312 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



having ever been here before us ; and, indeed, should any 

 one be so unfortunate as to be accidently driven upon the 

 island, or left there, it is hard to say that he could be able 

 to prolong existence. A ship touching here must expect 

 nothing but fish and turtle, and of these an abundant 

 supply may be depended upon. 



" As we kept our Christmas here, I called this discovery, 

 Christmas Island. 



" On the 2nd of January, 1778, at daybreak, we weighed 

 anchor, and resumed our course to the north. We dis- 

 covered no land till daybreak in the morning of the 18th, 

 when an island made its appearance, and soon after we saw 

 more land, entirely detached from the former. 



" On the 19th, at sunrise, the island first seen bore east 

 several leagues distant. This being directly to windward, 

 which prevented our getting near it, I stood for the other, 

 and not long after discovered a third island in the direction 

 of west-north-west, as far distant as land could be seen. 

 Soon after, we saw some canoes coming off from the shore 

 toward the ships. I immediately brought to, to give them 

 time to join us. They had from three to six men each, and 

 on their approach we were agreeably surprised to find that 

 they spoke the language of Otaheite, and of the other islands 

 we had lately visited. It required but very little address 

 to get them to come alongside, but no entreaties could 

 prevail upon any of them to come on board. I tied some 

 bras? medals to a rope, and gave them to those in one of 

 the canoes, who, in return, tied some small mackerel to 

 the rope as an equivalent. This was repeated, and some 

 small nails, or bits of iron, which they valued more than 

 anj other article, were given them. 



" These people were of a brown colour, and though of the 

 common size, were stoutly made. There was little 

 difference in the casts of their colour, but a considerable 

 variation in their features some of their visages not being 

 very unlike those of Europeans. They seemed very mild, 

 and had no arms of any kind, if we except some small stones, 

 which they had evidently brought for their own defence, 

 and these they threw overboard, when they found that they 

 were not wanted. 



" Seeing no signs of an anchoring place at this eastern 

 extreme of the island, I ranged along the south-east side, at 

 the distance of half a league from the shore. As soon 

 a? we made sail the canoes left us, but others came off 

 as we proceeded along the coast, bringing with them 

 roasting pigs, and some very fine potatoes, which they 

 exchanged, as the others had done, for whatever was 

 offered to them. Several small pigs were purchased for a 



