care was to get something that would soon take fire, but, after a
little search, they found that would be to no purpose; for most of
the houses were low, and thatched with flags and rushes, of which
the country is full; so they presently made some wildfire, as we
call it, by wetting a little powder in the palm of their hands, and
in a quarter of an hour they set the town on fire in four or five
places, and particularly that house where the Indians were not gone
to bed.
As soon as the fire begun to blaze, the poor frightened creatures
began to rush out to save their lives, but met with their fate in
the attempt; and especially at the door, where they drove them
back, the boatswain himself killing one or two with his poleaxe.
The house being large, and many in it, he did not care to go in,
but called for a hand grenado, and threw it among them, which at
first frightened them, but, when it burst, made such havoc among
them that they cried out in a hideous manner. In short, most of
the Indians who were in the open part of the house were killed or
hurt with the grenado, except two or three more who pressed to the
door, which the boatswain and two more kept, with their bayonets on
the muzzles of their pieces, and despatched all that came in their
way; but there was another apartment in the house, where the prince
or king, or whatever he was, and several others were; and these
were kept in till the house, which was by this time all in a light
flame, fell in upon them, and they were smothered together.
All this while they fired not a gun, because they would not waken
the people faster than they could master them; but the fire began
to waken them fast enough, and our fellows were glad to keep a
little together in bodies; for the fire grew so raging, all the
houses being made of light combustible stuff, that they could
hardly bear the street between them. Their business was to follow
the fire, for the surer execution: as fast as the fire either
forced the people out of those houses which were burning, or
frightened them out of others, our people were ready at their doors
to knock them on the head, still calling and hallooing one to
another to remember Tom Jeffry.
While this was doing, I must confess I was very uneasy, and
especially when I saw the flames of the town, which, it being
night, seemed to be close by me. My nephew, the captain, who was
roused by his men seeing such a fire, was very uneasy, not knowing
what the matter was, or what danger I was in, especially hearing
the guns too, for by this time they began to use their firearms; a
thousand thoughts oppressed his mind concerning me and the
supercargo, what would become of us; and at last, though he could
ill spare any more men, yet not knowing what exigence we might be
in, he took another boat, and with thirteen men and himself came
ashore to me.
He was surprised to see me and the supercargo in the boat with no
more than two men; and though he was glad that we were well, yet he
was in the same impatience with us to know what was doing; for the
noise continued, and the flame increased; in short, it was next to
an impossibility for any men in the world to restrain their
curiosity to know what had happened, or their concern for the
safety of the men: in a word, the captain told me he would go and
help his men, let what would come. I argued with him, as I did
before with the men, the safety of the ship, the danger of the
voyage, the interests of the owners and merchants, &c., and told
him I and the two men would go, and only see if we could at a
distance learn what was likely to be the event, and come back and
tell him. It was in vain to talk to my nephew, as it was to talk