260 cook's VOYAGE TO APRIL, 



the ships. At first we thought that they were afraid 

 to come nearer; but we were mistaken in this, and 

 they were only preparing an introductory ceremony. 

 On advancing toward the ships, they all stood up in 

 their canoes, and began to sing. Some of their songs, 

 in which the whole body joined, were in a slow, and 

 others in quicker time ; and they accompanied their 

 notes with the most regular motions of their hands ; 

 or beating in concert, with their paddles, on the sides 

 of the canoes ; and making other very expressive ges- 

 tures. At the end of each song they remained silent a 

 few seconds, and then began again, sometimes pro- 

 nouncing the word hooee ! forcibly, as a chorus. Af- 

 ter entertaining us with this specimen of their music, 

 which we listened to with admiration, for above half an 

 hour, they came alongside the ships and bartered 

 what they had to dispose of. Some of our old friends 

 of the Sound were now found to be amongst them ; 

 and they took the whole management of the traffic 

 between us and the strangers, much to the advantage 

 of the latter. 



Our attendance on these visitors being finished, 

 Captain Gierke and I went in the forenoon with two 

 boats to the village at the west point of the sound. 

 When I was there the day before, I had observed that 

 plenty of grass grew near it, and it was necessary to 

 lay in a quantity of this as food for the few goats and 

 sheep which were still left on board. The inhabit- 

 ants received us with the same demonstrations of 

 friendship which I had experienced before; and 

 the moment we landed, I ordered some of my 

 people to begin their operation of cutting. I had 

 not the least imagination, that the natives could make 

 any objection to our furnishing ourselves with what 

 , seemed to be of no use to them, but was necessary 

 for us. However, I was mistaken, for the moment 

 that our men began to cut, some of the inhabitants 

 interposed and would not permit them to proceed, 

 saying they must " makook ;" that is, must first buy it. 



