On the 13 th, early in the-morning, we defcrieff. the top- of the peak, which
was ftreaked with fnow, and, finding the land tended away to- the eaft, we concluded
that we were in a. large bay..
On the 14th, we fa-wland ahead of us, and ffillapprehended we werein a largc-
bay. We alfo difcovered feveral ifknds and very deep breaks- in the land : The
coaft hereabout is very high, and the tops of the hills are covered with clouds; but,,
the weather being hazy,, we faw nothing on the land excepting a fire lit up at
night.
On. the j jth; in the forenoon, having reached to the farther end of the fup-
pofed bay, we entered into a fmaller,. or rather a harbour, it being ltTnd-locked on.
every fide. At the entrance of this harbour there are two iflands, on. the fmalleft.
of which- we difcovered a- Hippa :. we paired very near it,, and the natives flocked
in crouds to gaze at us. We flood in for a little cove,, and-anchored within two-
cables length, of the fhore, oppofite to a final! rivulet which ran1 into the lea. Some
of our people went on,fhore,. and fhot fome birds : we alfo. hauled the fein, and
caught a large draught of fifhes,. fome of which weighed twenty-one: pounds; and,,
on the fhore, we found mufcles, and- other forts of fhell-fifh, in great-plenty.
All the: coves of this bay teem- with, fifh of various kinds, fucB as-cutt]e-fiih;,
large breams, (fome of which.weighed twelve pounds, and were very delicious food,
having the tafle of fine falmon,) final! grey breams, fin all and large baracootas,
dying gurnards, horfe-mackarel,, dog-fifh, foies, dabs, mullets, drums, fcorpenas.
or rock-fifh, cole-fifh, the beautiful fifh.called chimera;, and fhaggs.
The manner in which the natives- of this bay catch their fiffi is as follows:_
They have a cylindrical net, extended by feveral hoops at the bottom, and1
contraited at the top; within the net they flick fome-'pieces: of fifh; then let it
down from the fide of a canoe, and the fifh, going in to feed, are caught with
The country, about the cove where we lay, is entirely covered with wood, and
fo full of a fort of fupple-jack, that it is difficult to pa-fs through it : there is alfo a
little fand-fly which is very troublefome ; and the bite of it is venomous, railing a
bump upon thefkin which itches very much. The tops of fome of the hills, which
at firft appeared to be bare, we found covered with the fern plant, which grows up
to about a man’s height. The hills decline gently to the water’s-edge, and leave
no flat land excepting one place.
The woods abound with divers kinds of birds, fuch as parrots, wood-pigeons,
water-hens; three forts of Birds having wattles; hawks; with a variety of birds
that fing all night. We alfo found a great quantity of a fpecies of Philadeiphus,
which makes a good fubflitute for tea. At one particular place we met with a
fubflance that appeared like a kid s fkin, but it had. fo weak a texture, that we
concluded it was -not leather; and were afterward informed, by the natives, that
it was gathered from fome plant called Teegoomme: one of them.had a garment
made of It, which looked like their rug cloaks.
The air of the country, one would imagine, is very moifl, and endued with
fome .peculiar putrefcent qualities, as we found maggots in birds, a few hours
after they-had been fhot.
The natives came to us fometimes, and behaved peaceably; but, to our
furprife,' we had adequate proofs that they are C a n n i b a l s . -Some of our people,’
in the pinnace, went into a little cove, where one family refided, and faw feveral
human hones which appeared to have been lately drefled and picked ; and w.ere
told, that a little while before, fix of their enemies had fallen into their'hands;
four they killed and ate; the other two jumped into the water and efca-ped from
them, but they were unfortunately drowned, and our people faw one of their
bodies floating upon the water. 'The natives alfo brought us feveral human bones
on board, and offered them to fide, fucking them in their mouths, and, by the
figns which they made.to us, evinced that they thought, human fleih delicious
food. One day, in particular, they brought four fell's to fell; but they rated
Q a them