having the slightest suspicion of who their
hosts really were, passed a very merry evening
with these marauders.
Soon, however, their bad management of
the vessel, their want of discipline, and the
general confusion on board, roused a vague
suspicion in the minds of the two captains that
all was not “ quite right” on*board the 'ft Wellington.”
The real captain, too, had succeeded
in conveying a note to Duke, informing
him of his situation, and claiming his assistance
to recapture the brig, and entreating
him to release them all from captivity.
This communication produced universal
alarm, as both the whalers were quite unprovided
for attack or defence, and all the E g .
sionary settlements lay quite at the mercy of
this band of pirates. Had the latter acted
with promptness and spirit, they might easily
have made themselves masters of the whole •
but while they were arguing and hesitating
where they would make their first attack, the
whalers were actively employed in getting
their great guns out of the hold, and in preparing
their vessels for defence; so that, by
3*
the time the pirates came to the resolution to
attack them, the whalers were in a good posture
for resistance, and finally became the
assailants. Aided by the prompt assistance of
the natives, the whole of these outlaws were
taken into custody, with the exception of six.
The extreme interest the savages took in capturing
these deluded men was truly astonishing.
When they were made to understand
that these were King George’s (of England)
slaves, who had broken loose, they knew, from
their own laws, that they ought to be taken,
and they displayed a great deal of courage
and address in approaching and securing
them.
The pirates (having many passengers and
others in their power) stipulated that they
should be landed at Ko-ro-ra-di-ka, unmolested
by any of the English. This was granted;
but no sooner were they left by themselves
than a party of natives came forward, seized
and bound them, stripped off their clothes,
and after dressing themselves up in them, conducted
their prisoners on board the whalers ;
but notwithstanding the anxiety of the whalers
K