saw it from the mast-head
almost the same moment, bearing N.E. by E. by compass. We soon
discovered it to be an island of no great extent, and stood for it till
sunset, when it bore N.N.E., distant about two or three leagues.

The night was spent in standing off and on, and at daybreak the next
morning, I bore up for the lee or west side of the island, as neither
anchorage nor landing appeared to be practicable on the south side, on
account of a great surf,[149] which broke every where with violence
against the shore, or against the reef that surrounded it.

[Footnote 149: A very ingenious and satisfactory account of the cause of
the surf, is to be met with in Marsden'a History of Sumatra, p.
29-32.--D.]

We presently found that the island was inhabited, and saw several
people, on a point of the land we had passed, wading to the reef, where,
as they found the ship leaving them quickly, they remained. But others,
who soon appeared in different parts, followed her course; and sometimes
several of them collected into small bodies, who made a shouting noise
all together, nearly after the manner of the inhabitants of New Zealand.

Between seven and eight o'clock, we were at the W.N.W. part of the
island, and, being near the shore, we could perceive with our glasses,
that several of the natives, who appeared upon a sandy beach, were all
armed with long spears and clubs, which they brandished in the air with
signs of threatening, or, as some on board interpreted their attitudes,
with invitations to land. Most of them appeared naked, except having a
sort of girdle, which, being brought up between the thighs, covered that
part of the body. But some of them had pieces of cloth of different
colours, white, striped, or chequered, which they wore as a garment,
thrown about their shoulders. And almost all of them had a white wrapper
about their heads, not much unlike a turban; or, in some instances, like
a high conical cap. We could also perceive that they were of a tawny
colour, and, in general, of a middling stature, but robust, and
inclining to corpulence.

At this time, a small canoe was launched in a great hurry from the
further end of the beach, and a man getting into it, put off, as with a
view to reach the ship. On perceiving this, I brought-to, that we might
receive the visit; but the man's resolution failing, he soon returned
toward the beach, where, after some time, another man joined him in the
canoe; and then they b