As the boat approached the shore, the Indians thronged down towards the beach, and put themselves upon their guard with their long pikes, as if to dispute landing.  Our men then lay upon their oars, and made signs of friendship, shewing at the same time several strings of beads, ribbands, knives, and other trinkets.  The Indians still made signs to our people that they should depart, but at the same time eyed the trinkets with a kind of wishful curiosity.  Soon after, some of them advanced a few steps into the sea, and our people making signs that they wanted cocoa-nuts and water, some of them brought down a small quantity of both, and ventured to hand them into the boat:  the water was in cocoa-nut shells, and the fruit was stripped of its outward covering, which is probably used for various purposes.  For this supply they were paid with the trinkets that had been shewed them, and some nails, upon which they seemed to set a much greater value.  During this traffic, one of the Indians found means to steal a silk handkerchief, in which some of our small merchandise was wrapped up, and carried it clear off, with its contents, so dexterously, that nobody observed him.  Our people made signs that a handkerchief had been stolen, but they either could not or would not understand them.  The boat continued about the beach, sounding for anchorage, till it was dark; and having many times endeavoured to persuade the natives to bring down some scurvy-grass, without success, she returned on board.

I stood off and on with the ship all night, and as soon as the day broke, I sent the boats again, with orders to make a landing, but without giving any offence to the natives, that could possibly be avoided.  When our boats came near the shore, the officer was greatly surprised to see seven large canoes, with two stout masts in each, lying just in the surf, with all the inhabitants upon the beach, ready to embark.  They made signs to our people to go higher up; they readily complied, and as soon as they went ashore, all the Indians embarked, and sailed away to the westward, being joined by two other canoes at the west end of the island.  About noon, the boats returned, laden with cocoa-nuts, palm-nuts, and scurvy-grass.  Mr Furneaux, who commanded the expedition, told me that the Indians had left nothing behind them but four or five canoes.  He found a well of very good water, and described the island as being sandy and level, full of trees, but without underwood, and abounding with scurvy-grass.  The canoes, which steered about W.S.W. as long as they could be seen from the mast-head, appeared to be about thirty feet long, four feet broad, and three and an half deep.  Two of these being brought along-side of each other, were fastened together, at the distance of about three feet asunder, by cross beams, passing from the larboard gunwale of one, to the starboard gunwale of the other, in the middle and near to each end.

The inhabitants of this island were of a middle stature, and dark complexion, with long black hair, which hung loose over their shoulders.  The men were well made, and the women handsome.  Their clothing was a kind of coarse cloth or matting, which was fastened about their middle, and seemed capable of being brought up round their shoulders.