g this troop of islanders there
was one man perfectly white, having round pendents in his ears as big
as a man's fist. He had a grave decent air, and was supposed to be a
priest. By some accident, one of the islanders was shot dead in his
canoe by a musket, which threw the whole into prodigious confusion,
most of them leaping into the sea in order to get the sooner ashore;
while the rest who remained in their canoes paddled away with all
their might.

[Footnote 4: This surely is a prodigious exaggeration, as the island
is utterly incapable to have supported any considerable number of
inhabitants, and there is not any other within 1500 miles.--E.]

The Dutch presently followed, and made a descent with 150 soldiers and
seamen, at the head of whom was Commodore Roggewein, accompanied by
the author of the voyage, who commanded the soldiers. The islanders
crowded so close upon them while landing, that they thought it
necessary to make their way by force, especially as some of the
natives were so bold as to lay hold of their arms; and the Dutch
accordingly fired, when a great number of the islanders were slain,
among whom was the friendly native who had been twice aboard ship.
This frightened and dispersed them; yet in a few minutes they rallied
again, but did not come quite so near the strangers as before, keeping
at the distance of about ten yards, as if they supposed that
were sufficient to ensure their safety from the muskets. Their
consternation was however very great, and they howled and lamented
dismally. After all, as if to employ every possible means to mollify
their invaders, the men, women, and children presented themselves in
the most humble postures, carrying branches of palm in token of peace
and submission, bringing plenty of provisions of all kinds, and even
pointing to their women, giving the Dutch to understand by signs that
these were entirely at their disposal, and that they might carry as
many of them on board ship as they thought proper. Softened by these
tokens of submission, the Dutch did them no farther harm, but
made them presents of coral beads and small looking-glasses, and
distributed among them sixty yards of painted cloth.

The natives now brought at once to the Dutch about 500 live fowls,
every way the same with the ordinary poultry of Europe, together with
a great quantity of red and white roots and potatoes, which these
islanders use instead of bread. They brought also several hundred
sug