skins oiled and painted, and armed with
muskets. Fury was in their looks and gestures
as they hastened towards our residence.
We had scarcely time to shut and fasten our
door, when they made a rush to force i t ; and
we had a severe struggle to keep them out.
A t one period their rage became so ungovernable
that we expected every instant they
would fire on us for preventing their entrance.
The man who was the cause of all this violence
crept into our bed-room, and kept out
of sight; but he did not, at any period of the
disturbance, exhibit the least sign of fear, so
accustomed are they from childhood to these
deadly frays.
When the natives found we would not give
up the man, but that they must murder us
before they could accomplish their revenge,
the disappointment rendered them nearly
frantic. Our situation was most critical and
appalling; and nothing can be a more convincing
proof of the influence the Europeans
have obtained over them, than that, at such a
moment, they should have refrained from setting
fire to or pulling down the house, and
saci'ificing every one of us. George again
remonstrated with us, assuring us it was his
sacred duty to destroy this man, now he was
in his territory; a duty which, he said, he
owed to the memory of his murdered relations,
and which must be performed, even
though he should sacrifice his “ good English
friends.” He cautioned us not to stand between
him and his enemy, who must die
before the sun-set, pointing, at the same time,
to that luminary, and ordering his slaves to
kindle a large fire to roast him on. Finally,
he and his friends planted themselves all round
the house to prevent the escape of their victim.
Thus were we environed with fifty or sixty
well armed and exasperated savages.
Our imprudence had given us no other alternative
than either to give up the man, who
had put himself under our protection, or still
to defend him at the risk of our own lives :
we instantly adopted the latter course. Fortunately
for us a whaler was lying in the
harbour, and a party of her men were then on
shore in the neighbourhood procuring water.
We had sent to them to explain the nature of