d, which were about one mile apart, leaving
all the islands on the starboard side. Some of these were very pretty
spots, covered with wood and well situated for fishing: large shoals of
fish were about us but we could not catch any. In passing this strait we
saw another party of Indians, seven in number, running towards us,
shouting and making signs for us to land. Some of them waved green
branches of the bushes which were near them as a token of friendship; but
some of their other motions were less friendly. A little farther off we
saw a larger party who likewise came towards us. I therefore determined
not to land though I much wished to have had some intercourse with these
people. Nevertheless I laid the boat close to the rocks and beckoned to
them to approach but none of them would come within 200 yards of us. They
were armed in the same manner as the people we had seen from Restoration
Island; they were stark naked, their colour black, with short bushy hair
or wool, and in their appearance were similar to them in every respect.
An island of a good height bore north half west four miles from us, at
which I resolved to land and from thence to take a look at the coast. At
this isle we arrived about eight o'clock in the morning. The shore was
rocky but the water was smooth and we landed without difficulty. I sent
two parties out, one to the northward and the other to the southward, to
seek for supplies, and others I ordered to stay by the boat. On this
occasion fatigue and weakness so far got the better of their sense of
duty that some of the people expressed their discontent at having worked
harder than their companions, and declared that they would rather be
without their dinner than go in search of it. One person in particular
went so far as to tell me, with a mutinous look, that he was as good a
man as myself. It was not possible for me to judge where this might have
an end if not stopped in time, therefore to prevent such disputes in
future I determined either to preserve my command or die in the attempt
and, seizing a cutlass, I ordered him to take hold of another and defend
himself, on which he called out that I was going to kill him and
immediately made concessions. I did not allow this to interfere further
with the harmony of the boat's crew and everything soon became quiet.

The parties continued collecting what they could find, which were some
fine oysters and clams and a few small dog-fish that were caught in