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Updated: June 5, 2025
As soon as the canoe was beached, and we were all fairly ashore, the natives came forward, somewhat hastily, from the skirt of the wood, probably in the expectation of receiving further presents; but our men, mistaking this sudden advance for a hostile movement, laid hold of the canoe, and would have put her into the water again, had not Rokoa, armed with a heavy paddle, and backed by Barton with his pistols, interfered with so much decision and vigour, that their fears began to take a new direction and they came to the sensible conclusion, that they had better run the risk of being roasted and eaten by the cannibals, than encounter the far more immediate danger of having their heads broken by the club of their chief, or their bodies bored through by the pistol-balls of the young Papalangi.
There were two others from the unfortunate Victoria a Thomas Davis, boatswain, who had had one of Nikola's pistol-balls in his hip; and a sort of steward I have forgotten his name who had a scar of a cutlass wound on his forehead. It was horrible enough; but what distressed me more was that I could not see what sort of impression I was making.
Before we could get as swift a pace, they were close upon us; and then it was a wild and perilous race downhill for the river, with yells, curses, and pistol-balls flying, I as helpless, meanwhile, as a child. The big roan kept well up to the front near the captain. Looking back, through dust and smoke, I saw our pursuers were better horsed and were gaining.
Their leader, Daaga, and a daring Yarraba named Ogston instantly charged their pieces; the former of these had a quantity of ball- cartridges, loose powder, and ounce and pistol-balls, in a kind of gray worsted cap. He must have provided himself with these before the mutiny.
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