>774*
A ugust. palled fome time in fhooting here, whilft feveral of the
natives ftill continued with us, efpecially a couple of little
boys, to whom we made fome prefents to gain their goodwill.
From hence we proceeded into a dark path, which
had many various windings, and at once opened upon a
clear fpot, furrounded by three or four houfes of the fame
dimenfions as thofe where old Paw-yangom dwelt. Here
about a dozen men, well armed with bows and arrows,
clubs and darts, were fitting on their hams in a row, who
inftantly ftarted up at fight of us. We beckoned to them,
and made figns that we meant no harm, but they feemecj
not to- truft us entirely. Some elderly men among them
feemed to have pacific intentions, but two or three young
fellows frowned, and made feveral motions with their arms,
which, though not exactly directed towards us, yet might
have been conftrued into a provocation if we had been very
irafcible. We concluded it was beft to return, and defired
them to Ihew us the road to the fea. We could not have
hit upon a better method of quieting their diftruft and ap-
prehenfions at once. Some of them went before us down
a narrow path, which was rather fteep at firft but became
more eafy .afterwards. Having defcended about a quarter
of a mile, they defired us to flop and take fome repofe, and
feveral of their brethren came to us loaded with coco-nuts,
bananas, and abundance of fugar-canes. The fultrinefs of
the weather made thefe refrefhments very acceptable. We
gave
»
gave the Indians feveral prefents in return, and were well ao'guVt.
pleafed that it was only from diftruft, and not real malevolence,
that they had collected together to oppofe our pro-
grefs into the country. After a walk of half an hour we
returned to the beach from whence we had fet out, and
happily ended an excurfion which might, with a little more
rafhnefs on our part, have proved fatal not only to the natives,
but, in the end, to ourfelves. We were forced to
give up all hopes of approaching the volcano; but it is
furely advifeable to abandon a purfuit where knowledge
cannot be obtained without bloodfhed and injuftice.
During our walk, our people had hauled the feine with
the flood-tide, and obtained a fmall quantity of fifli, among
which we found a new fpecies. The pond of frefh water
likewife furniihed us with a new fort of fifh, and the fea-
men caught a number of mud eels in it. With thefe fifh,
and feveral new plants collefted on the hill, we returned on
board, and pafled the afternoon in defcribing and drawing
them.
.We refumed our excurfionss into the country the next Monday iS.
morning. The trade for yams and for the weapons of the
natives was ftill carried on, but tortoife-fhell was fo fcarce
in the fhip that we could make but a fmall purchafe of pro-
vifions. The mother of pearl fifh-hooks of the Friendly
Iflands, -which had the barb of tortoife-fhell, were in great
requeft, and our feamen could fometimes obtain a handful
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