On the 11th, at fix o'clock in the morning, we weighed and fet fail, in hopes of finding a better anchoring place, Capt. Cook having given the bay, the name of Poverty Bay. In the afternoon we were becalmed and feveral canoes full of Indians came off from the fhore, who received many prefents, and afterwards bartered even their clothes, and fome of their paddles, fo eager were they of European commodities. The Indians were armed with bludgeons, made of wood, and of the bone of a large animal; they were contrived for close fighting.

Having finished their traffic, they set off in fuch a hurry, that they forgot three of their companions, who remained on board all night. Thefe teftified their fears and apprehenfions, notwithstanding Tupia took great pains to convince them they were in no danger; and about feven o'clock the next morning, a canoe came off, with four Indians on board. It was at firft with difficulty the Indians in the fhip could prevail on those in the canoe to come near them, and not till after the former had affured them, that the English did not eat

men.

On the 12th feveral Indians came off in a canoe, and at times appeared to be peaceably inclined, but at others to menace hoftilities, brandishing their lances, and other hostile geftures. A four-pounder loaded with grape fhot, was therefore ordered to be fined, but not pointed at them. This had the defired effect, and made them drop a-ftern.

On Friday the 13th in the morning, we made for an inlet, but finding it not fheltered, ftood out again, and were chaced by a canoe filled with Indians, but the Endeavour out-failed them. She purfued her course Found the bay, but could not find an opening. Nine canoes full of Indians came from the fhore, and five of them, after having confulted together, purfued the Endeavour, apparently with a hostile defign. Tupia was defired to acquaint them, that immediate deftruction

H 2

would

would enfue, if they perfevered in their attempts; but words had no influence, and a four-pounder with grapefhot was fired. They were terrified at this kind of reasoning, and paddled away faster than they came.

On the 20th we anchored in a bay two leagues to the north of the Foreland. To this bay we were invited by the natives in canoes, who behaved very amicably and pointed to a place where they faid we thould find plenty of fresh water. We determined here to get fome knowledge of the country, though the harbour was not fo good a fhelter from the weather as we expected. Two chiefs, whom we faw in the canoes, came on board, they were dreffed in jackets, the one ornamented with tufts of red feathers, the other with dogskins. We presented to them linen and fome spikenails, but they did not value the last so much as the inhabitants of the other iflands..

Towards the evening we went on fhore, accompanied by the Captain and Dr. Solander. We were courteoufly received by the inhabitants, who did not appear in numerous bodies, and in other inftances were ferupulously attentive not to give offence. We made them feveral fmall prefents, and in this agreeable tour round the bay, we had the pleasure of finding two ftreams of fresh water. We remained on fhore all night, and the next day Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander discovered feveral large birds, among which were quails and large pigeons. Many ftages for drying fish were observed near where we landed, and fome houfes with fences. We faw dogs with pointed ears, and very ugly. Sweet potatoes, like those which grow in America were found. The cloth plant grew fpontaneous. In the neighbouring vallies the lands were laid out in regular plantations; and in the bay we bought plenty of crabs, crayfish, and horfe mackarel, larger than thofe on the Englifh coafts. The low lands were planted with cacoes; the hollows with gourds; but as to the woods they were almost impaffible, on account of the number of fupple:

Jacks

jacks which grew there. We went into feveral houfest belonging to the natives, and met with a very civil reception; and, without the leaft referve, they fhewed us whatever we défired to fee. At times we found' them at their meals, which our prefence never interrupted. At this feafon fish conftituted their chief food; with which they eat, inftead of bread, roots of a kind' of fearn; thefe, when roasted upon a fire, are fweet' and clammy in tafte not difagreeable, though rather unpleasant from the number of their fibres. They' have, doubtless, in other feafons of the year, an abun dance of excellent vegetables.

