messes, reserving
plenty for the sick and convalescent.

On the 3d, we heeled the ship, and looked at her bottom, which we found
as clean as when she came out of dock, and, to our great satisfaction,
as sound. During all this time, none of the natives came near our boats,
or the ship, in their canoes. This day, about noon, we caught a very
large shark, and when the boats went to fetch the people on board to
dinner, we sent it on shore. When the boats were putting off again, the
gunner seeing some of the natives on the other side of the river,
beckoned them to come over; they immediately complied, and he gave them
the shark, which they soon cut to pieces, and carried away with great
appearance of satisfaction.

On Sunday the 5th, the old man returned to the market-tent, and made the
gunner understand that he had been up the country, to prevail upon the
people to bring down their hogs, poultry, and fruit, of which the parts
near the watering-place were now nearly exhausted. The good effects of
his expedition soon appeared, for several Indians, whom our people had
never seen before, came in with some hogs that were larger than any that
had been yet brought to market. In the mean time, the old man ventured
off in his canoe to the ship, and brought with him, as a present to me,
a hog ready roasted. I was much pleased with his attention and
liberality, and gave him, in return for his hog, an iron pot, a
looking-glass, a drinking-glass, and several other things, which no man
in the island was in possession of but himself.

While our people were on shore, several young women were permitted to
cross the river, who, though they were not averse to the granting of
personal favours, knew the value of them too well not to stipulate for a
consideration: The price, indeed, was not great, yet it was such as our
men were not always able to pay, and under this temptation they stole
nails and other iron from the ship. The nails that we brought for
traffic were not always in their reach, and therefore they drew several
out of different parts of the vessel, particularly those that fastened
the cleats to the ship's side. This was productive of a double mischief;
damage to the ship, and a considerable rise at market. When the gunner
offered, as usual, small nails for hogs of a middling size, the natives
refused to take them, and produced large spikes, intimating that they
expected such nails as these. A most diligent enquiry was set on foot