A British magazine later said that Porter was guilty of " " wantonly murdering unoffending savages " " to which the captain replied; " " Many may censure my conduct as wanton and unjust . . . . But let such reflect on our peculiar situation-- a handful of men residing among numerous war-like tribes, liable every moment to be attacked by them and all cut off; our only hopes on safety was in convincing them of our great superiority over them and from what we have already seen, we must either attack them or be attacked . . . . Wars are not always just, and are rarely free from excesses-- my conscience acquits me of any injustice, and no excesses were committed but what the Typees had in their power to stop by ceasing hostilities . ""
