on the main. From this head the land trends N.W. as
far as can be seen, and has a rugged and hilly appearance. As the
weather was hazy, and the wind blew fresh on the shore, we hauled off
for the weathermost island in sight, which bore from us N.N.E. distant
about six or seven leagues.

Under this island, which I have called the _Mayor_, we spent the night.
At seven in the morning it bore S. 47 E. distant six leagues, and a
cluster of small islands and rocks bore N. 1/2 E. distant one league, to
which I gave the name of the _Court of Aldermen_. They lie in the
compass of about half a league every way, and five leagues from the
main, between which and them lie other islands, most of them barren
rocks, of which there is great variety: Some of them are as small in
compass as the Monument of London, but rise to a much greater height,
and some of them are inhabited. They lie in latitude 36 deg. 57', and at
noon bore S. 60 E. distant three or four leagues; and a rock like a
castle, lying not far from the main, bore N. 40 W. at the distance of
one league. The country that we passed the night before, appeared to be
well inhabited, many towns were in sight, and some hundreds of large
canoes lay under them upon the beach; but this day, after having sailed
about fifteen leagues, it appeared to be barren and desolate. As far as
we had yet coasted this country from Cape Turnagain, the people
acknowledged one Chief, whom they called Teratu, and to whose residence
they pointed, in a direction that we thought to be very far inland, but
afterwards found to be otherwise.

About one o'clock three canoes came off to us from the main, with
one-and-twenty men on board. The construction of these vessels appeared
to be more simple than that of any we had seen, they being nothing more
than trunks of a single tree hollowed by fire, without any convenience
or ornament. The people on board were almost naked, and appeared to be
of a browner complexion; yet naked and despicable as they were, they
sung their song of defiance, and seemed to denounce against us
inevitable destruction: They remained, however, some time out of stones
throw, and then venturing nearer, with less appearance of hostility, one
of our men went to the ship side, and was about to hand them a rope;
this courtesy, however, they thought fit to return by throwing a lance
at him, which having missed him, they immediately threw another into the
ship: Upon this a musquet was fired ove