54 COOK's VOYAGE, 
found, and examine the bay ; during my excurfion I faw feve- 
ral of the natives, but they all fled at my approach. In one 
of the places where I landed I found feveral fmall fires, and freih. 
mufcles broiling upon them ; here alfo I found feme of the larg- 
eft oyfter-lhells I had ever feen. 
As foon as the wooders and vvaterers came on board to din- 
ner, ten or twelve of the natives came down to the place, and 
looked with great attention and curiofity at the calks, but did 
not touch them : they took away however the canoes, which 
lay near the landing-place, and again difappeared. In the af- 
ternoon, when our people were again afhore, fixteen or eigh- 
teen Indians, all armed, came boldly within about an hundred 
yards of them, and then flopped : two of them advanced fome- 
what nearer ; and Mr. Hicks, who commanded the party on 
fliore, with another, advanced to meet them, holding out pre- 
fents to them as he approached, and expreffing kindnefs and 
amity by every fign he could think of, but all without efleft ; 
for before he could get up with them they retired, and it would 
have anfwered no purpofe to purfue. In the evening I went 
with Mr. Banks, and Dr. Solander, to a fandy cove, on the 
north fide of the bay, where, in three or four hauls with the 
feine, we took above three hundred weight of filh, which was 
equally divided among the drip’s company. 
The next morning, before day-break, the Indians came 
down to the houfes that were abreaft of the lhip, and were heard 
frequently to Ihout very loud. As foon as it was light, they 
were feen walking along the beach ; and foon after they re- 
tired to the woods, where, at the diftance of about a mile from 
the fhore, they kindled feveral fires. 
Our people went alhore as ufual, and with them Mr. Banks, 
and Dr. Solander, who, in fearch, of plants, repaired to the 
woods. Our men, who were employed in cutting grafs, being the 
farthefl removed from the main body of the people, a company 
' of 14 or 15 Indians advanced towards them, having flicks 
in their hands, which, according to the report of the Serjeant 
of the marines, flione like a mufquet. The grafs-cutters, 
upon feeing them approach, drew together, and repaired to 
the main body. The Indians, being encouraged by this ap- 
pearance of a flight, purfued them ; they flopped however 
when they were within about a furlong of them, and after 
fhouting feveral times went back into the woods. In the even- 
ing they came again in the fame manner, flopped at the . fame 
diftance, fliouted and retired. I followed them myfelf, alone 
and unarmed, for a confiderable way along the Ihore, but I 
could not prevail upon them to flop. 
This day Mr. Green took the fun’s meridian altitude, a little 
within the fouth entrance of the bay, which gave the latitude 
34 S. the variation of the needle was 11:3 E. 
Early 
