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But the truth Is, the woman who becomes a proftitute, does not feetn, in their opinion,to have committed a crime of fo deep a dye as to exclude her from the efteem and focietyof the community in general. On the whole, a ftranger who vifits England, mightwith equal juftice, draw the characters of the women there, from thofe which he mightmeet with on board the fhips in one of the naval ports, or in the purlieus of Covent-Garden and Drury-Lane. It muft, however, be allowed that. they are completelyverfed in the art of coquetry, and that very few of them fix any bounds to their conver-fation. It is, therefore, no wonder that they have obtained the character of libertines.
After leaving Ulietea on the 17th of September 1773, they fleered to theWeft, and at two o’clock P. M. on the tft of October, they faw the ifland of Middle-burg, bearing weft-fouth-weft. As they approached the fhore, two canoes, each con-ducted by two or three men, came boldly along-fide, and fome of them entered theIhip without hefitation. This mark of confidence gave Captain Cook a good opinionof thefe iflanders, and determined him to vilit them if poffible. They found good an-chorage, and came to in twenty-five fathoms water. They had fcarcely got to ananchor, before they were furrounded by a great number of canoes full of people, whohad brought with them cloth and other curiofities, which they exchanged for nails, &c.Among them was one, whom, by the authority he feemed to have over the others, wasfound to be a chief; and accordingly the captain made him a prefent of a hatchet, fpike-Dails, and feveral other articles, with which he was highly pleafed. Thus he obtainedthe friendfhip of this chief, whofe name was Tioony.
Soon after, a party of them embarked in two boats, in company with Tioony, whoconducted them to a little creek formed by the rocks, right abreaft of the fhips, wherelanding was extremely eafy, and the boats fecure againft the furf. Here they found anitnmenfe crowd of people, who welcomed them on fhore with loud acclamations. Not°ne of them had fo much as a flick, or any other weapon in his hand ; an indubitablefign of their pacific intentions. They thronged fo thick round the boats with cloth, mat-ting, &c. to exchange for nails, that it was fome time before they could get room toland. They feemed to be more defirous to give than receiye; for many who could not getnear the boats, threw into them, over the others heads, whole bales of cloth, and thenretired, without either afking or waiting to get any thing in return. The chief conductedns to his houfe, about three hundred yards from the fea, at the head of a fine lawn,a nd under the fhade of fome fhaddock trees. The fituation was moft delightful. Infront was the fea, and the fhips at anchor ; behind, and on each fide, were plantations,ln which were fome of the richeft productions of nature. The floor was laid with mats,°n which they were placed, and the people feated themfelves in a circle round them onthe outfide. Having the bagpipes with them, Captain Cook ordered them to be played;ar *d, in return, the chief directed three young women to fing a fong, which they did witha Ver y good grace ; and having made each of them a prefent, this immediately fet all theWomen in the circle a flinging. Their fongs were mufical and harmonious- Afterfitting here fome time, they were conducted into one of the adjoining plantations, wheretfie chief had another houfe, into which they were introduced. Bananoes and cocoa-^uts were fet before them to eat, and a bowl of liquor prepared in their prefence of thejuice of eava for them to drink. But Captain Cook was the only one who tafted it jJfiu manner of brewing it having quenched the thirft of every one elfs. The bowl was,however, foon emptied of its contents, of which both men and women partook.
Before they had well viewed the plantation it was noon, and they returned on board
dinner, with the chief in their company. He fat at table but eat nothing •, which, asthe y had frefli pork roafted, was a little extraordinary. Near fome of the houfes, and
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