In their ears they wore rings of bone.
Their arms were bows and arrows, spears, and shields made of the skins of fish stretched over a wooden frame or the back of the turtle.
A chief rowed in a canoe toward the Searcher, keeping at a safe distance.
He was adorned with a fantastic headdress of feathers and leaves, and seemed to be the king of the country.
Having nothing better to do, Mont got a fishing line from the negro who usually attended upon him, and amused himself with catching some of the fish that swam round the ship.
No one made any preparation to repel an attack of the Papouans, which alarmed Mont very much.
He had, however, so much confidence in the sagacity of Captain Vindex that he believed he would not be caught asleep.
For two hours he continued his sport with tolerable success, and was so wrapped up in it that he forgot the natives for the time.
While he was engaged in pulling up a good bite, an arrow whizzed past him.
Mont dropped his fish, and very nearly his line.