116 
aount of the surf. After he returned on 
board, we made sail, cruising farther to 
the leeward, iri hopes of finding a place 
to anchor, but in this we were disap¬ 
pointed, not being able to find bottom 
thirty yards from the rocks. Howev¬ 
er, at high water, the captain, at immi¬ 
nent hazard in passing the surf, succeed¬ 
ed in landing. He had previously giv¬ 
en orders to me and Hussey, not to let 
the natives know that we could converse 
with, or understand them, but to be at¬ 
tentive to everything that might pass a- 
mong them, to ascertain whether their 
intentions and dispositions were hostile 
or friendly. Alter landing, the captain 
and Hussey visited the house where the 
head chief, or king of all those Islands 
lived, of whom I tiad formerly heard so 
much, while I was on the Mulgraves.—- 
They continued with him about two 
hours, were treated well, and discover¬ 
ing nothing unfriendly in the natives, 
the captain told Hussey he might make 
them acquainted with his knowledge of 
their language, by conversing with thei&, 
