[1796.
fearch fo r C ap ta in H ill and his com pan ion s, h e could o n ly , at his
re tu rn , p rod u c e , w h a t h e th o u g h t inconteftab le p roofs o f th e ir h a v in g
b e en murdered ; fu ch as th e ir grea t-coa ts, a lan tho rn , tom ah aw k , & c .
and three h an d s ,_ one o f w h ic h , from a ce rta in m a rk , w a s fup po fed to
h a v e b e lon g ed to M r . Ca rter. O f th e bo at, after th e moft d iligen t
fearch round th e illan d , h e could fin d no trace. B y the a c cou n t n o w
p u b lifh ed , and w h ich b o re e v e r y m a rk o f au th en tic ity , it appeared,
that w h e n the bo at, in w h ic h the fe un fo rtun a te g en tlem en w e r e , had
rea ched the ifland (on th e 3d o f J u ly 1 7 9 3 ) , the nativ es re c e ived them
v e r y k in d ly , and condudted th em to a co n v en ien t place fo r landing/
A f te r d iftr ib u tin g fom e prefents among, th em , w i th w h ic h th e y app
eared v e r y m u ch fatisfied, it was p rop o fed th a t M r . C a r te r , S h aw
( th e mate o f th e C h e fte r fie ld ), and A fc o t t , fh o u ld proceed to th e top
o f a h ig h p o in t o f land w h ic h th e y had noticed , and that Captain H i l l
lh o u ld f la y b y th e bo at, w i th h e r c r ew , co n fiftin g o f fo u r feamen belo
n g in g to th e Chefter field .
T h e inland p a r ty , ta k in g th e p re cau tion to arm, and p ro v id e th em -
fe lv e s w i th a n e ce ffa ry q u a n tity o f am m u n ition , fet off. N o th in g un fr
ien d ly o ccurred d u r in g th e ir w a lk , th o u g h fev eral little circumftances
h ap p en ed , w h ic h in d u ced A fc o t t to fufp e é t that the natives h ad fome
d e fign on th em ; an id e a , h ow e v e r , w h ic h w a s fcouted b y his com panions.
O n th e ir return from th e h ill, h o ftile d efigns became apparent, and
th e nativ es feemed to be deterred from m u rd e r in g th em m e re ly b y the
a f t iv i t y o f A fc o t t , w h o , b y p re fen tin g h is m u fk e t occafioria lly , k ep t
th em o f f ; b u t , n o tw ith fla n d in g his a c t iv ity and v ig ila n c e , the nativ es
at len g th made th e ir attack. T h e y b eg an b y attem p tin g to take
A fc o t t ’s m u fk e t from h im , fin d in g he w a s the m oft lik e ly to an n o y
th em ; d i r e d ly after w h ic h , M r . C a rte r, w h o w a s the fo r em o il
o f th e p a r ty , was heard to e x c la im , “ M y G o d , m y G o d , th e y
“ h a v e murdered m e .” A fc o t t , w h o ftill retained his m u fk e t, imm
ed ia te ly fired , on w h ic h th e nativ es le ft th em and fled in to th e
bufhes. A fc o tt n o w had time to lo o k ab out h im , and faw w h a t he
ju f t ly deemed a h orrid fpedtacle, M r . C a rte r ly in g ble ed in g on th e
g ro u n d , and M r . S h aw w i th a la rg e w o u n d in his throat u n d e r th e
le ft
le ft ja w . T h e y w e r e b o th h ow e v e r able to r ife , and p roceed d ow n
th e h ill to th e boat. O n th e ir ar rival at th e b each th e y called to th e ir
com p an io n s to f i r e ; but, to their e x trem e h o r ro r , th e y p e rce iv ed
Captain H i l l and one o f th e feamen ly in g dead on th e fand , cu t and
m an gled in a m oft barbarous manner. _ T w o others o f th e feamen
th e y faw floa ting on the w a te r , w i th th e ir throa ts cu t from ear to ear.
T h e fou r th failo r th e y fo u n d dead in the bo at, m an gled in th e fame
fh o c k in g manner. W i th m uch d ifficu lty the fe u n h a p p y p eo p le g o t
in to th e ir bo at, and, cu ttin g he r grapn e l, p u lled o f f from th is treacherous
fhore. W h i le th is was p e r fo rm in g , th e y c le a r ly faw th e native
s , w h om in th e ir a c coun t th e y term v o ra c iou s canniba ls, dragg
in g the . bodies o f C ap tain H i l l an d the feamen from the bea ch
tow ard fome la rge fires, w h ic h th e y fup po fed w e r e p repa red fo r the
o c c afion , y e ll in g and h o w lin g at th e fame tim e m o ft d ifm ally .
T h e fe w r e tch e d fu rv iv o r s o f th e ir com pan ion s h a v in g fe en , from'
th e top o f the h ill w h ith e r th e ir ill- fa ted c u r io fity had led th em , a
la rg e fand -b ank n o t fa r from the iflan d , d e termined to ru n u n d e r
th e lee . o f it, as th e y v e r y rea fon a b ly ho p ed th a t boats w o u ld the
n e x t m o rn in g be fent after th em from th e Ihip;. T h e y exp e r ien c ed '
v e r y little reft o r eafe th a t n ig h t, and w h en d a y lig h t appeared fo u n d '
th e y had drifted n e a r ly ou t o f fig h t o f th e illa n d , and. to leeward:
o f the fand-bank.
D e em in g it in v a in to* attem p t re a ch in g t h e , ban k , a fte r e x am in in g
w h a t w a s left, in- th e bo at, (a few o f the trifles w h ic h th e y h ad p u t
in to h e r to b u y th e frien d lh ip o f th e n a tiv e s, and A fc o t t ’ s grea t-coa t,,
bu t n e ith e r a compafs n o r a m or fel o f p ro v ifio n s ,) th e y d e te rmin ed ,
b y the ad v ic e o f S h aw , w h o o f the fe th re e miferable p eop le w a s th e
o n ly one that, und erfto od a n y th in g o f n a v ig a t io n , to ru n diredt fo r
T im o r , fo r w h ich place the w in d w a s th en h a p p i ly fair. T o th e w e f t -
w a rd , therefore, th e y diredted th e ir c o u r fe , t r a i l in g (as th e p rinted '
account ftated) to th a t P ro v id en ce w h ic h h ad d e liv e red th em from the
cannibals at T a te Ifland “ .
* The narrative of this moft horrible affair, as printed' at Calcutta, was reprinted;
entire, in the. European Magazine for May and June 1797,
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