PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
2;9 
went on shore to visit the villages, when I perceived a large body 
of the Happahs, descending from the mountains into the valley 
among the bread-fruit trees, which they soon began to destroy. I 
immediately fired guns, and made a signal for every person to re¬ 
pair on board, apprehensive that some might be cut off by them, 
as the friendly natives had not seemed to notice this descent. The 
firing of the guns soon occasioned the main body to halt, and 
shortly afterwards the whole returned up the mountains, as the 
friendly tribes had turned out to oppose them. Those who were 
on shore had returned on board; and as the Happahs had descend¬ 
ed to within half a mile of our camp, and had succeeded in des¬ 
troying two hundred bread-fruit trees, it became necessary to be 
more on our guard against their enterprise. My messenger short¬ 
ly afterwards returned from among them to say that notwithstand¬ 
ing my injunctions, they had come into the valley and destroyed 
the bread-fruit trees, and we had not opposed them: that they be¬ 
lieved we were cowards; and they should soon visit our camp and 
carry off our sails. Believing from what I had already seen, that 
they were capable of attempting the execution of their threat, I 
determined to be prepared for them, and with this view I caused 
one fourth of each ship’s company to be landed every evening with 
their arms as a guard for the camp, allowing them at the same 
time to stroll about the valley and amuse themselves with the girls 
who had assembled in great numbers on the outside of the inclo¬ 
sure, and were neither coy nor cruel; black or white, it made no 
difference to them, provided they could receive a tie tie y or pre¬ 
sent, which at first consisted of a piece of iron hoop; but in a few 
days this coin became no longer current: then the iron hoops were 
fashioned by the seamen into a tool somewhat in the form of a 
plane iron, lashed by several close turns of sinnet on a crooked 
stick, used by the natives as a short handled adze, and called 
by them a tokay. This passed very well for a few days; but they 
soon found out the cheat, and required something of more value. 
Our men had money, which was offered them: but money was Re¬ 
jected as trash; clothing they had given, until they had scarcely 
any left for themselves. Junk bottles were in great demand, and 
always passed current; but ere long so many females assembled, that 
with or without a tie tie y the men had no difficulty in procuring 
