June7’ tw0 other canoes at the weft end of the ifland. About
—.— j noon, the boats returned, laden with cocoa-nuts, palm-nuts,
and fcurvy-grafs, Mr. Furneaux, who commanded the expedition,
told me that the Indians had left nothing behind
them but four or five canoes. He found a well o f very
good water, and defcribed the ifland as being fandy and
level, full of trees,; but without underwood, and. abounding
with fcurvy-grafs. The canoes, which fleered about W. S. W.
as long as they could be feen from the maft-head, appeared
to be about thirty feet long, four feet broad, and three and
an half deep. Two o f thefe being brought along fide o f each
other, were faftened together, at the diftance o f about three
feet afunder, by crofs beams, palling from the larboard-
gunwale of one, to the ftarboard gunwale o f the other, in
tile middle and near to each end.
The inhabitants o f this ifland were of a middle ftature, and
dark complexion, with long black hair, which hung loofe
over their Ihoulders. The men were well made, and the women
handfome. Their cloathing was a kind o f coarfe cloth or
matting, which was faftened about their middle, and feemed
capable of being brought up round their Ihoulders.
Queen Charlotte's
Ml and.
In the afternoon, I fent Lieutenant Furneaux with the
boats again on Ihore. He had with him a mate and twenty
men, who were to make a rolling way for getting the calks
down to the beach from the well. I gave orders that he
Ihould take pofleflion o f the ifland, in the name o f King
George the Third, and give it the name of Queen Charl
o t t e ’ s Is l a n d , in honour of her Majefty. The boats returned
freighted with cocoa-nuts and fcurvy-grafs*. and the
officer told me that he had found two more wells of good
water, pot far from the beach. I was at this time very ill,
yet I went alh'ore with the Surgeon, and feveral o f the people,
who
who, were enfeebled by the fcurvy,' to take a walk. I found 1767.
the wells ;fo j convenient, that I left the mate and twenty men ■ J“”e'
on ffiore' to. fill, water, and ordered a:week’s proVifions. to be Mo"da!' 8'
fent them from thefhip, they being already furnilhed with
arrps and ammunition. In the evening I returned on board,
with the Surgeon and the lick, leaving only the caterers on
ihore. . As we had not been able to find any anchorage, I
flood ;off and on- all night.
In the morning, I fent all the empty water calks on Toefflay 9.
Ihore ; the Surgeon and the lick were alfo fent for the benefit
o f another airing, but I gave them ftritft orders that they
Ihould keep near the water-fide, and in the lhade; that they
ihould not pull down or injure any o f the houfes, nor, for
the fake o f . the fruit, deftroy the cocoa trees, which I appointed
proper perfons to climb. At noon, the rolling-way
being made, the cutter returned laden with water, but it
was with great difficulty got off the beach, as it is all rock,
and the furf that breaks upon it, is often very great. At
four, I received another boat-load of water, and a frelh
fupply of cocoa-nuts, palm-nuts, and fcurvy-grafs ; the Surgeon
alfo returned with the lick men, who received much
benefit from their walk. The next morning, as foon as it Wednet 10.
was light, I difpatched orders to the mate, to fend all the
water that was filled on board, and to be ready to come off
with his people when the boats ihould return again, bringing
with them as many cocoa-nuts, and as much fcurvy-
grafs as they could procure. About eight o’clock, all the
boats and people came on board, with the water and refrelh-
mentSj but the cutter, in coming off, fhipped a fea, which
almoft filled her with water: the barge was happily near
enough to alfift her, by taking great part o f her crew on
board, while the reft , freed her, without any other damage
than the lofs of the cocoa nuts, and greens that were on
board.