200 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



We were furprifed, when we got on board, to 

 fee there none of the natives ; but we learnt that 

 they had come thither in great numbers, but 

 had been driven av/ay becaufe they had ftolen 

 a variety of articles. The greater part of them 

 had gone off in their canoes, and the reft had 

 jumped into the fea to fwim on fhore. Two 

 however had returned to the fhip, not having 

 been able to fwim faft enough to join the 

 others, either owing to fome infirmity, or 

 that they had leaped into the water too long 

 after the departure of their canoes to be able to 

 overtake them. As the fun had gone down, and 

 they were extremely cold, they went and warm- 

 ed them.felves at our galley fire. 



Few of the perfons belonging to the expe- 

 dition, who had remained on board, would be- 

 lieve the account which we gave them of the 

 barbarous propenfity of thefe iflanders ; for 

 they could not be perfuaded that thefe people, 

 of whom Captain Cook and Forfter had drawn 

 fo flattering a pidlure, were degraded by fuch 

 a horrible vice ; but it was not difficult to con- 

 vince the moft incredulous. I had brought 

 with me the bone, now picked clean, which our 

 furgeon recognifcd to be that of a girl ; 1 

 prefenced it to the two natives whom we had 

 onboard, and immediately one of thefe anthro-. 

 ^ophagi feized it with avidity, and tore with 



his 



