The 31st of August betimes in the morning I went ashore with 10 or 11 men
to search for water. We went armed with muskets and cutlasses for our
defence, expecting to see people there; and carried also shovels and
pickaxes to dig wells. When we came near the shore we saw 3 tall black
naked men on the sandy bay ahead of us: but as we rowed in they went
away. When we were landed I sent the boat with two men in her to lie a
little from the shore at an anchor, to prevent being seized; while the
rest of us went after the 3 black men, who were now got on the top of a
small hill about a quarter of a mile from us, with 8 or 9 men more in
their company. They seeing us coming ran away. When we came on the top of
the hill where they first stood we saw a plain savannah, about half a
mile from us, farther in from the sea. There were several things like
haycocks standing in the savannah; which at a distance we thought were
houses, looking just like the Hottentots' houses at the Cape of Good
Hope: but we found them to be so many rocks. We searched about these for
water, but could find none, nor any houses, nor people, for they were all
gone.
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