2,54 cook's first voyage sept. 



as we had dined, made room for the seamen and ser- 

 vants, who immediately took our places : they could 

 not dispatch all that we had left, but the women who 

 came to clear away the bowls and baskets, obliged 

 them to carry away with them what they had not 

 eaten. As wine generally warms and opens the 

 heart, we took an opportunity, when we thought its 

 influence began to be felt, to revive the subject of 

 the buffaloes and sheep, of which we had not in all 

 this time heard a syllable, though they were to have 

 been brought down early in the morning. But our 

 Saxon Dutchman, with great phlegm, began to com- 

 municate to us the contents of the letter which he 

 pretended to have received from the Governor of 

 Concordia. He said, that after acquainting him that 

 a vessel had steered from thence towards the island 

 where we were now ashore, it required him, if such 

 ship should apply for provisions in distress, to relieve 

 her ; but not to suffer her to stay longer than was 

 absolutely necessary, nor to make any large presents 

 to the inferior people, or to leave any with those of 

 superior rank to be afterwards distributed among 

 them : but he was graciously pleased to add, that we 

 were at liberty to give beads and other trifles in ex- 

 change for petty civilities, and palm-wine. 



It was the general opinion, that this letter was a fic- 

 tion ; that the prohibitory orders were feigned with a 

 view to get money from us for breaking them ; and that, 

 by precluding our liberality to the natives, this man 

 hoped more easily to turn it into another channel. 



In the evening, we received intelligence from our 

 trading-place that no buffaloes or hogs had been 

 brought down, and only a few sheep, which had been 

 taken away before our people, who had sent for mo- 

 ney, could procure it. Some fowls, however, had 

 been bought, and a large quantity of a kind of syrup 

 made of the juice of the palm-tree, which, though 

 infinitely superior to molasses or treacle, sold at a 

 very low price. We complained of our disappoint- 



