heels and ran over the hills in the utmost haste, as if they felt their
only safety lay in placing the mountains between them and the terrible
strangers in the big canoe. In half an hour not a single canoe was to
be seen!

Captain Wallis now hoped that the natives would feel his immense
superiority, and cease a useless contest, but he was mistaken. He was
not yet done with them. They were a very determined set of men. Soon
after this fight they were observed making preparations for a renewed
attack. They could be seen pouring over the hills in all directions,
and lurking in the thickets, while, round the point, numbers of
war-canoes came paddling to the beach, where fresh warriors and bags of
stones were embarked. It was evident that a grand attack was to be
made; so Wallis prepared to repel it. Soon after, the bay was crowded
with canoes as they paddled straight and swift toward the ship. At once
the great guns opened with terrible effect, and so tremendous a fire was
kept up that the entire flotilla was almost instantly dispersed. Many
of the canoes were run ashore and deserted; others fled round the point,
and the savages took to the woods. Into these the fire was then
directed, and the natives, who doubtless imagined that no danger could
penetrate from such a distance into the heart of their thick bushes,
were driven, astonished and horrified, up a hill on which thousands of
women and children had taken up their position to witness the fight.

Here they deemed themselves quite safe, but Captain Wallis resolved to
show them that they were not so. He thought that the best thing he
could do would be to inspire them with a wholesome dread of his
tremendous artillery, so he ordered the guns to be fired at the crowded
hill. The shots tore up the earth near a tree under which a dense crowd
was collected. It need scarcely be added that the whole host fled on
the wings of terror, and in less than two minutes not a man, woman, or
child was to be seen.

The natives now at length submitted. Not many hours after the close of
this fight, a few of them came down to the beach carrying green boughs
which they stuck into the sand, and placed beside them a peace-offering
of hogs and dogs and bundles of native cloth. Of course Wallis was
right glad to accept it, and in return gave them presents of hatchets,
nails, and other things. Peace was now thoroughly established, and the
two parties engaged in amicable traffic