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Rh appropriation of their soil as an invasion, and made preparations for resenting it. They first stole all they could find exposed, including the smith's anvil, and the iron he had heated. They then armed themselves, uttered their war-cry, and attacked a bold and powerful Newcastle man of the crew, named Wallace, and sixteen of his comrades, who, although well armed, could not resist the impetuous rush of several hundred warriors. Thirteen of the unfortunate men fell, after a desperate resistance, in which four times that number of the savages were slain; and all would have perished had not a well-manned boat hurried to the rescue and taken the survivors in. The fire of musketry, under cover of which this was accomplished exasperated, without intimidating, the islanders. The savages had now recovered from the panic produced by their handful of bullets, and seeing that the remainder of their prey was likely to escape them, they made a desperate and determined rush upon their boat; but before they could reach her, she was in deep water. A part of them then saluted her with a shower of arrows, while the main body flew to their canoes and started in pursuit, every movement indicating a fixed determination to destroy the fugitives, or perish in the attempt. As the boat was very much lumbered up, with seventeen men on board, four of whom were badly wounded, her progress was slow, consequently the canoes gained upon her very fast.

As soon as the savages had approached within musket-shot of the boat, a well-directed fire was opened upon them from the latter; but the falling of their companions, instead of deterring them from their purpose