island, which terminated in entrapping and carrying off with them sixty or seventy of the inhabitants, male and female.  The former died soon after their arrival, refusing to eat any other food than coconuts, but the women, who were distributed amongst the principal families of Batavia, proved extremely tractable and docile, and acquired the language of the place.  It is not stated, nor does it appear from any subsequent publication, that the opportunity was taken of forming a collection of their words.

From that period Engano had only been incidentally noticed, until in March 1771 Mr. Richard Wyatt, then governor, and the council of Fort Marlborough, sent Mr. Charles Miller in a vessel belonging to the Company to explore the productions of this island.  On approaching it he observed large plantations of coconut-trees, with several spots of ground cleared for cultivation on the hills, and at night many fires on the beach.  Landing was found to be in most parts extremely difficult on account of the surf.  Many of the natives were seen armed with lances and squatting down amongst the coral rocks, as if to conceal their numbers.  Upon rowing into a bay with the ship’s boat it was pursued by ten canoes full of men and obliged to return.  Mr. Whalfeldt, the surveyor, and the second mate proceeded to make a survey of the bay and endeavour to speak with the natives.  They were furnished with articles for presents, and, upon seeing a canoe on the beach of a small island, and several people fishing on the rocks, they rowed to the island and sent two caffrees on shore with some cloth, but the natives would not come near them.  The mate then landed and advanced towards them, when they immediately came to him.  He distributed some presents among them, and they in return gave him some fish.  Several canoes came off to the ship with coconuts, sugar-cane, toddy, and a species of yam.  The crew of one of them took an opportunity of unshipping and carrying away the boat’s rudder, and upon a musket being fired over their heads many of them leaped into the sea.

Mr. Miller describes these people as being taller and fairer than the Malays, their hair black, which the men cut short, and the women wear long, and neatly turned up.  The former go entirely naked except that they sometimes throw a piece of bark of tree, or plantain-leaf over their shoulders to protect them from the heat of the sun.  The latter also are naked except a small slip of plantain-leaf round the waist; and some had on their heads fresh leaves made up nearly in the shape of a bonnet, with necklaces of small pieces of shell, and a shell hanging by a string, to be used as a comb.  The ears of both men and women have large holes made in them, an inch or two in diameter, into which they put a ring made of coconut-shell or a roll of leaves.  They do not chew betel.  Their language was not understood by any person on board, although there were people from most parts adjacent to the coast.  Their canoes