they were delivered up, their village would be destroyed, and
their corn cut down. He promised to use his influence with his
countrymen, and as our people retired to a distance, one or two persons
were seen to enter his hut. After waiting, however, a considerable
time, no one approached. Again the chief was appealed to, but he
declared that he had no power in the place. At length Captain Masterman
directed his followers to set the village on fire, while our men rushed
into the corn fields, and in a short time made a clean sweep of several
acres. Whether or not it was a wise proceeding, I think, is doubtful,
for it was too probable that the natives would either kill their
prisoners in revenge, or else make them labour as slaves to repay them
for the damage they had received. This work being accomplished, the
frigates got under weigh, the Captains intending to call off a place
farther to the north where the Malay chief of the island resided, for
the purpose of making him exert his influence for the recovery of the
missing men. We were not very far from the latitude where the
unfortunate "Zel" had foundered. Our people very naturally talked of
their lost shipmates, and especially of young Mr Oliver, who, as I
said, was a great favourite with all of them. My father especially
looked on him with much affection, having saved his life once, seemed to
regard him almost in the light of a son. We had had a fair wind all the
morning, when suddenly it shifted round to the northward, and a sudden
squall very nearly took the masts out of the two frigates. As it was
impossible to say from what direction the breeze would next come, we
continued standing off the land towards the town of Palawan. The wind
had moderated, though it still blew strong, and we continued standing to
the west, when a small island was sighted on the weather bow. As we
drew in with it, Pat Brady, who was one of the look-outs, declared he
saw a signal flying from the highest point in sight. I speak of it as
an island--it seemed to be little more than a large rock--and the peak
of which Brady spoke was forty or fifty feet or so out of the water.
The ships' companies had been grumbling considerably at being delayed,
as they were anxious to get back to Canton, where, it was hoped, we
should receive orders to convoy the homeward-bound merchant fleet. The
midshipman of the watch having reported what Pat Brady had seen, after
we had run on some distance, th