'773- Mr. Forfter and his party fpent the day in the country bo-
Oftober. r i r e n 1 <__taniung; and feveral or the officers were out ffiooting. All
of them were very civilly treated by the natives. We
had alfo a brifk trade for bananoes, cocoa-nuts, yams, pigs,
and fowls ; all of which were procured for nails, and pieces
of cloth. A boat from each ffiip was employed trading
affiore, and bringing off their cargoes as foon as they were
laden, which was generally in a ffiort time. By this me^
thod we got cheaper, and with lefs trouble, a good quantity
of fruit, as well as other refreffiments, from people who
had no canoes to carry them off to the ffiips.
Toefday 5. Pretty early in the morning on the 5th, my friend brought
me a hog and fome fruit; for which I.gave him a hatchet,
a ffieet, and fome red cloth. The pinnace, was fent affiore
to trade as ufual; but foon returned. The. officer informed
me that the natives were for taking,every thing out of the
boat, and, in other refpects, were very, troublefome. The
day before, they dole the grapling at the time the boat was
riding, by it, and carried it off undifeovered. I now judged
it neceflary to have a guard on ffiore, to protedl the boats
and people whofe bufinefs required their being there ; and
accordingly fent the marines, under the command of Lieutenant
Edgcumbe. Soon after, I went myfelf,- with my
■ • friend Attago, Captain Furneaux, and feveral of the gentlemen.
At landing, we,found the old chief who prefented me
with a pig. After this, Captain Furneaux and I took a walk
into the country, with Mr. Hodges, to make drawings of
fuch places and things as were molt interesting. When this
was done we returned on board to dinner, with my friend
and two other chiefs; one of which fent a hog on board the
Adventure for Captain Furneaux, fome hours before, without
out ffipulating for any return. The only inflance of this
kind.^My friend took care to put me in mind of the pig the
old king gave me in the morning; for which I now gave a
chequed ffiirt and a piece of red cloth. I had tied them up
for him to carry affiore ; but with this he was not fatisfied.
He wanted to,have them put on him; which was no fooner
done, than he went on deck, and ffiewed himfelf to all his
countrymen. He had done the fame thing in the morning
with the ffieet I gave him. In the evening we all went
on ffiore again, where we found the old king, who took to’
himfelf every thing my friend and the others had got.
Tuefday 5,
The different trading parties were fo fuccefsful to-day as-
to procure for both ffiips a tolerably good fupplyof refreffiments.
In confequence of which, I, the next mornjpg,
gave every one leave to purchafe what curiofities and other
things they pleafed. After this, it was aftoniffiing to fee
with what eagernefs every one caught at every thing he
faw. It even went fo far as to become the ridicule of the
natives, who offered pieces of flicks and ftones to exchange.
One waggiffi boy took a piece of human excrement on the
end of a flick, and held it out to every one he met with.
This day, a man got into the mafter’s cabin, through the
outfide fcuttle, and took out fome books and other things".
He was difeovered juft as he’ was getting out into his canoe,
and purfued by one of'our boats, which obliged hini to
quit the canoe and take to .the water. The people in the
boat made feveral attempts to lay hold on him; but he, as
often, dived under the boat, and at laft having unffiipped
the rudder, which rendered her ungovernable, by this
means he got clear off. Some other very daring thefts were
committed