s steered with two oars, one in each canoe. The Dutch,
wishing to anchor, stood in until they brought up about a cannon-shot
from the island, which consisted of an entire mountain, resembling one
of the Moluccas, and was covered over with cocoa-nut-trees. No sooner
had the ship come to an anchor than she was surrounded by canoes, the
people from which leaped into the water and swam to her, carrying in
their hands cocoa-nuts and roots of various sorts. These they bartered
for nails, beads, and other trifles; so that the crew obtained a
sufficient number of cocoa-nuts to supply each of them bountifully.

This traffic brought so many of the native canoes round the ship, that
the Dutchmen had a difficulty in steering clear of them. A boat was now
sent to the other island to discover better anchorage, but she was
quickly beset with a vast number of canoes, full of wild savages armed
with clubs, who attempted to board her. When the seamen first fired
their muskets, the natives laughed at them for making so much noise and
doing so little harm; but at the next discharge, a savage being shot
through the breast, they quickly retreated. They were strong,
well-proportioned men, and expert swimmers.

Notwithstanding the hostility they first displayed, the savages came
again on the 12th in their canoes, laden with cocoa-nuts, bananas,
roots, hogs, and fresh water, all struggling to get first on board.
Those from the canoes outside leaped into the sea, and, diving, swam to
the ship with bunches of cocoa-nuts in their mouths, climbing up the
sides like so many rats, in such swarms that the Dutch had to keep them
off with their cutlasses. Sufficient cocoa-nuts were obtained that day
to give each man of the crew a dozen.

The natives seemed astonished at the strength of the _Unity_. Some of
them were seen to dive under her bottom, knocking against it with
stones, as if to try how strong it was. Their King or chief sent on
board a black hog as a present, the messenger being ordered to take no
reward. Shortly afterwards he came in person, in a large double canoe,
attended by thirty-five single canoes. When at a distance he and his
people began to shout at the top of their voices, that being their
manner of welcoming strangers. He was not to be distinguished from any
of his subjects by any external mark, for he was as naked as they were;
but it was seen who he was by the reverence they showed him. The
Dutchmen, to do him hono