In the afternoon, when Mr. Banks was out in the boat a shooting, we saw, with our glaffes, four double canoes, having on board fifty-seven men, put off from that shore, and make towards him: we immediately made fignals for him to come on board; but the ship, with respect to him, being right in the wake of the fun, he did not see them. We were at a confiderable diftance from the shore, and he was at a confiderable distance from the ship, which was between him and the fhore; fo that, it being a dead calm, I began to be in fome pain for him, fearing that he might not see the canoes time enough to reach the ship before they should get up with him: foon after, however, we saw his boat in motion, and had the pleasure to take him on board before the Indians came up, who probably had not seen him, as their attention feemed to be wholly fixed upon the fhip. They came within about a stone's caft, and then stopped, gazing at us with a look of vacant astonishment: Tupia exerted all his eloquence to prevail upon them to come nearer, but without any effect. After furveying us for fome time, they left us, and made towards the fhore; but had not measured more than half the distance between that and the ship before it was dark. We imagined that these people had heard nothing of us, and could not but remark the different behaviour and difpofitions of the inhabitants of the different parts of this coaft upon their first approaching the veffel. These kept aloof with a mixture of timidity and wonder; others had immediately commenced hoftilities, by pelting us with ftones: the gentleman whom we had found alone, fishing in his boat, feemed to think us entirely unworthy of his notice; and some, almoft without invitation, had come on board with an air of perfect confidence and good-will. From the behaviour of our last visitors, I gave the land from which they had put VOL. III. B. off, 1770. February. Wednef. 14. 1770. February. Wednef. 14. off, and which, as I have before obferved, had the appearance of an ifland, the name of LOOKERS-ON. At eight o'clock in the evening, a breeze sprung up at S. S. W. with which I ftretched off fouth eaft, becaufe fome on board thought they faw land in that quarter. In this course Thursday 15. We continued till fix o'clock the next morning, when we had run eleven leagues, but faw no land, except that which we had left. Having stood to the S. E. with a light breeze, which veered from the weft to the north, till noon, our latitude by obfervation was 42° 56′ S. and the high land that we were abreast of the preceding noon bore N. N. W. W. In the afternoon we had a light breeze at N. E. with which we steered weft, edging in for the land, which was distant about eight leagues. At feven in the evening, we were about fix. leagues from the shore, and the fouthermoft extremity of the land in fight bore W.S.W. Friday 16. At day-break on the 16th, we difcovered land bearing S. by W. and seemingly detached from the coast we were upon. About eight, a breeze sprung up, at N. by E. and we fteered directly for it. At noon, we were in latitude 43° 19′S. the peak on the fnowy mountain bore N. 20 E. diftant. twenty-feven leagues; the fouthern extremity of the land we could fee bore weft, and the land which had been discovered in the morning appeared like an island extending from S.S.W. to S. W. by W. W. distant about eight leagues. In the afternoon, we stood to the southward of it, with a fresh breeze at north: at eight in the evening, we had run eleven leagues, and the land then extended from S. W. by W. to N. by W. We were then distant about three or four leagues from the nearest shore, and in this fituation had fifty fathom: water, with a fine fandy bottom. The variation of the compass by this morning's amplitude was 14° 39′ E. At fun-rife, the next morning, our opinion that the land we had been ftanding for was an ifland, was confirmed, by our seeing part of the land of Tovy Poenammoo open to the weftward of it, extending as far as W. by S. At eight in the morning, the extremes of the island bore N. 76 W. and N. N. E. E.; and an opening near the fouth point, which had the appearance of a bay or harbour, N. 20 W. diftant between three and four leagues: in this fituation we had thirtyeight fathom water with a brown fandy bottom. 