CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES.
They were well received by the natives, and again visited the village, where they were surprised to find that all the women came out to see them. All, both young and old, were dressed in a dark coloured wrapper, which reached from the waist to the knees, and on their ankles they wore a profusion of bright brass ornaments. The boats were not very successful in procuring stock, but the chiefs promised an abundant supply in the morning, which I determined to wait for, and accordingly worked to windward under easy sail during the night, but found at daylight that we had been sent so far to the southward by a current, that it was 10 A.M. before we were again near enough to send the boats in.
On landing they found all their chiefs, and a considerable number of the natives waiting on the beach with vegetables, etc. for sale. But they had hardly commenced their barter, when a powerful looking man, armed with a large iron-headed spear, in a state of intoxication, came rushing down from the village; he made directly for the crowd upon the beach, apparently with the intention of attacking our party; but the natives immediately closed upon him, and after some trouble disarmed him; after which he continued to rush about the crowd in a violent state of excitement, running against any of our party he could see, and making urgent signs to them to leave the shore.
At the same time the noise and confusion on the beach was so great, that the officer in charge of the party prepared to return on board at once, in order to avoid any collision with the natives. As soon as the chiefs became aware of his intention, they were most anxious he should remain, and made every profession of friendship to induce him to do so; but he had heard so much of their treachery from the traders at Arru that he resisted their entreaties, and returned on board at half-past eleven.
ARRIVE AT PORT ESSINGTON.
As soon as the boats were hoisted up, we made sail for Port Essington, and anchored there on the 15th of April.
It was our intention to have concluded this volume with Captain Stanley's narrative, but as the following account of the daring manner in which Mr. Watson rescued the English boy from the savages of Timor Laut, has fallen into our hands, and as doubtless it was the cause of the strange and suspicious reception the Britomart's boats met with on their second visit to Oliliet, we here lay it before our readers:
MR. WATSON'S PROCEEDINGS AT TIMOR LAUT.
Mr. Watson had not been off the island long before his vessel, the schooner Essington, was surrounded by eleven armed canoes, for the purpose of attack. The chief wished Mr. Watson to go in and anchor, which he refused, but showed him that he was ready for defence in case of any outrage on their part. The chief, thinking he could entrap him, made signs of friendship, and Mr. Watson allowed him and his crew to come on board. The chief then said that a white man was on shore, and wished the master to go and fetch him off, which was refused. Mr. Watson then laid out an immense quantity of merchandise, which he said he would give for the white man, and desired the chief to send his canoe ashore to fetch him; stating, however, that he would retain him on board till the white man came, and also, that if he was not immediately brought, he would either hang or shoot the chief, and he had rope prepared for the purpose, as also a gun. This manoeuvre had the desired effect on the chief, who immediately despatched his canoe to the shore. For three days and nights Mr. Watson was compelled to cruise off the island, the natives still refusing to bring off Forbes. Towards the close of the third day they brought off the boy, but would not put him on board until Mr. Watson placed the rope round the chief's neck, when they came alongside; and as the crew of the Essington were hoisting Forbes up the side of the vessel, the chief jumped overboard into his canoe. Mr. Watson made the chief come on board again, and told him that although he had deceived and wished to entrap him, yet he would show that the white men were as good as their word; and not only gave the chief the promised wares, but also distributed some to each of the other ten canoes. This line of conduct had a very good effect on the natives, who after receiving the goods expressed great joy, and as they were leaving kept up a constant cheer. Forbes at first appeared in a savage state, but after a short time, stated the following particulars relative to the loss of the Stedcombe, and the massacre of the crew: The Stedcombe, Mr. Barns, master, arrived off the coast in the year 1823. Mr. Barns* having left her in charge of the mate, he and two or three others went ashore at Melville Island.