On 10th April Osnaburg Island was passed, and next day King George Land was sighted; but the wind failed, and they did not get close in till the 12th, when canoes came out to the ship, bringing branches of trees which were handed up the side, with signs directing they should be placed conspicuously in the rigging, as a token of friendship offered and accepted.  When this had been done the natives produced a good supply of trade in the shape of vegetables and fruit; amongst the last Banks enumerates bread-fruit, bananas, coconuts, and apples (a species of hog plum).  These were very acceptable and beneficial to the crew after such a lapse of time without vegetable food except the wild plants gathered in Tierra del Fuego.

At Tahiti.

At 7 A.M. on the 13th they anchored in the bay described by Wallis, known as Matavai, in thirteen fathoms, and Cook says of his route from Cape Horn, “I Endeavoured to make a direct course, and in part succeeded.”

CHAPTER 8. 1769.  SOCIETY ISLANDS.

Prodigious expert thieves.

Hardly had the anchor reached the bottom, before they were surrounded by canoes, whose occupants were anxious to sell the supplies of fruits, raw and cooked fish, and a pig they had brought.  The price asked for the pig was a hatchet, and as these were scarce, it was not purchased.  When all was made safe, a party went ashore and was well received by the natives, but those who had previously been there with Wallis reported that those who were at that time said to be chiefs, were keeping in the background.  The next day, however, two men, evidently of rank, came on board, and being invited into the cabin, went through a ceremony described by Banks:  “Each singled out his friend; one took the captain, and the other chose myself.  Each took off a part of his clothes and dressed his friend with what he took off; in return for this we presented them with a hatchet and some beads.”  They were then invited by their new friends to go ashore.  On landing they were escorted to a building and introduced to an old man they had not seen before, and he presented Cook with a cock, and Banks with a hen, and each with a piece of native cloth.  Banks gave in return for his share his large laced silk neckcloth and a linen handkerchief.  After this they were permitted to stroll about, and received many tokens of amity in the shape of green boughs, and were then entertained at a banquet, the principal dishes being fish and bread-fruit.  Whilst at dinner, Solander had his pocket picked of an opera glass, and Monkhouse lost his snuff-box.  As soon as this was made known, Lycurgus, as they had named one of their friends, drove off the people, striking them and throwing anything he could lay his hand to, at them.  He offered pieces of cloth as compensation, and when these were refused, extended his offer to everything he possessed.  He was, at last, made to understand that all that was wanted was the return of the stolen articles, and after a time the snuff-box and the case of the glass were returned, and, by and by, the glass itself.  During the whole of the stay at the island they had the greatest difficulties with the natives for stealing, an accomplishment at which, Cook says, they were “prodigious expert.”