I therefore was obliged to leave those who were on
board to make the best of it, and imitating the islanders, I crawled
from the vessel into the brushwood, trailing the gun after me. It was
fortunate that I took this precaution, for in the very part of the wood
where I crept to, there were dozens of them making up faggots, but it
was too thick with underwood, and too dark to distinguish anything,
although I heard them close to me breaking off the branches. I did the
same as I went on, to avoid discovery, until I had passed by them, when
I continued my route to where the canoes had been left. I arrived in
safety at the outskirts of the wood close to the beach, and perceived
the canoes still lying at the rocks, to which they had been taken; but
the moon shone bright, and I hesitated to walk out in the light, until I
ascertained whether there were any islanders on the beach. As I waited a
short time in the dark shade of the trees, close to one of the springs
of fresh water, I heard a moan close to me, and looking in that
direction I perceived a body on the ground. I went towards it, and could
distinguish very plainly that it was one of the women who had swam on
shore. She was nearly lifeless, and feeling, as every man must have
done, compassion at her unfortunate condition, I knelt down by her to
see if I could afford her any assistance. As she had very little clothes
round her body, I discovered, by passing my hand over her, that she was
wounded with a musket-ball above the knee, and was exhausted from pain
and loss of blood.
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