264 
CRUISE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
As soon as we anchored, all our boats were got 
out, as it was intended to spend a week here and 
make a survey of the bay ; and great were the pre- 
parations amongst the naturalists and others at the 
prospect of exploring the beautiful forests, &c., 
stretched out around us, where altogether every- 
thing was likely to be new. 
On the first of the boats approaching the shore, 
it was closed upon by a number of savages in 
their canoes, and all that could be stolen they laid 
hands on. A second boat was similarly treated, and 
they evidently opposed any landing being made with 
hostile demonstrations, bending their bows and inti- 
mating their intention to shoot if we persisted in the 
attempt. Very judiciously we gave way, although 
all were fully armed, and the boats returned to the 
ship, every one feeling disappointed at the result. 
Later in the day another attempt was made to 
land at a village on the other side of the bay ; and 
as the shore was approached, a few natives, who 
appeared on the platform (which connects their 
different huts), assumed a threatening attitude at 
first, but as the party neared, they seemed convinced 
of their peaceful intentions, and allowed a landing to 
take place on the beach. A large crowd soon col- 
lected around us, and followed in our track through 
the village. The natives met with have a dark 
brown skin ; they are rather short, but otherwise 
well- formed, with woolly hair usually stained with 
