92 COOK'S SECOND VPYAGE APRIL, 



The 9th, being fair weather, we paid the natives 

 another visit, and made known our approach by hal- 

 looing to them ; but they neither answered us, nor 

 met us at the shore as usual. The reason of this we 

 soon saw ; for we found them at their habitations, all 

 dressed and dressing, in their very best, with their 

 hair combed and oiled, tied up upon the crowns of 

 their heads, and stuck with white feathers. Some 

 wore a fillet of feathers round their heads; and 

 all of them had bunches of white feathers stuck 

 in their ears : thus dressed, and all standing, they 

 received us with great courtesy. I presented the 

 chief with the cloak I had got made for him, 

 with which he seemed so well pleased, that he 

 took his pattapattou from his girdle, and gave it 

 me. After a short stay, we took leave ; and hav- 

 ing spent the remainder of the day in continuing 

 my survey of the bay, with the night returned on 

 board. 



Very heavy rains falling on the two following days, 

 no work was done ; but the 12th proved clear and 

 serene, and afforded us an opportunity to dry our 

 sails and linen, two things very much wanted, not 

 having had fair weather enough for this purpose since 

 we put into this bay. Mr. Forster and his party also 

 profited by the day in botanizing. 



About ten o'clock the family of the natives paid 

 us a visit. Seeing that they approached the ship with 

 great caution, I met them in a boat, which I quitted 

 when I got to them, and went into their canoe. Yet, 

 after all, I could not prevail on them to put along- 

 side the ship, and at last was obliged to leave them 

 to follow their own inclination. At length they put 

 ashore in a little creek hard by us, and afterwards 

 came and sat down on the shore abreast of the ship, 

 near enough to speak with us. I now caused the 

 bagpipes and fife to play, and the drum to beat. 

 The two first they did not regard, but the latter 

 caused some little attention in them ; nothing, how* 



4 



