By this time, the state of things on the beach had undergone material
changes. The wreck was full of Arabs, some of whom were armed and some
not; while mauls, crows hand-spikes, purchases, coils of rigging, and
marling-spikes were scattered about on the sands, just where they had been
dropped by the seamen. A party of fifty Arabs had collected around the
rocks, where, by this time, all the mariners were assembled, intermingling
with the latter, and apparently endeavouring to maintain the friendly
relations which had been established by Mr. Monday. As a portion of these
men were also armed, Captain Truck disliked their proceedings; but the
inferiority of his numbers, and the disadvantage under which he was
placed, compelled him to resort to management rather than force, in order
to extricate himself.

The Arabs now crowded around and intermingled with the seamen, thronged
the ship, and lined the bank, to the number of more than two hundred. It
became evident that their true force had been underrated, and that
additions were constantly making to it, from those who lay behind the
ridges of sand. All those who appeared last, had arms of one kind or
another, and several brought fire-arms, which they gave to the sheik, and
to those who had first descended to the beach. Still, every face seemed
amicable, and the men were scarcely permitted to execute their orders,
from the frequent interruptions to exchange tokens of friendship.

But Captain Truck fully believed that hostilities were intended, and
although he had suffered himself in some measure to be surprised, he set
about repairing his error with great judgment and admirable steadiness.
His first step was to extricate his own people from those who pressed upon
them, a thing that was effected by causing a few to take a position, that
might be defended, higher among the rocks, as they afforded a good deal of
cover, and which communicated directly with the place where they had