On the 25th, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went again on fhore; and while they were fearching for plants, Tupia ftaid with the waterers: among other Indians who came down to them, was a priest, with whom Tupia entered into a very learned conversation. In their notions of religion they feemed to agree very well, which is not often the cafe between learned divines on our fide of the ocean: Tupia, however, seemed to have the most knowlege, and he was listened to with great deference and attention by the other. In the courfe of this converfation, after the important points of divinity had been fettled, Tupia enquired if it was their practice to eat men, to which they answered in the affirmative; but faid that they eat only their enemies who were flain in battle. 1769. OЯober. Wednef. 25. On the 26th, it rained all day, fo that none of us could go Thursday 26. afhore; and very few of the Indians came either to the watering-place or the ship. On the 27th, I went with Dr. Solander to examine the bot- Friday 27. tom of the bay; but though we went afhore at two places, we met with little worth notice. The people behaved very civilly, fhewing us every thing that we expreffed a defire to fee. Among other trifling curiofities which Dr. Solander purchased of them, was a boy's top, fhaped exactly like those which children play with in England; and they made signs, that to make it spin it was to be whipped. Mr. Banks in the mean time went afhore at the watering-place, and climbed a hill which ftood at a little distance to see a fence of poles, which we had observed from the ship, and which had been much the fubject of fpeculation. The hill was extremely steep, and rendered almost inacceffible by wood; yet he reached the place, near which he found many houfes that for fome reafon had been deferted by their inhabitants. The 1769. October. The poles appeared to be about fixteen feet high; they were ~ placed in two rows, with a space of about fix feet between Friday 27 them, and the poles in each row were about ten feet distant from each other. The lane between them was covered by fticks, that were fet up floping towards each other from the top of the poles on each fide, like the roof of a houfe. This rail-work, with a ditch that was parallel to it, was carried about a hundred yards down the hill in a kind of curve; but for what purpose we could not guess. Saturday 28. The Indians, at the watering-place, at our request, entertained us with their war-fong, in which the women joined, with the most horrid distortions of countenance, rolling their eyes, thrusting out their tongues, and often heaving loud and deep fighs; though all was done in very good time. On the 28th, we went afhore upon an island that lies to the left hand of the entrance of the bay, where we saw the largest canoe that we had yet met with: fhe was fixty-eight feet and a half long, five broad, and three feet fix high; fhe had a sharp bottom, confifting of three trunks of trees hollowed, of which that in the middle was the longest: the fide planks were fixty-two feet long in one piece, and were not defpicably carved in bas relief; the head also was adorned with carving ftill more richly. Upon this ifland there was a larger house than any we had finished and was full of chips. The wood work was squared fo even and smooth, that we made no doubt of their having among them very fharp tools. The fides of the posts were carved in a masterly ftile, though after their whimsical taste, which feems to prefer fpiral lines and diftorted faces: as these carved pofts appeared to have been brought from fome other place, fuch work is probably of great value among them. yet feen; but it seemed un At At four o'clock in the morning of the 29th, having got on board our wood and water, and a large fupply of excellent celery, with which the country abounds, and which proved a powerful antifcorbutic, I unmoored and put to sea. This bay is called by the natives TOLAGA; it is moderately large, and has from seven to thirteen fathom, with a clean fandy bottom and good anchorage; and is sheltered from all winds except the north eaft. It lies in latitude 38° 22′S. and four leagues and an half to the north of Gable-end Foreland. On the fouth point lies a small but high island, fo near the main as not to be distinguished from it. Close to the north end of the island, at the entrance into the bay, are two high rocks; one is round like a corn-stack, but the other is long, and perforated in feveral places so that the openings appear like the arches of a bridge. Within these rocks is the cove where we cut wood, and filled our water-cafks. Off the north point of the bay is a pretty high rocky island; and about a mile without it, are fome rocks and breakers. The variation of the compass here is 14° 31′E. and the tide flows at the full and change of the moon, about fix o'clock, and rises and falls perpendicularly from five to fix feet: whether the flood comes from the fouthward or the northward I have not been able to determine. We got nothing here by traffic but a few fish, and fome fweet potatoes, except a few trifles, which we confidered merely as curiofities. We faw no four-footed animals, nor the appearance of any, either tame or wild, except dogs and rats, and these were very fcarce: the people eat the dogs, like our friends at Otaheite; and adorn their garments with the fkins, as we do ours with fur and ermine. I climbed many of the hills, hoping to get a view of the country, but I could fee nothing from the top except higher VOL. II. hills, Tt 1769. October. Sunday 29. 1769. October, hills, in a boundlefs fucceffion. The ridges of these hills produce little befides fern; but the fides are most luxuriantly Sunday 29. clothed with wood, and verdure of various kinds, with little plantations intermixed. In the woods, we found trees of above twenty different forts, and carried fpecimens of each on board; but there was no body among us to whom they were not altogether unknown. The tree which we cut for firing was fomewhat like our maple, and yielded a whitish gum. We found another fort of it of a deep yellow, which we thought might be useful in dying. We found also one cabbage tree, which we cut down for the cabbages. The country abounds with plants, and the woods with birds, in an endless variety, exquifitely beautiful, and of which none of us had the least knowlege. The foil both of the hills and valleys is light and fandy, and very fit for the production of all kinds of roots; though we faw none except fweet potatoes and yams. СНАР, CHA P. III. The Range from Tolaga to Mercury Bay, with an Account of many Incidents that happened both on board and ashore: A Description of feveral Views exhibited by the Country, and of the Heppahs, or fortified Villages of the Inba bitants. On 1769. October. N Monday the 30th, about half an hour after one o'clock, having made fail again to the northward for about ten hours, with a light breeze, I hauled round a fmall ifland Monday 30. which lay east one mile from the north east point of the land: from this place I found the land trend away N.W. by W. and W. N. W. as far as I could fee, this point being the eastermost land on the whole coaft. I gave it the name of EAST CAPE, and I called the island that lies off it EAST ISLAND; it is of a small circuit, high and round, and appears white and barren: the Cape is high, with white cliffs, and lies in latirude 37° 42′ 30" S. and longitude 181° W. The land from Tolaga Bay to Eaft Cape is of a moderate, but unequal height, forming feveral fmall bays, in which are fandy beaches of the inland country we could not fee much, the weather being cloudy and hazey. The foundings were from twenty to thirty fathom at the distance of about a league from the fhore. After we had rounded the Cape, we faw in our run along the fhore a great number of villages, and much cultivated land; the country in general appeared more fertile than before, and was low near the fea, but hilly within. At fix in the evening, being four leagues to the weftward of East Cape, we paffed a bay which was first difcovered Tt 2 |