560 



CAUTIONS — TREACHEIiY. 



Nov. 



but have established themselves in some authority among the 

 natives. A man known by the name of Charles, was more 

 respected than almost any of their own chieftains, on account 

 of his extraordinary valour : and so highly was he consider- 

 ed by all of them, that he was allowed to have a hundred 

 wives.* 



No small vessel ought to venture near any of the Feejee 

 islands without being armed, and prepared to act defensively. 

 Boarding nettings, if she has them, should be triced up ; and 

 no professions, or appearance of friendship, ought ever to put 

 strangers off their guard. In case of an unavoidable rupture, 

 a chief, the highest in rank that can be secured, should, if 

 possible, be made prisoner — by force if fair means fail ; and he 

 should be made to understand that his life depended upon the 

 conduct of his countrymen. Of course no right-minded man 

 would act otherwise than to avoid or prevent any hostilities , 

 with ignorant savages, so long as he could do so without risk- 

 ing the lives of his own countrymen; but he must remember 

 that, in hand to hand fighting, a band of fierce savages, armed 

 with a variety of weapons, are more than a match for seamen 

 unused, perhaps, to muskets, and equally awkward with pistols 

 or swords: however brave and determined they may be, if 

 dispersed, as usually happens, they are sure to be by far the 

 greatest sufferers. I here allude to those savages who are really 

 warriors. At some islands, and other places, they are compara- 

 tively timid, though seldom less treacherous. 



Remarking on the criticisms of such as have animad- 

 verted on officers who found themselves obliged to take 

 harsh measures in self-defence — La Perouse, whose humanity 

 and good sense not one individual among the nations who 

 regret his untimely loss, ever questioned, says, " I am, how- 

 ever, a thousand times more angry with the philosophers 

 who extol the savages, than with the savages themselves. The 

 unfortunate Lamanon, whom they massacred, told me the very 



* Only chieftains of note are able to maintain many wives : ver}- few 

 had so large a number as that man : scarcely any had more. 



