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the reef of the main-fail, fet the top-fails, and 1769. plied to the weftward.

September.

We continued our courfe till the 19th, when Tuesday 19. our latitude being 29° and our longitude 159° 29, we obferved the variation to be 8° 32′ E. On the 24th, being in latitude 33° 18', longitude Sunday 24. 162° 51′, we observed a small piece of sea weed, and a piece of wood covered with barnacles: the variation here was 10° 48′ E.

Thursd. 28.

Friday 29.

October.

Sunday I

On the 27th, being in latitude 28° 59′, longi- Wednef. 27. tude 169°5', we saw a feal asleep upon the water, and several bunches of fea weed. The next day we saw more sea weed in bunches, and on the 29th, a bird, which we thought a land bird; it somewhat resembled a fnipe, but had a short bill. On the ift of October, we faw birds innumerable, and another feal afleep upon the water; it is a general opinion that feals never go out of foundings, or far from land, but thofe that we saw in these feas prove the contrary. Rock-weed is, however, a certain indication that land is not far diftant. The next day, it being Monday 2, calm, we hoisted out the boat, to try whether there was a current, but found none. Our la titude was 37° 10′, longitude 172° 54′ W. On the 3d, being in latitude 36° 56', longitude Tuesday 3. 173° 27, we took up more, fea-weed, and another piece of wood covered with barnacles. The next day we faw two more seals, and a Wednes. 4. brown bird, about as big as a raven, with fome

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1769. Lctober.

Wednef. 4

Thuild 5.

Friday 6.

Saturday 7.

white feathers under the wing. Mr. Gore told us, that birds of this kind were seen in great numbers about Falkland's Inlands, and our people gave them the name of Port-Egmont hens.

On the 5th, we thought the water changed colour, but upon cafting the lead, had no ground with 180 fathom. In the evening of this day, the variation was 12° 50' E., and while we were going nine leagues it increased to 14° 2.

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On the next day, Friday, October the 6th, we faw land from the maft-head, bearing W. by N. and flood directly for it; in the evening it could just be difcerned from the deck, and appeared large. The variation this day was, by azimuth and amplitude, 15° 4′ E., and by obfervation. made of the fun and moon, the longitude of the ship appeared to be 180° 55′ W., and by the medium of this and fubfequent obfervations, there appeared to be an error in the fhip's account of longitude during her run from Otaheite of 3° 16', fhe being fo much to the weftward of the longitude refulting from the log. At midnight I brought to and founded, but had no ground with one hundred and feventy fathom.

On the 7th, it fell calm, we therefore approached the land flowly, and in the afternoon, when a breeze fprung up, we were still distant feven or eight leagues. It appeared still larger

as

1769. October.

Saturday 7.

as it was more diftinctly feen, with four or five ranges of hills, rifing one over the other, and a chain of mountains above all, which appeared to be of an enormous height. This land became the subject of much eager conversation; but the general opinion feemed to be that we had found the Terra australis incognita. About five o'clock we faw the opening of a bay, which feemed to run pretty far inland, upon which we hauled our wind and ftood in for it; we also faw fmoke afcending from different places on fhore. When night came on, however, we kept plying off and on till day-light, when we found Sunday 8. ourfelves to the leeward of the bay, the wind being at north we could now perceive that the hills were clothed with wood, and that fome of the trees in the valleys were very large. By noon we fetched in with the fouth west point; but not being able to weather it, tacked and ftood off: at this time we faw feveral canoes tanding cross the bay, which in a little time made to fhore, without feeming to take the leaft notice of the fhip; we alfo faw fome houses, which appeared to be small, but neat; and near one of them a confiderable number of the people collected together, who were fitting upon. the beach, and who, we thought, were the fame that we had seen in the canoes. Upon a small peninfula, at the north east head, we could plainly perceive a pretty high and' regular pal

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October.

Sunday 8.

1769. ing, which inclosed the whole top of a hill; this was alfo the fubject of much fpeculation, fome fuppofing it to be a park of deer, others an inclosure for oxen and sheep. About four o'clock in the afternoon, we anchored on the north west fide of the bay, before the entrance of a small river, in ten fathom water, with a fine fandy bottom, and at about half a league from the fhore. The fides of the bay are white cliffs of a great height; the middle is low land, with hills gradually rifing behind, one towering above. another, and terminating in the chain of mountains which appeared to be far inland.

In the evening I went on fhore, accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, with the pinnace and yawl, and a party of men. We landed abreast of the fhip, on the eaft fide of the river, which was here about forty yards broad; but feeing fome natives on the weft fide whom I wished to speak with, and finding the river not fordable, I ordered the yawl in to carry us over, and left the pinnace at the entrance. When we came near the place where the people were affembled, they all ran away; however, we landed, and leaving four boys to take care of the yawl, we walked up to fome huts which were about two or three hundred yards from the water-fide. When we had got some diftance from the boat, four men, armed with long lances, rushed out of the woods, and run

October.

ning up to attack the boat, would certainly 1769. have cut her off, if the people in the pinnaces had not discovered them, and called to the boys; Sunday 8. to drop down the ftream: the boys instantly obeyed; but being closely pursued by the Indians, the Cockfwain of the pinnace, who had the charge of the boats, fired a mufquet over their heads; at this they stopped and looked round them, but in a few minutes renewed the purfuit, brandishing their lances in a threatening manner the Cockfwain then fired a fecond mufquet over their heads, but of this they took no notice; and one of them lifting up his spear to dart it at the boat, another piece was fired, which fhot him dead. When he fell, the other three ftood motionless for fome minutes, as if petrified with aftonishment; as foon as they recovered, they went back, dragging after them the dead body, which however they foon left, that it might not encumber their flight. At the report of the first mufquet we drew together, having straggled to a little distance from each other, and made the beft of our way back to the boat; and croffing the river, we soon saw the Indian lying dead upon the ground. Upon examining the body, we found that he had been fhot through the heart: he was a man of the middle fize and ftature; his complexion was brown, but not very dark; and one fide of his face was tattowed in fpiral lines of a very reguL 4

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