53 6
ufed. This interview terminated very cordially, after fome trifling prefent9 were madeto the chief and his companions.
The prudence of the gentlemen upon this occafion cannot be much commended.Had thefe four hundred Indians boldly ^rufhed in upon them at once with their weapons,the mufquetry could have done very little execution; but fuppofing twenty or thirtyof the Indians had been wounded, for it does not appear their pieces were loaded withball, but only fmall Ihot, there would have remained a fufficient number to havemaffacred them, as it appears they do not give any quarter, and none could have beenexpeded upon this occafion.—It is true, when the Ihip brought her broad-fide to bear,Ihe might have made great havock amongft the Indians; but this would have been toolate to fave the party on fhore.
Being again in their boats, they rowed to another part of the fame ifland, whenlanding and gaining an eminence, they had a very agreeable and romantic view of agreat number of iflands, well inhabited and cultivated. The inhabitants of an adjacenttown approached unarmed, and teftified great humility and fubmiflion.—Some of theparty on Ihore, who had been very violent for having the Indians punifhed for theirfraudulent conduct, were now guilty of trefpaffes equally reprehenfible, having forcedinto fome of the plantations, and dug up potatoes. The captain upon this occafionIhewed Arid juftice, in punifhing each of the offenders with twelve lafhes; one of thembeing very refradory upon the occafion, and complaining of the hardfhip, thinking anEnglifhman had a right to plunder an Indian with impunity, was flogged out of hisopinion with fix additional lafhes. Probably, his adding, “ that in this he had onlyfollowed the example of his fuperiors,” might have had no little weight in procuringhim this’laft Tentence.
On Tuefday the 5th, in the morning, they weighed anchor, but were foon becalmed,and a ftrong current fetting towards the fhore, they were driven in with fuch rapidity,that they expeded every moment to run upon the breakers, which appeared abovewater not more than a cable’s length diftance; they were fo near the land, that Tupia,who was totally ignorant of the danger, held a converfation with the Indians, who wereHanding on the beach. They were happily relieved, however, from this alarmingfituation by a frefh breeze fuddenly fpringing up from the fhore.
The bay which they had left was called the Bay of the Iflands, on account of thenumerous iflands it contains; they catched but a few fifh while they lay there, butprocured great plenty'from the natives, who are extremely expert at fifhing.
December the 7th, feveral canoes put off and followed the Endeavour, but a breezearifing, Captain Cook did not wait for them. On the 8th, they tacked and flood in forthe fhore ; and on the gth, came to a deep bay, which the captain called DoubtlefsBay. The wind prevented their putting in here. They beat to windward four days,and made but little way. On the 10th, the land appeared low and barren, but was notdeflitute of inhabitants ; the next morning they flood in with the land, which forms &peninfula, and which the captain named Knuckle Point. Another bay, that lies -con*tiguous, Captain Cook called Sandy Bay; in the middle of it is a high mountain, whichwas named Mount Camel, on account of its refembling that animal. On the 16thcame off the northern extremity of New Zealand , which the captain called NorthCape. Their fituation varied but little until the 24th, when they difcovered land,which they judged to be the iflands of the Three Kings, though they did not referablethe defcription of them in Dalrymple’s account. Mr. Banks went out in the fmm*boat, and caught fome birds that greatly refembled geefe, and they were very good eating*
January 1, 1770, they tacked and flood to eaftward, and on the 3d they faw la nc *again; it was high and flat, and trended away to the fouth-eafl, beyond the reach