414 



MASSACRE ISLANDS. 



[1830. 



to the edge of the beach, and then buried them in the bosom of the 

 lagoon. When they had finished this necessary task, they proceeded 

 to gather up their plunder, and divide the remains of our slaughtered 

 friends among them ; after which, each party of warriors embarked 

 in their respective canoes, and started for the several islands to which 

 they belonged, and which the last reached about dusk. All this I dis- 

 tinctly beheld, and my soul sickened. 



When I looked again, fires were being kindled on the different 

 islands, until they were ranged along all the beaches that fronted the 

 schooner. Around these fires the natives appeared to be very busy, 

 for the greater part of the night. This was, no doubt, for the prose- 

 cution of their horrid orgies ; but fearful that treachery lurked beneath 

 their operations, that these fires might be intended to deceive us, and 

 that they intended to attack the Antarctic under cover of the darkness, 

 every man was kept at his quarters during the whole of that melan- 

 choly night. Eighty muskets were loaded with buckshot, and laid 

 upon the trunk. The guns and swivels were all double-shotted ; the 

 matches kept lighted in their places, and one man was stationed in each 

 top, to keep a sharp look-out for canoes ; their matches were also 

 lighted, and the top-swivels in complete readiness. During the night 

 we cruised about among the shoals and reefs of the lagoon, anxiously 

 waiting the tardy approach of daylight, which at last was hailed with 

 joy, and heartfelt thankfulness. 



May 29th. — At the dawn of day we found ourselves within about 

 two miles of the passage that led from the lagoon into the open ocean ; 

 and at 7, A. M., we were once more clear of the " Massacre Isla?ids" as 

 we concluded to name the group, one of them being baptized in the blood 

 of our brethren. We put to sea with a fine breeze from east-south-east, 

 and fair weather. 



The following are the names of the unhappy victims of savage 

 treachery and cannibal ferocity: viz. John A. Wallace, trading officer, 

 belonging to Newcastle, E ngland ; Henry Wiley, second officer, of 

 Charlestown. Massachusetts ; Joseph Hicks, armorer, of England ; 

 George Cartwright, carpenter, of England ; Thomas Parker, carpenter, 

 of England : Seamen, — George Webb, of London ; James Butler, of 

 Liverpool ; Samuel Wood, of England ; Thomas Barnard, of Bristol, 

 England ; George Strong, of Albany, New- York ; Alexander Mooney, 

 of New-York; Stephen de la Cruz, a native of Manilla. The 

 names of the wounded seamen are, John Keeler, of New- York ; 

 William Vanduzer, of New- York ; Leonard Shaw, of Philadelphia, 

 and John Harris, of England. 



The booty which this tragical affair threw into the possession of the 

 natives consisted of the following valuable articles : viz. one whale- 

 boat, thirty casks and barrels, a number of muskets, pistols, cutlasses, 

 boarding-pikes, axes, hatchets, cartridge-boxes, shovels, crowbars, 

 carpenter's tools, blacksmith's forge and tools, and a quantity of cord- 

 age and blocks, which had been taken on shore, to assist in raising the 

 frame of the house ; besides a chain cable of ninety fathoms, inch 

 iron, and anchor of one thousand pounds, which lay, and probably 

 still lies, in more than fifteen fathoms of water. 



