a canoe, hauled upon the ihore near two finall huts, where were feveial fireplaces,
and fome fiffiing nets; a few fiffi were lying on the ihore, and fome in the
canoe; but they faw no people, they probably having retired into the woods:
having left in the canoe fome medals, looking glaifes, beads, &c. after a Ihort
flay, they rowed to the head of the cove, and returning back, put aihore at the
fame.place; but it did not appear that any thing left there had been touched;
However, they added a hatchet, and returned on board.
p. 72. April 1 ft, Captain Cook, accompanied as before, went to fee if any of the
articles, left in the canoe had been taken, away. They found every thing remaining
in the fame ftate, nor did it appear that any. body had been there
fince. After ihooting fome birds,, one of which was a duck, with a blue grey
p. 73. plumage and foft bill,' they returned on board. The next day they killed
three feals; and in a co.ve found many ducks, wood-hens, and other, wild howl,,
fome of which they killed.
It is here neceflary to remark, that the nature o f this additional work will not
permit us to attend the officers and crews engaged in this expedition,, on every.
ihooting party; in every excurfion to procure provifions; or to make difcoveries
in the repairs of the Ihip, &c. we muft, therefore, confine ourfeIv.es to a
defcription of the moil lingular birds they fee or kill, as making part of the
Natural Hiftory; to the moft interefting events that happen to them; and the
moft material difcoveries they make. Let it henceforth, be concluded, that
Captain Cook and thofe under his command, explored every part mentioned
in his inftruilions, for the benefit of future navigators; that Mr. Forfter and
his affiftants went frequently on ffiore to botanize; that the aftronomers employed
their time in making obfervations; and that the general purpofes of the
voyage were attended to. Though the limits of this abridgment wall not
admit the minutiae, of all. thefe tranfaclions, yet no circumftanee ffiall be
omitted, that may-conduce to, render it a fatisfa&ory compendium of his.fecund
and third voyages.
On the 6th Captain Cook and his companions, in their return from an
excurfion, had a ihort interview with three of the natives, one roan and two.
women.
. ’ - IIIIIIII
women. They would have paffed by without feeing them, had not the man
hallooed to them. He ftood, with his club in his hand, upon the point of a
rock; and behind him, at the ikirts of the wood, ftood the two women, with
each of them a fpear. The man could not help difcovering great ligns of fear
when the boat approached the rock. He, however, ftood firm, nor did he
even move to take up fome things which were thrown.aihore to him. At length
Captain Cook landed, and having embraced him, prefented' him with fuch
articles as he had about him, which at Once diffipated his fears. Prefently
after they were joined by the Women, as well as by the gentlemen and fome
o f the feamen from the boats. After this they fpent about half an hour in
Converfation, little being underftood On either fide, in which the youjigeft of
the two women bore the greateft (hare. Captain Cook ordered fome fiffi and
fowl, which they had in the boat, to be prefented to them; but thefe they
threw into the boat again, giving them to underftand that fuch things they
wanted not. Night approaching, obliged the captain to take leave of his new
acquaintance; when the youngeft of the two women, whofe volubility of
tongue was fo exceffive, as to draw from one of the feamen an obfervatioh, “ that
women did not want tongue in any part of the world,” gave them a dance;
but the man viewed them with the greateft attention.
The next morning Captain Cook made the natives a vifit, carrying with him
various articles, which he prefented them with; and which they received with
great indifference,1 except hatchets and fpike nails; thefe they moft efteemed
He now faw their Whole family: it confifted of the man, his two wives, (u
fuppofed) the young woman before mentioned, a.boy about fourteen years’old
and three fmall children, the fmalleft of which was at the breaft; they were all
well looking, except one woman, who had a large wen on her upper lip, which
made her look difagreeable; and ffie feemed, on that account, to be in a great
meafure neglected by the man. The captain and his attendants were conducted
by them to their habitation, which was but a little way within the ikirts of
the wood, and confifted of two mean huts, made of the bark of trees- their
canoe, which was a double one, juft large enough to tranfport the whole’family
from place to place, lay in a fmall creek near the huts. When Captain Cook
took leave, the Chief prefented him with a piece of cloth or garment of their
H ) l own