1770. January.

we had been invifible. He did not, however, appear to be either fullen or ftupid: we reThurfd. 18. quefted him to draw up his net, that we might examine it, and he readily complied: it was of a circular form, extended by two hoops, and about feven or eight feet in diameter: the top was open, and fea-ears were fastened to the bottom as a bait this he let down fo as to lie upon the ground, and when he thought fish enough were affembled over it, he drew it up by a very gentle and even motion, so that the fifh rofe with it, fcarcely fenfible that they were lifted, till they came very near the furface of the water, and then were brought out in the net by a fudden jerk. By this fimple method he had caught abundance of fish, and indeed they are fo plenty in this bay, that the catching them requires neither much labour nor art.

Friday 19.

This day, fome of our people found in the fkirts of the wood, near a hole or oven, three human hip-bones, which they brought on board; a farther proof that these people eat human flesh: Mr. Monkhoufe, our Surgeon, alfo brought on board, from a place where he faw many deferted houses, the hair of a man's head, which he had found, among many other things, tied up to the branches of trees.

In the morning of the 19th, we fet up the armourer's forge to repair the braces of the til ler, and other iron-work, all hands on board

being still busy in careening, and other neceffary operations about the veffel: this day, fome In

1770.

January.

dians came on board from another part of the Friday 19. bay, where they said there was a town which we

had not feen: they brought plenty of fish, which

they fold for nails, having now acquired fome notion of their ufe; and in this traffic no unfair practice was attempted.

In the morning of the 20th, our old man kept Saturd. 20. his promife, and brought on board four of the heads of the feven people who had been fo much the fubject of our inquiries: the hair and flesh were entire, but we perceived that the brains. had been extracted; the flesh was foft, but had by fome method been preferved from putrefaction, for it had no difagreeable fmell. Mr. Banks purchased one of them, but they fold it with great reluctance, and could not by any means be prevailed upon to part with a fecond; probably they may be preferved as trophies, like the fcalps in America, and the jaw bones in the islands of the South Seas. Upon examining the head which had been bought by Mr. Banks, we perceived that it had received a blow upon the temples, which had fractured the fkull. This day we made another excursion in the pinnace, to furvey the bay, but we found no flat large enough for a potatoe garden, nor could we difcover the leaft appearance of cultivation we met not a fingle Indian, but found

an

1770. January.

Sunday 21,

Monday 22.

1

an excellent harbour; and about eight o'clock in the evening returned on board the ship.

On the 21ft, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went a fishing with hook and line, and caught an immenfe quantity every where upon the rocks, in between four and five fathom water: the feine was hauled every night, and feldom failed to fupply the whole fhip's company with as much fish as they could eat. This day all the people had leave to go on fhore at the watering-place, and divert themselves as they should think proper.

In the morning of the 22d, I fet out again in the pinnace, accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, with a defign to examine the head of the inlet, but after rowing about four or five leagues without fo much as coming in fight of it, the wind being contrary, and the day half spent, we went on fhore on the fouth east side, to try what might be difcovered from the hills.

Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander immediately employed themselves in botanizing near the beach, and I, taking a feaman with me, afcended one of the hills: when I reached the fummit, I found a view of the inlet intercepted by hills, which in that direction rofe ftill higher, and which were rendered inacceffible by impenetrable woods; I was, however, abundantly compenfated for my labour, for I faw the fea on the eastern fide of the country, and a paffage lead

ing from it to that on the weft, a little to the eaftward of the entrance of the inlet where the

1770.

January.

thip now lay. The main land which lay on the Monday 22. fouth east of this inlet, appeared to be a narrow

ridge of very high hills, and to form part of the fouth weft fide of the ftreight; the land on the oppofite fide appeared to trend away eaft as far as the eye could reach; and to the fouth eaft there appeared to be an opening to the fea, which washed the eastern coaft: on the east fide of the inlet alfo I faw fome iflands which I had before taken to be part of the main land. Having made this discovery, I defcended the hill, and as foon as we had taken fome refreshment, we fet out on our return to the ship. In our way, we examined the harbours and coves which lie behind the islands that I had discovered from the hill; and in this route we faw an old village, in which there were many houfes that seemed to have been long deferted: we also faw another village which was inhabited, but the day was too far spent for us to vifit it, and we therefore made the beft of our way to the fhip, which we reached between eight and nine o'clock at night.

The 23d I employed in carrying on a furvey Tuesday 23of the place; and upon one of the islands where

I landed, I saw many houfes which feemed to have been long deferted, and no appearance of any inhabitant.

On

1770. January.

Wednef. 24.

On the 24th, we went to visit our friends at the Hippah or village on the point of the island near the fhip's ftation, who had come off to us on our first arrival in the bay. They received us with the utmoft confidence and civility, fhewing us every part of their habitations, which were commodious and neat. The inland or rock on which this town is fituated, is divided from the main by a breach or fiffure fo narrow, that a man might almoft leap from one to the other: the fides of it are every where so steep as to render the artificial fortification of these people almost unneceffary: there was, however, one flight pallifade, and one fmall fightingftage, towards that part of the rock where access was leaft difficult.

The people here brought us out feveral human bones, the flesh of which they had eaten, and offered them to fale; for the curiosity of thofe among us who had purchased them as memorials of the horrid practice which many, notwithstanding the reports of travellers, have profeffed not to believe, had rendered them a kind of article of trade. In one part of this village we obferved, not without fome surprise, a cross exactly like that of a crucifix; it was adorned with feathers, and upon our inquiring for what purpose it had been set up, we were told that it was a monument for a man who was dead: we had before understood that their dead were not

buried,