Armed Boats sent on Shore.--Treacherous Attack of the Natives.--A Soldier killed.--Cowardly Conduct of the Officers in Charge of the Watering-Party.--The Author personally visits the Bay.--Causes of the Barbarism of the Natives of New Guinea.--Faithless and arbitrary Conduct of the Ceramese.--Profitable Nature of the Trade.--Departure from New Guinea. The friendly meeting with the chiefs, coupled with the assurances of the interpreters, who had been in the habit of making yearly visits to the coast, determined me to obtain here a supply of water, this necessary of life having become scarce on board. On the morning of the 20th, therefore, I caused the empty casks to be put into the tender, which was armed with a one-pounder gun, and manned with an European warrant-officer and a seaman, eighteen rowers, and a corporal with six soldiers. The chief command was given to a midshipman, who, with six European and four native seamen, went in the jolly-boat in company with the tender. The command of the armed party, who were to cover the waterers, was entrusted to the corporal, who had been highly recommended to me at Amboyna, and to whom I gave a written order to guide his proceedings. As I wished to superintend the watering in person, and also to visit the village, I caused another of the boats to be lowered, and sent, in the first place, to examine the depth of water to the north-east and north-west, the result proving the impossibility of approaching nearer to the land with the brig. An affection in the chest, with which I had been afflicted since my voyage to the Bay of Boni, being more than usually troublesome in the morning, forced me, however, to defer my visit to the afternoon.