sight.

March 30.

Early the next morning the cutter was removed nearer to the
watering-place that Boongaree had found, and in doing this we were
watched by ten or twelve natives, who were standing as they thought
concealed among the trees. This afforded us so good an opportunity of
expressing our anger at their attempt to steal our boat, and of showing
them that we were not Malays, that we fired a shot from a six-pounder
carronade over their heads, the report of which for a moment scared them;
but their alarm was only momentary, for they soon afterwards recovered
from their fright and continued to watch us as before.

As soon as the vessel was secured, our watering party commenced their
operations, and had been employed for half an hour without interruption,
when the natives suddenly appeared on the brink of the cliff that
overhung the beach, and threw several large stones at our people, which
slightly wounded three of them, before the muskets could be fired, upon
which the Indians retreated into the woods. The attack having been
observed from the vessel, the jolly-boat was dispatched to the shore with
assistance, and with orders to Mr. Bedwell to keep the whale-boat moored
at about fifteen or twenty yards from the beach with muskets ready to
fire, so that with this protection the watering-party were enabled to
continue their task without molestation. In the course of the day the
natives collected again behind the trees, and were at one time advancing
towards the cliffs, but being seen from the cutter a shot was fired over
their heads, which deterred them from coming forward. This hostile
conduct of the natives induced me to give up our intention of wooding at
this island; since the Indians might easily advance under cover of the