her mainmast and spars, and fragments of her deck and bulwarks, and
other pieces of timber, mingled with countless human bodies, with limbs
torn off and mangled in a fearful manner. At the same time the canoes
with those who had escaped were paddling with frantic energy towards the
shore, probably believing that the Great Spirit had sent forth one of
his emissaries to punish them for their treachery to the white people.
We concluded that some such idea as this was entertained by them, as we
saw no canoes coming off in pursuit of us.

Rowing and sailing, we continued to make our way out to the open ocean.
It was blowing fresh but, the wind coming off-shore, the sea was
tolerably calm, and we agreed that at all events it was better to
undergo the dangers of a long voyage in an open boat than trust
ourselves in the power of the revengeful savages. We had reached the
mouth of the harbour, and could still see the village far off on its
shore, when, to our dismay, we found the sea breeze setting in. We had
accordingly to haul our wind, though we still hoped to weather the
headland which formed its southern point, and get an offing.

Tom all this time had uttered no complaint, though I saw the blood
flowing down his side. The boatswain and Green had, with my help, bound
up their wounds. I wanted Tom to let me assist him. "No," he said;
"it's of no use. If you were to swathe me up, I could not pull. It
will be time enough for that when we get round the headland." He was
evidently getting weaker, and at last the boatswain persuaded him to lay
in his oar, and try to stop the blood. The wounds were in his back and
neck, inflicted by the savages as he fought his way onward to the cabin.
I bound our handkerchiefs round him as well as I could; but it was
evident that he was not fit for rowing, and that the only chance of the
blood stopping was for him to remain perfectly quiet.

During the last tack we made I fancied, as I looked up the harbour, that
I saw the canoes coming out. I told the boatswain. "We will give them
a warm reception, if they come near us," he answered.

I felt greatly relieved when we at last weathered the point, and were
now able to stand along shore, though we couldn't get the offing which
was desirable.

Night was coming on. The weather looked threatening, and our prospects
of ultimately escaping were small.

At last we got so near the surf that the boatswain determined to put the
boat about