yet not defpicable men ; they who had been ufed to fee in
every ftranger a bafe and treacherous enemy, now learnt
■ from us to think more nobly of their fellow-creatures.
Prudence, which accompanied the civilized voyagers, had
no fooner fafcinated the inftinCt of the favages, watchful
for their fafety, than another, no lefs powerful, awoke in
their bread, and taught them to relifh the fweets of fociety.
They fhared the abundant produce of their foil with their
new acquaintance, being no longer app'rehenfive that they
would take it ‘by force. They permitted us to vifit them
in their lhady receffes, and we fat down in their domeftic
circles with that harmony which befits the members of one
great family. In a few days they began to feel a pleafure
in our converfation, and a new difinterefted fentiment, of
more than earthly mould, even friendfhip, filled their heart.
This retrofpeCt was honourable to human nature, as it made
us the benefactors of a numerous race. I fell from hence
into a rêverie on the pre-eminence of our civilized fociety,
from which I was roufed by the found of approaching Heps,
I turned about and faw Dr. Sparrman, to whom 'I pointed
out the profpeét and communicated my ideas. We agreed
in our fentiments, and fet out on our return, as the hour
of noon was approaching. The firft native whom we met
ran out of the way and hid himfelf in a bufh. The next
was a woman at the entrance of a plantation, to whom we
.appeared fo unexpectedly, that fhe had no time to efcape.
She
3 5 i
She offered us a bafket full of yamboos, with a trembling A u g u st .
hand, and with all the expreffions of fear ftrongly marked'
in her countenance. We were furprifed at this behaviour,
and giving her fome fmall trifles proceeded in our way. A
number of men flood behind the bufhes in and about the
plantation, and made figns to us to walk on by waving
their hands towards the beach. At laft, when we Hepped
out of the wood, we beheld two natives feated on the grafs,
holding one of their brethren dead in their arms. They
pointed to a wound in his fide, which had been made by a
mufket-ball, and with a moft affecting look they told us.
“ he is killed*.’’ We looked haftily towards the ftation o f
our people, and feeing them deferted by the natives, hurried
to join them, and learn the particulars o f this fhocking
event. A fentinel had been pofted as ufual to- keep the
natives at a diftance from pur party, but the failors took;
the liberty of walking and trading freely among them. A
native, who in all likelihood had never been on the beach'
before, came through the croud and began to walk acrofs
the fpace which our people occupied. The fentry pufhed.
him back among the reft of his brethren, who were already
accuftomed to this injurious treatment, and acquiefced in it.
The new-comer, however, refufed to be eontrouled on his-
own ifland by a ftranger ; he prepared once more to crofs
the area, perhaps with no other motive at prefent than thatt
Id their language they exprefs-this more ftrikingly by one word, marfom.
Off