tereroes, and beating their gongs, advanced with about twenty of
their heaviest vessels towards the landing-place, and anchored within
a cable's length of the shore.

After a short deliberation, a boat full of men armed with creeses
approached the shore, and was met by a canoe containing an officer and
party with a letter from Captain Maxwell, addressed to the chief
authority at Minto, stating the situation of the Alceste's crew, and
praying that assistance might be sent to them.

The officer placed this letter in the hands of the Malays, repeatedly
pronounced the word Minto, and showed them a dollar, to intimate that
they would be well rewarded if they returned with an answer. They
appeared to understand the mission, and to be willing to execute it;
but, as may be supposed, the service was never performed.

Meantime the Malay forces continued to increase; no less than fifty
proahs and boats of different sizes were collected, and, on a moderate
computation, they had 500 men on board. Their mischievous intentions
were too evident; they drew closer and closer to the shore, prevented
the escape of any of the ship's boats, and even had recourse to
stratagem in order to gain possession of the much-desired booty. One
party declared that all the Malays except themselves were hostile, and
urged that they might be allowed to go to the camp to guard the crew
of the Alceste. This kind offer was of course refused. 'We can trust
to ourselves,' was the reply. The plot began to thicken; the odds
seemed fearfully against the heroic little band, who, badly armed,
and worse provisioned, had to make good their position against a
multitude of foes--matchless amongst savages in cunning and cruelty.
But in proportion to the imminence of the danger rose the courage of
our countrymen.

Mr. M'Leod relates that, in the evening, when Captain Maxwell had
assembled, as usual, the men under arms, for the purpose of inspecting
them, he addressed them in these words: 'My lads, you must all have
observed this day, as well as myself, the great increase of the
enemy's force (for enemies we must now consider them), and the
threatening position they have assumed. I have, on various grounds,
strong reason to believe they will attack us this night. I do not wish
to conceal our real state, because I think there is not a man here who
is afraid to face any sort of danger. We are now strongly fenced in,
and our position in all respects is so good, that armed