This I
Thought Came Off To Fight Us, As It Is Probable They All Did;
Therefore I Fired Another Small Shot Over The Great Boat That Was
Nigh Us, Which Made Them Leave Their Babbling And Take To Their
Paddles.
We still lay becalmed; and therefore they, rowing wide of
us, directed their course towards the other great boat that was
coming off.
When they were pretty near each other I caused the
gunner to fire a gun between them, which he did very dexterously; it
was loaded with round and partridge shot; the last dropped in the
water somewhat short of them, but the round shot went between both
boats, and grazed about one hundred yards beyond them. This so
affrighted them that they both rowed away for the shore as fast as
they could, without coming near each other; and the little boats
made the best of their way after them. And now, having a gentle
breeze at south-south-east, we bore into the bay after them. When
we came by the point, I saw a great number of men peeping from under
the rocks: I ordered a shot to be fired close by, to scare them.
The shot grazed between us and the point, and, mounting again, flew
over the point, and grazed a second time just by them. We were
obliged to sail along close by the bays; and, seeing multitudes
sitting under the trees, I ordered a third gun to be fired among the
cocoa-nut-trees to scare them; for my business being to wood and
water, I thought it necessary to strike some terror into the
inhabitants, who were very numerous, and (by what I saw now, and had
formerly experienced) treacherous.
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