1778- kept ftrewing handfuls o f feathers toward u s * ; and fotne o f
Ma_rch' . his companions threw handfuls o f a red dull or powder in
the fame manner. T he perfon who played the orator,
wore the ikin o f fome animal, and held, in each' hand,
fomething w h ich rattled as he kept ih a k in g it. After tiring
h im fe lf w ith h-is repeated exhortations, o f w hich w e did
not underhand a word, he was q u ie t ; and then others took
it, b y turns, to fay fomething, though they atfted their part
neither fo long, nor with fo much vehemence as the other.
W e obferved that two or three had their hair quite ftrewed
over with fmall white feathers ; and others had large ones
ftuck into different parts o f the head. A fte r the tumultuous
noife had ceafed, they la y at a little diftance from the
ihip, and converfed with each other in a very eafy manner j
nor did they feem to fltew the leaft furprize or diftruft.
Some o f them, now and then, got up, and faid fomething
after the manner o f their firft h a ran gu e s ; and one fun g a
very agreeable air, w ith a degree o f foftnefs and melody
w h ich we could not have e xp c fted ; the word haela, being
often repeated as the burden o f the fong. T he breeze
w hich foon after fprung up, b rin gin g us nearer to the ihore,
the canoes began to come o ff in greater n umbe rs; and w e had,
at one time, thirty-two o f them near the ihip, carrying from
three to feven or eight p’erfons each, both men and women.
Several o f thefe flood up in their canoes haranguing, and
m a k in g geftures after the manner o f our firft vifiters. One
canoe was remarkable for a Angular head, which had a
bird’s eye and bill, o f an enormous fize, painted on it ; and
a perfon who was in it, who feemed to be a Ch ief, was no
* T h e natives o f this coaft, twelve degrees farther South, alfo brought feathers as
nrefents to Sir Francis Drake on his arrival. See an account o f his voyage in Camp-
b'elFs edit, o f Harris^ V o l. i . p . 18.' .
lefs remarkable fo r his uncommon appearance; ha vin g
many feathers h an g in g from his head, and being painted
in an extraordinary manner*. He held in his hand a carved
bird o f wood, as large as a pigeon, w ith which he rattled as
the perfon firft-mentioned had don ef and was no lefs vociferous
m his harangue, which was attended w ith fome
exprellive geftures.
T h o u gh qur vifiters behaved very peaceably, and could
not be fufpeded o f any hoftile intention, w e could not preva
il upon any o f them to come on board. T h e y ihewed
great readinefs, however, to part with any thing they had,
and took from us whatever we offered them in exchange •
b u t were more defirous o f iron, than o f any other o f our
articles o f com m e rce ; appearing to be perfectly acquainted
w ith the ufe o f that metal. Many o f the canoes followed
us to our anchorin g-place ; and a group o f about ten or a
dozen o f them remained along-fide the Refolution mod part
o f the night; •
The fe circumftances ga ve us a reafonable ground o f hope
that we fhould find this a comfortable ftation to fupply all
ou r wants, and to make us forget the hardihips and delays
experienced during a conftant fucceffion o f adverfe winds
and boifterous weather, almoft ever fince our arrival upon
the coaft o f America.
° n ? “ aft 0f Ca,ifornia’ While he was in the har-
J ! , I P 8 ’ H i t i l P i or M black and K and bad their
heads loaded witb feathers, Hijiory o f California, Vol. ¡1. p. * 7 * . ’
1 7 7 8 .
March.