a/ril. We immediately retired into the thicket, and paffed by the
huts, of which all the inhabitants were on the beach.
Thefe huts were very fmall and low, covered with a kind
of matting of coco-nut branches. We only faw fome dogs
in them. Their boat-houfes were exadtly of the fame
materials, only a little larger. The canoes in them were
very Ihort, but flout, and pointed at both ends, and had a
fharp keel. As foon as we came on the beach, we mixed
among the natives, who were rather furprifed to fee us
come out of their village. We acquainted the lieutenant
who commanded our boats* with the hoftile appearances
we had feen, upon which bur people were upon their
guard, and prepared to reimbark. In the mean time Ma-
hine affifted us in converfing with the natives, who told us
that they had a chief or areekee, and that they called their
ifland TEOUKEAi Their language, upon the whole, approached
very mueh to the Taheitian dialed:, except that
their pronunciation was more coarfe and guttural. The
reinforcement now began to appear in the buflies, armed
with long clubs, or round fhort flaves, and fpears, fome
fourteen feet, fome nine feet long, pointed with the jagged
tail of the fling-ray. We therefore ftepped into our boats,
but the natives crouded about them, and feemed in doubt
whether they fhould detain us or n ot; however, as our retreat
had been too early for their fcheme, they appeared
contented with our departure, and affifted us in puffiing
off
eff the boats. Some threw fmall Hones into the water aIYI.
near us, and all feemed to glory in having, as it were,
frightened us off. They all talked a great deal, and very
loud, after we were gone, and at laft feated themfelves
along the beach, in the fhade of the trees. We were no
fooner on board, and had recited our adventures, than the
captain ordered four or five cannon-fliot to be fired over
their heads, and into the fea before them, to ffiew what he
could do. Thefe balls, and efpecially the laft, terrified
them fo much, that they all ran away from this point
with the greateft precipitation. The number of coco-nuts
which we obtained among them did not amount to more
than thirty, and the dogs were about five. Mr. Byron
found wells on this ifland, which, though they afforded
but a fmall quantity of frefh water, may be fufficient to
fiipply the few inhabitants with this neceffary element.
That navigator likewife met with burying-places of ftone,
in the grove, which have a very great affinity with the Taheitian
marais. The offerings of animal and vegetable
food, hung on the branches of trees around thefe cemeteries,
firengthen that fimilarity. There is reafon to believe,
from this circumftance, as well as from the form,
manners, and language of the people, that they are very
nearly allied to the happier inhabitants of the mountainous
ifles ' in the neighbourhood. The great lagoons within
their circular iflands are probably plentiful refervoirs of >
G z filh,