ow effectually cleared, but in a little time
we perceived that a great number had got together on the westermost
point of the bay, where they probably thought themselves beyond our
reach: To convince them therefore of the contrary, I ordered a gun to be
fired at them with round shot; the ball just grazing the water rose
again, and fell in the middle of them, upon which they dispersed with
great hurry and confusion, and we saw no more of them. After this we
watered without any farther molestation, but all the while our boats
were on shore, we had the precaution to keep firing the ship's guns into
the wood on both sides of them, and the cutter, which lay close to the
beach, as she did before, kept up a constant fire of small arms in
platoons, at the same time. As we saw none of the natives daring all
this firing, we should have thought that none of them had ventured back
into the wood, if our people had not reported that they heard groans
from several parts of it, like those of dying men.

Hitherto, though I had been long ill of an inflammatory and bilious
disorder, I had been able to keep the deck; but this evening the
symptoms became so much more threatening that I could keep up no longer,
and I was for some time afterwards confined to my bed. The master was
dying of the wounds he received in his quarrel with the Indians, the
lieutenant also was very ill, the gunner and thirty of my men incapable
of duty, among whom were seven of the most vigorous and healthy, that
had been wounded with the master, and three of them mortally, and there
was no hope of obtaining such refreshments as we most needed in this
place. These were discouraging circumstances, and not only put an end to
my hopes of prosecuting the voyage farther to southward, but greatly
dispirited the people; except myself, the master, and the lieutenant,
there was nobody on board capable of navigating the ship home; the
master was known to be a dying man, and the recovery of myself and the
lieutenant was very doubtful. I would however have made a further effort
to obtain refreshments here, if I had been furnished with any toys, iron
tools, or cutlery-ware, which might have enabled me to recover the
goodwill of the natives, and establish a traffic with them for such
necessaries as they could have furnished us with; but I had no such
articles, and but very few others fit for an Indian trade; and not being
in a condition to risk the loss of any more of the few men wh