THIRD VOYAGE 245 



Gore, with two boats, to endeavour to procure some 

 food for our cattle. As there seemed to be no inhabi- 

 tants here to obstruct our taking away whatever we 

 might think proper, our boats no sooner reached the 

 west side of the island, but they ventured in, and Mr. 

 Gore and his party got safe on shore. 



" The supply obtained here, consisted of about a 

 hundred cocoanuts for each ship ; we also got for our 

 cattle some grass, and a quantity of the leaves and 

 branches of young cocoa-trees, and of the wharra tree, 

 as it is called at Otaheite. 



" The only birds seen here were a beautiful cuckoo, 

 of a chestnut brown, variegated with black, which was 

 shot ; and upon the shore, some egg-birds, a small sort 

 of curlew, blue and white herons, and great numbers ol 

 noddies. 



" One of our people caught a lizard of a most forbidding 

 aspect, though small, running up a tree ; and many of 

 another sort were seen. 



" Though there were, at this time, no fixed inhabitants 

 upon the island, indubitable marks remained of its being, 

 at least, occasionally frequented. In particular, a few 

 empty huts were found. In one of them Mr. Gore left a 

 hatchet and some nails, to the full value of what we 

 took away. 



" As soon as the boats were hoisted in, I made sail 

 again to the northward. Although Hervey's Island, dis- 

 covered in 1773, was not above fifteen leagues distant, 

 yet we did not get sight of it till daybreak in the morning. 

 As we drew near it, we observed several canoes put off 

 towards the ships. There were from three ^to six men 

 in each of them. They stopped at the distance of about 

 a stone's throw from the ship, and it was some time 

 before Omai could prevail upon them to come alongside ; 

 but no intreaties could induce any of them to venture 

 on board. Indeed, their disorderly and clamourous 

 behaviour by no means indicated a disposition to trust us, 

 or treat us well. We afterwards learnt that they had 

 attempted to take some oars out of the Discovery's 

 boat that lay alongside, and struck a man who en- 

 deavoured to prevent them. They also cut away, with 

 a shell, a net with meat, which hung over that ship's 

 stern, and absolutely refused to restore it ; though we 

 afterwards purchased it of them. Those who were about 

 our ship behaved in the same daring manner. At the 

 same time, they immediately showed a knowledge of 

 bartering, and sold some fish they had for small nails, 

 of which they were immoderately fond, and called them 





