The winds were between the south and west, stormy with rain till the 23d, when the weather became settled, clear, and pleasant.  Very early in the morning, we were visited by a number of the natives, in four or five canoes, very few of whom we had seen before.  They brought with them various articles (curiosities), which they exchanged for Otaheitean cloth, &c.  At first, the exchanges were very much in our favour, till an old man, who was no stranger to us, came and assisted his countrymen with his advice; which, in a moment, turned the trade above a thousand per cent, against us.[6]

After these people were gone, I took four hogs (that is, three sows and one boar), two cocks and two hens, which I landed in the bottom of the West Bay; carrying them a little way into the woods, where we left them with as much food as would serve them ten or twelve days.  This was done with a view of keeping them in the woods, lest they should come down to the shore in search of food, and be discovered by the natives; which, however, seemed not probable, as this place had never been frequented by them; nor were any traces of them to be seen near it.  We also left some cocks and hens in the woods in Ship Cove; but these will have a chance of falling into the hands of the natives, whose wandering way of life will hinder them from breeding, even suppose they should be taken proper care of.  Indeed, they took rather too much care of those which I had already given them, by keeping them continually confined, for fear of losing them in the woods.  The sow pig we had not seen since the day they had her from me; but we were now told she was still living, as also the old boar and sow given them by Captain Furneaux; so that there is reason to hope they may succeed.  It will be unfortunate, indeed, if every method I have taken, to provide this country with useful animals, should be frustrated.  We were likewise told, that the two goats were still alive, and running about; but I gave more credit to the first story than this.  I should have replaced them, by leaving behind the only two I had left, but had the misfortune to lose the ram soon after our arrival here, in a manner we could hardly account for.  They were both put ashore at the tents, where they seemed to thrive very well; at last, the ram was taken with fits bordering on madness.  We were at a loss to tell whether it was occasioned by any thing he had eaten, or by being stung with nettles, which were in plenty about the place; but supposed it to be the latter, and therefore did not take the care of him we ought to have done.  One night, while he was lying by the centinel, he was seized with one of these fits, and ran headlong into the sea; but soon came out again, and seemed quite easy.  Presently after, he was seized with another fit, and ran along the beach, with the she-goat after him.  Some time after she returned, but the other was never seen more.  Diligent search was made for him in the woods to no purpose; we therefore supposed he had run into the sea a second time, and had been drowned.  After this accident, it would have been in vain to leave the she-goat, as she was not with kid; having kidded but a few days before we arrived, and the kids dead.  Thus the reader will see how every method I have taken to stock this country with sheep and goats has proved ineffectual.