November. deg' f S a!1 retired behind * little hill, fo that our people
>•— ----> coulq not fee the event of the combat.
M0»day 6. In the morning the long-boat was fent again to traul in the
bay, and an officer, with the marines, and a party of men
to cut wood and haul the feine. The Indians on fhore ap
peared very peaceable and fubmifftve, and we had reafon to
believe that their habitations were at a confiderable diftance,.
or we faw no houfes, and found that they flept under the
bulhes: the bay is probably a place to which they frequently
refort m parties to gather fhell-fifh, of which it affords incredible
plenty, for wherever we went, whether upon the
hills or in the vallies, the woods or the plains, we faw vaft
heaps of fhells, often many waggon loads together, fome
appearing to be very old, and others recent. We faw no
cultivation in this place, which had a defolate and barren-
appearance 5 the tops of the hills were green, but nothing
grew there except a large kind of fern, the roots of which
the natives had got together in large quantities, in order to
carry away with them. In the evening Mr. Banks walked
up the river, which at the mouth looked fine and broad, but
at the diftance of about two miles was not deep enough to
cover the foot; and the country inland was ftill more barren
t an at the fea-fide. The feine and dredge were not more
fuccefsful to-day than, yefterday, but the Indians in fome
meafure compenfated for the difappointment by bringingus
feveral bafkets of fifh, fome dry, and fome frefh dreffed • it
was not indeed of the bell, but I ordered it all to be bought
for the encouragement of trade.
Tuefday 7. On the 7th, the weather was fo bad that none o f us left the
fhip, nor did any of the Indians come on board.
Wednef. 8. On the 8th, I fent a party of men on fhore to wood and
water; and in the mean time many canoes came off, in one
7 of
of which was our friend Toiava ; foon after he was alongfide '769- November.
of the fhip, he faw two canoes coming from the oppofite fide 1----- -— .
r • i n Wednef.. 8s- of the bay, upon which he halted back again to the Ihore
with all his canoes, telling us that he was afraid o f the people
who were coming: this was a farther proof that the
people of this country were perpetually committing hoftili-
ties againft each other. In a lhort time, however, he returned,
having difcovered that the people who had alarmed
him were not the fame that he had fuppofed’. The natives-
that came to-the fhip this morning fold us,, for a-few pieces
of cloth, as much fifh of the mackrel kind as ferved the?
whole fhi-p’s company,, and they were as good, as ever-were
eaten. At noon, this day, I obferved the fun’s meridional-
zenith diftance by an aftronomical quadrant, which gave the
latitude 36° 47'43" within the fouth entrance of the bay-
Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went on fhore and colle&ed a-
great variety of plants, altogether unknown,- and' not returning
till the evening, had an opportunity of obfervinginwhat
manner the Indians difpofed themfelves to pafs the night.
They had no fhelter but a few fhrubs: the women and the
children were ranged innermoft, or fartheft from the fea ;
the men lay in a kind- o f half circle round them, and their
arms were fet up againft; the: trees clofe by them, in a manner
which fhowed that they were afraid of an attack by fome-
enemy not far diftant.. It was-alfo difcovered that they acknowledged
neither Teratu,. nor any other perfon as their-
k in g : as in this particular they differed from all the people-
that. we. had feen upon other parts of the eoaft, we thought,
it poflible that.they might be a fet of outlaws,.in-,a.ftate ofr
rebellion againft Teratu, and in that cafe they might have,
no fettled,habitations,, or cultivated land in.any part of the:
country..