to an open place in the middle of
the bay, where there was no hill or eminence from whence they could be
annoyed. The savages sent their women and children into the woods, and
followed the boats along shore; and on their putting in to land, one of
the natives set up a hideous cry, and immediately a shower of spears was
discharged. A black servant was hurt in the leg; and a firing then
commenced, by which several of the natives were wounded, and one killed.
They fled to the woods, making a frightful howling, but carried off such
of the wounded as were unable to follow. Fifteen men, armed with muskets,
pursued them; and on entering amongst the trees, they found a dying
savage. This man was a little more than five feet seven inches high; his
breast was marked like those of the Mozambique Caffres, and his skin
appeared as black; but on washing off the soot and dirt, his natural
colour appeared to be reddish. The spears, which it was feared might have
been poisoned, were proved not to be so by the facility with which the
wound of the black servant was healed.

After the flight of the savages, captain Marion sent two officers with
detachments, to search for water, and for trees proper to make a foremast
and bowsprit for the Castries; but after traversing two leagues of
country without meeting a single inhabitant, they returned unsuccessful
in both pursuits; nor could any fresh water be found during the six days
which the ships remained in Frederik Hendrik's Bay.

The land here is quite sandy, but covered with brush-wood, and with small
trees which the savages had mostly stripped of the bark for cooking their
shell fish. The greater part of the trees were burnt at the foot; but
amongst them there was a kind of pine, less than ours, which was
perfectly preserved; apparently from the natives finding them to be of
use in some way or other.*

[* It is more probable, that these trees are able to resist the fire
better than the others.]

There were marks of fire almost every where; and in many places the earth
was covered with ashes. Where it was not burnt, there was plenty of
grass, ferns like those of Europe, sorrel, and _alleluia_. From the few
animals seen, it was thought that the fires made by the natives near the
coast, drove them inland. The shooters met with a tiger cat, and saw many
holes in the ground, like those of a warren. They killed crows,
blackbirds, thrushes, doves, a white-bellied paroquet whose plumage
resemb