A Little After Noon We Saw Smoke On The Islands To The West Of Us,
And Having A Fine Gale Of Wind, I Steered Away For Them.
At seven
o'clock in the evening we anchored in thirty-five fathom, about two
leagues from an island, good soft oozy ground.
We lay still all
night, and saw fires ashore. In the morning we weighed again, and
ran farther in, thinking to have shallower water; but we ran within
a mile of the shore, and came to in thirty-eight fathom good soft
holding ground. While we were under sail two canoes came off within
call of us. They spoke to us, but we did not understand their
language nor signs. We waved to them to come aboard, and I called
to them in the Malayan language to do the same, but they would not.
Yet they came so nigh us that we could show them such things as we
had to truck with them; yet neither would this entice them to come
on board, but they made signs for us to come ashore, and away they
went. Then I went after them in my pinnace, carrying with me
knives, beads, glasses, hatchets, &c. When we came near the shore,
I called to them in the Malayan language. I saw but two men at
first, the rest lying in ambush behind the bushes; but as soon as I
threw ashore some knives and other toys, they came out, flung down
their weapons, and came into the water by the boat's side, making
signs of friendship by pouring water on their heads with one hand,
which they dipped into the sea.
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