The women of this place paint their faces with a mixture of red ocre and oil, which as they are very plain, renders them more homely. This kind of daubing being generally wet upon their cheeks and foreheads, was easily transferred to those who saluted them, as was frequently vifible upon the noses of our people. The young ones who were complete coquets, wore a petticoat, under which was a girdle, made of the blades, of grafs ftrongly perfumed, to which was pendant a fmall bunch of leaves of fome fragrant plant. The faces of the men were not in general painted; but they were daubed with dry red ocre from head to foot, their apparel not excepted. Though in perfonal cleanliness they were not equal to our friends at Otaheite, yet in fome particulars they, furpaffed them; for their dwellings were furnished with privies, and they had dunghills upon which their offals and filth were depofited. Among the females chaftity was lightly esteemed. They reforted frequently to the watering place, where they freely beftowed every favour that was requested. An officer meeting with an elderly woman, he accompanied her to her house, and having prefented her with fome cloth and beads, a young girl was fingled out, with whom he was given to understand he might retire. Soon after an elderly man, with two women came in as vifiters, who

with

with much formality faluted the whole company, after the custom of the place, which is by gently joining the tips of their noses together. On his return, which was on Saturday the 21ft, he was furnished with a guide, who whenever they came to a brook or rivulet, took him on his back to prevent his being wet. Many of the natives were curiously tataowed, an old man in particular, was marked on the breaft with curious figures. These Indians at night dance in a very uncouth manner, with antic geftures, lolling out their tongues and making ftrange grimaces. In their dances old men, as well as the young ones are capital performers.

We

On the 22d in the evening, we weighed anchor and put to fea, but the wind being contrary we ftood for another bay a little to the south, called by the natives. Tolaga, in order to complete our wood and water, and to extend our correfpondence with the natives, found a watering-place in a small cove a little within. the fouth-point of the bay, which bore fouth by east, diftant about a mile. Several canoes with Indians on board, trafficked with us very fairly for glass bottles.

On Monday the 23d in the afternoon, we went on fhore accompanied by Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and the captain. We examined and found the water extremly good; alfo plenty of wood; and the natives fhewed us as much civility as thofe from whom we had. lately departed. At this watering-place we fet up an aftronomical quadrant, and took several folar and lunary observations. In our walks through the vales we faw many houfes uninhabited, the natives refiding chiefly in fheds, or the ridges of the hills, which are very steep. The hills are clothed with beautiful flowering fhrubs, intermixed with a number of tall, ftately palms, which perfume the air, making it perfectly odoriferous. We met with various kinds of edible herbage in great abundance and many trees that produced fruit fit to eat. Sweet potatoes and plantains are cultivated near the houses.

On

On our return we met an old man who entertained us with the military exercises of the natives, which are performed with Patoo-Patoo and the lance. The former has been already mentioned, and is used as a battle axe; the latter is 18 or 20 feet in length, and made of extreme hard wood, and fharpened at each end. A flake was fubftituted for a fuppofed enemy. The old warrior first attacked him with his lance, advancing with a moft furious afpect. Having pierced him, the patoo-patoo was used to demolish his head, at which he fruck with a force which would, at one blow, have fplit any man's fkull; from whence we concluded no quarter was given by these people to their foes in time of action.

The natives in this part are not very numerous. They are tolerably well fhaped, but lean and tall. Their faces refemble thofe of the Europeans. Their nofes are aqualine, their eyes dark-coloured, their hair black, which is tied upon the top of their heads, and the men's beards are of a moderate length. Their tataowing is done very curiously, in various figures, Which makes their fkin resemble carving; it is confined to the principal men, the females and fervants ufing only red paint, with which they daub their face, that otherwife would not be disagreeable.

On the 25th we fet up the armourer's forge on fhore for neceffary ufes, and got our wood and water without the leaft moleftation from the natives, with whom we exchanged glass bottles and beads for different forts of fifh.

On the 27th, Capt. Cook and Dr. Solander went to infpect the bay, when the Doctor was not a little furprifed to find the natives in the poffeffion of a boy's top, which they knew how to fpin by whipping it, and he purchased it out of curiofity. Mr. Banks was, during this, employed in attending the fummit of a steep hill, that had previously engaged their attention, and near it he found many inhabited houfes. When the gentlemen