PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
107 
the swimmers regained their station. They were followed by the gig CHAP, 
and jolly boat, and a short skirmish ensued, in which Mr. Elson fell. 
The boat’s crew imasining him hurt, and seeing the man he had been en- Dec. 
o o j 825 . 
gaged with aiming another blow at him, fired and wounded his assailant 
in the shoulder. The man fell upon the raft, and his companions, 
alarmed, threw the rudder into the sea and jumped overboard. As this 
man took a very leading part, he was probably a chief. No other wound 
Was inflicted, nor did this happen before it was merited; for our forbear- 
ance had extended even beyond the bounds of prudence ; and had less 
been evinced, we should sooner have gained our point, and probably 
have stood higher in the estimation of our antagonists. After this 
rencontre, some of the rafts again paddled towards us, and waved pieces 
of white cloth ; but the evening being far spent, and anxious to find an- 
chorage for the ship, I proceeded to examine the islands. We passed 
the bar, formed by the chain before mentioned dipping under water, in 
five, seven, and eight fathoms over a rugged coral bottom, and entered 
the lagoon, gradually deepening the w^ater to twenty-five fathoms. 
There was a considerable swell upon the shallow part of the reef, but 
within it the water was quite smooth. The first island we approached 
bad a bay formed at its eastern angle, where the ship might ride in 
safety with almost all winds. Night coming on, we anchored the 
boat upon the bar, and caught a large quantity of fish, consisting of 
several sorts of perca fvittata, maciduta), a labrus, and many small 
sharks. After daylight w'e returned to the ship, and in the evening 
anchored in the spot we had selected the day before. As we entered 
the bay, the natives were observed collected upon a low point, at 
one extremity of it, hallQoing, and waving pieces of white cloth. Almost 
all of them had long poles, either pointed or tipped with bone. Some 
bad mats thrown over their shoulders, and their heads and loins 
covered with banana leaves cut into strips. They were much startled 
at the noise occasioned by letting go the anchor, and at the chain- 
cahle running out, and gazed intently at the different evolutions neces- 
sary to be gone, through in bringing the ship to an anchor, in furling 
sails, &c. 
No person came on board that night; but daylight had scarcely 
p 2 
