an hallooed to us.
He stood with his club in his hand upon the point of a rock, and behind
him, at the skirts of the wood, stood the two women, with each of them a
spear. The man could not help discovering great signs of fear when we
approached the rock with our boat. He however stood firm; nor did he move
to take up some things we threw him ashore. At length I landed, went up and
embraced him; and presented him with such articles as I had about me, which
at once dissipated his fears. Presently after, we were joined by the two
women, the gentlemen that were with me, and some of the seamen. After this,
we spent about half an hour in chit-chat, little understood on either side,
in which the youngest of the two women bore by far the greatest share. This
occasioned one of the seamen to say, that women did not want tongue in any
part of the world. We presented them with fish and fowl which we had in our
boat; but these they threw into the boat again, giving us to understand
that such things they wanted not. Night approaching, obliged us to take
leave of them; when the youngest of the two women, whose volubility of
tongue exceeded every thing I ever met with, gave us a dance; but the man
viewed us with great attention. Some hours after we got on board, the other
party returned, having had but indifferent sport.
Next morning, I made the natives another visit, accompanied by Mr Forster
and Mr Hodges, carrying with me various articles which I presented them
with, and which they received with a great deal of indifference, except
hatchets and spike-nails; these they most esteemed. This interview was at
the same place as last night; and now we saw the whole family, it consisted
of the man, his two wives (as we supposed), the young woman before
mentioned, a boy about fourteen years old, and three small children, the
youngest of which was at the breast. They were all well-looking, except one
woman, who had a large wen on her upper-lip, which made her disagreeable;
and she seemed, on that account, to be in a great measure neglected by the
man. They conducted us to their habitation, which was but a little way
within the skirts of the wood, and consisted of two mean huts made of the
bark of trees. Their canoe, which was a small double one, just large enough
to transport the whole family from place to place, lay in a small creek
near the huts. During our stay, Mr Hodges made drawings of most of them;
this occasioned them to give him the n
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