46 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
isis. was asked for and granted by signs, for the rest 
Feb. 27 , of our party to approach. The chief who had 
been attired as above-mentioned was thought by 
Mr. Cunningham to be one of those who waded 
into the water to receive the presents from him 
the preceding evening: he was very inquisi- 
tive about our clothes, and expressed the greatest 
astonishment at every thing he noticed about us. 
He ridiculed our repugnance to partake of a piece 
of the raw gut of a turtle which he offered to us, 
and to expose our folly, ate a piece, which he 
appeared to think a dainty, although it was quite 
fetid from putrefaction. Our attempts to collect 
a vocabulary of their language were quite unsuc- 
cessful. An axe, some chisels, and other tools 
were given to them, but they expressed no plea- 
sure in receiving the presents, or astonishment at 
their effect. On our making signs for water, 
they ail simultaneously pointed to an island bear- 
ing N.E. from the one on which we were. 
We now prepared to embark, and walked to- 
wards the boat accompanied by these friendly 
savages, hand in hand ; but as they drew nigh, 
a water-spaniel belonging to me leapt out of the 
boat and began to bark, which alarmed them so 
much that some of them ran off, and kept aloof 
until we began to play with and caress the dog ; 
