1774'. ROUND THE WORLD. 141 



to their habitations, they all fled to the wood*, ex- 

 cept two or three men, who stood on a rising ground 

 near the shore, with their arms in their hands. The 

 moment we landed, they knew us. Joy then took 

 place of fear, and the rest of the natives hurried out 

 of the woods, and embraced us over and over again, 

 leaping and skipping about like madmen ; but I ob- 

 served that they would not suffer some women, whom 

 we saw at a distance, to come near us. After we 

 had made them presents of hatchets, knives, and 

 what else we had with us, they gave us in return a 

 large quantity of fish, which they had just caught. 

 There were only a few amongst them whose faces we 

 could recognise ; and on our asking why they were 

 afraid of us, and inquiring for some of our old ac- 

 quaintances by name, they talked much about killing, 

 which was so variously understood by us, that we 

 could gather nothing from it ; so that, after a short 

 stay, we took leave, and went on board. 



Next morning early, our friends, according to a 

 promise they made us the preceding evening, paying 

 us a visit, brought with them a quantity of fine fish, 

 which they exchanged for Otaheitean cloth, &e. and 

 then returned to their habitations. 



On the 26th we got into the after-hold four boat- 

 load of shingle ballast, and struck down six guns, 

 keeping only six on deck. Our good friends the 

 natives having brought us a plentiful supply of fish, 

 afterwards went on shore to the tents, and informed 

 our people there, that a ship like ours had been 

 lately lost in the Strait ; that some of the people got 

 on shore ; and that the natives stole their clothes, 

 &c. for which several were shot ; that afterwards, 

 when they could tire no longer, the natives having 

 got the better, killed them with their Patapatoos, and 

 eat them ; but that they themselves had no hand in 

 the affair, which, they said, happened at Vanna 

 Aroa, near Teerawhitte, on the other side of the 

 Strait. One man said it was two moons a£0 ; but 



