a quiver. Some o f thefe arrows are armed with two or three
points, each with fmall prickles on the edges, to prevent the
arrow being drawn out of the wound.
The people of Mallicollo feemed to be a quite different nation
from any we had yet met with, and fpeak a different language.
Ofabout eighty words, which Mr. Forfter collected, hardlyone
bears any affinity to the language fpoken at any other ifland
or place I had ever been at. The létter R is ufed in many of
their words; and frequently two or three being joined together,
fuch words we found difficult to pronounce. I obferved
that they could pronounce moft o f our words with great eafe..
They exprefs their admiration by hiffing like a goofe.
To judge of the country by the little we faw of it, it
mufl be fertile ; but I believe their fruits are not fo good
as thofe of the Society or Friendly Ifles. Their cocoa-nut
trees, I am certain, are not; and their bread-fruit and plantains
did not feem much better. But their yams appeared
to be very good. We faw no other animals than thofe I have
already mentioned. They have not fo much as a name for
a dog, and confequently have none; for which reafon we
left them a dog and a bitch; and there is no doubt they will
be taken care of, as they were very fond of them.
After we hah got to fea, we tried what effedl one of the
poifoned arrows would have on a dog. Indeed we had tried
it in the harbour the very firft night, but we thought the
operation had been too flight, as it had no effedt. The fur-
geon now made a deep incifion in the dog’s thigh, into
which he laid a large portion of the poifon, juft as it was
fcraped from the arrows, and then bound up the wound
with a bandage. For feveral days after we thought the dog
was not fo.well as he had been before; but whether this was yn- really fo, or only fuggefted by imagination, I know not. He
was afterwards as if nothing had been done to him, and lived
to be brought home to England. However, I have no doubt
of this fluff being o f a poifonous quality, as it could anfwer
no other purpofe.. The people feemed not unacquainted with
the nature of poifon; for when they brought us water on
ffiore, they ,firft tailed it, , and then gave us to underftand we
might with fafety, drink it. .
This harbour,, which is fituated on theN. E. fide of Mallicollo,
not far from the S. E.end, in latitude 16° 25' 20" St,
longitude 167° 57' 33" E., I named Port Sandwich. It lies in
S. W. by S. about one league, and is one-third of a league
broad. A reef of rocks extends out a litttle way from each
point; but the channel is of a good breadth, and hath in it
from forty to twenty-four fathoms water. In the port, the
depth of water is from twenty to four fathoms; and it is fo
fheltered that no winds can difturb a {hip at anchor there.
Another great advantage is, you can lie fo near the ffiore, a s •
to cover your people, who may beat work upon it.
C H A P .