1770.

April.

Wednes. 25.

spare. The north point of this bay, on account of its figure, I named LONG NOSE; its latitude is 35° 6', and about eight leagues north of it there lies a point, which, from the colour of the land about it, I called RED POINT: its latitude is 34° 29', and longitude 208° 45′ W. To the north-west of Red Point, and a little way inland, stands a round hill, the top of which looks like the crown of a hat. In the afternoon of this day, we had a light breeze at N. N. W. till five in the evening, when it fell calm: at this time, we were between three and four leagues from the shore, and had forty-eight fathom water: the variation by azimuth was 8° 48′ E. and the extremities of this land were from N. E. by N. to S. W. by S. Before it was dark, we saw smoke in feveral places along the fhore, and a fire two or three times afterwards. During the night we lay becalmed, driving in before the fea till one in the morning, when we got a breeze from Thursd, 26. the land, with which we fteered N. E. being then in thirty-eight fathom. At noon, it veered, to N. E. by N. and we were then in latitude 34° 10'S., longitude 208° 27′ W.: the land was distant about five leagues, and extended from S. 37 W. to N. E. In this latitude, there are some white cliffs, which rise perpendicularly from the fea to a confiderable height. We stood off the fhore till two o'clock, and then tacked and stood in till fix, when we were with

2

in

in four or five miles of it, and at that distance had fifty fathom water. The extremities of the land bore from S. 28 W. to N. 25° 30' E. We now tacked and stood off till twelve, then tacked and stood in again till four in the morning, when we made a trip off till day-light; and during all this time we loft ground, owing to the variableness of the winds. We continued at the distance of between four and five miles from the hore, till the afternoon, when we came within two miles, and I then hoisted out the pinnace and yawl to attempt a landing, but the pinnace proved to be fo leaky that I was obliged to hoift her in again. At this time we saw several of the natives walking brifkly along the fhore, four of whom carried a fmall canoe upon their fhoulders: we flattered ourselves that they were going to put her into the water, and come off to the ship, but finding ourselves difappointed, I determined to go on fhore in the yawl, with as many as it would carry: I embarked therefore, with only Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, Tupia, and four rowers: we pulled for that part of the shore where the Indians appeared, near which four small canoes were lying at the water's edge. The Indians fat down upon the rocks, and feemed to wait for our landing, but to our great regret, when we came within about a quarter of a mile, they ran away into the woods; we determined however to go ahore, and endeavour

deavour to procure an interview, but in this we

1770.

April,

were again difappointed, for we found fo great a furf beating upon every part of the beach, that Friday 27. landing with our little boat was altogether impracticable: we were therefore obliged to be . content with gazing at fuch objects as prefented themfelves from the water: the canoes, upon a near view, feemed very much to resemble those. of the fmaller fort at New Zealand. We obferved, that among the trees on fhore, which were not very large, there was no underwood; and could diftinguish that many of them were of the palm kind, and fome of them cabbage trees: after many a wifhful look we were obliged to return, with our curiofity rather excited than fatisfied, and about five in the evening got on board the fhip. About this time it fell calm, and our fituation was by no means agreeable: we were now not more than a mile and a half from the fhore, and within fome breakers, which lay to the fouthward; but happily a light breeze came off the land, and carried us out of danger: with this breeze we stood to the northward, and at day-break we discovered a bay, which feemed Saturd. 28. to be well fheltered from all winds, and into which therefore I determined to go with the fhip. The pinnace being repaired, I fent her, with the mafter, to found the entrance, while I kept turning up, having the wind right out. At noon, the mouth of the bay bore N. N. W.

J

distant

1770. April.

diftant about a mile, and feeing a smoke on the fhore, we directed our glaffes to the spot, and Saturd. 28. foon discovered ten people, who, upon our nearer approach, left their fire, and retired to a little eminence, whence they could conveniently obferve our motions. Soon after two canoes, each having two men on board, came to the fhore juft under the eminence, and the men joined the rest on the top of it. The pinnace, which had been fent ahead to found, now approached the place, upon which all the Indians. retired farther up the hill, except one, who hid himself among fome rocks near the landingplace. As the pinnace proceeded along the fhore, most of the people took the fame route, and kept abreast of her at a distance; when the came back, the mafter told us, that in a cove a little within the harbour, fome of them had come down to the beach, and invited him to land by many figns and words of which he knew not the meaning; but that all of them were armed with long pikes, and a wooden weapon shaped fome. what like a cimeter. The Indians who had not followed the boat, feeing the fhip approach, ufed many threatening geftures, and brandifhed their weapons; particularly two, who made a very fingular appearance, for their faces feemed to have been dufted with a white powder, and their bodies painted with broad ftreaks of the fame colour, which paffing obliquely over their

breafts

breafts and backs, looked not unlike the crossbelts worn by our foldiers; the fame kind of streaks were also drawn round their legs and thighs like broad garters: each of thefe men held in his hand the weapon that had been defcribed to us as like a cimeter, which appeared to be about two feet and a half long, and they seemed to talk to each other with great earneftnefs.

We continued to ftand into the bay, and early in the afternoon anchored under the south fhore, about two miles within the entrance, in fix fathom water, the fouth point bearing S. E. and the north point Eaft. As we came in we faw, on both points of the bay, a few huts, and feveral of the natives, men, women, and children. Under the south head we saw four small canoes, with each one man on board, who were very bufily employed in striking fish with a long pike or spear: they ventured almost into the surf, and were fo intent upon what they were doing, that although the ship passed within a quarter of a mile of them, they fcarcely turned their eyes toward her; poffibly being deafened by the furf, and their attention wholly fixed upon their business or sport, they neither faw nor heard her go past them.

The place where the ship had anchored was abreast of a small village, confisting of about fix or eight houses; and while we were preparing to hoift out the boat, we faw an old woman,

followed

1770. April.

Saturd. 28.