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buihy. Their canoes were made of one piece of bark, gathered at the two ends,
and extended in the middle by two Hicks. Their paddles were very fmall, two
of which they ufed at one time ; and we found a large lump of yellow gum in their
gigs which feemed to be for ftriking fiih. Some of their weapons had a kind of
_chifel fixed at their ends, but of what fubftance they were formed we could not
learn.
The natives often reconnoitred us, but we could not' prevail on them to come
near us or to be focial j for, as foon as we advanced, they fled as nimbly as deer, excepting
at one time, when they feemed determined to face us: then they came
armed with fpear?, having their breafts painted white j but, as foon as they faw
our boat go off from the (hip, they retreated. Conftrained by hunger, they often
came into the bay to fiih j but they kept in the ihallows, and as near as pofiible to
the ihore. In one of their houfes, at the top of the bay, we had laid fome nails,
pieces of cloth, and various trinkets j and though the natives had been there in our
abfence, yet they had not taken any of them.
This bay is in latitude 34°6', and makes a good harbour, being only two or three
points open to the eaftward j but the water is in general ihallow •, and it has feveral
arms extending from it, which are alfo ihallow. On thefe ihallows we found a
great number of rays, fome ihell-fiih, and a few iharks. The rays are of anenor-»,
mous fize: one of them which we caught Veighed two hundred and thirty-nine
pounds, and another three hundred and twenty-fix. They tailed very much like
the European rays, and the vifcera had an’ agreeable flavour, not unlike ftewed
turtle. Thefe rays, and ihell-fiih, are the natives chief food.
The country is very level and fertile j the foil, a kind of grey fand j and the climate
mild: and though it was the beginning of winter when we arrived, every
thing feemed in perfection. There is a variety of flowering ihrubs j a tree that
yields gum j and a fpecies of palm, [Borafus jlabellifer^\ the berries of which are
of two forts j one fmall, eaten by the hogs, and the other, as large as a cherry, has
a ilone in it j it is of a pale cnmfon colour, and has the tafle of a iweet acid. We
alfo found a fpecies of Salvia Fortea.
We