A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

memorandum. It was taken away, but by whom it did not appear. Two hauls with the seine producing onlyfour small fish, we, in some measure, made up for this deficiency, by shooting several birds, which theflowers in the garden had drawn thither, as also some old shags, and by robbing the nests of some youngones.Being little wind next morning, we weighed and warped the ship into the Cove, and there moored with thetwo bowers. We unbent the sails to repair them; several having been split, and otherwise damaged in thelate gale. The main and fore courses, already worn to the very utmost, were condemned as useless. Iordered the top-masts to be struck and unrigged, in order to fix to them moveable chocks or knees, for wantof which the trestle-trees were continually breaking; the forge to be set up, to make bolts and repair ouriron-work; and tents to be erected on shore for the reception of a guard, coopers, sail-makers, &c. Ilikewise gave orders that vegetables (of which there were plenty) should be boiled every morning withoatmeal and portable broth for breakfast, and with pease and broth every day for dinner for the whole crew,over and above their usual allowance of salt meat.In the afternoon, as Mr Wales was setting up his observatory, he discovered that several trees, which werestanding when we last sailed from this place, had been cut down with saws and axes; and a few days after,the place where an observatory, clock, &c. had been set up, was also found, in a spot different from thatwhere Mr Wales had placed his. It was, therefore, now no longer to be doubted, that the Adventure hadbeen in this cove after we had left it.Next day, wind southerly; hazy clouded weather. Every body went to work at their respectiveemployments, one of which was to caulk the ship's sides, a thing much wanted. The seams were paid withputty, made with cook's fat and chalk; the gunner happening to have a quantity of the latter on board.The 21st, wind southerly, with continual rains.The weather being fair in the afternoon of the 22d, accompanied by the botanists, I visited our gardens onMotuara, which we found almost in a state of nature, having been wholly neglected by the inhabitants.Nevertheless, many articles were in a flourishing condition, and shewed how well they liked the soil inwhich they were planted. None of the natives having yet made their appearance, we made a fire on thepoint of the island, in hopes, if they saw the smoke, they might be induced to come to us.Nothing remarkable happened till the 24th, when, in the morning, two canoes were seen coming down thesound; but as soon as they perceived the ship, they retired behind a point on the west side. After breakfast Iwent in a boat to look for them; and as we proceeded along the shore, we shot several birds. The report ofthe muskets gave notice of our approach, and the natives discovered themselves in Shag Cove by hallooingto us; but as we drew near to their habitations, they all fled to the woods, except two or three men, whostood on a rising ground near the shore, with their arms in their hands. The moment we landed, they knewus. Joy then took place of fear; and the rest of the natives hurried out of the woods, and embraced us overand over again; leaping and skipping about like madmen, but I observed that they would not suffer somewomen, whom we saw at a distance, to come near us. After we had made them presents of hatchets,knives, and what else we had with us, they gave us in return a large quantity of fish, which they had justcaught. There were only a few amongst them whose faces we could recognise, and on our asking why theywere afraid of us, and enquiring for some of our old acquaintances by name, they talked much aboutkilling, which was so variously understood by us, that we could gather nothing from it, so that, after a shortstay, we took leave, and went on board.[3]