96 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
before I proceeded to further extremities, as also to impress our 
allies with the idea that we could carry all before us. Assume 
ing the air and language of a conqueror (although I must con¬ 
fess I felt little like one) I directed one of the ambassadors to pro¬ 
ceed to the Typee fort to tell them that with a handful of men we 
we had driven them into their fortifications, that we had killed two 
and wounded several of them, and had now a force sufficient to 
drive them out of the valley; that I did not wish to do them fur¬ 
ther injury, and still offered to them the terms I had first propos¬ 
ed. They told my messenger to tell me that they had killed my 
chief warrior (for such they supposed Mr. Downes to be); that 
they had wounded several of my people, and compelled us to re¬ 
treat. It was true, they said, we had killed two of them, and wound¬ 
ed many others; but considering their superior numbers, what 
was this compared to the injury they had done us. They had men 
to spare, we had not. If we were able to drive them from their 
valley, what could I promise myself by telling them of it. I must 
know they would not believe me until I had done it. They said 
they had counted our boats; they knew the number that each 
would carry, and were as well acquainted with my force as my¬ 
self. They knew their strength and the numbers they could oppose; 
and held our bouhies in more contempt than ever, they frequent¬ 
ly missed fire, rarely killed, and the wounds they occasioned were 
not as painful as those of a spear or stone; and, they added, they 
knew they would prove perfectly useless to us should it come on 
to rain. They dared us to renew the contest; and assured us they 
would not retreat beyond where we had left them. 
Overcome with fatigue and discouraged by the formidable ap¬ 
pearance of their fortress, my men also fatigued and disheartened 
from the number of wounded, I determined to leave them for the 
present, but meditated a severe punishment for them. The Hap- 
pahs had now descended the hills with their arms; the Shouemes 
appeared on the other side, and “ the Typees have driven the 
white men,” was the constant topic of conversation. We were still 
but a handful and were surrounded by several thousand Indians; 
and although they professed friendship, I did not feel safe. I there¬ 
fore directed every body to embark and proceed to the Essex Ju¬ 
nior, anxious to know the state of lieutenant Downes. We had 
