The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-12-26


prosecution of this voyage, he discovered
several other groups of inhabited islands.
the natives cfwhich had evidently never seen
a ship or a white man before. One Of these
clusters consisted of seven islands, of various
magnltudes, living in circular position,
with a reef of coral running from one TO
the other, through which there was here
and there small channel, abou. ore hun
dred yards in width. These islands nppear-
ed very fruitful and thickly populated On
sending boat TO examine reef and sound
| the channels, they were found TO be cover
eel with the very articles for whirh the An
tarctic was bound to the Fee Jee Islands {;
it was therefore determined to proceed no
| further, but to procure a cargo at this place.
| After anchoring and making other neces-
sary preparations, part of the crew were
sent ashore, Ivy consent of the king OF The
group, as well AS that of the chief of the
island, for the purpose of clearing away the
| trees, and bushes, and erecting building
and machinery for curing the bouehe de mer,
when collected. The natives affected to
be very friendly, and even assisted in all
these operations for several days, during
which time they were constantly visiting
the vessel, with presents of such fruits and
Refreshments as their islands could furnish,
and receiving in return useful articles of
cutlery, trnkets, heads, &c, with which
they appeared highly delighted. Their
visits were regularly reciprocated, and one
day Captain Morrell was employed three or
four hours in the heart of one of the isl
ands, planting seeds of different kinds, par
tcularly those that he thought would he
most servceable TO the islanders. All this
time he was surrounded by two or three
hundred chiefs and warriors, who expressed
| themselves highly gIatified with the inter-
est he manifested for their present and fu-
ture welfare.
Thus far all proceeded well and AMIGA
bly, 3; but they soon began to evince symp-
toms of that thievish propensity so general
| ly found among the South Sea islanders.
1t was necessary for the armorer TO take his
| forge on shore, and there put it in opera
ton but he had not been long at work,
when all his tools were stolen. Or being
informed of this strange proceeding. Capt.
! Morrell took six of his best seamen, armed
with muskets, pistols, and cutlasses, and
marched to the village where the king liv-
ed, TO demonstrate against the thieves, in
hopes that he would, if possible, cause the
stolen articles to he returned. In making
this excursion, the little party were led into
an ambuscade, and on emerging from n
Ythicket, found themselves surrounded by
about four hundred warriors. armed for
battle, their faces painted red and their
heads Enthusiastically decorated with red fea-
| theirs.
The self-possession Of Captain Morrell
sustained him in that trying hour. After
exhorting his men to firmness and obedi-
ence, and giving them the requisite instruc-
tions, he threw his mEsket upon the ground,
drew one of his pistols with his right hand,
and his cutlass with his left, ordering two
of his men TO follow his example. He then
surveyed the ring of warriors in search of
the king, whom he soon discovered on the
opposite side. With coulness and audaci.
ty which rendered these savages motion
less and powerless with amazement, he adj
vanced to their astounded monarch, with
his pistol presented to the royal breast !;
while the Captains two irusty followers,
took their stations on each side of his mai
esty, holding their glitterlng sabres Sis
! pended over his head, with strict orders to
sever it from his body, the moment an ar
row was discharged at any one of his party.
In adopting this plan, the Captain hoped
that during the confusion that would neces-
sarily follow the death of the king, some of
his own little party mig ht escape to the vessel.
The savages beheld the danger of their
king, and every Blended bow instnctively
dropped with its arrow to the ground The
moment that Captain Morrell saw the hap
py effect of his hasiy measures, and while
confusion reigned in their ranks, he walked
around the circle with his drawn cutlass,
and compelled every one to lay down his
war club, or whatever weapon he might
have, and then sent his remaining four men
to collect them into one heap. This being
done, he took the king and six of the priD-
cipal chiefs on board of the schooner and
detained them until next morning, treating
them with the greatest kindness, and then
dismissed them on their solemn promises of
making restitution for the past, and con-
Quoting honorably for the future. In four
hours afterwards, they attacked that por-
ton of the Antarctc's crew which was sta
toned on shore, and hutrhered thirteen out
Of eighteen. The rest escaped with their
lives, four by taking to the water, and one
by concealing himself in the woods.
The natives now made general attack
upon the Antarctic, but met with such a
warm reception that they were compelled
to retreat with great loss. They then re-
newed the attack with empowering force,
and in two divisions; upon which Captain
Morrell found himself compelled to slip his
+ cable, and put to sea. He returned to Ma
nla, reinforced his crew, and again visited
the scene of massacre. No sooner, howev-
er. was lbs Antarctic anchored in her for
mer position, than she was again attacked
e by the Cannibals, who had Toasted on the
mungled bodies of their comrades. A brisk
fire from the schooner soon dispersed them,
and the captain then turned his big guns
upon the town, which quickly brought them
to terms; and Leonard Shaw, one of the
missing in the massacre, who had been saw
ed from death fo- state of the most hor-
rid slavery, was sent off to the schooner
as an ambassador of peace. A detailed
account of these thrilling incidents is fol-
lowed by most interesting and heart-rend-
ing description of the unparalleled suffer-
ings of Shaw during his tedious captivity.
During the two months that the Antarc-
tic now lay at the Massacre Islands, Capt.
; Morrell had several desperate engagements
with the natives, for description of winch
we refer our readers to the book which will
soon appear. There will be seen how Cap
tain Morrel caused castle TO lie built in
the island, well garrisoned and provisoned !;
; how it was assaled by the savages in i'm
mense numbers; how it was defended with
desperate bravery; how the savages were
totally defeated with the loss of their chief !;
how they were driven from the Island of
Blood, and how Captain Morrel and his
; crew went on shore and buried the bone,,
of The unhnDnv men who had f,llen mar