1774.
June.
Monday 20.
threw a (tone, which ftruck Mr. Sparrman on the arm. Upon
this two mufquets were fired, without order, which made
them all retire under cover of the woods; and we faw them
no more.
After waiting fome little time, and till we were fatisfied
nothing was to be done here, the country being fo over-run
with bulhes, that it was hardly poffible to come to. parly
with them, we embarked and proceeded down along Ihore,
in hopes of meeting with better fuccefs in another place.
After ranging the coaft, for fome miles, without feeing a
living foul, or any convenient landing-place, we at length
came before a fmall1 each, on which lay four canoes. Here
we landed by means of a little creek, formed by the flat
rocks before it, with a view of juft looking at the canoes
and to leave fome medals, nails, &c. in them; for not a foul
was to be feen. The fituation of this place was to us worfe
than the former. A flat rock lay next the fea; behind it a
narrow ftone beach; this was bounded by a perpendicular
rocky cliff o f unequal height, whofe top was covered with
fhrubs; two deep and narrow chafms in the cliff feemed
to open a communication into the country. In, or before one
of thefe, lay the four canoes which we were going to look
a t ; but in the doing of-this, I faw we fhould beexpofed to an
attack from the natives, i f there were any, without being in
a fituation proper for defence. To prevent,this, as much as
could be, and to fecure a retreat in cafe of an attack, I ordered
the men to be drawn up upon the rock, from whence
they had a view of the heights; and only myfelf, and four
of the gentlemen, went up to the canoes. We had been there
but a few minutes, before the natives, I cannot fay how many,
ruflied down the chafm out of the wood upon us. The endeavours
>
deavours we ufed to bring them to a parly, were to no pur- 'm-
pofe; for they came with the ferocity of wild boars, and threw ^ 5 ^
their darts. Two or three mufquets, difcharged in the air,
did not hinder one of them from advancing ftill farther, and
throwing another dart, or rather a fpear, which paffed clofe
over my fhoulder. His courage would have coft him his life,
had not my mufquet miffed'fire; for i was not five paces from
him, when he threw his fpear, and had refolved to fhoot him
to fave myfelf. I was glad afterwards that it happened as it
did. At this inftant, our men on the rock began to fire at
others who appeared on the heights, which abated the ardour
o f the party we were engaged with, and gave us time
to join our people, when I caufed the-firing to ceafe. The
laft difcharge fent all the iflanders to the Woods, from
whence' they did not return fo long as-we remained. We
did not know that-any were hurt. It was remarkable, that
when I joined our party, I tried my mufquet in the air, and
it went off as well as a piece could do. Seeing no good was
to be got with thefe people,, or at the ifle, as having no port,
we returned on board, and having hoifted in the boats, made
fail to W. S. W. I had forgot to mention in its proper order,
that having put alhore a little before we came to this laft-
place, three or four o f us went, upon the cliffs, where we.
found the country, as before, nothing but coral rocks, all
over-run with bullies; fo that it was hardly poffible to
penetrate into it ;, and we embarked again with intent to return
dire&ly onboard, till we faw the canoes; beingdire&ed.
to the-place by the opinion of fome o f us, who thought they
heard fome-people.
The c o n d u c t and afpeff of thefe iflanders occafioned my
naming it Savage Ifland. It is fituated in the latitude 19?'
1' South, longitude 169° 37' Weft. It is about eleven leagues
in.