106
•774- tremely well flickered from theriigniag winds, by the fandy
September.. an(j -ts fl10aiSi ang by the fhoal without them.
Monday c. , , „ ;■ ■ - , We had hardly got to ah anchor, before we were iurround-
ed by a great number of the natives-, hi fixieeii Or eighteen
canqes, the moil of whom were without any fort of weapons,
, At firft they were fhy of coming near the {hip; but
in a fliort time we prevailed on the people in one boat to
get clofe enough to receiye.fome prefenfs. Thefe.we,lowered
down to them by a rope, to which, in return, they tied two
fifh that flunk intolerably, as did thofe they gave us in the
morning. Thefe mutual exchanges bringing on a kind of
confidence, two ventured on board the fhip; and pre-fently
after, fhe was filled with them, and we had the company of
feveral at dinner in the cabbin. Our peafe-foup, fait beef,
and pork, they had no curiofity to tafte; but they eat of
fome yams, which we happened to have yet left, calling
them Qobee,. This name is not unlike Oofee, as they are
called at moft of the -iflands, except Mallicollo; neverthe-lefs,
we found thefe people fpoke a language new to us. Like
all the nations we had lately feen, the men were almofi
naked; having hardly any other covering but fuch a wrapper
as is ufed-at Mallicollo *. They were curious in examining
every part of the fhip, which they viewed with uncommon
attention. They had not the leaft knowledge of goats,,
hogs-, dogs, or c-ats* and had not even a name for one of them.
They feemed "fond of large fpike-nails, and pieces of fed
cloth, or indeed of any other colour; but red was their favourite.
After dinner, I went on fhore with two armed boats, having
with us one o f the natives who had attached himfelf
* See the Note at Page 34 0/ this Volume.
to
to me. We landed on a fandy beach before a vaft number „ 'in- •' « ' -' - Septembe
of people, who had got together with nq other intent than >— -—
to fee us ; for many of them had not a flick in their hands; y
confequently we were received with great courtefy, and with
the furprife natural for people to exprefs, at feeing men and
things fo new to them as we muft be. I made prefents to
all thofe my friend pointed out, who were either qk} men,
or fuch as feemed to her of fame nqte ; but lie took not the
leaft notice of fome women whq flood behind the crowd,
holding my hand when I was going to give them fome beads
arid medals. Here we found the fame chief, who had been
feen in one of the canoes, in the morning. His name, we now
learnt, was Teabq.oma; and we had pot been on fhore above
ten minutes, before he called for filence. Being inftantly
obeyed by eve.ry individual prefcnt, he made a fhort fpeech;
and foon after another chief having called for filence, made
a fpeech alfo. It was pleafing to fee with what attention
they were heard. Their fpeeclies were compofed of fhort
fentences ; to each of which two or three old men anfwered,
by nodding their heads, and giving a kind of grunt, fignifi-
cant, as I thought, of approbation. It was impoffible for us
to know the purport of thefe fpeeches ; but we had reafon
to think they were favourable to us, on whofe account they
doubtlefs were made. I kept my eyes fixed on the people
all the time, and faw nothing to induce me to think other-
wife. While we were with them, having inquired, by figns,
far frefh water, fome pointed to the Eaft, and others to the
Weft. My friend undertook to conduit us to it, and embarked
with us for that purpofe. We rowed about two
miles up the coaft to the Eaft, where the fhore was moftly
covered with mangrove-trees; and entering amongft them,
by a narrow creek or river, which brought us to a little
P s {haggling