fong, in w hich all in the canoe joined, with a ve ry pleafirig'
i— -,---> harmony.
° Du rin g thefe vifits, they gave us no other trouble,
than to guard againft their thieviih tricks. But, in the
Saturday 4. morning o f the 4th, we had a ferious alarm. Our party
on Ihore, w ho were employed in cutting wood, and filling
water, obferved, that the natives all around them were
arming themfelves in the bell manner they could ; thofe,
who were not poffefled o f proper weapons, preparing flicks,
and collecting Hones. On hearing this, I thought it prudent
to arm alio;, but, being determined to a ft upon the d e fen -
five, I ordered a ll our workmen to retreat to the rock, upon
which we had placed our obfervatories ; leaving the natives
in quiet pofiTeffion o f the ground where they had alTembled,.
w h ich was within a flone’s throw o f the Refolution’s Hern.
Our fears were ill-grounded : thefe hoftile preparations were
not direfted againft u s , but againft a body o f their own.
countrymen, w ho were coming to fight them ; and our
friends o f the Sound, on obferving our apprehenfions',' uEed
their bell endeavours to convince us that this was the cafe.
We could fee, that they had people lo o kin g out, on each
point o f the cove, and canoes frequently palled between,
them and the main body affembled near the Ihips,” A t
length, the adverfe party, in about a dozen large canoes,
appeared o ff the South point o f the. cove, where they Hopped,
and lay drawn up in line o f battle, a négociation havin
g commenced. Some people in canoes, in conducting the
treaty, palled between the two parties, and there was fome
fpeaking on both fides. At length, the difference, whatever
it was, feemed to-be compromifed ; but the ftrangers
were not allowed to come along-fide the Ihips, nor to have
any trade or intercourfe with u s . Probably we were the
canfecaufe
o f the q u a r r e l; the ftrangers, perhaps, being defirous g |||
to ihare in the advantages o f a trade with us ; and our firft t ,—
friends, the inhabitants o f the Sound, being determined to
engrofs us entirely to themfelves. We had proofs o f this
on feveral other occafions; nay, it appeared, that even thofe
who lived in the Sound were not united in the fame c a u fe ;
for the weaker were frequently obliged to give w a y to the
llronger party, and plundered o f every thing, without attempting
to make the leall refinance,,
We refumed our w ork in the afternoon, and, the next Sunday 5.
day, rig ged the fore-maft; the head o f which being rather
too fmall fo r the cap, the carpenter went to work, to fix a
piece on one fide, to fill up the vacant fpace. In cutting in-
,to the m aft-head for this purpofe, and examining the Hate o f
it, both cheeks were found to be fo rotten, that there was no
pofUbility o f repairing them ; and it became neceffary to get
the mall out, and to fix new ones upon it. It was evident,
that one o f the cheeks had been defe ftive at the firft, and
¡that the unfound part had been cut out, and a piece put in ;
.which had not ,only weakened the maft-head, but had, in
a great meafure, been the occafion o f rotting every other
part o f both, cheek?. Thus, when we were almoft ready to
put to fea, we had all our w ork to do over a g a in ; and,
w hat was Hill more provoking, an additional repair was to
b e undertaken, which would require fome time to be completed.
But, as there was no remedy, we immediately fet
about it. It was fortunate for the voyage, that thefe defefts
were difcovered, when we were in a place, where the materials
requifite were to be procured. For, amongft the driftwood,
in the cove where the ihips lay, were fome fmall fea-
foned trees very fit for our purpofe. One o f thefe was pitched
upon ; tnd the carpenters began, without lofs o f time, to
poake out o f it two new cheeks.
N n 3 HI