T H EPACIFICOGEAN. 211 



that they grve, their articles of food are cocoa-nuts, fifli, '^77- 

 and turtle ; the ifland not producing plantains, or bread- • — v— * 

 fruit; and being deftitute of hogs and dogs. Their canoes, 

 of which near thirty were, at one time, in fight, are pretty 

 large, and well built. In the conftru6lion of the ftern, they 

 bear fome refemblance to thofe of Wateeoo -, and the head 

 projects out nearly in the fame manner ; but the extremity 

 is turned up inftead of down. 



Having but very little wind, it was one o'clock before we 

 drew near the North Weft part of the ifland ; the only part 

 where there feemed to be any probability of finding an- 

 chorage for our fhips, or a landing-place for our boats. In 

 this pofition, I fent Lieutenant King, with two armed boats, 

 to found and reconnoitre the coaft, while we flood off and on 

 with the fliips. The inftant the boats were hoifted out, our 

 vifiters in the canoes, who had remained along-fide all the 

 while, bartering their little trifles, fufpended their traffic, 

 and, pufliing for the fliore as faft as they could, came near 

 us no more. 



At three o'clock, the boats returned; and Mr. King in- 

 formed me, " That there was no anchorage for the fliips ; 

 and that the boats could only land on the outer edge of the 

 reef, which lay about a quarter of a mile from the dry 

 land. He faid, that a number of the natives came down 

 upon the reef, armed with long pikes and clubs, as if they 

 intended to oppofe his landing. And yet, when he drew 

 near enough, they threw fome cocoa-nuts to our people, 

 and invited them to come on fhore ; though, at the very 

 fame time, he obferved that the women were very bufy ' 



bringing down a freih fupply of fpears and darts. But, as 



E e 2 he 



