177^. ROUND THE WORLD. 3 



be an island which, at five o'clock, bore West, distant 

 five leagues. Here we spent the night plying under 

 the top-sails ; and, at day-break next morning, bore 

 away, steering for the northern point, and ranging 

 the West coast at the distance of one mile, till near 

 noon. Then, perceiving some people on the shore, 

 and landing seeming to be easy, we brought to, and 

 hoisted out two boats, with which I put off to the land, 

 accompanied by some of the officers and gentlemen. 

 As we drew near the shore, some of the inhabitants, 

 who were on the rocks, retired to the woods, to meet 

 us, as we supposed ; and we afterwards found our 

 conjectures right. We landed with ease in a small 

 creek, and took post on a high rock to prevent a sur- 

 prise. Here we displayed our colours, and Mr. 

 Forster and his party began to collect plants, &c. 

 The coast was so over-run with woods, bushes, plants, 

 stones, &c. that we could not see forty yards round 

 us. I took two men, and with them entered a kind 

 of chasm, which opened a way into the woods. We 

 had not gone far before we heard the natives approach- 

 ing ; upon which I called to Mr. Forster to retire to 

 the party, as 1 did likewise. We had no sooner 

 joined, than the islanders appeared at the entrance of 

 a chasm not a stone's-throw from us. We began to 

 speak, and make all the friendly signs we could think 

 of to them, which they answered by menaces ; and 

 one of two men, who were advanced before the rest, 

 threw a stone, which struck Mr. Sparrman on the 

 arm. Upon this two musquets were fired, without 

 order, which made them all retire under cover of the 

 woods ; and we saw them no more. 



After waiting some little time, and till we were 

 satisfied nothing was to be done here, the country 

 being so over-run with bushes, that it was hardly 

 possible to come to parly with them, we embarked 

 and proceeded down along shore, in hopes of meeting 

 with better success in another place. After ranging 

 the coast for some miles without seeing a living soul, 



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