The next day, I sent a party up the country to cut wood, and they met with some of the natives, who treated them with great kindness and hospitality.  Several of these friendly Indians came on board in our boat, and seemed, both by their dress and behaviour, to be of a superior rank.  To these people I paid a particular attention, and to discover what present would most gratify them, I laid down before them a Johannes, a guinea, a crown piece, a Spanish dollar, a few shillings, some new halfpence, and two large nails, making signs that they should take what they liked best.  The nails were first seized, with great eagerness, and then a few of the halfpence, but the silver and gold lay neglected.  Having presented them, therefore, with some nails and halfpence, I sent them on shore superlatively happy.

From this time our market was very ill supplied, the Indians refusing to sell provisions at the usual price, and making signs for large nails.  It was now thought necessary to look more diligently about the ship, to discover what nails had been drawn; and it was soon round that all the belaying cleats had been ripped off, and that there was scarcely one of the hammock nails left.  All hands were now ordered up, and I practised every artifice I could think of to discover the thieves, but without success.  I then told them, that till the thieves were discovered, not a single man should go on shore:  This however produced no effect, except that Proctor the corporal behaved in a mutinous manner, for which he was instantly punished.

On Saturday the 11th, in the afternoon, the gunner came on board with a tall woman, who seemed to be about five-and-forty years of age, of a pleasing countenance and majestic department.  He told me that she was but just come into that part of the country, and that seeing great respect paid her by the rest of the natives, he had made her some presents; in return for which she had invited him to her house, which was about two miles up the valley, and gave him some large hogs; after which she returned with him to the watering-place, and expressed a desire to go on board the ship, in which he had thought it proper, on all accounts, that she should be gratified.  She seemed to be under no restraint, either from diffidence or fear, when she first came into the ship; and she behaved, all the while she was on board, with an easy freedom, that always distinguishes conscious superiority and habitual command.  I gave her a large blue mantle, that reached from her shoulders to her feet, which I threw over her, and tied on with ribbands; I gave her also a looking-glass, beads of several sorts, and many other things, which she accepted with a very good grace, and much pleasure.  She took notice that I had been ill, and pointed to the shore.  I understood that she meant I should go thither to perfect my recovery, and I made signs that I would go thither the next morning.  When she intimated an inclination to return, I ordered the gunner to go with her who, having set her on shore, attended her to her habitation, which he described as being very large and well built.  He said, that in this house she had many guards and domestics, and that she had another at a little distance, which was enclosed in lattice-work.