1769. January. made fmooth water and good landing; thirty or forty of the Indians foon made their appearance at the end of a fandy beach on the other fide of the bay, but feeing our number, which was ten or twelve, they retreated. Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander then advanced about one hundred yards before us, upon which two of the Indians returned, and, having advanced fome paces towards them, fat down; as foon as they came up, the Indians rofe, and each of them having a finall ftick in his hand threw it away, in a direction both from themselves and the strangers, which was confidered as the renunciation of weapons in token of peace: they then walked brifkly towards their companions, who had halted at about fifty yards behind them, and beckoned the Gentlemen to follow, which they did. They were received with many uncouth figns of friendship; and, in return, they diftributed among them fome beads and ribbons, which had been brought on shore for that purpose, and with which they were greatly delighted. A mutual confidence and good-will being thus produced, our parties joined; the conversation, fuch as it was, became general; and three of them accompanied us back to the fhip. When they came on board, one of them, whom we took to be a prieft, performed much the fame ceremonies which M. Bougainville defcribes, and fuppofes to be an exorcifm. When he was introduced into a new part of the thip, or when any thing that he had not feen before caught his attention, he fhouted with all his force for fome minutes, without directing his voice either to us or his companions. They cat fome bread and fome beef, but not apparently with much pleasure, though fuch part of what was given them as they did not cat they took away with them; but they would not fwallow a drop either of wine or fpirits: they put the glafs to their lips, but, having tasted the liquor, they they returned it, with ftrong expreffions of disgust. Curiosity feems to be one of the few paffions which distinguish men from brutes; and of this our guests appeared to have very little. They went from one part of the fhip to another, and looked at the vast variety of new objects that every moment prefented themselves, without any expreffion either of wonder or pleasure, for the vociferation of our exorcift seemed to be neither. After having been on board about two hours, they expreffed a defire to go afhore. A boat was immediately ordered, and Mr. Banks thought fit to accompany them: he landed them in fafety, and conducted them to their companions, among whom he remarked the fame vacant indifference, as in those who had been on board; for as on one fide there appeared no eagerness to relate, fo on the other there feemed to be no curiosity to hear, how they had been received, or what they had feen. In about half an hour, Mr. Banks returned to the ship, and the Indians retired from the fhore. 1769. January. CHAP. 1769. January. . CHA P. IV. An Account of what happened in afcending a Mountain to ON N the 16th, early in the morning, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, with their attendants and fervants, and two Monday 16. feamen to affift in carrying the baggage, accompanied by Mr. Monkhouse the Surgeon, and Mr. Green the Aftronomer, set out from the ship, with a view to penetrate as far as they could into the country, and return at night. The hills, when viewed at a distance, seemed to be partly a wood, partly a plain, and above them a bare rock. Mr. Banks hoped to get through the wood, and made no doubt, but that, beyond it, he should, in a country which no botanist had ever yet vifited, find alpine plants which would abundantly compenfate his labour. They entered the wood at a small fandy beach, a little to the weftward of the watering-place, and continued to afcend the hill, through the pathlefs wildernefs, till three o'clock, before they got a near view of the places which they intended to vifit. Soon after they reached what they had taken for a plain; but, to their great disappointment, found it a swamp, covered with low bushes of birch, about three feet high, interwoven with each other, and so stubborn that they could not be bent out of the way; it was therefore neceffary to lift the leg over them, which at every step was buried, ancle deep, in the foil. To aggravate the pain and difficulty of fuch travelling, the weather, which hitherto had been very fine, much like one of our bright days in May, became gloomy and cold; with fudden blafts blasts of a most piercing wind, accompanied with fnow. They pushed forward, however, in good spirits, notwithftanding their fatigue, hoping the worst of the way was past, and that the bare rock which they had feen from the tops of the lower hills was not more than a mile before them; but when they had got about two thirds over this woody fwamp, Mr. Buchan, one of Mr. Banks's draughtmen, was unhappily feized with a fit. This made it neceffary for the whole company to halt, and as it was impoffible that he fhould go any farther, a fire was kindled, and those who were most fatigued were left behind to take care of him. Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, Mr. Green, and Mr. Monkhouse went on, and in a fhort time reached the fummit. As botanifts, their expectations were here abundantly gratified; for they found a great variety of plants, which, with refpect to the alpine plants in Europe, are exactly what those plants are with respect to fuch as grow in the plain. The cold was now become more fevere, and the fnowblasts more frequent; the day also was fo far spent, that it was found impoffible to get back to the ship before the next morning: to pass the night upon fuch a mountain, in fuch a climate, was not only comfortless, but dreadful; it was impoffible however to be avoided, and they were to provide for it as well as they could. Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, while they were improving an opportunity which they had, with fo much danger and difficulty, procured, by gathering the plants which they found upon the mountain, fent Mr. Green and Mr. Monkhouse back to Mr. Buchan and the people that were with him, with directions to bring them to a hill, which they thought lay in a better rout for returning to the wood, and which was therefore appointed as a general rendezvous. It 1769. January. Monday 16 was 1769. January. Monday 16. was propofed, that from this hill they should push through the fwamp, which feemed by the new rout not to be more than half a mile over, into the fhelter of the wood, and there build their wigwam, and make a fire: this, as their way was all down hill, it feemed eafy to accomplish. Their whole company affembled at the rendezvous, and, though pinched with the cold, were in health and fpirits, Mr. Buchan himself having recovered his ftrength in a múch greater degree than could have been expected. It was now near eight o'clock in the evening, but ftill good day-light, and they fet forward for the nearest valley, Mr. Banks himfelf undertaking to bring up the rear, and fee that no ftraggler was left behind: this may perhaps be thought a superfluous caution, but it will foon appear to be otherwise. Dr. Solander, who had more than once croffed the mountains which divide Sweden from Norway, well knew that extreme cold, efpecially when joined with fatigue, produces a torpor and fleepiness that are almost irresistible: he therefore conjured the company to keep moving, whatever pain it might coft them, and whatever relief they might be promised by an inclination to reft: Whoever fits down, fays he, will fleep; and whoever fleeps, will wake no more. Thus, at once admonished and alarmed, they fet forward; but while they were ftill upon the naked rock, and before they had got among the bushes, the cold became fuddenly fo intenfe, as to produce the effects that had been moft dreaded. Dr. Solander himself was the first who found the inclination, against which he had warned others, irrefiftible; and infifted upon being fuffered to lie down. Mr. Banks intreated and remonftrated in vain, down he lay upon the ground, though it was covered with fnow; and it was with great difficulty that his friend kept him from sleeping. Richmond alfo, one of the black fervants, |