first object was to try and learn something about
young Mr. Mariner; but the natives seemed to evade my inquiries, and
at first would tell me nothing. But after a time the chief with whom I
lived, whose name was Fatafehe, told me that Finau, the native king who
had planned and carried out the cutting off of the _Port-au-Prince_ had
taken a great liking to the young gentleman, who was now high in favour
with him and the _matabuli_ or leading men. And later on I was told that
thirteen of my surviving comrades had taken service with Finau, and were
then engaged with him in preparing for an expedition intended to conquer
the large neighbouring island of Tongatabu. Seven of the privateer's
carronades and two eighteen-pounder guns which formed part of the
armament were worked by the thirteen Englishmen; and about seven months
afterwards I heard that at the storming of Nukualofa, the great fortress
on Tonga-tabu, Finau achieved a great victory, and made much of his
white artillerymen, giving them houses and land and wives, and making
them of equal rank with his _matubuliu_. The tale of the terrible
slaughter at the taking of this fort was something dreadful even to
hear, and yet I have heard that young Mariner said in his book that
Finau was by no means a bloodthirsty man. I can only speak of the man
as I heard of him--but Mr. Mariner, who lived with him for some three or
four years, no doubt knew this savage chieftain well, and was competent
to speak as he did of him.

"For ten months I lived with the chief Fatafehe in the Haapai Group,
and then from there I was removed to the larger island of Vavau. Here I
spent a year before I could make my escape, which by a kind Providence
I was at last enabled to effect by swimming off on board the ship
_Chalice_, of Nantucket, as she lay at anchor in Niafu Harbour.

"Her captain treated me very kindly, and put me on the ship's books, and
then, Mr. Denison, began my career as a whaleman.

"It was quite another year ere I succeeded in reaching England, where I
made haste to tell my story to Mr. Robert Bent; but he had already heard
of the disaster that had overtaken his ship. He behaved very generously
to me, and gave me twenty guineas to carry me home to my native place,
and told me--as I still desired to follow a seaman's life--to come to
him when I wanted a ship.

"My parents and my dear sister Judith had for about six months mourned
me as dead, and ours was truly a happy and wonder