142 
AN ACCOUNT OF 
r 7 8 3* 44 nity, the Chief defended it with lingular courage, and loft 
SEPTEMBER® 00 
44 his life in endeavouring to fave his Order. When brought 
44 to Pelew, his head was cut off, and ftuck on a bamboo, 
44 fixed up before the King’s houfe. 
44 The canoe which brought me from the war had in it 
44 two prifoners, one of whom had a broken thigh, and the 
46 other wounded in feveral parts by a fpear. Their cuftom 
44 is, when they go to battle, to trefs their hair in a particular 
44 manner, and to colledt it in a great bunch at the top of 
44 their head ; but as foon as they are captured they untie it, 
44 pull it over their faces, and wait with firmnefs and intre- 
44 pidity the exterminating blow*, which they are fure to 
44 receive from the hands of their conquerors. When thefe 
44 tv*o unfortunate men, on coming into the canoe where I 
44 w r as, by the above-mentioned difpofition had teftified 
44 they were prepared for their fate, the natives ordered 
44 them to fit down in the bottom of the canoe, to which 
44 the one whofe thigh was broken, fubmitted; but the 
44 other being refradtory, refufed, and'Feemed by refiftance 
44 to provoke his deftiny, upon which one of the natives 
44 haftily fnatched my bayonet from my fide, and plunged 
44 it into his body : though the poor fellow was a confider- 
44 able time bleeding to death, yet he never uttered a fingle 
44 groan, or figh. 
44 Mr. Benger alfo reported, that he had by his intreaties 
u for tw*o hours faved a wounded prifoner, when one of the 
10 44 King’s 
