s Merciless.

Mr. Chambers and myself endeavored to persuade the captain
to entice the three chiefs on board, and afterward to hang
them on the foreyard in view of the whole island; which
might, perhaps, be sufficient warning for them in future
never to attempt distressing any ships which might touch at
their islands.

But our persuasions were of no effect. He was fully
determined to take the following means of punishing them:
First, to decoy those canoes which were on the larboard to
come to the starboard side, then to station one man to each
post lanyard, and others down to the guns, between decks,
while others on the quarter-deck were stationed at the
swivels and four brass guns, and, when everything was in
readiness, to fire immediately into the canoes all at one
command.

The guns that were below had on each of them a hundred
musket-balls and fifty langrage nails. There were seven of
the above guns, each containing the like quantity. The four
guns on the quarter-deck had in them fifty balls each; some
of the swivels had ten balls.

Mr. Chambers and myself strongly insisted that this
punishment was too severe, and only butchering a number of
innocent women and children. But he replied, we were going
to attempt taking the command of the ship from him, and that
the orders should be obeyed, and immediately ordered every
man to his station.

The men wished to fire into the canoes, as the man whom they
had killed was a Manila man and the crew were all Portuguese
or Manila men.

After the people were all stationed he gave orders to
fire--and the whole broadside was aimed direct at the
canoes. To attempt to describe the horrible scene that
ensued is too much for my pen. The water alongside continued
of a crimson color for at least ten minutes; some were
sinking, others lying half out of their canoes, without arms
or legs; while others lay in their canoes weltering in their
blood.

Although the appearance was so horrid, our people wished to
get into the boats and use boarding-pikes to kill those in
the water; but by severely punishing two or three they
desisted from their dreadful purpose.

The Harvest of Death.

Some persons on board said they had counted the canoes
before we fired, the number of which was two hundred and
twelv