*774* 'A u g u s t .
Taefday 9.
they were'fo extremely timorous, that if we only fixed our
eyes upon them, they inftantly ran away, to the great entertainment
of the men. However, their coming fo near
us, was fufficient proof that we had made great progrefs
towards gaining their confidence. We obferved fome of
them which had a fmile cm their countenance, but in general
they looked gloomy and melancholy. They had earrings
and necklaces like the men, and the married women wore
caps of matted work. The greater part of them had nofe-
jewels of white ftone. Whenever we prefented a bead, a
nail, or ribbon to any of the people, they refufed to touch
-it, but defired us to lay it down, and then took it up in a
• leaf. Whether this was owing to fome fuperflitious notions,
or to a fancied idea of cleanlinefs, or of civility, muft
remain a matter of doubt. Towards noon our party re-embarked,
and we went on board with them, the greateft part
of the natives having already retired to their dwellings-on
the hill. The afternoon was fpent in fifhing again, but
without our former fuccefs, for we only caught about two
dozen of fifli, after many repeated hauls of the net. The
natives on the beach were very numerous; and their prefence
made it improper for us to ramble far into the woods.
We therefore confined ourfelves to the fkirts, and collected a
few words of their language.
We returned to the fame -place the next morning, where
our people had loaded1 ballafi: the day before. We. climbed
about
about the rocks for feveral hours in the heat of the day,
without much fuccefs ; and were only tantalized by the appearance
of a rich foreft, into which we could not venture
to advance with any degree of prudence; Before we returned
on board again, we difcovered a hot- fpring coming out of
the rock clofe to the water’ s edge. We had no thermometer
at hand'; but the degree of heat was fuch, that we could not
bear to hold a finger in the water above a Angle fecond. As
foon as we had returned to the Ihip at noon, captain Cook
likewife came from the watering party, and brought one of
the natives with him in his boat. We foon difcovered him
to be the fame young man, who had fhewed fo much cool-
nefs and bravery on the firft day of our arrival, by remaining
in his canoe, when near two hundred of his countrymen
leaped into thefea at the difcharge of a cannon, (fee
p. 26 3.) He told us his name was Fannokko, . and enquired
for our names, which he endeavoured to remember.
He, as well as all his countrymen, had not the fame facility-
of pronunciation as the Mallicollefe;- we were therefore -
obliged, to tell him our names, modified according to the.-
fofter organs of the Taheitians. His features were rather-
handfome ; his eyes large, and very lively ; and the whole
countenance exprefled good-humour, fprightlinefs, and
acutenefs. To mention only a fingle infiance o f his ingenuity
; it happened that my father and captain Cook, on
comparing their vocabularies, difcovered that each had colledled.
*774-
A ugust.