第7章

Captain Jensen, however, was obdurate, and refused permission to any one to come aboard.That was enough for the chiefs.They went away in high dudgeon, followed immediately by all the other canoes and their occupants.When all had disappeared, a curious stillness came over the ship, the sea, and the tropical coast, and a strange sense of impending danger seemed to oppress all of us.We knew that we had offended the natives, and as we could not see a single one of them on the beach, it was pretty evident that they were brooding over their grievance.We might have weighed anchor and made for the open sea, only unfortunately there was a perfect calm, and our sails, which were set in readiness for a hasty departure, hung limp and motionless.Suddenly, as we stood looking out anxiously over the side in the direction of the shore, we were amazed to see at least twenty fully-equipped war-canoes, each carrying from thirty to forty warriors, rounding the headland, some little distance away, and making straight for our ship.Now my shrewd Dutch partner had anticipated a possible attack, and had accordingly armed all the Malays with tomahawks, in readiness for any attempt that might be made to board the schooner.We had also taken off the hatches, and made a sort of fortification with them round the wheel.

Jensen and I armed ourselves with guns, loaded our little cannon, and prepared to make a desperate fight for our lives against the overwhelming odds.In spite of the danger of our position, I could not help being struck with the magnificence of the spectacle presented by the great fleet of boats now fast advancing towards us.The warriors had all assumed their fighting decorations, with white stripes painted round their dusky bodies to strike terror into the beholder.Their head-dress consisted of many-coloured feathers projecting from the hair, which they had matted and caused to stand bolt upright from the head.Each boat had a prow about three feet high, surmounted by a grotesquely carved figure-head.

The war-canoes were propelled by twelve men, paddling on either side.When the first came within hailing distance I called out and made signs that they were not to advance unless their intentions were peaceful.By way of reply, they merely brandished their bows and arrows at us.There was no mistaking their mission.

It was now quite evident that we should have to make a fight for it, and the natives were coming to the attack in such numbers as easily to overwhelm us if they once got on board.Our position was rendered still more awkward by the fact that all round the ship ropes were hanging down to the water, up which our divers used to climb on their return from the day's pearling.These ropes were attached to a sort of hawser running round the outside bulwarks of the ship.We had not even time to haul these up, and the enemy would certainly have found them very useful for boarding purposes had they been allowed to get near enough.It was therefore very necessary that some decisive step should be taken at once.While we were debating what was best to be done, we were suddenly greeted by a shower of arrows from the leading war-canoe.Without waiting any longer I fired at the leader, who was standing in the prow, and bowled him over.The bullet went right through his body, and then bored a hole low down in the side of the canoe.The amazement of the warriors on hearing the report and seeing the mysterious damage done is quite beyond description; and before they could recover from their astonishment, Jensen sent a charge of grape-shot right into their midst, which shattered several of the canoes and caused a general halt in the advance.

Again I made signs to them not to come nearer, and they seemed undecided what to do.Jabbering consultations were held, but while they were thus hesitating ten more canoes swung round the headland, and their appearance seemed to give the advance-guard fresh courage.

Once more they made for our ship, but I was ready for them with the little cannon we had on board; it had been reloaded with grape after the first discharge.With a roar the gun belched forth a second deadly hail against the advancing savages, and the effect was to demoralise them completely.One of the canoes was shattered to pieces, and nearly all the men in it more or less seriously wounded; whilst the occupants of several other canoes received injuries.

Quite a panic now ensued, and the fleet of canoes got inextricably mixed.Several showers of arrows, however, descended on our deck, and some of them penetrated the sails, but no one was injured.The natives were too much afraid to advance any farther, and as a wind had now sprung up we deemed it time to make a dash for liberty.We therefore quietly slipped our anchor and, heading the ship for the open sea, glided swiftly past the enemy's fleet, whose gaily decked, though sorely bewildered, warriors greeted us with a Parthian flight of arrows as we raced by.In another half-hour we were well out to sea, and able to breathe freely once more.