1773.
April.
not only covered them from our sight, but also made it unadviseable to follow them. The ebbing tide obliged us to retire out of this river to the place where we had spent the night; and, after breakfasting there, we embarked in order to set out on our return to the Resolution. However, when we had scarce put off, we perceived the two natives, who had walked across the woods to an open spot, from whence they halloo'd to us. The captain immediately ordered both the boats to row up to them, and coming into shallow water, he got out unarmed, attended by two men, and waded to the shore, with a sheet of white paper in his hand. The two natives stood about one hundred yards from the water's side, each of them with a long spear in his hand. When the captain advanced with his two men they retired; he then proceeded alone, but could not prevail on them to lay aside their spears. At last one of them stuck his spear in the ground, and taking a bunch of grass in his hand met the captain, and giving him one end of the grass to hold while he kept the other, he pronounced a solemn speech in a loud tone of voice, during a minute or two, in which he made several pauses, perhaps waiting for a reply. As soon as this ceremony was over, they saluted each other, and the New Zeelander took a new garment from his own shoulders and presented it to the captain, for which he received a hatchet in return. Peace and friendship being thus firmly established, theother
