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THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 
COOK'S 
 
 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 1768— 1780. 
 
MORRISON AND GIBB, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH 
 
Cook's Voyages. 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD 
 
 BY 
 
 CAPTAIN JAMES COOK 
 
 Edited, with Notes, etc., by 
 
 D. LAING PUKVES 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 W. P. NIMMO, HAY, & MITCHELL 
 
erf** 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES ROUND THE WOULD. 
 
 [It may here be mentioned that, save for the episode of the first sojourn at 
 Otaheite, taken below from Dr Hawkesworth's account almost at full length, 
 the synopsis of the famous discoverer's first two voyages is taken from the 
 third volume of " Maritime and Inland Discovery," pp. 28-69, in Dr Lard- 
 ner's well-known but now not very easily attainable " Cabinet Cyclopaedia." 
 Chapters III. and IV. of Book V. runs as follows; and they are none the 
 less valuable, as introducing some brief preliminary record of a man whom 
 England, without any injustice to earlier or later names, may honestly regard 
 as her greatest navigator and her most indefatigable and successful discoverer. 
 We give tbe text of the " Cyclopaedia, " except for a few changes necessitated 
 by severance from the context, precisely as we find it after two-and-forty 
 years. ] 
 
 COOK'S FIRST YOYAGE. 
 
 " Tub interests of science and the 
 acquisition of geographical knowledge 
 entered largely into the motives of 
 the circumnavigations [we have] re- 
 lated. But the fust expedition of 
 importance, fitted out wholly for 
 scientific objects, was that entrusted 
 to the command of the celebrated 
 Captain James Cook. This great na- 
 vigator was born of humble parents : 
 his father was an agricultural labourer, 
 whose steady conduct was at length 
 rewarded by his employer with the 
 situation of hind or under-steward. 
 As he had nine children, and his 
 means were slender, he was unable to 
 assist materially their individual exer- 
 tions to procure a livelihood. James, 
 when thirteen years of age, was ap- 
 prenticed to a shopkeeper at Straiths, 
 a fishing town not far from Whitby; 
 but the predilection of young Cook 
 for the sea was soon manifested witli 
 that strength of inclination which is 
 sure to accompany peculiar talents. 
 
 Ho engaged himself for seven yarns 
 with the owners of some ships em- 
 ployed in the coal trade; and, when 
 the period of his engagement was ex- 
 pired, he was promoted by his em- 
 ployers to the rank of mate of one of 
 their vessels. The coal trade of Eng- 
 land, being chielly carried on near a 
 singularly dangerous coast, where un- 
 ceasing vigilance is required on the 
 part of the seamen, constitutes the 
 best school of practical mariners in 
 the world. Cook, who obeyed his 
 own inclinations when he turned 
 sailor, profited, no doubt, in the 
 highest degree, from the opportuni- 
 ties which his coasting voyages af- 
 forded him of becoming acquainted 
 with the practical part of navigation. 
 At length, being in the Thames in 
 1755, when impressments were carried 
 on to a great extent, he resolved to 
 anticipate the impending necessity, 
 and offered himself to serve on board 
 the Eagle, a man-of-war of CO gu:is. 
 
Shortly after, the friends and patrons 
 of. his family in Yorkshire having 
 warmly recommended his interests to 
 the care of Mr Osbaldiston, the mem- 
 ber for Scarborough, and Captain 
 (afterwards Sir Hugh) Palliser, who 
 commanded the Eagle, reporting well 
 of his conduct and capacity, he was 
 appointed master of the Mercury, a 
 small vessel which soon afterwards 
 joined the fleet of Sir Charles Saunders 
 in the Gulf of St Lawrence. Here 
 the talents and resolution cf Cook 
 soon became conspicuous. 
 
