, '7.74.' to a pond of it that was brackiffi, about three-fourths o f a mile June.
—s~—j from the landing-place, which I fuppofe to be the fame that
',y 27" Tafman watered at. In the mean time, the people in the
boat had laden her with fruit and roots* which the natives-
had brought down, and exchanged for nails and beads. On
our return to the fhip, I found the fame fort of traffic carrying
on there. After breakfaft, I went affiore with two boats
to trade with the people, accompanied by feveral of the
gentlemen, and ordered the launch to follow with calks to
be filled with water. The natives affified us to roll them
to and from the pond; and a nail or a bead was the expence-
' of their labour. Fruit and roots, efpecially fhaddocks and
yams, were brought down in fuch plenty, that the two boats
were laden, fent off, cleared, and laden a fecond time, before
noon; by which time alfb the launch had got a full fupply
o f water, and the botanical and ffiooting parties had all:
come in, except the furgeon, for whom we could not wait,
as the tide was ebbing fall out of the cove; confequently he
was left behind. As there is no getting info the cove with a
boat, from between half ebb to half flood, we could get off
no water in the afternoon. However, there is a very good
landing-place, without it, near the fouthern point, where
boats can get affiore at all times o f the tide ; here fome of
the officers landed after dinner, where they found the furgeon,
who had been robbed of -his gun. Having comedown
to the ffiore fome time after the boats had put'off, he
got a canoe to bring him on board; but, as he was getting
into her, a fellow fnatehed hold o f the gun, and ran off/
with it* After that no one would carry him to the ffiip, and
they would have ftripped him, as he imagined, had he not
prefented a tooth-pick cafe, which they, no doubt, thought
was a little gun. As foon as I heard.of this, I landed at theplace.
place above mentioned, and the few natives who were there *774-
fled at my approach. After landing, I went in fearch of the 1---- .----J
J 1 1 . Monday 27.
officers, whom I found in the cove, where ,we had been in
the morning, with a good many of the natives about them.
No ftep had been taken to recover the gun, nor did I think
proper to take any; but in this I was wrong. The eafy
manner of obtaining this gun, which they now, no doubt,
thought fecure in their poffeffion, encouraged them to proceed
in thefe tricks, as will foon appear. The alarm the
natives had caught being foon over, they carried fruit, &c.
to the boats, which got pretty well laden before night, when
we all returned on board.
Early in the morning of the 2 8th, Lieutenant Clerke, with Toefda7 2®*
the Matter and fourteen or fifteen men, went on ffiore in the
launch for water. I did intend to have followed in another
boat myfelf, but rather unluckily deferred it till after breakfaft.
The launch was no fooner landed than the natives
gathered about her, behaving in fo rude a manner, that the
officers were in fome doubt if they ffiould land the calks;
but, as they expected me on fliore foon, they ventured, and,
with difficulty, got them filled, and into the boat again. In the
doing of this Mr. Clerke’s gun was fnatehed from him, and
carried off ; as were alfo fome of the cooper’s tools; and
feveral of the people were ftripped of one thing or another.
All this was done, as it were by Health ; for they laid hold
of nothing by main force. I landed juft as the launch was
ready to • put o ff; and the natives, who were pretty numerous
on the beach, as foon as they faw me, fled; fo that I
fufpefted fomething had happened. However, I prevailed
on many to flay, and Mr. Clerke came, and informed me of
all the preceding circumftances. I quickly came to a refo-
lution to oblige them to make reftitution; and, for this.pur-
C 2 pofe,