University of Virginia Library

12. CHAPTER XII.

Little doubt remained in the mind of the governor,
after he had heard and weighed the whole of Bigelow's
story, that he had to deal with one of those piratical squadrons
that formerly infested the eastern seas, a sort of successor
of the old buccaneers. The men engaged in such
pursuits, were usually of different nations, and they were
always of the most desperate and ruthless characters. The
fact that Waally was with this party, indicated pretty plainly
the manner in which they had heard of the colony, and, out
of all question, that truculent chief had made his own bargain
to come in for a share of the profits.

It was highly probable that the original object of these
freebooters had been to plunder the pearl-fishing vessels,
and, hearing at their haunts, of Betto's group, they had
found their way across to it, where, meeting with Waally,
they had been incited to their present enterprise.

Little apprehension was felt for the Peak. A vessel
might hover about it a month, and never find the cove;
and should the pirates even make the discovery, such were
the natural advantages of the islanders, that the chances
were as twenty to one, they would drive off their assailants.
Under all the circumstances, therefore, and on the most
mature reflection, the governor determined to cross over to
the Reef, and assume the charge of the defence of that
most important position. Should the Reef fall into the

hands of the enemy, it might require years to repair the
loss; or, what would be still more afflicting, the freebooters
might hold the place, and use it as a general rendezvous,
in their nefarious pursuits. Accordingly, after taking a
most tender leave of his wife and children, Governor Woolston
left the cove, in the course of the forenoon, crossing
in a whale-boat rigged with a sail. Bridget wished greatly
to accompany her husband, but to this the latter would, on
no account, consent; for he expected serious service, and
thought it highly probable that most of the females would
have to be sent over to the Peak, for security. Finding
that her request could not be granted, and feeling fully the
propriety of her husband's decision, Mrs. Woolston so far
commanded her feelings as to set a good example to other
wives, as became her station.

When about mid-channel, the whale-boat made a sail
coming down before the wind, and apparently steering for
South Cape, as well as herself. This turned out to be the
Anne, which had gone to windward to give the alarm to
the fishermen, and was now on her return. She had
warned so many boats as to be certain they would spread
the notice, and she had spoken the Dragon, which had gone
in quest of the Jonas and the Abraham, both of which
were a few leagues to windward. Capt. Betts, however,
had come on board the Anne, and now joined his old
friend, the governor, when about four leagues from the
cape. Glad enough was Mark Woolston to meet with the
Anne, and to find so good an assistant on board her. That
schooner, which was regularly pilot-boat built, was the
fastest craft about the islands, and it was a great matter to
put head-quarters on board her. The Martha came next,
and the whale-boat was sent in to find that sloop, which
was up at the Reef, and to order her out immediately to
join the governor. Pennock was the highest in authority,
in the group, after the governor, and a letter was sent to
him, apprising him of all that was known, and exhorting
him to vigilance and activity; pointing out, somewhat in
detail, the different steps he was to take, in order that no
time might be lost. This done, the governor stood in towards
Whaling Bight, in order to ascertain the state of
things at that point.

The alarm had been given all over the group, and when
the Anne reached her place of destination, it was ascertained
that the men had been assembled under arms, and
every precaution taken. But Whaling Bight was the great
place of resort of the Kannakas, and there were no less
than forty of those men there at that moment, engaged in
trying out oil, or in fitting craft for the fisheries. No one
could say which side these fellows would take, should it
appear that their proper chiefs were engaged with the
strangers; though, otherwise, the colonists counted on
their assistance with a good deal of confidence. On all
ordinary occasions, a reasonably fair understanding existed
between the colonists and the Kannakas. It is true, that
the former were a little too fond of getting as much work
as possible, for rather small compensations, out of these
semi-savages; but, as articles of small intrinsic value still
went a great way in these bargains, no serious difficulty
had yet arisen out of the different transactions. Some
persons thought that the Kannakas had risen in their demands,
and put less value on a scrap of old iron, than had
been their original way of thinking, now that so many of
their countrymen had been back and forth a few times,
between the group and other parts of the world; a circumstance
that was very naturally to be expected. But
the governor knew mankind too well not to understand
that all unequal associations lead to discontent. Men may
get to be so far accustomed to inferior stations, and to
their duties and feelings, as to consider their condition the
result of natural laws; but the least taste of liberty begets
a jealousy and distrust that commonly raises a barrier between
the master and servant, that has a never-dying tendency
to keep them more or less alienated in feeling.
When the colonists began to cast about them, and to reflect
on the chances of their being sustained by these hirelings
in the coming strife, very few of them could be sufficiently
assured that the very men who had now eaten of their
bread and salt, in some instances, for years, were to be
relied on in a crisis. Indeed, the number of these Kannakas
was a cause of serious embarrassment with the governor,
when he came to reflect on his strength, and on the
means of employing it.

