sel, and notwithstanding my entreaties, they persisted in
their resolution to make the attempt.

As the canoes approached, we counted fourteen, all of a very large size,
and with my glass I could distinguish that they had fifty or sixty
persons on board of each, including the women. I pointed this out to
the sailors, stating that I did not believe there were more than ten
women in each canoe, so that the men must amount to seven hundred, a
force much too large to give them any chance of success in their rash
intentions. But I did more harm than good; the mention of the women
seemed to inspire them with fresh ardour, and they vowed that they would
kill all the men, and then would be content to remain on the island with
the women. They armed themselves with muskets, and retired among the
trees as the canoes approached, fearful that the islanders would not
land if they were discovered. The canoes ran between the reefs, and in
a few minutes the whole of the islanders disembarked; not conceiving it
necessary to leave any but the women in the canoes, the water being as
smooth as a fish-pond.

The arrangements of my men were certainly very good: they allowed the
islanders to go up to the tents, which were now more than a mile from
the beach, and then walking down under cover of the trees, rushed to the
canoes, and putting one man in each with their muskets and ammunition,
shoved them off and made them fast to the coral rocks, about two hundred
yards distant. The screams of the women, and the shoving off of the
canoes, alarmed the men, who hastened down to ascertain the cause. As
soon as they came within half musket shot, the sailors who were on
shore, amounting to twenty-five, fired a volley out of the wood, which
killed and wounded a great number. The islanders retreated in
confusion, then gave a loud shout and advanced. Another volley was
fired, and they again retreated, bearing off their killed and wounded.
They now held a consultation, which ended in their dividing into two
bodies, one of which separated from the other, so that they might attack
the party in the wood from two different points.

In the meantime several of the women leaped overboard and swam on shore,
and the men in the boats were so busy in preventing the others from
following, that they could give no assistance to the party in the wood,
although they were within musket-shot. The conduct of the islanders
puzzled our men; and although I had taken