This day one of the Natives who appear'd to be a chief dined with us as he had done some days before, but than there were always some Women present and one or a nother of them put the Victuals into his mouth but this day there happen'd to be none to perform that office; when he was helpt to Victuals and desired to eat he sat in the chair like a Stattute without once attempting to put one morsel to his mouth and would certainly have gone without his dinner if one of the Servants had not fed him: We have often found the Women very officious in feeding of us, from which it shwould seem that it is a custom upon some occations for them to feed the Chiefs, however this is the only instance of that kind we have seen, or that they could not help themselves as well as any of us —
This afternoon We set up the Observatory and took the Astronomical Quadt a shore for the first time, together with some other Instruments. The Fort being no[w] finished and made as Tenable as the Time, Nature and situation of the ground, and materials we had to work upon would admit of - The North and south parts consisted of a Bank of earth 41/2 feet high on the inside, and a Ditch without, 10 feet broad and 6 feet deep: on the west side faceing the Bay a Bank of earth 4 feet high and Pallisades upon that, but no ditch the works being at highwater mark: on the East side upon the Bank of the River was place'd a double row of casks: and as this was the weakest side the 2 four pounders were planted there, and the whole was defended beside these 2 Guns with 6 Swivels and generally about 45 Men with small arms including the officers and gentlemen who resided aShore; I now thought myself perfectly secure from anything these people could attempt;—