CIO AVOYAGETO 



'778. made it neccflary to fct all the fail we could, in order to 



January, 



clear the fhore; fo that, before we had tolerable fea-roora, 

 we were driven fome diftance to leeward. We made a flretch 

 off, with a view to regain the road ; but having very little 

 wind, and a ftrong current againft us, I found, that this was 

 not to be effecfted. I therefore difpatched Meffrs. King and 

 Williamfon afliore, with three boats, for water, and to trade 

 for refreflaments. At the fame time, I fent an order to Cap- 

 tain Gierke, to put to fea after me, if he fliould fee that I 

 could not recover the road. Being in hopes of finding one, 

 or perhaps a harbour, at the Well end of the ifland, I wa« 

 the lefs anxious about getting back to my former llation. 

 But as I had fent the boats thither, we kept to windward as 

 much as pollible ; notv/ithllanding which, at noon, we were 

 three leagues to leev^^ard. As v/e drew near the Weft end of 

 the ifland, we found the coaft to round gradually to the 

 North Eaft, without forming a creek, or cove, to flielter a 

 veffel from the force of the fwell, which rolled in from the 

 North, and broke upon the fliore in a prodigious furf j fo 

 that all hopes of finding a harbour here vaniflied. 



Several canoes came off in the morning, and followed us 

 as we flood out to fea, bartering their roots and other ar- 

 ticles. Being very averfe to believe thefe people to be can- 

 nibals, notwithftanding the fufpicious circumflance whiclx 

 had happened the day before, we took occafion now to make 

 fome more inquiries about this. A fmall wooden inftru- 

 ment, befct with fliarks teeth, had been purchafcd ; and 

 from its refemblance to the faw or knife ufcd by the New 

 Zealandcrs, to diffect the bodies of their enemies, it was 

 fufpcc^ed to have the fame ufe here. One of the natives 

 being afked about this, immediately gave the name of the 

 inflrumcnt, and told us, that it was ufcd to cut out the 



^ flcfliy 



