he Indians
perceiving what they were doing, ran immediately, and tearing up all the
weeds they could get, carried them to the boat, which in a very short
time was filled almost up to her gunwale. I was much gratified by this
token of their good-will, and I could perceive that they were pleased
with the pleasure that I expressed upon the occasion: They had indeed
taken such a fancy to us, that when I returned on board the boat, they
all got into their canoe, and followed me. When we came near the ship,
however, they stopped, and gazed at her as if held in surprise by a
mixture of astonishment and terror; but at last, though not without some
difficulty, I prevailed upon four or five of them to venture on board.
As soon as they entered the ship I made them several, presents, and in a
very little time they appeared to be perfectly at ease. As I was very
desirous to entertain them, one of the midshipmen played upon the
violin, and some of my people danced; at this they were so much
delighted, and so impatient to show their gratitude, that one of them
went over the ship's side into the canoe, and fetched up a seal-skin bag
of red paint, and immediately smeared the fiddler's face all over with
it: He was very desirous to pay me the same compliment, which, however,
I thought fit to decline; but he made many very vigorous efforts to get
the better of my modesty, and it was not without some difficulty that I
defended myself from receiving the honour he designed me in my own
despight. After having diverted and entertained them several hours, I
intimated to them that it would be proper for them to go on shore; but
their attachment was such, that it was by no means an easy matter to get
them out of the ship. Their canoe was not of bark, but of planks sewed
together.

On Sunday the 7th, at six o'clock in the morning, we weighed, with a
moderate breeze at E.N.E. and fine weather. At seven, we were abreast of
Cape Upright; and at noon, it bore E.S.E. distant four leagues: Soon
after we tried the current, and found it set to the eastward at the rate
of a knot and a half an hour. At three it fell calm, and the current
driving us to the eastward very fast, we dropped an anchor, which before
it took the ground was in one hundred and twenty fathom.

This day, and not before, the Tamar's boat returned from the westward:
She had been within two or three leagues of Cape Pillar, and had found
several very good anchoring-places on the south sho