BOUUGA STBAIT. 27 
country, followed them witli two armed boats, and aa soon 
aa the latter approached the shore, a number of natives 
ran to meet them, and seizing the sides of the boats 
attempted to drag them up the beach;, which the boats' 
crew, by signs, endeavoured to prevent. At the same 
moment, one of the savages drew Lieutenant Banse'a 
sword from the scabbard, while another seized fast hold 
of the butt of a musket. These freedoms awakened dis- 
trust in the officers, and warned thcni to take measures of 
resistance in time. The muskets were presented at the 
savages, the result of which was that they let go the boats 
and every other object they had seized, and retreated with 
precipitation. The officers also retired to their vessels. 
In the afternoon, when the vessels got nnder weigh, 
the canoes all recrossed the strait, and followed the vessels 
along the coast. They were soon afterwards joined by 
others, so that altogether the number of the natives must 
have amounted' to five hundred. They made all sorts of 
gestures, while now and then a canoe separated from the 
others and approached the vessels to reconnoitre. For 
this reason, and also on account of the great number of 
the savages, the precaution was taken of loading some of 
the guns with grape-shot, in order to be prepared against 
the possibility of any attack dunng the night. They did 
not venture to do so, however, and on the following morn- 
ing all the savages had disappeared, and no natives were 
subsequently seen from either of the vessels. During the 
remainder of the passage through the strait to the southern 
entrance, no more smoke was seen rising above the forest. 
A few ruined huts here and there, as miserable in appear- 
ance as the people themselves, was all that was observed 
c 2 
