invested with considerable authority, complied; and as he seemed to take
particular notice of a silk handkerchief which the lieutenant had tied
round his neck, it was immediately presented to him; in return for which
he desired him to accept a kind of cravat, made of coarse calico, which
was tied round his own, his dress being somewhat after the Dutch
fashion. After this interchange of cravats, he enquired of the officer
whether the ship was furnished with any articles for trade; to which he
answered that she was sufficiently furnished to trade for provisions,
but nothing more: The chief replied, that whatever we wanted we should
have. After this conference, which I considered as an earnest of every
advantage which this place could afford us, the boats returned on board
laden with water, and we went cheerfully on with our business on board
the ship. In about two hours, however, we saw with equal surprise and
concern, many hundreds of armed men, posting themselves in parties at
different places, among the trees, upon the beach, a-breast of the ship;
their weapons were muskets, bows and arrows, long pikes or spears,
broad-swords, a kind of hanger called a cress, and targets: We observed
also, that they hauled a canoe, which lay under a shed upon the beach,
up into the woods. These were not friendly appearances, and they were
succeeded by others that were still more hostile; for these people spent
all the remainder of the day in entering and rushing out of the woods,
as if they had been making sallies to attack an enemy; sometimes
shooting their arrows, and throwing their lances into the water towards
the ship; and sometimes lifting their targets, and brandishing their
swords at us in a menacing manner. In the mean time we were not idle on
board: We got up our guns, repaired our rigging, and put every thing in
order before evening, and then, being ready to sail, I determined, if
possible, to get another conference with the people on shore, and learn
the reason of so sudden and unaccountable a change of behaviour. The
lieutenant therefore was again dispatched, and as a testimony that our
disposition was still peaceable, the table-cloth was again displayed as
a flag of truce. I had the precaution, however, to order the boat to a
part of the beach which was clear of wood, that the people on board
might not be liable to mischief from enemies whom they could not see; I
also ordered that nobody should go on shore. When the Indians