revented by the natives, who, coming down to the boats in great
numbers, attempted to take away the oars, musquets, and, in short,
every thing that they could lay hold of, and pressed so thick upon
him, that he was obliged to fire, by which one man was killed. But
this unhappy circumstance I did not know till after we had left the
island, so that all my measures were directed as if nothing of the
kind had happened. Mr Williamson told me, that after the man fell,
his countrymen took him up, carried him off, and then retired from
the boat; but still they made signals for our people to land, which he
declined. It did not appear to Mr Williamson, that the natives had
any design to kill, or even to hurt, any of his party; but they seemed
excited by mere curiosity, to get from them what they had, being, at
the same time, ready to give in return, any thing of their own.

After the boats were on board, I dispatched one of them to lie in the
best anchoring-ground; and as soon as she had got to this station, I
bore down with the ships, and anchored in twenty-five fathoms water,
the bottom a fine grey sand. The east point of the road, which was the
low point before-mentioned, bore S. 51 deg. E., the west point N. 65 deg. W.,
and the village, behind which the water was said to be, N.E. by E.,
distant one mile. But, little more than a quarter of a mile from us,
there were breakers, which I did not see till after the Resolution was
placed. The Discovery anchored to the eastward of us, and farther
from the land. The ships being thus stationed, between three and four
o'clock, I went ashore with three armed boats, and twelve marines,
to examine the water, and to try the disposition of the inhabitants,
several hundreds of whom were assembled on a sandy beach before
the village; behind it was a narrow valley, the bottom of which was
occupied by the piece of water.

The very instant I leaped on shore, the collected body of the natives
all fell flat upon their faces, and remained in that very humble
posture, till, by expressive signs, I prevailed upon them to rise.
They then brought a great many small pigs, which they presented to me,
with plantain trees, using much the same ceremonies that we had seen
practised on such occasions, at the Society and other islands; and a
long prayer being spoken by a single person, in which others of
the assembly sometimes joined. I expressed my acceptance of their
proffered friendship, by giving them, in r