1769. April. a pig, which they would not part with for any thing but a hatchet, and therefore we refused to Thurfd. 13. purchase it; because, if we gave them a hatchet for a pig now, we knew they would never afterwards fell one for lefs, and we could not afford to buy as many as it was probable we should want at that price. The bread-fruit grows on a tree that is about the fize of a middling oak: its leaves are frequently a foot and an half long, of an oblong shape, deeply finuated like those of the fig-tree, which they resemble in confiftence and colour, and in the exuding of a white milky juice upon being broken. The fruit is about the size and shape of a child's head, and the furface is reticulated not much unlike a truffle: it is covered with a thin fkin, and has a core about as big as the handle of a small knife: the eatable part lies between the skin and the core; it is as white as fnow, and fomewhat of the confiftence of new bread: it must be roafted before it is eaten, being firft divided into three or four parts its tafte is infipid, with a flight sweetness somewhat resembling that of the crumb of wheaten-bread mixed with a Jerufalem artichoke. i Among others who came off to the ship was an elderly man, whofe name, as we learnt afterwards, was OwHAW, and who was immediately known to Mr. Gore, and feveral others who had been here with Captain Wallis; as I was inform ed 1769. April. ed that he had been very useful to them, I took him on board the fhip with fome others, and was particularly attentive to gratify him, as I Thursd, 13. hoped he might also be useful to us. As our ftay here was not likely to be very fhort, and as it was neceffary that the merchandife which we had brought for traffic with the natives fhould not diminish in its value, which it would certainly have done, if every perfon had been left at liberty to give what he pleased for fuch things as he should purchase; at the fame time that confufion and quarrels muft neceffarily have arisen from there being no standard at market: I drew up the following rules, and ordered that they should be punctually observed. Rules to be obferved by every perfon in or belonging to his Majesty's Bark the Endeavour, for the better establishing a regular and uniform trade for provifion, &c. with the inhabitants of George's Inland. "I. To endeavour, by every fair means, to "cultivate a friendship with the natives; and "to treat them with all imaginable humanity. 66 "II. A proper perfon, or perfons, will be ap pointed to trade with the natives for all man"ner of provifions, fruit, and other productions "of the earth; and no officer or feaman, or "other perfon belonging to the ship, excepting "fuch as are fo appointed, fhall trade or offer to "trade Y 3. 1769. April. Thurfd, 13. "trade for any fort of provifion, fruit, or other productions of the earth, unless they have ❝ leave so to do. "III. Every perfon employed on fhore, on "any duty whatsoever, is ftrictly to attend to "the fame; and if by any neglect he loseth any "of his arms, or working tools, or fuffers them "to be stolen, the full value thereof will be "charged against his pay, according to the cu"ftom of the navy in fuch cafes, and he shall "receive fuch farther punishment as the nature "of the offence may deserve. "IV. The fame penalty will be inflicted on 66 every person who is found to embezzle, trade, "or offer to trade, with any part of the fhip's "ftores of what nature foever. "V. No fort of iron, or any thing that is "made of iron, or any fort of cloth, or other "useful or neceffary articles, are to be given in "exchange for any thing but provision. J. Cook." As foon as the fhip was properly fecured, I went on fhore with Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, a party of men under arms, and our friend Owhaw. We were received from the boat by fome hundreds of the inhabitants, whose looks at least gave us welcome, though they were ftruck with fuch awe, that the firft who approached us crouched fo low that he almost crept upon his 4 hands 1769. April. hands and knees. It is remarkable that he, like the people in the canoes, prefented to us the same symbol of peace that is known to have Thursd. 13. been in use among the ancient and mighty nations of the northern hemifphere, the green branch of a tree. We received it with looks and geftures of kindness and fatisfaction; and obferving that each of them held one in his hand, we immediately gathered every one a bough, and carried it in our hands in the fame manner. They marched with us about half a mile towards the place where the Dolphin had watered, conducted by Owhaw; they then made a full ftop, and having laid the ground bare, by clearing away all the plants that grew upon it, the principal perfons among them threw their green branches upon the naked spot, and made signs that we fhould do the fame; we immediately fhowed our readiness to comply, and to give a greater folemnity to the rite, the marines were drawn up, and marching in order, each dropped his bough upon those of the Indians, and we followed their example. We then proceeded, and when we came to the watering-place it was intimated to us by figns, that we might occupy that ground, but it happened not to be fit for our purpose. During our walk they had fhaken off their first timid fenfe of our fuperiority, and were become familiar: they went with us from 1769. April. the watering-place and took a circuit through the woods; as we went along, we distributed Thurfd. 13. beads and other small presents among them, and Friday 14. had the fatisfaction to fee that they were much gratified. Our circuit was not lefs than four or five miles, through groves of trees, which were loaded with cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit, and afforded the most grateful shade. Under these trees were the habitations of the people, most of them being only a roof without walls, and the whole scene realized the poetical fables of Arcadia. We remarked however, not without fome regret, that in all our walk we had seen only two hogs, and not a fingle fowl. Thofe of our company who had been here with the Dolphin told us, that none of the people whom we had yet feen were of the first class; they fufpected that the chiefs had removed, and upon carrying us to the place where what they called the Queen's palace had stood, we found that no traces of it were left. We determined therefore to return in the morning, and endeavour to find out the Nobleffe in their retreats. In the morning, however, before we could leave the ship, several canoes came about us, moft of them from the weftward, and two of them were filled with people, who by their dress and deportment appeared to be of a fuperior rank two of these came on board, and each fingled out his friend; one of them, whose name |