Although he spoke to
several, he was at last obliged to go himself, and, by way of revenge, as
it was thought, left not a nut on the tree, taking what he wanted himself,
and giving the rest to some of our people.
When I got them on board, I went with them all over the ship, which they
viewed with uncommon surprise and attention. We happened to have for their
entertainment a kind of pie or pudding made of plantains, and some sort of
greens which we had got from one of the natives. On this and on yams they
made a hearty dinner; for, as to the salt beef and pork, they would hardly
taste them. In the afternoon, having made each of them a present of a
hatchet, a spike-nail, and some medals, I conducted them ashore.
Mr Forster and I then went over to the other side of the harbour, and,
having tried, with Fahrenheit's thermometer, the head of one of the hot
springs, we found that the mercury rose to 191 deg.. At this time the tide was
up within two or three feet of the spring, so that we judged, it might, in
some degree, be cooled by it.
