A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1.

A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1.

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 name of Toe-toe, which word, we suppose signifies marking or painting.  When we took leave, the chief presented me with a piece of cloth or garment of their own manufacturing, and some other trifles.  I at first thought it was meant as a return for the presents I had made him; but he soon undeceived me, by expressing a desire for one of our boat cloaks.  I took the hint, and ordered one to be made for him of red baise, as soon as I got aboard; where rainy weather detained me the following day.

The 9th, being fair weather, we paid the natives another visit, and made known our approach by hallooing to them; but they neither answered us, nor met us at the shore as usual.  The reason of this we soon saw; for we found them at their habitations, all dressed and dressing, in their very best, with their hair combed and oiled, tied up upon the crowns of their heads, and stuck with white feathers.  Some wore a fillet of feathers round their heads; and all of them had bunches of white feathers stuck in their ears:  Thus dressed, and all standing, they received us with great courtesy.  I presented the chief with the cloak I had got made for him, with which he seemed so well pleased, that he took his pattapattou from his girdle and gave it me.  After a short stay, we took leave; and having spent the remainder of the day in continuing my survey of the bay, with the night returned on board.

Very heavy rains falling on the two following days, no work was done; but the 12th proved clear and serene, and afforded us an opportunity to dry our sails and linen; two things very much wanted; not having had fair weather enough for this purpose since we put into this bay.  Mr Forster and his party also profited by the day in botanizing.

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A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.