442 MASSACRE ISLANDS. [1830. 



advantage, I quickly penetrated still deeper into the recesses of the 

 woods, and eluded their pursuit. 



" I had now a little time to recover my breath ; and concealing my- 

 self beneath some felled trees, began to reflect upon my perilous 

 situation, and devise means of escape. I well knew, if I came within 

 reach of the war-club I must feel its effects, if not instant death. I 

 therefore determined to remain in my retreat until night, and then en- 

 deavour to make my escape to the schooner. The hours, though few, 

 passed like ages away, and visions of horror, and hope alternately 

 clouded and lightened my heart. At length, under the shades of even- 

 ing, I ventured to the beach in search of the vessel, buoyed up with 

 the thought that I had eluded the grasp of the foe, and should soon re- 

 gain the schooner to relate the tale of those who had perished. But 

 she had gone ! 



" Despair at disappointment so unexpected unmanned me for a mo- 

 ment, and I inwardly prayed to Heaven for death. My feelings at 

 this crisis, let the reader conceive. Cut off from all hope of relief, 

 nothing to satisfy the cravings of nature but an appeal to the untamed 

 savage, from whom no relief but death could be hoped, and that death 

 one of extreme torture ! A momentary thought of self-immolation 

 flashed on my mind ; but reason returned, forcing upon me the recollec- 

 tion that the Almighty had set his canons against self-murder ; and the 

 fear of something after death made me relent ; and I finally resolved, 

 come weal or wo, to surrender myself up to the natives. 



" Thus determined, I bent my steps towards them, with wo in my 

 heart and death in my thoughts. As I approached, I found a large 

 party assembled, and preparations made for a supper. Advancing 

 close enough to observe every motion, my blood curdled as I looked 

 upon the horrid spectacle, and beheld my murdered friends roasting for 

 the feast ! I remained in the neighbourhood two or three hours, riveted, 

 as it were, to the spot. My heart bled for the poor fellows ; for, 

 though accustomed to the storms and dangers of the ocean, its sensi- 

 bilities were too delicate to contemplate unmoved a scene like this. 

 The revolting thought that a similar fate awaited myself when in their 

 power changed my previous resolves, and turned my footsteps again 

 to the woods. I summoned all my firmness, and deliberately made up 

 my mind to starve in my hiding-place, rather than trust to the lenity 

 of such ruthless monsters. 



" The dread of suffering what I had seen kept me in my retreat four 

 days and nights, when the calls of hunger forced me out in search of 

 food. After some time I procured three young cocoanuts, containing 

 little else than water and shell ; and subsisted upon these and the refresh- 

 ing showers of Heaven until the fifteenth day after the massacre. The 

 weather upon these islands is continually changing, like the April season 

 of our own country ; alternate sunshine and showers. My hiding-place, 

 though it sheltered me from the first, exposed me to the latter, and I 

 was, during this time, literally dripping wet. On the morning of the 

 fifteenth day, after cautiously looking to ascertain the safety of the 

 measure, I stretched myself in the sun to dry. This, indeed, was a 

 luxury to me ; but alas ! how brief. 



