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was a very great fea. At half paft one P. M. to their great fatisfa&ion, the boat re-turned on board fafe. They landed, but with much difficulty; and faw feveral placeswhere the Indians had been, and one they lately had left, where they had a fire, witha great number of pearl efcallop-fhells round it, which fhells they brought on board,with fome burnt flicks and green boughs. The weather obliged them to return withoutinveftigating the place properly : they faw no part to anchor at with fafety.
On the 16th, they paffed Maria’s Iflands, fo named by Tafman ; they appear to bethe fame as the main land. The land hereabouts is much pleafanter, low, and even >but no figns of a harbour or bay, where a fhip might anchor with fafety.
They flood to the eaflward for Charlotte’s Sound , with a light breeze at north-weft,in the morning of the 5th of April, and on the 6th they had the found open, but thewind being down, it obliged them to work up under the weflern fhore, as the tide fetsup ftrong there when it runs down in mid-channel. At ten, the tide being at ebb, theywere obliged to come to with the beft bower in thirty-eight fathoms, clofe to fomewhite rocks. As they failed up the found they faw the tops of high mountains coveredwith fnow, which remains all the year ; about five o’clock on the 7th, anchored in ShipCove, in ten fathoms water.
The two following days were employed in clearing a place on Mortuara Ifland forere&ing tents for the fick (having then feveral on board much afflicted with the fcurvy)>the fail-makers and coopers.
On the gth, they were vifited by three canoes with about fixteen of the natives ; andto induce them to bring fifh and other provifions, they gave them feveral things, withwhich they feemed highly pleafed. One of their people feeing fomething wrapped upin a better manner than common, had the curiofity to examine what it was ; and, tohis great furprize, found it to be the head of a man lately killed. They were veryapprehenfive of its being forced from them; and particularly the man who feemedmofl interefted in it, whofe very flefh crept on his bones for fear of being punifhed bythem, as Captain Cook , on a former voyage, had expreffed his great abhorrence of thisunnatural adt. They ufed every method to conceal the head, by fhifting it from oneto another ; and by figns endeavouring to convince them that there was no fuch thin §among them, though they had feen it but a few minutes before. They then took theirleave, and went on fhore. ,
They frequently mentioned Tupia, which was the name of the native of George’s ™ an(or Otaheite, ) brought here by the Endeavour, and who died at Batavia; and when theytold them he was dead, fome of them feemed to be very much concerned, and, as weas they could underftand them, wanted to know whether he was killed, or if he diea natural death. By thefe queftions, they are the fame tribe Captain Cook faw.the afternoon, they returned again with fifh and fern roots, which they fold for naiand other trifles; though the nails are what they fet the mod value on. The man anwoman who had the head did not come off again. . . r
Next morning the natives returned, to the number of fifty or fixty, with their cni<^at their head (as was fuppofed) in five double canoes. They gave their implementswar, Hone hatchets, and clothes, &c. for nails and old bottles, which they put a grevalue on. A number of the head men came on board, and it was with fome dimcu ythey got them out of the fhip by fair means; but on the appearance of a mufquet wia fixed bayonet, they all went into their canoes very quickly. . ,
On the 1 ith of May, they felt two fevere {hocks of an earthquake, but receivedkind of damage. On the 17th they had the pleafure of feeing the Refolution oftmouth of the Sound. They immediately fent out the boats to her affiftance to tow