1770. The Indians fat down upon the rocks, and feemed to wait
1_—.— 1 for our landing j but to our great regret, when we came w ith-«
Enday 27. akout a qUarter Qf a mile> they ran away into the woods:
we determined however to go aflrore, and endeavour to procure
an interview, but in this we were again difappointed,
for we found fo great a furf beating upon every part of the
beach, that landing with our little boat was altogether im-
pradticable: 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
refemble thofe of the fmaller fort at New Zealand. We ob-
ferved, that among the trees on fhore, which were not very
large, there was no underwood ; and could diftinguifh. that
many of them were of the palm kind, and fome of them
cabbage trees : after many a wilhful 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 fouth-
ward; but happily a light breeze came off the land, and carried
us out of danger: with this breeze we flood to the
Saturday 28. northward, and at day-break we difcovered a bay, which
feemed 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 Matter, tp found the
entrance, while I kept turning up, having the wind right
out. At noon, the mouth of the bay bore N. N. W. diftant
about a mile, and feeing a fmoke on the fhore, we directed
our glafies to the fpot, and foon difcovered 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,
board, came to the fhore juft under the eminence, and the 1770-
men joined the reft on the top of it. The pinnace, which u— ---•
had been fent ahead to found, now approached the place, Sat“r ly
upon which all the Indians retired farther up the hill, except
one, who hid hiinfelf among fome rocks near the
landing-place. As the pinnace proceeded along the fhore»
moft of the people took the fame route, and kept abreaft of
herat a diftance ; when fhe came back, the matter 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 fh aped 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 lingular appearance, for
their faces feemed to have been dulled with a white powder,
and their bodies painted with broad ftreaks of the fame colour,
which patting obliquely over their breads and backs,
looked: not unlike the crofs-belts worn by our foldiers ; the
fame kind of ftreaks were alfo 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 feemed: to talk.to each other with great,ear—
neftnefs..
We continued'to Hand into the bay, and early in the afternoon
anchored under the fouth 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 federal of thé-
nativesi men, women, and children. Under the fouth head:
I . wee