“On opening the next bay, which was Grass Cove, we saw four canoes, one single and three double ones, and a great many people on the beach, who, on our approach; retreated to a small hill, within a ship’s length of the water side, where they stood talking to us.  A large fire was on the top of the high land, beyond the woods, from whence, all the way down the hill, the place was thronged like a fair.  As we came in, I ordered a musquetoon to be fired at one of the canoes, suspecting they might be full of men lying down in the bottom; for they were all afloat, but nobody was seen in them.  The savages on the little hill still kept hallooing, and making signs for us to land.  However, as soon as we got close in, we all fired.  The first volley did not seem to affect them much; but on the second, they began to scramble away as fast as they could, some of them howling.  We continued firing as long as we could see the glimpse of any of them through the bushes.  Amongst the Indians were two very stout men, who never offered to move till they found themselves forsaken by their companions; and then they marched away with great composure and deliberation; their pride not suffering them to run.  One of them, however, got a fall, and either lay there, or crawled off on all-fours.  The other got clear, without any apparent hurt.  I then landed with the marines, and Mr Fannin staid to guard the boat.”

“On the beach were two bundles of celery, which had been gathered for loading the cutter.  A broken oar was stuck upright in the ground, to which the natives had tied their canoes; a proof that the attack had been made here.  I then searched all along at the back of the beach, to see if the cutter was there.  We found no boat, but instead of her, such a shocking scene of carnage and barbarity as can never be mentioned or thought of but with horror; for the heads, hearts, and lungs of several of our people were seen lying on the beach, and, at a little distance, the dogs gnawing their entrails.”

“Whilst we remained almost stupified on the spot, Mr Fannin called to us that he heard the savages gathering together in the woods; on which I returned to the boat, and hauling along-side the canoes, we demolished three of them.  Whilst this was transacting, the fire on the top of the hill disappeared; and we could hear the Indians in the woods at high words; I suppose quarrelling whether or no they should attack us, and try to save their canoes.  It now grew dark; I therefore just stepped out, and looked once more behind the beach to see if the cutter had been hauled up in the bushes; but seeing nothing of her, returned, and put off.  Our whole force would have been barely sufficient to have gone up the hill; and to have ventured with half (for half must have been left to guard the boat) would have been fool-hardiness.”