16
Captaini H u n te r d e fc r lb ed th e c o u n t r y as w e a r in g a m u ch more fa-;
v o u ra b le coun tenan ce tow a rd th e h ead o r u p pe r part, than it did:
im m ed ia te ly ab ou t th e fe ttle jnent. H e faw fe v e ra l parties o f the
n a t iv e s , and, tre a tin g th em cp n fta n t ly .w i th g o o d h um ou r , th e y a lw a y s ,
le f t h im w i th fr ie n d ly im p re flio n s .': .
I t w a s natural to fu p p o fe th a t th e cu r io fity o f ,th e fe p eop le w o u ld ;
b e a t tr a d e d b y o b fe r v in g , th a t, in fte ad o f q u it tin g , w e w e re Occupied
in w o rk s th a t ind icated an in ten tio n o f rem a in in g in th e ir c o u n t r y ;
b u t d u r in g th e fir ft f ix w e e k s w e re c e iv ed o n ly o n e v if it , tw o men
ftr o llin g in to the cam p on e e v e n in g , ;and remaining; in it fo r about
h a l f an h ou r . T h e y appeared to admire w h a te v e r th e y faw , and
a fte r r e c e iv in g each a ha tch e t .( o f th q u f e .o f w h ic h th e eldeft in ftan tly
and cu r io u fly {hew ed h is k n ow le d g e , b y tu rn in g u p his fo o t , and
lh a rp en in g a p ie ce o f w o o d o n th e fol'e w i th th e 'h a tch e t ) to o k th e ir ,
le a v e , ap p a ren tly w e l l p leafed w i th th e ir re c ep tion . T h é fiftiin g -
boats a lfo fr e q u en t ly rep o r ted th e ir h a y in g been, v ifited b y m a n y
o f th e fè p eop le w h e n h a u lin g the fem e , at w h ic h la b o u r th e y o ften
affifted w i th ch e e r fu ln e fs , and in re tu rn w e r e g e n e ra lly rew ard ed
w i th p a r t o f the fifh ta k en , |
E v e r y p re cau tio n was ufed to .g u a rd ag a in ft a b r e a c h .o f th is fr ie n d ly
and defirable in te r co u tfe , b y ftr i.d ly p ro h ib itin g e v e r y p e r fon from
d e p r iv in g th em o f th e ir fp ears, fr/.gigs, g um , o r o th e r ar tic les,
w h ic h w e fo on p e rce iv ed th e y w e r e ac cuftomed to 1 le a ve u n d e r th e
ro ck s , o r lo o fe and fcattered ab out u p on th e beaches. W e had h ow -:
e v e r grea t rea fon to be lie v e th a t th e fe precautions w e r e firft rendered
fru itle fs b y th e ill ;c o n d u d , o f a boat’ s crew, b e lo n g in g to o n e o f the.
tranfp órts , w h o , w e w e r e to ld a fte rw a rd s , attemp ted to T an d in one
p f th e co v e s at th e low e r p art o f th e harb ou r , b u t w e r e p re v en te d ,
and d r iv en o f f w i th fton e s b y the natives. A p a r ty o f th em , co n fid in
g o f fix-teen o r e igh te en p e r fon s , fom e tim e a fte r landed o n th e
iflan d * w h e r e th e p e o p le o f th e S ir iu s w e r e ' p rep a r in g , a ga rd en,
an d w ith m u ch ar tifice , w a tc h in g th e ir o p p o r tu n ity , ca rried o f f a
{ho v e l, a fp ad e, and a p ic k -a x e . O n th e ir b e in g fired at and h it
* Since'known by the name of Garden Ifland.
on
o n th e leg s b y one o f the p eo p le w i th fm a ll {hot, th e p ic k -a x e w a s
d ro p p ed , b u t th e y ca rried o f f th e o th e r tools . |
T o fu ch c ircum ftan ce s as the fe m uft be attributed th e te rmin a tion
o f th a t g o od u n d e r ftan d in g w h ic h had h ith e r to fubfifted b e tw e en us
and th em , and w h ic h G o v e rn o r P h illip laboured to im p ro v e w h en e v e r
h e had an o p p o r tu n ity . . B u t it m ig h t h a v e been fo re fe en th a t this
w o u ld u n a v o id a b ly h a p p e n : the c o n v id s w e r e e v e r y w h e r e f t r a g g lin g
ab ou t, collecting., animals an d g um to fe ll to th e p eop le o f th e
tranfports, w h o at th e fame tim e w e r e p ro cu r in g fpears, ih ie ld s ,
fw o rd s , filh in g -lin e s , - and o th e r articles from th e nativ e s, to c a r r y
to E u r o p e ; th e lofs o f w h ic h m u ft h a v e be en attended w ith m a n y
in con v en ien ce s to th e ow n e rs , as i t w a s fo on e v id en t that th e y w e r e
th e o n ly means w h e r e b y th e y obtained o r cou ld p rocu re th e ir d a ily
fu b fifte n c e ; and a lth o u gh fom e o f the fe p e o p le had been p u n ilh ed
fo r p u rch a fin g articles o f th e c o n v id s , th e p rac tice w a s carried on
fe c re tly , land attended w i th all th e bad e f fe d s w h ic h w e r e to be
e x p e d e d from it . W e alfo h ad th e m or tification to lea rn, th a t
M . D e la P eroufe had be en com pe lled to fire u p on th e nativ es at
B o t a n y B a y , w h e r e th e y fr e q u e n t ly an n o y ed his p eo p le w h o w e r e
em p lo y ed on fliore . T h is circum ftan ce m a te r ia lly a ffe d e d us, as
th o fe w h o had rendered th is v io len c e n e ce ffa ry could n o t d ifc rim inate
b e tw e en us and th em . W e w e r e h ow e v e r p e r f e d ly co n v in ced th a t
n o th in g {hort o f th e g rea te ft n e ce ffity cou ld h a v e ind uced M . D e la
P e ro u fe 'to ta k e fu ch a ftep , as w e heard h im declare, th a t it w a s
am o n g th e p ar ticu la r in f t ru d io n s th a t he re ce ived from his fo v e re ign ,
to end eavour b y e v e r y p oflib le means to acquire and cu ltiv a te th e
frien d lh ip o f th e natives o f fu ch places as he m ig h t d ifco v e r o r v i f i t ;
an d to av o id e x e r c ifin g a n y a d o f h o ftility u p on th em . In obedience
to this h um an e com m an d , th e re w a s n o d oub t b u t h e forbore u fin g
fo r c e un til forbearance w o u ld h a v e been d angerous, and h e h ad
be en ta u g h t a leffon at M a o u n a , one o f the Ille s des N a v ig a te u r s ,
th a t the tempers o f favages w e r e n o t to be tru fted too fa r ; fo r w e
w e r e in fo rm ed , that o n th e v e r y d a y and h o u r o f th e ir departure
from that ifland , th e boats o f the. tw o {hips, w h ic h w e r e fen t fo r a
la ft load o f w a te r , w e r e attacked b y the nativ es w i th ftones. and clubs,
d a n d