177^. HOUND THE WORLD. 247 



people who appeared to be so we'll able to supply our 

 many necessities, and remove at once the sickness 

 and discontent that had got footing among us. The 

 pinnace was hoisted out, and Mr. Gore, the second 

 lieutenant, sent to see if there was anv convenient 

 place to land, taking with him some trifles as pre- 

 sents to the natives, if any of them should appear. 

 While he was gone, we saw from the ship two men 

 on horseback, who seemed to be riding upon the hills 

 for their amusement, and often stopped to look at 

 the ship. By this we knew that the place had been 

 settled by Europeans, and hoped, that the many 

 disagreeable circumstances which always attend the 

 first establishment of commerce with savages, would 

 be avoided. In the mean time, Mr. Gore landed in 

 a small sandy cove near some houses, and was met 

 by eight or ten of the natives, who, as well in their 

 dress as their persons, very much resembled the 

 Malays : they were without arms, except the knives 

 which it is their custom to wear in their girdles, and 

 one of them had a jack-ass with him. They courteous- 

 ly invited him ashore, and conversed with him by 

 signs, but very little of the meaning of either party 

 could be understood by the other. In a short time, 

 he returned with this report, and, to our great mor- 

 tification, added, that there was no anchorage for the 

 ship. I sent him, however, a second time, with both 

 money and goods, that he might, if possible, pur- 

 chase some refreshments, at least for the sick ; and 

 Dr. Solander went in the boat with him. In the 

 mean time, 1 kept standing on and off with the ship, 

 which at this time was within about a mile of the 

 shore. Before the boat could land, we saw two other 

 horsemen, one of whom was in a complete European 

 dress, consisting of a blue coat, a white waistcoat, 

 and a laced hat : these people, when the boat came 

 to the shore, took little notice of her, but sauntered 

 about, and seemed to look with great curiosity at the 



r 4 



