had only been landed a few minutes, and
were near the skirt of the wood, when two spears were launched
from a rising ground; one of which struck the hat of one of the
seamen; and as no fire-arms had appeared, the natives showed
themselves, to the number of between twenty and thirty; the
midshipman and the sailors returned to the boat, and brought up a
musquet loaded with ball, which the natives observing, all
disappeared, except two, and the ball was fired at them; whether
with or without effect we knew not, but they also disappeared
immediately.

These hostile appearances, I think, may have been the effect
of their success, in having lately murdered some of our people;
for as we have had several such accidents here, we have had an
opportunity of remarking, that they have generally shown
immediately after them, a more than ordinary degree of
hostility.

The want of one of the people of this country, who, from a
habit of living amongst us, might have been the means of
preventing much of this hostile disposition in them towards us,
was much to be lamented. If poor Ara-ba-noo had lived, he would
have acquired enough of our language to have understood whatever
we wished him to communicate to his countrymen; he could have
made them perfectly understand, that we wished to live with them
on the most friendly footing, and that we wished to promote, as
much as might be in our power, their comfort and happiness.

The two children mentioned formerly, and who were very happy
amongst us, were yet too young to be of use in reconciling the
natives to us; they now understood almost every thing we said,
and could make themselves very well understood; but the governor
was desirous of having a man or two in our possession, to whom we
might teach enough of our language without the danger of losing
any part of their own, to render them useful to their countrymen;
it had therefore for some time past been in agitation to
endeavour, by force, to secure one or two.

For that purpose, on the 25th of November, Lieutenant Bradley,
with some other officers, and a party of men, were sent down the
harbour in an armed boat: they went to the north part of the
harbour, where, upon one of the sandy beaches, they observed two
native men walking; they immediately formed a scheme to entice
them to a conversation; for that purpose, a few large fish were
held up, and they were called to, which had the desired effect;
the men with much confidence came