1774*
Se p t em b e r .
giving them domeftic animals, they fliould fieletft fuch
people as are moft likely to make a good ufe of their
prefents.
We returned on board in the evening, after (hooting at a
mark to amufe fome of the natives, who fet up their clubs
for that purpofe, and were much pleafed with our fuppofed
(kill. Soon after arrived the two boats which lieutenant
Pickerfgill had condufted to the weftward, and which had
been detained by contrary winds. We were fortunate
enough to collett the following particulars of that intelligent
officer’s excurfion. Having fet out from the (hip, he
did not approach the ffiore till he had advanced feveral
leagues, and faw many turtles on the water, of which he
could not ftrike one, on account of the violence of the
wind. The boats putting affiore, found the face of the
country, towards the N. W. end of the ifland, very like the
part oppofite our anchoring place, though confiderably more
fertile and cultivated, and covered with many coco-trees.
The natives were as civil and inoffenfive in this place as we
had found them from the beginning. Two of them, who
had already been on board the Chip, hearing that our people
intended to crofs over to the ifle of Balabeea, more to
the northward, took a paflage in the cutter. One of them,
whole name was Roobik, was a merry fellow, different in
this refpeft from moft of his countrymen ; he talked a great
deal to our people at firft, and taught them is name, which
.they
they pronounced- booby,, with the fame pleafure with which September»
he heard it. After fome time, however, the waves rifing,
and frequently waffiing into the boat, he became very lilcnt,
and crept into a boat-cloak, to fcreen himfelf from the wer,
and recover from the chillinefs which the wind occafioned
on his naked body. He likewife grew very hungry, having
takeirno provifions with him, and very thankfully received
what our people offered him. His fttuation, and that of all
his companions, however, became very foon alarming to
the higheft degree. The cutter fprung a leak, which admitted
fuch quantities of water, that it was impoffible to free
the boat, though every body baled with his hat, or fuch
utenfil as he could find moft fit for the purpofe. They
were prefen tly reduced to heave over-board a calk of freflt
water, and many other articles, in order to lighten the boat 5
but all was to no purpofe, till having cleared away fome
bundles, they found the leak, which they flopped as well as
they could for the prefent with their caps, and with rags,
and proceeded for the ifle of Balabeea with all poffible dif-
patch. Mr. Pickerfgill, in the launch, met a canoe of that
ifland with a few natives, who had caught a large quantity
of filh, of which they readily lhared out a part to him for
a trifling confideration of iron-ware. It was late in the
afternoon when he arrived upon the ifland. The natives,
being exa&ly of the fame race as thofe of New Caledonia,
were not lefs good-tempered, and freely parted with their
Von. II. H h h arms