130 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, not interfere ; and foreseeing the consequence of persisting, I left our 
purchase in their hands, disgusted with their dishonesty and cunning. 
J82"6 return, about two o'clock in the afternoon, we observed 
the meals of the natives laid out upon tables, made of slabs of coral, 
raised about a yard from the ground, and standing in the middle of the 
paved areas in front of the huts. These tables again resembled those in 
the Friendly Islands, and the execrable sour pudding tied up in bundles 
with banana-leaves, of which the fare of the natives consisted, is the 
same as the mahie used there, at Otaheite, and the Marquesas, &c. ; 
but in flavour it more immediately reminded us of the Nukahiwans. 
We found fewer companions in our retreat from the village than 
at our introduction to it, and were attended only by three individuals, 
who had attached themselves to some of the officers, though many fol- 
lowed at a distance. 1 was a little behind the party, when a man whom 
I did not recollect to have seen before, grasped me by the arm in which 
I held my gun, with a feigned view of helping me over the rugged path, 
while a second, putting his arms across, stopped up the road ; several 
others, at the same time, joined in the demand of ‘ Homy ! homy !’ and 
prepared us for what shortly took place. I managed to get rid of my 
unruly assistants without force, and joined the marines; but Lieutenant 
Wainwright (who, unknown to us all, was left in the village, ignorant 
of our having quitted it until informed by one of the natives), was 
not so fortunate. He had passed through the village, where the natives 
were assembled in circles, apparently in debate, without molesta- 
tion, and in a few minutes would have been among our party; when 
several of the natives, seeing him alone, assailed him, and endeavoured 
to throw him down and rob him. Finding they could not succeed, 
they attacked him with their poles : but he was then fortunately within a 
short distance of us ; and we became for the first time apprised of his 
danger by hearing him call for assistance. Mr. Belcher, and those who 
were nearest, ran to him ; but the islanders assailing them with stones, 
and the attack on their part becoming general, I ordered the marines 
to fire, which put them to flight, and I am happy to say that we saw" 
only one of them wounded. 
Thus this interview with the natives terminated in a manner which 
