PACIFIC AND BEERINC'S STRAIT. 177 



CHAP. 

 VI. 



Tan. 



natives laid violent hands upon it, and demanded some- 

 thing more than had been given. To avoid disturb- 

 ance I complied with their request by doubling the {qT 6 

 original sum ; but this, so far from securing the drum, 

 rendered the probability of our obtaining it without 

 force more remote. I brought the old chief back to 

 explain the matter to him, but he shewed no disposi- 

 tion to interfere; and foreseeing the consequence of per- 

 sisting, I left our purchase in the hands of the island- 

 ers, disgusted with their dishonesty and cunning. 



On our return, about two o'clock in the after- 

 noon, we observed the meals of the natives laid out 

 upon tables, made of slabs of coral, raised about a 

 yard from the ground, and standing in the middle 

 of the paved areas in front of the huts. These 

 tables again resembled those in the Friendly Islands, 

 and the execrable sour pudding tied up in bundles 

 with banana-leaves, of which the fare of the natives 

 consisted, is the same as the mahie used there, at 

 Otaheite, and at the Marquesas, &c. ; but in flavour it 

 more immediately reminded us of the Nukahiwans. 



We found fewer companions in our retreat from 

 the village than at our introduction to it, and were 

 attended by three individuals only, who had at- 

 tached themselves to some of the officers, though 

 many followed at a distance. I was a little behind 

 the party, when a man whom I did not recollect 

 to have seen before, grasped me by the arm in 

 which I held my gun, with a feigned view of help- 

 ing me over the rugged path, while a second, put- 

 ting his arms across, stopped up the road ; several 

 others, at the same time, joined in the demand of 

 ' Homy ! homy !' and prepared us for what shortly 

 took place. I managed to get rid of my unruly 



vol. i. N 



