SOUTH-WEST COAST. 
33 
Lieutenant KolfF was equally unsuccessful with. Captain 
Cook in opening a friendly intercourse witt the inhabi- 
vanced a^jout a quarter of a mile from the boat, three Indians 
rushed out of the wood with a hideous shout, at about the distance 
of a hundred yards ; and as they ran towards us, the foremost 
threw somelhuig out of his tiaud, which flew on one side of him, 
and burnt exactly like gimpowder, but made uo report ; the other 
two hist ant ly threw their lances at us, mid as bo time was now to he 
lost we diseharged our pieees, which were loaded with small shot. 
It is probable that they did not feel the shot, for though they 
halted a moment they did not retreat, and a third dart was tlirown 
05. As we thought their farther approach might he prevented 
with less risk of Ufe, than it would cost to defend ourselve-s a^iust 
their attack if they should come nearer, we loaded our pieces with 
ball and fired a second time. By this dlscliaxgc it is probable that 
some of them were wounded, yet we had the satisfaction to see that 
they all ran away with great agility. 
" As I was not disposed forcibly to invade this country, either to 
gratify our appetites or our curiosity, and perceived that nothing 
was to be done upon friendly terms, we improved this inter^'al, in 
which the destruction of the natives was no longer necessary to our 
own defence, and with aU expedition returned towards our boat. 
As wo were advancuig along the shore, we perceived that the two 
men on board made signals that more Indians were coming down, 
and before we got into the water we saw several of ihem coming 
round a point at a distance of about five hundred yards. It is 
pi-obable that they had met with the three who first attacked us, 
for as soon as they saw us they baited, and seemed to wait tUl 
their main body should ootne up- We entered the water, and 
waded towards the boat, and tbey remained at their station without 
giving us any mterruption. 
" As soon as we were aboard we rowed abreast of them, and their 
number tlifu ap^>cared to be between sixty and a huncbed, We 
took a view of them at onr leisure; they mode much the same 
appearance as the New Hollanders, being nearly of the same st^iture, 
C % 
