These people were of the common stature, of a black colour, and were all naked, both men and women; and some of the latter had children fastened to their backs, with ropes made of rushes.  All the men were armed with pointed sticks (spears), and with stones which appeared to have been sharpened in the manner of axe heads.  They had, in general, small eyes, and the white duller than in Europeans; the mouth very wide, the teeth white, and flat noses.  Their hair, which resembled the wool of the Caffres, was separated into shreds, and powdered with red ochre.  They were generally slender, tolerably well made, kept their shoulders back, and upon their prominent chests, several had marks raised in the skin.  Their language, appeared harsh; the words seeming to be drawn from the bottom of the throat.

The French tried to win them by little presents, but they rejected with disdain every thing that was offered; even iron, looking-glasses, handkerchiefs, and cloth.  They were shown ducks and fowls, which had been carried from the ships; and it was endeavoured to make them understand, that such would be gladly purchased of them; but they took these animals, with which they seemed to be unacquainted, and threw them away in anger.

The party had been about an hour with the savages when captain Marion went on shore.  One of the natives stepped forward, and offered him a firebrand to be applied to a small heap of wood; and the captain, supposing it was a ceremony necessary to prove that he came with friendly intentions, set fire to the heap without hesitation.  This was no sooner done, than they retired precipitately to a small hill, and threw a shower of stones, by which captain Marion, and the commander of the Castries were both wounded.  Some shots were then fired; and the French, returning to their boats, coasted along the beach to an open place in the middle of the bay, where there was no hill or eminence from whence they could be annoyed.  The savages sent their women and children into the woods, and followed the boats along shore; and on their putting in to land, one of the natives set up a hideous cry, and immediately a shower of spears was discharged.  A black servant was hurt in the leg; and a firing then commenced, by which several of the natives were wounded, and one killed.  They fled to the woods, making a frightful howling, but carried off such of the wounded as were unable to follow.  Fifteen men, armed with muskets, pursued them; and on entering amongst the trees, they found a dying savage.  This man was a little more than five feet seven inches high; his breast was marked like those of the Mozambique Caffres, and his skin appeared as black; but on washing off the soot and dirt, his natural colour appeared to be reddish.  The spears, which it was feared might have been poisoned, were proved not to be so by the facility with which the wound of the black servant was healed.

After the flight of the savages, captain Marion sent two officers with detachments, to search for water, and for trees proper to make a foremast and bowsprit for the Castries; but after traversing two leagues of country without meeting a single inhabitant, they returned unsuccessful in both pursuits; nor could any fresh water be found during the six days which the ships remained in Frederik Hendrik’s Bay.