Fully two hundred of the savages, or semi-savages, were
at that moment either scattered about among the farm-houses,
or working at the different places where shipping
lay, or were out whaling to windward. Now, the whole
force of the colony, confining it to fighting-men, and including
those who were absent, was just three hundred
and sixty-three. Of these, three hundred might, possibly,
on an emergency, be brought to act on any given point,
leaving the remainder in garrisons. But a straggling body
of a hundred and fifty of these Kannakas, left in the settlements,
or on the Reef, or about the crater, while the
troops were gone to meet the enemy, presented no very
pleasing picture to the mind of the governor. He saw the
necessity of collecting these men together, and of employing
them actively in the service of the colony, as the most
effectual mode of preventing their getting within the control
of Waally. This duty was confided to Bigelow, who
was sent to the Reef without delay, taking with him all
the Kannakas at Whaling Bight, with orders to put them
on board the shipping at the Reef — schooners, sloops,
lighters, &c., of which there were now, ordinarily, some
eight or ten to be found there—and to carry them all to
windward; using the inner channels of the group. Here
was a twenty-four hours' job, and one that would not only
keep everybody quite busy, but which might have the effect
to save all the property in the event of a visit to the Reef
by the pirates. Bigelow was to call every Kannaka he
saw to his assistance, in the hope of thus getting most of
them out of harm's way.

Notwithstanding this procedure, which denoted a wise
distrust of these Indian allies, the governor manifested a
certain degree of confidence towards a portion of them,
that was probably just as discreet in another way. A part
of the crew of every vessel, with the exception of those that
went to the Peak, was composed of Kannakas; and no less
than ten of them were habitually employed in the Anne,
which carried two whale-boats for emergencies. None of
these men were sent away, or were in any manner taken
from their customary employments. So much confidence
had the governor in his own authority, and in his power to
influence these particular individuals, that he did not hesitate

about keeping them near himself, and, in a measure, of
entrusting the safety of his person to their care. It is true,
that the Kannakas of both the Anne and the Martha were
a sort of confidential seamen, having now been employed
in the colony several years, and got a taste for the habits
of the settlers.

When all his arrangements were made, the governor
came out of Whaling Bight in the Anne, meeting Betts in
the Martha off South Cape. Both vessels then stood down
along the shores of the group, keeping a bright look-out in
the direction of Rancocus Island, or towards the southward
and westward. Two or three smaller crafts were in company,
each under the direction of some one on whom reliance
could be placed. The old Neshamony had the honour
of being thus employed, among others. The south-western
angle of the group formed a long, low point, or cape of
rock, making a very tolerable roadstead on its north-western
side, or to leeward. This cape was known among the
colonists by the name of Rancocus Needle, from the circumstance
that it pointed with mathematical precision to
the island in question. Thus, it was a practice with the
coasters to run for the extremity of this cape, and then to
stand away on a due south-west course, certain of seeing
the mountains for which they were steering in the next few
hours. Among those who plied to and fro in this manner,
were many who had no very accurate notions of navigation;
and, to them, this simple process was found to be quite
useful.

Off Rancocus Needle, the governor had appointed a
rendezvous for the whole of his little fleet. In collecting
these vessels, six in all, including four boats, his object had
not been resistance — for the armaments of the whole
amounted to but six swivels, together with a few muskets—
but vigilance. He was confident that Waally would lead
his new friends up towards the Western Roads, the point
where he had made all his own attacks, and where he was
most acquainted; and the position under the Needle was
the best station for observing the approach of the strangers,
coming as they must, if they came at all, from the south-west.

