Many of them strove to swim off to us, but we left them astern.
Being at the north-east point, we found a strong current setting to the north-west, so that though we had steered to keep under the high island, yet we were driven towards the flat one.

At this time three of the natives came on board.

I gave each of them a knife, a looking-glass, and a string of beads.

I showed them pumpkins and cocoa-nut shells, and made signs to them to bring some aboard, and had presently three cocoa-nuts out of one of the canoes.

I showed them nutmegs, and by their signs I guessed they had some on the island.