 " It was found necessary, in order 
 that the fleet might co-operate with 
 the army under General Wolfe, that 
 it should take up a position along the 
 shore in front of the French encamp- 
 ments ; but before this manoeuvre 
 could be put in execution, the channel 
 of the river was to be sounded. This 
 difficult task required the union of 
 more than ordinary intelligence and 
 intrepidity, and Cook was the person 
 selected for the purpose. For several 
 nights he carried on his operations 
 unperceived ; but at length the enemy 
 discovered his movements, and, send- 
 ing out a great number of boats after 
 it grew dark, attempted to surround 
 and cut him off. Cook pushed for 
 the Isle of Orleans ; and so narrowly 
 did he escape being captured, that as 
 he stepped on shore from the bow of 
 his boat, the Indians in pursuit of 
 him entered at the stern ; and the 
 boat itself, which was a pinnace 
 belonging to a man-of-war, was car- 
 ried off by the enemy. Cook, how- 
 ever, had accomplished his task, and 
 laid before the Admiral of the fleet 
 a survey of the channel, which was 
 found to be both full and accurate. 
 After the conquest of Quebec he was 
 appointed to examine the more diffi- 
 cult portions of the River St Law- 
 rence, with the navigation of which 
 the English had but little acquaint- 
 ance. His zeal and abilities soon 
 after procured him an appointment 
 as master to the Northumberland, 
 which bore the Commodore's flag at 
 Halifax. Here he found leisure to 
 apply himself to the study of elemen- 
 tary mathematics, and to improve 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Toy. I. 
 
 those talents as a practical hydro- 
 
 grapher of which he had given such 
 ample proofs in his first rude essays. 
 An opportunity also soon occurred of 
 displaying his improvement by sur- 
 veying a part of the coast of New- 
 foundland. This island had lately 
 fallen into the power of the English ; 
 and its importance as a fishing station 
 being fully appreciated by Sir Hugh 
 Palliser, who was appointed governor 
 in the year 17G4, he strongly repre- 
 sented to Government the necessity 
 of making an accurate survey of its 
 coasts; and, accordingly, by his re- 
 commendation, Cook was appointed 
 marine surveyor of Newfoundland and 
 Labrador, and the Grenville schooner 
 was placed under his command for 
 this purpose. The manner in which 
 Cook executed this task confirmed 
 the high opinion already entertained 
 of his zeal and ability. A short 
 paper which he communicated to the 
 Royal Society on an eclipse of the 
 sun observed in Newfoundland, and 
 the longitude of the place as calcu- 
 lated from it, procured him the char- 
 acter of a respectable mathematician. 
 " But still higher honours awaited 
 him. The transit of the planet 
 Venus over the sun's disc, calculated 
 to take place in 1769, was looked for- 
 ward to by the scientific world with 
 much anxious interest ; and it was 
 earnestly desired that all the advan- 
 tage which could be derived to science 
 from so rare a phenomenon might bo 
 secured by observing it in distant 
 quarters of the globe. In accordance 
 with this view, the Royal Society pre- 
 sented an address to the King, setting 
 forth the advantage of observing the 
 transit in the opposite hemisphere, 
 their inability to lit out an expedition 
 for the purpose, and praying his Ma- 
 jesty to equip a vessel to be despatched 
 to the South Sea under their direction. 
 This petition was at once complied 
 with. The person at first designed 
 to command the expedition was Mr 
 Dalryniple, chief hydrographer to the 
 Admiralty, and no less celebrated for 
 his geographical knowledge than for 
 his zeal in maintaining the existence 
 of an Australian continent. Dalrynipi* 
 
17C3.] LIFE 
 
 had never held a commission in his 
 Majesty's navy ; and the experience 
 of I3r Halley had proved that one so 
 circumstanced cannot expect obedience 
 from a crew subjected to the discipline 
 of the navy, The pride of the pro- 
 fession scorns to submit to those who 
 have not acquired their authority by 
 passing through the ordinary routine 
 of promotion. Dalrymple, however, 
 refused to engage in the expedition 
 unless with the amplest powers of a 
 commander. The Admiralty, on the 
 other hand, were unwilling to entrust 
 him with powers which might embroil 
 him with his officers. Neither party 
 would yield ; and, while the affair 
 thus remained in suspense, Cook was 
 proposed. Inquiries were then made 
 as to his abilities ; and, as all who 
 knew him spoke favourably of him ; 
 and great confidence is usually felt in 
 the steady and concentrated talents 
 of the self-taught, he was chosen to 
 command the expedition, being first 
 promoted to the rank of lieutenant. 
 
