shewing a wish to accompany them, they intreated- us to
keep our seats. ! H pH : • '
During dinner, tliough it was the first they had ever seen
in the European style, these people not only betrayed no
awkwardness, but adopted our customs, such as ..drinking
wine with each other, so readily, that we were, frequently at
a loss to determine whether they had but just learned these
customs, or whether their own usages in these cases: w.ere
similar to ours. As they pushed off in .their boat they, were
asked to sing, which they did at once, and by their manner
we suspected that the song had some allusion to us, but
we could not make out the words.
30th of September.—During the whole of this morning
we were engaged in the survey, accompanied by several of
the midshipmen of both ships. We measured a base, and
continued taking angles till the tide rose and drove us olf.
1st of October.—As a free intercourse was now established
with the natives a t this place, and little doubt remained of
our being able to gain their ¡permission in a day. or, two. fin-
landing the'Alceste-s stores, it became an object to ascertain,
without further delay, whether or .not this anchorage was
better than the harbour described by the natives as being a
few- miles only to th e northward. While any apprehensions
existed of our not being able to land here, it w.as not thought
prudent to send the Lyra to look for that, harbour, lest the
chiefs should become still more suspicious of our intentions.
At- this:momènt, however,-there was reason to-believe tha t
the chiefs; wished-the Akeste. to remain where she was, and
it was expected that any show of moving to another harbour
would .stimulate, their exertionsr to render our present
situation .agreeable.
The Lyra was. accordingly-ordered to weigh this morning
a t daylight', for the-purpose of examining the coast for
ten or twelve leagues to the northward. We went out by
a narrow passage through the reefs, and in the course
of the morning beat up to Sugar Loaf Island. We did
not land upon it, but passed near enough to see tha t it is
richly cultivated -on the lower parts, and that all the houses
are collected into villages, shaded. as usual by large trees
rojund.the bottom, and for one-third o f the way up thesides.-
of the peak. As this was our furthest point in the present
survey, we tacked on reaching the Sugar Loaf, and coasted
round the shores of a large square bay on the west side of
the great island. The wind shifted; gradually as we sailed
along,, blowing directly off the-shore a t every place,.by
which means We were enabled to complete the circuit of the
bay before dark, after which we anchored in sixfy-five fathoms
water. Next morning we resumed our examination of