MAY 1769 NATIVE NAMES FOR THE EUROPEANS 91 



morning that by half-past six I had bought 350. This made 

 it necessary to lower the price of them, lest so many being 

 brought at once we should exhaust the country, and want 

 hereafter ; notwithstanding which I had before night bought 

 more than a thousand at the rate of six for an amber-coloured 

 bead, ten for a white one, and twenty for a fortypenny nail. 

 13th. Going on shore I met Tubourai near his house. 

 I stopped with him; he took my gun out of my hand, 

 cocked it, and holding it up in the air, drew the trigger. 

 Fortunately for him it flashed in the pan. Where he had 

 obtained so much knowledge of the use of a gun I could 

 not conceive, but I was sufficiently angry that he should 

 attempt to exercise it upon mine, as I had upon all occa- 

 sions taught him and the rest of the Indians that they 

 could not offend me more than by merely touching it. I 

 scolded him severely, and even threatened to shoot him. 

 He bore all patiently, but the moment I had crossed the 

 river he and his family moved bag and baggage to their 

 other house at Eparre. This step was no sooner taken 

 than I was informed of it by the Indians about the fort. 

 Not willing to lose the assistance of a man who had upon 

 all occasions been particularly useful to us, I resolved to go 

 this evening and bring him back. Accordingly as soon as 

 dinner was over I set out, accompanied by Mr. Molineux. 

 We found him sitting among a large circle of people, him- 

 self and many of the rest with most melancholy countenances, 

 some in tears. One old woman on our coming into the 

 circle struck a shark's tooth into her head several times till 

 it foamed with blood, but her head seemed to have been so 

 often exercised with this expression of grief that it had 

 become quite callous, for though the crown of it was covered 

 with blood, enough did not issue from the wounds to run 

 upon her cheeks. After some few assurances of forgive- 

 ness Tubourai agreed to return with us, in consequence of 

 which resolution a double canoe was put off, in which we 

 all returned to the tents before supper-time, and as a 

 token of renewal of friendship both he and his wife slept 

 in my tent all night. 



