Mr. Volshawn
Also Declared That He Had Seen There Articles Which Had Been Taken From
The Stedcombe.
Captain Watson decided to try and rescue his countryman, and on March
31st, 1839, when off Timor Laut he stood in for the island.
The plan he
proposed to adopt in order to carry out the rescue was to entice a chief
or Orang Kaire on board and hold him as a hostage until the English
sailor was produced. As his ship came in shore three canoes under Dutch
colours put out to meet him with twelve to thirteen men in each. In
answer to Captain Watson's inquiries whether there was a white man on the
island some of the natives replied, "Certo; Engrise; Louron," which was
translated as meaning that there was an Englishman at Louron.* (*
Lourang.) Other canoes came alongside the Essington, whose crew had been
put under arms, and an Orang Kaire was allowed to come on board. Captain
Watson writes: "Now was the time for carrying my plans into effect...and
I told the Orang Kaire if he would bring him (the captive) to me I would
give him a quantity of trade which was shown him." To this the chief
agreed. But as no great faith was placed in his assertion, Watson then
told him that he must send his canoes and fetch the Englishman, when he
would receive his reward, but if they did not bring his prisoner he would
be hung from the yard-arm, and that "we should fire our great guns on the
village." The ship was now surrounded by canoes and no one was allowed to
come on board excepting a very friendly chief.
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