eing several
men on shore, though the island is not inhabited, Captain Cook went in
the pinnace, well armed, to see who they were, and found them some
Portuguese from St Antonio, come to catch turtles or sea-tortoises, who
told him we could have wood and water at this island, which is in lat.
16 deg. 55' N. long. 24 deg. 50' W. from Greenwich. It has great plenty of
Guinea fowl, with some hogs and goats; and we caught abundance of fish
in the road. In the woods there are great numbers of spiders as large as
walnuts, and their webs are very troublesome to get through, being very
numerous, and as strong as ordinary threads.

While here, new disturbances arose among the men, in relation to the
effects taken in the late prize; as we had here an opportunity of
purchasing various things, and every one wished to have the means of
purchasing. To put an end to all these heart-burnings, and to fix the
people in a resolution of doing their duty, we determined to settle this
affair by framing such articles as might inspire the seamen with courage
and constancy, and make them as willing to obey as the officers to
command, without giving our owners any cause of complaint. It cost us
some trouble to adjust these articles, but they effectually answered our
purpose, and all our people readily agreed to abide by them.

After staying two days here, in which we heeled our ships, and got wood
and water on board, our boat returned with limes and tobacco; but our
linguist, who had been sent ashore to procure refreshments, did not make
his appearance. Soon after there came a boat from that part of the
island where the governor resides, on board of which was the
deputy-governor, a negro, who brought limes, tobacco, oranges, fowls,
potatoes, hogs, bananas, musk-melons, watermelons, and brandy, all of
which we bought of him, paying in prize goods we had taken out of the
bark at the Canaries, and at a cheap rate; for they are a poor people,
and are ready to truck for any thing they want at any price, in such
payments as they can make. Being ready to sail, we called a council to
consider what was to be done in respect to the absence of our linguist,
who had promised the deputy-governor to wait for him at the water-side,
but had broke his word; and therefore, as his absence seemed to be
entirely his own fault, it was unanimously resolved that we ought to
leave him behind, rather than our two ships should wait for one man,
who had disobeyed orders.