During this period, the Hobart was visited by the Sultaun, whom Captain Evans received with an appropriate salute, and entertained as sumptuously as his means would admit. In return for this friendly reception, all the British officers were invited up to Goonongtalla, which town they found to be most delightfully situated.
Knowing the treacherous character of these people, and having nearly accomplished the object of his visit to the Celebes, Captain Evans would now have felt no regret in taking his final leave of the Sultaun; but as the latter expressed a wish to see the boat launched, he considered it prudent not to object thereto, whilst so completely in his power, at the same time, resolving to have every thing brought off from the shore, and the Hobart riding by her anchor in the stream, before the hour fixed upon for the ceremony to take place. We should here observe, that several of the chiefs had cast a longing eye towards the boat, and had even been heard to say, that she would be of great service to their Sultaun. Captain Evans also bore in mind the fate of Lieutenant Oakes, commander of a tender, who had put into the same river, and was basely attacked in the dead of the night by a party of the natives, whom he was then sheltering from the fury of the weather[1].
After saying that the boat should be put afloat about noon the next day, and that he should be happy to give the Sultaun, his son, and principal courtiers another feast, after their curiosity had been gratified. Captain Evans returned on board, and made every arrangement for baffling any sinister design which they might have conceived. Before 6 o’clock the following morning, every thing except the boat was removed from the shore, and his suspicions were soon afterwards strengthened by the appearance of a royal canoe, which had evidently been sent to reconnoitre, as she came out from a
- ↑ Lieutenant Oakes was mortally wounded; but his assassin met with condign punishment, a quarter-master who had charge of the deck having cut off his sword-arm with one stroke of a cutlass, and cleaved his skull with another. The remainder of the Malays were overpowered after a desperate struggle.
