They Made Signs For Us To
Go In Towards The Shore, Pointing That Way.
It was squally weather,
which at first made me cautious of going too near; but the weather
beginning to
Look pretty well, I endeavoured to get into a bay ahead
of us, which we could have got into well enough at first; but while
we lay by, we were driven so far to leeward that now it was more
difficult to get in. The natives lay in their proas round us; to
whom I showed beads, knives, glasses, to allure them to come nearer.
But they would not come so nigh as to receive anything from us;
therefore I threw out some things to them, viz., a knife fastened to
a piece of board, and a glass bottle corked up with some beads in
it, which they took up, and seemed well pleased. They often struck
their left breast with their right hand, and as often held up a
black truncheon over their heads, which we thought was a token of
friendship, wherefore we did the like. And when we stood in towards
their shore, they seemed to rejoice; but when we stood off, they
frowned, yet kept us company in their proas, still pointing to the
shore. About five o'clock we got within the mouth of the bay, and
sounded several times, but had no ground, though within a mile of
the shore. The basin of this bay was about two miles within us,
into which we might have gone; but as I was not assured of anchorage
there, so I thought it not prudent to run in at this time, it being
near night, and seeing a black tornado rising in the west, which I
most feared.
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