1/78. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. &59 



if not entirely, owing to one surly chief, who would 

 not let me enter their houses, following me wherever 

 1 went ; and several times, by expressive signs, mark- 

 ing his impatience that I should be gone. I attempted 

 in vain to sooth him by presents ; but though he did 

 not refuse them, they did not alter his behaviour. 

 Some of the young women, belter pleased with us 

 than was their inhospitable chief, dressed themselves 

 expeditiously in their best apparel, and assembling in 

 a body, welcomed us to their village, by joining in 

 a song, which was far from harsh or disagreeable. 



The day being now far spent, I proceeded for the 

 ships, round the north end of the large island ; meet- 

 ing, in my way, with several canoes laden with sar- 

 dines, which had been just caught, somewhere in the 

 east corner of the Sound. When I got on board, 1 

 was informed, that while I was absent the ships had 

 been visited by some strangers, in two or three large 

 canoes, who by signs made our people understand 

 that they had come from the south-east, beyond the 

 bay. They brought several skins, garments, and 

 other articles, which they bartered. But what was 

 most singular, two silver table spoons were purchased 

 from them, which, from their peculiar shape, we 

 supposed to be of Spanish manufacture. One of these 

 strangers wore them round his neck, by way of orna- 

 ment. These visitors also appeared to be more 

 plentifully supplied with iron than the inhabitants of 

 the Sound. 



The mizen-mast being finished, it was got in, and 

 rigged, on the 21st; and the carpenters were set to 

 work to make a new fore-top mast, to replace the one 

 that had been carried away some time before. 



Next morning, about eight o'clock, we were vi- 

 sited by a number of strangers in twelve or fourteen 

 canoes. They came into the cove from the south- 

 ward ; and as soon as they had turned the point of 

 it, they stopped, and lay drawn up in a body above 

 half an hour, about two or three hundred yards from 



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