cordingly neared the shore, and landed, when other savages were observed to make their appearance from behind a small eminence, that had hitherto concealed them. On their approach, we perceived that many of them had put on their war-dress, and armed themselves with spears, bows, and war-clubs. By this time our boat had got into shoal water, and was close to the beach, within reach of their arrows. Vancouver began to talk of retreating, yet did not like to shew any symptom of fear; he ordered the arms-chest to be opened, and that every man should prepare to defend himself. The moment the savages saw us arming, they rushed towards the boat, and, plunging into the sea, got under our oars, so that they could not be used; others laid hold of the boat, and endeavoured to haul her on shore. Vancouver in vain endeavoured to hold a parley with them, and to explain that no harm was intended . they every minute became more insolent and audacious, and I saw clearly that they intended mischief.
“My station was in the stern-sheets, where providentially lay a pair of large horse-pistols I took one of them, and a midshipman, who stood by me, seized the other. We had scarcely done this, when two tall, strong, horrid-looking savages, rushed into the water, within a few feet of us, each armed with a long spear, and their faces painted with all sorts of colours. The savage who was opposed to me threw himself back a little, elevated his spear, and seemed in the very act of hurling it through my body, when suddenly his eye caught mine, and he observed that the muzzle of my pistol was directed to his breast. He, instantly, was horror-struck, and remained fixed in his terrific attitude: aware of the efficacy of fire-arms, he dreaded instant death, if he made his intended throw at me. At this critical period, when Vancouver had already been knocked down by a war-club, and several of the boat’s crew severely wounded with spears, our shipmates hove in sight! They immediately saw what was going on, and fired upon the savages, who then retired in consternation. With the assistance of our deliverers, we pushed into deep water and rowed off. One of our men was speared through the thigh, with such force as to be pinioned to the side of the boat.”
At the time this affray took place, Mr. Swaine was accompanied hy the present Captain John Sykes, a circumstance which we inadvertently omitted to notice in our memoir of that officer. Mr. Archibald Menzies, the botanist, also was in the boat with him at that critical period.
On his return to England, in Sept. 1795, Mr. Swaine, who had had an acting order ever since 1792, received a Lieutenant’s commission; and at the close of the same year he was appointed to the Spitfire sloop, in which vessel he served under Captains Amherst Morris, and Michael Seymour[1], on the
