ion we arrived at a very
beautiful harbor, which was made by a large island at the
entrance, inside of which was a very large bay. While
sailing along parallel with the island with a view of
entering the harbor, we saw many people on shore, and, being
much cheered, we manoeuvred our ships for the purpose of
anchoring and landing where they appeared. We might have
been then about four leagues out at sea. While proceeding on
our course for this purpose, we saw a canoe quite out at
sea, in which were several natives, and made sail on our
ships in order to come up with and take possession of them,
steering so as not to run them down. We saw that they stood
with their oars raised--I think either through astonishment
at beholding our ships, or by way of giving us to understand
that they meant to wait for and resist us; but as we neared
them they dropped the oars and began to row towards the
land.

"Having in our fleet a small vessel of forty-five tons, a
very fast sailer, she took a favorable wind and bore down
for the canoe. When the people in it found themselves
embarrassed between the schooner and the boats we had
lowered for the purpose of pursuing them, they all jumped
into the sea, being about twenty men, and at the distance of
two leagues from the shore. We followed them the whole day
with our boats, and could only take two, which was for them
an extraordinary feat; all the rest escaped to the shore.
Four boys remained in the canoe who were not of their tribe,
but had been taken prisoners by them, and brought from
another country. We were much surprised at the gross
injuries they had inflicted upon these boys, and, having
been taken on board the ships, they told us they had been
captured in order to be eaten. Accordingly, we knew that
those people were cannibals, who eat human flesh.

"We proceeded with the ships, taking the canoe with us
astern, and following the course which they pursued,
anchored at half a league from the shore. As we saw many
people on the shore, we landed in the boats, carrying with
us the two men we had taken. When we reached the beach all
the people fled into the woods, and we sent one of the men
to negotiate with them, giving them several trifles as
tokens of friendship--such as little bells,