East Coast, Sf V. B. s Land.'] INTRODUCTION. ] x *> 
came with friendly intentions, set fire to the heap without hesitation. Marion. 
This was no sooner done, than they retired precipitately to a small l17 "' 
hill, and threw a shower of stones, by which captain Marion and the 
commander of the Castries were both wounded. Some shots were 
then fired ; and the French, returning to their boats, coasted along 
the beach to an open place in the middle of the bay, where there 
was no hill or eminence from whence they could be annoyed. The 
savages sent their women and children into the woods, and followed 
the boats along shore ; and on their putting in to land, one of the 
natives set up a hideous cry, and immediately a shower of spears 
was discharged. A black servant was hurt in the leg ; and a firing 
then commenced, by which several of the natives were wounded, and 
one killed. They fled to the woods, making a frightful howling, 
but carried off such of the wounded as were unable to follow. Fif- 
teen men, armed with muskets, pursued them ; and on entering 
amongst the trees, they found a dying savage. This man was a 
little more than five feet seven inches high ; his breast was marked 
like those of the Mozambique CafFres, and his skin appeared as black ; 
but on washing off the soot and dirt, his natural colour appeared to 
be reddish. The spears, which it was feared might have been poi- 
soned, were proved not to be so by the facility with which the wound 
of the black servant was healed. 
After the flight of the savages, captain Marion sent two officers 
with detachments, to search for water, and for trees proper to make 
a foremast and bowsprit for the Castries ; but after traversing two 
leagues of country without meeting a single inhabitant, they returned 
unsuccessful in both pursuits ; nor could any fresh water be found 
during the six days which the ships remained in Frederik Hen- 
drik's Bay. 
1 he land here is quite sandy, but covered with brush- wood, and 
with small trees which the savages had mostly stripped of the bark 
for cooking their shell fish. The greater part of the trees were 
burnt at the foot ; but amongst them there was a kind of pine, less 
