BAMPIEr's ACCOUNT OF NEW HOLLAND.

489

bluff-point, of an indifferent heighth, with a flat table-land at top. When we were tothe fouth-weft of the cape, it appeared to be a low point fnooting out, which you cannotfee when abreaft of it. This morning we ftruck a log of drift-wood with our turtle-irons, hoifted it in, and fplit it for fire-wood. Afterwards we ftruck another, butcould not get it in. There were many full about it.

We fteered along fouth-weft as the land lies, keeping about fix leagues off thefhore ; and being defirous to cut wood and fill water, if I faw any conveniency, I layby in the night, becaufe I would not mifs any place proper for thofe ends, for fear ofwanting fuch neceffaries as we could not live without. This coaft is high and moun-tainous, and not fo thick with trees as that on the other fide of Cape Orford.

On the 14th, feeing a pretty deep bay a-head, and fome iflands where I thought wemight ride fecure, we ran in towards the fhore and faw fome fmoaks. At ten o’clockwe faw a point, which fhot out pretty well into the fea, with a bay within it, whichpromiled ftiir for water ; and we flood in with a moderate gale. Being got into thebay within the point, we faw many cocoa-nut-trees, plantations, and houfes. WhenI came within four or five miles of the fhore, fix fmall boats came off to view us, withabout forty men in them all. Perceiving that they only came to view us, and wouldnot come aboard, I made figns and waved to them to go aflrore; but they did not orwould not underftand me ; therefore I whiffled a fhot over their heads out of myfowling-piece, and then they pulled away for the fhore as hard as they could. Thefewere no fo oner afhore, but we faw three boats coming from the iflands to leeward of us,and they foon came within call, for we lay becalmed. One of the boats had aboutforty men in her, and was a large well-built boat; the other two were but fmall.Not long after, I faw another boat coming out of the bay where I intended to go; flielikewife was a large boat, with a high head and ftern painted, and full of men; thisI thought came off to fight us, as it is probable they all did ; therefore I fired anotherfmall fhot over the great boat that was nigh us, which made them leave their bablingand take to their paddles. We ftill lay becalmed $ and therefore they rowing wide ofus, dire&ed their courfe toward the other great boat that was coming off: when theywere pretty near each other I caufed the gunner to fire a gun between them, which hedid very dexteroufly; it was loaden with round and partridge-fhot; the laft droppedin the water fomewhat fhort of them, but the round fhot went between both boats, andgrazed about one hundred yards beyond them ; this fo affrighted them, that they bothrowed away for the fhore as faft as they could, without coming near each other; andthe little boats made the beft of their way after them : and now having a gentle breezeat fouth-fouth-eaft, we bore into the bay after them. When we came by the point, Ifaw a great number of men peeping from under the rocks: I ordered a fhot to befired clofe by, to fcare them. The fhot grazed between us and the point, and mount-ing again, flew over the point, and grazed a fecond time juft by them. We wereobliged to fail along clofe by the bays; and feeing multitudes fetting under the trees, Iordered a third gun to be fired among the cocoa-nut-trees to fcare them; for mybufinefs being to wood and water, I thought it neceffary to ftrike fome terror into theinhabitants, who were very numerous, and (by what I faw now, and had formerly ex-perienced) treacherous. After this I lent my boat to found ; they had firft forty, thenthirty, and at laft twenty fathom water. We followed the boat, and came to anchorabout a quarter of a mile from the fhore, in twenty-fix fathom water, fine black fandand oaze. We rode right againft the mouth of a fmall river, where I hoped to findfrefh water. Some of the natives ftanding on a fmall point at the river’s mouth, I fenta fmall fhot over their heads to fright them, which it did effectually. In the after-

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