Sanday 29.
Monday 30.
them advanced fomewhat nearer; and Mr. Hicks, who commanded
the party on fhore, with another, advanced to meet
them, holding out prefents to them as he approached, and
expreffing kindnefs and amity by every fign he could think
of, but all without effedt; for before he could get up with
them they retired, and it would have anfwered no purpofe
to purfue. In the evening, I went with Mr. Banks and Dr.
Solander to aTandy cove on the north fide of the bay, where,
in three or four hauls with the feine, we took above three
hundred weight of fifh, which was equally divided among
the (hip’s company.
The next morning, before day-break, the Indians came
down to the houfes that were abreaft of the (hip, and were
heard frequently to fliout very loud. As foon as it was light,
they were feen walking along the beach; and foon after
they retired to the woods, where, at the diftance of about a
mile from the Ihore, they kindled feveral fires.
Our people went afhore as ufual, and with them Mr.
Banks and Dr. Solander, who, in fearch of plants, repaired
to the woods. Our men, who were employed in cutting
grafs, being the fartheft removed from the main body of the
people, a company of fourteen or fifteen Indians advanced
towards them, having flicks in their hands, which, according
to the report of the Serjeant of the marines, fhone like a
mufquet. The grafs-cutters, upon feeing them approach,
drew together, and repaired to the main body. The Indians,
being encouraged by this appearance of a flight, purfued
them; they flopped however when they were within about
a furlong of them, and after fhouting feveral times went
back into the woods. In the evening they came again in
the fame manner, flopped at the fame diftance, fhouted and
retired. I followed them myfelf, alone and unarmed, for a
2 _ confiderable
confiderable way along the fhore, but I could not prevail upon i77°-
them to flop. >-— .— ->
Monday 30.
This day Mr. Green took the fun’s meridian altitude a little
within the fouth entrance of the bay, which gave the latitude
34° S. the variation of the needle was i 11 3' E.
Earlv the next morning, the body of Forby Sutherland, May. 1 , , . , , . . „ , . , Tuefday i. one of our feamen, who died the evening before, was buried
near the watering-place; and from this incident I called the
fouth point of this bay S u t h e r l a n d Po in t . This day w e
xefolved to make an excurfion into the country. Mr. Banks,
Dr. Solander, myfelf, and feven others, properly accoutred
for the expedition, fet out, and repaired firfl to the huts,
near the watering-place, whither fome of the natives continued
every day to refort; and though the little prefents
which we had left there before had not yet been taken away,
we left others of fomewhat more value, confifting of cloth,
looking-glafles, combs, and beads, and then went up into,
the country. We found the foil to be either fwamp or light
fand, and the face of the country finely diverfified by wood
and lawn. The trees are tall, flrait, and without underwood,
Handing at fuch a diftance from each other that the
whole country, at leaft where the fwamps do not render it
incapable of cultivation, might be cultivated without cutting
down one of them: between the trees the ground is
covered with grafs, of which there is great abundance,
growing in tufts about as big as can well be grafped in
the hand, which Hand very clofe to each other. We faw
many houfes of the inhabitants, and places where they had;
flept upon the grafs without any fhelter; but we faw only
one of the people, who the moment he difcovered us ran
away. At all thefe places we left prefents, hoping that at
length they might produce confidence and good-will. We
had;