We had no time to reflect for to my surprise they filled their canoes with stones, and twelve men came off after us to renew the attack, which they did so effectually as nearly to disable us all.  Our grapnel was foul but Providence here assisted us; the fluke broke and we got to our oars and pulled to sea.  They however could paddle round us, so that we were obliged to sustain the attack without being able to return it, except with such stones as lodged in the boat, and in this I found we were very inferior to them.  We could not close because our boat was lumbered and heavy, of which they knew how to take advantage:  I therefore adopted the expedient of throwing overboard some clothes which, as I expected, they stopped to pick up and, as it was by this time almost dark, they gave over the attack and returned towards the shore leaving us to reflect on our unhappy situation.

The poor man killed by the natives was John Norton:  this was his second voyage with me as a quartermaster, and his worthy character made me lament his loss very much.  He has left an aged parent I am told, whom he supported.

I once before sustained an attack of a similar nature with a smaller number of Europeans against a multitude of Indians:  it was after the death of Captain Cook on the Morai at Owhyhee, where I was left by Lieutenant King.  Yet notwithstanding this experience I had not an idea that the power of a man’s arm could throw stones from two to eight pounds weight with such force and exactness as these people did.  Here unhappily we were without firearms, which the Indians knew; and it was a fortunate circumstance that they did not begin to attack us in the cave; for in that case our destruction must have been inevitable, and we should have had nothing left for it but to sell our lives as dearly as we could, in which I found everyone cheerfully disposed to concur.  This appearance of resolution deterred them, supposing that they could effect their purpose without risk after we were in the boat.

Taking this as a sample of the disposition of the natives there was but little reason to expect much benefit by persevering in the intention of visiting Poulaho; for I considered their good behaviour formerly to have proceeded from a dread of our firearms, and which therefore was likely to cease, as they knew we were now destitute of them:  and even supposing our lives not in danger the boat and everything we had would most probably be taken from us, and thereby all hopes precluded of ever being able to return to our native country.

We set our sails and steered along shore by the west side of the island Tofoa, the wind blowing fresh from the eastward.  My mind was employed in considering what was best to be done when I was solicited by all hands to take them towards home:  and when I told them that no hopes of relief for us remained (except what might be found at New Holland) till I came to Timor, a distance of full 1200 leagues, where there