138 FROM CONCEPTION BAY 



we fired some small shot at him, which, how- 

 ever, did not prevent them from practising their 

 thievish arts. On a signal given by our boat, 

 that they had found a good anchoring-place, I 

 made a couple of tacks to reach the point, and 

 cast anchor in twenty-two fathoms, on a fine 

 sandy bottom. The Sand-bay lay S. E. 45° of us ; 

 the two rocks were hidden behind the southern 

 point. Our boat now returned, without the 

 islanders venturing to follow it. As it was my in- 

 tention to land, I had two boats manned for the 

 purpose, and we left the Rurick, seventeen in num- 

 ber, at three o'clock in the afternoon. A great 

 number of savages had assembled on the beach ; 

 they cried, and capered, and made the most singu- 

 lar motions, and seemed to wait our arrival with 

 impatience ; but as they had chosen for their ren- 

 dezvous the only place where the surf would permit 

 our landing, we could not venture to leave xDur 

 boats, before they had made room, which they 

 could in no wise be persuaded to do. Amidst 

 laughing and joking they obliged us to put off 

 from the shore, and even pursued us in the water ; 

 but this did not seem dangerous, as they were all 

 unarmed. We had scarcely left the shore, when 

 hundreds swam round our boats, who exchanged 

 banana-fruits and sugar-cane, for old iron ; at the 

 same time making an intolerable noise, as they all 

 spoke with great vivacity at once ; some of them 

 appeared to be very witty, as at times a gene- 



