Ihip’s company being alfo in a'fick and feeble condition, Captain Wallis found
himfelf neceflitated to make ufe of arms, which alone could render him
fuperior to the multitude that, aflailed him: he accordingly ordered the great
guns and mufquetry to be fired, which foon drove away the canoes that were
about the ihip, and put a flop to the coming off of others;., He no fooner
faw this than he directed the firing to ceafe, hoping they were now convinced
of the fuperiority of his weapons. But he found himfelf miftaken; for as foon
as. the guns were filent, a great number of the canoes that had been difperfed
collected together, and renewed the attack, throwing, as before, round pebble
ftones of about two pounds weight, with great force and dexterity, by the
help of flings, from a confiderable diftance: many of thefe wounded the people
on board, and had it not been for an awning, which had been fpread over
the whole deck to keep out the fun, and the hammocks placed in the nettings,
many more would have fuffered from them. They now made their attack on
thé bow and ftern of the ihip, having, probably, taken notice that no ihot had
been fired from thofe parts; Captain Wallis therefore ordered fome guns to be
well pointed, and fired at thofe ahead, and alfo thofe aftern. Among the canoes
that were coming towards the bow there was one which appeared to have"
fome Chief on board, as it was by fignals from her that the others had been
called together. It happened that a. ihot hit this .canoe fo full as . to cut it
afunder, which, being obferved by the reft, they difperfed in fo much haftè,
that in half an hour there was not a fingle canoe to be feen; the people alfo
who had crouded the ihore, immediately fled over the hills with the utmoft
precipitation.
They had now no reafon to fear any further interruption; and the Captain
and firft Lieutenant being ill, Mr. Furneaux was fent on ihore, and took pof-
feflion of this ifland in his Majefty’s name, in honour of whom it was called
King George the Third s Ifland. Before he returned to the ihip; an old man
came from the oppofite fide of the river, which was about twelve yards wide,
and fordable, and in a fupplicating manner approached him, upon which
Mr. Furneaux endeavoured to make him apprehend, that i f the natives attempted
no further mifchief againft them they ihould do no harm to them.
The natives, however, made another attempt on the 26th. As Captain Wallis P- 228.
was fo ill that he could icarcely crawl about, he fat upon deck, with his glafles,
to fee what was doing aihore. About eight o’clock he perceived a multitude p. 229.
of them Coming over a hill, at about the diftance of a mile; a great number of
canoes making round the weftern point; and a- numerous body creeping along
behind the buihes at the back of the watering-place. In confequence of this the
watering party came off in their boats; and the Indians, having given a ihout,
took .pofleflion of the calks with great appearance of exultation and joy:
As foon as Captain Wallis faw the canoes approaching, in order to ihorten the'P*23°*
conteft, and put an end to hoftilities_at once,, he ordered a fmart fire to be kept
up, which foon difperfed the different bodies; and he met with no more molef-
tation from them during his ftay.
As the limits of thefe abridgments will not admit of an uninterrupted
recital, though ever, fo concife, of all the occurrences that happened, the moft .
interefting only can ; be feledted, at the fame time preferving the connexion
of the whole.
From this time the natives never appeared in large bodies, and a trade was p. 233.
eftabliihed, which furnifhed the ihip with hogs, fowls, and fruit, in great
abundance. A connexion likewife took place between fome of the young p. 238.
women and the crew. Many of them were permitted to pafs the river, who,
though not averfe. to granting the men perfonal favours, knew the value of
them too well not to ftipulate for a confideration. The price, indeed, was
not great, yet it was fuch as the men were not always able to pay; and,, under
this temptation, they ftole nails and other iron from the ihip; and, as they
could not at all times get at thofe brought for traffick, they drew feveral out
of different parts of the veflel, thus hazarding the fafety of the whole crew.
On the n th of July, a tall woman, who feemed to be about five and forty p. 241.
years of age, of a pleafing countenance, and majeftick deportment, was accompanied
on board by the gunner. He informed the Captain that ihe was
juft cpme into that part of the country, and that feeing great refpedt paid to her
by the natives, fie had made her fome prefents, in return for which ihe had
ihvi ted