No sooner had they landed, than they commenced their depredations upon the few articles, which at that time constituted all our earthly riches. The nautical instruments, the musket, and a part of our clothing, they immediately appropriated to their own benefit. Fortunately a part of our clothing, the powder, and the cutlasses we had succeeded in concealing in a crevice of the rock. Taking with them their booty, they precipitately got into their canoe, and, beckoning to us, evidently with a view of inducing us to follow them, they steered directly for the wreck. Their first appearance, and this strong manifestation of their thievish disposition, so far from inclining us to cultivate their acquaintance any further, had given us an irresistible inclination to avoid them. Our minds were not long in coming to the conclusion, that an open sea, with Heaven to protect us, would be far preferable to a chance among beings like those. Accordingly, with the least possible delay, we launched our boat, and putting into it such things of value as we had saved, once more, surrounded by new difficulties and dangers, committed ourselves to the mercy of the waves. The island before mentioned being now distinctly visible, we steered in a direction towards it; though we found it necessary to go a somewhat circuitous course, in order to avoid the reef. By the time we had succeeded in getting into deep water, the natives had been to the ship, and were returning with the five muskets which we had left on board. They soon passed us with great rapidity, and evidently with the intention of escaping with their booty unharmed. The cause of their precipitancy will soon be explained.