Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/191

Rh sailors with the utmost concern and astonishment; but his was not so great as theirs, for the sailors at once saw that he was a white man—a shriveled, dried up little Englishman. He was trembling so much with excitement that he could hardly speak, but after a little, commanding his voice, he said: "My God, you are Englishmen, are you not?"

"Yes," they answered.

"You are safe now," he continued. "I have some authority; I am the sixth chief. I mistrusted that something was wrong,' he continued, "for I found a 'Bowditch's Navigation' on the shore, and have been looking to find who might have been wrecked. You are safe now," he said, "but it is a wonder," and this he kept repeating.

The cause of his surprise was not so astonishing, as he afterwards told them that about six months before this an English ship had cruised off their coast, and had wantonly shot some of the natives. Thus the white man here, as in too many cases of barbarian savagery, seems to have been the first aggressor.

This singular little man, who now appeared so opportunely, and who called himself Charles Washington (perhaps an assumed name), had escaped many years before from an English man-of-war on a cruise in the East Indies, his offense having been sleeping on watch, and during his sleep losing his musket; an islander having taken it and slipped overboard down the anchor chain; and Charlie, upon waking soon and finding the loss, also slid overboard, fearing a very severe punishment. He soon identified himself with the Pelews, being tatooed and marrying a native woman.

After these preliminary words of inquiry, he said, "Boys, that food is for you," and needing no further invitation the eleven men fell to with a will.