be worked every half hour out of two. By this time, finding she had missed Otaheite, she steered to the westward for the Tonga islands, and on Thursday the 27th of November, saw that part of them called the Hapai islands, bearing W. twelve miles. The leak had now increased to eighteen inches per hour.

On Saturday the 29th of November 1806, at 4 p. m., the Port au Prince brought to, for the last time, in seven fathoms water at the N. W. point of one of the Hapai islands, called Lefooga, in the same place where Captain Cook had formerly anchored; and in the evening, a number of Indian chiefs came on board with a large barbacued hog, and a quantity of ready dressed yams, as La present to the ship's company. With them came a native of Owhyee, who spoke a little English, which he had formerly learned on board an American ship, that had taken him from the Sandwich islands to Manilla, and thence had brought him to the Tonga islands. This man, whose name was Tooi Tooi, and of whom we shall hereafter have occasion to speak, endeavoured in every possible way to convince the ship's company that the natives were friendly disposed towards them; but the Sandwich islanders, whom the Port au Prince had brought along with her from Anahooroo bay, declared their opinion that the Indians had hostile intentions, and advised Mr Brown to keep a watchful eye over them. Mr Brown, however, disregarded this sage admonition, otherwise the Port au Prince might again have reached England in safety, and he might have preserved his own life, and the lives of many others.

Next morning, the men were ordered to careen

the vessel, at which they all demurred, and some absolutely refused, being desirous of going on shore, as they had been accustomed to do, on Sundays, at whatever place they had touched during the voyage; and to this they were further encouraged, by the pernicious invitations of the natives. Irritated by these symptoms of discontent, the fault of which was in no small degree his own, Mr Brown seemed to have less use of his judgment, at a time when he required it most. The men came aft, to request permission to go on shore, which he peremptorily refused, telling them that they might go to h-l if they pleased, but that they should not go on shore till the work was done on board, and ordered them immediately to quit the quarter-deck. Shortly after, James Kelly jumped up on the gang-way with a Spanish stiletto in his hand, and swore by G- he would run the first through the body who attempted to stop him. He then hailed a canoe, and his example was instantly followed by three others, George Wood, the carpenter's mate, William Baker, and James Hoay, taking with them all their clothes; and not long after, fifteen others took the same step. In the afternoon the remainder of the crew came aft, with a complaint that a considerable number of the natives had assembled between decks, armed with clubs and spears, whose behaviour gave ample grounds to suspect that they intended to take the vessel. This was indeed their object, having already digested their plan, which Mr Mariner afterwards learned from a young chief named Vaca-ta-Bola; and it will be well to relate it here in its proper place, although they did not at this time succeed. During this period, Vaca-ta-Bola

and another chief were sitting in the cabin with Mr Brown, Mr Dixon, and Mr Mariner. While there, a canoe was to come under the stern, and Vaca-ta-Bola was to rise up suddenly, and call out with seeming earnestness to the people in the canoe; on which, it may be supposed that Mr Brown and Mr Dixon would naturally turn their heads out of curiosity to see what was going forward in the canoe; and at this moment the two chiefs were to knock them down with short ironwood clubs, concealed under their dress. Before the canoe arrived, however, Mr Mariner happening to go into the steerage, met the men coming, as before stated, to inform Mr Brown of the threatening appearance of the natives. Mr Brown seemed at first not inclined to pay attention even to this new warning of danger; but when Mr Mariner assured him that what the men stated was correct, and that, at all events, it would be but common prudence to inquire into it, and satisfy their apprehensions, he went upon deck, leading Vaca-ta-Bola by the hand. Mr Dixon and the other chief followed. During this time, Mr Mariner could not help observing that the two chiefs turned pale, evidently much agitated; which he attributed to fear, occasioned by the bustle which appeared, without their understanding the cause; but imagining their plot discovered, and their fate inevitable. When they arrived upon deck, and were given to understand that Mr Brown did not like to have so many men on board armed with clubs and spears, they pretended to interest themselves very much in throwing their arms overboard, and in ordering the natives out of the ship. With

a view of wearing also a pacific appearance, Mr Brown, on his part, ordered the tomahawks, boarding-pikes, and other arms to be removed below. In the evening, after the natives had gone on shore, the carpenter and sail-maker represented to Mr Brown the propriety of having the muskets up, and placing centinels on deck to keep the natives off, as their number prevented them from working; but, unfortunately, too self-willed and obstinate, he treated every wholesome admonition with indifference, and no such measures were taken.

The following fatal morning, Monday, the 1st December 1806, at eight o'clock, the natives began to assemble on board, and soon increased to 300 in different parts of the ship. About nine o'clock, Tooi Tooi, the Sandwich islander before mentioned, came on board, and invited Mr Brown to go on shore, and view the country; who immediately complied, and went unarmed. About half an hour after he had left the ship, Mr Mariner, who was in the steerage, went to the hatch for the sake of the light to mend a pen, when, looking up, he saw Mr Dixon standing on a gun, endeavouring, by his signs, to prevent more of the natives coming on board. At this moment he heard a loud shout from the Indians, and saw one of them knock Mr Dixon down with his club. Too surely convinced what now was the matter, he ran towards the gun-room, when an Indian caught hold of him by the hand, but, escaping from his grasp, ran down the scuttle, where he found the cooper. Considering the magazine the safest place, they ran immediately there; and having consulted what was best to be done, they came to the resolution of blowing up the vessel, and,

like Samson of old, to sacrifice, themselves and their enemies together. Bent upon this desperate enterprise, Mr Mariner repaired to the gun-room to procure flint and steel, but was not able to get at the muskets without making too much noise, for the arm-chest lay beneath the boarding-pikes, which had carelessly been thrown down the scuttle the preceding evening; and the noise occasioned by clearing them away, as the uproar above began to cease, would undoubtedly have attracted the notice of the Indians. He therefore returned to the magazine, where he found the cooper in great distress from the apprehension of his impending fate. Mr Mariner next proposed that they should go at once upon deck, and meet their fate, while their enemies were hot with slaughter, rather than, by greater delay, subject themselves to the cruelties of cooler barbarity; and, after some hesitation, the cooper consented to follow if Mr Mariner would lead the way. The latter thereupon went to the gun-room, and lifting up the hatch a little, saw Tooi Tooi and Vaca-taBola examining Captain Duck's sword and other arms that were in his bed-place. Their backs being turned, he lifted off the hatch entirely, and jumped up into the cabin. Tooi Tooi instantly turning round, Mr Mariner presented his hands open, to signify that he was unarmed and at their mercy; then uttering aroghah! (a word of friendly salutation among the Sandwich islanders) he asked him, partly in English, and partly in his own language, whether he meant to kill him, as he was ready to meet his fate. Tooi Tooi replied in broken English, that he should not be hurt, as the chiefs were already in possession of the ship, but