sequence of this, the young warriors requested of Finow leave to proceed in small canoes, (the wind being unfavourable for large ones), to cut them off. After a due consultation this was granted; and eleven canoes, manned with the choicest warriors, paddled towards a small island at a little distance, on which the Hapai people had landed. As it was a moonlight night, the enemy saw them, and concealed themselves behind certain bushes at a small distance from the beach, where they supposed Finow's men would land. They were right in their conjecture. As soon as Finow's warriors were arrived, the enemy rushed upon them with their usual yell, and occasioned much disorder and alarm; but the Vavaoo warriors soon rallying, they pressed in return so closely and bravely on their opponents, that they were obliged to retreat towards the place where their canoe lay. Here a most severe conflict ensued. Unfortunately, in hurrying on shore from the canoes, Mr Mariner's ammunition got wet, which rendered his musket of little use; hence he was obliged to employ only a bow and arrows. The enemy, finding themselves so well matched, and thinking they might soon be attacked by forces. from the main land (Vavaoo), embarked as speedily as they could; in doing which, they lost ten or twelve men. Mr Mariner again tried to use his musket, and, after repeated trials, succeeded in shooting the two men that steered (it being a double canoe), after which he returned with his own party to their canoes, leaving nineteen of the enemy dead on the field, besides the two killed in the canoe. Their own loss was four killed on the and three others, who died afterwards of

their wounds. The enemy were about sixty in number; they fifty. In this affair Mr Mariner unfortunately received a violent blow on the knee by a stone from a sling, which lamed him for a considerable length of time. It appeared, from the account of a boy who was wounded and taken prisoner, that the enemy intended to proceed as secretly as possible to the westward of Vavaoo, and, under cover of the night, make incursions on shore, and do all the mischief in their power.

For the space of two months after this affair, no circumstance worthy of note took place; no other attack from the people of Hapai was attempted, and all seemed peaceable and quiet. About the end of this period, however, there happened a circumstance, the most fortunate of all to Mr Mariner, viz. that of his escape. In this time of peace, when he had nothing in which to employ himself but objects of recreation and amusement, sometimes with Finow or other chiefs, and sometimes by himself, he would frequently go out for two or three days together, among the neighbouring small islands, on a fishing excursion. As he was one evening returning homeward in his canoe, after having been out three days, he espied a sail in the westward horizon, just as the sun had descended below it. This heart-cheering sight no sooner caught his attention than he pointed it out to the three men with him (his servants that worked on his plantation), and desired them to paddle him on board, holding out to them what an advantageous opportunity now offered itself to enrich themselves with beads, axes, looking-glasses, &c.; an opportunity which they might never again meet

with. To this they replied, that they had seen it before, but that their fear of his wishing to go on board prevented them pointing it out to him, having often heard their chiefs say, that they never meant to let him go; hence they were apprehensive, if they suffered him to escape, that their brains would be knocked out on their return. Mr Mariner then condescended to entreat them to pull towards the vessel, promising them very rich rewards. After conversing together, and whispering something between themselves, they told him, that, notwithstanding their great esteem and respect for him, they owed it as a duty to their chiefs to refuse his request; upon which they began to paddle towards the nearest shore.

Mr

Mariner instantly demanded, in an elevated tone of voice, why they talked about the fear of chiefs; were they not his servants, and had he not a right to act with them as he pleased? He then took his musket from behind him, when the man who sat nearest immediately declared, that, if he made any resistance, he would die in opposing him, rather than allow him to escape. Upon this, Mr Mariner summoned up all his strength, and struck him a most violent blow, or rather stab, near the loins, with the muzzle of the piece, exclaiming at the same time," Ta gi ho Hotooa, co ho mate e." This lunge produced a dangerous wound; for the musket, being a very old one, had grown quite sharp at the muzzle, and was, besides, impelled by the uncommon force with which the

Meaning, literally, "Strike your Hotooa, there's your death!" which are forms of energetic expressions, e oaths, on extraordinary occasions, calculated to

prospect of escape inspired him.

The man

fell flat in the bottom of the canoe, senseless, and scarcely with a groan. † Mr Mariner instantly pulled his legs out straight; then presented his musket to the other two, who appeared somewhat panic-struck, and threatened to blow out their brains if they did not instantly obey his orders. They accordingly put about, and made towards the vessel. The one whom Mr Mariner wounded was a piece of a warrior, but the other two had never been in battle, and, as he supposes, imagined he could fire off his musket when he pleased without loading it. Be this as it may, they were now perfectly obedient, and he encouraged them farther, by reminding them that they had a good excuse to make to their chiefs, since it was by compulsion, and not by will, that they acted. In the mean time, he kept a strict eye both upon them and the man in the bottom of the canoe; upon those, lest they should take an opportunity to upset it, and swim to the shore, with which they were well acquainted; and upon this, lest he should recover and make an unexpected attack. They did not come up with the vessel till about daylight next morning, owing to the distance they had to go, for they were about four miles off the north-west part of Vavaoo, and the

This man, whose name was Teoo Fononga, well deserved the fate he met with. He used to beat his wife unmercifully, for which Mr Mariner had frequently knocked him down with a club. He formerly had a wife who, in time of scarcity, he killed and ate. Since that time, having several children, more than he wished, he killed a couple of them to get them out of the way. His best qualities were being an excellent fisherman, and a very hardworking fellow.

ship bore west-south-west, about five miles distant, steering under easy sail, to the south end of that island. Besides which, they were much fatigued with having pulled about the whole day against a heavy sea, and were short of any provisions, except raw fish. During the night, the man in the bottom of the canoe lay perfectly still, and showed no signs of life, except now and then a slight gurgling noise in his throat. As soon as the canoe pulled up alongside the brig, Mr Mariner, without stopping to hail, on the impulse of the moment, jumped up into the main chains, and was very near being knocked overboard by the sentinel, who took him for a native, for his skin was grown very brown, his hair very long, and tied up in a knot, with a turban round the head, and an apron of the leaves of the chi tree round his waist. This disguise would have warranted the conduct of the sentinel, but, as soon as Mr Mariner spoke English, and told him he was an Englishman, he allowed him to come on deck, where the captain cordially shook hands with him. The latter had heard from the captain of a schooner the whole unfortunate affair of the Port au Prince, for the schooner brought away two men from one of these islands, while Mr Mariner was in another quarter, upon some business for Finow.

The captain now presented him with a pair of trowsers and a shirt; and the latter being neither very new nor very clean; he took the pains to wash it, and hang it up in the rigging to dry. In the morning however, it had disappeared, at the honest instigation of somebody: hence, his whole stock of apparel consisted of the said pair of trownor did he get better provided till he arrived