ed that she delayed some
time in passing down the river, and her crew being composed of Malays,
was supposed by the officers to be stealing pepper from her, and
secreting it in the bushes. In consequence of this conjecture, two men
were sent off to watch them, who on approaching the boat, saw five or
six Malays leap from the jungle, and hurry on board of her. The former,
however, supposed them to be the boat's crew, as they had seen an equal
number quit her previous to their own approach. In this they were
mistaken, as will subsequently appear. At this time a brig hove in
sight, and was seen standing towards Soo Soo, another pepper port,
distant about five miles. Capt. Endicott, on going to the beach to
ascertain whether the brig had hoisted any colors, discovered that the
boat with pepper had approached within a few yards of the Friendship,
manned with an unusual number of natives.

It appears that when the pepper boats came alongside of the Friendship,
as but few of the hands could work at a time, numbers of the Malays came
on board, and on being questioned by Mr. Knight, the first officer, who
was in the gangway, taking an account of the pepper, as to their
business, their reply was, that they had come to see the vessel. Mr.
Knight ordered them into their boat again, and some of them obeyed, but
only to return immediately to assist in the work of death, which was now
commenced by attacking Mr. Knight and the rest of the crew on board. The
crew of the vessel being so scattered, it was impossible to concentrate
their force so as to make a successful resistance. Some fell on the
forecastle, one in the gangway, and Mr. Knight fell upon the quarter
deck, severely wounded by a stab in the back while in the act of
snatching from the bulwarks a boarding pike with which to defend
himself.

The two men who were taking the pepper on a stage, having vainly
attempted to get on board to the assistance of their comrades, were
compelled to leap into the sea. One of them, Charles Converse, of Salem,
being severely wounded, succeeded in swimming to the bobstays, to which
he clung until taken on board by the natives, and from some cause he was
not afterwards molested. His companion, John Davis, being unable to
swim, drifted with the tide near the _boat tackle_, or _davit falls_,
the blocks being overhauled down near the water; one of these he laid
hold of, which the Malays perceiving, dropped their boat astern and
despatched him! the