to his mouth, blew into it with one noftril, while he flopped
Saturday 22. ot^er his thumb: to thefe inftruments four other
pel Tons fung, and kept very good time; but only one tune
was played during the whole concert.
Several of the natives brought us axes, which they had
received from on board the Dolphin, to grind and repair;
but among others there was one which became the fubjedt
of much fpeculation, as it appeared to be French: after
much enquiry, we learnt that a Ihip had been here between
our arrival and the departure of the Dolphin, which
we then conjectured to have been a Spaniard, but now
know to have been the Boudeufe, commanded by M. Bougainville.
•1769.
April.
CHAP.
C H A P. X.
A n E x cu rfon to the E a fw a rd , an Account o f fed era l
Incidents that happened both on board and on Jhire, and
o f the f ir jl Interview with Oberea, the Perfon who, when
the Dolphin was here, was. fuppofed to be ifueen o f the
I f and, with a Defcription o f the Fort.
ON the 24th, Mr. Banks and Dr, Solander examined the
country for feveral miles along the fliore to the eafi-
ward: for about two miles it was flat and fertile; after that
the hills ftretched quite to the water’s edge, and a little farther
ran out into the fea, fo that they were obliged to climb
over them. Thefe hills, which were barren, continued for
about three miles more, and then terminated in a large plain,
which was full of good houfes, and people who appeared to
live in great affluence. In this place there was a river, much
more confiderable than that at our fort, which iflued from a
deep and beautiful valley, and, where our travellers crofled
it, though at fome diftance from the fea, was near one hundred
yards wide. About a mile beyond this river the country
became again barren, the rocks every where projecting into
the fea, for which reafon they refolved to return. Juft as
they had formed this refolution, one of the natives offered
them refrelhment, which they accepted. They found this
man to be of a kind that has been defcribed by various authors,
as mixed with many nations, but diftindt from them
all. His Ik in was of a dead white, without the leaft appearance
of what is called complexion, though fome parts of his
VoL.II. o body
Monday 24.