The chiefs went off with me to dinner, and I found a brisk trade carrying on at the ship for yams; some plantains and breadfruit were likewise brought on board but no hogs.  In the afternoon more sailing canoes arrived, some of which contained not less than ninety passengers.  We purchased eight hogs, some dogs, fowls, and shaddocks.  Yams were in great abundance, very fine and large; one yam weighed above forty-five pounds.  Among the people that came this afternoon were two of the name of Tubow, which is a family of the first distinction among the Friendly Islands; one of them was chief of the island Lefooga; with him and Tepa I went on shore to see the wooding place.  I found a variety of sizable trees but the kind which I principally pitched upon was the Barringtonia of Forster.  I acquainted Tepa with my intention of sending people to cut wood, which meeting with his approbation, we parted.

Saturday 25.

On the 25th at daylight the wooding and watering parties went on shore.  I had directed them not to cut the kind of tree* which, when Captain Cook wooded here in 1777, blinded for a time many of the woodcutters.  They had not been an hour on shore before one man had an axe stolen from him and another an adze.  Tepa was applied to, who got the axe restored but the adze was not recovered.  In the evening we completed wooding.

(Footnote.  Excoecaria agallocha Linn.  Sp.  Pl.  Called in the Malay language caju mata boota, which signifies the the tree that wounds the eyes.)

Sunday 26.

In the morning Nelson went on shore to get a few plants but, no principal chief being among the people, he was insulted, and a spade taken from him.  A boat’s grapnel was likewise stolen from the watering party.  Tepa recovered the spade for us, but the crowd of natives was become so great, by the number of canoes that had arrived from different islands, that it was impossible to do anything where there was such a multitude of people without a chief of sufficient authority to command the whole.  I therefore ordered the watering party to go on board and determined to sail, for I could not discover that any canoe had been sent to acquaint the chiefs of Tongataboo of our being here.  For some time after the thefts were committed the chiefs kept away, but before noon they came on board.

At noon we unmoored, and at one o’clock got under sail.  The two Tubows, Kunocappo, Latoomy-lange, and another chief, were on board, and I acquainted them that unless the grapnel was returned they must remain in the ship.  They were surprised and not a little alarmed.  Canoes were immediately despatched after the grapnel, which I was informed could not possibly be brought to the ship before the next day, as those who had stolen it immediately sailed with their prize to another island.  Nevertheless I detained them till sunset, when their uneasiness and impatience increased to such a degree that they began to beat themselves about the face and eyes and some