On they came like a wild charger,--received but recked not of a shower of stones.
The canoe struck, and, with a yell that seemed to issue from the throats of incarnate fiends, they leaped into the water, and drove their enemies up the beach.
The battle that immediately ensued was frightful to behold.

Most of the men wielded clubs of enormous size and curious shapes, with which they dashed out each other's brains.

As they were almost entirely naked, and had to bound, stoop, leap, and run, in their terrible hand-to-hand encounters, they looked more like demons than human beings.

I felt my heart grow sick at the sight of this bloody battle, and would fain have turned away, but a species of fascination seemed to hold me down and glue my eyes upon the combatants.

I observed that the attacking party was led by a most extraordinary being, who, from his size and peculiarity, I concluded was a chief.