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[Page 8]
twice to Norfolk Island & sailed the 27th May for Otaheite & the Islands in the neighbourhood, in quest of a Cargo of Salt Pork. This Service I have had in contemplation for her ever since her arrival, But, the want of Salt was a powerful objective. This I hoped to remove by evaporating Sea water & boiling into salt, in which we are making so admirable a progress that I had hopes of getting an Inffusion before the end of June. But, as if providence favored my designs, a Whaler came in loaded with Salt from the Cape [indecipherable], intended for curing Seals, which plan the Master had given up, as he offered his Salt for sale, I bought it & immediately dispatched the Porpoise to the Islands with a part of it, & such articles as I could collect for traffic, with a part of it, and a proportion to Norfolk Island, from which place I hope we shall soon obtain considerable supplies, nor am I at all afraid of [indecipherable] now & hereafter at the Society Islands; to give you an Idea of this, I must inform you that soon after my arrival here, a Whaler was going there for provisions: By that vessell I wrote a letter to [indecipherable] Chief of the District of [indecipherable], & I believe of all the Island, recommending the [indecipherable] in letters had there to his protection, and accompanied it with a trifling present; in return I received a very handsome [indecipherable], & a [war?] [indecipherable] with various other articles, accompanied with a letter, assuring me "of his love for King George & that he would protect his subjects as long as he lived," but complained of a refractory spirit among his subjects & [longing?] that some Fire Arms might be sent him. As our correspondence