H OSTIUTIES WITH THE INHABITANT s. 53 
diately ran away : if we had purfued, we might probably 
have taken one of them ; bat Mr. Banks fuggefling that the 
lances might bepoifoned, I thought it not prudent to venture 
into the woods. We repaired immediately to the huts, in one 
of which we found the children, who had hidden themfelves 
behind a fhield and fome bark ; we peeped at them, but left 
them in their retreat, without their knowing that they had 
been difcovered, and we threw into the houfe, when we went 
away, fome beads, ribbons, pieces of cloth, and other prefents, 
which we hoped would procure us the good-will of the inha- 
bitants when they fhould return; but the lances which we found 
lying about, we took away with us, to the number of about fif- 
ty: they were from fix to fifteen feet long, and all of them 
had four prongs in the manner of a fi'h-gig, each of which was 
pointed with fi ill-bone, and very lharp : we obferved that 
they were fmeared with a vifcous fubitance of a green colour, 
which favoured the opinion of their being poifoned, though 
we afterwards difcovered that it was a mifiake : they appeared 
by the fea-weed that we found flicking to them, to have been 
ufed in linking fifh. Upon examining the canoes that lay 
upon the beach, we found. them to be the worfl we had ever 
feen : they were between twelve and fourteen feet long, and 
made of the bark of a tree, in one piece, vvhicn was drawn to- 
gether, and tied up at each end, the middle being kept open 
by llicks, which were placed acrofs them from gunwale to 
gunwale, as thwarts. We then fearched for frefh water, but 
found none, exeept in a fmall hole which had been dag in the 
fand. 
Having reimbarked in our boat, we depofited our lances on 
board the fhip, and then went over to the north point of the 
bay, where we had feen feveral of the inhabitants when we 
were entering it, but which we now found totally deferred.. 
Here however we found frefh water, which trickled down from 
the top of the rocks, and flood in pools among the hollows at • 
the bottom ; but it was fituatei fo as not to be procured for 
our ufe without difficulty. 
In the morning, therefore, I fent a party of men to that 
part of the fliore where we firu landed, with orders to dig holes 
in the fand, where the water might gather ; but upon" goino- 
afljore myfelfwith the Gentlemen foon afterwards, we found, 
upon a more diligent fearch, a fmall flream, mors than fuf- 
ficient for our purpofe. 
Upon vifiting tne hut, where we had feen the children, we 
were greatly mortified to find that the beads and ribbons which 
We had left there the night before, had not been moved from 
their places, and that not an Indian was to be feen. 
Having fent Come empty water calcs on fliore, and left a par- 
ty of men to cut wood, I myfelf went in the pinnace to 
E 3 found. 
