236 ATTACK UPON THE SURVEYING BOATS. 



the branches dispersed the party^ but afterwards 

 they moved two of the canoes out of sight. The 

 remaining- one was broug-ht out after breakfast by 

 the g'alley under cover of the pinnace^ and was 

 towed off to some distance. The paddles having- 

 been taken out and the spears broken and left in her^ 

 she was let g^o to drift do^\Ti towards a villag'e 

 whence the attacking' party were supposed to have 

 come. Some blood in this canoe^ althoug-h not the 

 one most aimed at^ shewed that the firing- had not 

 been ineffective. 



This act of deliberate treachery was perpetrated 

 by persons who had always been well-treated by us^ 

 for several of the natives present were recog-nised as 

 having* been along-side the ship in Coral Haven. 

 This^ then' first act of positive hostility^ affords^ I 

 think^ conclusive evidence of the savag-e disposition 

 of the natives of this part of the Louisiade when 

 excited b}^ the hope of plunder^ and shews that no 

 confidence should ever Ue reposed in them unless_, 

 perhaps^ in the presence of a numerically superior 

 force^ or the close \dcinity of the ship. At the same 

 time the boldness of these savag-es in attacking-^ with 

 thirty men in three canoes^ two boats known to con- 

 tain at least twenty persons — even in hopes of taking- 

 them by surprise — and in not being- at once driven 

 off upon feeling* the novel and deadly effects of 

 musketry^ indicates no little amount of bravery. In 

 the course of the same day^ when Lieut. Dayman 

 was close in-shore with the g'alley laying* down the 



