November. 1769. our lines, and in a fhort time caught near one hundred fish, which the people called Sea-bream; Friday 24. they weighed from fix to eight pounds a piece, Saturd, 25. and confequently would fupply the whole fhip's company with food for two days. From the fuccefs of our lines here, we called the place BREAM BAY: the two points that form it lie north and fouth, five leagues from each other; it is every where of a good breadth, and between three and four leagues deep at the bottom of it there appears to be a river of fresh water. The north head of the bay, called BREAM HEAD, is high land, and remarkable for feveral pointed rocks, which stand in a range upon the top of it: it may also be known by fome fmall iflands which lie before it, called the HEN AND CHICKENS, one of which is high, and terminates in two peaks. It lies in latitude 35° 46′ S., and at the distance of seventeen leagues and an half from Cape Colville, in the direction of N. 41 W. The land between Point Rodney and Bream Head, an extent of ten leagues, is low, and wooded in tufts, with white fand banks between the sea and the firm lands. We faw no inhabitants, but many fires in the night; and where there are fires, there are always people. At day-break, on the 25th, we left the bay, and steered along fhore to the northward: we found the variation of the compass to be 12° 42 E. At noon, our latitude was 35° 36' S., Bream Head bore fouth, diftant ten miles; and we faw some small islands, to which I gave the name of the POOR KNIGHTS, at N. E. by N. distant three leagues; the northermoft land in fight bore N. N. W.: we were in this place at the distance of two miles from the fhore, and had twenty-fix fathom water. The country appeared low, but well covered with wood: we faw fome ftraggling houses, three or four fortified towns, and near them a large quantity of cultivated land. In the evening, seven large canoes came off to us, with about two hundred men: fome of them came on board, and said that they had heard of us. To two of them, who appeared to be Chiefs, I gave prefents; but when these were gone out of the fhip, the others became exceedingly troublesome. Some of thofe in the canoes began to trade, and, according to their custom, to cheat, by refusing to deliver what had been bought, after they had received the price: among these was one who had received an old pair of black breeches, which, upon a few small fhot being fired at him, he threw into the fea. All the boats foon after paddled off to some distance, and when they thought they were out of reach, they began to defy us, by finging their fong and brandishing their weapons. We thought it advisable to intimidate them, as well for their fakes 1769. November, Saturd, 25. 1769. fakes as our own, and therefore fired firft fome November. fmall arms, and then round fhot over their Saturd. 25. heads; the laft put them in a terrible fright, though they received no damage, except by over-heating themselves in paddling away, which they did with astonishing expedition. In the night we had variable light airs; but Sunday 26. towards the morning a breeze fprung up at S. and afterwards at S. E. with which we pro ceeded flowly to the northward, along the fhore. Between fix and feven o'clock two canoes came off, and told us that they had heard of yesterday's adventure, notwithstanding which the people came on board, and traded very quietly and honeftly for whatever they had: foon after two canoes came off from a more diftant part of the fhore; these were of a much larger fize, and full of people: when they came near, they called off the other canoes which were along fide of the ship, and after a short conference they all came up together. The strangers appeared to be perfons of a fuperior rank; their canoes were well carved with many ornaments, and they had with them a great variety of weapons: they had patoo-patoos both of stone and whalebone, upon which they appeared to fet a great value; they had alfo ribs of whale, of which we had before feen imitations in wood, carved and adorned with tufts of dog's hair. Õ་ ་་་་ 1769. November. Their complexions were browner than thofe of the people we had feen to the fouthward, and their bodies and faces were more marked with Sunday 26. the black stains which they call Amoco: they had a broad fpiral on each buttock; and the. thighs of many of them were almost intirely black, fome narrow lines only being left untouched, fo that at firft fight they appeared to wear ftriped breeches. With respect to the Amoco, every different tribe feemed to have a different custom, for all the men, in fome canoes, feemed to be almoft covered with it, and those in others had scarcely a ftain, except on the lips, which were black in all of them without a fingle exception. These gentlemen, for a long time, refused to part with any of their weapons, whatever was offered for them; at last, however, one of them produced a piece of talc, wrought into the shape of an ax, and agreed to fell it for a piece of cloth: the cloth was handed over the fhip's fide, but his honour immediately put off his canoe with the ax. We had recourse to our ufual expedient, and fired a musket ball over the canoe, upon which it put back to the fhip, and the piece of cloth was returned; all the boats then went afhore, without offering any further, intercourfe. At noon, the main land extended from S. by E. to N. W. by W. a remarkable point of land bearing W. diftant four or five miles; at three we 1769. November. we paffed it, and I gave it the name of CAPE BRET, in honour of Sir Piercy. The land of Sunday 26. this Cape is confiderably higher than any part of the adjacent coaft: at the point of it, is a high round hillock, and N. E. by N. at the diftance of about a mile, is a small high island or rock, which, like feveral that have already been defcribed, was perforated quite through, fo as to appear like the arch of a bridge. This Cape, or at leaft fome part of it, is by the natives called MOTUCOGOGO, and it lies in latitude 35° 10' 30" S. longitude 185° 25′ W. On the weft fide of it is a large and pretty deep bay, lying in S. W. by W. in which there appeared to be several fmall islands: the point that forms the N. W. entrance, lies W. N. at the distance of three or four leagues from Cape Bret, and I diftinguished it by the name of POINT POCOCKE. On the weft fide of the bay we saw feveral villages, both upon iflands and the main, and feveral very large canoes came off to us, full of people, who made a better appearance than any we had seen yet they were all ftout and well-made; their hair, which was black, was tied up in a bunch on the crown of their heads, and stuck with white feathers. In each of the canoes were two or three Chiefs, whofe habits were of the best fort of cloth, and covered with dog's fkin, fo as to make an agreeable appearance: most of these people were marked with the Amoco, like thofe who 21 U t |