Wednef. 



THE P A C I F I C O C E A N. i8i 



we were fcill two leaj^ues to leeward at eic:hc o'clock the ^'n- 

 following morning. Soon after, I lent two armed boats ' — ^ — -i 

 from the Refolution, and one from the Difcovery, under 

 the command of Lieutenant Gore, to look for anchoring- 

 ground, and a landing-place. In the mean time, we plyed 

 up under the illand with the fhips. 



Jud as the boats were putting off, we obferved feveral 

 fingle canoes coming from the flrore. They went firft to 

 the Difcovery, flie being the nearcft fhip. It was not long 

 after, when three of thefe canoes came along-fide of the 

 Pvcfolution, each conducted by one man. They are long 

 and narrow, and fupported by outriggers. The flern is 

 elevated about three or four feet, fomething like a fhip's 

 flern-poft. The head is flat above, but prow-like below, and 

 turns down at the extremity, like the end of a violin. Some 

 knives, beads, and other trifles were convc}'ed to our vi- 

 fiters ; and they gave us a few cocoa-nuts, upon our afking 

 for them. But they did not part with them by way of ex- 

 change for what they had received from us. For they 

 feemed to have no idea of bartering ; nor did they appear 

 to eftimate any of our prefents at a high rate. 



With a little perfuafien, one of them made his canoe faft 

 to the fliip, and came on board ; and the other two, en- 

 couraged by his example, foon followed him. Their whole 

 behaviour marked that they were quite at their eafe, and 

 felt no fort of apprehenfion of our detaining, or uflng 

 them ill. 



After their departure, another canoe arrived, condu(5t- 

 ed by a man who brought a bunch of plantains as a 

 prefent to me ; afldng for me by name, having learnt it 

 from Omai, who was fent before us in the boat with Mr. 



8 Gore. 



