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porter's journal. 



ereing every soul in the boat, as well as himself, he made 

 a last desperate effort, and hobbled upon one leg, from 

 gun to gun, firing them off as fast as he could. And, not- 

 withstanding the many difficulties under which he laboured, 

 so happily did he direct the pieces, that the two hostile 

 boats were forced back — the natives on shore were driven 

 from their war canoe — and midshipman Clapp enabled to 

 save the lives of the exhausted men, who were struggling 

 amidst the waves. 



The two men proved to be Worth and Coddington, the 

 latter severely wounded in the head, by a stone thrown 

 from the sling of a native. He swam at least half a mile, 

 with the blood streaming from his ears and wound, and on 

 gaining the ship, was scarcely able to ascend from the 

 boat without assistance. They reported, what lieut. Gam- 

 ble, with a heavy heart, had anticipated : that midshipmen 

 Feltus, Burdenelle, Thomas Gibbs, and John Thomas, were 

 massacred by the natives ; and that Ross, the trader, who 

 was engaged at his house, in preparing to leave the island, 

 must inevitably have shared the same fate. 



In reflecting upon this melancholy event, my readers 

 cannot but form some idea of the poignant feelings under 

 which I labour, in common with lieut. Gamble. To the 

 latter, especially, the stroke came with redoubled severity ; 

 for he loved young Feltus with the tenderness of a brother, 

 and ever felt a deep anxiety in his fate. In the sixteenth 

 year of his age, and possessed of every accomplishment that 

 could command respect and admiration, he was at the 

 same time actuated by a noble ambition, which no unto- 

 ward circumstances could repress. He bid fair to become 

 an ornament to his profession, and an honour to his coun- 

 try. Those who knew him personally, admired his youth- 

 ful gallantry ; and placed, as he was, under the command 

 of lieut. Gamble, by his own request, I cannot but lament, 

 that so cruel a destiny should have awaited his intrepidity 

 and spirit. 



Being now reduced to the necessity of leaving the island, 

 as speedily as possible, lieut. Gamble despatched a boat to 

 the Greenwich, for Pittenger, and some articles, of which 

 be then stood in need. Himself and midshipman Clapp 

 M'ere employed, during the interval, in firing upon the 

 enemy, and Worth in bending the only sails that circum- 



