We left this country, which Hartog named Staten Land, in honour of the
States of Holland, with an unfavourable impression of its inhabitants,
who appeared to be bloodthirsty savages, prone to hostility without
provocation.
CHAPTER XLIX
THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS
After leaving Staten Land we sailed west to between the fifteenth and
twenty-first parallels of south latitude, when we fell in with a number
of islands, some of considerable extent, while others were mere islets
of sand and rock, uninhabited except by sea-fowl and turtle. A great
barrier reef surrounds the group to the eastward, leaving the southern
quarter open. This barrier is broken by numerous passages, between
which navigation is possible, but dangerous, except in fine weather. In
addition to the great barrier, every island has an encircling reef of
its own. The general appearance of these islands is bold and striking.
They are perhaps the mountain tops of some sunken continent. The island
upon which we landed was one of the largest of the group, with a
background of wooded hills, and a fringe of palm trees to the beach,
beyond which a native village stood among green foliage.
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