igz 



A VOYAGE TO 



1777^ promifed to fend fome people to procure food for the cattle j 

 but it was not till pretty late in the afternoon, that we faw 

 them return with a few plantain-trees, which they carried 

 to our boats. 



In the mean time, Mr. Burney and I attempted again to 

 go to the beach ; but when we arrived, found ourfelves 

 watched by people, who, to appearance, had been placed 

 there for this purpofe." For v/hen I tried to wade in upon 

 the reef, one of them took hold of my clothes, and dragged 

 me back. I picked up fome fmall pieces of coral, which 

 they required me to throw down again ; and, on my refu- 

 fal, they made no fcruple to take them forcibly from me. 

 I had gathered fome fmall plants ; but thefe alfo I could not 

 be permitted to retain. And they took a fan from Mr. 

 Burney, which he had received as a prefent on coming 

 afhore. Omai faid, we had done wrong in taking up any 

 thing ; for it was not the cullom here to permit freedoms of 

 that kind to flrangers, till they had, in fome meafure, na- 

 turalized them to the country, by entertaining them with 

 feflivity for two or three days. 



Finding that the only method of procuring better treat- 

 ment was to yield implicit obedience to their will, we went 

 up again to the place we had left ; and they now promifed, 

 that we fliould have a canoe to carry us off to our boats, 

 after we had eaten of a repaft which had been prepared 

 for us. 



Accordingly, the fecond Chief, to whom we had been in- 

 troduced in the morning, having feated himfelf upon a low 

 broad ftool of blackifli hard wood, tolerably poliflied, and 

 directing the multitude to make a pretty large ring, made 

 us fit down by him. A confiderable number of cocoa-nuts 

 9 were 



