We saw no natives until Sunday the 4th when two, whose faces were not familiar to us, came down to the end of the dry sand opposite the cutter and beckoned for us:  they had paddled across from the mangroves at the back of the port to the low sandy point that forms the west end of the long north sandy beach, behind which they had left their canoe.  Mr. Bedwell was sent to them in our largest boat, but on his approaching them, and being within ten yards of the beach, they started and ran off with considerable speed towards their canoe.  When about half way to it they stopped, and, upon looking back and observing that they were not pursued, beckoned again.  Upon seeing this manoeuvre, it was suspected that they might have a strong party concealed at the back of the point, to which they were anxious to decoy our people; the boat was therefore called alongside and armed and again sent after them.  By this time they had embarked in their canoe and were paddling with all their strength towards the mangroves on the opposite shore, pursued by our boat until it was stopped by the shoals in the river; the natives, however, easily shoved their canoe over it with poles and soon arrived at the opposite bank, where they were met by several other natives, all of whom immediately retired into the mangrove bushes which concealed them from our view.  This manoeuvre was evidently intended to decoy us into their power, and served to increase our caution.

Soon afterwards their fires were seen about a mile behind the mangroves and in the evening the canoe was observed to pass up the river with the same two natives in it.

July 5.

On the 5th we landed at the long north sandy point, and measured a base line of 231 chains from the point to the end of the beach, where it is terminated by a rocky head that forms the base of a steep hill; this we climbed, and from its summit obtained a very extensive view of the reefs near the coast; but as the weather was too hazy to allow of our making any observation upon distant objects, very few of the reefs in the offing were distinctly seen.

On the beach we passed the wreck of a canoe, large enough to carry seven or eight persons; it measured nineteen feet in length, and twenty-two inches in the bilge, and appeared, like that of Blomfield’s Rivulet, to be made of the trunk of the Erythrina indica, hollowed out either by fire or by some blunt tool.  A piece of teak-wood, one side of which bore the marks of green paint, was found washed up on the beach; it had probably dropped or been thrown overboard from some ship passing by; several coconuts which had been evidently washed on shore were also lying above the tides’ mark.

July 6.

The next day our boat was completed and painted.  During our stay at this harbour the weather was such as would have prevented our moving, even had we no occupation to detain us; for since our arrival the wind had blown little less than a constant gale from the South-East, accompanied with thick rainy weather.  This day however appearing finer, I ascended the hill over the tent; but, on reaching the summit, thick weather set in, and deprived me of a sight of the reefs in the offing for which I had principally taken the walk.  In our descent our dog started a kangaroo, but it made its escape before we approached near enough to shoot it.