ourselves sadly
disappointed; for after staying with him till noon, we left him without
being able to procure a single article. I then proceeded to the north
point of the island, in the pinnace, having sent the long-boat another
way. As I went along I picked up half a dozen hogs, as many fowls, and
some plantains and yams. Having viewed and sketched the harbour on this
side of the island, I made the best of my way back, with the long-boat,
which joined me soon after it was dark; and about ten o'clock at night
we got on board the ship.

In this excursion Mr Banks was not with us; he spent the morning on
board the ship, trading with the natives, who came off in their canoes,
for provisions and curiosities; and in the afternoon he went on shore
with his draughtsmen, to sketch the dresses of the dancers which he had
seen a day or two before. He found the company exactly the same, except
that another woman had been added to it: The dancing also of the women
was the same, but the interludes of the men were somewhat varied; he saw
five or six performed, which were different from each other, and very
much resembled the drama of our stage-dances. The next day, he went
ashore again, with Dr Solander, and they directed their course towards
the dancing company, which, from the time of our second landing, had
gradually moved about two leagues in their course round the island. They
saw more dancing and interludes, the interludes still varying from each
other: In one of them the performers, who were all men, were divided
into two parties, which were distinguished from each other by the colour
of their clothes, one being brown, and the other white. The brown party
represented a master and servants, and the white party a company of
thieves: The master gave a basket of meat to the rest of his party, with
a charge to take care of it: The dance of the white party consisted of
several expedients to steal it, and that of the brown party in
preventing their success. After some time, those who had charge of the
basket placed themselves round it upon the ground, and leaning upon it,
appeared to go to sleep; the others, improving this opportunity, came
gently upon them, and lifting them up from the basket, carried off their
prize: The sleepers soon after awaking, missed their basket, but
presently fell a-dancing, without any farther regarding their loss; so
that the dramatic action of this dance was, according to the severest
laws of criticism,