Three new faces appeared on the east side, who were brought on board after breakfast, and permitted to remain until dinner-time:  one of them, an old man, was very attentive to the sailmaker’s cutting out a boat’s sail, and at his request was presented with all the strips that were of no use.  When it was completed a small piece of canvas was missing, upon which the old man, being suspected of having secreted it, was slightly examined, but nothing was found upon him; after this, while the people were looking about the deck, the old rogue assisted in the search and appeared quite anxious to find it; he however very soon walked away towards another part of the deck and interested himself in other things.  This conduct appeared so suspicious that I sent the sailmaker to examine the old man more closely, when the lost piece was found concealed under his left arm, which was covered by the cloak he wore of kangaroo-skin.  This circumstance afforded me a good opportunity of showing them our displeasure at so flagrant a breach of the confidence we had reposed in them; I therefore went up to him and, assuming as ferocious a look as I could, shook him violently by the shoulders.  At first he laughed but afterwards, when he found I was in earnest, became much alarmed:  upon which his two companions, who were both boys, wanted to go onshore; this however was not permitted until I had made peace with the old man, and put them all in good humour by feeding them heartily upon biscuit.  The two boys were soon satisfied; but the old man appeared ashamed and conscious of his guilt; and although he was frequently afterwards with us, yet he always hung down his head and sneaked into the background.

During the day the people were employed about the rigging, and in the evening before sunset the natives were again admitted on board for half an hour.  In the afternoon Mr. Montgomery went to Green Island and shot a few parrakeets and waterbirds, some of which he gave to the natives after explaining how they had been killed, which of course produced great applause.

December 26.

The next day was employed in wooding and watering, in which the natives, particularly our friend Jack, assisted.  We had this day twenty-one natives about us and among them were five strangers.  They were not permitted to come on board until four o’clock in the afternoon, excepting Jack, who was privileged to come and go as he liked, which, since it did not appear to create any jealousy among his companions, enabled us to detain him as a hostage for Mr. Cunningham’s safety, who was busily engaged in adding to his collections from the country in the vicinity of the vessel.

In the evening Jack climbed the rigging as high as the top masthead, much to the amusement of his companions but to the mortification of Bundell who had never taken courage to mount so high.

The waterholes yielded about a ton of water a day; but a stream was found in the sandy bay to the eastward of the entrance, running over the beach, which we used when the holes were emptied of their contents; the latter were however preferred, since our people worked at them under an immediate protection from the vessel’s deck.  Near the stream we found some felled trees and the staves of a cask.*