177^' ROUND THE WORLD. 85 



bly seen the effects of them, from their lurking- 

 places, upon the birds that we had shot. Tupia, 

 who was now become a good marksman, frequently 

 strayed from us to shoot parrots ; and he had told us, 

 that while he was thus employed, he had once met with 

 nine Indians, who, as soon as they perceived he saw 

 them, ran from him, in great confusion and terror. 



The next day, twelve canoes, in each of which was 

 a single Indian, came towards the watering-place, 

 and were within half a mile of it a considerable time : 

 they were employed in striking fish, upon which, like 

 others that we had seen before, they were so intent, 

 that they seemed to regard nothing else. It happen- 

 ed, however, that a party of our people were out a 

 shooting near the place, and one of the men, whose 

 curiosity might at length, perhaps, be roused by the 

 report of the fowling-pieces, was observed by Mr. 

 Banks to haul up his canoe upon the beach, and go 

 towards the shooting-party. In something more than 

 a quarter of an hour, he returned, launched his ca- 

 noe, and went off in her to his companions. This in- 

 cident makes it probable that the natives acquired a 

 knowledge of the destructive power of our fire-arms, 

 when we knew nothing of the matter ; for this man 

 was not seen by any of the party whose operations he 

 had reconnoitred. 



While Mr. Banks was gathering plants near the 

 watering-place, I went with Dr. Solander and Mr. 

 Monkhouse to the head of the bay, that I might ex- 

 amine that part of the country, and make farther at- 

 tempts to form some connexion with the natives. In 

 our way we met with eleven or twelve small canoes, 

 with each a man in it, probably the same that were 

 afterwards abreast of the shore, who all made into 

 shoal water upon our approach. We met other Indians 

 on shore the first time we landed, who instantly 

 took to their canoes, and paddled away. We went 

 up the country to some distance, and found the face 

 of it nearly the same with that which has been de- 



g3 



