islanders, but did not prevent them from attempting immediately to cut
off the cutter, as she was standing towards the ship. Several stones
were thrown into this boat, on which the commanding officer fired a
musket, loaded with buck-shot, at the man who threw the first stone, and
wounded him in the shoulder.

Finding no good anchorage at this place, the ship proceeded to another
part of the island, where, on one of the boats being assailed by the
Indians in two or three canoes, with their clubs and paddles in their
hands, 'Our people,' says the commander, 'being much pressed, were
obliged to fire, by which one of the assailants was killed, and another
much wounded.' This unlucky rencontre did not, however, prevent, as soon
as the ship was moored, a great number of canoes from coming off the
next morning, with hogs, fowls, and fruit. A brisk traffic soon
commenced, our people exchanging knives, nails, and trinkets, for more
substantial articles of food, of which they were in want. Among the
canoes that came out last were some double ones of very large size, with
twelve or fifteen stout men in each, and it was observed that they had
little on board except a quantity of round pebble stones. Other canoes
came off along with them, having only women on board; and while these
females were assiduously practising their allurements, by attitudes that
could not be misunderstood, with the view, as it would seem, to distract
the attention of the crew, the large double canoes closed round the
ship; and as these advanced, some of the men began singing, some blowing
conchs, and others playing on flutes. One of them, with a person sitting
under a canopy, approached the ship so close, as to allow this person to
hand up a bunch of red and yellow feathers, making signs it was for the
captain. He then put off to a little distance, and, on holding up the
branch of a cocoa-nut tree, there was an universal shout from all the
canoes, which at the same moment moved towards the ship, and a shower of