hat they were conscious they had brought the mischief, which
had just happened, upon themselves.

The boats continued sounding till noon, when they returned with an
account that the ground was very clear; that it was at the depth of five
fathom, within a quarter of a mile of the shore; but that there was a
very great surf where we had seen the water. The officers told me, that
the inhabitants swarmed upon the beach, and that many of them swam off
to the boat with fruit, and bamboos filled with water. They said that
they were very importunate with them to come on shore, particularly the
women, who came down to the beach, and stripping themselves naked,
endeavoured to allure them by many wanton gestures, the meaning of which
could not possibly be mistaken. At this time, however, our people
resisted the temptation.

In the afternoon, I sent the boats again to the shore, with some
barecas, or small casks, which are filled at the head, and have a handle
by which they are carried, to endeavour to procure some water, of which
we began to be in great want. In the mean time many of the canoes
continued about the ship, but the Indians had been guilty of so many
thefts, that I would not suffer any more of them to come on board.

At five in the evening, the boats returned with only two barecas of
water, which the natives had filled for them; and as a compensation for
their trouble, they thought fit to detain all the rest. Our people, who
did not leave their boat, tried every expedient they could think of to
induce the Indians to return their water-vessels, but without success;
and the Indians, in their turn, were very pressing for our people to
come on shore, which they thought it prudent to decline. There were many
thousands of the inhabitants of both sexes, and a great number of
children on the beach, when our boats came away.

The next morning, I sent the boats on shore again for water, with nails,
hatchets, and such other things as I thought most likely to gain the
friendship of the inhabitants. In the mean time, a great number of
canoes came off to the ship, with bread-fruit, plantains, a fruit
resembling an apple, only better, fowls, and hogs, which we purchased
with beads, nails, knives, and other articles of the like kind, so that
we procured pork enough to serve the ship's company two days, at a pound
a man.

When the boats returned, they brought us only a few calibashes of water,
for the number of people on the beach