ho was led to infer that the wounds of the prisoner had been
inflicted by our people, and that the natives were about to retaliate
upon himself. A soldier, who was passing at the moment, lost no time in
giving an alarm at the camp, when Capt. Harrison came with a party of
soldiers to the assistance of our comrade; but Mr. Jeffery had, by this
time, contrived to disengage his hand; and, our people appearing, the
natives desisted from farther attempts upon him. It turned out that
their object in offering this apparent violence, was merely to secure
an evidence on our side of the final punishment of their countryman,
which they now proceeded to carry into effect in the following
extraordinary manner:--the poor wretch was, in the first place, tied
hand and foot with his back to a tree, after which a discussion took
place, between the chiefs and a man, whom we conceived to be a priest.
This being finished, one of the chiefs, who, in consequence of the
prominent part he played in this dramatic scene, was ever after known
among us by the honourable name of Cut-throat, very coolly stepped up
to the prisoner, the whole of the natives at the same time falling on
their knees, and was proceeding with great deliberation to cut his
throat, when Captain Harrison and Mr. Jeffery hastened forward, and
prevented the perpetration of the act by holding back his arm, and
making signs that our chief was coming. Fortunately, Capt. Owen was
actually coming on shore at this juncture, and, having passed to the
centre of the assembly, by means of signs succeeded in explaining that
it was not his wish to have the man so severely punished. He then took
him by the hand, led him through the crowd, and thus liberated him from
the sanguinary vengeance of his own countrymen. During the whole of
this trying occasion, the prisoner neither shrunk from the numerous and
severe blows inflicted upon him in the earlier part of it; nor, in the
latter part, did he indicate the slightest symptom of fear. This is one
of the many traits we met with of either the great fortitude or little
sensibility of these islanders.

[Illustration: CUT THROAT]

We were much surprised at finding a Demi-John in the woods at the back
of our encampment; it certainly indicates that we are not the first
Europeans who have visited this spot.

_Wednesday, November 7_.--Anderson, accompanied by two chiefs, came on
board at 9 A.M. to say, that the King was on the beach, waiting for our