560

CAPTAIN COOK’S FIRST VOYAGE.

fa&ure, and folely calculated to draw all the prefents of any value into his ownpocket.

Soon after this the captain was informed, that fome Iheep had been driven down tothe beach ; but had been conveyed away before the men could get money from theIhip to pay for them, and that not a Angle hog or bulfaloe had been driven down j butthat a fmall numer of fowls, and a quantity of the palm-lyrup had been bought.

Heartily vexed to be thus difappointed of the chief articles which were wanted, thecaptain remonftrated with Mr. Lange, who toldliim, that if he and his officers had goneto the fpot, they might have purchafed any thing they pleafed ; but that the Indiansimagined the feamen would impofe on them with counterfeit money.

This ftory was no more credited than the former.; but not to lofe more time in acafe of fuch urgency, the captain inftantly repaired to the beach,; hut there were nocattle to be bought. During his abfence, Lange informed Mr. Banks that the Indianswere offended, that the feamen had not offered gold for what they had to fell, and thatno other metal would purchafe their commodities ; but Mr. Banks , difdaining to holdfarther converfation with a man who had been guilty of fuch repeated ffubterfuges, lefthim abruptly.

On the 20th the captain and Dr., Solander went again on ffiore, and while the latterproceeded to the town in fearch of Lange, the captain {laid on the beach, with a viewto buy cattle. At this place was an old man, who had been diftinguiffied by the nameof prime minifter, becaufe he appeared to be inverted with confiderable authority ; andthe captain now prefented him with a fpying-glafs, in order to make a friend of him*At prefent there was nothing brought for fale but a fmall buffaloe, for which five gui-neas were demanded. Though the captain knew that this was double its value, y ethe bid three guineas, as he was willing to begin dealing at any rate. The perfon whohad it to fell faid, he could not take the money till the Raja had been informed whatwas offered ; on which a man was fent to him, who foon came back with a meffag e >that five guineas would be the loweft price : this the captain refufed to give; on whicha fecond meffenger was difpatched, who ftaying a long time, Captain Cook wasanxioufly expefting his return, when he faw Dr.. Solander coming towards the beach,efcorted by more than a hundred perfons, fome of whom had lances in their hands, an<lthe reft were armed with mufquets. When the doctor arrived at the marketing plac e >he informed the captain, that Lange had interpreted to him a meffage from the Raja,the fubftance of which was, that the natives were averfe to all traffick with the English ,becaufe they would not give above half the real worth of the things which were offeredfor fale ; and that all trading whatever fhould be prohibited after that day. ,

A native of Timor, whofe parents were Portuguefe, came down with this party, a* 1delivered to the captain what was pretended to be the order of the Raja, and whic ■was in fubftance the fame as Lange had told Dr. Solander; but it was afterwards di -covered, that this man was a confederate of Lange’s, in the fcheme of extortion.Engliffi gentlemen had at the fame time no doubt but that the fuppofed order of 1 ®Raja was a contrivance of thefe men; and while they were debating how they Ihould ain this critical conjuncture, anxious to bring the affair to a fpeedy iffue, the Portugu®began to drive away fuch,of the natives as had brought palm-fyrup and fowls to ic >and others who were now bringing ffie^p and buffaloes to the market.

Juft at this juncture Captain Cook happening to look at the old man who had bee^diftinguiffied by the name of prime-minifter, imagined that he faw in his featuresdifapprobation of the prefent proceedings; and willing to improve the advantage^ ^