142 FROM CONCEPTION BAY 



tile behaviour of the islanders, and which was given 

 me in the sequel at the Sandwich islands, by 

 Alexander Adams, I will now communicate to the 

 reader. This Adams, an Englishman by birth, 

 commanded, in the year 1816, the brig Ka- 

 humanna, belonging to the king of the Sandwich 

 islands, and had before served on board the same 

 brig when it was called the Forrester, of London, 

 as second in command to Captain Piccort, (Piggot,) 

 who sold it to the king. The captain of the 

 schooner, Nancy, from New London, in America, 

 whose name Adams did not mention to me, em- 

 ployed himself, in the year 1805, in the island of 

 Massafuero, in catching a kind of seal, which we 

 call in Russia, Jcotick (sea-cat). The skin of this 

 animal is sold at a high price in the markets of 

 China, and therefore the Americans try to find out 

 their haunts in all parts of the world. This animal 

 was accidentally discovered, and immediately hunt- 

 ed in the hitherto uninhabited island of Massafuero, 

 which lies west of Juan Fernandez, where criminals 

 are sent from Chili. But as this island afforded 

 no safe anchoring-place, the ship was obliged to 

 remain under sail ; and as he had not men enough 

 to employ part of them for the chase, he resolved 

 to sail to Easter Island, and to steal some men 

 and women, to bring them to Massafuero, there 

 to establish a colony, which should regularly carry 

 on the seal fishery. In pursuance of this wicked 

 design, he landed at Cook's Bay, where he en- 



