1767- hour, and then threw it into the fea. Soon after, as we June. 7 w
— — i continued to make figns o f invitation, a fine, flout, lively
day 19. J
young man ventured on board : he came up by the mizen
chains, and jumped out of the fhrouds upon the top o f the
awning. We made figns to him to come down upon the
quarter-deck, and handed up fome trinkets to h im : he
looked pleafed, but would accept of nothing till fome o f the
Indians came along-fide, and after much talk, threw a few
branches o f plantain tree on board the fhip. He then accepted
our prefents, and feveral others very foon came on
hoard, at different parts of the fhip, not knowing the proper
entrance. As one o f thefe Indians was Handing near the
gang-way, on the larboard fide of the quarter-deck, one of
our goats butted him upon the haunches: being furprifed at
the blow, he turned haftily About, and faw the goat raifed
upon his hind-legs, ready to repeat the blow. The appearance
o f this animal, fo different from any he had ever feen
Ilruck him with fuch terror, that he inftantly leaped over
board; and all the reft, upon feeing what had happened,
followed his example with the utmoft precipitation: they
recovered however, in a fhort time, from their fright, and
returned on board. After having a little reconciled them to
our goats and fheep, I fhewed them our hogs and poultry,
and they immediately made figns that they had fuch animals
as thefe. I then diftributed trinkets and nails among
them, and made figns that they fhould go on fhore and
bring us fome of their hogs, fowls and fruit, but they did
not feem to underftand my meaning: they were, in the
mean time, watching an opportunity to fteal fome of the
things that happened to lie in their way, but we generally
decefted them in the attempt. At laft, however, one of the
midfhipmen happened to come where they were Handing,
with a new laced hat upon his head, and began to talk to
one
one’ of them by figns: while he was thus engaged, another
1.767.
of them came behind him, and fuddenly fnatching off the
June.
hat, leaped over the taffarel into the fea, and fwam away w
with it.
As we- had no anchorage here, we Hood along the fhore,
fending the boats at the fame time to found at a lefs
diftance, As none o f thefe canoés had' fails, they could not
keep up with us, and therefore foon paddled back towards
the fhore. The country has the moft delightful and romantic
appearance that can be imagined: towards the fea it is'-
Tevel, and is covered with fruit trees o f various kinds, particularly
the cocoa-nut. Among thefe are the houfes of the
inhabitants, confifting only o f a roof, and at a diftance;
having greatly the appearance of a long barn. The country
within, at about the diftance of three miles, rifes into lo fty
hills, that are crowned with wood, and' terminate in peaks,
from which large rivers are precipitated into the fea. Wè
faw no flioafs, but found' the ifland fkirted by a reef o f
rocks, through which there are feveral openings into deep
water. About three o’clock in the afternoon, we Brought
to, a-breaff o f a large bay, where there was an appearance
of anchorage. The boats were immediately fent to found it,
and while they were thus employed, I obferved a great
number of canoes gather round them. I fnfpedïed that the;
Indians had a defign to attack them, and as I was very
defirous to prevent mifehief, I made the fignal for the boats
to come on board, and at the fame time, to intimidate the
Indians, I fired a nine pounder over their heads- As foon as
the cutter began to Hand towards the fhip, the Indians in
their canoes, though they had been ftartled by the thunder
o f our nine pounder, endeavoured to -cut her off. The boat,
however, failing falter than the canoes could paddle, foon
got clear o f thofe that were about h é r; but fome others, that
5 were;