to them, and they kept up with me a long way. I saw that one of
them had a lance in his hand.

I made signs that they should bring me some food, and they on
their part made signs for me to stop my boat. So I let down the
top of my sail, and lay by, while two of them ran off; and in
less than half an hour they came back with some dry meat and a
sort of corn which is grown in this part of the world. This we
should have been glad to get, but knew not how to do so; for we
durst not go on shore to them, nor did they dare to come to us.
At last they took a safe way for us all, for they brought the food
to the shore, where they set it, down, and then went a long way
off while we took it in. We made signs to show our thanks, for we
had not a thing that we could spare to give them.

But as good luck would have it, we were at hand to take a great
prize for them; for two wild beasts, of the same kind as the
first I spoke of, came in, full chase from the hills down to the
sea.

They swam as if they had come for sport. The men flew from them
in fear, all but the one who held the lance. One of these beasts
came near our boat; so I lay in wait for him with my gun; and as
soon as the brute was in range, I shot him through the head.
Twice he sank down in the sea, and twice he came up; and then
just swam to the land, where he fell down dead. The men were in
as much fear at the sound of my gun, as they had been at the
sight of the beasts. But when I made signs for them to come to
the shore, they took heart, and came.