356 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPIC A.L 
1820. boys each carried a short branch of a tree in 
Juiy22. their hands : they met us half way, and allowed 
us to approach with our muskets, a circumstance 
which dispelled all suspicion of any unfriendly 
feeling towards us ; nor do I think any did exist 
when we first met. 
In order to divert them and obtain as much 
information as we could, whilst the boat’s crew 
were filling the water-casks, we seated ourselves 
on the grass, and commenced a conversation that 
was perfectly unintelligible to each other, ac- 
companied with the most ridiculous gestures, a 
species of buffoonery that is always acceptable 
to the natives of this part of the world, and on 
more than one occasion has been particularly 
useful to us. An attempt was made to procure a 
vocabulary of their language, but without suc- 
cess, for we were soon obliged from their impa- 
tience to give it up. Not so easily, however, 
were they diverted from their object, for every 
article of our dress, and every thing we carried, 
they asked for with the greatest importunity ; 
our refusal disappointed them so much, that they 
could not avoid shewing the hostile feelings they 
had evidently begun to entertain towards us. 
Seeing this. I took an opportunity of convincing 
them of our power, and, after some difficulty, 
persuaded the native that carried the spear to 
