ffiore, they grew bolder, and at laft three of the largeft ran
at the cutter, ftaved in her quarter, and carried away her
out-rigger, the Indians preparing at the fame time to board
her, with their clubs and paddles in their hands. Our
people being thus preffed, were obliged to fire, by which
one of the affailants was killed, and another much wounded.
Upon receiving the'ffiot, they both fell overboard, and all
the people who were in the fame canoe, inftantly leaped into
the fea after them: the other two canoes dropped astern,
and our boats went on without any farther interruption. As
foon as the Indians, who were in the water, faw that the ■
boats flood on without attempting to do them any farther
hurt, they recovered their canoe, and hauled in their
wounded companions. They fet them both upon their feet
to fee if they could Hand, and finding they could not, they
tried whether they could fit upright : one of them could,
and him they fupported in that poflure, but perceiving that
the other was quite dead, they laid the body along at the
bottom o f the canoe. After this- fame o f the canoes went
afhore, and others returned again to. the fhip to traffic, which
is a proof that our conduit had convinced them that while
they behaved peaceably they had nothing to fear, and that
they were confcious they had brought the mifchief, which
had juft happened upon themfelves.
The boats: continued founding till noon, when they returned
with an account that the ground was very clear, that
it was at the depth o f five fathom, within a quarter o f a mile
o f the ffiore, hut that there was a very great fiirf where we
had feen the water. The officers told me, that the inhabitants
fwarmed upon the beach, and that many of them fwam ofF
to the boat with fruit, and bamboos filled with water. They
faid that they were very importunate with them to come on
ffiore, particularly the women, who came down to the
beach,
beach, and ftripping themfelves naked, endeavoured to ,7^7-
allure them by many wanton geftures, the meaning o f which * •
could not poffibly be miftaken. At this time, however, our s“nday21'
people refilled the temptation.
In the afternoon, I fent the boats again to the ffiore, with
fome barecas, or fmall cafks, which are filled at the head,
and have a handle by which they are carried, to endeavour
to procure fome water, of which we began to be in great
want. In the mean time, many o f the canoes continued
about the ffiip, but the Indians had been guilty o f fo many
thefts, that I would not fuffer any more o f them to come on
board.
At five in the evening, the boats returned with only two
barecas o f water, which the natives had filled for them; and
as a compenfation for their trouble, they thought fit to detain
all the reft. Our people, who did not leave their boat, tried
every expedient they could think o f to induce the Indians to
return their water vellels, but without fuccefs; and the
Indians, in their turn, were very preffing for our people to
come on ffiore, which they thought it prudent to decline.
There were many thoufands o f the inhabitants o f both fexes,
and a great number o f children on the beach, when our
boats came away.
The next morning, I fent the boats on ffiore again for Monday 22.
water, with nails, hatchets, and fuch other things as I thought
moft likely to gain the friendffiip o f the inhabitants. In the
mean time, a great number of canoes came off to the fhip,
with bread-fruit *, plantains, a fruit refembling an apple
only better, fowls, and hogs, which we purchafed with
beads, nails, knives, and other articles of the like kind, fo
• See a defcription of this fruit in the Account of the Voyage of the Endeavour..
F f 2 that