56 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



war song, which was a strange medley of shouting, sighing, 

 and grimace, at which the women assisted. The next day, 

 Captain Cook and the other gentlemen went upon an 

 island at the entrance of the bay, and met with a canoe 

 that was sixty-seven feet in length, six in breadth, and 

 four in height ; her bottom, which was sharp, consisted of 

 three trunks of trees, and the sides and head were curiously 

 carved. Their favourite figure is a volute or spiral, which 

 is sometimes single, double, and triple, and is done with 

 great exactness, though the only instruments the gentle- 

 men saw, were an axe made of stone, and a chisel. 



There are many beautiful parrots, and great numbers 

 of birds of different kinds, particularly one whose note 

 resembled the European blackbird ; but no ground-fowl 

 or poultry, nor were there any quadrupeds, except rats 

 and dogs, and these were not numerous. The dogs are 

 considered as delicate food, and their skins serve for 

 ornaments to their apparel. 



October 29th, they set sail from this bay, and sailing to 

 the northward, fell in with a small island, about a mile 

 distant from the north-east point of the main ; and this 

 being the most eastern part of it, the captain named it East 

 Cape, and the island East Island ; it was but small, and 

 appeared barren. Next morning, about nine, several canoes 

 came off from shore, with a number of armed men, who 

 appeared to have hostile intentions. Before these had 

 reached the ship, another canoe, larger than any that had 

 yet been seen, full of armed Indians, came off, and made 

 towards the Endeavour with great expedition. The captain 

 now judging it expedient to prevent, if possible, their 

 attacking him, ordered a gun to be fired over their heads ; 

 this not producing the desired effect, another gun was fired 

 with ball, which threw them into such consternation, that 

 they immediately returned much faster than they came. 

 Next morning, at daybreak, they saw between forty and 

 fifty canoes along shore, many of which came off in the 

 manner they had done the day before, shouting and menac- 

 ing an attack. One of their chiefs, in the largest of the 

 canoes, made several harangues, and by the menacing 

 flourish of his pike, seemed to bid the ship defiance ; but 

 the gentlemen continuing to invite them to trade, they at 

 last came close alongside ; and the chief who had been 

 declaiming, after uttering a sentence, took up a stone and 

 threw it against the side of the ship, which appeared to be 

 a declaration of hostilities, as they instantly seized their 

 arms. One of them took some linen that was hanging to 

 dry, and made off with it. A musket was fired over his 

 head to make him return, but this did not prevail ; and 



