Our position was rendered still more awkward by the fact that all round the ship ropes were hanging down to the water, up which our divers used to climb on their return from the day's pearling.

These ropes were attached to a sort of hawser running round the outside bulwarks of the ship.

We had not even time to haul these up, and the enemy would certainly have found them very useful for boarding purposes had they been allowed to get near enough.

It was therefore very necessary that some decisive step should be taken at once.
While we were debating what was best to be done, we were suddenly greeted by a shower of arrows from the leading war-canoe.

Without waiting any longer I fired at the leader, who was standing in the prow, and bowled him over.