176?.
Ottober.
Xwefday .255.
'November.
Monday 2.
•frefliments, I determined to try what could be procured in
a bay which Dampier has defcribed as lying on the fouth
<eaft part of the ifland, and which, he fays, furnifhed him
with great plenty of deer from a favannah. I therefore
coafted that fide of the ifland, and that I might be fure not
$0 mifs the bay, I fent out the Lieutenant with the boat and
a proper number of hands, to keep in fliore a-head o f thé
lhip. No fuch bay however was to be found, but at the very
fouthermoft extremity o f the ifland they opened a little nook
at the bottom of which was a town, and a fort. As foon as
our boat was difcovered by the people on fliore, they fired a
great gun, and fent off three boats or canoes full o f people.
As the Lieutenant had not a fufficient force to oppofe them,
he immediately made towards the fliip, and the canoes
chaced him till they came within fight o f her, and being
then over-matched in their turn, they thought fit to go
back. Being thus difappointed in my fearch o f Dampier’s
Bay and Savannah, I would have anchored off this town, not-
withftanding thefe hoftile appearances, i f it had not been
neceffary firft to get up fome guns from the hold, and make
a few necefiary repairs in the rig g in g ; this however being
the cafe, I ran a little to the eaftward, where, on the 2d o f
November, I came to an anchor in a little bay, having a
bottom of foft mud, and feven fathom of water, at the dif-
tance of a cable’s length from the fliore; the weftermoft
point of the bay bore W. S. W. diftant about three miles;
the eaftermoft point E. by S. diftant about one mile ; a river;
which empties itfelf into the bay, about N. W. and the peak
o f an ifland, called Hummock Ifland, S. 7° E. diftant about
five leagues. Before it was dark the fame day, our two boats
went to the river, and brought off their loads o f water: they
faw no figns.of inhabitants where they were on fliore, but
we obferved a canoe come round the weftermoft point of the
® bay.
bay, which we fuppofed had been difpatched from the town, 1 >767.
to learn what we were, or at leaft to fee what we were 1— — ->
doing. As foon as I difcovered this canoe, I hoifted Englifli Monday z-
colours, and was not without hope that flie would come on
board, but after v iewing us fome time, Ihe returned. As we
had feen no inhabitants, nor any figns of-inhabitants, where
we got our water, I intended to procure a further fupply
the next day from the fame place, and endeavour alfo to recruit
our wood; but about nine o’clock at night, we were
fuddenly furprifed by a loud noife on that part o f the fliore
which was a-breaft o f the fliip : it was made by a great
number of human voices, and very much refembled the
war-whoop o f the American Savages, a hideous fliout which,
they give at the moment o f their attack, and in which all
who have heard it agree there is fomething inexprefiibly
terrifying and horrid.
As I was now farther convinced that it was neceflary to
difpofe o f our little force to the greateft advantage, we began
the next day by getting the guns up from the hold, and Tu-Maj. I
making the neceffary repairs to our rigging. At eleven
o’clock, not having feen any thing of the people, who had
endeavoured to terrify us by their yells in the night, I fent
the long-boat on fliore for more water ; but, as I thought it
probable that they might have concealed themfelves in
the woods, I kept the cutter manned and armed, with the
Lieutenant on board, that immediate fuccour might be fent
to the waterers, i f any danger fihould threaten them. It
foon appeared that my conjectures were well founded, for
our people had no fooner left their boat, than a number o f
armed men ruflied out of the woods, one o f whom held up
fomewhat white, which I took to be a fignal o f peace. Upon
this occalion I was again fenfible of the mortifying deficiency
in the fliip’s equipment, which I had fo often experi-
' V ol. I. 3E enced