nder a hot sun, for want of
that great essential; but, about a week after, we stumbled upon land,
which, after a great deal of reconnoitring, our wise captain pronounced
to be some part of Sumatra. However this might be, it was a welcome
sight to us; but, as it was late in the evening when we discovered it,
we were obliged to steer about the whole night. About ten o'clock the
clouds began to thicken, and the wind blew from shore; about twelve it
blew a smart gale, and we hove to; our vessel lay like a log of wood,
scarcely moving, till the morning dawned, when the storm had subsided in
a great degree, and we stood in for land. The hills looked woody, and
the valleys fertile. We at last got into a small bay, or basin, where
the surrounding scenery was beautiful in the extreme. Several canoes
were to be seen steering up the creeks, and men and women running into
the woods, in seeming alarm and consternation. We anchored about three
hundred yards from the shore. The movements of the natives did not
evince any friendly inclination towards us, but the contrary; and it was
fortunate that we had the means of taking by compulsion what we should
willingly have purchased--wood and water, those two essentials to man's
existence. To convince them, if possible, that our appearance in this
basin was not of a hostile nature, a small boat was dispatched, with six
or seven men, four of them armed. I was one, and we approached the shore
with great caution. We could plainly see people hiding behind trees, and
carrying away their moveables from some huts which stood about two
hundred yards from shore, where we could also discover fishing-nets,
canoes that had been dragged ashore, a few domestic fowls, and one or
two goats and kids. We beckoned them to approach, but they seemed shy,
and would not come near us. The captain's servant was a native of
Ceylon, and could speak several languages. We landed him, but he was
justly afraid to venture far from the boat. He soon, however, made them
understand the object for which we put into this port, and informed them
that we were willing to purchase both wood and water at a reasonable
price. This they would not consent to, but requested us immediately to
weigh anchor and leave the bay, or dread the displeasure of their king,
whom they had apprised of our intrusion into their country. It appeared
from this that we had no alternative but to take what we required by
force; we therefore disregarded the thr