train of accidents and deaths which had made
such cruel havoc amongst my friends, and notwithstanding
my sincere grief and regret for
the fate of poor George, who was a most humane
and intelligent chief, and particularly
kind to all the English; the predicament in
which I was now placed demanded all my
energies, for I felt that I stood in a situation
of great danger.
I have before noticed their barbarous custom,
on the death of a chief, of plundering his
family and friends. As we had always been
considered as a part of George’s family, living
under his protection, adopted by him, and
admitted into his tribe, I entertained great
suspicions that we also should be sufferers
by the general plunder about to take place :
besides, I was so circumstanced as to be
obliged to cross the country with all my
goods, and my route lay through the territories
of all those chiefs who had been fighting
against George ; and I was at no loss to guess
in what light they would regard me. Depending,
too securely, on the general tranquillity,
I had not sent my luggage by sea, as
I might have done, and which would have
saved me great anxiety, as I should have ventured
alone without fear, but could not manage
to carry what I possessed; and to engage
any to convey them was an impossibility; for
the moment I made the proposition to any
(even the meanest of the slaves) to accompany
me, they ran off into the bush, nor
could any entreaty, presents, or threats, induce
them to venture with me ; so, for security,
I removed all the property I had, and
went with it on board “ The Marianne”
whaler.
For three days after the death of George,
all gave themselves up to grief; no work was
done, and not an individual was to be seen
but in an agony of tears. I began to feel
strangely affected with melancholy myself,
when, on the fourth morning, a scene of bustle
took place, and low spirits were banished by
tumult, noise, and confusion.
At six o’clock on that morning we discovered
upwards of twenty sail of war canoes,
crowded with armed warriors, coming into
the bay. What their intentions were we