28S VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



Several wore bracelets made of plaits of 

 cocoa-nut bafs. 



We admired their fkill in (leering on a wind 

 when they returned towards the coafl. 



On the 1 8th, in the morning, two canoes 

 with outriggers and under fail, each manned 

 by twelve favages, rapidly rar^ round our 

 ihip, obferving our motions with much atten- 

 tion, but at a great diftance ; they then kept 

 for a long^ time to windward of us. We were 

 now in latitude 9 53' fouth^ and longitude 

 I49<^ 10' eaft. Every thing announced to us a 

 numerous population on the fouthern coaft, 

 and particularly towards the head of a great 

 bay, which extended to the fouth fouth-wefl* 

 Prefently we faw coming towards us fome ca- 

 noes, each containing ten or eleven favages^ 

 who kept at about a hundred meters from us ; 

 but the bits of cloth which we threw overboard 

 for them, induced them to come nearer. They 

 appeared greatly furprifed at feeing in our fhip 

 a young negro that we had taken on board at 

 Amboyna ; it was to no purpofe that this black 

 fpoke Malay to them, they did not underftand 

 that language. Tticfe iOanders had all woolly 

 hair, and an olive colour fl<:in ; however, I 

 remarked one of them as black as the Mofam- 

 bique negroes, to whom I thought he bore 



much 



