March number o f inhabitants who vifited ins, the wretched condition of their
— ,---- 1 canoes, and the, fcanty fupply of their country’s produce which they
brought to market. On the lhores, the villages; appeared numerous,
large, and in good repair; and the furrounding country plcalingly in-
terfperfed with deep, though not .extenfive valleys ; which, with the
plains near the fea-fide, prefented a high degree o f .cultivation ahd fertility.
The apparent docility of thefe people, Who have been reprefent-
ed by former vifitors as the moll daring and unmanageable of any who
belong to the Sandwich illamls, might, probably, be :attributed in a
great moafure to the abfence of their fighting men, and to our mapifeA
fuperiority in numbers, regularity in point of order, and military government;
which feemed to make a wonderful impreflion on all who were
permitted to come on board, and who, to a man, appeared very much
afraid o f fire-arms. This was evinced, on our mounting guard to poll
the centinels round the {hip. On this occafion they all haltily paddled
towards the Ihore, and it was not' without much perfuafion that they
were induced to return.
It appeared very lingular, that the war of which we had heard fo
much, was not yet begun; and Kahowmotoo, who had frequently mentioned
the fubjefil, faid they were not to begin the combat until after the
expiration o f fifteen months. I f this information be correft, defigns
fo long premeditated, or preparations delayed fo long from being carried
into execution, were hard to account for. Taio and Titeere had now
been leverab months from their refpective governments.
Our new Ihip-mate Jack became very ufeful; he took upon him to
reprefent us in the moll formidable point o f view to all his countrymen;
magnifying our powers, and augmenting, our numbers; and proclaiming
that we were not traders, fuch as they had been accuftomed to fee;
but that we were belonging to King George, and were all mighty warriors.
This being his conllant difcourfe, it is not to be . wondered that
his countrymen became much intimidated ; and as this could be productive
of no ill conlequences, we permitted Jack to proceed in his encomiums,
and unanimoufly agreed it would not be his fault, if we were
not in high repute amongft the illanders.
After
After caulking the decks I purpofed to execute fuch trivial repairs, ^ 79*-
at this place, as might be found necelfarytothe rigging, &c. &c. pro- v—
vided that water, for which I was alone felicitous, could be procured;
as the abundant and excellent refrelhments we had obtained at Otaheite,
and the high llate of health which we had enjoyed fince our leaving
Dulky bay, rendered fupplies of any other nature a fecondary confi-
deratiort.
For this purpole, attended by two armed boats, and a guard of feven
marines, 1 landed accompanied by Mr. Mudge, Mr. Whidbey, and
Mr. Menzies. Our boats remained perfectly quiet on the beach, having
palled to the Ihore between fome rocks, which completely prote&ed it
from the furf. The natives, who were prefent, received us in a very orderly
manner;.1 Two bultling men with large Hicks, kept the few fpefla-
tors at a refpe&ful dillance : to thefe I made fome prefents ; and, on
inquiring for Water,' they dire&ed us to fome llagnant brackilh ponds
near the beach. This being rejefted, We were given to underlland that
good water was to be had in abundance at fome dillance, to which they
readily undertook to conduft us ; and as they all appeared friendly and
pacific, the boats were , left in charge o f Mr. Swaine and Mr. Manby ;
and we proceeded, with our .guard, in fearch of the promifed fupply.
Our guides led us to the northward through the village, to an exceedingly
well-made caufeway, about twelve feet broad, with a ditch on each
fide.
This opened to our view a fpacious plain, which, in the immediate
vicinity of the village, had the appearance of the open common
fields in England; but, on advancing, the major part appeared divided
into fields o f irregular lhape and figure, which were feparated
from each other by low Hone walls, and were in a very high Hate of
cultivation. Thele feveral portions o f land were planted with the eddo
or taro root, in different ftages of inundation; none being perfeftly
dry, and fome from three to fix or feven inches under water. The
caufeway led us near a mile from the beach, at the end of which was
the water we were in quell of. It was a rivulet five or fix feet wide,
and about two or three feet deep, well banked up, and nearly motion-
Y a lefsil