he side into canoes, many of them taking
their clothes with them.

"In the meantime there came on board a young native chief of immense
stature, named Vaka-ta-Bula, who inquired for Mr. Mariner. He seemed
very pleased to see the young gentleman, and petted and fondled him as
the other natives had done previously. This apparent friendliness seemed
to quite overcome all sense of danger in Mr. Brown's mind; for, to the
fear of the rest of the officers and crew, he ordered all our axes,
boarding-pikes, cutlasses, and firearms to be taken below, and then
signified his intention of accompanying Vaka-ta-Bula on shore to the
native village. However, at the earnest entreaty of Mr. Dixon, the
second in command, he consented to put off his visit till the following
morning.

"At nine o'clock in the morning I was sent aloft by the sailmaker to
help unbend the foretopsail, which was to be repaired, and looking down
saw the decks were rapidly filling with natives. Mr. Brown had already
gone ashore with the chief Vaka-ta-Bula, Mr. Mariner was in the cabin
writing, and the rest of the officers were engaged in various work on
deck. Just then I saw Mr. Dixon jump up on one of the carron-ades, and
make signs to the natives that no more were to come on board. Suddenly,
a tall native, who stood behind him, dashed out his brains with a club;
and then in an instant a dreadful cry resounded through the ship, and
all those of her crew on deck were attacked and savagely slaughtered.
Horrified at the terrible butchery I saw going on below, I thought at
first to leap overboard and attempt to swim to the shore, but before I
could collect my thoughts I was seized by several natives and dragged to
the deck.

"Just then--so I was afterwards told--young Mr. Mariner came on deck,
and, seeing that every soul of the ship's company on deck lay wallowing
in their blood, ran down-the scuttle into the gunroom, where, with
the cooper, he rapidly devised some means or escape from the general
slaughter. But the hideous yells and dreadful clamour of the savages as
they rushed below to seek out and murder those of the crew still alive
so appalled them that they fled to the magazine, and resolved to blow up
the ship rather than meet with such a fate.

"Fired with this resolution, Mr. Mariner ran back to the gunroom for a
flint and steel, but before he could secure those articles he was seized
by a number of savages; and at that moment I was also dragged down int