238 CAPTAIN COOK 



These people were not of agreeable physique. 

 Their faces were flat, with low foreheads, small 

 eyes and long hair. They were repulsively 

 filthy. "Their colour we could never positively 

 determine," wrote Cook in his Journal, "as their 

 bodies were incrusted with paint and dirt; 

 though, in particular cases, when these were well 

 rubbed off, the whiteness of the skin appeared 

 almost to equal that of Europeans. Their chil- 

 dren, whose skins had never been stained with 

 paint, also equalled ours in whiteness." 



Cook remained in King George's Bay for 

 about a month, during which important repairs 

 were effected in both ships. He took advantage 

 of his stay to explore the interior and study the 

 customs of the natives, who seemed, on the 

 whole, peaceful, obliging and gentle. They 

 lived on the always plentiful results of their 

 fishing, and by hunting. The country was 

 thickly wooded, abounding principally in enor- 

 mous pines and white cypress. 



The months which followed were employed 

 by Cook in a detailed examination of the coast 

 and islands of North America. He mapped it, 

 made exact determinations of latitude and longi- 

 tude, named capes and bays and sought in vain 

 for the elusive passage. He took possession In 

 the name of the King of England of districts 



