86 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



made the signal for shoal water. The ship instantly brought 

 to, with all her sails standing. It was now found that she 

 had met with another narrow escape, as she was almost 

 encompassed with shoals, and was likewise so situated be- 

 tween them, that she must have struck before the boat's 

 crew had made the signal, if she had been half the length of a 

 cable on either side. In the afternoon she made sail with 

 the ebb tide, and got out of danger before sun-set. The 

 ship now held a course due north, barely within sight of 

 land, till the 3rd of September ; and as the water was but 

 just deep enough to navigate the vessel, many unsuccessful 

 attempts were made to bring her near enough to get on 

 shore ; it was therefore determined to land in one of the 

 boats, while the ship kept plying oil and on. In consequence 

 of this resolution, the Captain, accompanied by Messrs. 

 Banks and Solander, set out in the pinnace ; but when they 

 came within two hundred yards of the shore, the water was 

 so shallow, that they were obliged to leave the boat to the 

 care of two of the sailors, and wade to land. They were no 

 sooner clear of the water, than they saw several prints of 

 human feet on the sand. 



Our adventurers were now near a quarter of a mile from 

 the pinnace, when three of the natives ran out of the woods, 

 about one hundred yards beyond them, shouting in the most 

 violent manner. TJjey instantly ran towards our country- 

 men, the first of the three throwing something out of his 

 hand, which burnt like gunpowder, but made no noise, 

 while the other two threw their lances. The English now 

 fired ; when the natives stopped and cast another lance ; 

 on which the muskets were loaded with ball, and again 

 fired. The poor Indians now ran off with expedition, 

 having, most probably, been wounded in the unequal 

 conflict. 



Captain Cook and his companions, unwilling farther to 

 injure those who could not originally have intended them 

 any harm, retreated hastily to the boat, which they rowed 

 abreast of the natives, who by this time were assembled to 

 the number of about eighty. Their stature was nearly the 

 same with that of the inhabitants of New South Wales, but 

 their colour wa not quite so dark. 



The whole coast of this country is low land, but clothed 

 with a richness of trees and herbage, which exceeds all 

 description. On the 16th, they had sight of the little 

 island called Rotte ; and the same day saw the island 

 Semau. At ten o'clock this night, a dull reddish light was 

 seen in the air. This phenomenon, which reached about ten 

 degrees above the horizon, bore a considerable resemblance 

 to the Aurora Borealis, only that the rays of light which it 



