148 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



had given them. All thcfe workmen had, in a 

 fmall bag made of mat, pumice-ftones, with 

 which they poliflied their articles. 



I remarked feveral cotton-trees, of the fpe- 

 cies called go(Jypium religiofum, which grew in 

 uncultivated places ; and I faw with furprife, 

 that thefe people do not employ in any of their 

 maniifadturcs the fine cotton which they might 

 obtain from it in abundance. 



About nine o'clock at night, we perceived a 

 canoe quite clofe to the buoy of one of our an- 

 chors. Fearing that Hie would cut the buoy- 

 rope, we fent one of our boats in chafe of her: 

 fcarcely had the boat put off, before we heard 

 fomebody fall over-board : immediately every 

 one ran to help hini ; but feeing a perfon fwim- 

 ming away from the fliip without choofing to 

 fpeak a fingle word, we no longer doubted that 

 it was a thief who was making off with foriie 

 of our effeeils. I-Ie was immedintely purfued, 

 and he fe\eral times efcapcd from our boar's 

 crew by diving; at lafi: they fucceeded in catch- 

 ing him, but not till they had wounded him in 

 the thighs with a boat-hook which they had 

 made ufc of to flop him. As foon as he was 

 brought on board, he was fecured on deck, 

 where he pafied the night, lie confeffed, that, 

 having ffolen feveral articles from our bifcayan, 

 lie had carried them into the canoe, which was 



Ifiil 



