ed all
night. Very luckily, it was not attended with much wind. We had,
however, prepared for the worst, by dropping the small bower-anchor,
and striking our top-gallant-yards.

At seven o'clock the next morning, a breeze of wind springing up at
N.E., I took up the anchors, with a view of removing the ship farther
out. The moment that the last anchor was up, the wind veered to the
E., which made it necessary to set all the sail we could, in order to
clear the shore; so that, before we had tolerable sea-room, we were
driven some distance to leeward. We made a stretch off, with a view
to regain the road; but having very little wind, and a strong current
against us, I found that this was not to be effected. I therefore
dispatched Messrs King and Williamson ashore, with three boats, for
water, and to trade for refreshments. At the same time, I sent an
order to Captain Clerke to put to sea after me, if he should see
that I could not recover the road. Being in hopes of finding one,
or perhaps a harbour, at the west end of the island, I was the less
anxious about getting back to my former station. But as I had sent
the boats thither, we kept to windward as much as possible,
notwithstanding which, at noon, we were three leagues to leeward. As
we drew near the west end of the island, we found the coast to round
gradually to the N.E., without forming a creek, or cove, to shelter a
vessel from the force of the swell, which rolled in from the N.,
and broke upon the shore in a prodigious surf, so that all hopes of
finding a harbour here vanished.

Several canoes came off in the morning, and followed us as we stood
out to sea, bartering their roots and other articles. Being very
averse to believe these people to be cannibals, notwithstanding the
suspicious circumstance which had happened the day before, we took
occasion now to make some more enquiries about this. A small wooden
instrument, beset with sharks teeth, had been purchased; and from its
resemblance to the saw or knife used by the New Zealanders, to dissect
the bodies of their enemies, it was suspected to have the same use
here. One of the natives being asked about this, immediately gave the
name of the instrument, and told us, that it was used to cut out the
fleshy part of the belly, when any person was killed. This explained
and confirmed the circumstance above-mentioned, of the person pointing
to his belly. The man, however, from whom we now had this information,
being