November elear, and plcafant. Very early in the morning, we were
V-—-----' vifited by a number of the natives, in four or five canoes, Monday za. c r
very few of whom we had feen before. They brought with
them various articles (curiofities) which they exchanged for
Otaheitean cloth, &c. At firft, the exchanges were very
much: in our favour, till an old man, who was no ftranger
to us, came and allifted his countrymen with his advice;
which, in a moment, turned the trade above a thoufand per
cent, againft us.
After thefe- people were gone, I took four hogs (that is
three fows and one boar), two cocks and two hens, which I
landed in the bottom of the Weft Bay ; carrying them a little
way into the woods, where we left them with as much food
as would ferve them ten or twelve days. This was done
with a view of keeping them in the woods, left they fhould
come down to the Ihore in fearch of food, and be difcovered
by the natives; which, however, Teemed not probable, as
this place had never been frequented by them; nor were any
traces of them to be feen near it. We alfo left fome cocks
and hens in the wood's in Ship Cove ; but thefe will have a
chance of falling into the hands of the natives, whofe wandering
way of life will hinder them from breeding, even
fuppofe they fhould be taken proper care of.' Indeed, they took
rathertoo much care of thofe which I had already given them
by keeping them continually confined, for fear of lofing
them in the woods. The fow pig we had not feen, fince the
day they had her from me; but we were now told fhe was
ftill living, as alfo the old boar and fow given them by Captain
Furneaux; fo that there is .reafon to hope they may
fucceed. It will be unfortunate, indeed, if every method I
have taken, to provide this country with ufeful animals,
fhould be fruftrated. We were like wife told, that the two
7 goats
goats were ftill alive, and running about; but I gave more
credit to the firft ftory than this. I fhould have replaced
them, by leaving behind the only two I had left, but had the
misfortune to lbfe the ram foon after our arrival here, in a
manner we could hardly account for. They were both put
afhore at the tents, where they feemed to thrive very well;
at laft, the ram was taken With fits bordering on madnefs.
We were at a lofs to tell whether it was occafioned by any
thing he had eaten, or by being flung with nettles, which
were in plenty about the place; but fuppofed it to be the
latter, and therefore did not take the care of him we ought
to have done- One night, while he was lying by the centi-
nel, he was feized with one of thefe fits, and ran headlong
into the fea; but foon came out again, and feemed quite
eafy. Prefently after, he was feized with another fit, and
ran along the beach, with the fhe-goat after him. Some
time after, fhe returned, but the other was never fefen more.
Diligent fearch was made for him in the woods, to no pur-
pofe; we therefore fuppofed he had run into the fea a fecond
time, and had been drowned. After this accident, it would
have been in vain to leave the fhe-goat as fhe was not with
kid; having kidded but a few days before we arrived, and
the kids dead. Thus the reader will fee how every method
I have taken to flock this country with fheep and goats, , has
proved ineffectual.
When I returned on board in the evening, I found our
good friends the natives had brought us a large fupply of
filh. Some of the officers vifiting them at their habitations,
faw, among them, fome human thigh-bones, from which
the flefli had been but lately picked. This, and other cir-
cumftances, led us to believe that the people, whom we took
for ftrangers this morning, were of the fame tribe; that
Vol. I. I i they
Monday 2z.