T uefday xi.
Wednef. :i2*
difcover the place o f their retreat. In the evening, we all
returned on board the fhip.
This part o f the ifland lies in latitude 14'’ 29'S., longitude
148° 50' W. and after I got on board, I hauled a little way
farther from the fhore, intending to vilit the other ifland in
the morning, which had been feen to the weftward o f that
before which the Ihip lay, and which is diftant about fixty-
nine leagues from the Iflands of Difappointment, in the direction
o f W. 4 S.
T h e next morning, at fix o’clock, I made fail for the ifland
which I intended to vifit, and when I reached it, I fleered
S. W. by W. clofe along the north eaft fide of it, but could
get no foundings: this fide is about fix or feven leagues long,
and the whole makes much the fame appearance as the
other, having a large fait water lake in the middle of it. As
foon as the Ihip came in fight, the natives ran down to the
beach in great numbers: they were armed in the fame manner
as thofe that we had feen upon the other ifland, and kept
abreaft o f the fliip for feveral leagues. As the heat of this
climate is very great, they feemed to fuffer much by running
fo far in the fun, for they fometimes plunged into the
fea, and fometimes fell flat upon the fand, that the furf
might break over them, after which they renewed the race
with great vigour. Our boats were at this time founding
along the fhore, as ufual, but I had given ftritft orders to the
officers who commanded them never to moleft the natives,
except it fhould become abfolutely necefiary for their own
defence, but to try all poffible means to obtain their confidence
and good-will: our people therefore went as near to
the fhore as they durft for the furf, and made figns that
they wanted w a te r; the Indians readily underftood them,
and diredted them to run down farther along the fhore,
which
which they did, till they came abreafi o f fuch a duller o f
houfes as we had juft left upon the other ifland; to this place
the Indians ftill followed them, and were there joined by
many others : the boats immediately hauled clofe into the
•furf, and we brought to, with the fhips, at a little diftance
from the fhore, upon which a flout old man, with a long
white beard, that gave him a very venerable appearance,
came down from the houfes to the beach. He was attended
by a young man, and appeared to have the authority o f a
Chief or K in g : the reft o f the Indians, at a fignal which he
made, retired to a little diftance, and he then advanced quite
to the water’s ed g e ; in one hand he held the green branch
o f .a/tree, and in the other he grafped his beard, which he
prefled to his bofom; in this attitude he made a long oration,
or rather fong, for it had a mufical cadence which was by
no means difagreeable. We regretted infinitely that we
jcould not underftand what he faid to us, and not lefs that
he could not underftand any thing which we fhould fay to
him ; to fhew our good-will, however, we threw him fome
trifling prefents, while he was yet fpeaking, but he would
neither touch them himfelf, nor fuffer them to be touched
by others till he had done: he then walked into the water,
and threw our people the green branch, after which he took
up the things which had been thrown from the boats. Every
thing now having a friendly appearance, our people made
figns that they fhould lay down their arms, and moft o f them
having complied, one of the midfhipmen, encouraged by
this teftimony of confidence and friendfhip, leaped out o f
the boat with his clothes on, and fwam through the furf to
the fhore. The Indians immediately gathered round him,
and began to examine his clothes with great curiofity ; they
feemed particularly to admire his waiftcoat, and being
willing to gratify his new friends, he took it off, and pre-
Vol. I. P feiited
17,65.
f.un£.