Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/243

Rh drank over a quart of water apiece. Thus ended the most disagreeable day my life has yet seen; black be the mark for it, and heaven send that such may never return to embitter future reflection.

10th. The native boys, after being loaded with presents, were put in the boats and rowed ashore by our men. They at first begged hard not to be set ashore at the place where we had landed yesterday, and to which we first rowed to-day, but afterwards voluntarily landed there. The natives again appeared threatening, but it was presently discovered that they were friends of the boys we had captured, and a peace was presently concluded by our acceptance of green boughs which they presented to us; a not unimportant ratification apparently being the removal by them of the body of the man killed yesterday, which had remained till now on the same spot.

11th. This morning we took leave of Poverty Bay, as we named it, with not above forty species of plants in our boxes, which is not to be wondered at, as we were so little ashore, and always upon the same spot. The only time when we wandered about a mile from the boats was upon a swamp where not more than three species of plants were found.

Several canoes put off from the shore, and came towards us within less than a quarter of a mile, but could not at first be persuaded to come nearer. At last one was seen coming from Poverty Bay, or near it. She had only four people in her, one of whom I well remembered to have seen at our first interview on the rock. These never stopped to look at anything, but came at once alongside of the ship, and with very little persuasion came on board. Their example was quickly followed by the rest, seven canoes in all, and fifty men. Many presents were given to them, notwithstanding which they very quickly sold almost everything that they had with them, even their clothes from their backs, and the paddles out of their boats. Arms they had none, except two men, one of whom sold his patoo patoo, as he called it, a short weapon of green talc of this shape, intended, doubtless, for fighting