22 
to aid his enterprise. _The next morning 
the two boats-prepared to return to the- 
vessel, but were cut.off by Bullandain’s 
fleet of canoes, 140 in number, orderly 
advancing in a semicircle; and finding it 
impossible to to pass them, it was consi- 
dered as advisable to bear up to the fleet, 
hoping by such display ef confidence to 
preserve the lives of the crews. When 
within hail they were ordered to 
advance; but the whale boat was pre- 
venied by a large canoe bearing down 
and running aboard, cutting her in two. 
Mr. Lockerby and the crew were picked 
up and made prisoners, and Mr. Smith 
and. the long boat’s people were made 
prisoners likewise. ‘The captors were 
about to dispatch some of the people 
with their spears and clubs, but were 
prevented by the chief commanding the 
canoe, until the superior chief should be 
consulted. When presented to Bullan- 
dam, he proposed to employ them in his 
intended assault against Taffere, in 
which he proposed to himself much assis- 
tance from their muskets; and seemed 
much disappointed when informed that 
the powder was spoilt, and the guns 
useless. He had no wish, however, to 
commit any personal injury on_ his pri- 
soners; but on the contrary, shewed 
some attention to Mr. Smith, whom he 
respected as an officer, and generally 
invited to accompany him when he went 
on shore, always endeavouring to sooth 
his apprebensions, and quiet his solici- 
tude of returning with his companions 
to the ship, by an assurance that as soon 
as the island of Taffere was subjugated, 
and its inhabitants destroyed, he would 
employ all his subjects in procuring wood 
for the vessel, to which they should be 
returned in safety. 
On the 11th of October, the junction 
of forces being thoroughly arranged, an 
immense fleet of canoes sailed from 
Highlea for the expedition, and having 
a fresh head-wind, the canoes were <et 
to windward by poles, at the rate of 
three knots an hour. At night this for- 
midable armament came to, round the 
north-east part of the island; and Bul- 
Jandam took Mr. Smith on shore, to pass 
the night with him; his night guard con- 
sisting of ten men armed with spears and 
arrows. 
Early in the morning of the 12th the 
whole of the army returned to their 
canoes, which, on a signal from Bullan- 
dam, set forward in complete order; and 
in about three im the afternoon the flcet 
anchored abreast of a village in Taftere, 
Dreadful Massacre 
[Aug. 1, 
the van coming to close action witha fleet 
belonging to the island. 
The attack was made with arrows at a 
distance; and as the canoes of Taffere 
Maintained their position, they soon 
closed, when a cesperate and stubborn 
conflict with spears commenced, The 
islanders, however, at length gave way 
to numbers very far superior, and to 
escape an otherwise certain destiny all 
leaped into the water, and swam towards | 
the shore, from which a division of Bul- 
landam’s fleet was endeavouring to cut 
them off. The canoes were taken pos- 
session of, with only one captive, ar 
unfortunate boy, who being presented to 
the relentless chief, was ordered to be 
slaughtered, as it was his determination 
that not a single life should be spared. 
This ruthless sentence was immediately 
executed with a club, three blows from 
which the youthful sufferer endured, and 
then expired: the body was afterwards 
given into the charge of an attendant, 
to be roasted for the chief and his princi- 
pal associates. The horrors that imme- 
diately succeeced the defeat, the most 
sensible imagination can but faintly 
represent. A massacre was determined 
on; and as the men had escaped the 
fury of their conquerors by flight, the 
women and children became the chief 
object of search; on which mission a 
canoe was dispatched, and unhappily 
the fatal discovery was very soon made. 
On a signal from the shore numbers 
landed, and a hut was set fire to, proba- 
bly as a signal for the work of destruction 
to commence, Withina cluster of man- 
groves the devoted wretches had taken 
sanctuary; many might undoubtedly 
have secured themselves by accom- 
panying the flight of their vanquished — 
husbands and relatives, could they have 
consented to a separation from their 
helpless children, who were no less 
devoted than themselves. A dreadful 
yell was the forerunner of the assault ; 
the ferocious monsters rushed upon them 
with their clubs, and without regard to 
sex or infancy. promiscuously butchered. 
all. Some who’still had hfe and motion - 
were treated as dead bodies, which were 
mostly dragged to the beach by one of 
their limbs, and through the water into 
the canoes; their groans were disregard - 
ed, and their unheeded protracted 
sufferings were still more hurtful to the 
feelings of humanity than even the 
general massacre itself had been, 
Among the slaughtered were some few 
men. whose age perhaps had Preventep 
their 
s 
