to
discover the offenders, but all to no purpose; and though a large reward
was offered to procure intelligence, none was obtained. I was mortified
at the disappointment, but I was still more mortified at a fraud which I
found some of our people had practised upon the natives. When no nails
were to be procured, they had stolen lead, and cut it up in the shape of
nails. Many of the natives who had been paid with, this base money,
brought their leaden nails, with great simplicity, to the gunner, and
requested him to give them iron in their stead. With this request,
however reasonable, he could not comply; because, by rendering lead
current, it would have encouraged the stealing it, and the market would
have been as effectually spoiled by those who could not procure nails,
as by those who could; it was therefore necessary, upon every account,
to render this leaden currency of no value, though for our honour I
should have been glad to have called it in.

On Tuesday the 7th, I sent one of the mates, with thirty men, to a
village at a little distance from the market, hoping that refreshments
might there be bought at the original price; but here they were obliged
to give still more than at the water-side. In the mean time, being this
day able to get up for the first time, and the weather being fine, I
went into a boat, and rowed about four miles down the coast. I found the
country populous, and pleasant in the highest degree, and saw many
canoes on the shore; but not one came off to us, nor did the people seem
to take the least notice of us as we passed along. About noon I returned
to the ship.

The commerce which our men had found means to establish with the women
of the island, rendered them much less obedient to the orders that had
been given for the regulation of their conduct on shore, than they were
at first. I found it necessary therefore to read the articles of war,
and I punished James Proctor, the corporal of marines, who had not only
quitted his station, and insulted the officer, but struck the master at
arms such a blow as brought him to the ground.

The next day, I sent a party up the country to cut wood, and they met
with some of the natives, who treated them with great kindness and
hospitality. Several of these friendly Indians came on board in our
boat, and seemed, both by their dress and behaviour, to be of a superior
rank. To these people I paid a particular attention, and to discover
what present would m