104 COOK’s VOYAGE. 
by no means without its advantage, for having been a fe- 
cond time upon the rock where he had feen the large cockles, 
he met with a great number of turtle, three of which he caught, 
that together weighed feven hundred and ninety-one pounds, 
though he had no better inftrument than a boat-hook. 
The next morning therefore, 1 feat him out again, with 
proper inllruments for taking them, and Mr. Banks went with 
him, but the fuccefs did not at all anfwer our expectations, 
for, by the unaccountable conduct of the officer, not a fingle 
turtle was taken, nor could he be per funded to return : Mr, 
Banks, however, went afhore upon the r ef, w here he faw fe- 
veral of the large cockles, and having collected many (hells, 
and marine productions, he returned at eleven o’clock at night, 
in his own imall boat, the mailer (till continuing with the large 
one upon the rock. In the afternoon, feven or eight of the 
natives had appeared on the fouth fide of the river, and two of 
them came down tc the Candy point, cpgoflte to the (Lip ; but 
upon feeing me put off in a boat, to fpeak with them, they ail 
ran away with thegreatelt precipitation. 
As the the mailer continued abfent with the boat all night, 
I was forced to fend the fecond lieutenant for him, early the 
next morning in the yawl; and (con after four cf the natives 
appeared upon the fandy point, on the north fide of the river, 
having with them a fmall wooden canoe, with cut-riggers : 
they ieemed forfome time to be buiily employed in ftiikinghffi : 
fome of our people were for going over to them in a boat, but 
this I would by no means permit, repeated experience having 
convinced me that it was more likely to prevent, than procure 
an interview. I was determined to try what could be done by 
a contrary method, and accordingly let them alone, without 
appearing to take the lead notice cf them : this fucceeded fo 
well, that at length two of them came in the canoe within a 
mufket (hot of the (hip, and there talked a great deal in a very 
loud tone : we underdood nothing that they faid, and there- 
fore could anfvver their harangue only by fhouting, and mak- 
ing all the figns of invitation and kindnefs that we could de- 
vife. During this conference, they came, infenfibly, nearer 
and nearer, holding up their lances, not in a threatning man- 
ner, but as' if to intimate that if we offered them any injury, 
they had weapons to revenge it. When they were aimed 
along-fide of us, v/e threw them fome cloth, nails, beads, pa- 
per, and fome other trifles, which they received without the 
lead appearance of fatisfaCtion : at lad, one cf the people hap- 
pened to throw them a fmall fifh ; at this they expreifed the 
greateft joy imaginable, and intimating, by figns, that they 
would fetch their companions, immediately paddled away to- 
wards the (here. In the mean time fome of our people, and 
among them T upia, landed on the oppohte fide of the river ; 
toe 
