A NATIVE BATTLE. 



255 



The natives had run back to Keriam, and were 

 now coming out armed with bows and arrows, look- 

 ing along the beach, in which direction I now caught 

 sight of a small party coming along at full speed 

 from the south side of the island, or the direction of 

 Moggor. Mammoos's party advanced in an irre- 

 gular straggling line, with the women carrying 

 bundles of arrows on the flanks and in the rear. We 

 pulled off a little way, to be out of arrow- shot, and 

 then lay on our oars to see the result. The small 

 party coming up seemed to be the inhabitants of the 

 next village, and joined Mammoos's party, and we 

 then saw another body of about thirty men coming 

 round the point, and a canoe with about six more. 

 These were evidently enemies, or Seewai's party. 



They approached each other at full speed to 

 within about thirty or forty yards, when they both 

 halted, sheltering themselves behind rocks and large 

 stones ; and there was a pretty brisk interchange 

 of arrows. The sharp twanging or smacking of 

 the bows, the rattling of bundles of arrows, and the 

 hurtling of arrows through the air, and their glanc- 

 ing from the rocks, was heard above the shouts 

 and cries of the combatants. The fierce gestures, 

 quick and active movements, and the animated 

 attitudes of the black and naked warriors, orna- 

 mented as many of them were with glittering pearl 

 shells, or red flowers and yellow leaves hanging from 

 their hair, and the crouching of the women, known 

 by their petticoats, on the rear or skirts of the 



