112
FRENCH WHALER JEAN BART.
[Chap. IV.
1841
the ship anchored in the small bay of Wai-Tangui, upon the shores of which the tribe of Eitouna were established. The captain, frightened at seeing so many savages on board, desired the chiefs to send them on shore. Eitouna gave orders to his people to leave: many obeyed, others remained to make some exchanges with the sailors: all the people of Eimaré, the chief of the other tribe, also remained on board, so that there were still seventy to seventy-five of them left in the ship. The captain, not thinking himself safe, prepared immediately to quit the bay, and refused to read some certificates that Eitouna presented to him to inspire him with confidence.
Eitouna and many others were in the cabin of the Jean Bart, when suddenly they heard a great tumult on deck: they immediately endeavoured to make their way up the ladder, when a wounded New Zealander fell from the deck amongst them; they then returned into the cabin to conceal themselves when the skylight was immediately removed; and Eitouna said they tried to kill them with lances and spades, which they thrust into all parts of the cabin; many of those in the cabin were wounded, some were killed: they looked about for some arms to defend themselves, and found a double-barrelled gun and some pistols in the captain's cabin, but these being percussion, and having no caps, they were useless to them. At length they found some muskets and cartridges, with which they killed two of the seamen. The sky-