I thought most proper to induce them
to a commerce with us; but I found them very shy and roguish. I saw but
two men and a boy. One of the men, by some signs, was persuaded to come
to the boat's side, where I was; to him I gave a knife, a string of
beads, and a glass bottle. The fellow called out, "Cocos, cocos,"
pointing to a village hard by, and signified to us that he would go for
some; but he never returned to us: and thus they had frequently of late
served our men. I took eight or nine men with me, and marched to their
houses, which I found very mean, and their doors made fast with withies.

I visited three of their villages, and, finding all the houses thus
abandoned by the inhabitants, who carried with them all their hogs, &c.,
I brought out of their houses some small fishing-nets in recompense for
those things they had received of us. As we were coming away we saw two
of the natives; I showed them the things that we carried with us, and
called to them, "Cocos, cocos," to let them know that I took these things
because they had not made good what they had promised by their signs, and
by their calling out "Cocos." While I was thus employed the men in the
yawl filled two hogsheads of water, and all the barrecoes. About one in
the afternoon I came aboard, and found all my officers and men very
importunate to go to that bay where the hogs were said to be. I was loth
to yield to it, fearing they would deal too roughly with the natives. By
two o'clock in the afternoon many black clouds gathered over the land,
which I thought would deter them from their enterprise; but they
solicited me the more to let them go. At last I consented, sending those
commodities I had ashore with me in the morning, and giving them a strict
charge to deal by fair means, and to act cautiously for their own
security. The bay I sent them to was about two miles from the ship. As
soon as they were gone, I got all things ready, that, if I saw occasion,
I might assist them with my great guns. When they came to land, the
natives in great companies stood to resist them, shaking their lances,
and threatening them, and some were so daring as to wade into the sea,
holding a target in one hand and a lance in the other. Our men held up
to them such commodities as I had sent, and made signs of friendship, but
to no purpose, for the natives waved them off. Seeing, therefore, they
could not be prevailed upon to a friendly commerce, my men, being