22 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1821. offered. After our declining this honour, they 
June 22. occasionally laid their hands upon our clothes to 
■detain us, but it did not require much force to 
make them quit their hold. One of the men 
having seized my gun, I drew it out of his hand 
rather roughly ; but, accompanied at the same 
moment with the friendly gesture of patting his 
breast, the recovery was happily effected without 
exciting his anger. 
In this manner, and with great fatigue, we con- 
tinued our retreat across the reef, and reached 
the wreck without any signs of our people coming 
to our assistance ; when the natives found we in- 
tended to walk round the point, they divided, and 
gave their spears to a party that went over the 
hiUs, as it were, to cut us off; but in this intention, 
if they entertained it, they were disappointed, for 
our boat was there, and the crew all embarked, 
ready to shove off, little expecting ever to see us 
again. The idea of being thus easily deserted 
by our people was for a moment mortifying, but 
I ordered some of the crew on shore, and by our 
numbers kept the natives amused on the beach, 
while Mr. Harrison shoved off in his gig to give 
the alarm, and to order some muskets to be sent 
for our protection: by the time, however, that 
Mr. Bedwell arrived, we had succeeded in mak- 
ing friends with the natives; who, upon per- 
