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1769. October.

be ufeful in dying. We found alfo one cabbage tree, which we cut down for the cabbages. The Sunday 29. country abounds with plants, and the woods

with birds, in an endless variety, exquifitely beautiful, and of which none of us had the leaft knowledge. The foil both of the hills and vallies is light and fandy, and very fit for the production of all kinds of roots; though we faw none except fweet potatoes and yams.

CHAP.

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 feveral Views exhibited by the Country, and of the Heppahs, or fortified Villages of the Inhabitants.

ON

N Monday the 30th, about half an hour
after one o'clock, having made fail again

1769. October.

to the northward for about ten hours, with a Monday 30. light breeze, I hauled round a small island which lay eaft 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 eastermost 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 Eaft Cape is of a moderate, but unequal height, forming several small bays, in which are sandy beaches of the inland country we could not

fee

October.

1769, fee much, the weather being cloudy and hazy. The foundings were from twenty to thirty faMonday 30. thom at the distance 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 discovered by Lieutenant Hicks, and which therefore I called HICKS'S BAY. At eight in the evening, being eight leagues to the weitward of the Cape, and three or four miles from the fhore, I fhortened fail and brought to for the night, having at this time a fresh gule at S. S. E. and fqually; but it foon became modeTuesday 31. rate, 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 south westermoft part of the main bearing fouth weft; and about nine no less than five canoes came off, in which were more than forty men, all armed with their country pikes and battleaxes, fhouting, and threatening an attack; this gave us great uneafinefs, and was indeed what we did not expect; for we hoped, that the report both of our power and clemency had fpread to a greater extent. When one of these

canoes

canoes had almoft reached the fhip, another, of an immense fize, the largest we had yet seen, crowded with people who were alío armed, put off from the fhore, and came up at a great rate; as it approached it received fignals from the canoe that was nearest to the fhip, and we could fee that it had fixteen paddles on a fide, befide people that fat, and others that stood in a row from ftem to ftern, being in all about fixty men: as they made directly to the fhip, we were defirous of preventing an attack, by showing what we could do; and therefore fired a gun, loaded with grape-fhot, a-head of them: this made them stop, but not retreat; a round shot was then fired over them, and upon feeing it fall, they seized their paddles and made towards the fhore with fuch precipitation that they feemed. 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 fhot of the veffel. The Cape off which we had been threatened with hoftilities, I 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 ifland in the morning, bearing weft, was fo; and we

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1769. October.

Tuesday 31.

At day-break, on the ift of November, we November, counted no less than five and forty canoes that

were

Wednef.1.

November.

1769- were coming from the fhore towards the ship: feven of them came up with us, and after fome Wedaef. 1. 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 derifion fet 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 ferious 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, fo 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 ship'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,

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