The Anne was the first craft to arrive off the point of

the Needle, and she found the coast clear. As yet, no
signs of invaders were to be seen; and the Martha being
within a very convenient distance to the eastward, a signal
was made to Captain Betts to stand over towards the
Peak, and have a search in that quarter. Should the strangers
take it into their heads to beat up under the cliffs
again, and thence stretch across to the group, it would
bring them in with the land to windward of the observing
squadron, and give them an advantage the governor was
very far from wishing them to obtain. The rest of the
craft came down to the place of rendezvous, and kept
standing off and on, under short sail, close in with the
rocks, so as to keep in the smoothest of the water. Such
was the state of things when the sun went down in the
ocean.

All night the little fleet of the colonists remained in the
same uncertainty as to the movements of their suspicious
visitors. About twelve the Martha came round the Needle,
and reported the coast clear to the southward. She had
been quite to the cove, and had communicated with the
shore. Nothing had been seen of the ship and her consorts
since the governor left, nor had any further tidings
been brought up from to leeward, since the arrival of Bigelow.
On receiving this information, the governor ordered
his command to run off, in diverging lines, for seven
leagues each, and then to wait for day. This was accordingly
done; the Anne and Martha, as a matter of course,
outstripping the others. At the usual hour day re-appeared,
when the look-out aloft, on board the Anne, reported the
Martha about two leagues to the northward, the Neshamony
about as far to the southward, though a league farther
to windward. The other craft were known to be to
the northward of the Martha, but could not be seen. As
for the Neshamony, she was coming down with a flowing
sheet, to speak the governor.

The sun had fairly risen, when the Neshamony came down
on the Anne's weather-quarter, both craft then standing to
the northward. The Neshamony had seen nothing. The
governor now directed her commander to stand directly
down towards Rancocus Island. If she saw nothing, she
was to go in and land, in order to get the news from the

people ashore. Unless the information obtained in this
way was of a nature that demanded a different course, she
was to beat up to the volcano, reconnoitre there, their
stand across to the cove, and go in; whence she was to
sail for the Reef, unless she could hear of the governor at
some other point, when she was to make the best of her
way to him.

The Anne now made sail towards the Martha, which
sloop was standing to the northward, rather edging from
the group, under short canvass. No land was in sight,
though its haze could be discovered all along the eastern
board, where the group was known to lie; but neither the
Peak, nor the Volcano, nor Rancocus heights could now
be seen from the vessels. About ten the governor spoke
Captain Betts, to ask the news. The Martha had seen
nothing; and, shortly after, the three boats to the northward
joined, and made the same report. Nothing had been
seen of the strangers, who seemed, most unaccountably, to
be suddenly lost!

This uncertainty rendered all the more reflecting portion
of the colonists exceedingly uneasy. Should the
pirates get into the group by either of its weather channels,
they would not only find all the property and vessels that
had been taken in that direction, at their mercy, but they
would assail the settlements in their weakest parts, render
succour more difficult, and put themselves in a position
whence it would be easiest to approach or to avoid their
foes. Any one understanding the place, its facilities for
attacking, or its defences, would naturally endeavour to
enter the group as well to windward as possible; but
Waally had never attempted anything of the sort; and, as
he knew little of the inner passages, it was not probable
he had thought of suggesting a course different from his
own to his new friends. The very circumstance that he
had always approached by the same route, was against it;
for, if his sagacity had not pointed out a preferable course
for himself, it was not to be expected it would do it for
others. Still, it was not unreasonable to suppose that practised
seamen might see the advantages which the savage
had overlooked, and a very serious apprehension arose in
the minds of the governor and Betts, in particular, touching

this point. All that could be done, however, was to despatch
two of the boats, with orders to enter the group by
the northern road, and proceed as far as the Reef. The
third boat was left to cruise off the Needle, in order to
communicate with anything that should go to that place of
rendezvous with a report, and, at the same time, to keep a
look-out for the pirates. With the person in charge of this
boat, was left the course to be steered by those who were
to search for the governor, as they arrived off the Needle,
from time to time.

