<71 }■ Purvey of the N. W. fide of the bay, accompanied by the two
<--------< Mr. Forfters. and feveral of the officers, whom I detached
bu day in one boat to-Goofe Cove, where we intended to lodge the
night, while I proceeded in the other, examining the harbours
and ifles which lay in my way. In the doing of this,
I picked up about a fcore of wild fowl, and caught fiffi fuf-
ficient to ferve the whole party; and, reaching the place
of rendezvous a little before dark, I found all the gentlemen
out duck-ffiooting. They, however, foon returned, not
overloaded with game. By this time, the cooks had done
their parts, in which little art was required ; and after a
hearty repaft, .on what the day had produced, we lay down
to reft s but took care to rife early, the next morning, in
order to have the other bout among the ducks, before we
left the cove.
jFriday 16. Accordingly, at day-light, we prepared for the attack.
Thofe who had reconnoitred the place before, chofe their
Rations accordingly; whilft myfelf and another remained
in the boat, and rowed to the head of the cove to ftart the
game ; which we did fo effectually, that, out of fome fcores
of ducks, we only detained one to onrfelves, fending all the
reft down to thofe Rationed below. After this, I landed at
the head of the cove, and Walked crofs the narrow ifthmus
that disjoins it from the fea, or rather from another cove
which runs in from the fea about one mile, and lies open
to the North winds. It, however, had all the appearance
of a good harbour and fafe anchorage. Ar the head is a
find fandy beach, where I found an immenfe number of
wood hens, and brought away ten couple of them, which
recompenfed me for the trouble of crofting the ifthmus,
through the wet woods, up to the middle in water. About
rune
nine o’clock, we all got colledted together, when the fuc-
'773-
cefs of every one was known j which was by no means an-
April,
fwerable to our expectations. The morning, indeed, was
Friday 16.
very unfavourable for {hooting, being rainy the moft of
the time we were out. After breakfaft, we fet out on our
return to the Ihip, which we reached by feven o’clock in
the evening; with about feven dozen of wild fowl, and
two feals; the moft of them ffiot while I was rowing about,
exploring the harbours and coves which I found in my
way; every place affording fomething; efpecially to us,
to whom nothing came amifs.
It rained all the 17th; but the 18th bringing fair and clear Sae»r<% ~
weather, in the evening, our friends the natives before men- s“nday ,8,
tioned paid us another vifit; and, the next morning, the chief Monday i9.
and his daughter were induced to come on board, while the
others went out in the canoe fiffiing. Before they came on board
I fhewed them our goats and ffieep that were on ffiore;
which they viewed, for a moment, with a kind of ftupid
infenfibility. After this, I conduced them to the brow;
but before the chief fet his foot upon it to come into
the ffiip, he took a fmall green branch in his hand, with
which he ftruck the lhip’s fide feveral times, repeating a
fpeech or prayer. When this was over, he threw the
branch into the main chains, and came on board. This
cuftom and manner of making peace, as it were, is prac-
tifed by all the nations in the South Seas that I have feen.
I took them both down into the cabin, where we were
to breakfaft. They fat at table with us, but would not
tafte any of our victuals. The chief wanted to know where
we flept, and indeed to pry into every corner of the cabin,
every part of which he viewed with fome furprife. But
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