1770. ROUNO THE WORLD. S^f 



and at noon Cape Palliser bore N. 72 W. distant 

 about three leagues. 



About three o'clock in the afternoon three canoes 

 came up to the ship with between thirty and forty 

 people on board, who had been pulling after us with 

 great labour and perseverance for some time^. they 

 appeared to be more cleanly, and a better class, than 

 any we had met with since we left the Bay of Islands; 

 and their canoes were also distinguished by the same 

 ornaments which we had seen upon the northernly part 

 of the coast. They came on board with very little 

 invitation ; and their behaviour was courteous and 

 friendly. Upon receiving presents from us, they made 

 us presents in return, which had not been done by 

 any of the natives that we had seen before. We soon 

 perceived that our guests had heard of us, for as soon 

 as they came on board, they aked for Whow, the 

 name by which nails were known among the people 

 with whom we had trafficked : but though they had 

 heard of nails, it was plain they had seen none ; for 

 when nails were given them, they asked Tupia what 

 they were. The term Whow, indeed, conveyed tq 

 them the idea not of their quality, but only of their 

 use ; for it is the same by which they distinguish a tool, 

 commonly made of bone, which they use both as an 

 auger and a chisel. However, their knowing that we 

 had whow to sell, was a proof that their connections 

 extended as far north as Cape Kidnappers, which was 

 distant no less than forty-five leagues; for that was 

 the southernmost place on this side the coast where 

 we had had any traffic with the natives. It is also pro- 

 bable, that the little knowledge which the inhabitants 

 of Queen Charlotte's Sound had of iron, they ob*- 

 tained from their neighbours at Tierawitte; for we 

 had no reason to think that the inhabitants of any 

 part of this coast had the least knowledge of iron or 

 its use before we came among them, especially as, 

 when it was first offered, they seemed to disregard it 

 as of no value. We thought it probable, that we . 



