e before been tricked by white
men, who had come into their harbour, and were therefore likely to be
suspicious of our intentions.

As soon as the plan was arranged, Charlie and I, with Sam, Jack Lizard,
and two other men, shoved off and pulled for the shore. As we
approached, we found a number of savages armed with clubs, collected on
the beach. We pulled slowly, looking out for one who, from the
ornaments he wore, and his general appearance, might prove to be a
chief.

"That's the fellow we want," said Charlie, pointing out a man who wore
an ornamented head-dress and breastplate, with a necklace and rings
round his arms. We waved, and made signs to him to approach, and we
steered the boat directly towards where he stood. Charlie then held up
several articles he had brought. The chief seemed to understand our
object, and ordering his people to stand back, he advanced without
hesitation. We accordingly ran in the boat; Charlie and Sam stepped on
shore, while Jack Lizard and I sat with our muskets in our hands, ready
to cover them should they be attacked. Charlie then presented first one
article and then another, and Sam tried to explain, as far as his
knowledge of the language would allow him, our object to the chief, who
seemed highly pleased, and stepping back, exhibited the gifts he had
received to his attendants. Sam then gave him to understand that we had
many more of the same description on board. At first, I was afraid that
he would not consent to accompany us; but at length his cupidity
overcame his fears, and Sam, advising him to come lest others should
obtain the goods we had to dispose of, he stepped into the boat.

As it was evident that she could not well carry more than one person
besides ourselves, Sam made signs to the others that we could not take
them on board, and at once pulled away from the beach. This showed the
savages that we had not come for the purpose of kidnapping them. The
chief, however, looked somewhat nervous, and I was afraid might, after
all, jump overboard, and swim back to the shore. I told Charlie,
therefore, to try and occupy his attention by showing him some of the
other articles which we had brought. What interested him most was a
telescope, through which, having adjusted the focus, we made him look at
his friends. He almost let it drop in his astonishment at seeing them
so near, and had not Charlie held it, it would have fallen overboard.
He looked through it aga