ing and skipping about like madmen, but I observed
that they would not suffer some women, whom we saw at a distance, to come
near us. After we had made them presents of hatchets, knives, and what else
we had with us, they gave us in return a large quantity of fish, which they
had just caught. There were only a few amongst them whose faces we could
recognise, and on our asking why they were afraid of us, and enquiring for
some of our old acquaintances by name, they talked much about killing,
which was so variously understood by us, that we could gather nothing from
it, so that, after a short stay, we took leave, and went on board.[3]

Next morning early, our friends, according to a promise they had made us
the preceding evening, paying us a visit, brought with them a quantity of
fine fish, which they exchanged for Otaheitean cloth, &c. and then returned
to their habitations.

On the 26th, we got into the after-hold four boat-load of shingle ballast,
and struck down six guns, keeping only six on deck. Our good friends the
natives, having brought us a plentiful supply of fish, afterwards went on
shore to the tents, and informed our people there, that a ship like ours
had been lately lost in the strait; that some of the people got on shore;
and that the natives stole their clothes, &c. for which several were shot;
and afterwards, when they could fire no longer, the natives having got the
better, killed them with their patapatoos, and eat them, but that they
themselves had no hand in the affair, which, they said, happened at Vanna
Aroa, near Terrawhitte, on the other side of the strait. One man said it
was two moons ago: But another contradicted him, and counted on his fingers
about twenty or thirty days. They described by actions how the ship was
beat to pieces by going up and down against the rocks, till at last it was
all scattered abroad.

The next day some others told the same story, or nearly to the same
purport, and pointed over the east bay, which is on the east side of the
sound, as to the place where it happened. These stories making me very
uneasy about the Adventure, I desired Mr Wales, and those on shore, to let
me know if any of the natives should mention it again, or to send them to
me; for I had not heard any thing from them myself. When Mr Wales came on
board to dinner he found the very people who had told him the story on
shore, and pointed them out to me. I enquired about the affair, and
endeavoured to co