17^9. ROUND THE WORLD. 3.51 



the officers neglecting either to punish or fright them, 

 one of the midshipmen who had been defrauded in 

 his bargain, had recourse, for revenge, to an expe- 

 dient which was equally ludicrous and severe : he 

 got a fishing line, and when the man who had cheated 

 him was close under the ship's side in his canoe, he 

 heaved the lead with so good an aim, that the hook 

 caught him by the backside ; he then pulled the 

 line, and the man holding back, the hook broke 

 in the shank, and the beard was left sticking in 

 the flesh. 



During the course of this day, though we did not 

 range more than six or eight leagues of the coast, we 

 had alongside and on board the ship between four 

 and five hundred of the natives, which is a proof that 

 this part of the country is well inhabited. 



At eight o'clock the next morning, we were within 

 a mile of a group of islands which lie close under the 

 main, at the distance of two-and-twenty miles from 

 Cape Bret, in the direction of N. W. by W. i W. 

 At this place, having but little wind, w^e lay about 

 two hours, during which time several canoes came 

 off, and sold tis some fish, which we called Cavalles, 

 and for that reason I gave the same name to the 

 islands. These people were very insolent, frequently 

 threatening us, even while they were selling their 

 fish ; and when some more canoes came up, they 

 began to pelt us with stones. Some small shot were 

 then fired, and hit one of them while he had a stone 

 in his hand, in the very action of throwing it into 

 the ship : they did not, however, desist, till some 

 others had been wounded, and then they went away, 

 and we stood off to sea. 



The wind being directly against us, we kept ply- 

 ing to windward till the 29th, when we had rather 

 lost than gained ground ; I therefore bore up for a 

 bay which lies to the westward of Cape Bret ; at this 

 time it was about two leagues to leeward of us ; and 

 at about eleven o'clock we anchored under the south 



