342 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



colour, except the fore part of the head, which is white, and 

 from above and behind each eye arises an elegant yellowish 

 white crest, revolved backward as a ram's horn. The bill 

 and feet are red. We had for some days seen these birds in 

 large flocks. 



" On the 19th, being near the shore, the Discovery fired 

 three guns, brought to, and make the signal to speak with 

 us. A boat was immediately sent to her, and in a short 

 time returned with Captain Clerke. I now learned from 

 him that some natives, in three or four canoes, who had 

 followed the ship for some time, at length got under his 

 stern. One of them then made many signs, taking off his 

 cap and bowing, after the manner of Europeans. A rope 

 being handed down from the ship, to this he fastened a 

 small thin wooden case or box ; and having delivered this 

 safe, and spoken something, and made some more signs, the 

 canoes dropped astern and left the Discovery. No one on 

 board her had any suspicion that the box contained any- 

 thing, till after the departure of the canoes, when it was 

 accidentally opened, and a piece of paper was found folded 

 up carefully upon which something was written in Russian 

 language, as was supposed. The date 1778 was prefixed to 

 it, and in the body of the written note there was a reference 

 to the year 1766. Not learned enough to decipher the 

 alphabet of the writer, his numerals marked sufficiently that 

 others had preceded us in visiting this dreary part of the 

 globe, who were united to us by other ties besides those of 

 our common nature ; and the hopes of soon meeting with 

 some of the Russian traders could not but give a sensible 

 satisfaction to those who had for such a length of time 

 been conversant with the savages of the Pacific Ocean, and 

 of the continent of North America. 



" Captain Clerke was at first of opinion that some 

 Russians had been shipwrecked here ; and that these un- 

 fortunate persons seeing our ships pass, had taken this 

 method to inform us of their situation. Impressed with 

 humane sentiments on such an occasion, he was desirous of 

 stopping till they might have time to join us. But no such 

 idea occurred to me. I rather thought that the paper con- 

 tained a note of information, left by some Russian trader 

 who had lately been amongst these islands, to be delivered 

 to the next visitors. Fully convinced of this, I did not stay 

 to inquire any further into the matter, but made sail, and 

 stood away to the westward. 



" We continued to run all night, with a gentle breeze at 

 north-east ; and at two o'clock next morning some breakers 

 were seen within us, at the distance of two miles. 



" The breakers forced us so far from the continent that 



