442 cook's voyage to sept. 



moved over to the bay, which is on the south-east 

 side of Cape Denbigh, where we anchored in the 

 afternoon. Soon after, a few of the natives came off 

 in their small canoes, and bartered some dried salmon 

 for such trifles as our people had to give them. 



At day-break, on the 1 6th, nine men, each in his 

 canoe, paid us a visit. They approached the ship 

 with some caution ; and evidently came with no other 

 view than to gratify their curiosity. They drew up 

 abreast of each other, under our stern, and gave us 

 a song ; while one of their number beat upon a kind 

 of drum, and another made a thousand antic motions 

 with his hands and body. There was, however, no- 

 thing savage, either in the song or in the gestures, 

 that accompanied it. None of us could perceive any 

 difference between these people, either as to their 

 size or features, and those whom we had met with on 

 every other part of the coast, King George's Sound 

 excepted. Their clothing, which consisted princi- 



as it was in vain to endeavour to fetch Bald Head with our sails, we 

 again took to the oars. The Discovery's boat (being a heavy 

 king's-built cutter, while ours was one from Deal) had, in the night- 

 time, detained us very much, and now we soon pulled out of sight 

 of her ; nor would I wait, being in great hopes to reach the ex- 

 treme point that was in sight, time enough to ascend the heights 

 before dark, as the weather was at this time remarkably clear and 

 fine ; and we could see to a great distance. By two o'clock we 

 had got within two miles of Bald Head, under the lee of the high 

 land, and in smooth water ; but at the moment our object was 

 nearly attained, all the men, but two, were so overcome with 

 fatigue and sleep, that my utmost endeavours to make them put 

 on were ineffectual. They, at length, dropped their oars, quite 

 exhausted, and fell asleep in the bottom of the boat. Indeed, 

 considering that they had set out fatigued, and had now been six- 

 teen hours out of the eighteen since they left the ship, pulling in 

 a poppling sea, it was no wonder that their strength and spirits 

 should be worn out for want of sleep and refreshments. The two 

 gentlemen who were with me, and myself, were now obliged to 

 lay hold of the oars, and by a little after three, we landed between 

 the Bald Head and a projecting point to the eastward." 



