1770.
jdly.
Sunday 8.
Monday 9.
worthy of a farther fearch, they reimbarked in their boat,
and made the bell of their way to the fhip.
Soon after the arrival of this party, the Mailer alfo returned,
having been feven leagues out to fea, and he was
now of opinion, that there was no getting out where before
he thought there had been a paflage; his expedition however
was by no means without its advantage, for having
been a fecond time upon the rock where he had feen the
large cockles, he met with a great number of turtle, three
of which he caught, that together weighed feven hundred
and ninety-one pounds, though he had no better inftrument
than a boat hook.
The next morning, therefore, I fent him out again, with
proper inftruments for taking them, and Mr. Banks went
with him, but the fuccefs did not at all anfwer our expectations,
for, by the unaccountable conduCl of the officer, not
a Angle turtle was taken, nor could he be perfuaded to return
: Mr. Banks, however, went alhore upon the reef, where
he faw feveral of the large cockles, and having collected
many fhclls, and marine productions, he returned at eleven
o’clock at night, in his own fmall boat, the Mailer Hill continuing
with the large one upon the rock. In the afternoon,
feven or eight of the natives had appeared on the
fouth fide of the river, and two of them came down to the
fandy point, oppofite to the Ihip; but upon feeing me put
off in a boat to fpeak with them, they all ran away with the
greatelt precipitation.
As the Mailer continued abfent with the boat,all night, I
was forced to fend the Second Lieutenant for him, early the
Tuefday I®, next morning in the yawl; and foon after four of the natives
appeared upon the fandy point, on the north fide of the
river, having with them a fmall wooden canoe, with out-
2 riggers:
riggers : they feemed for feme time tq be buffly employed
in linking filh: fome of our people were for going over to <—
them in a boat, but this I would by no means permit, re- *
peated experience having convinced me that it was more
likely to prevent, than procure an interview. I was determined
to try what could be(done'by a contrary method, and
accordingly let them alone, without appearing to take thé
leaft notice of them: this fucceeded fq well, that at length
two of them came in the canoe within a mulket Ihot of the
fhip, and there talked a great deal in a very loud tone: we
underltood nothing that they faid, and therefore could
anfwer their harangue only by fhouting, and making all
the figns of invitation and kindnefs that we could devife,
During this conference, they came, infenfibly, nearer and
nearer, holding up their lances, not in a threatening manner,
but as if to intimate that if we offered them any injury,
they had weapons to revenge it. When they were almoft
along-fide of us, we threw them fome cloth, nails, beads,
paper, and other trifles, which they received without the
leaft appearance of fatisfaélion: at laft, one of the people
happened to throw them a fmall filh; at this they expreffed
the greatelt joy imaginable, and intimating, by fign§, that
they would fetch their companions, immediately paddled
away towards the ftiore. In the mean time fome of our
people, and among them Tupia, landed on the oppofite fide
of the river: the canoe, with all the four Indians, very foon
returned to the fhip, and came quite along-fide, without ex-
prelling any fear or diftruft. We diftributed fome more
prefents among them, and foon after they left' us, and
landed on the fame fide of the river where our people had
gone alhore: every man carried in his hand two lances, and
a ftick, which is ufed in throwing them, and advanced to
V o l . III. Y the