In the morning, Payne selected four men, viz: Rowland Coffin, Rowland
Jones, Cyrus M. Hussey, and Thomas Lilliston, giving them each a
musket, some powder and _fine shot_; declining to give them balls,
saying, the report of the muskets would be sufficient to intimidate
them. The prisoner was placed in charge of these men, who had orders
to go to the village, and recover the hatchet and bring back the
person whom the prisoner might point out as the thief.

They succeeded in getting the hatchet, but when about to return, the
natives in a great body, attacked them with stones. Finding that they
retreated, the natives pursued them, and having overtaken Rowland
Jones, killed him upon the spot. The remainder, although bruised with
the stones which these Islanders had thrown with great precision,
arrived at the tent with the alarming intelligence of a
difficulty;--while they followed in the rear armed for war!

No time was lost in arming ourselves, while the natives collected from
all quarters, and at a short distance from the tent, seemed to hold a
kind of council. After deliberating some time, they began to tear to
pieces one of the boats.

These were of vital importance to our guilty commander, and he
ventured to go to them for the purpose of pacifying them. One of the
Chiefs sat down upon the ground with him, and after they had set a few
moments, Payne accompanied the Chief into the midst of the natives.
After a conference with them which lasted nearly an hour, he returned
to the tent, saying that he had pacified the natives upon the
following conditions. They were to have every article belonging to us,
even to the tent; and Payne had assured them of his willingness, and
that of the others to live with, and be governed by them, and to adopt
their mode of living! We have reason to doubt the sincerity of Payne
in this respect, for what was to us a hope which we cherished with
peculiar pleasure, must have been to him, a source of fearful
anticipation--we mean the probable safe arrival of the ship, in the
U. S. which should result in our deliverance. Our situation at this
time was truly alarming; and may we not with propriety say,
distressing? Surrounded by a horde of savages, brandishing their war
clubs and javelins, our more than savage commanders, (Payne and
Oliver) in anxious suspense as to the result of their negociations
with them; no refuge from _either foe_, and what contributed not a
little to our unhappiness, w