132 cook's second voyage may, 



nails and other trifles ; though the nails are what 

 they set the most value on. The man and woman 

 who had the head, did not come off again. Having 

 a catalogue of words in their language, we called se- 

 veral things by name, which surprised them greatly. 

 They wanted it much, and offered a great quantity 

 of fish for it. 



Next morning they returned again, to the number 

 of fifty or sixty, with their chief at their head, as we 

 supposed, in five double canoes. They gave us their 

 implements of war, stone hatchets, and clothes, &c. 

 for nails and old bottles, which they put a great value 

 on. A number of the head men came on board us, 

 and it was with some difficulty we got them out of 

 the ship by fair means ; but on the appearance of a 

 musket with a fixed bayonet, they all went into their 

 canoes very quickly. We were daily visited by 

 more or less, who brought us fish in great plenty 

 for nails, beads, and other trifles, and behaved very 

 peaceably. 



We settled the astronomer with his instruments, 

 and a sufficient guard, on a small island, that is 

 joined to Motuara at low water, called the Hippa, 

 where there was an old fortified town that the natives 

 had forsaken. Their houses served our people to 

 live in ; and by sinking them about a foot inside, we 

 made them very comfortable. Having done this, we 

 struck our tents on the Motuara, and having re- 

 moved the ship farther into the cove, on the west 

 shore, moored her for the winter. We then erected 

 our tents near the river or watering place, and sent 

 ashore all the spars and lumber off the decks, that 

 they might be calked ; and gave her a winter coat 

 to preserve the hull and rigging. On the 11th of 

 May, we felt two severe shocks of an earthquake, 

 but received no kind of damage. On the 17th we 

 were surprised by the people firing guns on the 

 Hippa, and having sent the boat, as soon as she 



