Toward night a man swam from the shore to the cable, with a knife in his hand, and afterward swam under the ship's counter, where we saw him with the knife; he had once or twice dived under water and started a piece of copper off the ship's bottom, imagining, could he get the copper off, the ship would sink. Captain Metcalfe fired a pistol at him from the cabin window, but missed him. Three or four of the people jumped into the boat and caught him. After bringing him on board, Captain Metcalfe fully determined to hang him, ordering a rope to be rove at the fore-yardarm and the rope greased. But, by the persuasion of Mr. Chambers and myself, he concluded to save his life and keep him prisoner.
The next day we observed four or five thousand people to come down opposite the ship, all armed with slings, spears, and arrows. At ten o'clock we hauled the ship within a quarter of a mile of the shore, and fired round and grape shot at them, and dislodged them from the village.
At twelve o'clock I went on shore with the boat and six men, set fire to the village and morai (a place of worship). Some of them were seen very near, but, by constant firing from the ship, they did not attempt to attack us.
I came on board and took some small water-casks to fill with water. But after landing (that attention not being paid to firing as before) the natives came down—great numbers, throwing their spears and stones, which obliged us to go on board again, our object unaccomplished.
They then all went to the summit of a hill, thinking the shot from the ship could not reach them there. But we fired two guns with such good aim that they were soon convinced of their error, and immediately fled to the mountains and low ditches, where it was impossible for our shot to touch them. We then desisted from firing, hove up the anchors, and went farther up the bay in hope of completing our water.
The Chief Accepted Ransom.
Toward evening we again came to an anchor, and on the next morning two or three canoes came off, who were well treated, so that more came off and engaged to bring us water, and the captain purchased a small boy and girl for two axes and a few beads.
After continuing here three or four days we weighed anchor and stood from the island.
We had been under way about an hour and a half, with a light breeze, when the natives came in a canoe alongside and informed us that the chief of the people who had stolen the boat lived behind a point to the northward. We then hauled our wind, went around the point, and came to anchor.
The next day a canoe came alongside with one of their chiefs. When he came on board we began to expostulate with him in order to recover our boat and the man. He told us that for a reward he would bring both of them. Captain Metcalfe offered him a musket, eight cartridges, one bar of iron, and a piece of Bengal cloth for the man, and the same for the boat, which he agreed to.