the natives conceived what I wanted, as they directed me
round a rocky point, where, on a fine fandy beach, I ftepped
put of the boat without wetting a foot, in the face of a vaft
multitude, with only a green branch in my hand, which I
had before got from one of them. I took but one man out
of the boat with me, and ordered the other boat to lie to a
little diftance off. They received me with great courtefy and
politenefs; and would retire back from the boat on my
making the leaft motion with my hand. A man, whom I
took to be a chief, feeing this, made them form a femicircle
round the boat’s bow, and beat fuch as attempted to break
through this order. This man I loaded with prefents, giving
likewife to others, and afked by figns for frefh. water,
in hopes of feeing where they got it. The chief immediately
fent a man for fome, who ran to a houfe, and prefently
returned with a little in a bamboo; fo that I gained but
little information by this. I next alked, by the fame means,
for fomething to eat; and they as readily brought me a
yam, and fome cocoa-nuts. In fliort, I was charmed with
their behaviour; and the only thing which could give the
leaft fufpicion was, that moft of them were armed with
clubs, fpears, darts, and bows and arrows. For this reafon
I kept my eye continually upon the chief, and watched his
looks as well as his actions. He made many figns to me to
haul the boat up upon the fhore, and at laft flipped into the
crowd, where I obferved him fpeak to feveral people, and
then return to me, repeating figns to haul the boat up,, and
hefitating a good deal before he would receive fome fpike-
nails which I then offered him. This made me fufpedt
fomething was intended, and immediately I ftepped into the
boat, telling thetn by figns that I Ihould foon return. But
they were not for parting fo foon, and now attempted, by
5 force,
force, what they could not obtain by gentler means.
The gang-board happened unluckily to be laid out for me
to come into the boat. I fay unluckily, for if it had not
been out, and if the crew had been a little quicker in getting
the boat off, the natives might not have had time to
put their defign in execution, nor would the following dif-
agreeable fcene have happened. As we were putting off the
boat, they laid hold of the gang-board, and unhooked it off
the boat’s ftern. But as they did not take if away, I thought
this had been done by accident, and ordered the boat in again
to take it up. Then they themfelves hooked it over the
boat’s ftem, and attempted to haul her alhore; others, at
the fame timb, fnatehed the oats out of the people’s hands.
On my pointing a mufquet at them, they in fome meafure
defifted, but returned in an inftant feemingly determined to
haul the boat afliore. At the head of this party Was the-
chief; the others, who could not come at the boat; flood behind
with darts, ftones, and bows and arrows in hand, ready
to fupport them. Signs and threats having no effedf,. our
own fafety became the only confideration; and yet I was
unwilling to fire on the multitude, and refolved to make the
chief alone fall a viftim to his own treachery ; but r a y
mufquet at this critical moment miffed fire. Whatever idea
they might have formed of the arms we held in our hands;
they- muft now have looked upon them as childifh weapons,,
and began to let us fee how much better theirs were, by
throwing ftones and darts, and by lhooting arrows. This made
it abfolutely neceffary for me to • give orders to fire. The
firft difchafge threw them into confufion,- but a feeond was
hardly fufficient to drive them off the beach; and after all,
they continued to throw ftones from .behind the trees and
bufhes, and, every now and then, to pop out and throw a
dart.
'774- Auguft.
Thurfday 4«