June. Saturd, 27. meaning, but not to admit it: he immediately 1767. made a speech to the people, pointing to the stones, flings, and bags, with great emotion, and fometimes his looks, geftures, and voice were so furious as to be frightful. His paffions, however, fubfided by degrees, and the officer, who to his great regret could not understand one word of all that he had faid, endeavoured to convince him, by all the figns he could devife, that we wished to live in friendship with them, and were difpofed to shew them every mark of kindness in our power. He then shook hands with him, and embraced him, giving him at the fame time feveral fuch trinkets as he thought would be most acceptable. He contrived alfo to make the old man understand that we wished to traffic for provifions, that the Indians fhould not come down in great numbers, and that they fhould keep on one fice of the river and we on the other. After this the old man went away with great appearance of fatisfaction, and before noon a trade was established, which furnished us with hogs, fowls, and fruit in great abundance, fo that all the ship's company, whether fick or well, had as much as they could' ufe. 1767. June. CHAP. VI. The Sick fent on Shore, and a regular Trade eftablished 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. MA ATTERS being thus happily fettled, I fent the furgeon, with the fecond lieuteSaturd. 27. nant, to examine the country, and fix upon some place where the fick might take up their refidence on fhore. When they returned, they said, that with refpect to health and convenience, all the places they had feen upon the island seemed to be equally proper; but that with refpect to fafety, they could recommend none but the wateringplace, as they would be there under the protection of the ship and the guard, and would easily be prevented from ftraggling into the country, and brought off to their meals. To the wateringplace therefore I fent them, with those 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 furgeon was sent to superintend their conduct, and give his advice if it fhould be wanted. It happened that walking June. walking out with his gun, after he had feen the 1767. fick properly disposed of in the tent, a wild duck flew over his head, which he shot, and it fell dead Saturday 27. among fome of the natives who were on the other fide of the river. This threw them into a panic, and they all ran away: when they got to some distance they stopped, and he made figns to them to bring the duck over: this one of them at last ventured to do, and, pale and trembling, laid it down at his feet. Several other ducks happening at the inftant to fly over the fpot 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 fheep; and probably the ease with which they were afterwards kept at a distance, and their orderly behaviour in their traffic, was in a great measure owing to their having upon this occasion seen the inftrument of which before they had only felt the effects. As I forefaw that a private traffic would probably commence between fuch of our people as were on fhore, and the natives, and that if it was left to their own caprice, perpetual quarrels and mifchief would enfue, I ordered that all matters of traffic should be tranfacted by the gunner, on behalf of both parties, and I directed him to fee 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 fervice he performed with great diligence and fidelity, nor did he neg lect June. 1767. lect to complain of those who tranfgreffed my orders, which was of infinite advantage to all Saturd. 27. parties; for as I punifhed the firft offenders with a neceffary severity, many irregularities, that would otherwise have produced the most difagreeable confequences, were prevented: we were alfo indebted for many advantages to the old man, whofe caution kept our people perpetually upon their guard, and foon brought back thofe who ftraggled from the party. The natives would indeed fometimes pilfer, but by the terror of a gun, without ufing it, he always found means to make them bring back what was ftolen. A fellow had one day the dexterity and address to cross the river unperceived, and fteal a hatchet; the gunner, as foon as he miffed 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 figns that he would fave him the trouble, and immediately fetting off, returned in a very fhort time with the hatchet. The gunner then infifted that the offender fhould be delivered up, and with this alfo 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 fent him prisoner on board. I had no intention to punish him otherwife, than by the fear of punishment, and therefore after great entreaty and interceffion, I gave him his liberty, and fent him on shore. When the natives faw him return in fafety, it is hard to fay whether their aftonishment or joy was 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 bread-fruit, and a large hog, ready roasted. 1767. June. Saturd, 27. At this time, the people on board were employed in caulking and painting the weather-work, over-hauling the rigging, ftowing the hold, and doing other neceffary bufinefs; but my disorder, 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 purfer was incapable of his duty. The whole command devolved upon Mr. Furneaux, the fecond lieutenant, to whom I gave general directions, and recommended a particular attention to the people on fhore. I alfo ordered that fruit and fresh provifions fhould be served to the fhip's company as long as they could be procured, and that the boats should never be abfent from the ship after sunset. Thefe directions were fulfilled with fuch prudence and punctuality, that during all my fickness I was not troubled with any bufinefs, nor had the mortification to hear a single complaint or appeal. The men were conftantly. served 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. Sunday |