THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



331 



on this traffic, may perhaps admit of feme doubt. For »77.5. 

 though we found amongft them things doubtlcfs of Euro- 

 pean manufacture, or at lead derived from fome civilized 

 nation, fuch as iron and brafs, it, by no means, appears that 

 they receive them immediately from thefc nations. For we 

 never obferved the lead fign of tlieir having feen fliips like 

 ours before, nor of their having traded with fuch people. 

 Many circumflances ferve to prove this almoft beyond a 

 doubt. They were earnefl in their inquiries, by figns, on 

 our arrival, if we meant to fettle amongll them ; and if we 

 came as friends: fignifying, at the fame time, that they 

 gave the wood and water freely, from friendlhip. This not 

 only proves, that they confidcred the place as entirely their 

 property, without fearing any fuperiority; but the inquiry 

 would have been an unnatural one, on a fuppofition that 

 any fliips had been here before ; had trafficked, and fupplied 

 themfelves with wood and water ; and had then departed ; 

 for, in that cafe, they might rcafonably expecft we would 

 do the fame. They, indeed, cxprcfled no marks of fur- 

 prize at feeing our fliips. But this, as I obferved before, 

 may be imputed to their natural indolence of temper, and 

 want of curiofity. Nor were they even ftartled at the report 

 of a mufquet ; till, one day, upon their endeavouring to 

 make us fenfible, that their arrows and fpears could not 

 penetrate the hide-drelTes, one of our gentlemen fliot a muf- 

 quet ball through one of them, folded fix times. At this they 

 were fo much ilaggcred, that they plainly difcovered their 

 ignorance of the ciFe^t of fire-arms. This was very often 

 confirmed afterward, when we ufcd them at their village, 

 and other places, to flioot birds, the manner of which 

 plainly confounded them 5 and our explanations of the ufe 



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