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Tuefday 28^
pofe, ordered all the marines to be armed, and fent on fhore,
Mr. Forfler and his party being gone into the country, 1'
ordered two or three guns to be fired from the fhip, in order
to alarm him; not knowing how the natives might a61 on
this occafion. Thefe orders being, given, I fent all the boats
off but one, with which I flayed, having a good many o f the
natives about me, who behaved with their ufual courtefy.
I made them fo fenfible of my intention, that long before
the marines came, Mr. Clerke’s mufquet was brought; but
they ufed many excufes to divert me from infilling on the
other. At length Mr. Edgcumbe arriving with the marines,
this alarmed them fo much, that fome fled. The firft Hep I
took was to feize on two large double failing canoes, which,
were in the cove. One fellow making refinance; I fired
fome fmall fhot at him, and fent him limping off. The natives
being now convinced that I was in earned:, all fled; but
on my calling to them, many returned ; and, prefently after,
the other mufquet was brought, and laid down at my feet,.
That moment, I ordered the canoes to be reftored, to fhew
them on what account they were detained. The other
things we had loft being of lefs value, I was the more indifferent
about them. By this time the launch was afhore
for another turn of water, and we were permitted to fill the
calks without any one daring to come near us ;. except one
man, who had befriended us during the whole affair, and
feemed to difapprove of the condudt of his countrymen.
On my returning from the pond to the cove, I found a
good many people collected together, from whom we
underftood that the man I had fired at was dead.. This ftory
I treated as improbable, and addrefied a man, who feemed of
fome confequence, for the reftitution of a cooper’s adze we
had
had loft in the morning. He immediately fent away two
men, as I thought,, for i t ; but I foon found that we had
greatly miftaken each other; for, inftead of the adze, they
brought the wounded man, ftretched out on a board, and
laid him down by me, to all appearance dead. I was much
moved at the fight; but foon faw my miftake, and that he
was only wounded in the hand and thigh. I therefore defired
he might be carried out of the fun, and fent for the furgeon
to drefs his wounds. In the mean time, Taddrefled feveral
people for the adze; for as I had now nothing elfe to do, I
determined to have it. The one I applied the molt to, was
an elderly woman, who had always a great deal to fay to me,
from my firft landing; but, on this occafion, fhe gave her
tongue full fcope. I underftood but little of her eloquence ;
and all I could gather from her arguments was, that it was
mean in me to infill on the return of fo trifling a thing.
But when fhe found I was determined, fhe and three or
four more women went away; and foon after the adze was
brought me, but I faw her no more. This I was lorry for,
as I wanted to make her a prefent, in return for the part
Ihe had taken in all our tranfadlions, private as well as
public. For I was no fooner returned from the pond, the
firft time I landed, than this old lady prefented to me a girl,
giving me to underftand fhe was at my fervice. Mifs, who
probably had received her inftrudfions, wanted, as a preliminary
article, a fpike-nail, or a Ihirt, neither of which I had
to give her, and foon made them fenfible of my poverty. I
thought, by that means, to have come off with flying colours.;
but I was miftaken; for they gave me to underftand
I might retire with her on credit. On my declining this
propofal, the.old lady began to argue with me; and then
abufe me. Though I comprehended little of what ffie faid, her
actions
T