1774. ROUND THE WOULD. 81 



t > 



some intercourse with them, and to give Mr. Forster 

 an opportunity of collecting something in his way. 

 We saw our people land without the least opposition 

 being made by a few natives who were on the shores. 

 Some little time after, observing forty or fifty 

 more, all armed, coming to join them, we stood 

 close in shore in order to be ready to support our 

 people in case of an attack. But nothing of this 

 kind happened ; and soon after our boats returned 

 aboard, when Mr. Cooper informed me that, on his 

 landing, only a few of the natives met him on the 

 beach, but there were many in the skirts of the woods 

 with spears in their hands. The presents he made 

 them were received with great coolness, which 

 plainly showed we were unwelcome visitors. When 

 their reinforcement arrived, he thought proper to 

 embark, as the day was already far spent, and I had 

 given orders to avoid an attack by all possible means. 

 When his men got into the boats, some were for 

 pushing them ofTi others for detaining them ; but, at 

 last, they suffered them to depart at their leisure. 

 They brought on board five dogs, which seemed to 

 be in plenty there. They saw no fruit but cocoa- 

 nuts, of which they got, by exchanges, two dozen. 

 One of our people got a dog for a single plantain, 

 which led us to conjecture they had none of this 

 fruit. 



This island, which is called by the inhabitants 

 Tiookea, was discovered and visited by Commodore 

 Byron. It has something of an oval shape, is about 

 ten leagues in circuit, lying in the direction of east 

 south-east, and west north-west, and situated in the 

 latitude of 14 &?' 30" S., longitude 144 56' W. The 

 inhabitants of this island, and perhaps of all the low 

 ones, are of a much darker colour than those of the 

 higher islands, and seem to be of a more ferine dis- 

 position. This may be owing to their situation. 

 Nature not having bestowed her favours to these low 

 islands with that profusion she has done to some of 



