28 BOAT SURROUNDED BY NATIVES. 



to the other, as they stood scattered behind the man- 

 groves, and up the hill in their rear. They were all 

 armed with spears, but on Captain Blackwood 

 calling us to come up, and our advancing to the 

 opening, they retired a little leaving the path open 

 Three or four stout fellows kept near us, to whom 

 we took off our hats, held out our hands, shouted 

 and danced. 



To one I gave a small knife, and showed him how 

 to use it. They seemed good tempered, and rather 

 afraid, as most of them kept thirty or forty yards 

 back up the slope of the hill. They were stout, 

 strong, broad-shouldered fellows, in the prime of 

 life, and we now counted seventeen of them. On 

 coming to the boat, we found her all safe, as well as 

 our two men. They said that two black fellows 

 came down soon after we left, and after scouting 

 about for some time, disappeared ; but about an hour 

 before we returned, they suddenly found themselves 

 surrounded by twenty men with brandished spears ; 

 that they made signs of peace to them, and so far 

 succeeded as to get everything into the boat except 

 the stove of the boat's coppers, which was still hot 

 and rather heavy. It being now low water, however, 

 the natives easily waded off to the boat, and sur- 

 rounded them, Still they did not offer violence, and 

 though very curious in the examination of the boat's 

 sails and gear, and desirous of the former, they de- 

 sisted from taking it on signs being made to them 

 to do so. They were evidently unacquainted with 



