ftaggered him. for a moment, but did not prevent him from
holding his bow ftill in the attitude of fhooting. Another
difcharge of the fame nature, made him drop it, and the
others, who were in the canoe, to paddle off with all fpeed.
At this time, fome began to Ihoot arrows on the other fide.
A mufquet difcharged in the air had no effect; but a four-
pound fhot over their heads, fent them off in the utmoft
confufion. Many quitted their canoes and fwam on fhore:
thofe in the great cabbin leaped out of the windows; and
thofe who were on the deck, and on different parts of the
rigging, all leaped over-board. After this we took no farther
notice o f them, but fuffered them to come off and pick
up their canoes; and fome even ventured again along-fide
the lhip. Immediately after the great gun was fired, we
heard the beating of drums on fhore; which was, probably,
the fignal for the country to affemble in arms. We
now got every thing in readinefs to land, to cut fome wood,
which we were in want of, and to try to get fome refrefhmems,
nothing of.this kind having been feen in any of the canoes.
About nine o’clock, we put off in two boats, and landed
in the face of four or five hundred people, who were aflem-
bled on the fhore. Though they were all armed with bow3
and arrows, clubs and fpears, they made not the lead; oppo-
fition. On the contrary, feeing me advance alone, with nothing
but a green branch in my hand, one of them, who
feemed to be a chief, giving his bow and arrows to another,
met me in the water, bearing alfo a green branch, which
having exchanged for the one! held, he then took me by
the hand, and led me up to the crowd. I immediately diftri-
buted prefents to them, and, in the mean time, the marines
were drawn up upon the beach. I then made figns (for
■ we underftood not a word of their language) that we wanted ^74-
wood ; and they made figns to us to cut down the trees. By —»—
Friday zz<
this time, a fmall pig being brought down and prefented to
me, I gave the bearer a piece of cloth,, with which he
feemed well pleafed. This made us hope that we fhould loon
have fome more ; but we were miftaken. The pig was nor
brought to be exchanged for what we had, but on fome other
account; probably as a peace-offering. For, all we could
fay or do, did not prevail on them to bring down, after this,
above half a dozen cocoa-nuts, and a fmall quantity of frefh
water. They fet no value on nails, or any fort of iron tools;
nor indeed on any thing we had. They would, now and
then, exchange an arrow for a piece of cloth ; but very fel-
dom would part with a bow- They were unwilling we
fhould go off the beach, and very defirous we fhould return
on board. At length, about noon, after fending what wood
we had cut on board, we embarked ourfelves ; and they all
retired, fome one way and fome another.
Before we had dined, the afternoon was too far fpent to-
do any thing on fhore; and all hands were employed, fetting
up the rigging, and repairing fome defeats in it. But feeing a
man bring along the ftrand a buoy, which they had taken
in the night from the kedge anchor, I went on fhore for it,
accompanied by fome of the gentlemen. The moment we
landed, it was put into the boat, by a man who walked off
again without fpeaking one word. It ought to be obferved,
that this was the only thing they took, or even attempted to
take from us, by any means whatever. Being landed near
fome of their plantations and houfes, which were juft within,
the fkirts of the woods, I prevailed on one man to conduft
me to them ; but, though they fuffered Mr. Forfter to go with-
me, they were unwilling any more fhould follow. Thefe
houfes