Captain's Log: September 3rd After much internal deliberation I have decided to take four crew members, plus James, our mapmaker-artist, on our next excursion into the forest of this island. I now know that it is inhabited after seeing a dwelling at the base of a tree on our last foray. Since we may very well encounter the native people themselves and we know not if they are friendly, we are each taking a musket. It is not my wish to cause any harm or come face to face with any of them, but for the safety of the crew we must be armed. By midafternoon, after walking quite a distance inland, we have spotted what seems to be a small village. There are several dwellings that are very near each other. Each either built into the base of a tree or attached to a tree, like the one previously seen. Each a little different but the overall appearance of them has a sameness. After James has made some quick sketches, we move on to explore a path one of the crew has spied. Perhaps it is a game trail, but we must be cautious. As of yet we have seen no human life but have heard rustling of leaves and have seen an occasional movement of tall plants. I am sure we are being watched.