which was minutely examined; but, as it was mounted with brass and, perhaps on that account, appeared to them more valuable than a tomahawk, they declined giving it up, and gradually dispersed; or rather pretended so to do, for a party of armed natives was observed to conceal themselves under some mangrove bushes near the beach, whilst two canoes were plying about near at hand to entice our approach; the stratagem, however, did not succeed, and we lay off upon our oars for some time without making any movement.  Soon afterwards the natives, finding that we had no intention of following them, left their canoes, and performed a dance in the water, which very conspicuously displayed their great muscular power:  the dance consisted chiefly of the performers leaping two or three times successively out of the sea, and then violently moving their legs so as to agitate the water into a foam for some distance around them, all the time shouting loudly and laughing immoderately; then they would run through the water for eight or ten yards and perform again; and this was repeated over and over as long as the dance lasted.  We were all thoroughly disgusted with them, and felt a degree of distrust that could not be conquered.  The men were more muscular and better formed than any we had before seen; they were daubed over with a yellow pigment, which was the colour of the neighbouring cliff; their hair was long and curly, and appeared to be clotted with a whitish paint.  During the time of our parley the natives had their spears close at hand, for those who were in the water had them floating near them, and those who were on the beach had them either buried in the sand, or carried them between their toes, in order to deceive us and to appear unarmed; and in this they succeeded, until one of them was detected, when we were pulling towards the woman, by his stooping down and picking up his spear.

Finding that we had no chance of recovering our loss, we returned on board, when the natives also withdrew from the beach, and did not afterwards show themselves.

May 18.

The next morning we weighed with the flood and worked up the opening against the wind for sixteen or seventeen miles, when the tide turned, and we anchored in eleven fathoms.  In most parts the banks were inaccessible, being nearly overrun with mangroves; but the low appearance of the country within and the mischievous disposition of the natives made me less anxious to examine into the thick woods that surrounded us on all sides.  Wherever a clear space presented itself, the sago palm was seen mixed with the fan palm, the pandanus and other trees, among which the eucalyptus as usual appeared to be the most abundant.

May 19.