DEC. 1769 VOYAGE OF NATIVES TO NORTH-WEST 207 
whennua, the land would turn to the southward, and from 
thence extend no more to the west. This place we con- 
cluded must be Cape Maria Van Diemen; and finding 
these people so intelligent, desired Tupia to inquire if 
they knew of any countries besides this, or ever went to 
any. They said no, but that their ancestors had told them that 
to the N.W. by N. or N.N.W. was a large country to which 
some people had sailed in a very large canoe, which passage 
took them a month. From the expedition a part only 
returned, who told their countrymen that they had seen a 
country where the people eat hogs, for which animal they 
used the same name (Booah) as is used in the islands. 
« And have you no hogs among you?” said Tupia.—* No.” 
—* And did your ancestors bring none back with them ?” 
—*“ No.” —* You must be a parcel of liars then,” said he, 
“and your story a great lie, for your ancestors would never 
have been such fools as to come back without them.” Thus 
much as a specimen of Indian reasoning. 
10¢h. This morning we were near the land, which was 
quite barren, hills beyond hills, and ridges even far inland 
were covered with white sand on which no kind of vegetable 
was to be seen. It was conjectured by some that the land 
here might be very narrow, and that the westerly wind blew 
the sand right across it. Some Indian forts or heppahs 
were seen. 
18th. On a rock pretty near us we saw through our 
glasses an Indian fort, which we all thought was encircled 
with a mud wall; if so, it is the only one of the kind we 
have seen. 
24th, Land in sight: an island, or rather several small 
ones, most probably the Three Kings, so that it was con- 
jectured that we had passed the cape, which had so long 
troubled us. From a boat I killed several gannets or solan 
geese, so like European ones that they are hardly dis- 
tinguishable from them. As it was the humour of the ship 
to keep Christmas in the old-fashioned way, it was resolved 
to make a goose-pie for to-morrow’s dinner. 
25th. Christmas Day: our goose-pie was eaten with 
