210 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



the place where our people were cutting 

 wood, upwards of two hundred natives prac-^ 

 tifing to throw the dart^ at the fame timtf 

 performing different evolutions^ He retired 

 without having been difcovercd, and ran to- 

 wards us to inform us of what he had juft feen. 

 Imm.ediately an officer belonging to our fhip 

 f^t off with four marines, to obferve the mo- 

 tions of thefe favages ; but the latter advanced 

 upon hirin and his party as foon as they difco- 

 vered them, and obliged them to return pro- 

 cipitately towards our wood-cutters. The 

 favages foon arrived at the fame fpot, and made 

 us fenfible of the plan they had formed of 

 getting poffeiTinn of the hatchets, which had 

 been depofited in the middle of our people, 

 while they were affembled to take their meal. 

 The commanding officer immediately ordered 

 thefe tools to be carried into the launch ; but 

 the failor that had them on his {boulder was 

 attacked by the idanders, who were on the point 

 of taking them away from him, when we fired 

 feveral mufkets at them. One of the moil 

 audacious having been brought to the ground, 

 had yet ffrengrh enough left to crawl into the 

 woods. All the others fled immediately, and 

 with their flings, threw at us a ftiower of oval 

 cut ftones, which they carried in fmall bags 

 fufpcnded to their girdle; but as they kept at 

 4 a great 



