242 A WILY DEVICE. 



a strong breeze, aud the sea was very heavy, great 

 rollers traversing the flats to leeward, and breaking 

 all round us in water three and four fathoms deep. 

 We accordingly began to be very anxious about our 

 cutter, and on the 22nd, the weather being more 

 moderate, we stood in towards the Prince George, 

 as far as the water would allow. Here we found 

 the cutter, which had with great difficulty made her 

 way out the preceding afternoon, through a tre- 

 mendously heavy sea. None but an excellent boat 

 could have lived in it, and she was much shaken 

 and began to leak a good deal. 



The day after she left us (i.e. on the 20th), she 

 stood in to the mouth of a fresh- water arm, four or 

 five miles wide, and while examining it, no fewer 

 than sixteen large canoes, with at least a dozen 

 men in each, suddenly emerged from different parts 

 of the 'shore, among the mangroves, where no sign 

 of them could previously be seen. 



They did not attack her, however, but seemed 

 watching their opportunity in case she should get 

 into difficulties. One very wily device they put in 

 practice, which deserves notice. While the cutter 

 was at anchor for dinner, one or two large logs 

 of wood were perceived floating down, of which 

 little notice was taken, till, when within about a 

 quarter of a mile, Lieut. Ince, having a remark- 

 ably keen sight, observed a little splash in the water 

 at regular intervals alongside of one. The men 

 insisted it was only a log of wood ; but on firing 

 a musket-ball near, up started several men in it, 



