1770. KOUND THE WORLD. SQS 



east head. The variation of the compass we found, 

 from good observation, to be 13° 5' E. 



The land about this Sound, which is of such a 

 height that we saw it at the distance of twenty 

 leagues, consists wholly of high hills and deep val- 

 leys, well stored with a variety of excellent timber, 

 fit for all purposes except masts, for which it is too 

 hard and heavy. The sea abounds with a variety of 

 fishj so that, without going out of the cove where we 

 lay, we caught every day, with the seine and hooks 

 and lines, a quantity sufficient to serve the whole 

 ship's company ; and along the shore we found 

 plenty of shags, and a few other species of wild-fowl, 

 which those who have long lived upon salt provisions 

 will not think despicable food. 



The number of inhabitants scarcely exceeds four 

 hundred, and they live dispersed along the shores, 

 where their food, consisting offish and fern roots, is 

 most easily procured ; for we saw no cultivated 

 ground. Upon any appearance of danger, they re- 

 tire to their hippahs, or forts : in this situation we 

 found them, and in this situation they continued for 

 some time after our arrival. In comparison of the 

 inhabitants of other parts of this country, they are 

 poor, and their canoes are without ornament : the 

 little traffic we had with them was wholly for fish ; 

 and indeed they had scarcely any thing else to dis- 

 pose of. They seemed, however, to have some 

 knowledge of iron, which the inhabitants of some 

 other parts had not ; for they willingly took nails for 

 their fish, and sometimes seemed to prefer it to every 

 thing else that we could ofier, which had not always 

 been the case. They were at first very fond of paper; 

 but when they found that it was spoiled by being 

 wet, they would not take it : neither did they set 

 much value upon the cloth of Otaheite ; but English 

 broad cloth and red kersey were in high estimation; 

 which showed that they had sense enough to appre- 

 ciate the commodities which we offered by their use, 

 which is more than could be said of some of their 



