PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
IIB 
spreads among such a community has been noticed by Captain Cook, CHAP 
and here it was no less remarkable. 
I determined, since the main deck was cleared, that it should be 
kept so, and placed a marine at each of the ladders ; but as the natives 
tried every method to elude their vigilance, the sentinels had an ar- 
duous task to perform, and disturbances must inevitably have arisen in 
the execution of their orders had it not been for our New'foundland dog. 
It fortunately happened that this animal had taken a dislike to our visiters, 
and the deck being cleared, he instinctively placed himself at the foot of 
the ladder, and in conjunction with the little terrier, who did not forget 
kis perilous hug of the day before, most effectually accomplished our 
wished The natives, who had never seen a dog before, were in the 
greatest terror of them ; and Neptune’s bark was soon found to be far 
more efficacious than the point of a sentry’s bayonet, and much less 
likely to lead to serious disturbances. Besides, his activity cleared the 
'vhole of the main deck at once, and supplied the place of all the sen- 
tinels. The natives applied the name of boa to him, a word wdiich in 
the Otaheitan language properly signifies a hog. But it may be observed 
that boa is applied equally to a bull, or to a horse, which they call boa- 
^fae-taata, (literally, man-carrying pig), or to all foreign quadrupeds. 
Upon one of the rafts which came alongside there was an elderly 
man with a grey beard, dressed in white cloth. The paddles of his 
mft were of superior workmanship to the others, and had the extremity 
nf the handle ornamented with a neatly carved human hand. He carried 
long staff of hard black wood, finely polished, widened at oneend like a 
chisel. But though he was thus distinguished, he exercised no authority 
over his unruly countrymen. Several of the people upon the rafts 
had provided themselves wdth food, which consisted of boiled root of the 
tee-plant, of pearl oysters, and the sour pudding before mentioned. 
endeavoured to tempt them to taste some of our food ; which they 
'willingly accepted, but declined to partake of it, and placed it upon 
the raft, with nails, rags, and whatever else they had collected. A piece 
of corned beef that was given them passed from hand to hand with re- 
peated looks of inquiry, until it was at last deposited upon the general 
heap. I took some pains to explain to them it was not human flesh, 
Q 
