given the alarm to a family of Indians,
consisting of three men, two women, and four children, who had been
cooking their repast.

As soon as our approach was discovered the women took their baskets and
moveables and hurried away with the children, whilst the men seized their
spears to protect their retreat; but as our object was not to alarm these
poor savages, we pulled over to the opposite shore, which was about sixty
yards across, and landed: Mr. Cunningham and I then ascended a steep hill
that rose immediately from the shore, the summit of which promised to
afford us a prospect of the surrounding land. The view however from this
eminence, although extensive, did not answer my expectation: a low
country of an arid and barren appearance extended to the southward; the
northern part of the land on which we were appeared to be that described
by the French as Bougainville Island, but it was now clearly and
distinctly ascertained to be a peninsula: our view to the north-west was
intercepted by higher hills than those we were upon. After taking all the
bearings that the confined prospect permitted, without having very
materially improved my knowledge of the surrounding country, I began to
think of returning to the boat, and on looking towards the natives
perceived that they had left the tree and were standing about fifty yards
farther back, attentively engaged in consultation and in watching our
movements: besides their spears they carried short pieces of wood like
throwing sticks, and one of them also held in his hand a shield. After
some deliberation they moved quickly forward towards the foot of the hill
on which we were, evidently with an intention of intercepting our return
to the boat, but when we began to descend the hill they stopped and
slowly retired to their former station; had they persevered they would
have easily cut off our retreat, and as we had forgotten the precaution
of arming ourselves the consequence might have been serious. This
movement of the natives made us suspicious of no very friendly intentions
on their part and hurried our return to the boat; but, the descent being
steep and strewed with rocks which were concealed by grass higher than
our middles, we did not reach the bottom of the hill without several
bruises.

Upon re-embarking we perceived that the natives had again ascended the
tree to watch our movements; but when they saw the boat pulling across
the stream towards them they leaped down