Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/206

 heard the sound of distant wailings, which gradually drew nearer. Presently the natives could be seen coming over the hills towards us, making a scene which will be long remembered. They at length reached the foot of the hill, when about forty of them advanced, crouching on their hands and knees, pausing occasionally to  utter piteous moans and wails.

When within about thirty feet of us, they stopped, and an old chief, their leader, in the most piteous manner  begged pardon, supplicating forgiveness and pledging  that they would never do the like again to a papalangi,  or white man. He said that they acknowledged themselves conquered, and that the island belonged to our big chief (the commodore), and that they were his slaves  and would do whatever he desired. He said that their head chiefs and most of their wives had been killed.

He offered several of the slain chiefs' daughters, as a present to the commodore.

During the whole time that the old chief was speaking the other natives remained bowed, with their faces to the ground.

A few words of advice were given them by the commodore, and they were then dismissed. They were not long in leaving; the chiefs’ daughters with them. The young women were all very pretty.

Orders were now given to man the boats, and we reached the vessels at sundown.

Midshipman Wilkes Henry was the only son of his mother, and she a widow, the sister of Commodore  Wilkes. His death was a deep affliction to his mother, who could be sustained under it only by Divine grace.