326 AUSTRALIA TO SAVU ISLAND CHAP, xiv 



away, and was no longer perceived. All the latter part of 

 the day we had calms or light winds all round the compass, 

 the weather at the same time being most intolerably hot. 



3rd. We stood right in-shore, and at half-past eight had 

 less than three fathoms water five or six miles from the 

 shore. The captain, Dr. Solander, and I, with the boat's 

 crew and my servants, consisting in all of twelve men, well 

 armed, rowed directly towards the shore, but could not get 

 nearer than about 200 yards on account of the shallowness 

 of the water. We quickly, however, got out of the boat, and 

 waded ashore, leaving two men to take care of her. We 

 had no sooner landed than we saw the print of naked feet 

 upon the mud below high- water mark, which convinced us 

 that the Indians were not far off, though we had yet seen 

 no signs of any. The nature of the country made it necessary 

 for us to be very much upon our guard. The close, thick 

 wood came down to within less than 100 yards of the water, 

 and so near therefore might the Indians come without our 

 seeing them, and should they by numbers overpower us, a re- 

 treat to the boat would be impossible, as she was so far from 

 the shore. We proceeded, therefore, with much caution, 

 looking carefully about us, the doctor and I looking for 

 plants at the edge of the wood, and the rest walking along 

 the beach. 



About 200 yards from our landing, we came to a grove 

 of cocoanut trees of very small growth, but well hung 

 with fruit, standing upon the banks of a small brook 

 of brackish water. Near them was a small shed, hardly 

 half covered with cocoanut leaves, in and about which were 

 numberless cocoanut shells, some quite fresh. We stayed 

 under these trees some time, admiring and wishing for the 

 fruit, but as none of us could climb, it was impossible to 

 get even one, so we left them, and proceeded in search of 

 anything else which might occur. We soon found plantains 

 and a single bread-fruit tree, but neither of these had any 

 fruit upon them, so we proceeded, and had got about a quarter 

 of a mile from the boat when three Indians suddenly rushed 

 out of the woods, with a hideous shout, about a hundred 