The Anne and Martha bore up, in company, as soon as
these arrangements were completed, it being the plan now
to go and look for the strangers. Once in view, the governor
determined not to lose sight of the pirates, again,
but to remain so near them, as to make sure of knowing
what they were about. In such cases, a close look-out
should always be kept on the enemy, since an advantage
in time is gained by so doing, as well as a great deal of
uncertainty and indecision avoided.

For seven hours the Anne and Martha stood towards
Rancocus Island, running off about two leagues from each
other, thereby `spreading a clew,' as sailors call it, that
would command the view of a good bit of water. The
tops of the mountains were soon seen, and by the end of
the time mentioned, most of the lower land became visible.
Nevertheless, the strangers did not come in sight. Greatly
at a loss how to proceed, the governor now sent the Martha
down for information, with orders for her to beat up to the
Needle, as soon as she could, the Anne intending to rendezvous
there, next morning, agreeably to previous arrangements.
As the Martha went off before the wind, the
Anne hauled up sharp towards the Peak, under the impression
that something might have been seen of the
strangers from the high land there. About four in the
morning the Anne went into the cove, and the governor
ascended to the plain to have an interview with Heaton.
He found everything tranquil in that quarter. Nothing
had been seen of the strange squadron, since it went out
of sight, under the volcano; nor had even the Neshamony
come in. The governor's arrival was soon known, early as
it was, and he had visits from half the women on the island,

to inquire after their absent husbands. Each wife was told
all the governor knew, and this short intercourse relieved
the minds of a great many.

At eight, the Anne sailed again, and at ten she had the
Needle in sight, with three boats off it, on the look-out.
Here, then, were tidings at last; but, the impatience of the
governor was restrained, in order to make out the character
of a sail that had been seen coming down through the
straits, under a cloud of canvas. In a short time, this vessel
was made out to be the Abraham, and the Anne hauled
up to get her news. The two schooners spoke each other
about twelve o'clock, but the Abraham had no intelligence
to impart. She had been sent, or rather carried by Bigelow,
out by the eastern passage, and had stood along the
whole of the weather-side of the group, to give notice to
the whalers where to go; and she had notified the two
brigs to go in to-windward, and to remain in Weather Bay,
where all the rest of the dull crafts had been taken for
safety; and then had come to-leeward to look for the governor.
As the Abraham was barely a respectable sailer,
it was not deemed prudent to take her too near the strangers;
but, she might see how matters were situated to the eastward.
By keeping on the weather-coast, and so near the
land as not to be cut off from it, she would be of particular
service; since no enemy could approach in that quarter,
without being seen; and Bigelow's familiarity with the
channels would enable him, not only to save his schooner
by running in, but would put it in his power to give notice
throughout the whole group, of the position and apparent
intentions of the strangers. The Abraham, accordingly,
hauled by the wind, to beat back to her station, while the
Anne kept off for the Needle.

At the rendezvous, the governor found most of his craft
waiting for him. The Neshamony was still behind; but
all the rest had executed their orders, and were standing
off and on, near the cape, ready to report. Nothing had
been seen of the strangers! It was certain they had not
approached the group, for two of the boats had just come
out of it, having left the colonists busy with the preparations
for defence, but totally undisturbed in other respects.
This information gave the governor increased uneasiness.

