gone through it. On the 13th, we were busy getting the wood we had cut
for the flooring of our house into the sea to be rafted along; got ten
large pieces into the water by breakfast-time.

After breakfast, Mrs. Chalmers and I were at the new house, with the
captain of the _Mayri_, when we heard a noise like quarrelling. On
looking out, I saw the natives very excited, and many of them running
with spears and clubs towards the house where Mrs. Chalmers, about five
minutes before, had left the teachers rising from breakfast. I hastened
over, and pushed my way amongst the natives till I got to the front,
when, to my horror, I was right in front of a gun aimed by one of the
_Mayri's_ crew (who had been helping us with the house) at a young man
brandishing a spear. The aim was perfect: had the gun been fired--as it
would have been had I not arrived in time--the native would have been
shot dead. I pushed the native aside, and ordered the gun to be put
down, and turned to the natives, shouting, _Besi_, _besi_! (Enough,
enough!). Some of them returned their spears and clubs, but others
remained threatening. I spoke to our party against using firearms, and
then I caught the youth who was flourishing his spear, and with
difficulty got it from him. Poor fellow, he cried with rage, yet he did
me no harm. I clapped him, and got him to go away. All day he sat under
a tree, which we had frequently to pass, but he would have nothing to say
to us. It seems a knife had been stolen, and he being the only one about
the house when it was missed, was accused of taking it. One of the
teachers was winding line, and he caught the young fellow by the arm to
inquire about the knife. The lad thought he was going to be tied up with
the line; he struggled, got free, and raised the alarm.

Only the night before I had to warn the teachers against using firearms
to alarm or threaten the natives. An axe was stolen; every place about