1787. cloaks, caps, mats, fifhing-lines and hooks, necklaces, &c. &c. 1
i_ i probably may attempt to defcribe them at a future opportunity.
They likewife brought great numbers of beautiful bird-fkins, in
excellent prefervation: thefe were generally made up in parcels of
ten each, by a wooden lkewer run through their beaks. On our
■ wilhing to procure fome of them alive, we foon found plenty of
bird-catchers, and the living birds were fold nearly as cheap as the
preferred ones: they are near the fize of a robin, the breaft and
throat of a molt beautiful lively red, with a long beak, the wings
and back a deep brown. I am informed by Mr. Hogan, Surgeon
of the King George, who I before obferved to thee, has ftudied
Natural Hiftory, that they are a fpecies of the humming-bird.
Thefe birds being purchafed by us with great avidity, the natives
were induced to bring every thing of the kind they could lay hold
of, among which was a fpecies of wild-duck. Captain Dixon, on
feeing them, concluded the ifland afforded plenty of game, and
being fond of fhooting, took two or three opportunities of going
on fhore with his gun, attended only by a fervant, in one of the
Indian canoes. The man to whom the canoe belonged had been
very affiduous in bringing oft water, and fuch other articles for
our ufe, as were in his power5 indeed he had been greatly noticed
by many of us, and treated kindly, particularly by Captain Dixon,
on account of the great refemblance he bore to one of our people:
the man feemed highly fenfible of the preference given to him before
his neighbours, and was not a little proud of his new office.
The firfl time our Captain went on lhore, he was apprehenfive
that the natives, by crowding about him, would fpoil his diverfion;
but he found himfelf agreeably miftaken. Curiofity was excited in
a much lefs degree here than at Whahoo; inftead of being fur-
rounded by crowds of idle, inquifitive gazers, the people generally
2 ftuck
■ ftuck clofe to whatever employments they were engaged in, fuch as j g g r
manufacturing cloth, making lines, ropes, &c. fo that he traverfed gj— ,— j
the country with as much eafe, as he could have done in England.
Contrary to his expectation, he did not find game very plentiful,
yet never returned without fome fpoils of the field, fuch as ducks,
terns, a fpecies like our water-hen, and-various other kinds.
By this time, the wood we procured at Whahoo began to grow
fhort, on account of the conftant fires: we were obliged to keep for -
heating water to fcald hogs, and various other purpofes. On this
we applied to the natives for fome, though without any fanguine
hopes of our application being fuccefsful, as the mountains where
the woods grow are farther up the country on this ifland, than at
any of the others; however, our application was very fuccefsful,
the natives to a man engaging in this traffic, and every individual
bringing us more or lefs of the article we wanted, though it was
evident, from many poles and rafters brought for fale, and which
had been recently pulled out of the ground, that their fences, and
perhaps houfes, had been demolifhed for our accommodation, and I
may fay, their profit; yet this proceeding ferves to fhew, that any
thing whatever this ifland, or indeed any of the group affords, may
eafily be obtained, fo great is the value they- fet on iron.
The weather continuing unfettled, and the fupply o f vegetables
being irifufficient to ferve us daily, it was determined to make
Oneehow the firft opportunity; fo early in the morning o f the
10th January, Captain Portlock made the fignal for weighing
anchor. I have before obferved, that he lay farther out at feathan
we did, fo that he was favoured with a good Eafterly breeze, at
the fame time we were becalmed, and could not poffibly anfwer his
fignal. After making a fhort board, finding the wind light and
p baffling,