CHA P. III. The Range from Tolaga to Mercury Bay, with an Account of many Incidents that happened both on board and afhore: A Defcription of several Views exhibited by the Country, and of the Heppahs, or fortified Villages of the Inhabitants. O 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 small island 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 eastermoft 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 latitude 37° 42′ 30′′ S. and longitude 181° W. The land from Tolaga Bay to East Cape is of a moderate, but unequal height, forming several small bays, in which are fandy beaches of the inland country we could not see much, the weather being cloudy and hazy. The foundings were from twenty to thirty fathom at the diftance of about a league from the fhore. After we had rounded the Cape, we saw 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 Eaft Cape, we paffed a bay which was first dif VOL. II. covered Tt 1769. October. Monday 30. covered by Lieutenant Hicks, and which therefore I called HICKS'S BAY. At eight in the evening, being eight leagues to the weftward of the Cape, and three or four miles from the fhore, I shortened fail and brought to for the night, having at this time a fresh gale at S. S, E. and fqually; but it soon Tuesday 31. became moderate, and at two in the morning, we made fail again to the S. W. as the land now trended; and at eight o'clock in the morning, faw land, which made like an island, bearing west, the fouth westermoft part of the main bearing fouth weft; and about nine no lefs than five canoes came off, in which were more than forty men, all armed with their country pikes and battle-axes, fhouting, and threatening an attack: this gave us great uneafiness, and was indeed what we did not expect; for we hoped, that the report both of our power and clemency had spread to a greater extent. When one of these canoes had almost reached the ship, another, of an immenfe fize, the largest we had yet feen, crowded with people who were also armed, put off from the shore, and came up at a great rate; as it approached it received fignals from the canoe that was nearest to the ship, and we could fee that it had fixteen paddles on a fide, befide people that fat, and others that stood in a row from stem to stern, being in all about fixty men: as they made directly to the ship, we were defirous of preventing an attack, by showing what we could do; and therefore fired a gun, loaded with grape-shot, ahead of them: this made them stop, but not retreat; a round fhot was then fired over them, and upon seeing it fall, they seized their paddles and made towards the fhore with fuch precipitation that they seemed fcarcely to allow themselves time to breathe. In the evening, three or four more canoes came off unarmed; but they would not venture within a mufquet shot of the veffel. The cape, off which we had been threatened with hoftilities, I called, called, from the hafty retreat of the enemy, CAPE RUNAWAY. It lies in latitude 37° 32'; longitude 181°48′. In this day's run, we found that the land, which made like an island in the morning, bearing west, was fo; and we gave it the name of WHITE ISLAND. 1769. October. Tuesday 31. Wednes. 1. At day-break, on the rft of November, we counted no lefs November, than five and forty canoes that were coming from the shore towards the ship: seven of them came up with us, and after some converfation with Tupia, fold us fome lobsters and muscles, and two conger eels. These people traded pretty fairly but when they were gone, fome others came off from another place, who began alfo to trade fairly; but after fome time they took what was handed down to them, without making any return; one of them who had done fo, upon being threatened, began to laugh, and with many marks of derision set us at defiance, at the fame time putting off the canoe from the fhip: a mufquet was then fired over his head, which brought him back in a more serious mood, and trade went on with great regularity. At length, when the cabbin and gun-room had got as much as they wanted, the men were allowed to come to the gang-way, and trade for themfelves. Unhappily the fame care was not taken to prevent frauds as had been taken before, so that the Indians, finding that they could cheat with impunity, grew infolent again, and proceeded to take greater liberties. One of the canoes, having fold every thing on board, pulled forward, and the people that were in her feeing fome linen hang over the fhip's fide to dry, one of them, without any ceremony, untied it, and put it up in his bundle: he was immediately called to, and required to return it, instead of which, he let his canoe drop aftern, and laughed at us: a mufquet was fired over his head, which did not put a stop to his mirth; another was then fired at him with small shot, which ftruck |