FIRST VOYAGE 61 



the shore, to the north. This day two canoes came up, and 

 some of the Indians came on board, when they trafficked 

 very fairly. Two larger canoes soon after followed them, 

 and coming up to the ship, the people in them hailed the 

 others, when they conferred together, and afterwards came 

 alongside the ship. The last two canoes were finely 

 ornamented with carving, and the people, who appeared to 

 be of higher rank, were armed with various weapons ; they 

 held in high estimation their patoo patoos, which were made 

 of stone and whalebone, and they had ribs of whale, with 

 ornaments of dog's hair, which were very curious. 



The Endeavour passed a remarkable point of land, which 

 the captain called Cape Bret, in honour of the baronet of 

 that name. Within a mile to the north-east by north is 

 a curious rocky island ; it is arched, and has a pleasing 

 effect at a distance. The natives call this Gape Motu- 

 gogogo ; it forms a bay to the west, which contains many 

 small islands, and Captain Cook named the point at the 

 north-west entrance Point Pococke. The inhabitants had 

 the same propensity for cheating as the others. One of 

 the midshipmen was so nettled at being imposed upon, 

 that he had recourse to a whimsical expedient by way of 

 revenge ; taking a fishing line, he threw the lead with so 

 much dexterity that the hook caught the Indian who 

 had imposed upon him by the buttocks, when the line 

 breaking, the hook remained there. These Indians were 

 strong and well-proportioned ; their hair was black, and 

 tied up in a bunch, stuck with feathers ; the chiefs among 

 them had garments made of fine cloth, ornamented with 

 dog's skin ; and they were also tattooed. 



On the 27th, the Endeavour was among a number of small 

 islands, from which several canoes came off ; but the 

 Indians, from their frantic gestures, seemed disordered in 

 their minds ; they threw their fish into the ship by handfuls, 

 without demanding anything by way of barter. Some other 

 canoes also came up, who saluted the ship with stones. 

 It was then judged time to bring them to reason ; and a 

 musket, with small shot, being fired, a general terror was 

 now spread amongst them, and they all made a precipitate 

 retreat. Among the fish obtained from these canoes were 

 cavelles in great plenty, and for this reason the captain 

 called these islands by the same name. 



For several days the wind was so unfavourable, that the 

 vessel rather lost than gained ground. On the 29th, they 

 got into a large bay, where they anchored on the south-west 

 side of several islands ; after which the ship was surrounded 

 by thirty-three large canoes, containing nearly three hun- 

 dred Indians, all armed. Some of them were admitted on 



