re so much
increased, that I did not judge it prudent to attempt making any
acquaintance with them at this time: for, as I have already
observed, we had only a six-oared boat and a smaller one; our
whole number, leaving one man in each boat, amounted to ten
seamen, three officers, and myself, with only three muskets; we
therefore for the present, contented ourselves with making signs
of friendship, and returned to the ship.

In two days after, we appeared again in the same place, better
armed and prepared for an interview. Their numbers were not now
so many, at least we did not see them, although it is probable
they were in the wood at no great distance; but having occasion
to put on shore to cook some provisions for the boats crews, I
chose a projecting point of land for that purpose, which we could
have defended against some hundreds of such people: I ordered two
marine centinels upon the neck, in order to prevent a surprize,
and immediately set about making a fire.

We soon heard some of the natives in the wood on the opposite
shore; we called to them, and invited them by signs, and an offer
of presents, to come over to us, the distance not being more than
one hundred yards across: in a short time, seven men embarked in
canoes and came over; they landed at a small distance from us,
and advanced without their lances; on this I went up to meet
them, and held up both my hands, to show that I was unarmed; two
officers also advanced in the same manner; we met them and shook
hands; but they seemed a good deal alarmed at our five marines
who were under arms by the boats, upon which they were ordered to
ground their arms and stay by them; the natives then came up with
great chearfulness and good humour, and seated themselves by our
fire amongst us, where we ate what we had got, and invited them
to partake, but they did not relish our food or drink.

I was one day on shore in another part of the harbour, making
friendship with a party of natives, when in a very short time,
their numbers encreased to eighty or ninety men, all armed with a
lance and throwing-stick, and many with the addition of a shield,
made of the bark of a tree; some were in shape an oblong square,
and others of these shields were oval; these were the first
shields we had seen in the country*. Upon examining some of these
shields, we observed that many of them had been pierced quite
through in various places, which they by signs gave us to
understand h