38 ■ -A ' V O Y A G E T O - 
CHAP, ti^ey bring any tools on board to be lliarpened, which 
XX 
I certainly would have been the cafe had they been pof- 
'z^'^' feffed of any, and fuch was their avidity to obtain 
hatchetSj knives, &c. that every produce the ifland 
■ :afforded was purchafed at very reafonable rates, nor were 
the firft prices given, attempted to be altered during their 
ilay. Befides hatchets, knives, and nails, the natives 
were very delirous to have gimlets, files, and fciffars ; 
they alfo aflvcd for looking-glaffes, and white tranfparent 
beads, but of tliefe latter articles they had none on 
board : red feathers, which had formerly been held in 
great efieeni, were now of no value ; they would ac- 
cept them as prefents indeed, but v/ould not barter any 
one article for them, . . ■ 
As their fituation was not a very eligible one, Mr. 
Watts did not think it prudent to go any great diftance 
from the fliip, or even to be much on fliore, fo that he 
was prevented from gaining much information, or fee- 
ing into many matters that might have enabled him to 
judge whether the whole of their report refpedting 
Omai, and the lofs of his property, &c. was true or not ; 
however, he was inclined to think that the cattle and all 
the animals were killed, except goats, as Oediddee, when 
he confirmed the revenge of the Eimeo people, never 
mentioned that any one animal was faved : goats, indeed, 
had been left on former voyages, and from increafe had 
- ' ' 5 become 
