in making and thatching the house, 

 which was now partly raised, and nearly ready for covering. The 

 sincerity of these professions and promises remains to be determined 

 by those who have patience to pursue the course of this plain narra- 

 tive of facts. 



After having thus paid to these chiefs every mark of respecl 

 which is due to rank, and which I thought sound policy dictated, I 

 took a few men, and commenced landing such articles as would be 

 first wanted in curing the biche-de-mer. The work now appeared 

 to be going on very pleasantly ; the house being nearly ready for 

 thatching, and two hundred and fifty of the natives assisting our work- 

 men, for which we had agreed to pay them liberally. We had already 

 landed several boat-loads of the necessary articles, and were preparing 

 to despatch another, when at about half-past eleven, A. M. my ears 

 were startled by a sound that sent the life-blood curdling to my heart. 

 It was the warhoop of the savages on shore. 



I doubt whether the bursting of a volcano almost beneath my feel, 

 the unexpected shock of an earthquake, or a bolt from heaven strik- 

 ing the deck of the Antarctic, could have startled and astounded me 

 like that infernal yell. Were I to live till doomsday, it would still 

 tingle in my ears by day, and visit my dreams by night. I too well 

 knew the deadly import of that fatal shout ; and I was not there to 

 protect my men. 



The larboard battery of the vessel bore directly on the village ; 

 and without contemplating the distance, I snatched a lighted match, 

 and discharged one of the cannon. The shot, as I might have antici- 

 pated, fell spent and harmless, without doing any execution. But the 

 sudden and unexpected report alarmed my men, who were scattered 

 about in the woods, pursuing their various occupations. Taking it as 

 a signal of hostilities on the part of the natives, every man started 

 for the beach, in front of the schooner, where they had carelessly 

 left their arms, under the protection of two sentinels. On approach- 

 ing the spot, they were met by about three hundred natives, who had 

 just butchered their two shipmates the sentinels ; and were waiting 

 their own approach, with bows ready bent. The moment our ill-fated 

 men emerged from the thicket, a shower of arrows was poured into 

 their unshielded defenceless bodies. Only three of them fell from 

 this volley, however, although scarcely any escaped one or more 

 wounds. 



A well-manned whale-boat, despatched on tne instant of the alarm, 

 was flying to the rescue of my brave fellows on shore, as fast as ten 

 sturdy oarsmen could pull her over water, which her keel scarcely 

 seemed to touch. She was commanded by Mr. Johnson, whose voice 

 I could hear continually exclaiming, " Give way, men ! Give way ! 



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