t, to acquaint the officer on shore with what I had
seen, and order him immediately to come on board with his men, and leave
the casks behind him: He had, however, discovered his danger, and
embarked before the boat reached him. Having perceived the Indians that
were creeping towards him under shelter of the wood, he immediately
dispatched the old man to them, making signs that they should keep at a
distance, and that he wanted nothing but water. As soon as they
perceived that they were discovered, they began to shout, and advanced
with greater speed. The officer immediately repaired to the boats with
his people, and the Indians, in the mean time, having crossed the river,
took possession of the water-casks, with great appearance of exultation
and joy. The canoes now pulled along the shore, towards the place, with
the utmost expedition, all the people on land keeping pace with them,
except a multitude of women and children, who seated themselves upon a
hill which overlooked the bay and the beach. The canoes from each point
of the bay, as they drew nearer to that part of it where the ship was at
anchor, put on shore, and took in more men, who had great bags in their
hands, which afterwards appeared to be filled with stones. All the
canoes that had come round the points, and many others that had put off
from the shore within the bay, now made towards the ship, so that I had
no doubt but that they intended to try their fortune in a second attack.
As to shorten the contest would certainly lessen the mischief, I
determined to make this action decisive, and put an end to hostilities
at once; I therefore ordered the people, who were at all their quarters,
to fire first upon the canoes, which were drawn together in groups:
this was immediately done so effectually, that those which were to the
westward made towards the shore as fast as possible, and those to the
eastward, getting round the reef, were soon beyond the reach of oar
guns. I then directed the fire into the wood in different parts, which
soon drove the Indians out of it, who ran up the hill where the women
and children had seated themselves to see the battle. Upon this bill
there were now several thousands who thought themselves in perfect
security; but to convince them of the contrary, and hoping that when
they saw the shot fall much farther than they could think possible, they
would suppose it could reach them at any distance, I ordered some of the
guns to be let down