which ran very high all along, the eo&it. They efpied three men, fitting on the
beach, who were fta'kèd, and of a-very dark colour j but, on the boat s approaching
nearer toward them, they fled into thè woods. Our pèople alio difcovered
leverai canoes drawn upon the beach, and a kind of hóufe or wig-wam adjacent.
We alfo, from the fliip, faW five men walking, two of whom carried a canoe on
their ihoulders. The country looked very pleafant and fertile j and the trees, quite
free from underwood, appeared like plantations in a gentleman’s park.
On the 28th, we got into a fine bay, and fome of our people went on ihore on
one fide of it, where we faw fome houfes. On our approaching the ihore, two
men, with different kinds of weapons, came out and made toward us. Their
countenance befpoke difpleafure; they threatened us, and difcovered hoftile intentions,
often crying to us, Warra warra wai. We made figns to them to be
peaceable, and threw them fome trinkets y but they kept aloof, and dared us to
come on ihore. We attempted to frighten them by firing off a gun loaded with
fmall ihot j but attempted it in vain. One of them-repaired to a houfe immediately,
and brought out a fliield, of an oval figure, painted white in the middle, with two
holes in it to fee th ough, and alfo a wooden fword, and then they advanced boldly,
[fee pi. X X VII.] gathering up ftohes as they carile along, which they threw at
us. After we had landed, they threw two of their lances at us j one of which fell
between my feet. Our people fired again, and wounded one of them ; at which
they took the alarm and were very frantic and furious, ihóuting for àflìftàncè,
calling Hala, hala, mae j that is, (as" we afterwards learned,) Cóme hither j
while their wives and children fet up a moft horrid howl. We endeavoured to
pacify them, but to no purpofe, for they feemed implacable, and, at length, ran
howling away, leaving their wives and children, who hid themfelves in one of the
huts behind a piece of bark. After looking about us a little while, we left fome
nails upon the fpot and embarked, taking with us their weapons j and then proceeded
to the other fide of the bay, where we had feen a number of people, as we
came in, round a fire, fome of whom were painted white, having a ftreak round
their thighs, two below their knees, one like a faih over their ihoulders, which
ran diagonally downwards, and another acrofs their foreheads. Both men and women
were quite naked, very lean and raw-boned ; their complexion was dark,
their hair black and frizzled, their heads unadorned, and the beards of the men
buihy.
1
* 1