Whilst I was employed in taking a set of bearings from this station the
boat's crew amused themselves in wandering about the rocks in search of
shells; and upon our again embarking they informed me that they had seen
some natives on the beach of a sandy bay round the point; but that they
had retired without having been noticed. The information proved correct;
for on pulling round the point we espied four natives seated on the sand,
watching the progress of a fire they had just kindled; which was rapidly
spreading through and consuming the dry and parched up grass that grew
scantily upon the face of the island. As soon as we were observed three
of them got up and stood for some moments motionless with alarm; but upon
my calling to them and waving my hat the whole party, seizing their
spears, ran off, and in a few seconds disappeared in the hollow behind
the beach. On the sand were marks of turtles, which gave me hopes of
obtaining some for the ship's company who had not enjoyed a fresh meal,
excepting the flesh of three porpoises, since leaving Port Jackson. As
our object was to pull round the island we did not stop here; but at a
few minutes before noon, being near a projecting point a little further
on, we landed and observed the sun's supplementary altitude which made
the latitude 14 degrees 45 minutes 56 seconds South. We afterwards landed
further on in a small sandy bay where we found more turtle-tracks and the
remains of a nest that had been plundered by the natives; who, from the
recent impressions of their feet on the sand, had in the morning crossed
the beach. The sand was so heated that it was painful to stand upon
without constantly relieving our feet; and that the natives we had just
seen should sit and bask upon it in this state would have appeared
incredible to us had we not witnessed the fact. Upon leaving the bay, the
natives, whose number had increased to nine, were observed upon the hills
that overhang the beach, watching our proceedings; and as we pulled away
they slowly moved toward the place we had just left.