A VOYAGE TO 
1778. to the cable; and the hawfers that were carried out, to 
\_ _ _ > warp the Imp into the cove, alfo got foul of rocks; from 
which it appeared that the whole bottom was brewed with 
them. The fhip being again very leaky in her upper 
works, I ordered the carpenters to go to work to caulk her, 
and to repair fuch other defects as, on examination, we 
might difcover. 
The fame of our arrival brought a great concourfe of the 
natives to our Ihips in the courfe of this day. We counted 
above a hundred canoes at one time, which might be fup- 
pofed to contain, at an average, five perfons each ; for few 
of them had lefs than three on board; great n umbers had 
feven, eight, or nine; a nd one w r as manned with no lei's 
than feventeen. Amongft thefe vifiters, many now favoured 
us with their company for the firft time, which we could 
gue/s, from their approaching the fliips with their orations 
and other ceremonies. If they had any diftruft or fear of us 
at firft, they now appeared to have laid it afide ; for they 
came on board the fhips, and mixed with our people with 
the greateft freedom. We foon difcovered, by this nearer 
intercourfe, that they were as light-fingered as any of our 
friends in the iflands we had vifited in the courfe of the 
voyage. And they were far more dangerous thieves; for, 
pofiefling fharp iron inftruments, they could cut a hook 
from a tackle, or any other piece of iron from a rope, the 
inftant that our backs were turned. A large hook, weigh¬ 
ing between twenty and thirty pounds, feveral fmaller ones, 
and other articles of iron, were loft in this manner. And, 
as to our boats, they ftripped them of every bit of iron 
that was worth carrying away, though we had always 
men left in them as a guard. They were dextrous enough 
in effecting their purpofes; for one fellow would contrive 
to 
