ining how they had been killed, which of course produced great
applause.

December 26.

The next day was employed in wooding and watering, in which the natives,
particularly our friend Jack, assisted. We had this day twenty-one
natives about us and among them were five strangers. They were not
permitted to come on board until four o'clock in the afternoon, excepting
Jack, who was privileged to come and go as he liked, which, since it did
not appear to create any jealousy among his companions, enabled us to
detain him as a hostage for Mr. Cunningham's safety, who was busily
engaged in adding to his collections from the country in the vicinity of
the vessel.

In the evening Jack climbed the rigging as high as the top masthead, much
to the amusement of his companions but to the mortification of Bundell
who had never taken courage to mount so high.

The waterholes yielded about a ton of water a day; but a stream was found
in the sandy bay to the eastward of the entrance, running over the beach,
which we used when the holes were emptied of their contents; the latter
were however preferred, since our people worked at them under an
immediate protection from the vessel's deck. Near the stream we found
some felled trees and the staves of a cask.*

(*Footnote. At this place the San Antonio merchant brig wooded and
watered in 1820.)

December 27 to 28.

Our watering continued to proceed without molestation from the natives;
the number of whom had increased to twenty-nine, besides some whom we had
before seen that were now absent. During the afternoon of the 28th the
wind freshened from south-west and blew so strong as to cause a
considerable swell where we were lying; but towards sunset the breeze
moderated and the natives were again admitted on board; there were,
however, only eleven, for the rest, having worn out their patience, had
walked away.

They were now quite tractable and never persisted in doing anything
against our wishes. The words "by and by" were so often used by us in
answer to their cau-wah, or "come here," that their meaning was perfectly
understood and always satisfied the natives, since we made it a strict
rule never to disappoint them of anything that was promised, an attention
to which is of the utmost importance in communicating with savages. Every
evening that they visited us they received something, but as a biscuit
was the most valuable present that could be made, each native was always
present