1766. eagerly offered to vifit the Jhip ; but I did riot chufe to in-
December., du]ge moTe than eight o f the number. They jumped into
Wednef, 17. the boatg witb the joy and alacrity o f children going to
a fair, and having no intention o f mifchief againft us, had
not the lead fufpicion that we intended any mifchief againft
them. They fung feveral of their country foftgs while they
were in the boat, arid when they came on board did not ex-
prefs either the curiofity or wonder which the multiplicity o f
objefts, to them equally ftrange and ftupendous, that at
once prefented themfelves, might be fuppofed to excite. I
took them down into the cabbin, Where they looked about
them with an unaccountable indifference, till one o f them
happened to call his eye’s upon alooking-glafs: this however
excited no more aftoniihmerit than the prodigies which offer
themfelves to ou t imagination in a dream, when we cOtt-
verfe with the dead, fly in the air, arid walk upon the fea,
without reflecting that the laws o f nature are violated; but
it afforded them infinite diverfion: they advanced, retreated,
and played a thoufand tricks before it, laughing violently,
arid talking with great emphafis to each other. I gave them
fome beef, pork, bifcuit, and other articles o f the Ihip’s pro-
vifions: they eat, indifcriminately, whatever was offered to
them, but they would drink nothing but water. From the
cabbin I carried them all over the fhip, but they looked at
nothing with much attention, except the animals which we
had on board as live flock: they examined the hogs and Iheep
with fome curiofity, and were exceedingly delighted with
the Guinea hens and turkies; they did not feem to defire any
thing that they faw except our apparel, and only one of
them, an old man, alked for that: We gratified him with a
pair o f Ihoes and buckles, and to each of the others I gave a
canvas bag, in which I put fome needles ready threaded, a
few flips o f cloth, a knife, a pair o f fcifiars, fome twine, a
8 few
few beads, a comb, and a looking glafs., with fome new fixu
u .......... '' ■ ’ . December.
pences and halfpence, through which a hole had been >— „— >
drilled, that was fitted With-a riband to hang, round the e “e ’ 7‘
neck. We offered them fome leaves o f tobacco, rolled up
into what are called fegars, and they fmoked a little, but
did not feem fond o f it. I fhowed them the great guns, but
they did not appear to have any notion o f their ufe. After I
had carried them through the fhip, I ordered the marines to
be drawn up, and go through part of their exercife. When
the firft volley was fired, they were ftruck with aftonifhment
and terror; the old man in particular, threw himfelf down
upon thedeck, pointed to the mufkets, and then ftriking his
bread: with his hand, lay fame time iriotionlefs, with his
eyes fh u t: by this we fuppofed he intended to fhew us that
he was not unacquainted with fire-arms, and their fatal
effedl. The reft feeing our people merry, and finding them-
fialves unhurt, foon refumed their cheerfulnefs and good
humour, and heard the fecond and third volley fired withou t
much emotion; but the old man continued proftrate upon the
deck feme time, and never recovered his fpirits till the firing
was over. About noon, the tide being out, I acquainted
them byfigns that the fhip was proceeding farther, and that
they muft go on fhore: this 1 foon perceived they were very
unwilling to d o; all however, except the old man and one
more, w e r e got into the boat without much difficulty; but
thefe flopped at the gang-way, where the old man turned
about, and went aft to the companion ladder, where he
flood fome time without fpeaking a word -, he then uttered
what we fuppofed to be a prayer ; for he many times lifted
up his hands and his eyes to the heavens, and fpoke in a
manner and tone very different from what we had obferved
in their converfation: his oraifon feemed to be rather fung
than faid, fo that we found it impolfible to diftinguifh one
word