This instantaneous movement was occasioned, as we afterwards learned, by an alarm given by the two natives who had visited us on the small island. Intelligence of the fact, that a boat's crew of strange looking beings, as we doubtless appeared to them, had landed upon their territory, was given by sounding a shell. This aroused the multitude, and caused them to come out, to satisfy their curiosity, and assist in conducting us safely and speedily to a place of security. A large war canoe made directly towards us; and, on coming alongside, the head chief sprung into our boat, seized the captain by the shoulder, and struck him several times with a war-club; in the mean while giving him to understand, that it was his will and pleasure to have us row, with all convenient despatch, to the place whence they had issued. He then commenced swinging his club over our heads with great apparent ferocity, for the purpose, as it seemed, of awing us into submission; occasionally striking some of our number. After pretty thoroughly convincing us that in this case our only course was submission, he began to strip us of our clothing. While this was going on, his associates in arms and mischief kept their canoe close alongside, and, standing up, held their spears in a position to enable them to pierce us through in an instant, if there had been any occasion for so doing. We were soon in their miserable harbor; and, it being low water, we were compelled to leave our boat, and wade to the tableland through the mud. Our appearance, as the reader will naturally conclude, was not very creditable to the land which gave us birth; but since our destitute and miserable condition was not our choice, we could do no less than be thankful that it was no worse; and, making the best of it, we suffered ourselves to be ushered into the presence of the dignitaries of the island, in the way they thought most proper. We were conducted to a platform, on a rise of land at a little distance from the harbor, on which were seated those who had power to dispose of us as they pleased. This platform was twelve or fifteen feet square, and was situated between two long buildings, called "_pyes_." These, as we afterwards learned, were used by the chiefs as places of carousal, and as a sort of harem for their women. They were constructed in a rude manner, of bamboo sticks, and covered with leaves. They were sixty or seventy feet in length, and about twenty-four in width. That something like a correct conception of this scene may be formed by the reader, it may be well to give, in this place, a brief account of the appearance, manners, and customs of the natives of this island. This was the island known to navigators as Baubelthouap, the largest of the group of the Pelew islands. It lies not far from the eighth degree of north latitude, is about one hundred and twenty miles in length, and contains probably not far from two thousand inhabitants.[2]