MOTIVKS OF NATIVES. 113 



till the third day, when he died. He was an excel- 

 lent man : quiet and attentive to his duty, with a 

 good character in every respect. 



It appeared from the account of the cockswain of 

 the boat, that, while we were on the hill, the natives 

 came down about the boats unarmed ; that they 

 were treated kindly, without any dispute or apparent 

 offence given them, except that they were prevented 

 taking several things out of the boats, which they 

 attempted to do ; that they went away together, and 

 were again returning to the boats with their spears, 

 apparently to attack and plunder them, when our 

 coming down the hill stopped them. Annoyance at 

 being thus frustrated in their hopes of plunder was 

 the only reason we could assign for this treacherous 

 and cowardly attack upon us. Cowardly, as they 

 waited till the last man's back was turned, and ran 

 as soon as they had speared him. I have always 

 joined in reprobating the causeless injuries some- 

 times inflicted by civilized, or quasi-civilized man, 

 upon the wild tribes of savage life ; and many 

 atrocities have doubtless been committed in mere 

 wantonness, and from brutality or indifference. I 

 have always looked, too, with a favourable eye on 

 what are called savages, and held a kind of precon- 



end of the spear. Any one who in darting a little bit of stick 

 applies his finger to the end of it, will see how it increases its 

 force, and may calculate what leverage he would gain in throwing 

 a spear, if he had a finger three feet long to apply to the end 

 of it. 



VOL. T. I 



