A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

These he never would suffer to go out of his hands after he once laid hold of them; whereas manyother articles he would lay carelessly down any where, and at last leave them behind him.As soon as I could get quit of them, they were conducted into the gun-room, where I left them, andset out with two boats to examine the head of the bay; myself in one, accompanied by Mr Forsterand Mr Hodges, and Lieutenant Cooper in the other. We proceeded up the south side, and withoutmeeting with any thing remarkable, got to the head of the bay by sun-set; where we took up ourlodging for the night, at the first place we could land upon; for the flats hindered us from gettingquite to the head.At day-light in the morning, I took two men in the small boat, and with Mr Forster went to take aview of the flat land at the head of the bay, near to where we spent the night. We landed on one side,and ordered the boat to meet us on the other side; but had not been long on shore before we sawsome ducks, which, by their creeping through the bushes, we got a shot at, and killed one. Themoment we had fired, the natives, whom we had not discovered before, set up a most hideous noisein two or three places close by us. We hallooed in our turn; and, at the same time, retired to our boat,which was full half a mile off. The natives kept up their clamouring noise, but did not follow us.Indeed we found afterwards that they could not, because of a branch of the river between us andthem, nor did we find their numbers answerable to the noise they made. As soon as we got to ourboat, and found that there was a river that would admit us, I rowed in, and was soon after joined byMr Cooper in the other boat. With this reinforcement I proceeded up the river, shooting wild ducks,of which there were great numbers; as we went along, now and then hearing the natives in thewoods. At length two appeared on the banks of the river, a man and a woman; and the latter keptwaving something white in her hand, as a sign of friendship. Mr Cooper being near them, I called tohim to land, as I wanted to take the advantage of the tide to get as high up as possible, which did notmuch exceed half a mile, when I was stopped by the strength of the stream and great stones whichlay in the bed of the river.On my return, I found that as Mr Cooper did not land when the natives expected him, they hadretired into the woods, but two others now appeared on the opposite bank. I endeavoured to have aninterview with them, but this I could not effect. For as I approached the shore, they always retiredfarther into the woods, which were so thick as to cover them from our sight. The falling tide obligedme to retire out of the river to the place where we had spent the night. There we breakfasted, andafterwards embarked, in order to return on board; but, just as we were going, we saw two men on theopposite shore, hallooing to us, which induced me to row over to them. I landed with two others,unarmed; the two natives standing about 100 yards from the water-side, with each a spear in hishand. When we three advanced, they retired; but stood when I advanced alone.It was some little time before I could prevail upon them to lay down their spears. This, at last, one ofthem did; and met me with a grass plant in his hand, one end of which he gave me to hold, while heheld the other. Standing in this manner, he began a speech, not one word of which I understood, andmade some long pauses, waiting, as I thought, for me to answer; for, when I spoke, he proceeded. Assoon as this ceremony was over, which was not long, we saluted each other. He then took his hahou,or coat, from off his own back, and put it upon mine; after which peace seemed firmly established.More people joining us did not in the least alarm them; on the contrary, they saluted every one as hecame up.I gave to each a hatchet and a knife, having nothing else with me: Perhaps these were the mostvaluable things I could give them, at least they were the most useful. They wanted us to go to theirhabitation, telling us they would give us something to eat; and I was sorry that the tide and othercircumstances would not permit me to accept of their invitation. More people were seen in the skirtsof the wood, but none of them joined us: Probably these were their wives and children. When we