the boat to the gangway, and get out as well as we could; they
even gave up all care for the safety of the canoe; the consequence of
which was, that _they left us adrift in it_, and the commanding officer
was obliged to send a boat to bring her alongside again.

_Saturday, 24_.--Having now spent some days in what may be termed the
domestic privacy of the island, it will be inferred that I have become
more intimately acquainted with the character of its inhabitants, who
may justly be considered as constituting one of the most extraordinary
races of savages at this time in existence. I shall, therefore, avail
myself of this opportunity of developing farther than has yet been done
in the preceding pages, whatever occurred to me as being most
interesting in their manners, habits, customs, and peculiarities. This
I shall follow up with some details respecting the natural history and
productions of the island; which, however imperfectly they may be
treated, will probably be deemed worthy of attention as subjects of
scientific research. In these descriptions, I must, however, plead
strongly for the indulgence of my readers, as many serious obstacles
have opposed themselves to the inquiry after satisfactory information;
among which, none have been more uncompromising than those experienced
in acquiring a knowledge of the language; for, although we have been in
constant communication with the natives, at present so little progress
has been made, that our attempts in this respect may be said to have
almost entirely proved abortive. We have, indeed, some reason to
believe that the natives are desirous of throwing impediments in our
way, since, notwithstanding they evince much quickness in catching
words of our language, repeating the orders issued by the officers, and
are also possessed of considerable power of mimicry, they shew little
inclination to communicate their own terms or names. It has not
unfrequently happened, that when, according to the usual custom of
persons who are not conversant with each other's language, we touched,
significantly, any thing which we were desirous of knowing, they used
different words in reply, as if with the intention of confusing us;
and, again, when we believed that we had ascertained the right name
from one source, on inquiring from others, a very different word was
given; so that we eventually remained in doubt as to the proper one.
The few small vocabularies we have succeeded in collecting,