49S cook's voyage to jan* 



from the shore. But whether from a fear of losing 

 their goods in the sea, or from the uncertainty of a 

 market, they never brought much with them. The 

 principal article procured was salt, which was ex- 

 tremely ood. 



On the 5th in the morning, we passed the south 

 point of the island, which lies in the latitude of 

 18 54' ; and beyond it we found the coast to trend 

 N. 60 W. On this point stands a pretty large vil- 

 lage, the inhabitants of which thronged off to the 

 ship with hogs and women. It was not possible to 

 keep the latter from coming on board ; and. no wo- 

 men I ever met with were less reserved. Indeed it 

 appeared to me that they visited us with no other 

 view than to make a surrender of their persons. As 

 I had now got a quantity of salt, I purchased no hogs 

 but such as were fit for salting ; refusing all that were 

 under size. However we could seldom get any above 

 fifty or sixty pounds' weight. It was happy for us 

 that we still had some vegetables on board ; for we 

 now received few such productions. Indeed this 

 part of the country, from its appearance, did not 

 seem capable of affording them. Marks of its having 

 been laid waste by the explosion of a volcano^ every 

 where presented themselves ; and though we had as 

 yet seen nothing like one upon the island, the devas- 

 tation that it had made, in this neighbourhood, was 

 visible to the naked eye. 



This part of the coast is sheltered from the reign- 

 ing winds ; but we could find no bottom to anchor 

 upon ; a line of an hundred and sixty fathoms not 

 reaching it, within the distance of half a mile from 

 the shore. The islanders having all left us toward 

 the evening, we ran a few miles down the coast \ and 

 then spent the night standing off and on. 



The next morning the natives visited us again, 

 bringing with them the same articles of commerce 

 as before. Being now near the shore, I sent Mr. 

 Bligh, the master, in a boat, to sound the coast, with 



