1769. November. The latitude observed at noon was 36° 48′ 28′′. The mean of this and yesterday's obfervation Thurid. 9. gives 36° 48′ 5′′ S. the latitude of the place of observation; the variation of the compass was 11° 9′E. About noon, we were alarmed by the firing of a great gun from the fhip; Mr. Gore, my Second Lieutenant, was at this time commanding officer on board, and the account that he gave was this. While fome fmall canoes were trading with the people, two very large ones came up, full of men, one of them having on board forty-feven, all armed with pikes, darts, and ftones, and apparently with a hostile intention: they appeared to be ftrangers, and to be rather confcious of fuperiority over us by their numbers, than afraid of any weapons which could give us the fuperiority over them: no attack however was made; probably becaufe they learnt from the people in the other canoes, with whom they immediately entered into conference, what kind of an enemy they had to deal with after a little time, they began to trade, fame of them offering their arms, and one of them a fquare piece of cloth, which makes a part of their drefs, called a Haahow; feveral of the weapons were purchased, and Mr. Gore having agreed for a Haahow, fent down the price, which was a piece of British cloth, and expected his purchase: but the Indian, as foon as he had got 1769. November. got Mr. Gore's cloth in his poffeffion, refufed to part with his own, and put off the canoe : upon being threatened for this fraud, he and Thursd. 9. his companions began to fing their war fong in defiance, and fhook their paddles: still however they began no attack, only defying Mr. Gore to take any remedy in his power, which fo provoked him that he levelled a mufquet loaded with ball at the offender, while he was holding the cloth in his hand, and shot him dead. It would have been happy, if the effect of a few small fhot had been tried upon this occafion, which upon fome others had been fuccessful. When the Indian dropped, all the canoes put off to fome diftance; but as they did not go away, it was thought they might still meditate an attack. To fecure therefore a safe paffage for the boat, which it was neceffary to send on shore, a round fhot was fired over their heads, which effectually answered the purpose, and put them all to fight. When an account of what had happened was brought afhore, our Indians were alarmed, and drawing all together, retreated in a body. After a fhort time, however, they returned, having heard a more particular account of the affair; and intimated that they thought the man who had been killed deferved his fate. A little before funfet the Indians retired to eat their fupper, and we went with them to be fpectators November. Thurfd. 9. 1769. fpectators of the repaft; it confifted of fish of different kinds, among which were lobsters, and some birds, of a species unknown to us: these were either roasted or baked; to roast them, they fastened them upon a small stick, which was ftuck up in the ground, inclining towards their fire; and to bake them, they put them into a hole in the ground with hot ftones, in the fame manner as the people of Otaheite. Among the natives that were affembled upon this occafion, we faw a woman, who, after their manner, was mourning for the death of her relation: fhe fat upon the ground near the reft, who, one only excepted, seemed not at all to regard her the tears conftantly trickled down her cheeks, and the repeated in a low, but very mournful voice, words, which even Tupia did not at all understand: at the end of every fentence she cut her arms, her face, or her breaft with a fhell that she held in her hand, fo that fhe was almost covered with blood, and was indeed one of the most affecting fpectacles that can be conceived. The cuts, however, did not appear to be fo deep as are fometimes made upon fimilar occafions, if we may judge by the scars which we saw upon the arms, thighs, breasts, and cheeks of many of them, which we were told were the remains of wounds which they had inflicted upon themselves as teftimonies of their af fection and forrow. The The next day, I went with two boats, accompanied by Mr. Banks and the other Gentlemen, 1769. November. to examine a large river that empties itself into Friday 10. VOL. !!!: 1 1769. November. Friday 10. deftitute of wood; but on the west it has a better afpect, and in fome places is adorned with trees, but has in no part the appearance of cultivation. In the entrance of the river, and for two or three miles up, there is good anchoring in four and five fathom water, and places very convenient for laying a veffel on fhore, where the tide rifes and falls feven feet at the full and change of the moon. We could not determine, whether any confiderable ftream of fresh water came into this river out of the country; but we faw a number of small rivulets iffue from the adjacent hills. Near the mouth of this river, on the east fide, we found a little Indian village, confifting of fmall temporary fheds, where we landed, and were received by the people with the utmost kindness and hospitality: they treated us with a flat shell fish of a most delicious taste, fomewhat like a cockle, which we eat hot from the coals. Near this place is a high point or peninfula, projecting into the river, and upon it are the remains of a fort, which they call Eppah, or Heppab. The best engineer in Europe could not have chosen a fituation better adapted to enable a small number to defend themselves against a greater. The fteepness of the cliffs renders it wholly inacceffible from the water which inclofes it on three fides; and, to the land, it is fortified by a ditch, and a bank raifed on the infide from the top of the bank to the bottom of |