, Dampier named the place Slinger's Bay.

On the 3rd of March an island, marked in the Dutch charts as Gerret
Denijs, was reached, covered by lofty thickly-wooded mountains. On the
sea-shore were numerous large cocoa-nut trees, and small huts were seen.
The inhabitants were black,--a strongly-limbed people with round
heads,--their hair curled, short, and dyed of different colours, red,
white, and yellow. Although they had round faces, with broad bottle
noses, yet their countenances would have been pleasant, had they not
disfigured them by painting and wearing great rings through their noses
as big as a man's thumb. They had also holes in their ears, in which
they wore similar ornaments. Their canoes were ingeniously formed with
outriggers on one side, the head and stern especially being adorned with
carved work, of fowls, fish, or a human hand. They managed their
paddles with great dexterity. Their weapons were lances, swords, and
slings, and some had bows and arrows. As she proceeded northward the
ship was followed by a canoe. To each of the natives in it Dampier gave
a knife, a looking-glass, and a string of beads. He showed them
pumpkins and cocoa-nuts, intimating that he wished to have some more of
the same description. On this they produced three out of their boat.
When shown nutmegs they intimated that they had such growing on their
island. They also recognised gold-dust.

Another canoe afterwards came off, the natives appearing tractable and
well disposed. Seeing a deep bay where the ship might ride at anchor
safely, Dampier steered into it. When the ship was about five miles
from the shore, six canoes came off, with about forty men in them. He
made signs to them to go ashore, but they would not attend to him. He
therefore sent a shot over their heads, when they pulled away as fast as
they could. They had, however, no sooner got ashore, than others came
off. One, a large, well-built boat, had forty men in her. Soon after
another of smaller size made her appearance, with several others. As
the ship lay becalmed, and it appeared probable that the savages
intended to make an attack, the gunner was ordered to fire one of the
guns loaded with round and small shot. The last dropped into the water
short of them, but the round shot flew a hundred yards beyond them,
between two of their canoes. This so frightened the natives, that they
rowed away with all speed. A light breeze having sprung up, the s