At Night Our Boats Came Aboard With Wood, And The Next Morning I
Went Myself With Both Boats Up The
River to the watering-place,
carrying with me all such trifles and iron-work as I thought most
proper to
Induce them to a commerce with us; but I found them very
shy and roguish. I saw but two men and a boy. One of the men, by
some signs, was persuaded to come to the boat's side, where I was;
to him I gave a knife, a string of beads, and a glass bottle. The
fellow called out, "Cocos, cocos," pointing to a village hard by,
and signified to us that he would go for some; but he never returned
to us: and thus they had frequently of late served our men. I took
eight or nine men with me, and marched to their houses, which I
found very mean, and their doors made fast with withies.
I visited three of their villages, and, finding all the houses thus
abandoned by the inhabitants, who carried with them all their hogs,
&c., I brought out of their houses some small fishing-nets in
recompense for those things they had received of us. As we were
coming away we saw two of the natives; I showed them the things that
we carried with us, and called to them, "Cocos, cocos," to let them
know that I took these things because they had not made good what
they had promised by their signs, and by their calling out "Cocos."
While I was thus employed the men in the yawl filled two hogsheads
of water, and all the barrecoes.
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