9°
*79*- very clamorous, talked extremely loud to each other, and divided fo as .November, J
i---- r—J nearly to furround us. A young man ftrutted towards me in a very
menacing attitude; he diftorted his perfon, turned up his eyes, made hideous
faces, and created a wonderful fiercenefs in his appearance by his
geftures. On pointing my double-barrelled gun towards him he deAfted.
Their hoftile intentions were now too evident to be miftaken, and therefore,
to avoid the neceflity of reforting to extremities, the boat was immediately
ordered in to take us on board. During this interval, although
we were ftriftly on our guard, they began their attack, and before the
boat could get in, to avoid being knocked down I was reluctantly compelled
to fire one barrel, which being loaded with fmall fhot, T was in
hopes might intimidate without materially wounding them, and that we
fhould be fuffered to embark without further moleflation. Unfortunately,
I was difappointed in this hope. Mr. Johnfton received a blow upon
his mulket with fuch force from an unwieldy club, that it fell to the
ground, but hefore his opponent could pick it up, Mr. Johnfton had
time to recover his pofition, and he was obliged to fire on the blow being
again attempted. A marine and feaman near him, were, under fimilar
eircumftances forced into the water, but not before they had alfo, jufti-
fied alone by felf prefervation, fired their pieces without orders. The
gentleman having charge of the boat feeing us much prefled by the-natives,
and obliged to retreat, fired at this inftant alfo, on which they
fled. I ordered the firing inftantly to ceafe, and was highly gratified
to fee them depart apparently unhurt. The happinefs I enjoyed in
this refleftion was of fhort duration, one man was difcovered to have
fallen; and I am concerned to add, was found lifelefs, a ball having broken
his arm and pafled through his heart. We immediately repaired towards
the boat, but the furf not permitting her to come near enough, we were
ftill under the neceflity o f walking to the place from whence we had originally
intended to embark. As we retired, we perceived one o f the
natives return from the woods, whither all had retreated, and placing
himfelf by the deceafed, was diftinftly heard in a fort of difmal howl to
utter his lamentations.
“ As we approached our firft landing place we faw no figns of habitations,
tations, although women and children were fuppofed to have been looking
at us from the woods, whilft talking to the natives on our arrival, t
On tracing fome of the foot-paths, nothing was difcovered but great
numbers of ear fhells, and recefles formed in the fame manner with a
Angle pallifade as thofe leen on our firft landing. We diftributed amongft
the canoes the remaining part of our toys and trinkets, to manifeft our kind
intentions towards them, and as fome little atonement alfo for the injury
which, contrary to our inclinations, they had fuftained, in defending our-
felves againft their unprovoked, unmerited hoftility. In our way to the
fhip, we faw two natives running along the beach to the canoes, but on
our arrival on board they were not difcernible with our glafles.
“ The men were of a middling fize, fome ftoutly made, well limbed and
flefhy; their hair, both o f the head and beard, was black, and by fome
was worn long. The young men had it tied up in a knot on the crown
o f their heads, intermixed with black and white feathers. Some had their
beards plucked out; their complexion and general colour is dark brown,
with plain features, and in general bad teeth. Their Ikins were defti-
tute of any marks, and they had the appearance of being cleanly in their
perfons. Their drefs was either a feal or bear-lkin tied with firtnetj
infide outwards, round their necks, which fell below their hips; or mats
neatly made, tied in the fame manner, which covered their backs and
fhoulders. Some were naked, excepting a well woven matt o f fine texture,
which, being fattened at each end by a fixing round their waifts,
made a fort of decent garment. W e did not obferve that their ears were
bored, or that they wore any ornaments about their perfons, excepting a
few who had a fort of necklace made of mother of pearl {hells. Several
of them had their fifhing fines, made o f the fame fort o f hemp with their
nets, fattened round them ; but we did not fee any of their hooks. We
noticed two or three old men, but they did not appear to have any power
or authority over the others. They {coined a cheerful race, our conver-
fation frequently exciting violent burfts of laughter amongft them. . On
our firft landing their furprize and exclamations can hardly be imagined;
they pointed to the fun, and'then to us, as if to afle, whether We had come
from thence. The not finding a Angle habitation, led us to eonfider
N 2 this
.1791.
November.