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ABOUT a twelvemonth before my arrival, the small-pox made its appearance and occasioned a terrible havock among the poor natives. It was truly shocking to find the coves of the harbour, which were formerly thronged with numerous families in tempestuous weather, now strewed with the dead bodies of men, women, and children. No vestige of this cruel disorder being visible in the countenances of any of the natives, it was reasonable to suppose they were never before infected with it, and of course ignorant of the method of treating this cruel ravager of the human species. The various attitudes in which the dead bodies were found afforded reason to believe that when any of them were indisposed, and the disorder assumed the appearance of the small- pox, they were immediately deserted by their friends and left to perish in their helpless situation for want of sustenance. Some have been found sitting with their heads reclined between their knees; others were leaning against a rock, with their head resting upon it. Two children, a boy and a girl, the boy about nine, the girl about two years older, were picked up during the prevalence of this disorder, labouring under its dreadful effects. Two old men, who were supposed the fathers of the children, were picked up about the same time, and carried to the hospital, where they were taken all possible care of; the men survived but a short time, but the children both recovered, and appeared perfectly satisfied with their change of living.
About this time a native, who I saw frequently at the governor's, and who was now as perfectly at his ease in company as if he had been bred in England, being decently cloathed, and managing his knife, fork, cup and saucer with great dexterity, was entrapped from his friends. Some officers were sent down the harbour, with two boats for the purpose of seizing any of the natives they could lay their hands on; the governor having found that no encouragement would induce them to pay a visit to the colony of their own accord; he therefore determined to get some of them into his possession, and by kind treatment prevail on them to bring their countrymen to repose more confidence in us--Arabanoo, the name of the native above alluded to, was taken in the following manner.