50 cook's second voyage august, 



of them brandishing a club, with which he struck 

 the ship's side, and committed other acts of defiance, 

 but at last offered to exchange it for a string of beads, 

 and some other trifles. These were sent down to 

 him by a line ; but the moment they were in his pos- 

 session, he and his companions paddled off in all 

 haste, without giving the club, or any thing else, in 

 return. This was what I expected, and indeed what 

 I was not sorry for, as I wanted an opportunity to 

 show the multitude on shore the effect of our fire- 

 arms, without materially hurting any of them. Hav- 

 ing a fowling-piece, loaded with small shot, (No. 3.) 

 I gave the fellow the contents ; and, when they were 

 above musket-shot offj I ordered some of the mus- 

 ketoons, or wall-pieces, to be fired, which made 

 them leap out of the canoe, keep under her off side, 

 and swim with her ashore. This transaction seemed 

 to make little or no impression on the people there. 

 On the contrary, they began to halloo, and to make 

 sport of it. 



After mooring the ship, by four anchors, with her 

 broadside to the landing-place, hardly a musket- 

 shot off, and placing our artillery in such a manner 

 as to command the whole harbour, I embarked with 

 the marines, and a party of seamen, in three boats, 

 and rowed in for the shore. It hath been already 

 mentioned, that the two divisions of the natives were 

 drawn up on each side the landing-place. They had 

 left a space between them of about thirty or forty 

 yards, in which were laid, to the most advantage, a 

 few small bunches of plantains, a yam, and two or 

 three roots. Between these and the water were stuck 

 upright in the sand, for what purpose I never could 

 learn, four small reeds, about two feet from each 

 other, in a line at right angles to the shore, where 

 they remained for two or three days after. The old 

 man before mentioned, and two more, stood by these 

 things, inviting us, by signs, to land ; but I had not 

 forgot the trap I was so near being caught in at the 



