RR A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
was about to embark, when one o f his people claimed his attention-.
The natives had amufed themfelves by pulling the hair of a young man,
and other waggifh tricks, whilft his endeavours, to prevent this, rudenefs
afforded the reft o f the Indians as high an entertainment as it would
have done an Englifh rabble. Thefe indignities were fo galling .to the
poor fellow, that no longer able to endure them, and, .not being in a,
fituation torefent theinfults he received, he buffi into a flood o f tears.
On Mr. Hergeft reproaching him in rather harfh terms; for expoling fo
great a proof o f his. weaknefs, he found himfelf fuddenly turned round
by the natives who were behind him, and his'fowling piece forcibly-
wrenched out of his hand. On the impulfe of the moment he called to
the mate to fire and bring down the thief, but fortunately, “ I fay foitu-
« nately” repeats Mr. Hergeft, “ his piece was not cocked, and I had
« time to recolleft that his mulket was then the only one on fhore ; and
“ there is no faying what conferences might have followed had the
“ thief been fhot.” Mr. Hergeft and his party very prudently retired
immediately to their boats, which they effected without any oppofition :
but on re-embarking, it was found that fome o f the Indians had dived
under water and cut the long boat’s grapnel-rope,, by which means they,
loft the grapnel-
Thefe unprovoked injuries and indignities were not eafily to be put
up with ; and Mr. Hergeft very properly reflected, that pafling by fuch
infults and depredations would only encourage the iflanders to perfevere
in thefe unwarrantable praftices. In order therefore to awe them into
better behaviour, he rowed clofe to the. beach, and difeharged a volley
of mufketoons and fmall arms over their heads. This meafure had the
good effeft of driving them all, excepting one man, from the beach
among the trees ; this fellow was bold enough to remain, and throw
ftones with his fling at the boats. Mr. Hergeft however took no notice
o f him, being determined to Ihew them the effect of their great guns,
four of which were fired over the village on his return to the Daedalus.
Thefe produced fuch confternation, that the natives were feen making
the belt of their way in every dire&ion towards the mountains.
The
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 89
The clearing the fhip’s decks and putting her to rights employed all *79*.
hands till nearly dark, when one of the natives fwam off with their ■
ufual enfigns of peace, a green bough, wrapped up in white cloth; this he
threw into the fhip, and immediately returned to the fhore. By this aft of
humiliation on the part of the natives, Mr. Hergeft had great reafon to ex-
peft that he Ihould be enabled to carry into execution the fervice they had
to perform on fhore, without further moleftation; and to hope that none
of the Indians were killed or materially hurt, as his intention was only
to frighten them, and by the fuperiority of his powers to fhew them,
that fuch improper behaviour Ihould not long remain unchaftifed. In
thefe expeftations, the next morning (oftober 24th) he met with no dif-
appointment, though it was not polfible to reftrain intirely the exercife
of their thievilh faculties, even on board the Ihip. The aftronomer’s
theodolite, in its cafe, happening to be on deck, oneiof them contrived
to convey it away, but being'difeovered fwimming with it to his canoe,
a mulket was difeharged by the chief mate, and it had the good effeft of
making the Indian abandon his prize, which was recovered, the cafe
being fuffleient to keep it afloat. After this the natives fupplied them
with bread fruit, together with a large quantity o f other vegetables, and
a few fmall pigs.
On Mr. Hergeft’s return to the fhore, with a guard well armed, for the
purpofe of procuring water, no inconvenience arofe from the natives ;
on the contrary, they cheerfully aflifted in fwimming off to the boats,
filling and rolling down the water calks, and in other fervices, for which
they were liberally rewarded with fuch trivial articles as they moft highly
efteemed.
One perfon only had been feen bearing the appearance of a chief, whofe
name was Tu-ow, and who had been amongft their firft vifitors on their
arrival. In the afternoon, he brought as a prefent fome vegetables, with a
fmall pig or two, for which he received a fuitable reward ; and was alfo
prefented by Mr. Hergeft with the only Englifh fow he had left, for the
purpofe of improving the breed o f thofe animals in that country.
Their operations were now carried on in a very amicable manner, but
the number o f vifitors greatly impeded their bufinefs; to obviate this
V ol. II. n inconvenience