SOUTH SEA 
o I 4 
ts i rk 
(for so he was called) to render him assistance. But at 
this moment we heard the men who were up the trees 
calling out with great earnestness that they could per- 
ceive a large number of canoes filled with people ap- 
proaching the island upon which we were, and on looking 
up we saw them descending the trees with the greatest 
precipitation and alarm. 
We lost no time in gathering the nuts, and placing 
them in the boats, not forgetting our wounded compa- 
nion, whose hip was fractured, and who appeared in the 
arms of death. We crowded to our boats as fast as 
possible, and pushed from the shore, when on turning 
a point of land we saw several large canoes filled with 
natives coming towards us, uttering loud cries, and 
appearing much excited ; we were not more than a 
quarter of a mile from them, and we expected to receive 
a shower of arrows every moment. We had among 
us three muskets loaded with slugs, and prepared to 
fire had the attack been made ; but we fortunately had 
no occasion for their employment, for our men, seeing 
their danger, strained at their oars with all their strength, 
and before we had much time for thought, we found our- 
selves beyond the reach of their arrows, making the best 
of our way to the ship, which we soon reached. 
In this affair we had doubtless trespassed on the 
property of these people, and destroyed part of their 
expected harvest, and should have suffered severely for 
our temerity but for the timely warning of those who 
had ascended the trees. Our captain, soon after our 
arrival on board, ordered all sail to be set, and the ship’s 
