318 SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1819 . they carried short pieces of wood like throwing 
Oct. 5. sticks, and one of them also held in his hand a 
shield. After some deliberation, they moved 
quickly forward towards the foot of the hill on 
which we were, evidently with an intention of 
intercepting our return to the boat, but when we 
began to descend the hill, they stopped, and 
slowly retired to their former station ; had they 
persevered, they would have easily cut off our 
retreat, and as we had forgotten the precaution 
of arming ourselves, the consequence might have 
been serious. This movement of the natives 
made us suspicious of no very friendly intentions 
on their part, and hurried our return to the boat ; 
but, the descent being steep and strewed with 
rocks, which were concealed by grass higher 
than our middles, we did not reach the bottom 
of the hill without several bruises. 
Upon re-embarking, we perceived that the na- 
tives had again ascended the tree to watch our 
movements ; but when they saw the boat pulling 
across the stream towards them, they leaped 
down and retired among the trees. After re- 
peated calls, which had not the effect of inducing 
them to approach, we rowed out of the cove, 
and, on passing a projecting point that was 
less wooded than other parts, Mr. Cunningham 
expressed a wish to collect some specimens 
