CoLENSO. — Manihus Parkinsonihus sacrum. 119 



ascend from different parts, and tlience concluded that it was inhabited. 

 On the 9tb, early in the morning, the wind being favom-able, we stood in 

 nearer land, where it seemed to open and form a deep bay ; but on 

 approaching it we discovered low land, and it was much shallower than we 

 expected. Upon entering we had regular soundings all the way, from 

 twenty-six to six fathoms, and cast anchor on the east side in ten fathoms 

 water about two or three miles from the shore, over against the land on the 

 right where there was the appearance of a river. * * * Having cast 

 anchor, the pinnace, long-boat, and yawl were sent on shore with the 

 marines. As soon as the people who were in the pinnace had passed a 

 little way up into the coimtry, while the long-boat went u]d the river to see 

 for water, some of the natives, who had hid themselves among the bushes, 

 made their appearance, having long wooden lances in their hands, which they 

 held up in a threatening posture as if they intended to throw them at the 

 boys in the yawl. The cockswain, who stayed in the pinnace, perceiving 

 them, fired a musketoon over their heads, but that did not seem to intimidate 

 them ; he therefore fired a musket, and shot one of them through the heart, 

 upon which they were much alarmed and retreated precipitately. The 

 water in the river was found to be brackish, in which we were disappointed; 

 but they shot some wild ducks of a very large size, and gathered a variety 

 of curious plants in flower. 



" Early on the morning of the 10th the long-boat, pinnace, and yawl 

 went on shore again, landed near the river where they had been the night 

 before, and attempted to find a watering-place. Several of the natives 

 came toward them, and, with much entreating, we prevailed on some of 

 them to cross the river, to whom we gave several things, which they carried 

 back to their companions on the other side of the river, who seemed to be 

 highly pleased with them and testified their joy by a war-dance. Appearing 

 to be so pacifically disposed, our company went over to them and were 

 received in a friendly manner. Some of the natives were armed with 

 lances, and others with a kind of stone-bludgeon ; through the handle of it 

 was a string which they twisted round the hand that held it when they 

 attempted to strike at any person. We would have purchased some of their 

 weapons, but could not prevail on them to part with them on any terms. 

 One of them, however, watched an oj)portunity and snatched a hanger from 

 us ; our people resented the affront by firing upon them and killed three of 

 them on the spot ; but the rest, to our surprise, did not appear to be 

 * intimidated at the sight of their expiring countrymen who lay weltering in 

 their blood, nor did they seem to breathe any revenge upon the occasion ; 

 attempting only to wrest the hanger out of the man's hand that had been 

 shot, and to take the weapons that belonged to their other two deceased 



