When We Rose Up, Many Of The Common People
Rushed In, To Pick Up The Crumbs Which Had Fallen, And For Which They
Searched The Leaves Very Narrowly.
This leads me to believe, that though
there is plenty of pork at these isles, but little falls to
Their share.
Some of our gentlemen being present when these pigs were killed and
dressed, observed the chief to divide the entrails, lard, &c. into ten or
twelve equal parts, and serve it out to certain people. Several daily
attended the ships, and assisted the butchers, for the sake of the entrails
of the hogs we killed. Probably little else falls to the share of the
common people. It however must be owned, that they are exceedingly careful
of every kind of provision, and waste nothing that can be eaten by man;
flesh and fish especially.
In the afternoon we were entertained with a play. Plays, indeed, had been
acted almost every day since we had been here, either to entertain
us, or for their own amusement, or perhaps both.[2]
Next morning produced some circumstances which fully prove the timorous
disposition of these people. We were surprised to find that none of them
came off to the ships as usual. Two men belonging to the Adventure having
staid on shore all night, contrary to orders, my first conjectures were,
that the natives had stripped them, and were now afraid to come near us,
lest we should take some step to revenge the insult; but in order to be
better satisfied, Captain Furneaux and I went ashore to Oreo's house, which
we found quite empty; he and all his family gone, and the whole
neighbourhood, in a manner, quite deserted.
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