82 cook's second voyage august, 



side of the island (which is of a moderate height, 

 and three leagues in circuit), and steered west for 

 the bluff-head along the low land under it. At sun- 

 rise an elevated coast came in sight beyond the bluff- 

 head, extending to the north as far as N. W. by W. 

 After doubling the head we found the land to trend 

 south, a little easterly, and to form a large, deep bay, 

 bounded on the west by the coast just mentioned. 



Every thing conspired to make us believe this was 

 the bay of St. Philip and St. Jago, discovered by 

 Quiros in 1606. To determine this point it was ne- 

 cessary to proceed farther up ; for at this time we 

 saw no end to it. The wind being at south, we were 

 obliged to ply, and first stretched over for the west 

 shore, from which we were three miles at noon, when 

 our latitude was 14° 55' 30" South, longitude I67 3' 

 East ; the mouth of the bay extending from N. 64° 

 West to S. 86° East, which last direction was the 

 bluff-head, distant three leagues. In the afternoon, 

 the wind veering to E. S. E., we could look up to the 

 head of the bay ; but as the breeze was faint, a N. 

 E. swell hurled us over to the west shore ; so that, 

 at half past four o'clock P. M, we were no more than 

 two miles from it, and tacked in one hundred and 

 twenty fathoms water, a soft muddy bottom. The 

 bluff-head, or east point of the bay, bore N. 53° East. 



We had no sooner tacked than it fell calm, and we 

 were left to the mercy of the swell, which continued 

 to hurtle us towards the shore, where large troops of 

 people wese assembled. Some ventured off" in two 

 canoes ; but all the signs of friendship we could make, 

 did not induce them to come along-side, or near 

 enough to receive any present from us. At last they 

 took sudden fright at something, and returned ashore. 

 They were naked, except having some long grass, 

 like flags, fastened to a belt, and hanging down be- 

 fore and behind, nearly as low as the knee. Their 

 colour was very dark, and their hair woolly ; or cut 

 short, which made it seem so. The canoes were 



