James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 179

upon the Main accompanied by Mr Banks & Dr Solander in our way we passed by a point of land on which stood a Heppa or Fortified Village the inhabitants of which waved to us to come ashore,  Accordingly we landed which we had no sooner done than the people came about us with Quantities of various sorts of fish which we Purchased oF them for mere Trifles after this they showed us the Village which was a neat & Compact place & its situation well Chosen. there were 2 or 3 more near unto this but these we did not go to we afterwards went a little way into the Country & had some of the Natives along with us. we met with a good deal of Cultivated land planted mostly with sweet Potatoes the face of the Country appeared Green & pleasant & the soil seemed to be pretty rich & proper for Cultivation the Land is every where about this Bay of a moderate height but full of small Hills & Vallies & not much encumbered with wood. We met with about 1/2  a dozen Cloth Plants being the same as the inhabitants of the Islands lying within the Tropics make their finest Cloth on this plant must be very scarce among them as the Cloth made from it is only worn small peices by way of Ornament at their Ears & even this we have seen but very seldom , their knowing the use of this sort of Cloth doth in some measure account for the extraordinary fondnef they have showed for it above every other thing we had to give them  even a sheet of white Paper is of more value than is so much English Cloth of any sort whatever, but as we have been at few places where I have not given away more or lef of the latter its more than Probable that they will soon learn to set a value upon it & Likewise upon a thing not one of them knows the use of or sets the least value upon but was European commodities in ever such Esteem among them they have no one thing of equal value to give in return at least that we have seen 
Tuesday 5th PM had the winds at SW&WSWt a fresh breeze at 3 o'Clock we returned on board & after dinner Vifited another part of the Bay but met with nothing new by the evening all our empty Casks were fill'd with water & had at the same time got on board a large quantity of Sellery which is found here in great  plenty this I still cause to be boiled every morning with Oatmeal & Portable Soup for the ships Companys breakfast, at 4 AM weigh'd with a light breeze at SEt but had Variable light Airs & sometimes Calm until near noon when a Gentle breeze sprung up at  Nh at this time we had not got out of the Bay our latitude by Observation was 80:'9 S This Bay I have before observed lies on the W side of Cape Brett I have named it the Bay of Islands on accot of the great Number which line its Shores & these help to form several safe & Commodious Harbours wherin is room & depth of Water sufficient for any number of Shipping
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