The most hideously painted, and powerfully equipped North American Indian, would fail in a comparison with one of these, as a fearful and majestic warrior. They rushed forward with shouts of exultation and joy, exclaiming, in tones of heart-felt triumph, as they went rapidly through the action of an onset,—throwing themselves in every wild and threatening attitude,—scowling with looks of deathly fierceness and revenge,—brandishing their spears and clubs in the air. "Cohapha, Cohapha, te hannah Muckey, Cohapha," or Death to the Cohaphas.
We proceeded on the valley through which a small rivulet courses itself, which is thickly clustered "with trees, whose lofty tops so thickly interlace each other, as to completely embower the whole glen; and the rays of the torrid sun beneath which we had been marching, instead of striking us with a scorching glare, fell in such rich and grateful mellowness on the group below, as to seem but the moonlight of a fairy land; the illusion of which, the sound of water had but little tendency to break."
Our army consisted of about three hundred able warriors, armed with clubs and spears, all with eager strides rushing on to meet the enemy. We at length reached the top of the mountain which separates the two tribes, and which also constituted the battle ground. Until we arrived there, no regular order was observed. The warriors were then divided into three companies, or divisions, leaving Noyce and myself to act for ourselves. Again we crawled unobserved down the hill, till we came within a few rods of the enemy. We loaded our gun as heavily as we dared do, putting seven slugs in it, meaning to do the principal work with the first shot, as they would probably retreat immediately, and not give us an opportunity of firing again. All things in readiness, we softly crept a few rods nearer, and, as they were standing close together, (in consultation no doubt respecting an engagement, as our men were seen upon the field,) we discharged our battery upon them. Great was the havoc we made with a single shot, killing two and wounding three more. Among the wounded was the celebrated chief, Cappayoho, noted among all tribes for his great daring and cunningness in battle.
We returned to the point occupied by our men, who had watched our movements and saw the execution of our only shot. Meanwhile our warriors had succeeded in taking the persons of three of the enemy. This to them was true revenge: to simply kill was no revenge at all; that alone consisted in disjointing the enemy, and tearing the flesh from his bones by the morsel.
We were held in great estimation among them as warriors. We returned to the valley with shouts and songs of triumph; those who were infirm, and unable to join in the battle, with the women and children, met us as we came near home, and joined in the exclamation of joy.
As was often the case, Noyce and myself one day strolled far away from home into the mountain, taking our gun with us as a constant companion, when, wearied with walking in the noonday sun, we had retired beneath the shade of a large tree. I had seated myself upon a little rise of ground, while Noyce was standing by me in the attitude so common to huntsmen, viz., that of standing with his hands upon the gun, and resting his chin upon his hands, musing upon our situation and probable destiny, when our reverie was broken by the sharp report of a gun near by. I sprang to my feet with my legs completely covered with blood. Noyce brought the gun into requisition for defence. Soon we saw the head of a native within a very few feet, peering up above the grass, in which he had secreted himself to catch a glimpse of us. Noyce discharged his gun immediately, and two slugs entered his head above the right eye, and came out at the back of the left ear; he died without a gasp. On arriving at him, we found he had a beautiful gun of French manufacture, of which I took possession. This occasioned great surprise with us, as we supposed we were in possession of the only gun on the island. We afterwards ascertained, however, that a French ship visiting the island, coming in upon the other side, for sandal wood, had sold ten or twelve to the different tribes; only one, however, had been sold to the Cohaphas, and that to rather an obscure individual who lived by himself in the mountain principally, yet considered himself as belonging to the Cohaphas. We made a knife of bamboo, with which we extracted the shot from my legs, or a portion of it; some, however, remains to the present time, and can still be felt.
Raising the body upon our shoulders, we hastened to our tribe. When we made known our adventure, throwing down the body as proof before them, their joy knew no bounds. As a reward, the king gave us twenty-five trees each, banana and bread-fruit, which were by them considered quite a wealth.
The body, taken as it was, was considered worthy special manifestations of joy and triumph. Accordingly it was prepared for the feast; other necessaries were also furnished, consisting of fruits and carver in great abundance.
The stillness of the night was broken by the loud shouting, singing, &c. The body was taken from the oven and placed upon the table. The whole tribe set up a whoro whoro, or loud singing, which was echoed back from the hills like a thousand thunders. The war dance was performed, I think, with greater eagerness than ever before. Torches, made by stringing the amer nut on the stem of the cocoa-nut leaf, were placed around on all sides, rendering the whole scene as lightsome as noonday. This continued till morning, when they dispersed. Of the grandeur of such a scene the reader can form no definite idea at all, however much the pen may labor in its description.
About twelve months after our landing on the island, the ship Pacific, of Nantucket, came to anchor in our bay. Of those on board we obtained a supply of ammunition, giving in exchange our usual barter—hogs and fruit. At the expiration of thirteen days, the ship left the harbor, and we were again doomed to see our friends depart, leaving us behind on those desolate shores.