JAN. 1770 FISHING 213 
bare. In turning a point, we saw a man in a small canoe 
fishing, who, to our surprise, showed not the least fear of us. 
We went to him, and at our request he took up his nets, 
and showed us his implement, which was a circular net 
about seven or eight feet in diameter, extended by two 
hoops. The top of this was open, and to the bottom were 
tied sea-ears, etc, as bait: this he let down upon the 
ground, and when he thought that fish enough were assembled 
over it, he lifted it up by a very gentle and even motion, 
so that the fish were hardly sensible of being lifted till they 
were almost out of the water. By this simple method he 
had caught abundance of fish, and I believe it is the general 
way of fishing all over this coast, as many such nets have 
been seen at almost every place we have been in. In this 
bay, indeed, fish were so plentiful that it is hardly possible 
not to catch abundance by whatever method is adopted. 
20th. Our old man came this morning with the heads 
of four people, which were preserved with the flesh and hair 
on, and kept I suppose as trophies, as possibly scalps were 
by the North Americans before the Europeans came among 
them. The brains were, however, taken out; maybe they 
are a delicacy here. The flesh and skin upon these heads 
were soft; but they were somehow preserved so as not to 
stink at all. 
The bay, wherever we have yet been, is very hilly ; 
we have hardly seen a flat large enough for a potato 
garden. Our friends here do not seem to feel the want of 
such places; as we have not seen the least appearance of 
cultivation, I suppose they live entirely upon fish, dogs, and 
enemies. 
22nd. Made an excursion to-day in the pinnace, in order 
to see more of the bay. While Dr. Solander and I were 
botanising, the captain went to the top of a hill, and in 
about an hour returned in high spirits, having seen the 
eastern sea, and satisfied himself of the existence of a strait 
communicating with it, the idea of which has occurred to us 
all, from Tasman’s as well as our own observations. 
23rd. Mr. Monkhouse told me that on the 21st he had 
