wder, I would fire off the
swivel, left by the Globe. They consented, and collected in great
numbers, and after I had loaded the gun with a heavy charge, I told
them they had better stand back. They said I must set her on fire, and
tell them when she was going off, and they would run! I however,
touched her off, when they instantly fell on their faces in the
greatest panick. When their fears had subsided, they set up howling
and yelling with ecstacy!

They said, if they should have a battle, I must carry that gun with
me, which would alone vanquish their enemies!

We were visited by eight or ten canoes, from a distant Island, called
Alloo. They came to exchange presents with our chiefs, and very soon a
great quantity of _pero_, &c. was baked, and having been inspected by
the chiefs, to see that it was in a proper state to be presented to
their visitors, it was given them to eat.

As these people had never seen me before, I was much annoyed by them.
During their stay, I was constantly surrounded; my skin felt of, and
often became the sport of the more witty, because my skin was not of
so dark a hue as their own, and more especially, as my _ears_ remained
in the same form, as when nature gave them to me. These visitors, to
my great satisfaction, did not remain long with us.

Their mode of anchoring their canoes is singular. One of them takes
the end of a line, and diving to the bottom, secures it to a rock; and
in the same way do they dive down to cast it off. I have seen them do
this in five fathoms of water.

CHAPTER VI.

It was not until the 23d of December, 1825, that the prospects of
being relieved from my disagreeable situation began to brighten.
Early in the morning of that day, I was awakened by a hooting and
yelling of the natives, who said, a vessel had anchored at the head of
the Island. They seemed alarmed, and I need not assure the reader,
that my feelings were of a contrary nature. Their God was immediately
consulted, as to the measures to pursue; but as I was not allowed to
be present when he was invoked, I cannot say what was the form of this
ceremony, except that cocoanut leaves were used. Their God, however,
approved the plan, which was, that they should go to the vessel, or
near her, and swim on board, a few at a time, until two hundred were
on board, and then a signal was to be given, when they were to throw
the persons on board into the water, and kill them. Two large canoes
which woul