56 
AS PE SPAOE Se Ni WD: 21 OXER RIN Gert 
wards met with a taller people in the South Sea, but I donot re- 
collect that he mentions the place. 
I am forry to be obliged to remark, in thefe voyages, a very 
illiberal propenfity to cavil at and invalidate the account given by 
Mr. Byron: but at the fame time exult in having had an: opportu- 
nity given me by that gentleman of vindicating his and the national 
honor. MM. Bougainville, in order to prove he fell in with the 
identical people that Mr. Byron converfed with, afferts, that he 
faw numbers of them poffeffed of knives of an Engli/b manu- 
factory, certainly given them by Mr. Byron; but he fhould have 
confidered that there are more ways than one of coming at a 
thing, that the commerce between Sheffield and South America, 
through the port of Cadiz, is moft uncommonly large; and that 
his Indians might have got their knives from the Spaniards at the 
fame time that they got their gilt nails and Spani/b harnefs: but 
for farther fatisfaétion on this fubject, I have liberty to fay, from 
Mr. Byron’s authority, that he never gave a fingle knife to the 
people he faw; that he had not one at that time about him; 
that, excepting the prefents given with his own hands, and the 
tobacco brought by lieutenant Cummins, not the left trifle was - 
beftowed. Iam furnifhed with one other proof, that thefe leffer 
Indians, whom Mr. Wallis faw, were not the fame with thofe 
defcribed by Mr. Byron, as has been infinuated: for the firft 
had with him fome officers who had been with him on the pre- 
ceding voyage, and who bear witnefs, not only to the difference 
of fize, but declare that thefe people had not a fingle article 
among them given by Mr. Byron*. It is extremely probable 
* See Mr. Byron’s letter at the end, 
that 
