30 
PORTER’S JOURNAL 
sweethearts; and it was astonishing to us to see with what indif¬ 
ference fathers, husbands, and brothers would see their daughters, 
wives, and sisters fly from the embraces of one lover to that ot 
another, and change from man to man according as they could 
find purchasers. Far from seeming to consider it an offence 
against modesty, they seemed to view it only as an accommoda¬ 
tion to strangers, who had claims on their hospitality. 
I had caused a tent to be erected on shore for myself, as be¬ 
lieving my presence necessary there to preserve order, and that 
my health required that I should remain sometime on shore after 
being so long confined to the ship. 
The threat of the Happahs had somewhat provoked me. I did 
not view this people as mere savages, but as intelligent beings, 
capable of reason, and having proper ideas of right and wrong. I 
thought, however, before I proceeded to extremities, I would try 
if I could frighten them out of their hostile notions. Gattanewa 
made daily applications for assistance, and I at length told him 
that, if his people would carry a heavy gun, a six pounder, up to 
the top of a high mountain, which I pointed out to him, I would 
send men up to work it, and drive away the Happahs, who still 
kept possession of the hills. This was unanimously agreed to by 
every man belonging to the valley. I landed the gun, but did not 
suppose them capable of carrying it half way to the place fixed 
on. I supposed, however, that it would terrify the Happahs: and 
if it was attended with no other advantage, it would occupy the na~ 
tives for a week or fort-night and keep them from our camp, as 
the numbers who resorted there had already caused us some em¬ 
barrassment, and I apprehended would cause us more. 
On the gun being landed^ I caused a few shot to be fired, to 
convince them of the distance the shot would have effect—firstly, 
a shot was fired with the gun considerably elevated; they seemed 
much surprised at the length of time the shot remained in the air, 
and many had given up all expectations of seeing it fall, and a ge¬ 
neral shout of admiration marked the time of its fall in the water. 
I now directed the gun to be fired that the ball might skip along 
the surface of the water: at every bound of the shot they gave a 
general shout of applause, as if all were operated on by the same 
Impulse: last of all I directed her to be fired with grape shot^ 
