The isle of St Mary is high land and full of wood. The natives are tall
handsome men, of black colour and frizzled hair, which they stroke up at
their foreheads as our women do in England, so that it stands three
inches upright. They go entirely naked, except covering their parts; and
are very tractable and of familiar manners, yet seemed valiant. Most of
their food is rice, with some fish; yet while we were there we could get
very little rice to purchase, as their store was far spent, and their
harvest near at hand. There are two or three watering places on the
north part of this island, none of them very commodious, yet there is
water enough to be had with some trouble.

Departing from this island of St Mary on the 23d December, we came into
the bay of Antongil on Christmas-day, and anchored in eight fathoms
water, at the bottom of the bay, between a small island and the
main.[105] The best riding is nearest under the lee of that small
island, which serves as a defence from the wind blowing into the bay;
for while we were there it blew a very heavy storm, and those ships
which were nearest the island fared best Two of our ships drove with
three anchors a-head, the ground being oosy and not firm. Going a-land
on the small island, we perceived by a writing on the rocks, that five
Holland ships had been there, and had departed about two months before
our arrival, having had sickness among them; for, as we could perceive,
they had lost between 150 and 200 men at this place.

[Footnote 105: This island of _Maroise_ is in lat. 15 deg. 10' S. and almost
in the same longitude with the isle of St Mary, being 62 English miles
from its northern extremity.--E.]

The day after we anchored, we landed on the main, where the people
presently came to us, making signs that five Dutch ships had been there,
and had bought most of their provisions. Yet they entered into trade
with us for rice, hens, oranges, lemons, and another kind of fruit
called plantains; but held every thing very high, and brought only small
quantities. Our market was beside a considerable river, into which we
went in our boats, such of our men as were appointed to make the
purchases going ashore; the rest always remaining in the boats with
their arms in readiness, and the boats about twenty or thirty yards from
the land, where the natives could not wade to them, and were ready at
all times, if needful, to take our marketers from the land. In this
manner we trifl