I had passed was high and woody. As I could see
no land without Fair Cape, I concluded that the coast inclined to the N
W and W N W, which was agreeable to my recollection of captain Cook's
survey. I therefore steered more towards the W; but by eleven o'clock at
night I found myself mistaken: for we met with low land, which inclined
to the N E; so that at three o'clock in the morning I found we were
embayed, which obliged us to stand back to the southward.

At day-break I was exceedingly surprised to find the appearance of the
country all changed, as if in the course of the night I had been
transported to another part of the world; for we had now a miserable low
sandy coast in view, with very little verdure, or any thing to indicate
that it was at all habitable to a human being, if I except some patches
of small trees or brush-wood.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 31.]

I had many small islands in view to the N E, about six miles distant.
The E part of the main bore N four miles, and Fair Cape S S E five or
six leagues. I took the channel between the nearest island and the main
land, about one mile apart, leaving all the islands on the starboard
side. Some of these were very pretty spots, covered with wood, and well
situated for fishing; large shoals of fish were about us, but we could
not catch any. As I was passing this strait we saw another party of
Indians, seven in number, running towards us, shouting and making signs
for us to land. Some of them waved green branches of the bushes which
were near them, as a sign of friendship; but there were some of their
other motions less friendly. A larger party we saw a little farther off,
and coming towards us. I therefore determined not to land, though I
wished much to have had some intercourse with these people; for which
purpose I beckoned to them to come near to me, and laid the boat close
to the rocks; but not one would come within 200 yards of us. They were
armed in the same manner as those I had seen from Restoration Island,
were stark naked, and appeared to be jet black, with short bushy hair
or wool, and in every respect the same people. An island of good height
now bore N 1/2 W, four miles from us, at which I resolved to see what
could be got, and from thence to take a look at the coast. At this isle
I landed about eight o'clock in the morning. The shore was rocky, with
some sandy beaches within the rocks: the water, however, was smooth, and
I landed without difficulty. I s