lances are barbed, and they handle them with fuch ftrength and agility, that we can match them with no weapon but a loaded mufquet. After taking a flight view of the country, and loading both the boats with celery, which we found in great plenty near the beach, we returned from our excurfion, and about five o'clock in the evening got on board the ship. 1769. November. Sunday 12. On the 15th, I failed out of the bay, and at Wednef. 15. the fame time had feveral canoes on board, in one of which was our friend Toiava, who said, that as foon as we were gone he must repair to his Heppah or fort, because the friends of the man who had been shot by Mr. Gore on the 9th, had threatened to revenge his death upon him, whom they had reproached as being our friend. Off the north point of the bay, I saw a great number of islands, of various extent, which lay fcattered to the north weft, in a direction parallel with the main as far as I could fee. I fteered north east for the north eastermost of these islands, but the wind coming to the north weft, I was obliged to ftand out to fea. To the bay which we had now left I gave the name of MERCURY BAY, on account of the obfervation which we had made there of the tranfit of that planet over the fun. It lies in latitude 36° 47′ S.; and in the longitude of 184° 4′ W.: there are feveral iflands lying both to the fouthward and northward of it, and a small island or rock November. 1769. rock in the middle of the entrance: within this island the depth of water no where exceeds nine Wednef, 15 fathom; the beft anchoring is in a fandy bay, which lies juft within the fouth head, in five and four fathom, bringing a high tower or rock, which lies without the head, in one with the head, or juft fhut in behind it. This place is very convenient both for wooding and watering, and in the river there is an immenfe quantity of oyfters and other shell-fifh: I have for this reafon given it the name of OYSTER RIVER. But for a fhip that wants to ftay here any time, the best and safest place is in the river at the head of the bay; which, from the number of mangrove trees about it, I have called MANGROVE RIVER. To fail into this river, the fouth fhore must be kept all the way on board. The country on the eaft fide of the river and bay is very barren, its only produce being fern, and a few other plants that will grow in a poor foil. The land on the north west fide is covered with wood, and the foil being much more fertile, would doubtless produce all the neceffaries of life with proper cultivation: it is not however fo fertile as the lands that we have seen to the fouthward, nor do the inhabitants, though numerous, make so good an appearance: they have no plantations; their canoes are mean, and without ornament; they fleep in the open air; and fay, that Teratu, whose fovereignty they do not acknowledge, if he he was to come among them, would kill them. This favoured our opinion of their being outlaws yet they told us, that they had Heppahs or ftrong holds, to which they retired in time of imminent danger. We found, thrown upon the fhore, in feveral parts of this bay, great quantities of iron-fand, which is brought down by every little rivulet of fresh water that finds its way from the country; which is a demonstration that there is ore of that metal not far inland: yet neither the inhabitants of this place, or any other part of the coaft that we have seen, know the use of iron, or set the least value upon it; all of them preferring the most worthless and useless trifle, not only to a nail, but to any tool of that metal. Before we left the bay, we cut upon one of the trees near the watering-place the fhip's name, and that of the Commander, with the date of the year and month when we were there; and after difplaying the English colours, I took a formal posfeffion of it in the name of his Britannic Majesty King George the Third, 1769. November. Wednef.15. CHAP 1769. November. CHA P. IV. The Range from Mercury Bay to the Bay of Iflands: An Expedition up the River Thames: Some Account of the Indians who inhabit its Banks, and the fine Timber that grows there: Several Interviews with the Natives on different Parts of the Coaft, and a Skirmish with them upon an Island. I Continued plying to windward two days to get under the land, and on the 18th, about Saturday 18. feven in the morning, we were abreast of a very confpicuous promontory, being then in latitude 36° 26', and in the direction of N. 48 W. from the north head of Mercury Bay, or Point Mercury, which was diftant nine leagues: upon this point ftood many people, who feemed to take little notice of us, but talked together with great earneftness. In about half an hour, feveral canoes put off from different places, and came towards the hip; upon which the people on the point alfo launched a canoe, and about twenty of them came in her up with the others. When two of these canoes, in which there might be 1769. November. be about fixty men, came near enough to make themselves heard, they fung their war-fong; but seeing that we took little notice of it, they threw Saturd. 38. a few ftones at us, and then rowed off towards the fhore. We hoped that we had now done with them, but in a fhort time they returned, as if with a fixed refolution to provoke us into a battle, animating themfelves by their fong as they had done before. Tupia, without any directions from us, went to the poop, and began to expoftulate: he told them, that we had weapons which would deftroy them in a moment; and that, if they ventured to attack us, we should be obliged to use them. Upon this, they flourished their weapons, and cried out, in their language, “Come on fhore, and we will kill you "all" Well, faid Tupia, but why should you moleft us while we are at fea? as we do not wish to fight, we shall not accept your challenge to -come on shore; and here there is no pretence for quarrel, the fea being no more your property than the ship. This eloquence of Tupia, though it greatly furprised us, having given him no hints for the arguments he used, had no effect upon our enemies, who very foon renewed their battery: a mufquet was then fired through one of their boats, and this was an ar gument of fufficient weight, for they immediate, ly fell aftern and left us. From |