*774* Hogs were the only quadrupeds we faw; and cocks and
—r—J hens the only tame fowls. However, the woods feemed to
abound with fmall birds of a very beautiful plumage, and
fine notes ; but the fear of alarming the natives, hindered
us from fhooting fo many of them as might otherwife have
been done.
CHAP. xr.
A Defcription o f fever a l Ifands difcovered, or feen in the
Pajfage from the Marquefas to Otaheiteq with an Account
o f a N aval Review.
Vi 7 ITH a fine eafterly wind I fleered S. W.—S. W. by W.
T V and W. by S. till the 17th, at ten o’clock in the
morning, when land was feen bearing W. t N., which, upon
a nearer approach, we found to be a firing of low iflots con-
nedted together by a reef of coral rocks. We ranged the
N. W. coaft, at the diftance of one mile from fhore, to three
quarters of its length, which in the whole is near four
leagues, when we came to a creek or inlet that feemed to
open a communication into the lake in the middle of the
ifle. As I wanted to obtain fome knowledge of the produce
of thefe half-drowned ifles, we brought to, hoifted out a boat,
and fent the matter in to found; there being no foundings
without.
As we ran along the coaft the natives appeared in feveral
places armed with long fpears and clubs; and fome were
got together on one fide of the creek. When the matter returned
turned he reported that there was no paffage. into the lake ||fc
bv the creek, which was fifty fathoms wide J at the entrance, b—und7ay- -17-. '
and thirty deep *, farther in thirty wide, and twelve deep;
that the bottom was every where rocky, and the fides
bounded by a wall of coral rocks. We were under no ne-
ceffity to put the fhip into fuch a place as this; but as the
natives had fhewn fome figns of a friendly difpofition, by
coming peaceably to the boat, and taking fuch things as
were given them, I fent two boats well armed afhore, under
the command of Lieutenant Cooper, with a view of having
fome intercourfe with them, and to give Mr. Forfter an opportunity
of collating fotnething in his way. We faw our
people land without the leaft oppofition being made by a few
natives who w’ere on the fhores. Some little time after, ob-
ferving forty or fifty more, all armed, coming to join them,
we ftood clofe in fliore, in order to be ready to fupport our
people in cafe of an attack. But nothing of this kind happened
; and foon after, our boats returned aboard, when Mr.
Cooper informed me that, on his landing, only a few of the
natives met him on the beach, but there' were many in the
fkirts of the woods with fpears in their hands. The prefents
he made them were received with great coolnefs, which
plainly fhewed we were unwelcome vifiters. When their
reinforcement arrived he thought proper to embark, as the
day was already far fpent, and I had given orders to avoid an
attack by all poffible means. When his men got into the
boats, fome were for pufhing them off, others for detaining
them; but, at laft, they fuffered them to depart at their lei-
fure. They brought aboard five dogs, which feemed to be
in plenty there. They faw no fruit burcocoa-nuts, of which
they got, by exchanges, two dozen. One of our people got
Vox,. I. S f a dog