“As we drew near, some of the Indians came down on the rocks, and waved for us to be gone, but seeing we disregarded them, they altered their notes.  Here we found six large canoes hauled up on the beach, most of them double ones, and a great many people; though not so many as one might expect from the number of houses and size of the canoes.  Leaving the boat’s crew to guard the boat, I stepped ashore with the marines (the corporal and five men), and searched a good many of their houses, but found nothing to give me any suspicion.  Three or four well-beaten paths led farther into the woods, where were many more houses; but the people continuing friendly, I thought it unnecessary to continue our search.  Coming down to the beach, one of the Indians had brought a bundle of Hepatoos (long spears), but seeing I looked very earnestly at him, he put them on the ground, and walked about with seeming unconcern.  Some of the people appearing to be frightened, I gave a looking-glass to one, and a large nail to another.  From this place the bay ran, as nearly as I could guess, N.N.W. a good mile, where it ended in a long sandy beach.  I looked all around with the glass, but saw no boat, canoe, or sign of inhabitant.  I therefore contented myself with firing some guns, which I had done in every cove as I went along.”

“I now kept close to the east shore, and came to another settlement, where the Indians invited us ashore.  I enquired of them about the boat, but they pretended ignorance.  They appeared very friendly here, and sold us some fish.  Within an hour after we left this place, in a small beach adjoining to Grass Cove, we saw a very large double canoe just hauled up, with two men and a dog.  The men, on seeing us, left their canoe, and ran up into the woods.  This gave me reason to suspect I should here get tidings of the cutter.  We went ashore, and searched the canoe, where we found one of the rullock-ports of the cutter, and some shoes, one of which was known to belong to Mr Woodhouse, one of our midshipmen.  One of the people, at the same time, brought me a piece of meat, which he took to be some of the salt meat belonging to the cutter’s crew.  On examining this, and smelling to it, I found it was fresh.  Mr Fannin (the master) who was with me, supposed it was dog’s flesh, and I was of the same opinion; for I still doubted their being cannibals.  But we were soon convinced by most horrid and undeniable proof.”

“A great many baskets (about twenty) lying on the beach, tied up, we cut them open.  Some were full of roasted flesh, and some of fern-root, which serves them for bread.  On, farther search, we found more shoes, and a hand, which we immediately knew to have belonged to Thomas Hill, one of our fore-castle men, it being marked T.H. with an Otaheite tattow-instrument.  I went with some of the people a little way up the woods, but saw nothing else.  Coming down again, there was a round spot covered with fresh earth, about four feet diameter, where something had been buried.  Having no spade, we began to dig with a cutlass; and in the mean time I launched the canoe with intent to destroy her; but seeing a great smoke ascending over the nearest hill, I got all the people into the boat, and made what haste I could to be with them before sun-set.”