472 ALARM OF THE NATIVES. 



Finding the natives still coming down to the 

 beach in great numbers, and .that all were in a 

 highly excited state, we merely gratified our curi- 

 osity on the beach, without attempting to go into 

 their village, and returned on board. 



We subsequently found out that the natives had 

 some reason to be alarmed at our appearance, as 

 they had been recently visited by a frigate, sent by 

 the Dutch government to punish the inhabitants of 

 the neighbouring island Laarat for the murder of 

 Captain Harris, and part of the crew of the English 

 bark Alexander, on which occasion she destroyed 

 the village and took away several of the natives, 

 who were supposed to have been implicated in the 

 business, prisoners to Amboyna. 



After about an hour, during which the natives 

 remained in a compact group on the beach, evi- 

 dently in deep consultation, the same chief who 

 visited us in the morning came off again, bringing 

 with him the promised supplies, consisting only of 

 a billy-goat and a small pig. We tried some time 

 in vain to convince him we had no hostile intentions, 

 and as the weather was too unsettled to remain in 

 so insecure an anchorage, we weighed, and made 

 sail for Oliliet, passing close along the island of 

 Vordate, which is moderately high, luxuriantly 

 wooded, very well cultivated, and apparently 

 densely inhabited. It is separated from Laarat by 

 a narrow strait, which, from the way the sea broke 

 across it, appeared to be quite shoal. 



