In the afternoon, only a few of thofe who lived in the
neighbourhood, with whom we were now upon a tolerable
footing, made their appearance at the watering-place. Pao-
wang brought us an axe which had been left by our people,
either in the woods or on the beach, and found by fome of the
natives. A few other articles were afterwards returned to us,
which either they had ftolen, or we had loft by our negligence,
So careful were they how not to offend us in this refpcdt.
Early the next morning, I fent the launch, protected
by a party of marines in another boat, to take in bal-
laft, which we wanted. This work was done before
breakfaft; and after it, fhe was fent for wood and water, and
with her the people employed in this fervice, under the protection
of a ferjeant’s guard, which was now thought fuffi-
cient, as the natives feemed to be pretty well reconciled to
Us. I was told, that they afked our people to go home with
them, on condition they ftripped naked as they were. This
fhews that they had no defign to rob them; whatever other
they might have.
On the 9th, I fent the launch for more ballaft, and the
guard and wooders to the ufual place. With thefe I went
myfelf, and found a good many of the natives collected together,
whofe behaviour, though armed, was courteous and
obliging; fo that there was no longer any occafion to mark out
the limits by a line: they obferved them without this precaution.
As it was necefiary for Mr. Wales’s inftruments to
remain on fhore all the middle of the day, the guard did not
return to dinner, as they had done before, till relieved by
others. When I came off, I prevailed on a young man,
whofe name was Wha-a-gou, to accompany me. Before
9 dinner
dinner I fhewed him every part of thé fliip; but did not
obferve that any one thing fixed his attention a moment, or 'TaM^ ~
caufed in him the leaft furprife. He had no knowledge of
goats, dogs, or cats, calling them all hogs (Booga or Boogas).
I made him a prefent of a dog and a bitch, as he fhewed a
liking to that kind of animal. Soon after he came on board,
fome of his friends followed in a canoe, and enquired for
him, probably doubtful; of his fafety. He looked out of
the quarter-gallery, and having fpoken to them, they went
afhore, and quickly returned with a cock, a little fugar-
cane, and a few cocoa-nuts, as a prefent to me. Though he
fat down with us, he did but juft tafte our fait pork, but eat
pretty heartily of yam, and drank a glafs of wine. After
dinner I made him prefents, and then conduced him
afhore.
As fóon as we landed, the youth and fome of his friends
took me by the hand, with a view, as I underftood, to conduct
me to their habitations. We had not gone far, before
fome of them, for what reafon I know not, were unwilling I
fhould proceed; in confequence of which the whole company
flopped; and, if I was not miftaken, a perfon was
difpatched for ifomething or other to give me; for I was de-
fired to fit down and wait, which I accordingly did. During
this interval, feveral of our gentlemen palled us, at which
they fhewed great uneafinefs, and importuned me fo much
to order them back, that 1 was at laft obliged to comply.
.They were -jealous of our going up the country, or
even along the fhore of the harbour. While I was waiting
here, our friend Paowang came with a prefent of fruit
and roots, carried by about twenty men; in order, as I fup-
pofed, to make it appear the greater. One had a fmall
I 2 bunch