APPARENT DEPARTURE OF NATIVES. #9 



fire-arms, as one of them laid hold of one of the 

 men's muskets and tried to pull it out of his hand, 

 holding it with the muzzle against his breast, but 

 on being threatened, gave up the attempt. Our men 

 prudently did not fire upon them, or attempt to use 

 force, and the only thing now missing was the stove. 

 While we were seated on the mount, getting some 

 refreshment and hearing this account, the natives 

 were all assembled just outside the mangroves at 

 the foot of the ridge, chattering and laughing most 

 vociferously, and one fellow sat in the fork of a tree 

 watching our motions, and apparently describing 

 them to his comrades. Presently we heard some- 

 thing rattle like the stove struck against a stone, 

 and picking up our guns, we rushed out. The 

 natives slowly retired up the ridge, at the foot of 

 which, under a tree, we found our stove. Pointing 

 to this, we shook our guns at them, and scolded 

 them for taking it away ; and, pretending to be very 

 angry, we waved to them to leave us and go away. 

 They seemed to understand this, and several of 

 them, picking up nets and baskets, pointed to them 

 and then to the water, as if to assure us they were 

 going away fishing. The nets seemed well made, 

 consisting of a bag with its mouth stretched over a 

 kind of bow, or stick bent into a semi-circle by a stout 

 string. They then all went away towards the north, 

 and the place became perfectly still, so that we 

 cooked and eat our breakfast in tranquillity about 

 noon, but were obliged to wait till two p. m. for the 



