in, gradually narrowing and decreasing in depth for
eight miles, and to terminate in two salt-water creeks. The banks on both
sides were impenetrably lined with mangroves, which effectually defied
our attempts to land. Several creeks, communicating with the low
inundated land behind the mangroves, joined the main stream at intervals
on both sides; but they were not interesting enough in their appearance
to detain us. We returned to the cutter at night.

May 26.

And the next day shifted our berth to an anchorage close to the shore on
the north side of the entrance, for the purpose of wooding, where the
trees were so convenient and close at hand that we completed our stock
before dark.

During the evening, whilst we were occupied at the wooding-place, a party
of natives were observed running towards us along the beach on the south
side without the port, apparently returning from a hunting excursion, for
the woods on the south side of the bay had been on fire for the last two
days. As they approached they retired behind the beach among the trees,
and, upon their reaching the opposite side of the entrance, crept upon
their hands and knees behind the bushes, where they remained, as they
thought, concealed until the evening. A little before dark they were
observed to creep out and range themselves upon the beach, as if
meditating upon their plans for the night, but by this time it was so
dark that we could not see what they afterwards did; in order to deter
them from approaching us, a musket was fired over their heads, and if
this had the desired effect, it was a happy circumstance for them, for an
immense shark was caught in the middle of the night, which, from the
extraordinary capacity of its mouth and maw, could have swallowed one of
them with the greatest ease. On opening the animal, we fully expected to
discover the limbs of some of the natives, who we assured ourselves had
crossed over to our side the water; but we only found a crab that had
been so recently swallowed that some of our people made no hesitation in
eating it for their supper. The night passed without our being disturbed
by or hearing anything of the natives.

May 27.

But, at daylight, on looking at the place where they had been concealed
during the last evening, a canoe, which had been observed hauled up among
the bushes, was missing, and we concluded that they were close to us;
this proved to be the case, for no sooner had we cleared the point, t