other man likewife c a m e rip to fil u t c the captain, and was*
prefented with a hatchet; and feveral of us came aihore to
them, at which they were not the leaft alarmed, but received
every new comer with great cordiality. We now*
perceived feveral other natives, probably women, on the-
lkirts of the wood, and the two men earneftly intreated us
to go up to their habitations, intimating by figns, that-
they would give us fomething to eat there ; but the tide
and other circumftanees did not permit us* to- accept their
invitation. When we had taken leave of them, the two
men followed us to our boats, where they defired us to
remove the mufkets which lay acrofs- the ftern, and having-
complied with their requeft, they came along-fide, and-af-'
filled us to launch the boats, which were aground- on account
of the ebb. We found however that it was necef-
fary to have an eye upon them, becaufe they feemed to
covet the poffeffion of every thing they faw or could lay-
hands on, except the mufkets, which they would not
touch, being taught to refpeft' them as inftruments of-
death, on account of the havoek they had feen us make-
among the wild-fowl. We obferved no canoes among-
them, and their only means of tranfporting themfelves
acrofs the river, was on a few logs of wood connefted together
into a .kind of raft, which was perfectly fufficient
for that purpofe. Fifh and wild-fowl were in fueh plenty
here, that they can have little occafion to roam to any diftance
J ft
tance in queft of them, as their numbers did not feem to iilfe.
exceed three families ; and the whole bay being almofl
entirely deftitute of inhabitants, one fingle family more
excepted, they need not be apprehenfive of diflurbance
from bad neighbours. The features of thefe men were
rather wild, but not ill-favoured; their complexion re-.
fembled that of the family on Indian Illand, of a mahogany
brown ; their hair bufhy, and their beards frizled and
black. They were of a middling ftature and flout, but
their legs and thighs very Render, and their knees too
much fwelled in proportion. Their drefs and general behaviour
feemed to be the fame as that of the other family
before mentioned. The courage of this people has fomething
Angular in it, for it fhould feem, that in fpight of
their inferiority of force, they cannot brook the thought
of hiding themfelves, at leaft not till they have made an
attempt to eftablifh an intercourfe, or prove the principles
of the ftrangers who approach them. It would have been,
impoflible for us, among the numerous iflands and harbours,
and in the mazy forefts upon them, to have found
out the family which we faw on the Indian Illand, if they
had not difeovered themfelves, and thus made the firft advances.
We might alfo have departed from the cove without
knowing that it was inhabited, if the natives had not
fhouted at the difeharge of our mufkets. In both cafes a
certain opennefs and honefty, appear ftrongly to mark
Z 2 their