midst of the living mass, through which a wide lane was cut, while
a yell, the like of which I could not have imagined, burst from the
miserable survivors as they fled to the woods. Amongst the heaps
of dead that lay on the sand, just where they had fallen, I could
distinguish mutilated forms writhing in agony, while ever and anon
one and another rose convulsively from out the mass, endeavoured to
stagger towards the wood, and ere they had taken a few steps, fell
and wallowed on the bloody sand. My blood curdled within me as I
witnessed this frightful and wanton slaughter; but I had little
time to think, for the captain's deep voice came again over the
water towards us: "Pull ashore, lads, and fill your water casks."
The men obeyed in silence, and it seemed to me as if even their
hard hearts were shocked by the ruthless deed. On gaining the
mouth of the rivulet at which we intended to take in water, we
found it flowing with blood, for the greater part of those who were
slain had been standing on the banks of the stream, a short way
above its mouth. Many of the wretched creatures had fallen into
it, and we found one body, which had been carried down, jammed
between two rocks, with the staring eyeballs turned towards us and
his black hair waving in the ripples of the blood-red stream. No
one dared to oppose our landing now, so we carried our casks to a
pool above the murdered group, and having filled them, returned on
board. Fortunately a breeze sprang up soon afterwards and carried
us away from the dreadful spot; but it could not waft me away from
the memory of what I had seen.

"And this," thought I, gazing in horror at the captain, who, with a
quiet look of indifference, leaned upon the taffrail smoking a
cigar and contemplating the fertile green islets as they passed
like a lovely picture before our eyes - "this is the man who