(77*:
January.
Saturday 5.
in fettling the price of turtle we could not agree: this however
did not difcourage us, as we made no doubt but that
we fhould buy them at our own price in the morning. As
foon as we parted, the Indians difperfed, and we proceeded
along, the fhore in fearch of a watering-place. In this we
were more fucce'fsful; we found water very conveniently
fituated, and, if a little care was taken in filling it, we-had
veafon to believe that it would prove good. Juft as we
were going off, fome Indians, who remained with a canoe
upon the beach, fold us three tu r tle b u t exadled a promife
of us that we fhould not tell the King-
Sunday 6.— The next morning, while a party was employed in filling
water,, we renewed our traffic for turtle: at firft, the Indians
dropped their demands flowly, but about noon, they
agreed to take the price that we offered, fo that before night
we had turtle in plenty: the three that we had purchafed
the evening before, were in the mean time ferved to the
fhip’s company, who, till the day before, had not once been
ferved with fait provifions from the time of our arrival at
Savu, which was now near four months. In the evening,
Mr. Banks went to pay his refpects to the King at his palace}
in the middle of a rice field, and though his Majefty was
bufily employed in drefling his own fupper, he received the
ftranger very gracioufly.
The next day, the natives came down to the trading-place,
with fowls, fifh, monkies, fmall deer, and fome vegetables}
hut no turtle, for they faid that we had bought them all the
day before. The next day, however, more turtle appeared
at market, and fome were brought down every day afterwards,
during our flay, though the whole, together, was
not equal to the quantity that-we bought the day, after our
arrival.
On
1771.
January.
On the nth, Mr. Banks having learnt from the fervant
whom he had hired at Batavia, that the Indians of this ifland
had a town upon the fhore, at fome diftance to the weft ward; Fnday 11'
he determined to fee it: with this view he fet out in the
morning, accompanied by the Second Lieutenant, and as he
had fome reafon to think that his vifit would not be agreeable
to the inhabitants, he told the people whom he met, as
he was advancing along the fhore, that he was in fearch of
plants, which indeed was alfo true. In about two hours
they arrived at a place where there were four or five houfes,.
and meeting with an old man, they ventured to make fome
enquiries concerning the town. He faid that it was far
diftant; but they were not to be difcouraged in their enter-
prife, and he, feeing them proceed in their journey, joined
company and went on with them. He attempted feveral
times to lead them out of the way, but without fuccefs ; and.
at length they came within fight o f the houfes. The old man
then entered cordially into their party, and conducted them
into the town. The name of it is Samadang, it confifts of
about four hundred houfes, and is divided by a river of
Brackifh water into two parts, one of which is'called the old
town, and the other the new. As foon as they entered the'
old town, they met feveral Indians whom they had feen at
the trading-place, and one of them undertook to-carry them
over to the new town, at the rate of two pence a head. When
the bargain was1 made, two very fmall canoes were produced,
in which they embarked ; the canoes being placed'
along-fide of each other, and held together, a precaution which
was abfolutely neceffary to prevent their ovetfetting, the
navigation was at length fafely performed, though not without
fome difficulty; and when they landed in the new town, ■
the people received them with great friendfhip, and fhowed
them the houfes of their Kings and-principal people, whichare