hat the inhabitants were too much
upon their guard to be surprised.

About five o'clock in the morning of the 13th, a breeze springing up
northerly we weighed, and steered in for the land. The shore here forms
a large bay, of which Portland is the north-east point, and the bay,
that runs behind Cape Table, an arm. This arm I had a great inclination
to examine, because there appeared to be safe anchorage in it, but not
being sure of that, and the wind being right an end, I was unwilling to
spare the time. Four-and-twenty fathom was the greatest depth within
Portland, but the ground was every where clear. The land near the shore
is of a moderate height, with white cliffs and sandy beaches; within, it
rises into mountains, and upon the whole the surface is hilly, for the
most part covered with wood, and to appearance pleasant and fertile. In
the morning nine canoes came after the ship, but whether with peaceable
or hostile intentions we could not tell, for we soon left them behind
us.

In the evening we stood in for a place that had the appearance of an
opening, but found no harbour; we therefore stood out again, and were
soon followed by a large canoe, with eighteen or twenty men, all armed,
who, though they could not reach us, shouted defiance, and brandished
their weapons, with many gestures of menace and insult.

In the morning we had a view of the mountains inland, upon which the
snow was still lying: The country near the shore was low and unfit for
culture, but in one place we perceived a patch of somewhat yellow, which
had greatly the appearance of a corn field, yet was probably nothing
more than some dead flags, which are not uncommon in swampy places:[52]
At some distance we saw groves of trees, which appeared high and
tapering, and being not above two leagues from the south-west cod of the
great bay, in which we had been coasting for the two last days, I
hoisted out the pinnace and long-boat to search for fresh water; but
just as they were about to put off, we saw several boats full of people
coming from the shore, and therefore I did not think it safe for them to
leave the ship. About ten o'clock, five of these boats having drawn
together, as if to hold a consultation, made towards the ship, having on
board between eighty and ninety men, and four more followed at some
distance, as if to sustain the attack: When the first five came within
about a hundred yards of the ship, they began to sing their war-song,
an