I77Q.
Wednef. 18.
Thurfday 19.
At eight o’clock the next morning, we were vifited by fe-
veral of the natives, who were now become quite familiar.
One of them, at our defire, threw his lance, which was
about eight feet long: it flew with a fwiftnefs and fteadine-fs
that furprifed us, and though it was never more than four
feet from the ground, it entered deeply into a tree at fifty
paces diftance. After this they ventured on board, where I
left them, to all appearance much entertained, and went
again with Mr. Banks to take a view of the country; but
chiefly to indulge an anxious curiofity, by looking round us
upon the fea, of which our wifhes almoft perfuaded us we
had formed an idea more difadvantageous, than the truth.
After having walked about feven or eight miles along the
fhore to the northward, we afcended a very high hill, an.d
were foon Convinced that the danger of our fitpation was, at,
leaft equal tp our apprehenfions; for in whatever direction
we turned our eyes, we faw rocks and fhoals without a tw -
ber, and no pafTage nut to fea, but through the winding
channels between them, which could not be navigated without
the laft degree of difficulty and danger. "We returned
therefore to the fhip, not in better fpirits than when we left
i t ; we found feveral natives ftill on board, and we were told
that the turtles, of which we had then no lei's than twelve
upon the deck, had fixed their attention more than any:
thing elfe in the fhip-
On ihe 19th in the morning, we were vifited by ten of the
natives, the greater part from the other fide of the river, where
we faw :fix or feven more, molt of them women, and like
all the reft of the people we had feen in this country, they
-were ftark naked. Our guefts brought with them a greater
number of lances than they had ever done before, and having
laid .them up in a tree, they fet a man and a.boyuo
watch
9
watch them: the reft then came on board, and We foon per- 1 we.
ceived that they had determined to get one of our turtle, ■ Jol)r.‘ .
which was probably as great a dainty to them as to us. Thurfdav ' 3-
They firft alked us, by figns, to give them one; and being
refufed, they exprefled, both by looks and geftures, great
difappointment and anger. At this time we happened to
have no victuals drefled, but I offered one of them fome bif-
cuit, which he fnatched and threw overboard with great dif-
dain. One of them renewed his requeft to Mr. Banks, and
upon a refufai damped with his foot, and pufhed him from
him in a tranfport of refentment and indignation : having
applied by turns to almoft every perfon who appeared to
have any command in the fhip, without fuccefs, they fud-
denly feized two of the turtles, and dragged them towards
the fide of the fhip where their canoe la y : our people foon
forced them out of their handstand replaced them with the
reft. They would not however relinquifh their enterprife,
but made feveral other attempts of the fame kind, in all
which being equally difappointed, they fuddenly leaped in,to
their canoe in a rage, and began to paddle towards the fhore.
At the fame time, I went into the boat with Mr. Banks,
and five or fix of the fhip’s crew, and we got afliore before
them, where many more of our people were already engaged
in various employments; as foon as they landed, they
feized their arms, and, before we were aware of their de-
fign, they fnatched a brand from under a pitch kettle which
was boiling, and making a circuit to the windward of the
few things we had on fhore, they fet fire to the grafs in their
way, with furprifing quicknefs and dexterity: the grafs,
which was five or fix feet high, and as dry as ftubble, burnt
with amazing fu ry ; and the fire made a rapid progrefs towards
a tent of Mr. Banks’s, which had been fet up for
Tupia when he was fick, taking in its courfe a fow and pigs,
V ol. III. ' Z one