On the morning of the next day they weighed anchor and left the harbor.
Twice since this time have the missionaries attempted to form a station there, and as many times been defeated. Once the French Catholics, with an armed force, attempted to drive them to repentance and religion at the point of the bayonet, but the missionaries and soldiers were massacred, and the sailors driven from the harbor.
After the missionaries left the harbor, time passed still more heavily than before. A month or two elapsed without our having much to do.
One day while seated on a high bluff overlooking the sea, watching for some distant sail, there I sat with anxious, straining eyes till near nightfall, when I discerned a speck in the distance, dancing upon the wave. I watched its course until it ripened into perfect form, giving the beautiful proportion of a large ship. With great eagerness I watched it until night closed it from my sight. Wondering whether she was destined to land at our shores, I returned to the valley and gave notice to the king of its approach.
The next morning I, with my wife, at a very early hour, went to bathe, and saw the ship heading towards the harbor. The king and other natives soon joined us, all with straining eyes watching the ship.
On its nearer approach the king asked me if I would take charge of the ship if he would kill all the crew and take possession of her. This I refused to do, saying our countrymen would come there in great numbers and kill us. He, shaking his head, said, "if they will kill you, what would they do to us? we will not touch them." They suppose all ships and crews, like themselves, belong to some great king; and if any crew commits any wrong upon them, and they cannot be revenged upon the aggressors themselves, they will upon the next ship that comes there, believing one common head suffers or bears the loss. This is the reason, generally, that innocent crews have been murdered so cruelly by them, without any seeming provocation.
The ship entered the harbor and dropped her anchor. The boats came to land with the captain and others. At first sight I thought I recognized in the person of the captain, a friend of other days. This idea was strengthened much by hearing the crew address him as "Capt. Coleman."
I immediately stepped up and asked him if he ever sailed in the brig Henry. He assured me he had. I then, looking him steadily in the eye, asked, "do you know me, sir?" Looking at me a moment steadily, he said, "yes, Bill! though your sunburnt countenance and savage connections almost bid defiance to the recognition." How I came there in that horrible place, with that outlandish crew, and what I could be doing, exceedingly puzzled him.
I chatted with him some time. The king noticing a spirit of familiarity existing with us, stood by with more than common watchfulness, and at every few words, would say, yahah? (what says he?) I told him at each inquiry that he wanted hogs and water, or in some other way quieted him.
Finding it useless to attempt a conversation at that time, he went back to the ship and sent two rafts of casks to the shore for water. These I bargained with the natives to fill for him, paying them in whales' teeth, tobacco, &c. He also purchased a quantity of hogs, fruit, &c., of the natives, always paying them as much certainly, as he promised to do. Besides, he made them many presents of small, and to him, valueless articles, though they esteemed them very highly. This won their affections completely, and he was allowed to go where and when he pleased. By this means we were enabled to get together often and form a plan by which he could assist me in getting away, which was to go on board as the land breeze sprang up. I told him repeatedly of the sad consequences that would most assuredly follow to himself and crew, as well as to me, should we be detected in the act. But that did not in the least degree deter him from making the attempt. What a noble contrast between this captain, who was willing to run the risk of his life, and the lives of his noble crew, to assist me to escape, and the heartless wretch of the Pocahontas, who refused to let me have any thing unless I would pay him in American currency, which he well knew I had not; at the same time he was in want of hogs, &c., which I could furnish him with, and which he chose rather to obtain from the simple natives with a piece of old valueless hoop iron; thus depriving me of useful articles which my necessities required.