The Captain Was Merciless.
Mr. Chambers and myself endeavored to persuade the captain to entice the three chiefs on board, and afterward to hang them on the foreyard in view of the whole island; which might, perhaps, be sufficient warning for them in future never to attempt distressing any ships which might touch at their islands.
But our persuasions were of no effect. He was fully determined to take the following means of punishing them: First, to decoy those canoes which were on the larboard to come to the starboard side, then to station one man to each post lanyard, and others down to the guns, between decks, while others on the quarter-deck were stationed at the swivels and four brass guns, and, when everything was in readiness, to fire immediately into the canoes all at one command.
The guns that were below had on each of them a hundred musket-balls and fifty langrage nails. There were seven of the above guns, each containing the like quantity. The four guns on the quarter-deck had in them fifty balls each; some of the swivels had ten balls.
Mr. Chambers and myself strongly insisted that this punishment was too severe, and only butchering a number of innocent women and children. But he replied, we were going to attempt taking the command of the ship from him, and that the orders should be obeyed, and immediately ordered every man to his station.
The men wished to fire into the canoes, as the man whom they had killed was a Manila man and the crew were all Portuguese or Manila men.
After the people were all stationed he gave orders to fire—and the whole broadside was aimed direct at the canoes. To attempt to describe the horrible scene that ensued is too much for my pen. The water alongside continued of a crimson color for at least ten minutes; some were sinking, others lying half out of their canoes, without arms or legs; while others lay in their canoes weltering in their blood.
Although the appearance was so horrid, our people wished to get into the boats and use boarding-pikes to kill those in the water; but by severely punishing two or three they desisted from their dreadful purpose.