party returned, having had but indifferent sport.
Next morning, I made the natives another visit, accompanied by Mr Forster
and Mr Hodges, carrying with me various articles which I presented them
with, and which they received with a great deal of indifference, except
hatchets and spike-nails; these they most esteemed. This interview was at
the same place as last night; and now we saw the whole family, it consisted
of the man, his two wives (as we supposed), the young woman before
mentioned, a boy about fourteen years old, and three small children, the
youngest of which was at the breast. They were all well-looking, except one
woman, who had a large wen on her upper-lip, which made her disagreeable;
and she seemed, on that account, to be in a great measure neglected by the
man. They conducted us to their habitation, which was but a little way
within the skirts of the wood, and consisted of two mean huts made of the
bark of trees. Their canoe, which was a small double one, just large enough
to transport the whole family from place to place, lay in a small creek
near the huts. During our stay, Mr Hodges made drawings of most of them;
this occasioned them to give him the name of _Toe-toe_, which word, we
suppose signifies marking or painting. When we took leave, the chief
presented me with a piece of cloth or garment of their own manufacturing,
and some other trifles. I at first thought it was meant as a return for the
presents I had made him; but he soon undeceived me, by expressing a desire
for one of our boat cloaks. I took the hint, and ordered one to be made for
him of red baise, as soon as I got aboard; where rainy weather detained me
the following day.
The 9th, being fair weather, we paid the natives another visit, and made
known our approach by hallooing to them; but they neither answered us, nor
met us at the shore as usual. The reason of this we soon saw; for we found
them at their habitations, all dressed and dressing, in their very best,
with their hair combed and oiled, tied up upon the crowns of their heads,
and stuck with white feathers. Some wore a fillet of feathers round their
heads; and all of them had bunches of white feathers stuck in their ears:
Thus dressed, and all standing, they received us with great courtesy. I
presented the chief with the cloak I had got made for him, with which he
seemed so well pleased, that he took his pattapattou from his girdle and
gave it me. After a short stay, we took le
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