destroy them was communicated to me, with a positive desire that I should aid them, and with a threat that I should be. sacrificed with the weaker party on my refusing to do so.
I knew not how to act for the best; if I acquainted the new settlers of their great danger, they might, in the excitement, have had recourse to violence, which would have made matters in all probability worse, they being so few in number. The policy I adopted therefore, was, to seem to fall in with the views of the savages, but to induce them to delay carrying them out until the ship arrived, when I said, in support of my argument, the amount of plunder would be much increased.
This manœuvre succeeded for a few days, but at the end of that time they became very impatient, so that I told the white men to be on their guard; and arming myself with a gun, I threatened, in strong language, the life of the first native who raised a hostile hand against the strangers; telling them afterwards, that on the arrival of the vessel they should have presents in abundance. This pacified them, and they turned their thoughts from mischief to fishing and hunting: our party, for so I must now speak, keeping a good look out every night, relieving each other at intervals, to prevent surprise. At length the vessel was made out by me whilst anxiously gazing across the bay, and I lost no time in giving the pleasing intelligence to both parties;—as for the natives, they made great rejoicings, jumping round and round me in the wildest manner,
