Saturday 27.
dexterity and addrefs to crofs the river unperceived, and Ileal
a hatchet; the gunner, as foon as he milled it, made the old
man underftand what had happened, and got his party
ready, as i f he would have gone into the woods after the
th ie f: the old man, however, made figns that he would fave
him the trouble, and immediately fetting off, returned in a
very lhort time with the hatchet. The gunner then infilled
that the offender Ihould be delivered up, and with this alfo
the old man, though not without great reluctance, complied.
When the fellow was brought down, the gunner
knew him to be an old offender, and therefore fent him pri-
foner on board. I had no intention to punilh him otherwife,
than by the fear o f punilhment, and therefore after great
entreaty and interceflion, I gave him his liberty, and fent
him on Ihore. When the natives faw him return in fafety,
it is hard to fay whether their aftonilhment or joy was
greateft; they received him with univerfal acclamations,
and immediately carried him off into the woods: the next
day, however, he returned, and as a propitiation to the
gunner, he brought him a confiderable quantity o f breadfruit,
and a large hog, ready roalted.
At this time, the people on board were employed in
caulking and painting the weather-work, over-hauling the
rigging, flowing the hold, and doing other neceffary bufi-
nefs, but my diforder, which was a bilious cholic, increafed
fo much, that this day I was obliged to take to my bed; my
Firll Lieutenant alfo Hill continued very ill, and the Purfer
was incapable o f his duty. The whole command devolved
upon Mr. Furneaux, the Second Lieutenant, to whom I gave
general directions, and recommended a particular attention
to the people on Ihore. I alfo ordered that fruit and frelh
provifions Ihould be ferved to the Ihip’s company as long as
they could be procured, and that the boats Ihould never be
abfent
abfent from the Ihip after funfet. Thefe directions were
fulfilled with fuch prudence and punctuality, that during all
my ficknefs I was not troubled With any bufinefs, nor had
the mortification to hear a fingle complaint or appeal. The
men were conftantly ferved with frelh pork, fowls, and
fruit, in fuch plenty, that when I left my bed, after having
been confined to it near a fortnight, my Ihip’s company
looked fo frelh and healthy, that I could fcarcely believe them
to be the fame people.
Sunday the 38th was marked by no incident; butonMon- Sunday 28.
day the 29th, one o f the gunner’s party found a piece o f Momkyzg,
ialtpetre near as big as an egg. As this was an objeCt of
equal curiofity and importance, diligent enquiry was immediately
made from whence it came. The furgeon alked
every one o f the people on Ihore, feparately, whether he had
brought it from the Ihip; every one on board alfo was alked
whether he had carried it on Ihore, but all declared that
they had never had fuch a thing in their poffellion. Application
was then made to the natives, but the meaning of
both parties was fo imperfectly conveyed by figns, that
nothing could be learnt o f them about it: during our
whole flay here, however, we faw no more than this one
piece.
While the gunner was trafficking for provifions on Ihore,
we fometimes hauled the feine, but we caught no filh; we
alfo frequently trawled, but with no better fuccefs: the dif-
appointment, however, was not felt, for the produce of the
ifland enabled our people to r fare fumptuoully every day.”
All matters continued in the fame fituation till the sd o f juiy.
July, when our old man being abfent, the fupply of frelh Thurfday 2‘
provifions and fruit fell lh ort; we had, however, enough to
6 ferve
17-67.
Jane.
Saturday 27.