upon the table.  At sun-set, they eat another meal with great eagerness, each devouring a large quantity of bread, and drinking above a quart of water.  We then made them beds upon the lockers, and they went to sleep with great seeming content.  In the night, however, the tumult of their minds having subsided, and given way to reflection, they sighed often and loud.  Tupia, who was always upon the watch to comfort them, got up, and by soothing and encouragement, made them not only easy but cheerful; their cheerfulness was encouraged, so that they sung a song with a degree of taste that surprised us:  The tune was solemn and slow, like those of our Psalms, containing many notes and semitones.  Their countenances were intelligent and expressive, and the middlemost, who seemed to be about fifteen, had an openness in his aspect, and an ease in his deportment, which were very striking:  We found that the two eldest were brothers, and that their names were Tuahourange and Koikerange; the name of the youngest was Maragovete.  As we were returning to the ship, after having taken these boys into the boat, we picked up a large piece of pumice stone floating upon the water; a sure sign that there either is, or has been a volcano in this neighbourhood.

In the morning, they all seemed to be cheerful, and eat another enormous meal; after this we dressed them, and adorned them with bracelets, anclets, and necklaces, after their own fashion, and the boat being hoisted out, they were told that we were going to set them ashore:  This produced a transport of joy; but upon perceiving that we made towards our first landing-place near the river, their countenances changed, and they entreated with great earnestness that they might not be set ashore at that place, because they said, it was inhabited by their enemies, who would kill them and eat them.  This was a great disappointment to me; because I hoped the report and appearance of the boys would procure a favourable reception for ourselves.  I had already sent an officer on shore with the marines and a party of men to cut wood, and I was determined to land near the place; not, however, to abandon the boys, if, when we got ashore, they should be unwilling to leave us, but to send a boat with them in the evening to that part of the bay to which they pointed, and which they called their home.  Mr Banks, Dr Solander, and Tupia were with me, and upon our landing with the boys, and crossing the river, they seemed at first to be unwilling to leave us; but at length they suddenly changed their mind, and, though not without a manifest struggle, and some tears, they took their leave:  When they were gone, we proceeded along a swamp, with a design to shoot some ducks, of which we saw great plenty, and four of the marines attended us, walking abreast of us upon a bank that overlooked the country.  After we had advanced about a mile, these men called out to us and told us, that a large body of the Indians was in sight, and