182 cook's voyage to jan. 



Whether these regulations, dictated by humanity, 

 had the desired effect, or no, time only can discover. 

 I had been equally attentive to the same object, when 

 1 first visited the Friendly Islands ; yet 1 afterward 

 found, with real concern, that I had not succeeded. 

 And I am much afraid, that this will always be the 

 case, in such voyages as ours, whenever it is neces- 

 sary to have a number of people on shore. The op- 

 portunities and inducements to an intercourse between 

 the sexes are then too numerous to be guarded against; 

 and however confident we may be of the health of 

 our men, we are often undeceived too late. It is 

 even a matter of doubt with me, if it be always in 

 the power of the most skilful of the faculty to pro- 

 nounce, with any certainty, whether a person who 

 has been under their care, in certain stages of this 

 malady, is so effectually cured, as to leave no possi- 

 bility of his being still capable of communicating the 

 taint. I think I could mention some instances which 

 justify my presuming to hazard this opinion. It is 

 likewise well known, that, amongst a number of men, 

 there are generally to be found some so bashful as 

 to endeavour to conceal their labouring under any 

 symptoms of this disorder. And there are others, 

 again, so profligate, as not to care to whom they 

 communicate it. Of this last, we had an instance at 

 Tongataboo, in the gunner of the Discovery, who 

 had been stationed on shore to manage the trade for 

 that ship. After he knew that he had contracted this 

 disease, he continued to have connections with dif- 

 ferent women, who were supposed not to have already 

 contracted it. His companions expostulated with 

 him without effect, till Captain Clerke, hearing of 

 this dangerous irregularity of conduct, ordered him 

 on board. 



While the boats w T ere occupied in examining the 

 coast, we stood on and off with the ships, waiting for 

 their return. About noon, Mr. Williamson came 

 back, and reported that he had seen a large pond 



