Polynesian., 1845-03-15

ABOUT Il plstol-shot upon the weather quarter.
The pirate returned the fire with round and
canister, the latter of which came aboard
IN all directions, without however wounding
anybody. We fired musket and pistol balls.
having no round-shot; and although we
could hear them rafting against his bull
warks, am afraid that they did not pene-
trate.
The breeze now freshened, and we dis
tanced our adversary so much that I ordered
the remains of his fireworks TO be cleared
away, and the decks to be washed down
But we were not destined to be let off so
easily. The wind, which had until then
favored us, died away, and our antagonist.
pulling with many oars, gained rapidly upon
us.
l now called the crew aft, and putting
arms into their hands, Gas far as the arms
went giving the sword TO a Manila man.
VINO afterwards lost it, | told them to make
up their minds for a desperate fight. The
wind at this moment caught us aback, and
drove us astern into the pirates bow, who
was sweeping steadily on in our wake; the
commander bawling through IL speaking
trumpet, and his crew beating a kind of
drum, and utterlng loud yclls. Our poor old
swivel could not be brought to bear upon
nm, IN consequence of a spar being dashed
across the stern davits.
No sooner had the two vessels come in
contact, than a perfect shower of fire rained
down upon us. My men delivered their
volley as the pirate hauled alongside. when
In the same instant, an unforeseen weapon
made ITS appearance, in the shape of a
countless number of long %lances, which
swept the decks from bulwark to bulwark.
The fire and the lances cleared the quar-
ter-deck ofthe mate and men, and | saw no
more OF them that night. | descended into
the cabin, where the Cd mate (not Mr.Snow)
was loading n musket. | took it from him.
and getting in between the pixies, clapped it
against one of the pirates, and sent him 70
his master the devil, in IA twinkIing. then
made an attempt to use the butt. but without
effect, as they used shields, and were too
nigh above me. | caught hold, as q last
resort, of one of their pixies. but il was 50
long that l could not wrest it from its DOS
SCISSOR. In the mean time | was becoming
rather a conspicuous figure for the enemy
who had, from the first, showered down upon
us a stream of missiles, and | should proba-
oly nave had but short shriit, had not an iron
bolt or some such missile, by knocking me
wv brought me, as an lrishman might say,
to my senses. l was on my feet in a sec
ond, and in the cabin in another. The Cd
mate was printing a musket. Supposing
that he had loaded it, l took it from him and
was going up the steps with it, when he told
me that it was not loaded. | had, at that
instant, hold of one of their pixies to help me
up the steps. Several more were thrust
down the companion-way, some through the
slde-wlndows, (cut since you left u.s. and
some down the sky-light.
up to this moment, escape seemed so
hopeless that the thought of it had not enter
cd my head; but now espying the cover Of
the brcad-room open, it occurred to me that
might conceal myself there, and if not save
my l!ie, at least make a better bargain for
my death than | could where | was.
l immediately therefore dashed into the
hole, calling upon Mr.. Brown the cd mate
to- follow me, having p~refaced the movement
with a few words to him by way of excuse
for flight.
We had hardly drawn the cover to, when
came several fire balls. Had we been
standing there, VIC should have been half
suifocated by them, and easily despatched
by the villains, who were doubtless standino
by ready for that purpose.
10 makethe story short, the cabin was i'm
medIately filled with them, and a pillage com
menced which ended only when there was
nothing left to take land mylittle treasures pas
SEQ into the hands ofthe Philistines. Through
the badly closed cover | could see their
on the ceiling as they pursued their
work, and through the same c~revice came an
odor OF tobacco and opium with which they
RECALLED themselves.
was more than once tempted to rush out
upon them, but the thought that, even should