essary to dispose of our
little force to the greatest advantage, we began the next day by getting
the guns up from the hold, and making the necessary repairs to our
rigging. At eleven o'clock, not having seen any thing of the people, who
had endeavoured to terrify us by their yells in the night, I sent the
long-boat on shore for more water; but as I thought it probable that
they might have concealed themselves in the woods, I kept the cutter
manned and armed, with the lieutenant on board, that immediate succour
might be sent to the waterers, if any danger should threaten them. It
soon appeared that my conjectures were well-founded, for our people had
no sooner left their boat, than a number of armed men rushed out of the
woods, one of whom held up somewhat white, which I took to be a signal
of peace. Upon this occasion I was again sensible of the mortifying
deficiency in the ship's equipment, which I had so often experienced
before. I had no white flag on board, and therefore, as the best
expedient in my power, I ordered the lieutenant, whom I sent on shore in
the cutter, to display one of my table-cloths: As soon as the officer
landed, the standard-bearer and another came down to him unarmed, and
received him with great appearance of friendship. One of them addressed
him in Dutch, which none of our people understood; he then spoke a few
words in Spanish, in which one of the persons of the cutter was a
considerable proficient: The Indian however spoke it so very
imperfectly, that it was with great difficulty, and by the help of many
signs, he made himself understood; possibly if any of our people had
spoken Dutch, he might have been found equally deficient in that
language. He asked for the captain however by the name of the skipper,
and enquired whether we were Hollanders; whether our ship was intended
for merchandize or for war; how many guns and men she carried; and
whether she had been, or was going to Batavia. When we had satisfied him
in all these particulars, he said that we should go to the town, and
that he would introduce us to the governor, whom he distinguished by the
title of Raja. The lieutenant then told him, that we intended to go to
the town, but that we were in immediate want of water, and therefore
desired permission to fill some casks; he also requested that the people
who were armed with bows and arrows, might be ordered to a greater
distance. With both these requisitions the Indian, who seemed to be