re-arms.
Under such circumstances, what opinion are they to form of us? Is it not as
reasonable for them to think that we are come to invade their country, as
to pay them a friendly visit? Time, and some acquaintance with us, can only
convince them of the latter. These people are yet in a rude state; and, if
we may judge from circumstances and appearances, are frequently at war, not
only with their neighbours, but among themselves; consequently must be
jealous of every new face. I will allow there are some exceptions to this
rule to be found in this sea; but there are few nations who would willingly
suffer visitors like us to advance far into their country.

Before this excursion, some of us had been of opinion that these people
were addicted to an unnatural passion, because they had endeavoured to
entice some of our men into the woods; and, in particular, I was told, that
one who had the care of Mr Forster's plant bag, had been once or twice
attempted. As the carrying of bundles, etc. is the office of the women in
this country, it had occurred to me, and I was not singular in this, that
the natives might mistake him and some others for women. My conjecture was
fully verified this day. For this man, who was one of the party, and
carried the bag as usual, following me down the hill, by the words which I
understood of the conversation of the natives, and by their actions, I was
well assured that they considered him as a female; till, by some means,
they discovered their mistake, on which they cried out, "Erramange!
Erramange!" "It is a man! It is a man!" The thing was so palpable, that
every one was obliged to acknowledge, that they had before mistaken his
sex: and that, after they were undeceived, they seemed not to have the
least notion of what we had suspected. This circumstance will shew how
liable we are to form wrong conjectures of things, among people whose
language we are ignorant of. Had it not been for this discovery, I make no
doubt that these people would have been charged with this vile custom.

In the evening I took a walk with some of the gentlemen into the country on
the other side of the harbour, where we had very different treatment from
what we had met with in the morning. The people we now visited, among whom
was our friend Paowang, being better acquainted with us, shewed a readiness
to oblige us in every thing in their power. We came to the village which
had been visited on the 9th. It consisted of abo