But, On A Discharge From The Ship, They Made Off In Haste, Leaving Two Of Their Companions Behind Them Who Were Slain, And A Shirt They Had Stolen From The Ship.

Next day other natives came to the ship on friendly and peaceable terms, bringing cocoa-nuts, ubes-roots, and roasted hogs, which they bartered for knives, beads, and nails.

[Footnote 120: It is almost needless to mention, that if Schouten had continued his course in the former parallel of between 15 deg. and 16 deg. S. he must have fallen in with the group of islands now called the New Hebrides, and afterward with the northern part of New South Wales. - E.]

[Footnote 121: This was only one island, in lat. 15 deg. S. and long. 180 deg. 10' W. which they named Horn Island. - E.]

The natives of this island were all as expert swimmers and divers as those in Traitor's Island, and as well versed in cheating and stealing, which they never failed to do when an opportunity offered. Their houses stood all along the shore, being thatched with leaves, and having each a kind of penthouse to shed off the rain. They were mostly ten or twelve feet high, and twenty-five feet in compass, their only furniture within being a bed of dry leaves, a fishing-rod or two, and a great club, even the house of their king being no better provided than the rest. At this island the Dutch found good convenience for watering; and on the 26th they sent three of their principal people on shore as hostages, or pledges, of friendship with the islanders, retaining six of them aboard in the same capacity. The Dutch pledges were treated on shore with great respect by the king, who presented them with four hogs; and gave strict orders that none of his people should give the smallest disturbance to the boat while watering. The natives stood in great awe of their king, and were very fearful of having any of their crimes made known to him. One of them having stolen a cutlass, and complaint being made to one of the king's officers, the thief was pursued and soundly drubbed, besides being forced to make restitution; on which occasion the officer signified, that it was well for the culprit that the king knew not of his crime, otherwise his life would certainly have been forfeited.

These islanders were extremely frightened at the report of a gun, which would set them all running like so many madmen. Yet on one occasion the king desired to hear one of the great guns let off, and being set for that purpose under a canopy, with all his courtiers about him, in great state, the gun was no sooner fired than he ran off into the woods as fast as possible, followed by his attendants, and no persuasions of the Dutch could stop them. The 25th and 26th the Dutch went ashore to endeavour to procure hogs, but were unable to get any, as the islanders had now only a few left, and would only part with cocoas, bananas, and ubes-roots; yet the king continued his wonted kindness and respect, and he and his lieutenant took the crowns from their own heads, and set them on the heads of two of the company.

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