at it dropped off while in the slings. In the evening we were
visited by a tribe of natives whom we had never seen before, and who,
in general, were better-looking people than most of our old friends,
some of whom attended them. I prevailed upon these visitors to go down
into the cabin for the first time, and observed, that there was not a
single object that fixed the attention of most of them for a moment;
their countenances marking, that they looked upon all our novelties
with the utmost indifference. This, however, was not without
exception; for a few of the company shewed a certain degree of
curiosity.

In the afternoon of the next day, I went into the woods with a
party of our men, and cut down a tree for a mizen-mast. On the day
following, it was brought to the place where the carpenters were
employed upon the fore-mast. In the evening the wind, which had been,
for some time, westerly, veered to S.E., and increased to a very hard
gale, with rain, which continued till eight o'clock the next morning,
when it abated, and veered again to the W.

The fore-mast being by this time finished, we hauled it alongside; but
the bad weather prevented our getting it in till the afternoon; and
we set about rigging it with the greatest expedition, while the
carpenters were going on with the mizen-mast on shore. They had made
very considerable progress in it on the 16th, when they discovered
that the stick upon which they were at work was sprung, or wounded,
owing, as supposed, to some accident in cutting it down. So that all
their labour was thrown away, and it became necessary to get another
tree out of the woods, which employed all hands above half a day.
During these various operations, several of the natives, who were
about the ships, looked on with an expressive silent surprise, which
we did not expect; from their general indifference and inattention.

On the 18th, a party of strangers, in six or eight canoes, came into
the cove, where they remained, looking at us, for some time, and then
retired, without coming alongside either ship. We supposed, that our
old friends, who were more numerous at this time about us, than these
new visitors, would not permit them to have any intercourse with
us. It was evident, upon this and several other occasions, that the
inhabitants of the adjoining parts of the Sound engrossed us entirely
to themselves; or if, at any time, they did not hinder strangers from
trading with us, they contrive