in the same order as we went, and saw, in several places, people, who had been following us, coming down from the sides of the hills with their arms in their hands, which they instantly quitted, and hid in the bushes, when they saw they were discovered by us.  This seemed to prove that there must have been some foundation for what Oedidee had said; but I cannot believe that the chief had any such design, whatever the people might have.  In our return we halted at a convenient place to refresh ourselves.  I ordered the people to bring us some cocoa-nuts, which they did immediately.  Indeed, by this time, I believe many of them wished us on board out of the way; for although no one step was taken that could give them the least alarm, they certainly were in terror.  Two chiefs brought each of them a pig, a dog, and some young plantain trees, the usual peace-offerings, and with due ceremony presented them singly to me.  Another brought a very large hog, with which he followed us to the ship.  After this we continued our course to the landing-place, where I caused several vollies to be fired, to convince the natives that we could support a continual fire.  This being done, we all embarked and went on board; and soon after the chief following, brought with him a quantity of fruit, and sat down with us to dinner.  We had scarce dined before more fruit was brought us by others, and two hogs; so that we were likely to make more by this little excursion than by all the presents we had made them.  It certainly gave them some alarm to see so strong a party of men march into their country; and probably gave them a better opinion of fire-arms than they had before.  For I believe they had but an indifferent, or rather contemptible, idea of muskets in general, having never seen any fired but at birds, &c. by such of our people as used to straggle about the country, the most of them but indifferent marksmen, losing generally two shots out of three, their pieces often, missing fire, and being slow in charging.  Of all this they had taken great notice, and concluded, as well they might, that fire-arms were not so terrible things as they had been taught to believe.

When the chiefs took leave in the evening, they promised to bring us next day a very large supply of provisions.  In the article of fruit they were as good as their word, but of hogs, which we most wanted, they brought far less than we expected.  Going ashore in the afternoon, I found the chief just sitting down to dinner.  I cannot say what was the occasion of his dining so late.  As soon as he was seated, several people began chewing the pepper-root; about a pint of the juice of which, without any mixture, was the first dish, and was dispatched in a moment.  A cup of it was presented to me; but the manner of brewing it was at this time sufficient.  Oedidee was not so nice, but took what I refused.  After this the chief washed his mouth with cocoa-nut water; then he eat of repe, plantain, and mahee, of each