left some fish for them, and returned on board, on which the natives came down and took them away.
"On the night of the 26th the natives carried away a whale boat belonging to Captain Smyth, and rendered her completely useless. She was found next morning near the mouth of a small rivulet to the northward of the settlement, the greater part of the iron work being taken out of her, and her planks, &c. broken in various places, some parts of which were carried some distance into the bush, several pieces of which I have seen during my excursions into the woods. At 11h. 30' P. M. on the 30th, they again came into the camp, on purpose (it was supposed) to pilfer: one of the sentries snapped his musket at them, and gave the alarm. On a blue light being burned as a signal to the Success for assistance, they immediately retired into the woods, carrying away with them some of the cooking utensils. Next night they carried away, for a short distance from the settlement, the rope jack belonging to the ship, which they buried in the sands, where it was found shortly after; they also stole a quantity of hammocks belonging to the Success, which were scrubbed on shore.
"On the 2d July, at one, P. M. a party having gone on shore watering at the Lagoon, they filled their casks, and came off to the ship, leaving the cooper and another behind them repairing casks and making bungs for the same; the natives made their appearance on the opposite side, and hove a spear across at the men, (I do not know if our men had given them any provocation or not) the cooper, &c. fled, leaving his tools, buckets, &c., behind, which the natives carried off only to a short distance, they being immediately pursued by the settlers on the alarm being given, on which they dropped the greater part of the stolen articles. In the pursuit, some of the hammocks that the natives carried away were found in a tree, &c. None of the natives were taken. The same evening some of them were seen to the eastward of the settlement, and they, at eight, P. M. came down in a body of about thirty to near the place where the sentry was placed; he fired at them, but it was supposed he did no injury, as no wounded or dead remained behind.
"On the morning of the 4th July, at two, A. M., they again made their appearance, crawling on all-fours, but were again seen and fired at by three soldiers or marines.
