SECOND VOYAGE 179 



as childish weapons, and began to let them see how much 

 better theirs were, by throwing stones and darts, and by 

 shooting arrows. This made it absolutely necessary to 

 give orders to fire. The first discharge threw them into 

 confusion ; but a second was hardly sufficient to drive 

 them off the beach. Four lay, to all appearance, dead on 

 the shore ; but two of them afterwards crawled into the 

 bushes. Happy it was for these people that not half the 

 muskets would go off, otherwise many more must have 

 fallen. One sailor was wounded in the cheek with a dart, 

 the point of which was as thick as a little finger, and yet 

 it entered above two inches, which shews that it must 

 have come with great force. An arrow struck Mr. Gilbert's 

 naked breast from some distance ; for it hardly penetrated 

 the skin. These arrows were pointed with hard wood. 



As soon as they got on board, the Captain ordered the 

 anchor to be weighed. While this was doing, several people 

 appeared on the low rocky point, displaying two oars which 

 had been lost in the scuffle. This was supposed a sign of 

 submission, and of their wanting to give them the oars. 

 He, nevertheless, fired a four pound shot at them, to let 

 them see the effect of their great guns. The ball fell short, 

 but frightened them so much that none were seen after- 

 wards ; and they left the oars standing up against the 

 bushes. 



These islanders seemed to be a different race from those 

 of Mallicollo, and spoke a different language. They are 

 of the middle size, have a good shape and tolerable features. 

 Their colour is very dark, and they paint their faces, some 

 with black, and others with red pigment. They saw a few 

 women, who were very ordinary ; they wore a kind of 

 petticoat made of palm leaves, or some plant like it. 

 But the men, like those of Mallicollo, were in a manner 

 naked ; having only the belt about the waist, and the 

 piece of cloth or leaf used as a wrapper. 



In the night of the 5th of August, they saw a volcano, 

 which they observed to throw up vast quantities of fire and 

 smoke, with a rumbling noise heard at a great distance. 

 They now made sail for the island whence it appeared, and 

 presently after discovered a small inlet, which had the 

 appearance of being a good harbour. The wind left them 

 as soon as they were within the entrance, and obliged them 

 to drop an anchor in four fathoms water. After this the 

 boats were sent to sound. 



Many of the natives now got together in parties on several 

 parts of the shore, all armed. Some swam off to them, 

 others came in canoes. At first they were shy, and kept 

 at the distance of a stone's throw ; they grew insensibly 



