is usual among savage tribes, the severest retaliation
soon took place.
By relating the particulars, the reader will
perceive how easily the war-cry is raised
among these turbulent savages.
Pomarree’s only surviving son, Adicky,
was a very finely formed, handsome young man,
of twenty years of age, and he had made an
arrangement with a captain of a ship here to
supply him with a certain number of hogs.
Accordingly, accompanied by a party of his
friends, he started into the interior for the
purpose of collecting them. In making his selection,
he not only proceeded to drive off some
of his own, but actually laid claim to, and
began marching away with, some belonging
to his neighbours. The right owners remonstrated
with him in vain. He, being an insolent
overbearing young fellow, persisted in
his unjust claims, and set them all at defiance.
They were compelled to yield up their property,
as his tribe was a most powerful one;
and Adicky was driving away the stolen hogs
in triumph, when a sudden stop was put to
his predatory career. Finding words were of
no avail to induce the young man to restore
the swine, one of the injured party had recourse
to a musket. A bullet, aimed from
behind a tree, killed Adicky on the spot; but
from whose hand it came could only be conjectured.
The greatest confusion instantly
took place. His companions, being well
armed, the war-cry was immediately raised;
and the fray becoming general, seven more
lives were lost.
When the account of this melancholy affair
reached our beach, every one flew to
arms, even all the women, for the young
man was a general favourite. The war-cry
spread in every direction. “ Here,” they
exclaimed, “ is the last of the Pomarree family
killed treacherously, a warrior related to
and connected with every chief of consequence
in the country, and a nephew of the
great Shulitea.” The cry for blood and revenge
was universal. I must confess that,
added to the danger it placed me in, I was
much shocked when I heard of the fate of
poor Adicky, for he was one of our particular
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