Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/246

188 of bone (he said of a whale). He stayed but a short time, and when he went he took with him our three guests, much to our, as well as their, satisfaction.

In sailing along shore, we could clearly see several cultivated spots of land, some freshly turned up, and lying in furrows, as if ploughed; others with plants growing upon them, some younger and some older. We also saw in two places high rails upon the ridges of hills, but could only guess that they are a part of some superstition, as they were in lines not inclosing anything.

15th. Snow was still to be seen upon the mountains inland. In the morning we were abreast of the southernmost cape of a large bay, the northernmost of which was named Portland Isle. The bay itself was called Hawke's Bay. The southern point was called Cape Kidnappers, on account of an attempt made by the natives to steal Tayeto, Tupia's boy. He was employed in handing up the articles which the natives were selling, when one of the men in a canoe seized him and pushed off. A shot was fired into the canoe, whereupon they loosed the boy, who immediately leaped into the water and swam to the ship. When he had a little recovered from his fright, Tayeto brought a fish to Tupia, and told him that he intended it as an offering to his eatua, in gratitude for his escape. Tupia approved it, and ordered him to throw it in the water, which he did.

16th. Mountains covered with snow were in sight again this morning, so that a chain of them probably runs within the country. Vast shoals of fish were about the ship, pursued by large flocks of brownish birds a little bigger than a pigeon (Nectris munda). Their method of fishing was amusing enough: a whole flock of birds would follow the fish, which swam fast; they continually plunged under water, and soon after rose again in another place, so that the whole flock sometimes vanished altogether, and rose again, often where you did not expect them; in less than a minute's time they were down again, and so alternately as long as we saw them. Before dinner we were abreast of another cape, which made in a bluff rock, the upper part of