236 
SOUTH SEA 
CHAPTER V* 
When we arrived near the land of Owhyhee, we ran 
round its southernmost part, and then hauling our wind, 
we “ lay to ?? off its south-western portion, and a boat 
was sent on shore. When we arrived within a cable’s 
length of the rocks, we perceived a very heavy surf 
breaking upon them, and we also saw a great many 
people running down to the beach, and we observed one 
of them holding up towards us a piece of white cloth as 
a signal of peace and good-will. Our second mate, who 
had visited these people before, was acquainted with 
their manners, and felt confident ; but as I had never 
seer anything of the kind, I could not help feeling 
astonished at their wild appearance, and rather alarmed 
for our safety in the event of our landing, —for the 
natives on the beach were entirely naked, except a 
smau piece of “taipa ,J or native cloth, worn around 
their mins ; they were all making violent gesticulations 
with their arms and legs, and all of them were shouting 
at the top of their voices, the sound of which bore a 
wild, and to me a fearful character ; for to this part of 
Owhyhee the missionaries had not paid much attention, 
and consequently the inhabitants enjoyed their own 
wild ways unmolested, and they appeared before us in 
their natural state. Our mate, who had received in- 
structions to open a trade with them if he found it 
