Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/82

16 and men secured all the plate that could be found, as well as the two prisoners, who, by this time, had become tolerably sober; they then set fire to the town, and returned on board.

During the preceding night the Begonio had driven from her anchor, drifted aground, and her people had been obliged to quit her. She afterwards took fire, and was entirely consumed. On Saturday, the 7th, the commandant was sent on shore to procure his own and the friar's ransom.

On Sunday, the 8th of September, she weighed anchor, and made sail for Punta de la Coles to water, where the next day she came to an anchor, and sent a guard of musquetry on shore to protect the boats while watering. A bullock was now received from the commandant as part of his ransom, and a message, stating that, as his property lay a considerable distance up the country, he could not send any thing more within ten days. This would have been too great a delay for the vessel, the friar was therefore sent on shore without ransom.

On Friday, the 13th, she again got under weigh, the two prize brigs having been previously sunk, after the stores had been taken out of them. On Saturday she took the Nuestra Señora del Carne la Serena, bound to Guiana for manure. At ten A. M. a boat was seen