rubbing his hands. They were all very tall, and of a muscular make. Soon after sun-set they left us.
At the same moment a third canoe arrived from the nearest shore, with twelve of the islanders in it, who immediately demanded hatchets in exchange for their goods. One of them had already obtained a hatchet, when another addressed himself to us in a rough voice, bawling out with all his strength etoki (a hatchet), and was not silent till he had obtained one.
It was now night, and the Esperance was so far distant as to be out of sight; accordingly we let off a few small quantities of powder, to induce her to make known to us her situation: but we observed with surprise, that the natives, far from displaying any dread of the effects of gunpowder, continued their barter nevertheless. It had been dark for more than an hour, when they paddled away to the shore.
As we lay to, we hove the lead several times, and always found a bottom of fine sand, and from thirty-six to fifty fathoms water.
24th. The faint breeze that set off from the land during the night, was succeeded toward daybreak by a north-west wind. We were still very near the coast, and we might easily have come toan
