THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 

 fame kind ; but he, afterward, converted it into a kind of »777- 



r 1 ■ n 11 • Auguft. 



muucal inltrument, perpetually repeating two or three \-.-w~> 

 notes, with the fame ftrength. What the blowing the 

 conch portended, I cannot fay ; but I never found it the 

 meffenger of peace. 



Their canoes appeared to be about thirty feet long, and 

 two feet above the furface of the water, as they floated. 

 The fore part proje(5led a little, and had a notch cut acrofs, 

 as if intended to reprefcnt the mouth of fome animal. The 

 after-part rofe, with -a gentle curve, to the height of two or 

 three feet, turning gradually fmaller, and, as well as the 

 upper part of the fides, was carved all over. The refl: of 

 the fides, v/hich were perpendicular, were curioufly incruft- 

 ated with flat white fliells, difpofcd nearly in concentric 

 femicircles, with the curve upward. One of the canoes 

 carried feven, and the other eight men ; and they were 

 managed with fmall paddles, whofe blades were nearly 

 round. Each of them had a pretty long outrigger ; and 

 they fomctimes paddled, with the two oppofite fides to- 

 gether fo clofe, that they feemed to be one boat with tvv'o 

 outriggers -, the rowers, turning their faces occafionally to 

 the ftern, and pulling that way, without paddling the ca- 

 noes round. When they faw us determined to leave them^ 

 they flood up in their canoes, and repeated fomething, very 

 loudly, in concert; but we could not tell, whether this was 

 meant as a mark of their friendfliip or enmity. It is cer- 

 tain, however, that they had no weapons with them ; nor 

 could we perceive, with our glafTes, that thofe on fliore had 

 any. 



After leaving this ifland, from the difcovery of which, 

 future navigators may poffibly derive fome advantage, I 

 fleered to the North, with a frefli gale at Eaft by South, and^ 



at 



