'773* they had been out on fome war expedition; and that thofe November, k
*---------' things they fold us, were the fpoils of their enemies. In-
Moaday 22. we had fome information of this fort the day before ;
for a number of women and children came off to us in a
canoe, from whom we learnt that a party of men were then
out, for whofe fafety they were under fome apprehenfion 4
but this report found little credit with us, as we foon after
faw fome canoes come in from fifhing, which we judged to*
be them.
Having now got the fhip in a condition for fea, and to
encounter the fouthern latitudes, I ordered the tents to be
ftruck and every thing to be got on board.
The boatfwain, with a party of men, being in the' woods:
j cutting broom,, fome of them found a private hut of the natives,
in which, was depolited moll of the treafure they had
received from us, as well as fome other articles.of their own..
It is very probable fome were fet to watch this hut; as, foon
after it was difcovered, they came, and took all away. But
miffing fome things, they told our people they had ftolen
them; and, in the evening, came and made their complaint
to me, pitching upon one of tire party as-the perfon who
had committed the theft. Having ordered this man to be
punifhed before them, they went away feemingly fatisficd ;
although they did not recover any of the things they had
loft, nor could I by any means find out what had become of
them ; though nothing was more certain than that fometh-ing
had been ftolen by fome of the party, if not by tlie-very man
the natives had pitched upon. It was ever a maxim with
me, to punifh the leaft crimes any of my people committed'
againft thefe uncivilized nations. Their robbing us with
impunity is, by no means, a fufficient reafon why we fhould
treat them in the fame manner, a conduit, we fee, they
themfelves
themfelves cannot juftify: they found themfelves injured,
and fought for redrefs in a legal way. The beft method, in
my opinion, to preferve a good underftanding with fuch
people, is, firft, by fhewing them the ufe of fire-arms, to
convince them of the fuperiority they give you over them,
and then to be always upon your guard. When once they
are fenfible of thefe things, a regard for their own fafety will
deter them from difturbing you, or from being unanimous
in forming any plan to attack you; and ftriil honefty, and
gentle treatment on your part, will make it their intereft not
to do it.
Calm or light airs from the North, all day, on the 23d, Tuefday 23.
hindered us from putting to fea as intended. In the afternoon,
fome of the officers went on fhore to amufe themfelves
among the natives, where they faw the head and
bowels of a youth, who had lately been killed, lying on the
beach; and the heart ftuck on a forked flick, which was fixed
to the head of one’of the largefi canoes. One of the gentlemen
bought the head, and brought it on board, where a piece of
the fiefh was broiled and eaten by one of the natives, before
all the officers, and moft of the men. I was on fhore at this
time, but foon after returning on board, was informed of the
above circumftances; and found the quarter-deck crowded
with the natives, and the mangled head, or rather part of it,
(for the under jaw and lip were wanting) lying on the tafferal.
Thefcull had been broken on the left fide, juft above the temples
; and the remains of the face had all the appearance of a
youth under twenty.
The fight of the head, and the relation of the above circumftances,
ftruck me with horror, and filled my mind
with indignation againft thefe cannibals. Curiofity, however,
I i 8 got
'773*
November.
Monday 22»