The Old Man
Before-Mentioned, And Two More, Stood By These Things, Inviting Us, By
Signs, To Land; But I Had Not Forgot The Trap I Was So Near Being Caught In
At The Last Island; And This Looked Something Like It.
We answered, by
making signs for the two divisions to retire farther back, and give us more
room.
The old man seemed to desire them so to do, but no more regard was
paid to him than to us. More were continually joining them, and, except two
or three old men, not one unarmed. In short, every thing conspired to make
us believe they meant to attack us as soon as we should be on shore; the
consequence of which was easily supposed; many of them must have been
killed and wounded, and we should hardly have escaped unhurt; two things I
equally wished to prevent. Since, therefore, they would not give us the
room required, I thought it was better to frighten them into it, than to
oblige them by the deadly effect of our fire-arms. I accordingly ordered a
musquet to be fired over the party on our right, which was by far the
strongest body; but the alarm it gave them was momentary. In an instant
they recovered themselves and began to display their weapons. One fellow
shewed us his backside, in a manner which plainly conveyed his meaning.
After this I ordered three or four more musquets to be fired. This was the
signal for the ship to fire a few great guns, which presently dispersed
them; and then we landed, and marked out the limits, on the right and left,
by a line.
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