The coast we sailed along this day, was generally barren, and broke into a number of small islands, among which we presumed there might be safe and good anchorage. We had calm and pleasant weather.

On the 27th, we were among a parcel of small broken islands, which we called the Poor Knights; and many canoes came along-side of us, but the people in them seemed to be half mad. We asked them for some fish, and they took them up by handfuls and threw them at us, not regarding whether they had any thing from us in return: more canoes coming up, they began to behave very rudely, and heaved stones at us. One man, in particular, more active than the rest, took up a stick and threw it at one of our men on the taffel. A musket loaded with small shot was fired at him, upon which he clapped his hands to his face and fell flat in the canoe. This event alarmed the rest, and they made off as fast as they could, and we saw no more of them.

Voyaging Accounts