At Length, Having Come Before The Port We Were In Search Of, We Attempted
To Turn Into It, The Wind
Being right out; but as it blew in violent
squalls from this high land, one of these took us just
After we had put in
stays, payed the ship off again, and before she wore round, she was within
a few yards of being driven against the rocks to leeward. This obliged us
to stand out to sea, and to make a stretch to windward; after which we
stood in again, and without attempting to turn, anchored in the entrance of
the bay in thirty-four fathoms water, a fine sandy bottom. This was no
sooner done, than about thirty or forty of the natives came off to us in
ten or twelve canoes; but it required some address to get them alongside.
At last a hatchet, and some spike-nails, induced the people in one canoe to
come under the quarter-gallery; after which, all the others put alongside,
and having exchanged some breadfruit and fish for small nails, &c. retired
ashore, the sun being already set. We observed a heap of stones on the bow
of each canoe, and every man to have a sling tied round his hand.
Very early next morning, the natives visited us again in much greater
numbers than before; bringing with them bread-fruit, plantains, and one
pig, all of which they exchanged for nails, &c. But in this traffic they
would frequently keep our goods, and make no return, till at last I was
obliged to fire a musket-ball over one man who had several times served us
in this manner; after which they dealt more fairly; and soon after several
of them came on board.
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