114 
SURVEY OP THE INTERTROPICAL 
isis. party of armed natives was observed to conceal 
MaTir. themselves under some mangrove bushes near 
the beach, whilst two canoes were plying about 
near at hand to entice our approach; the stra- 
tagem, however, did not succeed, and we lay oil 
upon our oars for some time without making any 
movement. Soon afterwards the natives, finding 
that we had no intention of following them, left 
their canoes, and performed a dance in the water, 
which very conspicuously displayed their great 
muscular power: the dance consisted chiefly of 
the performers leaping two or three times suc- 
cessively out of the sea, and then violent y 
moving their legs so as to agitate the water into 
a foam for some distance around them, all the time 
shouting loudly and laughing immoderately ; 
then they would run through the water for eight 
or ten yards and perform again; and this was 
repeated over and over as long as the dance 
lasted We were all thoroughly disgusted 
with them, and felt a degree of distrust that 
could not be conquered. The men were more 
muscular and better formed than any we had 
before seen; they were daubed over with a 
yellow pigment, which was the colour of the 
neighbouring cliff ; their hair was long and cur y, 
and appeared to be clotted with a whitish paint 
During the time of our parley the natives ha 
