Probably owing to this show of resistance on our part, when we had approached to within five or six miles of the island, at a signal given by the chief, the sail of their canoe was suddenly dropped; and, seizing our powder canister, he jumped overboard and swam to the canoe. His companion, following the example of the thievish chief, seized a bundle of clothing and was making off with it; whereupon Mr. Nute, who had not yet become entirely reconciled to the fashion of going without clothes, like our new acquaintances, and conceiving that it might be well to insist upon having the rights of property respected, caught hold of the bundle and retained it. Upon this they immediately hauled us alongside, and seized upon our oars; here again we had occasion to offer some resistance to their supposed right to plunder us, and we succeeded in keeping possession of these; the only remaining means of saving ourselves from premature death and a watery grave. They had by this time become so exasperated, that we considered it altogether desirable to get ourselves out of the reach of their war clubs, spears, and battle-axes; and we took measures accordingly. We were still held fast to their canoe, and so completely within their reach that it required not a little courage to make any attempt to leave them; but Mr. Nute, whose resolution had been wrought up by the previous contest, took a knife and deliberately cut the line. Our intention was to throw ourselves astern, and then, by tacking directly about, and steering in the wind's eye, to escape from them, or at least to give them, for a time, some better employment than that of robbing their poor and suffering victims. This we succeeded in accomplishing; not however without the expense of much toil, and some blows, which they dealt out at parting, with so much severity, that we shall not soon lose the recollection of their barbarous conduct towards us. Mr. Nute, by his intrepidity, seemed to have rendered himself an object of their particular dislike; they beat him unmercifully, for his resolution in retaining the bundle of clothes, and sundering the only cord that bound us to our tormentors.