1774' -was only Oedidee’s fears, I will not pretend to fay. He,
however, was the only perfon we could confide in, and we
Saturday at. regUiatecj our motions according to the information he had
given us. After marching fome miles we got intelligence
that the men we were going after had fled to the mountains;
but I think this was not till I had declared to the chief I
■ would proceed no farther. For we were then about crofling
a deep valley bounded on each fide by fieep rocks, where a
few men with ftones only might have made our retreat difli-
•cult, if their intentions were what Oedidee had fuggefted,
and which he ftill perfifted in. Having come to a refolution
to return, we marched back in the fame order as we went,
and faw, in feveral places, people, who had been following
us, coming down from the fides of the hills with their arms
in their hands, which they inftantly quitted, and hid in the
bullies, when they faw they were difcovered by us. This
feemed to prove that there muft have been fome foundation
for what Oedidee had faid; but I cannot believe the chief
had any fuch defign, whatever the people might have. In
our return we halted at a convenient place to refrelh our-
felves. I ordered the people to bring us fome cocoa-nuts,
which they did immediately. Indeed, by this time, I believe
many of them wifhed us on board out of the way; for
although no one ftep was taken that could give them the
leaft alarm, they certainly were in terror. Two chiefs
brought each of them a pig, a dog, and fome young plantain
trees, the ufual peace-offerings, and with due ceremony
-prefented them fingly to me. Another brought a very
large hog, with which he followed us to the lhip. After
this we continued our courfe to the landing-place, where I
caufed feveral vollies to be fired, to convince the natives that
we ,could fupport a continual fire. This being done, we
all
all embarked and went on board; and foon after the chief >~74-
following, brought with him a quantity of fruit, and fat v _ ^ -
down with us to dinner. We had fcarce dined before more
fruit was brought us by others, and two hogs ; fo that we
were likely to make more by this little' excurfion than by all
the prefents we had made them. It certainly gave them
fome alarm to fee fo flrong a party of men march into their
country; and probably gave them a better opinion of firearms
than they had before. For I believe they had but an
indifferent, or rather contemptible idea of mufquets in general,
having never feen any fired but at birds, &c. by fuch
of our people as ufed to ftraggle about the country, the moll;
of them but indifferent markfmen, doling generally two
fhots out of three, their pieces often milling fire, and being
flow in charging. Of all this they had taken great notice,
and concluded, as well they might, that fire-arms were not
fo terrible things as they had been taught to believe.
When the chiefs took leave in the evening, they pro-
mifed to bring us next day a very large fupply of provifions. Sunday 22;
In the article of fruit they were as good as their word, but
of hogs, which we moft wanted, they brought far lefs than
we expedted. Going afliore in the afternoon, I found the
chief juft fitting down fo dinner. I cannot fay what was
the occafion of his dining fo late. As foon as he was feated,
feveral people began chewing .the pepper-root; about a pint
of the juice of which, without any mixture, was the firft
dilb, and was difpatched in a moment. A cup of it was
prefented to me; but the manner of brewing it was at this
time fufficient. Oedidee was not fo nice, but took what I re-
fufed. After this the chief walhed his mouth with cocoa-nut-
water; then he eat of repe, plantain, and mahee, of each not a
Vol. I. . A a a little;