e they devoured. In the evening
they were dismissed with presents.[1]
Early in the morning of the 24th, I sent Mr Gilbert the master to sound
about the rock we had discovered in the entrance of the sound. Myself,
accompanied by Captain Furneaux and Mr Forster, went in a boat to the west
bay on a shooting party. In our way, we met a large canoe in which were
fourteen or fifteen people. One of the first questions they asked was for
Tupia, the person I brought from Otaheite on my former voyage; and they
seemed to express some concern when we told them he was dead. These people
made the same enquiry of Captain Furneaux when he first arrived; and, on my
return to the ship in the evening, I was told that a canoe had been along-
side, the people in which seemed to be strangers, and who also enquired for
Tupia.[2] Late in the evening Mr Gilbert returned, having sounded all round
the rock, which he found to be very small and steep.
Nothing worthy of notice happened till the 29th, when several of the
natives made us a visit, and brought with them a quantity of fish, which
they exchanged for nails, &c. One of these people I took over to Motuara,
and shewed him some potatoes planted there by Mr Fannen, master of the
Adventure. There seemed to be no doubt of their succeeding; and the man was
so well pleased with them, that he, of his own accord, began to hoe the
earth up about the plants. We next took him to the other gardens, and
shewed him the turnips, carrots, and parsnips; roots which, together with
the potatoes, will be of more real use to them than all the other articles
we had planted. It was easy to give them an idea of these roots, by
comparing them with such as they knew.
Two or three families of these people now took up their abode near us,
employing themselves daily in fishing, and supplying us with the fruits of
their labour; the good effects of which we soon felt. For we were, by no
means, such expert fishers as they are; nor were any of our methods of
fishing equal to theirs.
On the 2d of June, the ships being nearly ready to put to sea, I sent on
shore on the east side of the sound, two goats, male and female. The former
was something more than a year old; but the latter was much older. She had
two fine kids, some time before we arrived in Dusky Bay, which were killed
by cold, as hath been already mentioned. Captain Furneaux also put on
shore, in Cannibal Cove, a boar and two breeding sows; so that we have
rea
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