e and his officers entering found to be abandoned,
there being a passage from it down a precipice contrived for the
conveniency of flight. They found here an old firelock or two, but
no other arms. However, there was a great quantity of provisions,
particularly salted spare-ribs of pork, which were excellent; and
from what our people saw here, they concluded, that the extraordinary
appetite, which they had found at this island, was not confined to
themselves; for, it being about noon, the Indians had laid out a very
plentiful repast considering their numbers, and had their bread-fruit
and cocoa-nuts prepared ready for eating, and in a manner which
plainly evinced, that, with them too, a good meal was neither an
uncommon nor an unheeded article. The commodore having in vain
endeavoured to discover the path by which the Indians had escaped, he
and his officers contented themselves with sitting down to the dinner,
which was thus luckily filled to their present appetites; after which,
they returned back to their old habitation, displeased at missing the
Indians, as they hoped to have engaged them in our service, if they
could have had any conference with them. But, notwithstanding what our
prisoners had asserted, we were afterwards assured, that these Indians
were carried off to Guam long before we left the place.

On our coming to an anchor again; after our second driving off to sea;
we laboured indefatigably in getting in our water; and having, by the
20th of October, completed it to fifty tun, which we supposed would be
sufficient for our passage to Macao, we, on the next day, sent one of
each mess on shore, to gather as large a quantity of oranges, lemons,
cocoa-nuts, and other fruits of the island, as they possibly could,
for the use of themselves and mess-mates, when at sea. And, these
purveyors returning on board us on the evening of the same day, we
then set fire to the bark and proa, hoisted in our boats, and got
under sail, steering away for the south-end of the island of Formosa,
and taking our leaves, for the third and last time, of the island of
Tinian: An island, which, whether we consider the excellence of its
productions, the beauty of its appearance, the elegance of its woods
and lawns, the healthiness of its air or the adventures it gave rise
to, may in all these views be truly styled romantic.

[After the description, certainly a very imperfect one, of the
Ladrones, which now follows, the author gives a