As the ships drew nearer, he could see that they were wooden vessels; long, lean crafts that sat low on the water and flying flags of red and white. They drew near and stopped short of the shore. There was a splashed as the anchors were dropped. Two more splashes followed as a dinghy from each ship was lowered to the water. Into these dinghies men climbed and made way to shore. As they approached, the tribe as if on command, began to dance a slow welcoming dance.
The men in the boats came towards shore until their boats found the sandy beach beneath the water, where three disembarked each boat and waded the rest of the way, while two sailors on each boat pulling it the rest of the way to the dry beach.
For a long moment there was silence as the men of the tribe and the men of the boat
