the loads I had placed on his shoulders, bore
a basket of potatoes. Once or twice, during
our route, we saw some persons at a distance;
and I was sorry to notice the great alarm it
occasioned to my companions, as I now had
every reason to apprehend, that, in case of
danger, they would slip off their burdens,
make their escape, and leave me and my baggage
to my fate ; which the missionaries had
told me they considered a thing very likely
to happen. Once we heard a great firing of
muskets, which I afterwards ascertained to
be the feu de joie fired at the first meeting of
the chiefs, at their grand assembling in the
neutral village.
At night, we arrived safe at Pationi’s Village,
where I had slept on my first journey
across the island ; but it now presented a very
different appearance to what it had done then :
instead of the tumult I had formerly heard,
all was silence ; the numerous families then
there, all fully occupied, were exchanged for
a few old surly-looking slaves, and the huts
were all deserted. The inhabitants, in consequence
of the rumour of approaching war,
having betaken themselves to one of their fortified
pars, I had no alternative but to pass the
night with these suspicious-looking creatures ;
who, feeling themselves beyond the control of
their cruel masters, soon gave way to their
own vile passions, and became most impertinent
and intrusive — taking every advantage
of my loneliness to indulge their curiosity and
familiarity.
On my arrival, I had deposited my things
in one of the empty huts, and spread my bed,
hoping to enjoy the luxury of a few hours’ repose
after the fatigue and great anxieties of
the day; but these fellows would force themselves
into the hut I had chosen, where they
lighted a fire, and sat chattering around it
all the night long. Finding that I did not
appear alarmed at their intrusion or noise,
they kept doing every thing they could think
of to rouse my fears. They threatened to
break open my portmanteau; and one old
wretch sharpened his knife, and made motions
as though he were going to cut my throat and
eat me. I knew my only chance of safety
was not to betray any sign of apprehension :
Q 4