The captain, with the boats, went to look at them, with the desire to take some of them and send them back clothed and kindly treated, so that in this and other ways friendship might be established.  He did all he could to induce them to get into the boats.  They did the same to get the Spaniards to land, and as the latter would not, the natives flung certain fruits into the water, which the men in the boats collected, and with which they returned to the ships.

The day after, the captain ordered the admiral to go on shore with a party of soldiers, and try by all possible means to catch some natives, so as to establish peace and friendship, based on the good work they intended to do for them.

The party ran the boat high up on the beach, and quickly formed in a squadron, for the natives were coming, and it was not known with what object.  Being near, they made signs and spoke, but were not understood.  The Spaniards called to them in return; then the natives drew a line on the ground and seemed to say that the new-comers were not to pass beyond it.  They could not understand one another, and there seems to have been a want of management and discipline.  Natives were seen in the woods, and to frighten them some muskets were fired into the air.  A soldier who had lost patience, or who had forgotten his orders, fired low and killed a native.  The others, with loud cries, fled.  A Moor, who was the drummer in the Spanish corps, cut off the head and one foot of the dead native, and hung the body on the branch of a tree, without being seen to do it by those on the beach.

It then happened that three native chiefs came to where the Spaniards were, who, instead of showing them kindness, and taking them on board, showed them the headless body of their comrade, pretending that this cruelty was a means of making peace.

The chiefs, showing great sorrow, went back to where their people were, and shortly afterwards sounded their instruments, that is, their war drums, with great force and noise, which was heard on the hills among the trees.

Then from many directions they began shooting arrows and darts, and throwing stones, while the Spaniards fired on them, turning on one side or the other.

Queiroz saw all this from the ship where he was, with great regret to find peace turned into war.  It appeared to him best to land more men in the direction taken by a number of natives, who were trying to surround the Spaniards.  The supporting party got into such conflict with the enemy that the captain was obliged to fire two pieces.  The balls, tearing the branches of the trees, passed over the natives; but, after this, and the resistance made by the soldiers, the enemy retired.

At the same time, the natives who were on the beach moved forward, brandishing their clubs, and with arrows fitted to their bows—­and darts poised to throw, menacing with loud shouts.  Then a tall old native advanced making a sound on a shell with great force.  He seemed to be the same chief who had spoken to the soldiers, and they understood him to say that his people would defend their country against those who came to it killing their inhabitants.  Eight of the musketeers were in ambush, and one of them, unfortunately, as he afterwards stated, killed this chief, and presently the rest desisted.