Thoiigh there were, at this time, no fixed inhabitants
Ttpon the ifiand, indubitable marks remained of its being,
•at leaft, occafionally frequented. In particular, a few'empty
huts were found. There were alfo feveral large ftones
eredted, like monuments, under the fhade of fome trees;
and feveral fpaces inclofed with fmallér ones; where-, probably,
the dead had been buried. And, in one place, a
great many cockle-ihells, of a particular fort, finely grooved,
and larger than the fift, were to be feen; from which
it was reafonable to conjecture, that the ifiand had been
•vifited by perfons who feed, partly, on Ihell-fiih. In one of
the huts, Mr. Gore left a hatchet, and fome nails, to the full
value of what we took away.
As Toon as the boats were hoifted in, I made fail again to
the northward, with a light air of wind Eafterly; intending
to try our fortune at Hervey’s Ifiand, which was difco-
vered in 1773, during my laft voyage*. Although it was
•not above fifteen leagues diftant, yet we did not get fight of
íundayé. j c till day-break in the morning o f the 6th, when it bore
Weft South Weft, at the diftance of about three leagues.
As we drew near it, at eight o’clock, we obferved feveral
canoes put off from the fhore; and they came direrily toward
the ihips. This was a fight that, indeed, fur prized
me, as no figns of inhabitants were feen when the ifiand
was firft difcovered ; which might be owing to a pretty
hrilk wind that then blew, and prevented their canoes venturing
out, as the ihips palled to leeward ; whereas now we
were to windward.
■* See Captain Cook’s Voyage, Vol. i. p. rgo. where this ifiand is faid to be about
¡fix leagues in circuit.
As.
o
As we ftill kept on toward the ifiand, fix or feven of the ^777-
canoes, all double ones, foon came near us. There were, u—y—->
from three to fix men, in each of them. They Hopped at
the diftance of about a Hone’s throw from the Ihip; and it
was fome time before Omai could prevail upon them to
come along-fide; but no intreaties could induce any of
them to venture on board. Indeed their diforderly and clamorous
behaviour, by no means indicated a difpofition to
trail us, or treat us well. We afterward learnt that they
had attempted to take fome oars out of the Difcovery’s boat,
that lay along-fide, and ftruck a man who endeavoured to
prevent them. They alfo cut away, with a ihell, a net
with meat, which hung over that ihip’s ftern, and abfo-
lutely refufed to reftore i t ; though we, afterward, pur-
chafed it from them. Thofe who were about our ihip, behaved
in the fame daring manner; for they made a fort o f
hook, 6f a long ftick, with which they endeavoured, openly,
to rob us of feveral things; and, at laft, actually got a
frock belonging to one of our people, that was towing
over-board. At the fame time, they immediately fhewed a
knowledge of bartering, and fold fome filh they had
(amongft which was an extraordinary flounder, fpotted like
porphyry; and a cream-coloured eel, fpotted with black),
for fmall nails, of which they were immoderately fond, and
called them goore. Rut, indeed, they caught, with the
greateft avidity, bits of paper, or any thing elfe that was
thrown to them; and i f what was thrown fell into- the
fea, they made no fcruple to fwim after it.
Thefe people feemed to differ as much in perfon, as in
difpofition, from the natives of Wateeoo; though the diftance
between the two iflands is not very great. Their colour
was of a deeper caft; and feveral had a fierce, ragged
Vol. I. E e alpciih