Sunday 12. 1769. the long lance and Patoo-Patoo, which have been mentioned November.) already, they have a ftaff about five feet long, fometimes pointed, like a Serjeant's halberd, fometimes only tapering to a point at one end, and having the other end broad, and fhaped fomewhat like the blade of an oar. They have alfo another weapon, about a foot fhorter than these, pointed at one end, and at the other fhaped like an axe. The points of their long lances are barbed, and they handle them with fuch ftrength and agility, that we can match them with no weapon but a loaded musquet. Wednes. 15. After taking a flight view of the country, and loading both the boats with celery, which we found in great plenty near the beach, we returned from our excurfion, and about five o'clock in the evening got on board the ship. On the 15th, I failed out of the bay, and at the fame time had feveral canoes on board, in one of which was our friend Toiava, who faid, that as foon as we were gone he must repair to his Heppah or fort, because the friends of the man who had been shot by Mr. Gore on the 9th, had threatened. to revenge his death upon him, whom they had reproached as being our friend. Off the north point of the bay, I faw a great number of islands, of various extent, which lay feattered to the north weft, in a direction parallel with the main as far as I could fee. I fteered north east for the north eastermost of these islands; but the wind coming to the north weft, I was obliged to ftand out to fea. To the bay which we had now left I gave the name of MERCURY BAY, on account of the obfervation which we had made there of the tranfit of that planet over the fun. It lies in latitude 36° 47′ S.; and in the longitude of 184° 4′ W.: there are several islands lying both to the fouthward and northward of it, and a small island or rock in the middle of the the entrance: within this ifland the depth of water no where exceeds nine fathom: the beft anchoring is in a fandy bay, which lies juft within the fouth head, in five and four fathom, bringing a high tower or rock, which lies without the head, in one with the head, or just shut in behind it. This place is very convenient both for wooding and watering, and in the river there is an immenfe quantity of oysters and other shell-fish: I have for this reason given it the name of OYSTER RIVER. But for a fhip that wants to stay here any time, the best and safest place is in the river at the head of the bay; which, from the number of mangrove trees about it, I have called MANGROVE RIVER. To fail into this river, the fouth fhore must be kept all the way on board. The country on the eaft fide of the river and bay is very barren, its only produce being fern, and a few other plants that will grow in a poor foil. The land on the north weft fide is covered with wood, and the foil being much more fertile, would doubtless produce all the neceffaries of life with proper cultivation: it is not however fo fertile as the lands that we have feen to the fouthward; nor do the inhabitants, though numerous, make fo good an appearance: they have no plantations; their canoes are mean, and without ornament; they fleep in the open air; and fay, that Teratu, whose fovereignty they do not acknowledge, if he was to come among them, would kill them. This favoured our opinion of their being outlaws; yet they told us, that they had Heppahs or strong holds, to which they retired in time of imminent danger. We found, thrown upon the shore, in feveral parts of this bay, great quantities of iron-fand, which is brought down by every little rivulet of fresh water that finds its way from the country; which is a demonstration that there is ore of that 1769. November. Wednef. 15. 1769. November. Wednef. 15. that metal not far inland: yet neither the inhabitants of this place, or any other part of the coaft that we have seen, know the use of iron, or fet the least value upon it; all of them preferring the most worthless and useless trifle, not only to a nail, but to any tool of that metal. Before we left the bay, we cut upon one of the trees near the watering-place the fhip's name, and that of the Commander, with the date of the year and month when we were there; and, after displaying the English colours, I took a formal poffeffion of it in the name of his Britannic Majesty King George the Third, CHA P. IV. The Range from Mercury Bay to the Bay of Islands: An Expedition up the River Thames: Some Account of the · Indians who inhabit its Banks, and the fine Timber that grows there: Several Interviews with the Natives on different Parts of the Coast, and a Skirmish with them upon an Island. I 1769. November. Continued plying to windward two days to get under the land, and on the 18th, about feven in the morning, we were abreast of a very conspicuous promontory, being then Saturday 18, in latitude 36° 26', and in the direction of N. 48 W. from the north head of Mercury Bay or Point Mercury, which was distant nine leagues: upon this point stood many people, who feemed to take little notice of us, but talked together with great earneftnefs. In about half an hour, feveral canoes put off from different places, and came towards the ship; upon which the people on the point alfo launched a canoe, and about twenty of them came in her up with the others. When two of these canoes, in which there might be about fixty men, came near enough to make themfelves heard, they fung their war-song; but seeing that we took little notice of it, they threw a few ftones at us, and then rowed off towards the fhore. We hoped that we had now done with them, but in a fhort time they returned, as if with a fixed refolution to provoke us into a battle, animating themselves by their fong as they had done before. Tupia, without any Y y 2 directions 1769. November. Saturday 18. directions from us, went to the poop, and began to expoftulate: he told them, that we had weapons which would deftroy them in a moment; and that, if they ventured to attack us, we should be obliged to use them. Upon this, they flourished their weapons, and cried out, in their language, "Come on shore, and we will kill you all:" Well, faid Tupia, but why should you moleft us while we are at fea? as we do not wish to fight, we shall not accept your challenge to come on fhore; and here there is no pretence for a quarrel, the sea being no more your property than the ship. This eloquence of Tupia, though it greatly furprised us, having given him no hints for the arguments he used, had no effect upon our enemies, who very foon renewed their battery: a mufquet was then fired through one of their boats, and this was an argument of sufficient weight, for they immediately fell aftern and left us. From the point, of which we were now abreaft, the land trends W. S. near a league, and then S. S. E. as far as we could fee; and, befides the islands that lay without us, we could fee land round by the S. W. as far as the N. W.; but whether this was the main or islands, we could not then determine: the fear of lofing the main, however, made me refolve to follow its direction. With this view, I hauled round the point and steered to the fouthward, but there being light airs all round the compass, we made but little progress. About one o'clock, a breeze fprung up at eaft, which afterwards came to N. E. and we steered along the fhore S. by E. and S. S. E. having from twenty-five to eighteen fathom. At about half an hour after feven in the evening, having run seven or eight leagues fince noon, I anchored in twentythree fathom, not chufing to run any farther in the dark, as I had now land on both fides, forming the entrance of a freight, |