Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/270

212 the water?"—"She was our relation."—"Whom, then, do you eat?"—"Those who are killed in war."—"And who was the man whose bones these are?"—"Five days ago a boat of our enemies came into this bay, and of them we killed seven, of whom the owner of these bones was one." The horror that appeared in the countenances of the seamen on hearing this discourse, which was immediately translated for the good of the company, is better conceived than described. For ourselves, and myself in particular, we were too well convinced of the existence of such a custom to be surprised, though we were pleased at having so strong a proof of a custom which human nature holds in too great abhorrence to give easy credit to.

17th. I was awakened by the singing of the birds ashore, from whence we are distant not a quarter of a mile. Their numbers were certainly very great. They seemed to strain their throats with emulation, and made, perhaps, the most melodious wild music I have ever heard, almost imitating small bells, but with the most tunable silver sound imaginable, to which, maybe, the distance was no small addition. On inquiring of our people, I was told that they had observed them ever since we had been here, and that they begin to sing about one or two in the morning, and continue till sunrise, after which they are silent all day, like our nightingales.

18th. Among other things that the Indians told us yesterday, one was that they expected their enemies to come and revenge the death of the seven men, and some of our people thought that they had intelligence of their coming to-day, which made us observe the Indian town, where the people seemed more quiet than usual, not attending to their usual occupations of ﬁshing, etc. No canoe attempted to come near the ship.

After breakfast we went in the pinnace to explore some parts of the bay, which we had not seen, as it was immensely large, or, rather, consisted of numberless small harbours, coves, etc. We found the country on our side of the bay very well wooded everywhere, but on the opposite side very