Sep 8, 1792 Home Providence Log Sep 10, 1792
Revised Aug 27 2021
1 pm: Strong Breezes and fair Weather with haze. Sent the Boats to leward, in the SW to Sound. Saw a Dozen dwellings with Flat Roofs and Door Ways with out Doors. Saw a Dog.
4 pm: The Boats returned with a report of good Soundings from 13 to 16 &
18 fathoms good Ground. About 42 Natives, 7 of whom were Children about 8 years old. Some Women
and a Child carried on a Womans Shoulders. the Boats brought the Natives round from the North
side of the Island.
Sent two Boats away to make presents to them. They were very friendly and gave them some
Fruit like a Plumb, called Sow by the Malays of Timor. Night prevented a long interview. They
were distracted after Iron and cared for nothing else, called it Toorick.
12 mid: Strong Winds
2 am: It was 8 O'Clock before we could see the Reefs & Sholes so as to enable us to proceed with safety.
8 am: Fresh Breezes and Hazy Weather. Weighed. A Cannoe came after us but put back
again. All the forenoon we continued to see Woody Keys or Isles round by the South as far as WSW.
Also Banks and a continuation of the Reef seen from the last Anchoring Place, which seemed to join
to a low Woody Island called P next to which was a larger Island called O. We passed
between Banks I can say little of but kept in good 
ing
Ground from 11 to 15 fathoms.
12 noon: At Noon the Assistant and Boats a head Sounding and repeating Signals with Vigilance. N Island S45°E about 3 Miles. 10 fathoms Ground O S74°W 3 or 4 Leagues M N69°E about 4 Leagues. An Island of tolerable height called Turtle Backed, was partly on with O, and many Islands Keys and Reefs in the South, in short we appeared advancing into a labyrinth of Dangers.
As soon as the People had got their Dinners, I sent the Boat away with Mr. Nichols the Master to sound in the South and SW, for the Stream of the Tide was now to the WSW and SW which I believed to be owing to Banks in the West which gave it that direction.
In the Evening the Boats returned, and Mr. Nichols reported to me that he had found good Soundings from 13 to 17 fathoms towards Island M, and 13 to 15 fathoms to the SW in the Stream of the Tide.
In their return to the Ships they were observed by the Natives who followed them making signs for them to Land. When they all arrived at the Village, the number was 42, 7 of them were Children. One of them was carried on the Shoulders of a Woman, and not to the back as is common. There were about 15 who had Bows and Arrows which they laid at the back of one of their Sheds. The Women had a covering round their Hips, men stark naked. They made signs and waved Branches for us to come to them. I therefore dispatched two Boats to make some presents of Iron to them, which, as I conceived, was the only thing valuable, and like the rest called it Toorick. They were frantic when they heard it gingle. They gave in return some fruit, like a red Plumb, and some Shell Ornaments. This fruit is what I have described under the Malay name Sow. They had only one Dog with them, and I suspect no other Quadruped on the Island. A little bad water was got, it is most likely to be brackish. They offered no kind of Provisions for Sale. Not a single Cocoa Nutt Tree was seen, but the Boats a Sounding observed a few Plantain Trees. They made use of the Word Hobbo signifying to eat. Their general sign was waving a Green branch and patting the top of their heads. They waded into the Water to the Boats and wanted them to come on Shore. The Women were very ugly except one, whose youth could only be the advantage over the others. The Dog was of a reddish brown colour, and like the Otaheiteans. On the SE part of the Island they had fences which I believe they retire to and fight under. These fences are formed of strait Poles about breast high, secured one to the other by tyings and cross peices. Fish, Turtle and Shell Fish are their chief support. On seeing us get under way they launched a Cannoe, but I could not wait for them. As will be supposed, they were exactly the same people in every respect as we saw before.
As we Sailed to the SW we had a great Shoal to the Westward of us taking the same direction and in every other quarter Shoals seemed to threaten a barrier to our proceedings.
Sep 8, 1792 Home Providence Log Sep 10, 1792