94 
SURVEY OF THE 1NTERTROPICAL 
1818. rough chart, they instantly comprehended our 
April 25. employment, and without further hesitation, two 
of them came on board. The canoe was fitted 
for fishing ; it was paddled by a man and five 
boys, and was steered by a younger man, who, 
from his dress and authority, appeared to be of 
some consequence amongst them. During their 
visit their curiosity was much excited by every 
thing they saw ; and, having drank pretty freely 
of our port wine, they talked incessantly . They 
remained with us three hours, during the greater 
part of which their canoe was absent catching 
fish. One of our visitors was very communi- 
cative, and by means of signs and a few words 
of the Malay language, which we understood, he 
explained that their Rajah’s proa was armed 
with two small guns, and carried a compass. 
On looking at our binnacle, they pointed to the 
north-west rhumb, and made us easily under- 
stand that it was the course they always steered 
on their return to Macassar. 
Upon mentioning the natives of the coast, and 
shewing them the stone-headed spear that we 
had found, they evinced their dislike to them very 
plainly,— they called them “ Maregas,” Marega 
being, as we afterwards found, their appellation 
for this part of the coast. 
It was now growing late, aftd as the canoe had 
