s afterwards. During the
night we lay becalmed, driving in before the sea till one in the
morning, when we got a breeze from the land, with which we steered N.E.
being then in thirty-eight fathom. At noon, it veered to N.E. by N. and
we were then in latitude 34 deg. 10' S., longitude 208 deg. 27' W.: The land was
distant about five leagues, and extended from S. 37 W. to N. 1/2 E. In
this latitude, there are some white cliffs, which rise perpendicularly
from the sea to a considerable height. We stood off the shore till two
o'clock, and then tacked and stood in till six, when we were within four
or five miles of it, and at that distance had fifty fathom water. The
extremities of the land bore from S. 28 W. to N. 25 deg. 30' E. We now
tacked and stood off till twelve, then tacked and stood in again till
four in the morning, when we made a trip off till day-light; and during
all this time we lost ground, owing to the variableness of the winds. We
continued at the distance of between four and five miles from the shore,
till the afternoon, when we came within two miles, and I then hoisted
out the pinnace and yawl to attempt a landing, but the pinnace proved to
be so leaky that I was obliged to hoist her in again. At this time we
saw several of the natives walking briskly along the shore, four of whom
carried a small canoe upon their shoulders: We flattered ourselves that
they were going to put her into the water, and come off to the ship, but
finding ourselves disappointed, I determined to go on shore in the yawl,
with as many as it would carry: I embarked, therefore, with only Mr
Banks, Dr Solander, Tupia, and four rowers: We pulled for that part of
the shore where the Indians appeared, near which four small canoes were
lying at the water's edge. The Indians sat down upon the rocks, and
seemed to wait for our landing; but to our great regret, when we came
within about a quarter of a mile, they ran away into the woods: We
determined however to go ashore, and endeavour to procure an interview,
but in this we were again disappointed, for we found so great a surf
beating upon every part of the beach, that landing with our little boat
was altogether impracticable: We were therefore obliged to be content
with gazing at such objects as presented themselves from the water: The
canoes, upon a near view, seemed very much to resemble those of the
smaller sort at New Zealand. We observed, that among the trees on shore,
which were not very