314 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



Williamson, to look for a landing-place and for fresh water. 

 I ordered him that if he should find it necessary to land in 

 search of the latter, not to suffer more than one man to go 

 with him out of the boats. 



" While the boats were occupied in examining the coast, 

 we stood on and off with the ships, waiting for their return. 

 About noon Mr. Williamson came back, and reported that 

 he had seen a large pond near one of the villages which 

 contained fresh water. He also reported that he had 

 attempted to land in another place, but was prevented by 

 the natives, who, coming down to the boats in great 

 numbers, attempted to take away the oars, muskets, and 

 in short everything that they could lay hold of, and pressed 

 so thick upon him that he was obliged to fire, by which one 

 man was killed. But this unhappy circumstance I did not 

 know till after we had left the island, so that all my measures 

 were directed as if nothing of the kind had happened. 



" Between three and four o'clock I went ashore with three 

 armed boats to examine the water, and to try the dis- 

 position of the inhabitants, several hundreds of whom 

 were assembled on the beach. 



" The very instant I leaped on shore the collected body of 

 the natives all fell flat upon their faces, and remained in that 

 very humble posture till, by expressive signs, I prevailed 

 upon them to rise. They then brought a great many small 

 pigs which they presented to me, with plantain trees, using 

 much the same ceremonies that we had seen practised on 

 such occasions at the Society and other islands ; and a long 

 prayer being spoken by a single person, in which others of 

 the assembly sometimes joined, I expressed my acceptance 

 of their proffered friendship by giving them in return such 

 presents as I had brought with me from the ship for that 

 purpose. When this introductory business was finished, I 

 stationed a guard upon the beach, and got some of the 

 natives to conduct me to the water, which proved to be very 

 good, and in a proper situation for our purpose. Having 

 satisfied myself about this very essential point, and about 

 the peaceable disposition of the natives, I returned on 

 board, and then gave orders that everything should be in 

 readiness for landing and filling our water-casks in the 

 morning, when again I went ashore. 



" As soon as we landed a trade was set on foot for hogs 

 and potatoes, which the people of the island gave us in 

 exchange for nails and pieces of iron, formed into something 

 like chisels. We met with no obstruction in watering ; on 

 the contrary, the natives assisted our men in rolling the 

 casks to and from the pool, and readily performed whatever 

 we required. 



