I774-
October.
Fciday zz^
In the morning we were to the fouth of Cape Kidnap--
pers, and advanced to the Black Cape. After breakfafb
three canoes put off from this part of the fliore, where fome-
level land appeared at the foot of the mountains. They
foon came on board as we were not very far from the land,
and in one of them was a chief, who came on d-ck w ith out
hefitation. He was a tall middle-aged man, clothed in
two new and elegant drefles, made'of the New Zeeland flag'
or flax-plant. His hair was dreffed in the higheft fafliion
of the country, tied on the crown, oiled, and ftuck with-
white feathers. Iri each ear he wore a piece: o f albatrofs-
Ikin covered with its white down, and his face was punctured
in fpirals and curve lines. Mr: Hodges drew his portrait,
and a print-of it is inferted in captain Cook’s account
of this voyage. His companions fold us fome fifli, while
he was entertained in the cabin. The captain prefented him-
with a piece of red baize, fome garden-feeds, two young'
pigs o f each fex, and likewife three pairs of fowls. Our'
young Borabora man, Mahine, who did not underftand>
the language of the New Zeelanders at the firft interview
like Tupaya, hearing from us that thefe people were not'
poffeffed of coco-nuts and yams, produced fome of thefe-
nuts and roots with a view to offer them to the chief ; but
upon our affuring him the climate was unfavourable to the (
growth of palm-trees, he only prefented the yams, whilft
we made an effort to convince the chief of the value of the
prefents
prefents which he had received, and that it was his intereft
to keep the hogs and fowls for breeding, and to plant the-
roots. He feemed at laft to comprehend our meaning, and
in return for fuch valuable prefents, parted with his mahee-
peh or battle-axe, which was perfectly new, its head well
carved, and ornamented with red parrot’s feathers and-
white dog’s- hair. After a Ihort flay he returned on deck,-
where captain Cook prefented him with feveral large nails.
He received thofe with fo much eagernefs that he feemed to
value them above any other prefent; and having obferved-
that the captain took them out of one o f the holes in the
capftan, where his clerk had put them, he turned the cap-
flan all round, and examined every hole to fee if there were
not fome more concealed. This circumftance plainly fhews
how much the value of iron tools is advanced in the efti-
mation of the New Zeelanders lince the Endeavour’s voyage,
when they would hardly receive them in many places. Before
their departure they gave us a heeva or warlike dance,
which confifted o f damping with the feet, brandilhing Ihort
clubs, fpears, &c. making frightful contorfions of the face,
lolling out the tongue, and bellowing wildly, but in tune
with each motion. From their manner of treating the
fowls which we had given them, we had' no great reafon-
to expedt fuccefs in our plan of flocking this country with
domeftic animals, and we much feared whether the birds -
would reach the fliore alive. We comforted ourfelves, how--