A VOYAGE TO 
CHAP. At five o'clock in the morninj^ of Wednefday, Aii^uft 
XVIII. .... , , n 
' — . — ' 6th, they made lail again to the north-weft ; and at 
i'fss/' eight difcerned a rock which had exactly the appearance 
of a fliip under fail, with her top-gallant fails flying. 
So ftrongly were all the Alexander's people prepofiefied 
with this imagination, that the private fignal was made, 
under the fuppofition that it might be either the BoufTole 
or Aftrolabe, or one of the two tranfports which had 
parted from them on the coaft of New South Wales. 
Nor was the miftake deteded till they approached it 
within three or four miles. This rock bore from the 
Two Brothers fouth fouth-weft,- dillant one league. 
r Between ten and eleven, fome canoes were feen with-; 
Indians in them, who came clofe up to the fliip without 
any vifible appreheniion. Ropes were thrown to them 
over the ftern, of which they took hold, and fufFered 
the fliip to tow them along ; in this fituation they wil- 
lingly exchanged a kind of rings which they wore on= 
their arms, fmall rings of bone, and beads of their own 
manufa^lure, for nails, beads, and other trifles, giving 
however a manifeft preference to whatever v/as made 
of iron. Gimlets were moft acceptable, but tliey were 
alfo pleafed with nails, and pieces of iron hoops. They 
dealt very fairly, not betraying tlve leaft delire to fteal 
or to defraud. But though they fo readily fufiered 
themfelves to be towed after the fliip, they could 
' . not 
