It rained all the 17th; but the 18th bringing fair and clear weather, in the evening, our friends the natives before mentioned paid us another visit; and the next morning, the chief and his daughter were induced to come on board, while the others went out in the canoe fishing. Before they came on board I showed them our goats and sheep that were on shore; which they viewed, for a moment, with a kind of stupid insensibility. After this, I conducted them to the brow; but before the chief set his foot upon it to come into the ship, he took a small green branch in his hand, with which he struck the ship’s side several times, repeating a speech or prayer. When this was over, he threw the branch into the main chains, and came on board. This custom and manner of making peace, as it were, is practised by all the nations in the South Seas that I have seen. I took them both down into the cabin, where we were to breakfast. They sat at table with us, but would not taste any of our victuals. The chief wanted to know where we slept, and indeed to pry into every corner of the cabin, every part of which he viewed with some surprise. But it was not possible to fix his attention to any one thing a single moment. The works of art appeared to him in the same light as those of nature, and were as far removed beyond his comprehension. What seemed to strike them most was the number and strength of our decks, and other parts of the ship. The chief, before he came aboard, presented me with a piece of cloth and a green talk hatchet; to Mr. Forster he also gave a piece of cloth; and the girl gave another to Mr. Hodges. This custom of making presents, before they receive any, is common with the natives of the South Sea isles; but I never saw it practised in New Zealand before. Of all the various articles I gave my guest, hatchets and spike-nails were the most valuable in his eyes. These he never would suffer to go out of his hands after he had once laid hold of them; whereas many other articles he would lay carelessly down any where, and at last leave them behind him. As soon as I could get quit of them, they were conducted into the gun-room, where I left them, and set out with two boats to examine the head of the bay; myself in one, accompanied by Mr. Forster and Mr. Hodges; and Lieutenant Cooper in the other. We proceeded up the south side; and, without meeting with any thing remarkable, got to the head of the bay by sun-set; where we took up our lodging for the night at the first place we could land upon; for the flats hindered us from getting quite to the head.