A V O Y A G E T O
condition* Every perfon beipg returned by noon* I gave
about an ounce of pork and fiwo plantains to eâcKf - with
half a glafs'Of wiiie. I again obfervèd the-latitude* of this
place 41' fo u th f The peoplè who* remained by the
boat I had diredted to look for fifh, or what they could pick
up about the rocks; but nothing eatable could be found:
fo that, Upon the whole, we cbnfîdered "oüffelve’s ori!a% mi-
ferable a fpot of land as could well be imagined. :
I could not fay pofitively, from the former knowledge
I had of this ifland, whether it-was inhabited or not; but
I knew it was confidered inferior to th b other iflands, and
I was not certain but that the Indians o'nly reforted to it at
particular times. I was very anxious to* afeert^in this
point ; for, in cafe there had been only a, fewpéoplé here,
and thofè could have furnifhed us with but very moderate
fupplies, the remaining in this fpot to have made
preparations for our voyage,’would have!'Hefei? préférable
to tHeTrifk of-going amongft multitudes, where perhaps"
We might lofe “every thing.: A party, therefore, ftiffi-
ciently ftrong, I’ determined fhould go another ■ route,- as
fbon as the fun became lower ; and they cheerfully undertook
it. '
About two o’clock in the afternoon the-party fet-put»;,
but, after fuffçririg 'much fatigue, they returned^in, the
evening, without any kind b f fuccefs:
At the head of the cove,-about 150 yards froih the water-
fide, there was a cave ; the diftance acrofs the fhbnyTheach
was about 100 yàfife, and from the country ihfb jjthe- cove
there was no other way than that which I have already
defcribed. The fituation fecured us from the danger of
being* furprifed, and ^ determined fo remain on fhore tfor
the night, with a part of my people, that the others might
have !
T H E .- fC # tJ |T H &c;
have more room to reft i-n the boat, with the mafter; whom
I-dire£ted to’Lie at a grapnel, and be watchful, in cafe we ,--- r—
fhould be attacked. I prdered ppe^plantain for each perfon.to
be * boiled ;^and, pipped on th£s fcanty allowance, ,
with a quarter of a pint of grog, ^B^lpced^the watches for
the night, thofe whole turn ;it was, laid down to fleep in the
cave, before which we kept- up a good fire; yet notwithftand-
ing we were much troubled with flies, and mufquitoes. M*. v.
. Friday, May the ill. At dawn of day, the party fet out Fn y
again in a different route, to . fee what they could find ; in
the; courfe of which, they fuffered greatly, for want
water,:-they ,fl ho weaver,', pa et wfifi two men, a WO^n, and
a child!: the men- cjpne with them- ta th e ooyc, an^brpught
two-G.pcoa-nutf % lfs I endeavoured to, rnake
friqnd^of th^?people,;^ fenttfiem.(^^^
plantaips, an|\ya,ten* Sppi^ajter,-©the^natives capao^ u s ;
and by noon thpre !foef e} thirty gtwupps* ftprn whqjn we obtained
a final! f u p p l^ b u t|p p u l$ ggfc .afford pn.enunce ;qf^ |
pork, and a quarter o f a bread%iit,Jo e a |^m a n fordinner,
‘with half a.pipt qfewater; -for. Iwas^fixed j^my^refioJ^on'
not tq'fifqjany of'thebread or ,\yateu in. th^b#3t. j .
-No particular chief - was^ y£t^ampngnt ^
were, \notwithftanding, -
exchanging the proyifipns^they, .brought for a-fe^, butto^.
and beads.. T,he|party who had^be^ out^in^q^edmPiOf
their having feen.feveral neat plantations; fo that it re-±
mained no longer a doubt of there being fettledmhabitants
.on the ifland; for which reafon I determined to get. what
I could, , and to fail the firft moment that the wind and
weather would allow us to .put to fea, • *
1 was much puzzled in what, manner to account to the,
natives for the lofs o f my fhip: I knew they had too much
Z fenfe