176y. HOUND THE WORLD. '^77 



able to weather it, tacked and stood otF: at this time 

 we saw several canoes standing cross the bay, which, 

 in a little time, made to shore, without seeming to 

 take the least notice of the ship ; we also saw some 

 houses, which appeared to be small, but neat ; and 

 near one of them a considerable number of the people 

 collected together, who were sitting upon the beach, 

 and who, we thought, were the same that we had 

 seen in the canoes. Upon a small peninsula, at the 

 north-east head, we could plainly perceive a pretty 

 high and regular paling, which inclosed the whole 

 top of a hill ; this was also the subject of much spe- 

 culation, some supposing it to be a park of deer, 

 others an inclosure for oxen and sheep. About four 

 o'clock in the afternoon, we anchored on the north- 

 west side of the bay, before the entrance of a small 

 river, in ten fathom water, with a fine sandy bottom, 

 and at about half a league from the shore. The sides 

 of the bay are white cliffs of a great height ; the mid- 

 dle is low^ land, with hills gradually rising behind, 

 one tow^ering above another, and terminating in the 

 chain of mountains, which appeared to be far inland. 

 In the evening 1 went on shore, accompanied by 

 Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, with the pinnace and 

 yawl, and a party of men. We landed abreast of the 

 ship, on the east side of the river, which was here 

 about forty yards broad ; but seeing some natives on 

 the west side whom I wished to speak with, and find- 

 ing the river not fordable, I ordered the yawl in to 

 carry us over, and left the pinnace at the entrance. 

 When we came near the place where the people were 

 assembled, they all ran away ; however, we landed, 

 and leaving four boys to take care of the yawl, we 

 walked up to some huts which were about two or 

 three hundred yards from the water-side. When we 

 had got some distance from the boat, four men, armed 

 with long lances, rushed out of the woods, and run- 

 ning up to attack the boat, would certainly have cut 

 her ofii if the people in the pinnace had not dis- 



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