by Mr Banks and Dr Solander, to look for a
watering-place, and speak to the Indians, several of whom had come in
sight. We landed on the starboard side of the bay near some rocks, which
made smooth water and good landing; thirty or forty of the Indians soon
made their appearance at the end of a sandy beach on the other side of
the bay, but seeing our number, which was ten or twelve, they retreated.
Mr Banks and Dr Solander then advanced about one hundred yards before
us, upon which two of the Indians returned, and, having advanced some
paces towards them, sat down; as soon as they came up, the Indians rose,
and each of them having a small stick in his hand threw it away, in a
direction both from themselves and the strangers, which was considered
as the renunciation of weapons in token of peace: They then walked
briskly towards their companions, who had halted at about fifty yards
behind them, and beckoned the gentlemen to follow, which they did. They
were received with many uncouth signs of friendship; and, in return,
they distributed among them some beads and ribbons, which had been
brought on shore for that purpose, and with which they were greatly
delighted. A mutual confidence and good-will being thus produced, our
parties joined; the conversation, such as it was, became general; and
three of them accompanied us back to the ship. When they came on board,
one of them, whom we took to be a priest, performed much the same
ceremonies which M. Bougainville describes, and supposes to be an
exorcism. When he was introduced into a new part of the ship, or when
any thing that he had not seen before caught his attention, he shouted
with all his force for some minutes, without directing his voice either
to us or his companions.[81]

[Footnote 81: The incident related by Bougainville, to which the
allusion is made, is somewhat affecting. An interesting boy, one of the
savages' children, had unwarily, and from ignorance of its dangerous
nature, put some bits of glass into his mouth which the sailors gave
him. His lips and palate, &c. were cut in several places, and he soon
began to spit blood, and to be violently convulsed. This excited the
most distressing alarm and suspicion among the savages. One of them,
whom Bougainville denominates a juggler, immediately had recourse to
very strange and unlikely means in order to relieve the poor child. He
first laid him on his back, then kneeling down between his legs, and
bending himsel