THE PACIFIC OCEAN. ^39 



As foon as day-liffht appeared, the natives afhore difplay- _ '778- 



•^ " * ' ' ^ December. 



ed a white flag, which we conceived to be a fignal of ' ^-— ' 



peace and friendfliip. Some of them ventured out after us ; 

 but the wind frefliening, and it not being fafe to wait, they 

 were foon left aflern. 



In the afternoon, after making another attempt to weather 

 theEaftern extreme, which failed, I gave it up, and run down 

 to the Difcovery. Indeed, it was of no confequence to get round 

 the ifland ; for we had feen its extent to the South Eaft, 

 which was the thing I aimed at ; and, according to the in- 

 formation which we had got from the natives, there is no 

 other ifland to the windward of this. However, as we were 

 fo near the South Eafl end of it, and as the leaft fliift of 

 wind, in our favour, would ferve to carry us round, I did not 

 wholly give up the idea of weathering it ; and therefore con- 

 tinued to ply. 



On the 20th, at noon, this South Eaft point bore South, Sunday 20. 

 three leagues diftant ; the fnowy hills Weft North Weft ; and 

 we were about four miles from the neareft fhore. In the af- 

 ternoon, fome of the natives came off in their canoes, 

 bringing with them a few pigs and plantains. The latter 

 were very acceptable, having had no vegetables for fome 

 days; but the fupply we now received was fo inconlider- 

 able, being barely fufficient for one day, that I ftood in 

 again the next morning, till within three or four miles of Monday 21, 

 the land, where we were met by a number of canoes, laden 

 with provifions. We brought to, and continued trading 

 with the people in them, till four in the afternoon ; when, 

 having got a pretty good fupply, we made fail, and ftretched 

 off to the Northward. 



3 Z 2 I had 