His hope of hearing from the pirates, in time to be ready
to meet them, now depended on his reports from to leeward.
The Neshamony ought soon to be in; nor could it
be long before the Martha would return. The great source
of apprehension now came from a suspicion that some of
the Kannakas might be acting as pirates, along with Waally.
For Waally himself no great distrust was felt, since he
had never been allowed to see much of the channels of
the group; but it was very different with the sea-going Kannakas,
who had been employed by the colonists. Some of
these men were familiar with all the windings and turnings
of the channels, knew how much water could be taken
through a passage, and, though not absolutely safe pilots,
perhaps, were men who might enable skilful seamen to
handle their vessels with tolerable security within the
islands. Should it turn out that one or two of these fellows
had undertaken to carry the strangers up to windward,
and to take them into one of the passages in that
quarter of the group, they might be down upon the different
fortified points before they were expected, and sweep
all before them. It is true, this danger had been in a measure
foreseen, and persons had been sent to look out for it;
but it never had appeared so formidable to the governor, as
now that he found himself completely at fault where to
look for his enemy. At length, a prospect of fresh reports
appeared. The Neshamony was seen in the southern
board, standing across from the Peak; and about the same
time, the Martha was made out in the south-western, beating
up from Rancocus Island direct. As the first had
been ordered to land, and had also been round by the volcano,
the Anne hauled up for her, the governor being impatient
to get her tidings first. In half an hour, the two
vessels were alongside of each other. But the Neshamony
had very little that was new to tell! The pirates had remained
on the island but a short time after Bigelow and
his companions got away, doing all the damage they could,
however, in that brief space. When they left, it was night,
and nothing very certain could be told of their movements.
When last seen, however, they were on a wind, and heading
to the southward, a little westerly; which looked like
beating up towards the volcano, the trades now blowing
due south-east. But the Neshamony had been quite round
the volcano, without obtaining a sight of the strangers.
Thence she proceeded to the Peak, where she arrived
only a few hours after the governor had sailed, going into
the cove and finding all quiet. Of course, the Martha
could have no more to say than this, if as much; and the
governor was once more left to the pain of deep suspense.
As was expected, when Betts joined, he had nothing at all
to tell. He had been ashore at Rancocus Point, heard the
complaints of the people touching their losses, but had
obtained no other tidings of the wrong-doers. Unwilling
to lose time, he staid but an hour, and had been beating
back to the rendezvous the rest of the period of his absence.
Was it possible that the strangers had gone back
to Betto's group, satisfied with the trifling injuries they
had inflicted? This could hardly be; yet it was not easy
to say where else they had been. After a consultation, it
was decided that the Martha should stand over in that direction,
in the hope that she might pick up some intelligence,
by meeting with fishing canoes that often came
out to a large cluster of rocks, that lay several leagues to
windward of the territories of Ooroony and Waally. Captain
Betts had taken his leave of the governor, and had
actually got on board his own vessel, in order to make sail,
when a signal was seen flying on board one of the boats
that was kept cruising well out in the straits, intimating
that strange vessels were seen to windward. This induced
the governor to recall the Martha, and the whole of the
look-out vessels stood off into the straits.

In less than an hour, all doubts were removed. There
were the strangers, sure enough, and what was more, there
was the Abraham ahead of them, pushing for Cape South
passage, might and main; for the strangers were on her
heels, going four feet to her three. It appeared, afterwards,
that the pirates, on quitting Rancocus Island, had
stood off to the southward, until they reached to windward
of the volcano, passing however a good bit to leeward of
the island, on their first stretch, when, finding the Peak
just dipping, they tacked to the northward and westward,
and stood off towards the ordinary whaling-ground of the
colony, over which they swept in the expectation of capturing

the brigs. The pirates had no occasion for oil,
which they probably would have destroyed in pure wantonness,
but they were much in want of naval stores, cordage
in particular, and the whaling gear of the two brigs
would have been very acceptable to them. While running
in for the group, after an unsuccessful search, they made
the Abraham, and gave chase. That schooner steered for
the straits, in the hope of finding the governor; but was so
hard pressed by her pursuers, as to be glad to edge in for
Cape South roads, intending to enter the group, and run
for the Reef, if she could do no better.

Luckily, the discovery of the look-out boat prevented
the execution of the Abraham's project, which would have
led the pirates directly up to the capital. But, no sooner
did the governor see how things were situated, than he
boldly luffed up towards the strangers, intending to divert
them from the chase of the Abraham; or, at least, to separate
them, in chase of himself. In this design he was
handsomely seconded by Betts, in the Martha, who hauled
his wind in the wake of the Anne, and carried everything
that would draw, in order to keep his station. This decision
and show of spirit had its effect. The two brigs,
which were most to the southward, altered their course,
and edged away for the Anne and Martha, leaving the ship
to follow the Abraham alone. The governor was greatly
rejoiced at this, for he had a notion a vessel as large as the
strange ship would hesitate about entering the narrow
waters, on account of her draught; she being much larger
than any craft that had ever been in before, as the Kannakas
must know, and would not fail to report to the pirates.
The governor supposed this ship to be a vessel of between
six and seven hundred tons measurement. Her armament
appeared to be twelve guns of a side, below, and some
eight or ten guns on her quarter-deck and forecastle.
This was a formidable craft in those days, making what
was called in the English service, an eight-and-twenty gun
frigate, a class of cruisers that were then found to be very
useful. It is true, that the first class modern sloop-of-war
would blow one of those little frigates out of water, being
several hundred tons larger, with armaments, crews and
spars in proportion; but an eight-and-twenty gun frigate

