from Captain Maxwell afterwards, that he had remonstrated
with them on their inconsistency and the pretended difficulty
of getting answers from court; he gave them to understand,
that he did not conceive it was treating the King of
England with due respect to deny his officers permission to
walk on shore. Again, that they had promised to send pilots,
but that none had come; and that many other promises had
not been performed. He desired the interpreter to say, that
he was not pleased with their telling him so many different
stories, all of which could not be tru e ; first they said that
the bullocks, hogs, &c. were gifts from themselves; then, that
they were sent by the Great M a n ; then, that there was no
Great Man h e re : in fine, he urged them strongly to tell him
the truth on all points. They made the interpreter repeat six
times over what Captain Maxwell had desired him to say ;
they then consulted amongst themselves a long time, and at
last assured Captain Maxwell, that a reply to the communications
made by them to government would reach this
place next day.
As the stock and vegetables received by the ships had,
by this time, amounted to a considerable quantity, a bag
of dollars was offered to them, and they were urged to
take payment for what had been sent on board; this
offer, which had been made more than once before, was
still declined; upon which they were informed, that we considered
it improper, as servants of government, to receive
presents to such an extent from individuals. Upon this
they gave their assurance, that the stock had been sent
on board by order of the Loo-choo government, on their
being informed that the King of another country's ships had
arrived. No payment they said could therefore be taken.
With this Captain Maxwell was satisfied. Their wish seems
to be, to prevent our opening any communication with
their government, and they appear so decided upon these
matters, that they will probably succeed, notwithstanding
all our efforts.
The chiefs have dresses adapted to the state of the
weather; yesterday being cold and threatening, they all
came on board with a sort of cloak or great coat made of a
thiok blue stuff like woollen cloth, buttoned in front. I t is
tighter than the ordinary dress, and is worn over it. I t is
only in fine weather, and on state occasions, that they wear
the band turban, called by them “ hatchee matchee;'’ at
all other times they go uncovered, having their hair dressed
like the rest of the people.
20th of September^—The mercury in the barometer feff
last night from 29- 72, to 29. 51, and the sky assumed a
M