By this time two of the pirate crew
and several of the blacks whom we had seen at the village appeared, and
by the mate's directions we delivered our arms to them.

"I'll not bind you," he said, "but you must give me your word that you
will not run away."

This, of course, as we could not help ourselves, we did. While the mate
was engaged with us, the rest of the blacks had been employed in
plundering the cargo of the French trader's canoe, over which they soon
commenced quarrelling, flourishing their daggers and gesticulating
furiously at each other. For some time the mate did not interfere, but
I heard him direct his own party to take possession of any provisions
they could find: "Leave the rest to the black fellows," he added.

We were not sorry to see some cases of preserved meat, a box of
biscuits, and a bag of flour brought up, with a case of tea, some sugar,
and other eatables. The fire was quickly lighted, and one of the white
men with two of the blacks set to work to prepare breakfast. By degrees
the tumult of the blacks, who had been quarrelling over their booty,
subsided; they had apparently come to some arrangement among themselves
without the interference of the mate, and each of them now appeared
habited in the various articles they had appropriated--some with pieces
of coloured calico round their loins, others in the form of turbans
round their heads or over their shoulders, evidently supposing that the
appearance they presented was very distinguished. Shortly afterwards,
however, the return of the party who had gone in chase of the two
pirates, irritated at having failed to overtake them, created a fresh
disturbance, each one among them claiming some of the booty.

On this occasion, bloodshed would certainly have ensued, had not the
mate interfered, and insisted on the portions claimed being given up.
As he and his followers had firearms, and the blacks had only their long
knives, they were afraid of disobeying him, and order was again
restored.

Notwithstanding the unfortunate termination of our adventure, we all ate
heartily of the food placed before us. The remainder of the provisions
was done up into packages, so that each of us might carry enough to last
until we reached the village.

Mr Pikehead had certainly no wish to be in the company of his black
allies, whom he had instigated to attack the camp, for making them a
speech in their own tongue, he sent them off in a different direction