COASTS o?' AUSTitAL?A. 119 low tnundatod land behind the mangrovos, joined lSla the main stream at intervals on both sides; but ?,y ?. they were not interestin? enough in their appear- anco to detain us. We returned to the cutter at night, and the next day shifted our birth ?. to an anchorage close to the shore on the north s/de af the entrance, for the purpose of woocling, where the trees were so convenient and close at hand, that we completed our stock before dark. Durin? the evenil?, whilst we were occupied at the wooding-place, a party of natives were ob- served running towards us along the beach on the south side without the port, apparently re- turning from a hunting excursion, for the woods an the south side of the bay had been on fire for the last two days. As they approached, they* re- tired behind the beach amor? the trees, and, upon their reachin? the opposite side of the entrance, crept upon their hands and knees behind the bushes, where they remained, as they thought, eoncealed until the evening. A little before dark they were observed to creep out and ran?e thong- selves upon the beach, as if meditating upon their plans for the night, but by this time it was so dark that we could not see what they afterwards did; in order to deter them from ap- proaching us, a musquet was fired ever their
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