Captain William 
AmpIeL 
often (truck their Left Bread with their Right Hand, and as 
often held up a black Truncheon over their Heads, which 
we took for a Token of Friend (hip ; wherefore we did 
the like ; and, when we (food in towards their Shore, they 
feemed to rejoice ; but, when we ftood off, they frowned •, 
yet kept us Company in their Proes, (till pointing to the 
Shore. About five o’ Clock we, got within the Mouth of 
the Bay, and founded feveral times, but had no Ground, 
tho 3 within a Mile of the Shore. The Bafbn of this Bay 
was above two Miles within us, into which we might have 
gone,; but, as I was not fure of Anchorage there, fo I 
thought it not Prudence to run in at this Time, it being 
near Night, and feeing a black Tornado rifing in the Weft, 
which I moft feared ; befides, we had near 200 Men in 
Proes clofe by us ; and the Bays, on the Shore, were lined 
with Men from one End to the other, where there could 
not be lefs than three or four hundred more. What Wea- 
pons they had, we knew not, nor yet their Defign ; there- 
fore I had, at their firft coming near us, got up all our fmall 
Arms, and made feveral put-on Cartouch-boxes to fecure 
us from Treachery. At laft I refolved to go out again, 
which when the Natives in their Proes perceived, they 
began to fling Stones at us as faft as they could, being pro- 
vided with Engines for that Purpofe •, and therefore I 
named this Place Slingers Bay : But at the Firing of a Angle 
Gun they were all amazed, drew off, and flung no more 
Stones ; they got together, as if confulting what to do ; 
for they did not make in towards the Shore, but lay ft ill, 
though fome of them were killed or wounded, and many 
more of them had paid for their Boldnefs, but that I was 
unwilling to cut oft' many of them, which if I had done, 
I could not hope afterwards to bring them to treat with 
me. The next Day, we failed clofe by an Ifland, where 
we faw many Smokes, and Men in the Bays, out of which 
came two or three Canoes, taking much Pains to overtake 
us, but they could not, though we went with an eafy Sail, 
and I could not now ftay for them. As I palled by the 
South-eaft Point, I founded feveral times, within a Mile 
of thefandy Bays, but had no Ground. About three 
Leagues to the Northward of the South-eaft Point, we 
opened a large deep Bay, fecured from Weft North- weft 
• and South-weft Winds : There were two other Iflands that 
lay to the North-eaft of it, which fecured the Bay from 
North-eaft Winds •, one was but fmall, yet woody ; the 
other was a League long, inhabited, and full of Cocoa-nut- 
trees. I endeavoured to get into this Bay, but there came 
fuch Flaws from the high Land over it, that I could not ; 
and, Night coming on, I would not run any Hazard, but 
bore away to the fmall inhabited Ifland, to fee if we could 
anchor on the Eaft Side of it : When we came thither, we 
found the Ifland fo narrow, that there could be no Shelter ; 
therefore I tacked, and ftood towards the greater Ifland 
again ; and, being more than midway between both, I 
lay by. Between feven and eight at Night, we faw a Ca- 
noe clofe by us ; and, feeing no more, buffered her to come 
aboard ; flie had three Men in her, who brought off five 
Cocoa-nuts, for which I gave each of them a Knife, and a 
String of Beads, to encourage them to come off again in 
the Morning ; but, before thefe went away, we faw two 
more Canoes coming; therefore we ftood away to the 
Northward from them, and then lay by again till Day. 
We faw no more Boats this Night, neither defigned to fuf- 
fer any more to come aboard in the Dark. By nine a Clock 
the next Morning, we were got within a League of the 
great Ifland, but were kept off by violent Gufts of Wind. 
25. On March 3. being about five Leagues to Leeward 
of the great Ifland, we faw the Main-land a-head, and an- 
other great high Ifland to the Leeward of us, Diftance 
about feven Leagues, for which we bore away ; it is called 
in the Dutch Draughts Garrat Dennis Ifle. It is about 
fourteen or fifteen Leagues round, high, and mountainous, 
and very woody. Some Trees appeared very large and 
tali’; and the Bay, by the Sea-fide, abounded with very 
large Cocoa-nut-trees ; where we alfo faw fome fmall Houfes. 
