board to dinner, they informed me that the people continued to behave in
the same inconsistent manner as in the morning; but more especially one
man, whom Mr Edgcumbe was obliged to fire at, and believed he had struck
with a swan shot. After that the others behaved with more discretion; and
as soon as our people embarked they all retired. While we were sitting at
dinner an old man came on board, looked into many parts of the ship, and
then went ashore again.
In the afternoon, only a few of those who lived in the neighbourhood, with
whom we were now upon a tolerable footing, made their appearance at the
watering-place. Paowang brought us an axe which had been left by our
people, either in the woods or on the beach, and found by some of the
natives. A few other articles were afterwards returned to us, which either
they had stolen, or we had lost by our negligence, so careful were they now
not to offend us in this respect.
Early the next morning, I sent the launch, protected by a party of marines
in another boat, to take in ballast, which was wanted. This work was done
before breakfast; and after it, she was sent for wood and water, and with
her the people employed in this service, under the protection of a
serjeant's guard, which was now thought sufficient, as the natives seemed
to be pretty well reconciled to us. I was told, that they asked our people
to go home with them, on condition they stripped naked as they were. This
shews that they had no design to rob them, whatever other they might
have.
On the 9th, I sent the launch for more ballast, and the guard and wooders
to the usual place. With these I went myself, and found a good many of the
natives collected together, whose behaviour, though armed, was courteous
and obliging; so that there was no longer any occasion to mark out the
limits by a line; they observed them without this precaution. As it was
necessary for Mr Wales's instruments to remain on shore all the middle of
the day, the guard did not return to dinner, as they had done before, till
relieved by others. When I came off, I prevailed on a young man, whose name
was Wha-a-gou, to accompany me. Before dinner I shewed him every part of
the ship; but did not observe that any thing fixed his attention a moment,
or caused in him the least surprise. He had no knowledge of goats, dogs, or
cats, calling them all hogs (_Booga_ or _Boogas_). I made him a
present of a dog and a bitch, as he shewed a liking to that
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