210 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF NEW ZEALAND CH. ix 



The country about us now was very fertile to appearance, 

 and well wooded, so we came to anchor about a long cannon 

 shot from the fort, from whence four canoes were immediately 

 despatched to reconnoitre, I suppose, and, if might be, to 

 take us, as they were all well armed. The men in these 

 boats were dressed much as they are represented in Tasman's 

 figure, that is, two corners of the cloth they wore were 

 passed over their shoulders and fastened to the rest of it 

 just below their breasts ; but few or none had feathers in 

 their hair. They rowed round and round the ship, defying 

 and threatening us as usual, and at last hove some stones 

 aboard, which we all expected to be a prelude of some 

 behaviour which would oblige us to fire upon them; but 

 just at this time a very old man in one of the boats ex- 

 pressed a desire of coming on board, which we immediately 

 encouraged him to do, and threw a rope into his canoe, by 

 which he was immediately hauled up alongside, contrary to 

 the desire of all the other Indians, who went so far as to 

 hold him fast for some tune. We received him in as 

 friendly a manner as possible, and gave him many presents, 

 with which he returned to the canoes, who immediately 

 joined in a war dance, whether to show their enmity or 

 friendship it is impossible to say. We have so often seen 

 them do it upon both occasions. 



After this they retired to their town, and we went 

 ashore abreast of the ship, where we found good wood and 

 water, and caught more fish in the seine than all our people 

 could possibly consume, besides shooting a multitude of shags. 

 The country, however, did not answer so well to Dr. 

 Solander and myself as to the ship, as we found only two 

 new plants in the whole evening. 



16th. The women and some of the men wore an article 

 of dress which we had not before seen, a round bunch of 

 black feathers tied upon the tops of their heads, which it 

 entirely covered, making them look twice as large as they 

 really were. On seeing this, my judgment paid an involun- 

 tary compliment to my fair English countrywomen, for, led 

 astray by the head-dress, which in some measure resembles 



