FRIENDLY COMMUNICATION. 31 



Presently an old grey-headed man came down the 

 hill, whom they all pointed out to us, and calling 

 him, Captain Blackwood placed on his head a red 

 worsted nightcap. The old gentleman leant for- 

 ward to have the cap adjusted, with great earnest- 

 ness, and then, with a grave and dignified coun- 

 tenance, took his seat among us, as if admitted of 

 our company. Paying no further attention to his 

 own tribe, he spoke first to one and then to the other 

 of us in a low, serious tone of voice, and pointed to 

 the dogs (of which they were rather afraid), as if 

 requesting them to be removed. Ten more young- 

 men, with white sticks through their noses and 

 spears in their hands, now joined us from the man- 

 groves round our mount, where they had been lying 

 in ambush. They all then rose, and began rather 

 to press upon us ; by Captain Blackwood's desire, 

 accordingly, I called their attention, and fixing an 

 oyster- shell in a tree about fifteen yards off, fired a 

 ball into it. They started at the report, and one or 

 two in the rear threw themselves down, but either 

 they did not comprehend it, or trusted wholly in our 

 good intentions, as they did not seem to care much 

 about it. One man, indeed, laid hold of my gun, as 

 if to take it away, but desisted on my looking grave 

 and shaking my head. I asked for a spear from 

 another to whom I had given a knife ; he was rather 

 unwilling to part with it, but on my pointing to the 

 knife in his hand, and gently detaining the spear, 

 he let it go, laughing at me, however, and shaking 



