a transport of resentment and indignation: Having
applied by turns to almost every person who appeared
to have any command in the ship, without success,
they suddenly seized two of the turtles, and dragged
them towards the side of the ship where their canoe
lay: Our people soon forced them out of their
hands, and replaced them with the rest. They
would not however relinquish their enterprise, but
made several other attempts of the same kind, in all
which being equally disappointed, they suddenly leaped
into their canoe in a rage, and began to paddle towards
the shore. At the same time I went into the boat
with Mr Banks, and five or six of the ship’s
crew, and we got ashore before them, where many more
of our people were already engaged in various employments;
as soon as they landed, they seized their arms, and
before we were aware of their design, they snatched
a brand from under a pitch kettle which was boiling,
and making a circuit to the windward of the few things
we had on shore, they set fire to the grass in their
way, with surprising quickness and dexterity:
The grass, which was five or six feet high, and as
dry as stubble, burnt with amazing fury; and the fire
made a rapid progress towards a tent of Mr Banks’s,
which had been set up for Tupia when he was sick,
taking in its course a sow and pigs, one of which
it scorched to death. Mr Banks leaped into a boat,
and fetched some people from on board, just time enough
to save his tent, by hauling it down upon the beach;
but the smith’s forge, at least such part of
it as would burn, was consumed. While this was
doing, the Indians went to a place at some distance,
where several of our people were washing, and where
our nets, among which was the seine, and a great quantity
of linen, were laid out to dry; here they again set
fire to the grass, entirely disregarding both threats
and entreaties. “We were therefore obliged
to discharge a musquet, loaded with small shot, at
one of them, which drew blood at the distance of about
forty yards, and this putting them to flight, we extinguished
the fire at this place before it had made much progress;
but where the grass had been first kindled, it spread
into the woods to a great distance. As the Indians
were still in sight, I fired a musquet, charged with
ball, abreast of them among the mangroves, to convince
them that they were not yet out of our reach:
Upon hearing the ball they quickened their pace, and
we soon lost sight of them. We thought they would
now give us no more trouble; but soon after we heard
their voices in the woods, and perceived that they
came nearer and nearer. I set out, therefore,
with Mr Banks and three or four more, to meet them:
When our parties came in sight of each other, they
halted; except one old man, who came forward to meet
us: At length he stopped, and having uttered
some words, which we were very sorry we could not
understand, he went back to his companions, and the
whole body slowly retreated. We found means however