Page:Captain Cook's Journal during His First Voyage Round the World.djvu/209

Oct. 1769.] from us, with which, after a short Stay, he retir'd aCross the River. I now thought proper to take everybody on board, to prevent any more Quarrels, and with us came the 3 Natives, whom we could not prevail upon to stay behind; and this appear'd the more strange as the man that came over to us was Uncle to one of them. After we had return'd on board we saw them Carry off the Dead Man; but the one that was Kill'd the first evening we Landed remain'd in the very spot they had left him.

Wednesday, 11th.—In the P.M., as I intended to sail in the Morning, we put the 3 Youths ashore, seemingly very much against their inclination; but whether this was owing to a desire they had to remain with us, or the fear of falling into the hands of their Enemies, as they pretended, I know not. The latter, however, seemed to be ill-founded, for we saw them carried aCross the River in a Catamaran, and walk Leasurely off with the other Natives. At 6 a.m. we weighed and stood out of the Bay, which I have named Poverty Bay, because it afforded us no one thing we wanted (Lat. 38° 42′ S., Long. 181° 36′ W.). It is in the form of a Horse Shoe, and is known by an Island lying close under the N.E. point. The 2 points which forms the Entrance are high, with Steap white Cliffs, and lay a League and a half or 2 Leagues from Each other, N.E. by E. and S.W. by W. The Depth of Water in this Bay is from 12 to 6 and 5 fathoms, a sandy bottom and good Anchorage, but you lay open to the winds between the S. and E. Boats can go in and out of the river above mentioned at any time of Tide in fine weather; but as there is a Bar at the Entrance, on which the Sea Sometimes runs so high that no Boat can either get in or out, which hapned while we laid here; however, I believe that Boats can generally land on the N.E. side of the river. The shore of this Bay, from a little within each Entrance, is a low, flat sand; but this is only a Narrow Slip, for the face of the Country appears with a variety of hills and Vallies, all cloathed with woods and Verdure, and to all appearance well inhabited, especially in the Vallies leading up from the Bay, where we daily saw Smoke at a great distance inland, and far back in the Country are very high Mountains. At Noon the S.W. point of Poverty Bay, which I have named Young Nicks head (after the Boy who first saw this land), bore N. by W., distance 3 or 4 leagues, being at this time about 3 Miles from the Shore, and had 25 fathoms Water, the Main Land extending from N.E. by N. to S. My intention is to follow the direction of the Coast to the Southward, as far as the Latitude of 40° or 41°, and then to return to