1770. February. Saturday 17. Inland. This island, which Inamed after Mr. Banks, lies about five Banks's leagues from the coaft of Tovy Poenammoo; the fouth point bears S. 21 W. from the highest peak on the snowy mountain, and lies in latitude 43° 32′ S. and in longitude 186° 30' W. by an observation of the fun and moon which was made this morning: it is of a circular figure, and about twenty-four leagues in compafs: it is fufficiently high to be seen at the distance of twelve or fifteen leagues, and the land has a broken irregular furface, with the appearance rather of barrenness than fertility; yet it was inhabited, for we saw smoke in one place, and a few ftraggling natives in another. When this island was firft difcovered in the direction of S. by W. fome perfons on board were of opinion that they also saw land bearing S. S. E. and S. E. by E. I was myself upon the deck at the time, and told them, that in my opinion it was no more than a cloud, and that as the fun rose it would diffipate and vanish. However, as I was determined to leave no subject for disputation which experiment could remove, I ordered the fhip to be wore, and fteered E. S. E. by compass, in the direction which the land was faid to bear from us at that time. At noon we were in latitude 44° 7′ S.; the south point of Banks's Island bearing north, distant five leagues. B 2 1770. February. Sunday 18. leagues. By feven o'clock at night we had run eight and twenty miles, when feeing no land, nor any figns of any, Saturday 17. but that which we had left, we bore away S. by W. and continued upon that courfe till the next day at noon, when we were in latitude 45° 16′, the fouth point of Banks's Island bearing N. 6° 30' W. diftant twenty-eight leagues. The variation by the azimuth this morning was 15° 30′ E. As no figns of land had yet appeared to the fouthward, and as I thought that we had flood far enough in that direction to weather all the land we had left, judging from the report of the natives in Queen Charlotte's Sound, I hauled to the weftward. We had a moderate breeze at N. N. W. and N. till eight in the evening, when it became unfettled; and at ten fixed at fouth: during the night, it blew with fuch violence that it brought us under our close reefed topfails. At eight the Monday 19 next morning, having run twenty-eight leagues upon a W. by N. N. courfe, and judging ourselves to be to the westward of the land of Tovy. Poenammoo, we bore away N. W. with a fresh gale at fouth. At ten, having run eleven miles upon this courfe, we faw land extending from the S. W. to the N.W. at the distance of about ten leagues, which we hauled up for. At noon, our latitude by obfervation was 44° 38', the fouth east point of Banks's Island bore N. 58° 30′ E. diftant thirty leagues, and the main body of the land in fight W. by N. A head fea prevented us from making much way to the fouthward; at seven in the evening the extremes of the land ftretched from S. W. by S. to N. by W.; and at fix leagues from the fhore we had thirty-two fathom waTuesday 20. ter. At four o'clock the next morning, we ftood in for the fhore W. by S. and during a course of four leagues, our depth of water was from thirty-two to thirteen fathom. When 1770. February. When it was thirteen fathom we were but three miles diftant from the shore, and therefore flood off; its direction is here nearly N. and S. The furface, to the distance of about five Tuesday zo. miles from the fea, is low and flat; but it then rifes into hills of a confiderable height. It appeared to be totally barren, and we saw no figns of its being inhabited. Our latitude, at noon, was 44° 44'; and the longitude which we made from Banks's Island to this place was 2° 22′ W. During the last twenty-four hours, though we carried as much fail as the ship would bear, we were driven three leagues to the leeward. We continued to ftand off and on all this day and the next, Wednef. 21. keeping at the distance of between four and twelve leagues from the shore, and having water from thirty-five to fiftythree fathom. On the 22d, at noon, we had no obfervation, Thursday 22. but by the land judged ourselves to be about three leagues farther north than we had been the day before. At fun-fet, the weather, which had been hazey, clearing up, we faw a mountain which rofe in a high peak, bearing N.W. by N.; and at the fame time, we faw the land more diftinctly than before, extending from N. to S. W. by S. which, at fome dif tance within the coaft, had a lofty and mountainous appearance. We foon found that the accounts which had been given us by the Indians in Queen Charlotte's Sound of the land to the fouthward were not true; for they had told us that it might be circumnavigated in four days. On the 23d, having a hollow fwell from the S. E. and ex- Friday 23pecting wind from the fame quarter, we kept plying between seven and fifteen leagues from the shore, having from seventy to forty-four fathom. At noon, our latitude by observation was 44° 40′ S. and our longitude from Banks's ifland 1° 31′ W. From this time to fix in the evening it was calm; |