bodies, fome in ftraight, and fome in curved lines. They were of the common ftature, but flender. Their fkin was black, and also their hair, which was as woolly as that of any native of Guinea; but they had not remarkable thick lips nor flat nofes. On -the contrary, their features were far from being difagreeable. They had pretty good eyes, and their teeth were tolerably even, but very dirty. Moft of them had their hair and beards fmeared with red ointment; fome also had their faces painted.

Every present made to them they received without the leaft appearance of fatisfaction. When fome bread was given, as foon as they understood it was to be eaten, they either returned it, or threw it away, without even tafting it. They also refused some fish, both raw and dressed; but on giving fome birds to them, their behaviour indicated a fondness for fuch food. Capt. Cook had brought two pigs afhore, with a view of leaving them in the woods; but the inftant these came within reach of the favages, they feized them, as a dog would have done, by the ears, and were for carrying them off immediately; with no other intention, as could be perceived, but to kill them.--Being defirous of knowing the ufe of the ftick before-mentioned, Capt. Cook, by figns, prevailed upon one of them to fhew him. This favage fet up a piece of wood as a mark, and threw at it at the distance of about 20 yards. On repeated trial, however, he was always wide from his object. Omai, to fhew them the fuperiority of our weapons, then fired his musket at it; which alarmed them fo much, that they ran instantly into the woods.

Notwithstanding their confternation on this occafion, on the 29th, about twenty of them, men and boys, vifited the crew again. One of this party was confpicuoully deformed; and not more diftinguifh

able

able by the hump on his back, than by the drollery of his gestures, and feeming humour of his fpeeches; which were evidently exhibited for the entertainment of his ftrange vifitors. His language, however, was wholly unintelligible.

Some of this group wore, loofe, round their necks, three or four folds of fmall cords, made of the fur of fome animal; and others had a flip of the kangooroo fkin tied round their ankles. Capt. Cook gave to each of them a ftring of beads and a medal, which they feemed to receive with fatisfaction; but they fet no value on iron or iron tools. They appeared not to know the use of fifh-hooks, nor was any canoe or veffel feen, in which they could go upon the water. Yet fhell-fish made a part of their food, as was evident from heaps of mufcle-fhells, that were feen in different parts near the fhore. Their habitations were little theds or hovals built of flicks, and covered with bark. Evident figns appeared of their fometimes taking up their abode in the trunks of trees, which had been hollowed out by fire; and the marks of fire near thefe habitations, and near every heap of fheils, were indubitable proofs that they did not eat their flesh raw.

Some time after several women and children made their appearance, and (Capt. Cook having left his party of wood-cutters) were introduced by the men who attended them to Lieutenant King, who pre fented them all with fuch trifles as he had about him. Thefe females wore a Kangooroo fkin (in the shape as it came from the animal) tied over their fhoulders, and round their wafte. Its only use seemed to be to fupport their children when carried on their backs, for it did not cover thofe parts which most nations conceal; being, in all other refpects, as naked as the men, and as black, and their bodies marked with

fcars in the fame manner. Some of them had their hair completely fhorn or fhaved, in others this operation had been performed only on one fide; whilft the rest of them had all the upper part of the head fhorn close, having a circle of hair all round, fomewhat like the tonfure of the Roman Ecclefiaftics. Many of the children had fine features, and were thought pretty; but of the perfons of the women, efpecially of thofe advanced in years, a less favourable opinion was formed. However, the gentlemen of the Discovery, Capt. Cook was told, paid their addreffes, and made liberal offers of prefents, which were rejected with great difdain; whether from a fenfe of virtue, or a fear of difpleafing their men, he could not determine. That this gallantry was not agreeable to the latter, is certain; for an elderly man, as foon as he obferved it, ordered all the women and children to retire, which they obeyed, though fome of them fhewed a little reluctance.--Captain Cook's reflection on this circumftance must not be omitted: "This conduct of Europeans amongst Savages to their women, is highly blameable: as it creates a jealoufy in their men, that may be attended with confequences fatal to the fuccefs of common enterprize, and to the whole body of the adventu •rers, without advancing the private purpose of the individual, or enabling him to gain the object of his wishes. I believe it has been generally found among uncivilized people, that where the women are easy of accefs, the men are the firft to offer them to ftrangers; and that where this is not the cafe, neither the allurements of prefents, nor the opportunity of privacy, will be likely to have the defired effect. This obfervation, I am fure, will hold good, through all the parts of the South Sea where I have been."

To

To Capt. Cook's account of Van Diemen's Land, Mr. Anderfon, his furgeon, has added many particulars refpecting its natural hiftory. Among its vegetable productions, he could not find one that afforded the fmalleft fubfiftence for man. There are two kinds of foreft trees that are quite unknown to Europe. The only animal of the quadruped kind, which he could get, was a fort of opoffum, about twice the fize of a large rat; and which is, most probably, the male of that fpecies. It is of a dusky colour above, tinged with a brown or rufty caft, and whitish below. About a third of its tail, towards its top, is white, and bare underneath; by which it probably hangs on the branches of the trees, as it climbs these and lives on berries. Of the feathered race, the moft fingular was a fmáil bird, with a pretty long tail, and part of the head and neck of a beautiful azure colour, whence they named it Motacilla Cyanea.

With refpect to the inhabitants, Mr. Anderson (befides what Capt. Cook has already obferved) fays, that they poffefs little activity; and that, as for genius, they seem to have less than even the half-animated natives of Terra del Fuego, who have not invention fufficient to make clothing to defend themfelves from the rigour of their climate, though furnished with the materials. The only thing in which they feemed to difplay contrivance, was the manner of cutting their arms and bodies, in lines of different lengths and directions, raised confiderably above the furface of the fkin; for it is difficult to guess the method they use, in this embroidery of their perfons. Their not expreffing that furprife, which one might have expected, at feeing men fo unlike themfelves, and things to which they had been hereunto utter ftrangers, the indifference to the prefents made X x 2

to

-

to them, and general inattention, were fufficient proofs of their not poffeffing any acutenefs of underftanding. What the ancient poets feigned of fauns fatyrs, living in hollow trees is here realized. Many of their largest trees were contrived into more com'fortable habitations than the wretched conftrution of fticks mentioned before. Thefe had their trunks hollowed out by fire, to the height of fix or seven feet; and that they take up their abode in them some times was evident from the hearths, made of clay, to confine the fire in the middle, leaving room for four or five perfons to fit round it. At the same time, thefe places of thelter are durable; for they take care to leave one fide of the tree found, which is fufficient to keep it growing as luxuriantly as those which remain untouched.

In the morning of the 30th of January, a light breeze fpringing up at W. both fhips put to fea. Soon after the wind veered to the fouthward, and increased to a perfect form. Its fury abated in the evening, when it veered to E. and N. E.

This gale was indicated by the barometer for the wind no fooner began to blow, than the mercury in the tube began to fall. Another remarkable thing attended the coming on of this wind, which was very faint at firft, it brought with it a degree of heat that was almost intolerable. The mercury in the thermometer rofe as it were inftantaneoufly, from about 70 to go deg. This heat was of fo fhort a continuance, that it feemed to be wafted away before the breeze that brought it; fo that fome on board did not perceive it.

On the 10th of February, they difcovered the land of New Zealand; and, on the 12th, anchored at their old ftation in Queen Charlotte's Sound. Here they were fully employed till the 25th, in procuring wood,

water,