offered a very formidable force to a community like that
of the crater, and no one knew it better than the governor.

The three strangers all sailed like witches. It was well
for the Abraham that she had a port so close under her
lee, or the ship would have had her, beyond the smallest
doubt. As it was she caught it, as she rounded the cape,
as close in as she could go, the frigate letting slip at her
the whole of her starboard broadside, which cut away the
schooner's gaff, jib-stay, and main-topmast, besides killing
a Kannaka, who was in the main-cross-trees at the time.
This last occurrence turned out to be fortunate, in the
main, however, since it induced all the Kannakas to believe
that the strangers were their enemies, in particular;
else why kill one of their number, when there were just
as many colonists as Kannakas to shoot at!

As the governor expected, the ship did not venture to
follow the Abraham in. That particular passage, in fact,
was utterly unknown to Waally, and those with him, and
he could not give such an account of it as would encourage
the admiral to stand on. Determined not to lose
time unnecessarily, the latter hauled short off shore, and
made sail in chase of the Anne and Martha, which, by
this time, were about mid-channel, heading across to the
Peak. It was not the wish of the governor, however, to
lead the strangers any nearer to the cove than was necessary,
and, no sooner did he see the Abraham well within
the islands, her sails concealed by the trees, of which
there was now a little forest on this part of the coast, and
the ship drawing well off the land in hot pursuit of himself,
than he kept away in the direction of Rancocus Island,
bringing the wind on his larboard quarter. The
strangers followed, and in half an hour they were all so
far to leeward of Cape South, as to remove any apprehension
of their going in there very soon.

Thus far, the plan of the governor had succeeded to
admiration. He had his enemies in plain sight, within a
league of him, and in chase of his two fastest craft. The
best sailing of the Anne and Martha was on a wind, and,
as a matter of course, they could do better, comparatively,
in smooth water, than larger craft. No sooner, therefore,
had he got his pursuers far enough off the land, and far

enough to leeward, than the governor wore, or jibed would
be the better word, running off northwest, with the wind
on his starboard quarter. This gave the strangers a little
the advantage, in one sense, though they lost it in another.
It brought them on his weather-beam; pretty well forward
of it, too; but the Needle was directly ahead of the
schooner and sloop, and the governor foresaw that his
pursuers would have to keep off to double that, which he
was reasonably certain of reaching first.

Everything turned out as the governor anticipated. The
pirates had near a league of water more to pass over, before
they could double the Needle, than the Anne and the
Martha had; and, though those two crafts were obliged to
haul up close to the rocks, under a distant fire from all
three of their pursuers, no harm was done, and they were
soon covered by the land, and were close-hauled in smooth
water, to leeward of the group. Twenty minutes later,
the strangers came round the cape, also, bearing up sharp,
and following their chase. This was placing the enemy
just where the colonists could have wished. They were
now to-leeward of every point in the settlements, looking
up towards the roads, which opened on the western passage,
or that best known to Waally, and which he would
be most likely to enter, should he attempt to pilot the
strangers in. This was getting the invaders precisely
where the governor wished them to be, if they were to
attack him at all. They could not reach the Reef in less
than twenty-four hours, with their knowledge of the channel;
would have to approach it in face of the heaviest and
strongest batteries, those provided for Waally; and, if successful
in reaching the inner harbour, would enter it under
the fire of the long twelves mounted on the crater, which
was, rightly enough, deemed to be the citadel of the entire
colony, unless, indeed, the Peak might better deserve that
name.