The next day they came to our house and seemed so friendly that our alarm quite wore off. Before leaving for the night, however, they were particular to ascertain our number. The following day they came up to town as usual, but there was a marked difference in their conduct. They began taking many liberties, which they knew would be offensive to us, and one of them came into our house, took some articles of clothing and was about making off with them when one of our crew took them away and helped him out of the house. This treatment he did not at all relish. He took his club and beat the ground most furiously, and expressed his displeasure by every possible gesture. One of our boys had on a red cap, which a native seized and made off with. The boy cried bitterly for the loss, when the fellow returned and gave it back. It seemed as though they were trying all ways in their power to provoke us to do something which would justify them in declaring war upon us. They were continually stealing everything they could lay their hands on, which made repeated quarrels with the least consideration of the crew. Capt. Riddell took every opportunity to advise us not to use force and let them take everything they wanted, and gave his advice for our own good as well as his own, as we were without arms and wholly at the mercy of the savages. Well would it have been for the crew had they heeded the advice of our worthy captain. The inhabitants of the island continued to treat us kindly. They at one time brought us some yams. While we were eating them one of the visitors put his hand in the dish to take out a piece, when one of our crew rapped his knuckles, telling him to keep his black paws out of the victuals. This so enraged him that he went out of the house, got his club and beat the ground, using many threatening gestures. It is my belief that if the captain's advice had been strictly followed, and we had let them take whatever they chose without resistance, they would have left without molesting us. But through the inconsiderate conduct of such no doubt the lives of many valuable men were sacrificed. The next day we made an ineffectual attempt to get to the ship, and on our return to the town we met a number of the savages who were the most troublesome, swinging their clubs as though preparing for battle. In the house where we lived all the spears and clubs belonging to the islanders were deposited. These they contrived to carry off, as they thought, unperceived by us. I was sitting in the house alone reading and observed the manoeuvers, which excited my fears, and I told my companions that I believed they would attack us that night. Some of them shared my apprehensions, others only laughed at my fears. The officers were fully satisfied of their design, but could do nothing to avoid it. That night I decided not to remain in the house, but went into the woods and slept in a cave. The night passed, however, with no hostile demonstration.