Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/242

184 from the shore in a river; the people followed them and threatened with long lances; the pinnace soon came to their assistance, fired upon the natives, and killed the chief. The other three dragged the body about a hundred yards and then left it. At the report of the muskets we drew together and went to the place where the body was left; it was shot through the heart. He was a middle-sized man, tattowed on the face on one cheek only, in spiral lines very regularly formed. He was covered with a fine cloth of a manufacture totally new to us; it was tied on exactly as represented in Mr. Dalrymple's book, p. 63; his hair was also tied in a knot on the top of his head, but there was no feather stuck in it; his complexion brown but not very dark.

Soon after we came on board we very distinctly heard the people ashore talking very loud, although they were not less than two miles distant from us.

9th. On attempting to land this morning the Indians received us with threatening demonstrations, but a musket fired wide of them intimidated them, and they allowed us to approach near enough to parley. Tupia found their language so near his own that he could tolerably well understand them. He induced them to lay down their arms, and we gave them some beads and iron, neither of which they seemed to value; indeed, they seemed totally ignorant of the use of the latter. They constantly attempted to seize our arms, or anything they could get, so that we were obliged to fire on them and disperse them; none were, we hope, killed. Soon after we intercepted a native canoe; but when we came up with it, the owners made so desperate a resistance that we were compelled to fire upon them, killing four; the other three (boys) attempted to swim to shore, but were captured and taken on board the ship. On finding that they were not to be killed, they at once recovered their spirits, and soon appeared to have forgotten everything that had happened. At supper they ate an enormous quantity of bread, and