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PORTER'S JOURNAL. 



Typees had appeared in the bushes, and had pelted our 

 people with stones, while quietly eating their breakfast. 

 They, as well as the Taeehs and Happahs, were all on their 

 guard, but no hostilities had been offered on our part. I 

 had brought with me one of those whom I had intended 

 to employ as ambassadors ; he had intermarried with the 

 Typees, and was privileged to go among them. 1 furnish- 

 ed him with a wliite flag, and sent him to inform the Ty- 

 pees that I had come to offer them peace, but was prepa- 

 red for war ; that 1 only required that they should submit 

 to the same terms as those entered into by the other tribes, 

 and that their friendship would be much more pleasing to 

 me than any satisfaction which I expected to derive from 

 chastising them. In a few minutes after the departure of 

 my messenger he came running back, the picture of terror, 

 and informed me he had met in the bushes an ambuscade 

 of Typees, who, regardless of his flag of truce, which he 

 displayed to them, had driven him back with blows, and 

 had threatened to put him to death if he again ven- 

 tured among them. In an instant afterwards we had a 

 confirmation of his statement in a shower of stones which 

 came from the bushes, at the same moment one of them 

 darted across the pathway and was shot through the leg, 

 but was carried off by his friends. Hostihties had now 

 commenced ; lieutenant Downes had arrived with his 

 men, and I gave the order to march. Mouina, having for- 

 got the difference which had taken place between us, pla- 

 ced himself, as usual, in advance ; we entered the bushes, 

 and were at every instant assailed by spears and stones, 

 which came from different parties of the enetny in ambus- 

 cade. We could hear the snapping of the slings, the 

 whistling of the stones, the spears came quivering by us, 

 but we could not perceive from whom they came ; no 

 enemy was to be seen, not a whisper was to be heard 

 among them. To remain still would have proved fatal to 

 us ; to have retreated would have convinced them of our 

 fears and our incapacity to injure them; our only safety 

 was in advancing and endeavouring to clear the thicket, 

 which 1 had been informed was of no great extent. 



We had advanced about a mile, and had received no 

 injury, nor had we reason to believe we had done any to 

 the enemy (who we could only get a glimpse of as ther 



