At one of the Palmerston Group they found, amongst other things drifted over the reef, some planks, one of which was very thick, with trunnell holes in it, and a piece of moulding from some ship’s upper works, painted yellow, with nail holes showing signs of iron rust:  probably the remains of some wrecked European ship.  At Comango, where they anchored on 28th April, Cook notes: 

“It was remarkable that during the whole day the Indians would hardly part with any one thing to anybody but me; Captain Clerke did not get above one or two hogs.”

A supply of water was obtained and wood was cut, but most of the trees were what Cook calls Manchineel, the sap from which produced blisters on the men’s skin, and Burney says some of them were blind for a fortnight, having rubbed their faces with their juice-stained hands.  One of the carpenters had a bad fall and broke his leg, but for the rest, says Burney, they were “in good health; thank God, no appearance of scurvy.”

Flogging no good.

Cook again complains of the thefts committed so continually, and says that no punishment they could devise was effectual, for “flogging made no more impression than it would have done upon the mainmast.”  The chiefs would advise him to kill those caught, but as he would not proceed to such a length the culprits generally escaped unpunished.  Here the Discovery lost her best bower anchor, the cable having been chafed by the coral and parted when weighing; Burney describes how by pouring oil on the water they were able to see and recover it from a depth of seventeen fathoms.  Landing on Happi they were very well received, and obtained plentiful supplies of fresh food, which was most opportune.  An entertainment of boxing, wrestling, and combats with clubs made from green coconut boughs was held in their honour; and Cook says that they were carried on with the greatest good-humour in the presence of some three thousand spectators, “though some, women as well as men, have received blows they must feel some time after.”  When this was over the chief, Feenough, presented Cook with supplies that required four boats to take to the ships; it “far exceeded any present I had ever before received from an Indian Prince.”  The donor was invited on board to receive his return present, which proved so satisfactory that on his return to the shore he forwarded still more in addition to his first gift, and was amused by a drill of the marines and a display of fireworks, which, though some were spoilt, were the cause of astonishment and pleasure to the wondering natives.  During one of his walks on shore Cook saw a woman just completing a surgical operation on a child’s eyes.  She was removing a film growing over the eyeballs, and the instruments used are described as slender wooden probes.  He was not able to say if the operation were successful.