had no intention to
let us land if they could help it.

Besides the men on the beach, we saw a group of people at some distance,
who seemed to be watching our proceedings with great interest, and
apparently holding back one of their number who was making efforts to
break away from them. In colour and costume, or rather in the want of
it, he differed but little from the rest; and we therefore concluded
that he was insane, or that from some other cause his companions
objected to his coming near us. As the commander had given orders that
we should on no account force a landing, our lieutenant, believing that
we should be unable to accomplish our object, put the boat round; and we
were pulling off, when the man we had seen escaped from those who held
him, and, dodging round the others, sprang into the water, and with
rapid strokes swam off towards us, in spite of several spears hurled at
him. Mr Worthy instantly pulled back to take him in.

"Glad get among you," he exclaimed, greatly to our surprise, in
tolerable English, as he climbed over the side.

"Why, my friend, who are you?" asked Mr Worthy.

"I Kanaka," he answered; by which we knew that he was a Sandwich
Islander.

As we returned to the ship, he explained that he had belonged to a
vessel caught in a gale off the island; when, having been washed
overboard from the bowsprit, and no attempt being made to pick him up,
he had remained afloat all night, and succeeded the next morning, in a
way that only a Sandwich Islander could have accomplished, in reaching
the island. Happily the inhabitants did not see him till he had
recovered his strength. He then went boldly among them; and as he was
able to make himself understood, he had, by the way he addressed them,
gained their confidence, though he believed that they would otherwise
immediately have put him to death. His knowledge being superior to
theirs, he was looked upon with much respect; and as he had already
taught them many things they did not before know, the people wished to
retain him among them.

"Dey stupid savages," he observed with a look of contempt; though,
except that he could speak a little English, we were not inclined to
consider him much raised above them in the scale of civilisation.

The lieutenant then inquired the character of the vessel from which he
had been washed overboard. The Kanaka, shaking his head and throwing an
expression of disgust into his countenance, answered, "No good;