Sept.] SHAW'S SUFFERINGS. 441 



of our best men, amply supplied with muskets, ammunition, &c, 

 together with provisions and water for one month, in case of its being 

 besieged by the natives. 



On the following morning, at daylight, I saw on the Massacre 

 Island about fifty strange canoes, which, Mr. Shaw said, belonged to 

 the other islands ; and that he had never known a canoe to stop one 

 night from an island on which it belonged during the whole period of 

 his captivity. He therefore thought that " all was not going on right." 

 Not altogether liking the aspect of these strange proceedings myself, 

 the crew were not allowed to go on shore to work at daylight, as 

 usual ; as I thought the lives of my men were of more importance 

 than time. We therefore continued patiently watching the motion of 

 the natives until eight o'clock. 



In the mean time, Mr. Shaw gave me a still more particular history 

 of the fifteen miserable weeks of his captivity, which has since been 

 laid before the public in the form of a pamphlet ; and with this inter- 

 esting narrative the present chapter shall be concluded. 



A Brief Sketch of the Sufferings of Leonard Shaw on Massacre 

 Island.—" On the 28th of May, 1830, while myself and twenty others 

 were employed on what Captain Morrell has designated the Massacre 

 Island, the natives made a determined and too successful attack upon 

 our little band. Seven of the number made their escape to the vessel, 

 and the remaining thirteen met with instant destruction. 



" Our little party of six was on the bank, or north side of the island, 

 at work, totally defenceless and unprotected, except by the tools in our 

 hands ; our arms, &c. having been left at the house, a quarter of a 

 mile distant. Hearing the savage yell of the natives, which still rings 

 in my ears, and can never be forgotten, we took to the beach, and ran 

 for life. Here we were immediately surrounded by the negroes. 

 Three of my comrades, running the gauntlet, plunged into the water; 

 and the rest of us, not being swimmers, fled again upon the beach.. 

 The natives being close in pursuit, my two remaining companions 

 were soon overtaken and killed upon the spot, by ponderous blows 

 with the war-club. I alone outstripped their speed, and changing my 

 course, made directly for the woods. 



" Here slackening my pace for breath, the bloodhounds scented 

 their prey, and soon came upon me. Two who were in advance of 

 their party commenced discharging their arrows at me, and I had now 

 no hope of life remaining. However chivalric might have been the 

 effect of my efforts — however dearly I might have sold my life, in a 

 combat for its preservation against the fearful odds of an enraged na- 

 tion in arms — I could have no hope of final success. Death, in its 

 most horrid forms, was all about me. Still I clung to life, hopeless 

 as the case appeared ; and necessity suggested a stratagem to pre- 

 serve it. Notwithstanding the haste in which I had fled, I had kept 

 the axe with which I had been at work. I sheltered myself behind a 

 large tree, and elevated the axe-handle in the attitude of taking aim 

 with a musket. Knowing the fatal effects of that instrument of death, 

 my pursuers fled from its aim. Making the best of this mpmentary 



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