considerably embarrassed. In this
situation the African galley led the way for the rest, as sailing best
and drawing least water; but she soon found herself in such danger,
that they fired repeated guns of distress, on which the other two
ships hastened to her assistance, when they found her stuck so fast
between two rocks that it was impossible to get her of? and were only
able to save her people. Roused by the noise of the signal guns, the
natives of the surrounding islands kindled many fires on their hills,
and flocked in crowds to the coasts; and the Dutch; not knowing what
might be their designs in the darkness of the night and in the midst
of their own confusion, fired upon them without ceremony, that they
might have as few dangers as possible to deal with at one time. In the
morning as soon as it was light, they had a clear view of the danger
all the ships had been in during the darkness of the past night,
finding themselves environed on all sides by four islands, with a
continued chain of steep rocks, and so close together that they could
hardly discern the channel by which they had got in, so that they had
much reason to be thankful for having been so wonderfully preserved
in the midst of so much danger. On this occasion only one seaman was
lost, who belonged to the Tienhoven, and who, in his eagerness to go
to succour his friends, dropt overboard and was drowned.

The danger was by no means over as soon as discovered, as it cost
the Dutch no less than five days to extricate themselves from their
perilous situation, during which time the commodore was separated from
the Tienhoven, and remained ignorant of the fate of the African. At
length, the boat of the Tienhoven, having sailed all round the group
of islands, brought information that the crew of the African had got
safe on shore; and that the natives, after being once fired on, had
retired into the interior in all haste. Roggewein now sent his boat to
bring off all those who had got on shore; and on mustering the crew of
the African on board the Eagle, it appeared that a quarter-master and
four seamen were missing. On enquiry, it was found that these men had
chosen to remain on the island, as they had mutinied against their
officers on getting ashore, because they had interposed to prevent
them from killing each other with their knives, and Captain Rosenthall
had threatened to have them all put to death when he got them aboard
the commodore, wherefore they h