THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 73 



friends, who had vifited us the night before, came off again. „ '779- 



° February. 



They allured us, that though the effects of our great guns, ' *■— ', 



this afternoon, had terrified the Chiefs exceedingly, they had 

 by no means laid afide their hoftile intentions, and advifed 

 us to be on our guard. 



The next morning, the boats of both mips were fent Wednef. 17. 

 afhore for water ; and the Difcovery was warped clofe to the 

 beach, in order to cover that fervice. We foon found, that 

 the intelligence which the priefts had fent us, was not with- 

 out foundation ; and that the natives were refolved to take 

 every opportunity of annoying us, when it could be done 

 without much rifk. 



Throughout all this group of iflands, the villages, for the 

 moil part, are fituated near the fea ; and the adjacent ground 

 is inclofed with ftone walls, about three feet high. Thefc, 

 we at fiift imagined, were intended for the divifion of pro- 

 perty ; but we now difcovered, that they ferved, and pro- 

 bably were principally defigned, for a defence againft in- 

 vafion. They confift of loofe ftones, and the inhabitants arc 

 very dexterous in lhifting them, with great quicknefs, to fuch 

 fituations, as the direction of the attack may require. In 

 the fides of the mountain, which hangs over the bay, they 

 have alio little holes, or caves, of confiderable depth, the 

 entrance of which is fecured by a fence of the fame kind. 

 From behind both thefe defences the natives kept perpetu- 

 ally haraffing our waterers with ftone s ; nor could the 

 fmall force we had on more, with the advantage of mufquets, 

 compel them to retreat. 



In this expofed fituation, our people were fo taken up in 

 attending to their own fafety, that they employed the whole 

 forenoon in filling only one ton of water. As it was there- 



Vol. III. L fore 



