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conference, and yet afraid of giving offence, we advanced with caution towards them. Nor would they, at first, approach nearer to us than the distance of some paces. Both parties were armed, yet an attack seemed as unlikely on their part as we knew it to be on our own.
    I had at this time a little boy, of not more than seven years of age, in my hand. The child seemed to attract their attention very much, for they frequently pointed to him and spoke to each other; and as he was not frightened I advanced with him towards them, at the same time baring his bosom and showing the whiteness of the skin. On the clothes being removed they gave a loud exclamation and one of the party, an old man with a long beard, hideously ugly, came close to us. I bade my little charge not to be afraid and introduced him to the acquaintance of this uncouth personage. The Indian, with great gentleness, laid his hand on the child’s hat and afterwards felt his clothes, muttering to himself all the while. I found it necessary, however, by this time to send away the child, as such a close connection rather alarmed him, and in this, as the conclusion verified, I gave no offence to the old gentleman. Indeed it was but putting ourselves on a par with them, as I had observed from the first that some youths of their own, though considerably older than the one with us, were kept back by the grown people.
    Several more now came up, to whom we made various presents, but our toys seemed not to be regarded as very valuable; nor would they for a long time make any returns to them, though before we parted a large club with a head almost sufficient to fell an ox was obtained in exchange for a looking-glass. These people seemed at a loss to know (probably from our want of beards) of what sex we were, which having understood, they burst into the most immoderate fits of laughter, talking to each other at the same time with such rapidity and vociferation as I had never before heard. After nearly an hour’s conversation, by signs and gestures they repeated several times the word whurra , which signifies ‘begone’, and walked away from us to the head of the bay.
    The natives being departed, we set out to observe the country, which on inspection rather disappointed our hopes, being invariably sandy and unpromising for the purposes of cultivation, though the trees and grass flourish in great luxuriancy. Close to us was the spring at which Mr Cook watered, but we did not think the water very excellent, nor did it run freely. In the evening we returned on board, not greatly pleased with the latter part of our discoveries, as it indicated an increase of those difficulties which before seemed sufficiently numerous.
    Between this and our departure we had several more interviews with the natives, which ended in so friendly a manner that we began to entertain some hopes of bringing about a connection with them. Our first object was to win their affections and our next to convince them of the superiority we possessed: for without the latter, the former we knew would be of little importance.
    An officer one day prevailed on one of them to place a target, made of bark, against a tree, which he fired at with a pistol at the distance of some paces. The Indians, though terrified at the report, did not run away, but their astonishment exceeded their alarm on looking at the shield which the ball had perforated. As this produced a little shyness, the officer, to dissipate their fears and remove their jealousy, whistled the air of ‘Malbrooke’, which they appeared highly charmed with, and imitated him with equal pleasure and readiness. † I cannot help remarking here, what I was afterwards told by Monsieur La Perouse, that the natives of California, and throughout all the islands of the Pacific Ocean, and in short wherever he had been, seemed equally touched and delighted with this little plaintive air.
    â€  ‘“Malbrooke s’en va-t-en