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lightning, and torrents of rain, during the following night. Pomarrie, much to his credit, no sooner heard of their arrival, than he hastened to their assistance, lest the enemy should avail themselves of their weakness, and plunder them of the little which they had yet left. He got a hog and bread-fruit roasted, and spared nothing to alleviate their sufferings; sleeping in the house during the night to prevent thefts.Having left the factory under the charge of the missionaries, I had by this time joined my comrades. Pomarrie was chiefly alarmed, lest we should be attacked by the Attahourans, being in their immediate neighbourhood. Had this attempt been made, wearied and worn out as were the crew, it could not scarcely have failed of success. The tempestuous state of the weather was moreover peculiarly favourable for such an enterprise.Fortunately, however, the fears of the king and ourselves were altogether groundless. Had the crew been compelled to put in at any other island, I am persuaded they would have been plundered ; and that their distress would have produced no other effect, than that of animating their enemy to greater exertions, in proportion as the possible resistance could have been so feeble. There is little generosity to be expected in any intercourse with a savage enemy; they know and acknowledge nothing of what a civilized nation calls the point of honour. To be defenceless among them is to be but an easier prey; an enemy over whom a victory is certain, and the danger of the contest nothing. ‘ -.tPomarrie did not forget a few days afterwards to demand his presents. It was not so with the missionaries ; there was no selfishness here ; they were animated by no other impulse, but that of christian charity, which extends its arms to the miserable, and binds up the broken reedBeing too fatigued and worn out, the crew were unable to attend divine service in the chapel of the missionaries : Mr. Jefferson, therefore, with that anxious piety which distinguishes him, preached a thanksgiving sermon in the house. ‘CHAP. XXIV. f” .PARTICULARS OF THE SHIP DURING ITS ABSENCEILL CONDUCT OF THE SAILORS. , /Itmay be imagined that our first inquiries, after the sense of our loss had in some degree subsided, were directed to the circumstances of this misfortune. These circumstances, as reported to me by the Captain, were as follows :From contrary winds, and lee-currents, the ship had been a fortnight in getting to the windward, and it was only the day previous to the accident, that he had commenced trading with the natives. On the morrow, with the mutual satisfaction of both parties, the trade was to be renewed, but according to the old and often verified adage, man contrives, but God executes. The business of the captain, as he proposed to renew the trade on the succeeding morning, was to keep his station during the night; but whilst in the act of plying to windward for this purpose the ship was unfortunately lost on a low reef of rocks and sand-banks. Being almost on a level with the water’s edge, they had never before been discovered. The captain and the crew landed without much difficulty, and employed themselves in saving whatever stores were within their reach; but during die ensuing night the boat was stolen through the treachery of the Otahehan natives, nor were they ever afterwards enabled to recover her. Nor had these wretches been satisfied with this plunder; for, together with the boat, the muskets and ammunition, with which they had been provided to defend themselves against the attacks of the natives, had disappeared, and scarcely an hope of safety was left.It was necessary, in the first instance, to build another boat from some planks on board the vessel : this they commenced without loss of time, and had almost completed it, when the natives of the neighbouring islands began to collect in vast numbers, and annoy them exceedingly ; their situation was truly dismal.However, by force of unexampled exertion, and unremitting vigilance,