June* natives knew nothing of their being left behind, it may be
WedndTT"'1 *°me l^me before they are difcovered.
In our excurfion to the Eaft, we met with the largeft feal I
had ever feen. It was fwimming on the furface of the water,
and fuffered us to come near enough to fire at it; but without
effect: for, after a Chafe of near an hour, we were
obliged to leave it. By the fize of this animal, it probably
was a fea lionefs. It certainly bore much refemblance to
the drawing in Lord Anfon’s voyage; our feeing a fea lion
when we entered this found, in my former voyage, increafeth
the probability; and I am of opinion, they have their abode
on fome of the rocks, which lie in the Strait, or off Admiralty
Bay.
Tburfday 3. On the 3d, I fent a boat with the carpenter over to the Ealt
fide of the found, to cut down fome fpars which we were in
want of. As fhe was returning, Ihe was chafed by a large
double canoe full of people; but with what intent, is not
Friday 4. known. Early the next morning, fome of our friends
brought us a large fupply of fifli. One of them agreed to
go away with us; but, afterwards, that is when it came to
the point, he changed his mind; as did fome others who had
promifed to go with the Adventure.
It was even faid, that fome of them offered their children
to fale. I, however, found that- this was a miftake. The
report firft took its rife on board the Adventure, where they
were utter ftrangers to their language and cufioms. It was'
very common for thefe people to bring their children with
them, and prefent them to us, in expectation that we would
make them prefents; this happened to me the preceding
morning. A man brought.his fon, a boy about nine or ten
years of age, and prefented him to me. As the report of
2 - felling
felling their-children was then current, I thought, at firft,
that he wanted me to buy the boy. But, at laft, I found
that he wanted me to give him a white fhirt, which I accordingly
did. The boy was fo fond of his new drefs that
he went all over the fhip, prefenting himfelf before every
one that came in his way. This freedom ufed by him
offended Old Will the ram goat, who gave him a butt with
his horns, and knocked him backward on the deck. Will
would have repeated his blow, had not fome of the people
come to the boy’s afliftance. The misfortune, however,
feemed to him irreparable. The fhirt was dirtied, and he
was afraid to appear in the cabbin before his father, until
brought in by Mr. Forfter ; when he told a very lamentable-
ftory againft Gourey the great dog (for fo they call all the
quadrupeds we had aboard), nor could he be reconciled,
till his fhirt was wafhed and dried. This ftory, though
extremely trifling in itfelf, will fhew how liable we are to
miftake thefe people’s meaning, and to afcribe to them
cuftoms they never knew even in thought.
About nine o’clock, a large double canoe, in which were
twenty or thirty people, appeared in fight. Our friends on
board feemed much alarmed, telling us that thefe were
their enemies. Two of them, the one with a fpear, and the
Other with a ftone hatchet in his hand, mounted the arm
chefts- on the poop, and there, in a kind of bravado, bid.
thofe enemies defiance ; while the others, who were on
board, took to their canoe and went a-lliore, probably to
fecure the women and children.
All I could do, I could not prevail on the two that remained
to call thefe ftrangers along-fide ; on the contrary, they
were difpleafed at my doing it, and wanted me to fire upon
them..
>773.
June.
Friday 4.