south.  After the ceremony of taking possession, we returned to our ships; and as we required a supply of wood and water, we went on shore next day for that purpose.  While employed on that service, we saw some natives on the top of a hill at some distance, who could not be prevailed on to come towards us.  They were all naked, and of a similar colour and appearance with those we had seen in the former voyages.  As we had not been able to have any intercourse with the natives, we left some bells, looking-glasses, and other trifles for them on the ground, when we returned to our ships in the evening.  When they saw us at some distance from the shore, they came down from the hill to where we had been, and shewed many tokens of surprise at the things we had left.

As we had only provided ourselves with water at this first trip, we proposed going on shore next day, when we saw numbers of the natives making several fires and smokes along the shore, as if inviting us to land.  Yet when we actually landed, though great numbers of people collected at some distance, they could not be induced to join us, yet made signals for us to go farther into the land along with them.  On this account, two of our men who were prepared for exposing themselves to such dangers[3], on purpose to learn what kind of people these were, and whether they possessed any spices or rich commodities, asked permission from the commander of our ships to go with the natives, and took a number of trinkets along with them for the purpose of barter.  They accordingly set off, engaging to return to the shore at the end of five days, and we returned to the ships.  Eight days elapsed without seeing any thing of our men, during all which time many of the natives came down every day to the beach, but would never enter into any intercourse with us.  On the eighth day we went again on shore, where we found that the natives were accompanied by great numbers of their women; but as soon as we advanced towards them the men withdrew, yet sent many of their women to meet us, who seemed exceedingly shy and much afraid.  On this account we sent forwards a stout active young man, thinking that the women would be less afraid of one than of many, and we returned to our boats.  The women all flocked about the young man, touching and examining him with eager curiosity, while another woman came down the mountain, having a large spear in her hand, with which she pierced the youth, who fell dead immediately.  The women then dragged his dead body by the feet to the mountain; and the men came down to the shore armed with bows and arrows, and began to shoot at us to our great alarm, as our boats dragged on the sand, the water being very shallow, so that we were unable to get quickly out of their way.  For some time we had not presence of mind to take to our arms, but at length we shot off four pieces against them; and although none of the natives were hit, they were so astonished at the reports, that they all fled to the mountain, where