The Negro Chief, Who Was A Large
Tall Man, Advanced In His Canoe Under Cover Of His Target, With A
Poisoned Dart In His Hand, In Order To Board; And As He Pressed Forward,
The Masters-Mate Thrust A Pike Through His Target And Throat, Which
Dispatched Him.
While the mate was striving to disengage his pike, which
stuck fast in the shield, he was wounded by a dart; yet drew the dart
from his flesh and killed with it the negro who had wounded him.
The
enemy continued the fight closer than ever, and did great mischief with
their darts, which made wide and grievous wounds. The gunner received
two desperate wounds, and lost a great deal of blood, and the brave
masters-mate, while standing firmly in his post, was struck through the
ribs by a dart, on pulling out which his bowels followed, and he fell
down dead. On perceiving this, the negroes gave a great shout, and
pressed to enter the boat where the mate had stood, imagining as so many
of the English were wounded they would now soon yield. But four of those
remaining in the pinnace kept them off with their pikes, while the other
four at the oars made the best of their way to sea.
At length they got out of the river, and the negroes retired having
expended all their darts. This was fortunate for the English, as six of
the remaining eight were desperately wounded, one of whom was Robert
Baker, the author of this narrative, and only two remained who were able
to handle the oars, so that they made very slow progress to the ship,
which appears to have been four leagues from the shore.
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