first mate, seizing an oar, and the rest of
us imitating his example, aided by the wind, we speedily drove the boat
away from the shore.

The savages, seeing us about to escape them, bent their bows and let fly
a shower of arrows, which came whistling about our ears, some falling in
the boat and others on either side.

The first mate steered, Blyth sat by his side with a musket in his hand
ready to fire, while our Papuan guide crouched down in the stern-sheets.

"Shall I fire?" asked Blyth, "I can knock over one of those fellows; the
chief, I suspect, who seems to be leading them on."

"No, hold fast, I would not injure the poor wretches if it can be
avoided," answered the first mate. "We shall be out of their reach in
another minute. We can then settle how to treat with them."

A few strokes took us beyond the range of their missiles. He was right,
for their bows were comparatively small, intended rather to shoot birds
than for war, while their javelins could not be thrown to any great
distance.

He now directed Ned to tell Kalong to address them, and to say that we
had come with friendly intentions to trade, and to recover some
countrymen who had been wrecked on their coast.

The chief, on hearing this, invited us on shore, observing that we could
talk more easily there, and that he would hear what we had to say.

The Malay and our native guide talked together.

"Kalong says we had better not trust them," observed Ned; "if we land
they may shoot us for the sake of getting our goods. They don't know
how far our firearms can reach. Better give them a volley to show
them."

This Uncle Jack was unwilling to do, though we might have shot down half
a dozen of them at least, had we fired as Ned proposed.

While this palaver was going forward I took a glance seaward, when what
was my astonishment to see the "Iris" and "Lily" standing along the
coast, under close reefed topsails, as if coming to look for us. I
could judge by the way they heeled over that a pretty strong breeze was
blowing in the offing.

If we were to get on board there was no time to lose; indeed, it seemed
very doubtful whether we could reach either of the vessels. They were
too far off to see us, and it was doubtful whether they could hear our
muskets. Uncle Jack directed Blyth and me to fire at the same time, but
neither the ship nor the brig altered their course. They had good
reason for not wishing to approach the land, as the wind