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CAPTAIN COOK’S FIRST VOYAGE.

a new difcovery. Before noon they had fight of houfes, groves of cocoa-nut trees,and large flocks of Iheep. This was a welcome fight to people whofe health was de-clining for want of refrelhments. The fecond lieutenant was immediately difpatchedin the pinnace, in fearch of a landing-place ; and he took with him fuch things as itwas thought might be acceptable to the natives : Dr. Solander went with him.

Two horfemen were feen from the fhip, one of whom had a laced hat on, and wasdrefied in a coat and waiftcoat of the falhion of Europe . Thefe men rode about onlhore, taking little notice of the boat, but regarding the fhip with the utmoft attention.As foon as the Boat reached the lhore, fome other perfons on horfeback, and many onfoot, haftened to the fpot, and it was obferved that fome cocoa-nuts were put into theboat, from whence it was concluded that a traffick had commenced with the natives.A fignal being made from the boat that the fhip might anchor in a bay at fome difiance,Ihe immediately bore away for it.

When the lieutenant came on board, he reported that he could not purchafe anycocoa-nuts, as the owner of them was abfent, and that what he had brought weregiven him; in return for which he had prefented the natives with fome linen. Themethod by which he learnt that there was a harbour in the neighbourhood, was by thenatives drawing a kind of rude map on the fand, in which the harbour, and a townnear it were reprefented; it was likewife hinted to him that fruit, fowls, hogs, andIheep, might be there obtained in great abundance. He faw feveral of the principalinhabitants of the ifland, who wore chains of gold about their necks, and were drefledin fine linen. When the boat’s crew were on the point of returning to the fhip, thegentleman who had been feen on horfeback in the drefs of Europe came down to thebeach; but the lieutenant did not think it proper to hold a conference with him, be-caufe he had left his commiflion on board the fhip.

In the evening, when the fhip had entered the bay to which they had been recom-mended, an Indian town was feen at a fmall diftance, upon which a jack was hoiftedon the fore-top-mafi-head. Prefently afterwards three guns were fired, and Dutch colours were hoifted in the town. The fhip, however, held on her way, and came toan anchor at feven in the evening.

The colours being feen hoifted on the beach th-e next morning, the captain con-cluded that the Dutch had a fettlement on the ifland ; he therefore difpatched thefecond lieutenant to mention what neceflaries they were in want of.

He was conduced to the Raja, or King of the ifland, to whom, by means of aPortuguefe interpreter, he made known his bufinefs. The Raja faid, he was readyto fupply the fhip with the neceflary refrelhments ; but that he could not trade withany other people but the Dutch, with whom he was in alliance, without having fi r * tobtained their confent; but that he would make application to the Dutch agent, whowas the only white man among them. This agent, whofe name was Lange, behavedpolitely to the lieutenant, and told him he might buy what he thought proper of theinhabitants of the ifland.

Immediately after, the Raja and Mr. Lange intimated their wilhes to go on boar ^the fhip, and that two of the boat’s crew might be left as hoftages for their fafe return ,the lieutenant gratified both thefe requefts, and took them on board juft before dinnerwas ferved. It was thought that they would have fat down without ceremony; hut,after fome hefitation, the Raja intimated his doubts, whether, being a black, ttie ^would permit him to fit down with them. The politenefs of the officers foon removehis fcruples, and the greateft good humour and feftivity prevailed among them.

Dr. Solander, and another gentleman on board, were tolerable proficients ia Dutc^>

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