316 
SOUTH SEA 
and forbidding aspect of any I had yet seen during the 
voyage*— not a ray of good-nature could be observed in 
their countenances,— the dreary mind appeared in the 
dingy face, — there was no merry fancy in the eye,— the 
dark and corrugated brow betokened the sullen soul,— no 
friendly laugh enlivened the gloomy crew, but a dull 
savage aspect appeared on all. Whalers when in chase 
off this island always carry loaded muskets in their 
boats, to protect themselves from the attacks which 
these savages often make upon them when they are led 
by their ardour in the chase too near the shore. Dread- 
ful conflicts have from time to time taken place between 
them, in which many of the natives and some Europeans 
have lost their lives. 
It was off this island too, that we miraculously 
escaped being wrecked, which made our third escape 
during the voyage. We were sailing along the coast, 
at the distance from it of about ten or twelve miles, 
when our second mate, who was at the main-mast head 
looking out for whales, called out in a loud voice for 
the helmsman to “ up helm and allow the ship to fall 
off her course. Our captain, who was on deck at the 
time, hearing him call so vehemently, imagined that 
whales had come up close to the ship, when instead of 
allowing the helm to be put up, he ran round the ship 
looking for whales,— a great deal of confusion ensued, 
during which, to our astonishment the ship passed over 
a coral reef, which was just deep enough to allow her to 
pass over without touching it, although some of our 
people who were below at the time stated they felt the 
