1767. June. Saturday 27. CHAP. VI. The Sick Sent on Shore, and a regular Trade established with the Natives; fome Account of their Character and Manners, of their Vifits on board the Ship, and a Variety of Incidents that happened during this Intercourfe. MATT ATTERS being thus happily fettled, I fent the Surgeon, with the Second Lieutenant, to examine the country, and fix upon fome place where the fick might take up their refidence on shore. When they returned, they said, that with respect to health and convenience, all the places that they had seen upon the island seemed to be equally proper; but that with respect to fafety, they could recommend none but the watering-place, as they would be there under the protection of the ship and the guard, and would eafily be prevented from ftraggling into the country, and 'brought off to their meals. To the watering-place therefore I fent them, with thofe that were employed in filling the casks, and appointed the gunner to command the party that was to be their guard. A tent was erected for them as a fhelter both from the fun and the rain, and the Surgeon was fent to fuperintend their conduct, and give his advice if it fhould be wanted. It happened that walking out with his gun, after he had feen the fick properly disposed of in the tent, a wild duck flew over his head, which he shot, and it fell dead among some of the natives who were on the other fide of the river. This threw them into a panic, and they they all ran away: when they got to fome diftance they ftopped, and he made figns to them to bring the duck over: this one of them at laft ventured to do, and, pale and trembling, laid it down at his feet. Several other ducks happening at the inftant to fly over the spot where they were ftanding, he fired again, and fortunately brought down three more. This incident gave the natives fuch a dread of a gun, that if a mufquet was pointed at a thousand of them, they would all run away like a flock of sheep; and probably the ease with which they were afterwards kept at a diftance, and their orderly behaviour in their traffic, was in a great measure owing to their having upon this occafion feen the instrument of which before they had only felt the effects. As I forefaw that a private traffic would probably commence between such of our people as were on fhore, and the natives, and that if it was left to their own caprice, perpetual quarrels and mischief would enfue, I ordered that all matters of traffic should be transacted by the gunner, on behalf of both parties, and I directed him to see that no injury was done to the natives, either by violence or fraud, and by all poffible means to attach the old man to his intereft. This service he performed with great diligence and fidelity, nor did he neglect to complain of those who transgreffed my orders, which was of infinite advantage to all parties; for as I punished the first offenders with a necessary severity, many irregularities, that would otherwise have produced the most disagreeable confequences, were prevented: we were also indebted for many advantages to the old man, whofe caution kept our people perpetually upon their guard, and foon brought back those who ftraggled from the party. The natives would indeed sometimes pilfer, but by the terror of a gun, without ufing it, he always found means to make them bring back what was stolen. A fellow had one day the dexterity Hh 2 1767. June. Saturday 27. dexterity and address to cross the river unperceived, and steal a hatchet; the gunner, as foon as he missed it, made the old man understand what had happened, and got his party ready, as if he would have gone into the woods after the thief: the old man, however, made signs that he would fave him the trouble, and immediately fetting off, returned in a very short time with the hatchet. The gunner then insisted that the offender fhould be delivered up, and with this also the old man, though not without great reluctance, complied. When the fellow was brought down, the gunner knew him to be an old offender, and therefore sent him prifoner on board. I had no intention to punish him otherwise, than by the fear of punishment, and therefore after great entreaty and interceffion, I gave him his liberty, and fent him on fhore. When the natives faw him return in fafety, it is hard to say whether their astonishment or joy was greateft; they received him with univerfal acclamations, and immediately carried him off into the woods: the next day, however, he returned, and as a propitiation to the gunner, he brought him a confiderable quantity of breadfruit, and a large hog, ready roasted. At this time, the people on board were employed in caulking and painting the weather-work, over-hauling the rigging, flowing the hold, and doing other neceffary bufinefs, but my diforder, which was a bilious cholic, increased fo much, that this day I was obliged to take to my bed; my First Lieutenant alfo ftill continued very ill, and the Purser was incapable of his duty. The whole command devolved upon Mr. Furneaux, the Second Lieutenant, to whom I gave general directions, and recommended a particular attention to the people on fhore. I also ordered that fruit and fresh provisions should be ferved to the fhip's company as long as they could be procured, and that the boats fhould never be abfent abfent from the fhip after funfet. Thefe directions were fulfilled with fuch prudence and punctuality, that during all my sickness I was not troubled with any business, nor had the mortification to hear a single complaint or appeal. The men were conftantly ferved with fresh pork, fowls, and fruit, in such plenty, that when I left my bed, after having been confined to it near a fortnight, my ship's company looked fo fresh and healthy, that I could fcarcely believe them to be the fame people. 1767. June. Saturday 27. Sunday the 28th was marked by no incident; but on Mon- Sunday 28. day the 29th, one of the gunner's party found a piece of Monday 29. faltpetre near as big as an egg. As this was an object of equal curiofity and importance, diligent enquiry was immediately made from whence it came. The surgeon asked every one of the people on fhore, separately, whether he had brought it from the ship; every one on board also was asked whether he had carried it on fhore, but all declared that they had never had fuch a thing in their poffeffion. Application was then made to the natives, but the meaning of both parties was fo imperfectly conveyed by figns, that nothing could be learnt of them about it: during our whole ftay here, however, we faw no more than this one piece. While the gunner was trafficking for provifions on fhore, we fometimes hauled the seine, but we caught no fish; we alfo frequently trawled, but with no better fuccefs: the dif appointment, however, was not felt, for the produce of the ifland enabled our people to " fare fumptuously every day." July. All matters continued in the fame fituation till the 2d of July, when our old man being abfent, the supply of fresh Thursday z. provisions and fruit fell short; we had, however, enough to 1767. July. Friday 3. Sunday 5. serve most of the meffes, referving plenty for the fick and convalefcent. On the 3d, we heeled the ship, and looked at her bottom, which we found as clean as when she came out of dock, and to our great fatisfaction, as found. During all this time, none of the natives came near our boats, or the ship, in their canoes. This day, about noon, we caught a very large shark, and when the boats went to fetch the people on board to dinner, we fent it on fhore. When the boats were putting off again, the gunner seeing fome of the natives on the other fide of the river, beckoned them to come over; they immediately complied, and he gave them the shark, which they foon cut to pieces, and carried away with great appearance of fatisfaction. On Sunday the 5th, the old man returned to the markettent, and made the gunner understand that he had been up the country, to prevail upon the people to bring down their hogs, poultry, and fruit, of which the parts near the watering-place were now nearly exhaufted. The good effects of his expedition foon appeared, for several Indians, whom our people had never seen before, came in with some hogs that were larger than any that had been yet brought to market. In the mean time, the old man ventured off in his canoe, to the ship, and brought with him, as a prefent to me, a hog ready roasted. I was much pleased with his attention and liberality, and gave him, in return for his hog, an iron pot, a looking-glass, a drinking-glass, and several other things, which no man in the island was in poffeffion of but himself. While our people were on fhore, feveral young women were permitted to cross the river, who, though they were not averse to the granting of perfonal favours, knew the |