inences near the sea, and fortified on the land side by a bank and
ditch, with a high paling within it, carried all round; some of them had
also outworks. They were supposed to be the fortified villages called
by the natives Pahs or Hippahs. There seems to have been much doubt in
the minds of the officers of the Endeavour as to whether the land on
which they were now coasting was an island or part of a vast continent.
The captain seems to have held to the former opinion, his officers to
the latter.

The ship was now near a cluster of islands to which the names of the
Mayor and the Court of Aldermen were given. Farther on more villages
were in sight, with some hundreds of large canoes drawn up on the beach
under them. The whole country from Cape Turnagain, thus far, was said
to be under the rule of a single chief, called Teratu. A large inlet
was next entered, and here the ship anchored. Several canoes of a less
ornamental description came alongside, and tried to steal the buoy of
the anchor. Three times during the night they repeated the attempt,
hoping, it seemed, to catch the crew asleep. Again they came at
daylight, and sang a war-song, preparatory to an attack. Tupia,
however, expostulated with them, and explained so successfully that they
would certainly be the sufferers in case of a skirmish, that instead of
fighting, they began to trade. Here, again, a native made off with two
pieces of cloth, both of which he had got for one weapon, which he
refused to deliver up. A musket-ball was fired through his canoe; but
he would not return. It was curious that the people in the other canoes
paid no attention to him, though he was bleeding, but continued to trade
as if nothing had happened. Soon afterwards, indeed, the same trick was
played by others. Two muskets were fired, the bullets going through the
sides of the canoe between wind and water. This only made the savages
pull off more rapidly. As the commander intended to remain in this
place for some days, to observe the transit of Mercury, it was necessary
to make the natives understand the superiority of the English; and a
round shot was therefore fired over their heads.

All the natives, however, were not alike dishonest. One chief, in
particular, had behaved with great propriety during the day, neither
attempting to cheat nor showing any fear of the English. He came off
the next morning, and soon established friendly relations with them. He
said