weapons they had we know not, nor yet their design.  Therefore I had, at their first coming near us, got up all our small arms, and made several put on cartouch boxes to prevent treachery.  At last I resolved to go out again:  which, when the natives in their proas perceived, they began to fling stones at us as fast as they could, being provided with engines for that purpose (wherefore I named this place Slingers Bay).  But at the firing of one gun they were all amazed, drew off and flung no more stones.  They got together as if consulting what to do; for they did not make in towards the shore, but lay still, though some of them were killed or wounded; and many of them had paid for their boldness, but that it was unwilling to cut off any of them; which, if I had done, I could not hope afterwards to bring them to treat with me.

Small islands.

The next day we sailed close by an island where we saw many smokes, and men in the bays; out of which came 2 canoes, taking much pains to overtake us, but they could not, though we went with an easy sail; and I could not now stay for them.  As I passed by the south-east point I sounded several times within a mile of the sandy bays, but had no ground:  about 3 leagues to the northward of the south-east point we opened a large deep bay, secured from west-north-west and south-west winds.  There were 2 other islands that lay to the north-east of it which secured the bay from north-east winds; one was but small, yet woody; the other was a league long, inhabited and full of coconut-trees.  I endeavoured to get into this bay; but there came such flaws off from the high land over it that I could not; besides we had many hard squalls which deterred me from it; and, night coming on, I would not run any hazard, but bore away to the small inhabited island to see if we could get anchoring on the east side of it.  When we came there we found the island so narrow that there could be no shelter; therefore I tacked and stood towards the greater island again:  and, being more than midway between both, I lay by, designing to endeavour for anchorage next morning.  Between 7 and 8 at night we spied a canoe close by us; and, seeing no more, suffered her to come aboard.  She had 3 men in her who brought off 5 coconuts, for which I gave each of them a knife and a string of beads to encourage them to come off again in the morning:  but before these went away we saw 2 more canoes coming; therefore we stood away to the northward from them and then lay by again till day.  We saw no more boats this night; neither designed to suffer any to come aboard in the dark.

By nine o’clock the next morning we were got within a league of the great island, but were kept off by violent gusts of wind.  These squalls gave us warning of their approach by the clouds which hung over the mountains, and afterwards descended to the foot of them; and then it is we expect them speedily.

Gerrit Dennis isle described.