carpenters, and at night four of our people slept close at hand: during
the day a masthead watch was kept to prevent surprise, for the grass
about us was so high that they might have approached unperceived and
wounded some of our people before we could have been aware of their
presence.

Our work however proceeded without molestation, and the only
inconvenience experienced was the confinement of Mr. Cunningham to the
vicinity of the tent.

July 2 to 4.

We saw no natives until Sunday the 4th when two, whose faces were not
familiar to us, came down to the end of the dry sand opposite the cutter
and beckoned for us: they had paddled across from the mangroves at the
back of the port to the low sandy point that forms the west end of the
long north sandy beach, behind which they had left their canoe. Mr.
Bedwell was sent to them in our largest boat, but on his approaching
them, and being within ten yards of the beach, they started and ran off
with considerable speed towards their canoe. When about half way to it
they stopped, and, upon looking back and observing that they were not
pursued, beckoned again. Upon seeing this manoeuvre, it was suspected
that they might have a strong party concealed at the back of the point,
to which they were anxious to decoy our people; the boat was therefore
called alongside and armed and again sent after them. By this time they
had embarked in their canoe and were paddling with all their strength
towards the mangroves on the opposite shore, pursued by our boat until it
was stopped by the shoals in the river; the natives, however, easily
shoved their canoe over it with poles and soon arrived at the opposite
bank, where they were met by several other natives, all of whom