Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/267

Rh day; it is probably very high, as a part of its side, which was for a moment seen, was covered with snow. The country beyond it appeared very pleasant and fertile, the sides of the hills sloping gradually. With our glasses we could distinguish many white lumps in companies, fifty or sixty together, which were probably stones or tufts of grass, but bore much resemblance to flocks of sheep: at night a small fire, which burned about half an hour, made us sure that there were inhabitants, of whom we had seen no signs since the 10th.

13th. This morning, soon after daybreak, we had a momentary view of our great hill, the top of which was thickly covered with snow, though this month answers to July in England. How high it may be I do not take upon me to judge, but it is certainly the noblest hill I have ever seen, and it appears to the utmost advantage, rising from the sea without another hill in its neighbourhood one-fourth of its height.

14th. In a large bay, called in the draughts Murderers' Bay; the appearance of a harbour just ahead made us resolve to anchor in the morning.

15th. In the course of last night we were driven to the eastward more than we had any reason to expect, so much that we found ourselves in the morning past the harbour we intended to go into. Another, however, was in sight, into which we went. The land on both sides appeared most miserably barren, till we got some way up the harbour, when it began to mend gradually. Here we saw some canoes, which, instead of coming towards us, went to an Indian town or fort built upon an island nearly in the middle of the passage, which appeared crowded with people, as if they had flocked to it from all parts. As the ship approached it they waved to us as if inviting us to come to them, but the moment we had passed, they set up a loud shout, and every man brandished his weapons.