His cries brought the missionary and many of the natives, with the king and second chief, to the spot.
I told Daylia if that, with the treatment he had given me, was an illustration of his preaching, he had better stay at home than go to the heathen, professedly to preach peace and salvation, while he practiced such horrid digressions.
The servant declared he was doing his master's bidding. This was stoutly contradicted by Daylia. Still I was led by the former friendship which had existed between us, and the previous conduct of Daylia, to believe the statement of the servant in preference to that of his.
The king then ordered them to leave the island that day or he would kill them all. Daylia taking up a little child of one of the missionaries, said in a half sneering manner, "Would you kill this innocent one?" "Yes," says the king, "a nit will be a louse."
Their goods were taken to the ship, and every preparation made to leave the island; Daylia, however, taking the opportunity to say to me that I might expect to be sent for from England to answer for my conduct, accusing me of influencing the king against them.
This was not the fact; and, to the contrary, had I not interfered in their behalf, they would have been killed in the early part of their adventure.
Still I did not favor the idea of their remaining very much, knowing the utter impracticability of such an undertaking with the then existing state of the inhabitants. Had such an enterprise been in the least degree practicable, we should have been foolish indeed not to have welcomed them with joy, as our situation would thereby have been greatly improved, if our escape had not been effected by it.
It was painful, indeed, to see them depart, especially so, as far as Messrs. Bingham and Morris were concerned, for, towards them we had formed the strongest attachment.