In the afternoon we were becalmed; and six canoes came off to us, filled with people; some of them armed with bludgeons made of wood, and of the bone of a large animal. They were a spare thin people, and had garments wrapt about them made of a silky flax, wove in the same manner as the cotton hammocks of Brazil, each corner being ornamented with a piece of dog-skin. Most of them had their hair tied upon the crown of their heads in a knot, and by the knot stuck a comb of wood or bone. In and about their ears some of them had white feathers, with pieces of birds skins, whose feathers were soft as down; but others had the teeth of their parents, or a bit of green stone worked very smooth. These stone ornaments were of various shapes. They also wore a kind of shoulder-knot, made of the skin of the neck of a large sea-fowl, with the feathers on, split in two length-ways. Their faces were tataowed, or marked either all over, or on one side, in a very curious manner; some of them in fine spiral directions like a volute, [see pl. XVI.] being indented in the skin very different from the rest: and others had their faces daubed over with a sort of red ochre. The bottom of their canoes was made out of a single tree; and the upper part was formed of two planks, sewed together, narrowed both at head and stern. The former was very long, having a carved head at the end of it painted red, and the stern ended in a flat beak. They had thwarts to sit on, and their paddles were curiously stained with a red colour, disposed into various strange figures; and the whole together was no contemptible workmanship. After we had given them a variety of beads and other trinkets, they set off in so great a hurry, that they left three of their people on board with us. We were at this time off a cape, which we named Table Cape: we made but little way that night.

On the 13th, two canoes came off to us, and one of the natives came on board of our ship, but, being much intimidated, could not be prevailed on to stay long. He was tataowed in the face, and wore a garment made of a sort of silky flax, wrought very strong, with a black and brown border round it, and a weapon in his hand made of the bone of a grampus. [See pl. XXVI. fig. 22.] There were several women in the canoe with uncommon long breads, and their lips stained with a blue colour.

Voyaging Accounts