A 1774" UGUST»
C H A P . II.
Account of our flay at Tama, .and departure from the New Hebrides,
Friday T T A V IN G brought the fhip to an anchor, we were well
pleafed to fee the natives coming off in their canoes
from different parts of the bay, and paddling round about
us at a little diftance. Their behaviour at firft was very ir-
refolute; though all were armed with fpears, clubs, bows
and arrows. One or two came dofe to us, and fent a yam,
or a coco-nut, upon the deck, for which we made them
prefents of our goods. In a few moments the number of
canoes encreafed to feventeen; fome of them contained
twenty-two men; others ten, feven, five, and the fmalleft
only two; fo that the number of people about us exceeded
two hundred. They pronounced feveral words to us from
time to time, and feemed to propofe queftions; but if we
uttered a word of the Taheitee, or Mallicollo dialed, they
repeated it, without feeming to have the lead idea of it.
By degrees they were familiarized with our appearance,
and ventured clofe along fide, . We had hung a net overboard
aftern,,.containing fait meat for dinner, which the fea
water was to freffien, as we did every day ; one of the na-
■ tives.
lives, an old man, feized this net, and was about to detach August ,
i t ; but being called to, he inftantly defifted. However, another
fhook his dart at us upon this occafion, and ftill another
adjufted an arrow to his bow, taking aim by turns
at different perfons on the quarter-deck. Captain Cook
imagined that the difcharge of a cannon might be of great
fervice, to prevent any unhappy differences with the na- •
tives, by apprizing them of our power. He made fign
accordingly to the canoes to paddle afide, in order to keep
clear of the ffiot. It was remarkable that they were not
offended by this fign, which had the air of authority, but
readily dropped aftern. The gun was fired towards the
fhore, and the two hundred people leaped out of their
canoes into the fea in the fame inftant. Only a fingle
young man, very well made, and of a very open friendly
countenance, remained Handing in his canoe, without the
leaft marks of furprize or fear, but looking with a mixture
of mirth and contempt at his affrighted countrymen. They
prefently recovered their ftation in their canoes, and feeing
no ill confequences had enfued after our bravado, converfed
very loud with each other, and feemed to laugh at their
own fears. They kept off however at a little diftance, and
did not flrew any hoftile inclinations.
Captain Cook did not like the fhip’s birth, but refolved
to carry her deeper into the bay. To that purpofe, a boat
was fent off with an anchor, and our people proceeded in
their