CoLENSO. — Manihus ParJdnsonihus sacrum. 121 



hereabout, and well covered with wood, the sea-shore making in clayey 

 cliffs, upon which the surf broke very high. This bay was called Hawke's 

 Bay. In the afternoon a canoe followed us with eighteen people in her 

 armed with lances, but as they could not keep pace with us they gave up 

 their expedition. In sailing along we could plainly distinguish land that was 

 cultivated, parcelled out into square compartments, having some sorts of 

 herbs growing upon them. On the 15th in the morning, we bent our course 

 round a small peninsula which was joined to the mainland by a low 

 isthmus, on which were many groves of tall straight trees, that looked as if 

 they had been planted by art ; and within side of it the water was quite 

 smooth. We saw some very high ridges of hills streaked with snow, and 

 when we had doubled the point of this peninsula, the low isthmus appeared 

 again stretching a long way by the sea-side. The country looked very 

 pleasant, having fine sloping hills which stretched out into beautiful green 

 lawns, though not covered with wood, as other parts of the coast are. In the 

 morning, while we were on the other side of the peninsula, nine canoes came 

 off to us, in which were 160 of the natives ; they behaved in a very irresolute 

 manner, sometimes seeming as if they would attack us, then taking fright 

 and retreating a httle, one half ^Daddling one way, and the other half 

 paddling another, shaking their lances and bone bludgeons at us, talking 

 very loud and blustering, lolling out their tongues, and making other signs 

 of defiance. We did all we could to make them peaceable but to no purjDose, 

 for they seemed at length resolved to do us some mischief ; coming along- 

 side of the shiiD again and threatening us, we fired one of our guns loaded 

 with grape-shot over their heads. They looked upon us for some time with 

 astonishment, and then hastened away as fast as they could. By this time 

 two other canoes came towards us, but stopped a little and held a conference 

 with those that were returning, and then made u^d to us, leaving the rest at 

 some distance, who seemed to wait their destiny. We made signs to them 

 that we meant them no harm if they would behave peaceably, which they 

 so well understood that they took all their weapons and put them into a 

 canoe and sent it off while they came close to the ship. We threw them 

 several kinds of things, but they were so timorous that they durst not 

 venture on board, nor would they send anything to us. During this 

 interview another canoe came u^^, threw a lance at the stern of the ship, and 

 made off again. The lance fell into the water and sunk immediately. * * * 

 Theh canoes had from eighteen to twenty-two men in them, and were 

 adorned with fine heads made out of a thick board, cut through like filagree 

 work, in spu-als of very curious workmanship. At the end of this was a 

 head with two large eyes of mother-of-pearl, and a large heart-shaped 

 tongue. This figure went round the bottom of the board, and had feet and 



p 



