1767. or upon fhore, to treat them with a ll poflible kindnefs, lb
1----5----1 as to eflablifli a friendly intercoufe with th em ; charging
Tkurfday 13. on no account to leave the boat himfelf, nor to fuffer
more than two men to gp on fhore at a time, while the reft
flood ready for their defence; recommending to him, in the
flrongeft terms, an application to his duty, without regarding
any other object, as the finding a proper place for the
fhip was o f the utmoft' importance to ns all ; and conjuring;
him to return as foon as this fervice fhould be performed,,
with all poflible fpeed-
Soon after I had difpatched the cutter on this expedition,
I fent the longboat with ten men on board, well armed to-
the fhore, who before eight o’clock brought off a tun o f
water. About nine,, I fent her. off again, but foon after feeing
fome o f the natives advancing along the fhore towards-
the place where the men landed, I made the fignal-for them
to return, not knowing to what number they-would be. ex^
pofed, and-having no heat to fend off with afliftance i f th e y
fhould be attacked..
Our men had not long returned on board, when we faw three,-
o f the natives fit down under the trees abteafl o f the (hip..
As they continued there gazing at u s till the- afternoon, as-
foon as the cutter came in fight, not caring that both the:
boats fhould- be abfent at the fame time, 1. fent my.lieutenant
in the longboat, with a few beads, ribbons,,and trinkets,
to endeavour to eftablifh fome kind .o f imercourfe. with,
them, and by their means with the reft of the.inhabitants;;
thefe men however, before the boat could reach, the fhore,.
quitted their flation, and proceeded along the beaeh. As*
the trees would foon prevent their, being feen by our people
who were making towards the land,, we kept our eyes fixed
upon them from the fhip, and very foon perceived that they
were
were met by three-others. After fome converfation, the firft
three went on, and thole who met them proceeded towards
the boat with a hafty pace. Upon this I made the fignal to
the Lieutenant to be upon his guard, and as foon as he faw
the Indians, obferving that there were no more than three,
he backed the boat in to the fhore, and making figns of
friendfhip, held up to them the beads and ribbons which I had
given him as pr-efents, our people at the fame time carefully
concealing their arms. The Indians, however, takingno notice
of the beads and ribbons, refolutely advanced within bow-
fhot,and then fuddertly difeharged their arrows, which happily
went over the boat without doing any m ifehief; they did
not prepare for a fecond difeharge, but inftantly ran away
into the woods, and our people difeharged fome mufquets
after them, but none of them were wounded by the fhot.
Soon after this happened, the cutter came under the fhip’s
fide, and the firft perfon that I particularly noticed was the
Matter, with three arrows flicking in his body. No other
evidence was neceffary to convift him of having afted contrary
to my orders, which appeared indeed more fully from
Ms own account of the matter, which it is reafonable to
fuppofe was as favourable to himfelf as he could make it.
He faid, that having feen fome Indian houfes with only five
or fix of the inhabitants, at a place about fourteen or fifteen
miles to the weftward of the fhip’s flation, where he had
founded fome bays, he came to a grappling, and veered the
boat to the beach, where he landed with four men, armed
•with mufquets and piftols: that the Indians at firft were
afraid of him, and retired, but that foon after they came
-down to him, and he gave them fome beads and other
trifles, with which they feemed to be much pleafed: that he
then made figns to them for fome cocoa-nuts, which they
brought him, and with great appearance of friendfhip and
„ hofpitality,