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Article BARBAROUS ATTACK OF THE NATIVES. ← Page 3 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Barbarous Attack Of The Natives.
number of six or seven hundred , continued to stone us in the most dreadful and murderous manner . Upon the first aft of hostility I threw myself into the water , in order to swim to the Astrolabe ' s barge , which was destitute of ofticers . The exigency ofthe case gave me strength sufficient for the small distance I had to go ; and , notwithstanding , my weakness , and several stones into the boat
my being struck on the way by , I got without assistance . I saw with despair that there was scarcely a musket that was not wet , and that nothing remained to be done but to get her afloat without the reef as soon as possible . In the mean time the combat continued ; the enorm > us stones hurled by the savages maimed one or other of our people at every moment ; and whenever the side ofthe he
a wounded man fell into the water on savages , was immediately dispatched with clubs and paddles . M . de Langle was the first viftim of the ferocity of these barbarians who had received nothing but favours at his hand . At the very Winning of the attack , he was beaten down from the bow of the " boat which he was standingand fell into the seawith
long- , on , , the master at arms , and the carpenter , who were by his side . The fury with which the islanders fell upon the captain saved the two latter , who found means to g-t on board the barge . Those who were in the long-boats soon shared the fate of our unfortunate commander , thence towards
except a few who got awav to the reef , and swam the barges . In less than " four minutes the islanders made themselves masters of the two boats , and I beheld with grief and rage the massacre of our unfortunate companions , without being able to afford them the smallest assistance . The Astrolabe ' s barge was still within the reef , and I expected every moment to seeit involved in th * saved the avidity of the
misfortune of the long-boats ; but it was by islanders , the greater part of whom rushed into the latter , while the rest contented themselves with throwing stones . A few , however , came down and waited for us in the channel , and upon the reefs . Although the swell was heavy , and the wind right on end , we found notwithstanding their stonesand the dangerous wounds-by
means , , which many of us were disabled , to extricate ourselves from this fatal place , and to join the Boussole ' s barge without , commanded by M . Mouton , who , by throwing his water casks into the sea , had lightened her , and made room for all ' those who swam on b aid . I had taken into that ofthe Astrolabe , Messieurs Boutin and Colinet , as well as several other Thus * who had escaped to the barges were
, persons . ail either more or less wounded . The boats were therefore defenceless , and it was impossible to think of returning to a bay whence our escape had been most fortunate , in order to make head against a thousand enraged barbarians . It would have been exposing
ourselves , to no purpose , to certain death . We steered our course then towards the two frigates , which at three o ' clock , the moment of the massacre , had made a tack offshore . They did not so much as suspeft that we were in the smallest danger , " and the breeze being fresh , were a long way to windward ; « n
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Barbarous Attack Of The Natives.
number of six or seven hundred , continued to stone us in the most dreadful and murderous manner . Upon the first aft of hostility I threw myself into the water , in order to swim to the Astrolabe ' s barge , which was destitute of ofticers . The exigency ofthe case gave me strength sufficient for the small distance I had to go ; and , notwithstanding , my weakness , and several stones into the boat
my being struck on the way by , I got without assistance . I saw with despair that there was scarcely a musket that was not wet , and that nothing remained to be done but to get her afloat without the reef as soon as possible . In the mean time the combat continued ; the enorm > us stones hurled by the savages maimed one or other of our people at every moment ; and whenever the side ofthe he
a wounded man fell into the water on savages , was immediately dispatched with clubs and paddles . M . de Langle was the first viftim of the ferocity of these barbarians who had received nothing but favours at his hand . At the very Winning of the attack , he was beaten down from the bow of the " boat which he was standingand fell into the seawith
long- , on , , the master at arms , and the carpenter , who were by his side . The fury with which the islanders fell upon the captain saved the two latter , who found means to g-t on board the barge . Those who were in the long-boats soon shared the fate of our unfortunate commander , thence towards
except a few who got awav to the reef , and swam the barges . In less than " four minutes the islanders made themselves masters of the two boats , and I beheld with grief and rage the massacre of our unfortunate companions , without being able to afford them the smallest assistance . The Astrolabe ' s barge was still within the reef , and I expected every moment to seeit involved in th * saved the avidity of the
misfortune of the long-boats ; but it was by islanders , the greater part of whom rushed into the latter , while the rest contented themselves with throwing stones . A few , however , came down and waited for us in the channel , and upon the reefs . Although the swell was heavy , and the wind right on end , we found notwithstanding their stonesand the dangerous wounds-by
means , , which many of us were disabled , to extricate ourselves from this fatal place , and to join the Boussole ' s barge without , commanded by M . Mouton , who , by throwing his water casks into the sea , had lightened her , and made room for all ' those who swam on b aid . I had taken into that ofthe Astrolabe , Messieurs Boutin and Colinet , as well as several other Thus * who had escaped to the barges were
, persons . ail either more or less wounded . The boats were therefore defenceless , and it was impossible to think of returning to a bay whence our escape had been most fortunate , in order to make head against a thousand enraged barbarians . It would have been exposing
ourselves , to no purpose , to certain death . We steered our course then towards the two frigates , which at three o ' clock , the moment of the massacre , had made a tack offshore . They did not so much as suspeft that we were in the smallest danger , " and the breeze being fresh , were a long way to windward ; « n