DANGEROUS ACCIDENT. 169 
The native woman held our little girl up with one 
hand, and swam with the other towards the shore, 
aiding, as well as she could, Mrs.Orsmond, who had 
caught hold of her long hair, which floated on the 
water behind her; Mrs. Barff, on rising to the 
surface, caught hold of the outrigger of the canoe 
that had occasioned our disaster, and, calling out 
for help, informed the people on the shore of 
our danger, and speedily brought them to our 
assistance. 
Mr.Orsmond no sooner reached the beach, than 
he plunged into the sea; Mrs. O. leaving the 
native by whom she had been supported, caught 
hold of her husband, and not only prevented his 
swimming, but sunk him so deep in the water, that, 
but for the timely arrival of the natives, both would 
probably have found a watery grave. Mahine- 
vahine, the queen, sprang in, and conveyed 
Mrs. Barff to the shore. I came up on the side 
opposite to that on which the canoe had turned 
over, and found Mrs. Ellis struggling in the water, 
with the child still at her breast. I immediately 
climbed upon the canoe, and raised her so far out 
of the water, as to allow the little boy to breathe, 
till a small canoe came off to our assistance, into 
which she was taken, when I swam to the shore, 
grateful for the deliverance we had experienced. 
It was not far from the beach where this occur¬ 
red, yet the water was deep, and several articles 
which we had in the canoe, were seen the next day 
lying at the bottom, among coral and sand, seven¬ 
teen or eighteen fathoms below the surface. Acci¬ 
dents of this kind, however, occur but seldom ; 
and though we have made many voyages, this is the 
only occasion on which we have been in danger. 
The natives of the eastern isles frequently come 
