the creek together.

Before starting, each officer had been assigned his work. The crew
of one of the boats, consisting principally of soldiers, were to
land, to advance a short distance inland, and to repulse any
attacks that the natives might make upon them. Another party were
to stave in all the small canoes and, this done, they were to
assist the third boat's crew in launching the war canoes into the
water.

As they approached the spot they were hailed, in the Indian tongue,
by someone on shore. No reply was given, and the hail was repeated
louder. Then, as the boats rowed rapidly up to the place where the
canoes were hauled up, a shrill yell of alarm was given, which was
re-echoed in several directions near; and could be heard, growing
fainter and fainter, as it was caught up by men inland.

The moment the boats touched the shore the men leaped out. The
soldiers advanced, and took up the position assigned to them to
defend the working parties; while the rest set to, vigorously, to
carry out their portion of the work. The war canoes were heavy, and
each required the efforts of the whole of the crew to launch her
into the water. It was, therefore, a work of considerable time to
get fifteen of them afloat; and long ere this had been done, the
natives, called together by the alarm, were flocking down in great
numbers.

They were, however, in entire ignorance as to the number of their
assailants; and the fire which the soldiers opened, with their
arquebuses, checked them in their advance. Feeling sure that their
canoes were being destroyed, they filled the air with yells of
lamentation and rage; discharging such volleys of arrows at random,
in the direction of the Portuguese, that a great number of these
were wounded. Indeed, the natives pressed on with such audacity
that a considerable portion of the workers had to go forward, to
assist the soldiers in holding them at bay.

At last, however, the whole of the canoes were in the water, and
every other boat disabled. The canoes were tied together, five
abreast, and one of the boats towed these out of the harbor, while
the crews of the others remained, keeping the natives at bay; for
it was felt that if the whole were to embark at once, while still
encumbered with the canoes, they would be able to get out of the
creek but slowly; and would, for the most part, be destroyed by the
arrows of the natives.

When the boat had towed the canoes well out to sea, it cast th