people. Upon this, the officer on board
fired a musket, loaded with buck-shot, at the man who threw the first
stone, and wounded him in the shoulder. The rest of the people in the
canoe, as soon as they perceived their companion wounded, leapt into the
sea, and the other canoes paddled away in great terror and confusion. As
soon as the boats reached the ship, they were hoisted on board, and just
as she was about to stand on, we observed a large canoe, under sail,
making after us. As I thought she might have some chief on board, or
might have been dispatched to bring me a message from some chief, I
determined to wait for her. She sailed very fast, and was soon alongside
of the ship, but we did not observe, among those on board, any one that
seemed to have an authority over the rest. One of them, however, stood
up, and having made a speech, which continued about five minutes, threw
on board a branch of the plantain-tree. We understood this to be a token
of peace, and we returned it, by handing over one of the branches of
plantain that had been left on board by our first visitors: With this
and some toys, that were afterwards presented to him, he appeared to be
much gratified, and after a short time, went away.

The officers who had been sent out with the boats, informed me that they
had sounded close to the reef, and found as great a depth of water as at
the other islands: However, as I was now on the weather-side of the
island, I had reason to expect anchorage in running to leeward. I
therefore took this course, but finding breakers that ran off to a great
distance from the south end of the island, I hauled the wind, and
continued turning to windward all night, in order to run down on the
east side of the island.

At five o'clock in the morning, we made sail, the land bearing N.W. by
W. distant ten leagues; and there seemed to be land five leagues beyond
it, to the N.E.; a remarkable peak, like a sugar loaf, bore N.N.E. when
we were about two leagues from the shore, which afforded a most
delightful prospect, and was full of houses and inhabitants. We saw
several large canoes near the shore, under sail, but they did not steer
towards the ship. At noon, we were within two or three miles of the
island, and it then bore from S.3/4 W. to N.W. by N. We continued our
course along the shore, sometimes at the distance of half a mile, and
sometimes at the distance of four or five miles, but hitherto had got no
soundings. At six o