Il
which we had obferved at Taheitee, likewife appeared on-
this ifland. Having walked among the bullies, at the
diftance of about fifty yards from the water, we heard a
loud halloo, upon which we retired to the rock, where our
people had taken poll. We now learnt that captain Cook,
having walked up a long deep gulley, which lay before us,,
had entered the woods at a little diftance from us. He had.
not proceeded far, when he heard fomebody tumbling,
down from a tree. He fuppofed it was one of us, and-
called out to us, but was prefently undeceived by the
Ihouts of the Indian. We now called to the natives in
thofe South Sea dialefts which we were acquainted with,
that we were friends, and defired them to come down to us.-
Tbey were heard talking and fhouting to each other fop
fome time; and prefently one of them appeared at the entrance
of the gulley. His body was blackened as far as the
waift; his head was ornamented with feathers placed upright,
and in his hand he held a fpear. Behind him we
heard many voices in the chafm, though the trees prevented
our feeing the people. At laft a young man, to all appearance
without a beard, ftepped forward, and joined the firft.
He was like him blackened, and had a long bow, like thofe
of Tonga-Tabboo, in his right hand. With the left he
inftantly flung a very large ftone, with fo much accuracy,
as to hit Dr. Sparrman’s arm a violent blow, at the diftance
of forty yards. The pain which it occafioned irritated my
friend
friend fo much, that he let fly at his enemy ; but it did not
appear that the fmall Ihot had any effedt. Both the natives
retired foon after ; and though we ftaid here for fome
time, performing the idle ceremony of taking pofleflion,
we faw nothing more of the inhabitants. After we had
refumed our courie along Ihore in- the boats, we faw the
people coming to the water’s fide at the place which we
had left. The appearance of the coaft was Hill the fame as-
we advanced. We landed at the hazard of our necks in-
another place, which we left as foon as the boat s crew
called out, that they perceived the natives above us. We
continued till we came to a confiderable chafm in the rock,,
before which a flat reef, full of holes and cavities, extended
about fifty yards off fliore. We drew up a line of failors on
the reef, and the captain with us walked into the chafm,
where we found four canoes. They were very nearly of
the fame ftrudture with thofe of Tonga-Tabboo, and had
fome carving, but were not fo neatly wrought. They were
fingle, and had ftrong out-riggers. Some were covered with-
coarfe mats, and contained fifliing-lines, fpears, and pieces o f
wood, which appeared to have ferved as matches for fifhing at-
night. The captain laid a fmall prefent of beads, nails, and-
medals on each canoe ; but whilft he was fo employed, I perceived
a troop of natives coming down the chafm, and inftantly
acquainting our company of it, we all retired a
few fteps. Two of the natives, drefied with feathers, and'
blackened
J1ÜT'7S4vE-,