“The greatest danger to which we were exposed arose from the natives at the Island of Malicolo. Only one ship is known to have visited this harbour before and the natives did not know one word of English or of the language of the other islands. Numbers collected on the shore as we entered the harbour and as we wanted to replenish our water we at once communicated with them.... The place shown by them as the best for obtaining water, proved so inconvenient, that the Bishop of New Zealand and myself rowed along the shores of the harbour to find, if possible, a more convenient stream or pool. We found one more accessible and returned after an absence of two hours to the ship. Whenever we left the ship, we always gave directions to the chief mate to allow a few natives to come on board at a time, if they came in their canoes, and wished to see the ship, and seemed quiet and friendly. On our return the mate told, us that they had allowed one or two small parties to come on board, but that afterwards so many came and looked so questionable, armed with their clubs and spears, that he thought it prudent to refuse permission to them to come on deck. The Bishop of New Zealand still thought it important to procure some water, so we arranged that we should not both go in the boats as the place we had selected as the best for obtaining water, while I remained in charge of the ship. At dawn the boats went with casks to fetch the water. I was left in the ship with the mate and one sailor, and two or three of the native boys from the other islands. Within an hour after the boats had left the ship, two or three canoes came off to the ship, filled with huge men, most of them were armed with their clubs and bows and spears. In the first canoe the chief man was such a ferocious looking ruffian that I at once determined he should not come on board. Later, five or six other canoes came off to the ship, and there must have been at least fifty of these huge men in them, many armed. Every now and then one more forward than the rest would take hold of the ship and plant his foot on a slight projection, so that one spring would bring him on deck. No sooner had he planted his foot and looked up, than he saw me just over him directing him very calmly but decidedly to get back into his canoe. All this time the native boys from the other islands who were on board were in the greatest terror.... After two hours the men in the canoes consulted together, evidently came to the conclusion that it was no use to try any longer, and began to move off.... Next came the most anxious hour that I have ever passed. When the canoes had moved off a little way, they stopped and every eye was directed towards the two boats of the ship which were lying off the shore, where the water was being fetched from a pool about a quarter of a mile inland. The men in the canoes consulted