Fhe Sides of the Mountains are thick-fet with Plantations ; 
and the Mould, in the new-cleared Land, feemed to be of 
a brown-reddifti Colour. This Ifland is full of Points, 
(hooting into the Sea ; between which are many fandy 
Bays full of Cocoa-nut-trees. The Middle of the Ifland lies 
Numb. 9, 
in 3 0 10' SoUth Latitude ; it is very populous ; the Na- 
tives are very black, ftrong; and well-limbed People, 
having round Heads, their Hair curled and fhort, which 
they (have into feveral Forms, and dye it alfo of divers Co- 
lours, viz. Red, White, and Yellow. They have round 
Faces, with broad Bottle-nofes, yet agreeable enough, till 
they disfigure them by Painting, and by wearing great 
Rings through their Nofes, as big as a Man’s Thumb, 
and about four Inches long ; thefe are run quite through 
both Noftrils, one End running out by one. Cheek-bone, 
and the other End againft the other, and their Nofes fo 
ftretched, that only a fmall Slip of them appears about the 
Ornament : They have alfo great Holes in their Ears, 
wherein they wear fuch Stuff as in their Nofes. They are 
very dextrous, adlive Fellows in their Proes, which are 
very ingenioufly built:. They are narrow and long, with 
Outlayers on one Side ; the Head and Stem higher than 
the reft, and adorned with many Devices, viz. feme Fowl, 
Fifti, or a Man’s Hand painted or carved ; and though it 
is but rudely, yet the Refemblance appears plainly, and 
(hews an ingenious Fancy : But with what Inftruments they 
make their Proes, or this kind of carved Work, I know 
not ; for they feern to be utterly unacquainted with Iron : 
They had very neat Paddles, with which they manage 
their Proes dextroufly, and make great Way through the 
Water. Their Weapons are Lances, Swords, Slings, and 
fome Bows and Arrows : They have alfo wooden Fiffgigs 
for ftriking Fifti. Thofe that came to affault us in Slingers 
Bay , on the Main, are in all refpedls like thefe ; and, I 
believe, thefe are no lefs treacherous : Their Speech is clear 
and diftind ; the Words they ufed moft when near us, were 
Vacoufee Allamais ; and then they pointed to the Shore : 
Their Signs of Friend (hip are either a great Truncheon, or 
Bough of a Tree, full of Leaves, put on their Heads, often 
ftriking their Heads with their Hands. 
26. The next Day, we had a pleafant Gale of Wind, 
which carried us under an high Ifland, very woody, and full 
of Plantations on the Defcents of its Mountains, and on 
the Shores of its Bays. This Ifland lies in the Latitude of 
3° 25' South, and is diftant from the Meridian of Cape 
Mabo 316 Miles. On the South-eaft Part of it are three 
or four more fmall woody Iflands, one high and peeked, 
the other low and flat, all thick-planted with Cocoa-nut-trees, 
and other Wood. On the North, there is another Ifland 
of an indifferent Height, and of a fomewhat larger Cir- 
cumference than the great high Ifland lad-mentioned. We 
paffed between this and the high Ifland ; the high Ifland is 
called in the Dutch Draughts Anthony Cave's Ifland ; as 
for the flat low Ifland, and the other fmall one, it is pro- 
bable they were never feen by the Dutch , nor the Iflands 
to the North of Garret Dennis's Ifland. As foon as we 
came near Cave's Ifland, fome Canoes came about us, and 
made Signs for us to come afhore, as all the reft had done 
before, probably thinking we could run the Ship a-ground 
any-where, as they did their Proes ; for we faw neither 
Sail nor Anchor amongft any of them, though moft Eajl 
Indians have both : Thofe had Proes made of one Tree, 
well dug, with Outlayers on one Side ; they were but 
fmall, yet well (haped. We endeavoured to anchor, but 
found no Ground within a Mile of the Shore ; we kept clofe 
along the North Side, (till founding till we came to the 
North-eaft End, the Canoes (till accompanying us, and the 
Bays were covered with Men going along ; as we failed, 
many of them (trove to fwim off to us, but we left them 
a-ftern. The Current now driving in towards the flat Ifland, 
we were followed by a Canoe from Cave's Ifland : To each 
of thofe in it I gave a Knife, a Looking-glafs, and a String 
of Beads. We (hewed them Pompions and Cocoa-nuts, inti- 
mating, that we fliould be very well pleafed to have more 
of them, which inftantly produced three out of their Boat. 
We next (hewed them Nutmegs ; and they, by their Signs, 
gave us to underhand, that they had fuch growing on their 
Ifland. They were likewife (hewed Gold-duft, which they 
knew, and cried out. Manned ! Manned! pointing towards 
the Land. Soon after they were gone, two or three Canoes 
came from the flat Ifland, and invited us thither. Thefe 
People were black, with frizzled Hair, tall, lufty, well- 
(haped Men ; they made the fame Signs of Friendftiip, 
and feemed to fpeak the fame Language, Their Canoes 
2 K we re 
