Sunday 10.
Monday u .
I believe, might have gotten more. The people were exceedingly
obliging wherever we landed, and readily brought
down whatever we defired.
Next morning, I went down to the fame place where we
had been the preceding evening; but, inftead of getting
pigs, as I expected, found the fcene quite changed. The
nails, and other things, they were mad after but the evening
before, they now defpifed; and inftead of them wanted they
did not know what; fo that I was obliged to return with
three or four little pigs, which coft more than a dozen did
the day before. When I got on board, I found the fame
change had happened there, as alfo at the trading-place on
fhore. The reafon was, feveral of the young gentlemen
having landed the preceding day, had given away in exchange
various articles which the people had not feen before,
and which took with them more than nails or more
ufeful iron tools. But what ruined our market the moft,
was one of them giving for a pig a very large quantity of
red feathers he had got at Amfterdam. None of us knew,
at this time, that this article was in fuch eftimation here;
and, if I had known it, I could not have fupported the trade,
in the manner it was begun, one day. Thus was our fine
profpeft of getting a plentiful fupply of refrefliments from
thefe people fruftrated ; which will ever be the cafe fo long
as every one is allowed to make exchanges for what he
pleafes, and in what manner hepleafes. When I found this
ifland was not likely to fupply us, on any conditions, with
fufficient refrefhments, fuch as we might expedt to find at the
Society Ifles, nor very convenient for taking in wood and water,
nor for giving the fhip the neceflary repairs fhe wanted, I
refolved forthwith to leave it, and proceed tofome other place
where