CAPTAIN COOK S FIRST VOYAGE.

539

On the 25th, the captain, Mr. Banks, and Doctor Solander, went on (hore to fhoot,when they met with a numerous family, who were among the creeks catching fifh.They behaved very civilly, and received fome trifling prefents.

The fhip’s company were, on the 27th and 28th, engaged in making neceffary repairs,and getting her ready for fea. The captain went on fliore again, and erected anotherpyramid of Hones, in which he put fome bullets, beads, &c. as before, with the addi-tion of a piece of filver coin, and placed part of an old pendant on the top, to dif-tinguifh it. Some of the people who had been fent out to gather celery, met withfeveral of the natives, among whom u'ere fome women, whofe hufbands had latelyfallen into the hands of the enemy, and they were cutting many parts of their bodyin the moll fhocking manner with Iharp Hones, in teflimony of their exceflive grief.What made this ceremony appear ridiculous as well as fhocking, was, that the maleIndians, who were with them, paid not the leaH attention to it, but with the greateflunconcern imaginable employed themfelves in repairing fome empty huts upon the fpot.

On Tuefday the 30th, two poHs were erected, infcribed with the fhip’s name, &c.as ufual; one was placed at the watering place, with the union flag upon it, and theother in the fame manner, on the ifland of Motuara; and the inhabitants being informed,that thefe poHs were meant as memorials of the Endeavour having touched at thisplace, promifed never to deHroy them. The captain then named this inlet QueenCharlotte’s Sound; and took poffeflion of it in the name, and for the ufe of HisMajefly, and a bottle of wine was drank to the Queen’s health.

Towards night, on the 31H, a brifk gale arofe, attended with heavy fhowers, and thenext morning became fo very tempeHuous, that the Endeavour had her hawfer broke,snd feveral cafks of water that had been left on fhore were wafhed away by the rain.

The 2d, 3d, and 4th of February were chiefly fpent in preparing for their departure,and purchafing fifh of the natives.

On the 6th, in the morning, the Endeavour failed out of the bay, which the fhip’scompany, from an abhorrence of the brutal cuHom that prevails here of eating men,called Cannibal Bay. The natives about this found are not above four hundred indumber; they are fcattered along the coafl, and live upon fern-root and fifh j thelatter of which was the only commodity they traded in.

The Endeavour having left the found, Heered eaHward, and about fix o’clock in theevening they were greatly alarmed at their being carried, by the rapidity of the cur-rent, very clofe to one of the two iflands which lie off Cape Koamaroo, at the entrance. the found. The fhip was in fuch imminent danger that they expected everyttunute fhe would be dafhed to pieces; but letting go an anchor, and veering onehundred and fixty fathom of cable, fhe was brought up, when they were not abovettvo cables length from the rocks : in this fituation they were obliged to wait for theebb of the tide, which was not till after midnight. At three o’clock in the morninghey weighed anchor, and a fine breeze fpringing up foon after, they were carriedhrough the flreight with great velocity. At the entrance of the Hreight, on the northIc *e, there is a fmall ifland, which was named Entry Ifland.

On the 8th they were off Cape Pallifer, when they difeovered that the land reached'hvay to the north-eaff towards Cape Turnagain. Three canoes came off in the after-° 0n , with feveral people in them ; they made a good appearance, and their canoesk ere or namenled like thofe of the Indians of the northern coaff. They came on^°ard with great alacrity. One old man was tattaowed in a very remarkable manner;ch ^» as ^kewife marked with a ffreak of red paint acrofs the nofe, and over both£ eks ; his hair was quite white as well as his beard. His garment was made of flax,

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