that may be owing to a whitish Pigment
with which we thought their bodies were painted, because some appeared
darker than others.

Their Arms were ordinary darts of about 4 feet long, made of a kind of
reed, and pointed at one end with hard wood; but what appear'd more
extraordinary to us was something they had which caused a flash of fire
or Smoak, very much like the going off of a pistol or small Gun, but
without any report. The deception was so great that the people in the
Ship actually thought that they had fire Arms; indeed, they seem'd to use
these things in imitation of such, for the moment the first man we saw
made his appearance he fir'd off one of these things, and while we lay
looking at them in the boat 4 or 5 would let them off all at once, which
had all the appearance in the world of Volleys of Small Arms; but I am
confident that nothing came from them but smook, but by what means this
was done, or what purpose it answer'd, we were not able to Guess. I
thought the Combustable matter was contain'd in a reed or piece of small
Bamboo, which they gave a Swing round in the hand and caused it to go
off.* (* The natives carry hollow canes with burning tinder for making
fires.)

This place lies in the Latitude of 6 degrees 15 minutes South, about 65
Leagues to the North-East of Point St. Augustine, or Walsche Caep, and is
near to what is called in the Charts by the long name of Cape de la Colta
de St. Bonaventura.* (* Cook's landing place in New Guinea, on the
western side of this great island, was on a part of the coast scarcely
known to this day. It is in the part of the island claimed by the Dutch.
Cook's insatiable desire to explore is well shown in this digression from
his course to Batavia.) The land is very low, like every other part of
the Coast we have seen here; it is thick and Luxuriously cloathed with
woods and Verdure, all of which appear Green and flourishing. Here were
Cocoa nutt Trees, Bread Fruit Trees, and Plantain Trees, but we saw no
fruit but on the former, and these were small and Green; the other Trees,
Shrubs, Plants, etc., were likewise such as is common in the South Sea
Islands and in New Holland.

Upon my return to the Ship we hoisted in the boat and made sail to the
Westward, with a design to leave the Coast altogether. This, however, was
contrary to the inclination and opinion of some of the Officers, who
would have had me send a Party of Men ashore to cut down the Cocoa Nutt
Trees