280
J774-
A ugust . into the figure of a flar, with many prominent points.
Another fort of clubs are about fix feet long, and have a
great knob or lateral excrefcence at one end, which appears
to belong to the root. Thefe are made of hard wood, but
of a greyifh colour. A third kind is about five feet long,
and has a flat piece, eight or ten inches long, projecting at
right angles, which greatly refembles a farrier’s fleam in
fhape, and is formed with a very fliarp edge. A fourth is
exaCtly like this, but has one of thefe flat blades on each
fide of the handle. Laftly, a fifth is limply a piece of coral
rock, about eighteen inches long, and two in diatoeter,
rudely flraped into a cylinder. Sometimes this is likewife
made ufe of as a miffile weapon.
We faw but few women on this day, and thofe who appeared
kept at a great dillance from us ; however they all
feemed ill -favoured, and of fmaller flature than the men.
The young girls had only a firing tied about the middle,
with a little wifp of dry grafies faftened to it, before and
behind ; but thofe of a matnrer age wore a fiiort petticoat
made of leaves. Their ears were hung full of tortoifefhell
rings, and necklaces of Ihells fell on their bofom. Some
of the oldeft had caps made of a plantane-leaf, or of matted
work, but this head-drefs was rather uncommon.
Towards noon the greater part of the natives left the
beach, as the weather grew very hot, and the hour of
taking
taking food was approaching. We likewife embarked,
having filled a quantity of frefli water, and returned to dine
on board. .
About three in the afternoon we went aflaore again, and
did not find a (ingle man on the beach. At a confiderabre
diftance to the eaftward we faw about thirty fitting under
the (hade of their palms,' but they did not care to come towards
us. We took this opportunity of rambling about
two or three hundred yards into the country, where we
collected feveral new plants. We found that part of the
plain, at the foot of the level hill, was uncultivated, and
filled with a variety of fpontaneous Ihrubs and trees, but
did not venture far out of the reach of protection, as we
were not yet upon a fure footing with the natives. Having
pafièd fome time in the bufhes, we walked towards the
people whom we had obferved feated on the grafs. Our
friend Paw-yangom met us about halfway, and prefented
my father with a little pig, for which he received a large
nail, and a piece of Taheitee cloth in return. This good
old man now accompanied Us to our boats, where captain
Cook had given orders to haul the feine. By degrees the
natives whom we had feen, all came towards us unarmed,
and converfed with us, as well as they could, with the
greateft cordiality. Our lilhermen were extremely fuccefiT-
ful, and took upwards of three hundred weight of mullets
Vol. II. O o and