one
man, who, while I was getting on board, quitted it, and ran up the beach
to cast the stern-fast off, notwithstanding the master and others called
to him to return, while they were hauling me out of the water.

I was no sooner in the boat than the attack began by about two hundred
men; the unfortunate poor man who had run up the beach was knocked down,
and the stones flew like a shower of shot. Many Indians got hold of the
stern rope, and were near hauling the boat on shore, which they would
certainly have effected, if I had not had a knife in my pocket, with
which I cut the rope. We then hauled off to the grapnel, every one being
more or less hurt. At this time I saw five of the natives about the poor
man they had killed, and two of them were beating him about the head with
stones in their hands.

We had no time to reflect, for, to my surprise, they filled their canoes
with stones, and twelve men came off after us to renew the attack; which
they did so effectually, as to nearly disable us all. We were obliged to
sustain the attack without being able to return it, except with such
stones as lodged in the boat. I adopted the expedient of throwing
overboard some clothes, which, as I expected, they stopped to pick up;
and as it was by this time almost dark, they gave over the attack, and
returned towards the shore, leaving us to reflect on our unhappy
situation.

The poor man killed by the natives was John Norton: this was his second
voyage with me as a quarter-master, and his worthy character made me
lament his loss very much. He has left an aged parent, I am told, whom
he supported.

We set our sails, and steered along shore by the west side of the island
of Tofoa, the wind blowing fresh from the eastward. My mind was employed
in considering what was best to be done, when I was solicited by all
hands to take them towards home; and when I told them that no hopes of
relief for us remained, except what might be found at New Holland, till I
came to Timor, a distance of full twelve hundred leagues, where there was
a Dutch settlement, but in what part of the Island I knew not, they all
agreed to live on one ounce of bread and a quarter of a pint of water per
day. Therefore, after examining our stock of provisions, and
recommending to them, in the most solemn manner, not to depart from their
promise, we bore away across a sea where the navigation is but little
known, in a small boat, twenty-three feet long from s