in the water, and that many of the Malays were jumping
overboard. He therefore shouted out:

"'Give them both broadsides. Aim into the thick of them.'

"That broadside settled it; seven or eight of their big canoes were
smashed up; several of the others turned and paddled to the shore; and a
moment later, the men who were attacking us leapt into the boats alongside
and followed their example.

"'Load as quickly as you can,' the captain cried, 'and give them a parting
salute.' We ran the two little quarter-deck guns over and peppered them
with bullets, and the other guns joined in as soon as they were reloaded.

"That finished the matter. Our loss was not heavy, considering what a hard
fight it had been. We had but two killed, and seven or eight wounded by
their spears; while they must have suffered frightfully. In the morning
the captain called the crew aft, and made a speech thanking them for their
conduct, and saying that they owed their safety and that of the ship to
the first mate and myself, and that the night's work would be a lesson
that he should never forget. He privately said the same thing to us, and
there was no doubt that it was the first mate who saved the ship.

"This and the other affair were a lesson to me as well as to the captain.
No matter how friendly the natives might appear, from that day I have
never anchored among the islands without having half my guns
double-shotted, and the other half loaded with grape; and there is always
an officer and half a watch on deck, so that, whatever happens to us, it
will not be because I have been caught napping. On both those occasions
the captains well-nigh lost ship and crew by their carelessness."

For several weeks they cruised among the islands bartering goods with the
natives of sea-coast villages. At most of these the captain had touched on
previous voyages, and as soon as the ship was recognized the canoes came
off freely. Stephen gradually got rid of the goods he had purchased at
Calcutta. Knowing nothing of the respective value of the bird skins, he
was guided simply by their rarity. Of skins of which numbers were brought
on board, he bought none, however brilliant the plumage; but whenever he
saw one that was new to him he at once made an offer for it. But as this
was seldom, his box filled but slowly, until one day he went ashore with
the captain, the first mate, and twelve sailors armed to the teeth, to pay
a visit to the chief. On the few occas