musket to Kory-Kory, with a rapid gesture
which was equivalent to a 'Deed of Gift'; threw the roll of cotton to
old Marheyo, pointing as I did so to poor Fayaway, who had retired from
the edge of the water and was sitting down disconsolate on the shingles;
and tumbled the powder-bags out to the nearest young ladies, all of whom
were vastly willing to take them. This distribution did not occupy ten
seconds, and before it was over the boat was under full way; the Kanaka
all the while exclaiming loudly against what he considered a useless
throwing away of valuable property.

Although it was clear that my movements had been noticed by several of
the natives, still they had not suspended the conflict in which they
were engaged, and it was not until the boat was above fifty yards from
the shore that Mow-Mow and some six or seven other warriors rushed into
the sea and hurled their javelins at us. Some of the weapons passed
quite as close to us as was desirable, but no one was wounded, and the
men pulled away gallantly. But although soon out of the reach of the
spears, our progress was extremely slow; it blew strong upon the shore,
and the tide was against us; and I saw Karakoee, who was steering the
boat, give many a look towards a jutting point of the bay round which we
had to pass.

For a minute or two after our departure, the savages, who had formed
into different groups, remained perfectly motionless and silent. All
at-once the enraged chief showed by his gestures that he had resolved
what course he would take. Shouting loudly to his companions, and
pointing with his tomahawk towards the headland, he set off at full
speed in that direction, and was followed by about thirty of the
natives, among whom were several of the priests, all yelling out
'Roo-ne! Roo-ne!' at the very top of their voices. Their intention was
evidently to swim off from the headland and intercept us in our course.
The wind was freshening every minute, and was right in our teeth, and it
was one of those chopping angry seas in which it is so difficult to
row. Still the chances seemed in our favour, but when we came within a
hundred yards of the point, the active savages were already dashing into
the water, and we all feared that within five minutes' time we should
have a score of the infuriated wretches around us. If so our doom
was sealed, for these savages, unlike the feeble swimmer of civilized
countries, are, if anything, more formidable antagonists