1^8 cook's VOYAGE TO JAN. 



Being desirous of knowing the use of the stick 

 which one of our visitors carried in his hand, I made 

 signs to them to shew me; and so far succeeded, 

 that one of them set up a piece of wood as a mark, 

 and threw at it, at the distance of about twenty 

 yards. But we had little reason to commend his 

 dexterity; for after repeated trials, he was still very 

 wide from the object. Omai, to shew them how 

 much superior our weapons were to their's, then fired 

 his musket at it; which alarmed them so much, 

 that notwithstanding all we could do or say, they ran 

 instantly into the woods. One of them was so fright- 

 ened, that he let drop an axe and two knives, that 

 had been given to him. From us, however, they went 

 to the place where some of the Discovery's people 

 were employed in taking water into their boat. The 

 officer of that party, not knowing that they had paid 

 us so friendly a visit, nor what their intent might be, 

 fired a musket in the air, which sent them off with 

 the greatest precipitation. 



Thus ended our first interview with the natives. 

 Immediately after their final retreat, judging that 

 their fears would prevent their remaining near enough 

 to observe what was passing, I ordered the two pigs, 

 being a boar and sow, to be carried about a mile 

 within the woods, at the head of the bay. I saw 

 them left there, by the side of a fresh-water brook. A 

 young bull and a cow, and some sheep and goats, 

 were also, at first, intended to have been left by me, 

 as an additional present to Van Diemen's Land. But 

 I soon laid aside all thoughts of this, from a persua- 

 sion that the natives, incapable of entering into my 

 views of improving their country, would destroy 

 them. If ever they should meet with the pigs, I 

 have no doubt this will be their fate. But as that 

 race of animals soon becomes wild, and is fond of the 

 thickest cover of the woods, there is great probability 

 of their being preserved. An open place must have 



