As the boats proceeded in their search, round the island, the natives followed along the shore, with increasing numbers.  One man, who was rubbed with something blue, and appeared to be a chief, had a small axe in his hand; which was known, from the red helve, to have belonged to Mr. Shaw.  On reaching the bay in the north-west side of the island, Mr. Dell remarked that the natives disappeared; all except about thirty, who were very anxious in persuading him to land.  They brought down women; and made signs, that the boat and people whom he sought, were a little way up in the island.  He, however, rowed onward; when the beach was immediately crowded with people, who had been lying in ambush, expecting him to land.

After having gone entirely round the island, and seen nothing of the object of his research, Mr. Dell returned to the first cove; where a great concourse of natives, armed with bows, arrows, clubs, and lances, were assembled at the outskirt of the wood.  By offering knives and other things, a few were induced to approach the boat; and the coxswain seized one of them by the hair and neck, with the intention of his being taken off to the ships, to give an account of the missing boat and people.  A shower of arrows instantly came out of the wood; and a firing was commenced, which killed one Indian, and wounded some others.  In the mean time, the coxswain found it impossible to keep the man, from his hair and body being greased; and the boat’s crew was too much occupied to assist him.

July 8.  The two commanders having heard the report of Mr. Dell, proceeded with the ships, round the northern reefs and sand banks, to the bay on the north-west side of Darnley’s Island, which was named Treacherous Bay.  On the 9th, in the afternoon, they anchored with springs on the cables, in 13 fathoms, sand, mud, and shells; the extremes of the island bearing E. 1/2 N. to S. W. by S., and the nearest part distant a quarter of a mile.  A boat was sent on shore; and returned, at sunset, with a few cocoa nuts; but without having seen any of the inhabitants.

July 10.  An armed party of forty-four men landed from the ships, under the command of Mr. Dell.  After hoisting the union jack, and taking possession of this, and the neighbouring islands and coast of New Guinea, in the name of His Majesty, they examined the huts, and found the great coats of captain Hill, Mr. Carter, and Mr. Shaw; with several other things which had belonged to them, and to the boats’ crew; so that no doubt was entertained of their having been murdered.  In the evening, the party arrived from making the tour of the island; having burnt and destroyed one-hundred-and-thirty-five huts; sixteen canoes, measuring from fifty to seventy feet in length; and various plantations of sugar cane.  The natives appeared to have retired to the hills in the centre of the island; as not one of them could be discovered.