ich were
two men, a woman, and a boy. These were of middle stature, with dark
complexions, broad, round faces, and low features, with low foreheads,
lank short black hair, and no clothing except a piece of skin to cover
their middles. The most extraordinary circumstance about them, was a
fine streak round their wrists of an azure colour. They seem to be very
jealous of their women, as they would on no account permit the woman who
was along with them to come on board. Clipperton ordered them bread and
cheese, and a dram of brandy, which last they refused to take, but they
eat the bread and cheese voraciously. They had a fire in the middle of
their canoe, which was made of the bark of trees sewed together, and
they brought with them some wild geese and ducks, which they exchanged
for knives. They had bows and arrows, together with some fishing tackle,
and went away after two hours stay, making signs that they would return.

[Footnote 236: The meridional distance between these two stations is 49 deg.
25' W. Mayo being in long. 28 deg. 15', and Cape Virgin Mary in long. 72 deg.
40' both W. from Greenwich.--E.]

Next day the pinnace went ashore, and returned in the evening with the
Indian canoe filled with large muscles, which our people bought from the
Indians, for knives, bread, and other trifles. In the beginning of July
the weather was very moderate. Clipperton found the savages in these
straits by no means so mischievous as they are usually represented, of
which they had two remarkable instances: As, on one occasion, one of the
crew was on shore two nights and a day, and was well used by the
natives; and, on another occasion, one of the natives being left
accidentally all night in the ship, the natives came for him next day
without fear; so that, if well treated, they do not seem to be
treacherous. In another canoe which came to the ship there were several
women, each having a necklace of five or six rows of small shining
shells, very nicely strung, resembling mother-of-pearl. All this time
the crew was very sickly, scarcely a day passing in which one or more
did not die, which was generally attributed to the want of something
comfortable to drink in this rigorous climate, all the liquors intended
for the voyage having been left in the Speedwell. The weather was
sometimes fair and moderate for two or three days together, but was
continually varying, and perhaps for two or three days following they
had continual snow,