ainst it, but they have always as streniously supported it,
and never would own that it was wrong. It is reasonable to suppose that
men with whom this custom is found, seldom, if ever, give Quarter to
those they overcome in battle; and if so, they must fight desperately to
the very last. A strong proof of this supposition we had from the People
of Queen Charlotte's sound, who told us, but a few days before we Arrived
that they had kill'd and Eat a whole boat's crew. Surely a single boat's
crew, or at least a part of them, when they found themselves beset and
overpowered by numbers would have surrender'd themselves prisoners was
such a thing practised among them. The heads of these unfortunate people
they preserved as Trophies; 4 or 5 of them they brought off to shew to
us, one of which Mr. Banks bought, or rather forced them to sell, for
they parted with it with the utmost reluctancy, and afterwards would not
so much as let us see one more for any thing we could offer them.

In the Article of Food these People have no great Variety; Fern roots,
Dogs, Fish, and wild fowl is their Chief diet, for Cocos, Yams, and Sweet
Potatoes is not Cultivated every where. They dress their Victuals in the
same Manner as the people in the South Sea Islands; that is, dogs and
Large fish they bake in a hole in the ground, and small fish, birds, and
Shell fish, etc., they broil on the fire. Fern roots they likewise heat
over the fire, then beat them out flat upon a stone with a wooden Mallet;
after this they are fit for Eating, in the doing of which they suck out
the Moist and Glutinous part, and Spit out the Fibrous parts. These ferns
are much like, if not the same as, the mountain ferns in England.

They catch fish with Seans, Hooks and line, but more commonly with hooped
netts very ingeniously made; in the middle of these they tie the bait,
such as Sea Ears, fish Gutts, etc., then sink the Nett to the bottom with
a stone; after it lays there a little time they haul it Gently up, and
hardly ever without fish, and very often a large quantity. All their
netts are made of the broad Grass plant before mentioned; generally with
no other preparation than by Splitting the blade of the plant into
threads. Their fish hooks are made of Crooked pieces of Wood, bones, and
Shells.

[New Zealand Canoes, Houses, etc.]

The people shew great ingenuity and good workmanship in the building and
framing their boats or Canoes. They are long and Narrow, and