THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
129 
I was introduced to Opoony, in the midh of a great con- 1777. 
courfe of people. Having no time to lofe, as foon as the l Pcce ^ mber ' 
neceffary formality of compliments was over, I afked the 
Chief to give me the anchor, and produced the prefent I 
had prepared for him, confiding of a linen night-gown, a 
fhirt, fome gauze handkerchiefs, a looking-glafs, fome 
beads, and other toys ; and fix axes. At the fight of thefe 
lah, there was a general outcry. I could only guefs the 
caufe, by Opoony’s abfolutely refuting to receive my pre¬ 
fent till I fhould get the anchor. He ordered three men to 
go and deliver it to me; and, as I underhood, I was to fend, 
by them, what I thought proper in return. With thefe 
meffengers, we fet out in our boats for an ifland, lying at 
the North fide of the entrance into the harbour, where the 
anchor had been depofited. I found it to be neither fo large, 
nor fo perfeti, as I expetied. It had originally weighed fe- 
ve.11 hundred pounds, according to the mark that was upon 
it; but the ring, with part of the fhank, and the two palms, 
were now wanting. I was no longer at a lofs to guefs the 
reafon of Opoony’s refuting my prefent. He, doubtlefs, 
thought that it fo much exceeded the value of the anchor in 
its prefent Hate, that I fhould be difpleafed when I law it. 
Be this as it may, I took the anchor as I found it, and fent 
him every article of the prefent that I at brft intended. 
Having thus completed my negotiation, I returned on 
board; and having hoiked in the boats, made fail from the 
ifland to the North. 
While the boats were hoiking in, fome of the natives 
came off, in three or four canoes, to fee the fhips, as they 
faid. They brought with them a few cocoa-nuts, and one 
pig, which was the only one we got at the ifland. I make 
no doubt, however, that, if we had hayed till the next day* 
Vol. II. S we 
