otion of exchanging
one thing for another. I took the old man (whose name we now found to be
Paowang) to the woods, and made him understand, I wanted to cut down some
trees to take on board the ship; cutting some down at the same time, which
we put into one of our boats, together with a few small casks of water,
with a view of letting the people see what it was we chiefly wanted.
Paowang very readily gave his consent to cut wood; nor was there any one
who made the least objection. He only desired the cocoa-nut trees might not
be cut down. Matters being thus settled, we embarked and returned on board
to dinner, and, immediately after, they all dispersed. I never learnt that
any one was hurt by our shot, either on this or the preceding day; which
was a very happy circumstance. In the afternoon having landed again, we
loaded the launch with water, and having made three hauls with the seine,
caught upwards of three hundred pounds of mullet and other fish. It was
some time before any of the natives appeared, and not above twenty or
thirty at last, amongst whom was our trusty friend Paowang, who made us a
present of a small pig, which was the only one we got at this isle, or that
was offered to us.

During the night the volcano, which was about four miles to the west of us,
vomited up vast quantities of fire and smoke, as it had also done the night
before; and the flames were seen to rise above the hill which lay between
us and it. At every eruption it made a long rumbling noise like that of
thunder, or the blowing up of large mines. A heavy shower of rain, which
fell at this time, seemed to increase it; and the wind blowing from the
same quarter, the air was loaded with its ashes, which fell so thick that
every thing was covered with the dust. It was a kind of fine sand, or
stone, ground or burnt to powder, and was exceedingly troublesome to the
eyes.

Early in the morning of the 7th, the natives began again to assemble near
the watering-place, armed as usual, but not in such numbers as at first.
After breakfast, we landed, in order to cut wood and fill water. I found
many of the islanders much inclined to be friends with us, especially the
old people; on the other hand, most of the younger were daring and
insolent, and obliged us to keep to our arms. I staid till I saw no
disturbance was like to happen, and then returned to the ship, leaving the
party under the command of Lieutenants Clerke and Edgcumbe. When they came
on