1779. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 21 



common with all the other islanders of these seas. 

 This circumstance was the more distressing, as it 

 sometimes obliged us to have recourse to acts of se- 

 verity, which we should willingly have avoided, if 

 the necessity of the case had not absolutely called 

 for them. Some of their most expert swimmers were 

 one day discovered under the ships, drawing out 

 the filling nails of the sheathing, which they per- 

 formed very dexterously by means of a short stick, 

 with a flint stone fixed in the end of it. To put a 

 stop to this practice, which endangered the very ex- 

 istence of the vessels, we at first fired small shot at 

 the offenders ; but they easily got out of our reach 

 by diving under the ship's bottom. It was there- 

 fore found necessary to make an example, by flog- 

 ging one of them on board the Discovery. 



About this time, a large party of gentlemen, from 

 both ships, set out on an excursion into the interior 

 parts of the country, with a view of examining its 

 natural productions. An account of this journey 

 will be given in a subsequent part of our narrative. 

 It is, therefore, only necessary at present to observe, 

 that it afforded Kaoo a fresh opportunity of showing" 

 his attention and generosity. For as soon as he was 

 informed of their departure, he sent a large supply 

 of provisions after them, together with orders, that 

 the inhabitants of the country through which they 

 were to pass, should give them every assistance in 

 their power. And, to complete the delicacy and 

 disinterestedness of his conduct, even the people he 

 employed could not be prevailed on to accept the 

 smallest present. After remaining out six days, our 

 officers returned, without having been able to pene- 

 trate above twenty miles into the island ; partly 

 from want of proper guides, and partly from the 

 impracticability of the country. 



The head of the Resolution's rudder being found 

 exceedingly shaken, and most of the pintles either 

 loose or broken, it was unhung, and sent on shore, on 



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