observed that many were afraid to touch what belonged to us; and they seemed to have no notion of exchanging one thing for another.  I took the old man (whose name we now found to be Paowang) to the woods, and made him understand, I wanted to cut down some trees to take on board the ship; cutting some down at the same time, which we put into one of our boats, together with a few small casks of water, with a view of letting the people see what it was we chiefly wanted.  Paowang very readily gave his consent to cut wood; nor was there any one who made the least objection.  He only desired the cocoa-nut trees might not be cut down.  Matters being thus settled, we embarked and returned on board to dinner, and, immediately after, they all dispersed.  I never learnt that any one was hurt by our shot, either on this or the preceding day; which was a very happy circumstance.  In the afternoon having landed again, we loaded the launch with water, and having made three hauls with the seine, caught upwards of three hundred pounds of mullet and other fish.  It was some time before any of the natives appeared, and not above twenty or thirty at last, amongst whom was our trusty friend Paowang, who made us a present of a small pig, which was the only one we got at this isle, or that was offered to us.

During the night the volcano, which was about four miles to the west of us, vomited up vast quantities of fire and smoke, as it had also done the night before; and the flames were seen to rise above the hill which lay between us and it.  At every eruption it made a long rumbling noise like that of thunder, or the blowing up of large mines.  A heavy shower of rain, which fell at this time, seemed to increase it; and the wind blowing from the same quarter, the air was loaded with its ashes, which fell so thick that every thing was covered with the dust.  It was a kind of fine sand, or stone, ground or burnt to powder, and was exceedingly troublesome to the eyes.

Early in the morning of the 7th, the natives began again to assemble near the watering-place, armed as usual, but not in such numbers as at first.  After breakfast, we landed, in order to cut wood and fill water.  I found many of the islanders much inclined to be friends with us, especially the old people; on the other hand, most of the younger were daring and insolent, and obliged us to keep to our arms.  I staid till I saw no disturbance was like to happen, and then returned to the ship, leaving the party under the command of Lieutenants Clerke and Edgcumbe.  When they came on board to dinner, they informed me that the people continued to behave in the same inconsistent manner as in the morning; but more especially one man, whom Mr Edgcumbe was obliged to fire at, and believed he had struck with a swan shot.  After that the others behaved with more discretion; and as soon as our people embarked they all retired.  While we were sitting at dinner an old man came on board, looked into many parts of the ship, and then went ashore again.