180 



breastwork, called Madison's fort, thrown up by my or- 

 ders, on the summit of a high hill, near the encampment, 

 and completely commanding the bay. What most asto- 

 nished the Americans, however, this day, was the appear- 

 ance of the simple Olaheitan, who, as my readers will 

 recollect, threw himself from the Essex into the sea, whea 

 twenty miles from land, in consequence of a blow he re- 

 ceived from the boatswain's mate. His story was at once 

 amusing, and almost incredible. Tamaha stated, with his 

 accustomed artlessness, that he became intoxicated in the 

 afternoon of the frigate's departure from the Island, and in 

 the evening, unobserved by any one, fell overboard from 

 the ship's head. She was then olF Comptroller's Bay, and 

 about twenty miles from the land. He was drawn down 

 under the frigate, and bruised in several parts of his body. 

 After remaining in the water one day and two nights, and 

 making several fruitless attempts to regain the shore, on 

 account of the violence of the surf, he at length succeeded ; 

 but found himself so exhausted, by long-continued exertion, 

 and the bruises he received under the frigate's bottom^ 

 that he was unable to stand, or to help himself in any way 

 whatever. At this critical moment, to his extreme sur- 

 prise, one of the Tepees, against whom he had recently 

 taken an active part in the war waged against them, came 

 down to his assistance, and very kindly took him to his 

 house. He remained there four days, when the humane 

 and generous Typce brought him to the encampment in a 

 canoe. Lieut. Gamble very properly rewarded the latter 

 for his charitable behaviour, and had the satisfaction to see 

 him leave the encampment under a deep impression of the 

 noble conduct he had evinced towards an enemy, and of 

 the value of the bounty he received. 



Exclusive of the bruising, there was nothing uncommon 

 to a Sandwich Islander, in passing under the bottom of a 

 ship. Lieut. Gamble himself, a few days after, had no 

 difficulty in engaging 0!ie of the natives of Nooaheexali to 

 dive down in tive and a half fathoms water, and fasten a 

 rope to the fluke of an anchor. But to remain two nights 

 and a day in the water without food, and, in all probability, 

 without any thing to buoy him up, is a circumstance thatmay 

 justly excite astonishment. The next day, Tamaha obtained 

 permission to go ashore for the purpose of getting a piece 



