Apr 30, 1789 Home Logbook May 2, 1789
Revised Jun 30 2021
Stormy Wr with Rain in the night. Wind at ESE and SE. About 2 o'Clock this afternoon, the Party set out in search of water, but a few suffering much Fatigue they returned in the Evening without any kind of Success. I ordered one Plantain for each person to be boiled and having supped on this scanty allowance with a gill of grog and fixed the watches for the night. Those whose turn it was laid down to sleep in the Cave before which we kept up a good Fire. We were notwithstanding troubled with many Flys & Musquitoes.
At dawn of day the Party set out again on a different route to see what they could get, in the course of which they again suffered greatly for want of water. They however met with two men and a woman and a child, the Men came with them to the Cove and brought two Cocoanutt Shells of water. I immediatly made friends with these People and sent them away for Breadfruit, Plantains, and a few Cocoanutt Shells of water. Soon after other Natives came to us and by Noon I had 30 of them about me trading with the above articles which releived us from hunger and thirst, but I could only afford 1 oz of Pork and a quarter of a Breadfruit pr man for dinner with a Couple of gills of water, for I was fixed in not using any Bread or water out of the Boat. No particular Cheif was yet amongst us, the Natives were notwithstanding tractable and behaved honestly, giving their Articles for a few Buttons and Beads. The Party who had been out infomed me of having discovered several neat Plantations, so that it became no longer a doubt of there being fixed inhabitants on the Island, and I therefore determined to get what I could and Sail the first moment the wind and weather would allow me to put to Sea.