the
two rocks, the eastermost bearing N.E.1/2 E. distant about two cables'
length, and the westermost, which is near the point, W.N.W.1/2 W. at
about the same distance: There is also a small rock which shows itself
among the weeds at low water, and bears E.1/2 N. distant about two
cables' length. If there are more ships than one, they may anchor
farther out in deeper water. During the night it was calm, and the
weather became very foggy; but about ten in the morning it cleared up,
and I went on shore. I found abundance of shell-fish, but saw no traces
of people. In the afternoon, while the people were filling water, I went
up a deep lagoon, which lies just round the westermost rock: At the head
of it I found a very fine fall of water, and on the east side several
little coves, where ships of the greatest draught may lie in perfect
security. We saw nothing else worthy of notice, and therefore having
filled our boat with very large muscles, we returned.

[Footnote 31: "We here saw a great number of islands, and many Indians
dispersed in several quarters, amongst whom we found a family which
struck our attention. It was composed of a decrepid old man, his wife,
two sons, and a daughter. The latter appeared to have tolerable
features, and an English face, which they seemed to be desirous of
letting us know; they making a long harangue, not a syllable of which we
understood, though we plainly, perceived it was in relation to this
woman, whose age did not exceed thirty, by their pointing first at her,
and then at themselves. Various were the conjectures we formed in regard
to this circumstance, though we generally agreed, that their signs
plainly shewed that they offered her to us, as being of the same
country." It is scarcely uncharitable to imagine that this young lady's
mother had once been unfaithful to her lord and master, preferring the
addresses of some favoured European. A little of our northern pride
would have concealed this family disgrace. But in those distant regions,
where such occurrences must have been rare, perhaps vanity would gratify
itself by transmuting it into an honour. After all, however, it is very
difficult to divine who was or could be the "gay deceiver." A fanciful
reader, indeed, who was acquainted with Byron's narrative of the loss of
the Wager, might be tempted to conjecture that the good mother, being on
an expedition to the northward of the straits, was one of the wives
whom, as he says, the c