 "It is a proof of Cook's natural 
 strength of understanding, that his 
 mind was not enslaved by habits, but 
 that he was always ready to introduce 
 innovations into his practice whenever 
 they were recommended by common 
 sense and experience. Instead of 
 selecting a frigate, or vessel of that 
 description, for his voyage, he chose 
 a vessel built for the coal trade, with 
 the sailing qualities of which he was 
 well acquainted. He justly repre- 
 sented, that a ship of this kind was 
 more capable of carrying the stores 
 requisite for a long voyage ; was ex- 
 posed to less hazard in running near 
 coasts — an object of great importance 
 in a voyage of discovery ; was less 
 affected by currents ; and, in case of 
 any accident, might without much 
 difficulty or danger, be laid on shore 
 to undergo repairs. The ship which 
 he chose was of 360 tons' burden, and 
 lamed the Endeavour. No pains 
 were spared by the Admiralty in fit- 
 ting her out for the voyage ; ahd, as 
 the improvement of science was its 
 main object, persons qualified to attain 
 the desired end were appointed to ac- 
 company the expedition. Mr Green 
 
 OF CAPTAIN JAMES COOK. v 7 
 
 was named by the Royal Society as 
 the astronomer ; Dr Solander, a 
 learned Swede and pupil of Linnaeus, 
 went as naturalist ; Mr (afterwards 
 Sir Joseph) Banks, a gentleman of 
 large fortune, and at that time very 
 young, who afterwards reflected so 
 much lustre on his country by devot- 
 ing a long life and ample means to 
 the interests of learning, renounced 
 the ease to which his affluence entitled 
 him, and commenced his active and 
 honourable career by a voyage round 
 the world. Being accompanied by 
 able draughtsmen, and being himself 
 zealously attached to the study of 
 natural history, and amply provided 
 with everything conducive to the 
 gratification of his favourite pursuit ; 
 being at the same time of a lively, 
 open, liberal, and courageous temper, 
 his company was no less agreeable 
 than it was advantageous. Before the 
 preparations were completed, Captain 
 Wallis returned from his voyage round 
 
 the world ; and having been advised 
 to fix on some spot in the South Sea 
 conveniently situated for the erection of 
 an observatory, he named Port Royal 
 in King George the Third's Island as 
 a place well adapted for that purpose. 
 
 "Everything being now prepared, 
 Lieutenant Cook sailed from Plymouth 
 on the 26th of August 1768. He 
 touched at Rio Janeiro, where the 
 Portuguese Governor, no less ignor- 
 ant than suspicious, was much at a 
 loss to comprehend the object of the 
 expedition ; nor, after much trouble, 
 was he able to form a juster idea of 
 it, than that it was intended to ob- 
 serve the north star passing through 
 the south pole. It was only by stealth 
 that Mr Banks could go ashore, though 
 nature seemed here to teem with the 
 objects of his research, and brilliant 
 butterflies flew round the ship to the 
 height of the mast. In leaving this 
 port, Cook, after the example of Byron, 
 sailed over the position which had 
 been assigned by Cowley to Pepys' 
 Island, and finally dispelled all belief 
 in its existence. He then directed 
 his course through the Straits of L) 
 Maire, to pass round Cape Horn. 
 
 " The naturalists of the expedition 
 
8 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 landed on Tierra del Fuego, and, 
 crossing a morass and some low woods, 
 ascended the highest eminence they 
 could descry. It was now midsummer 
 in this region, and the temperature 
 during the day was moderately warm, 
 but as night approached snow fell in 
 great quantities, and the cold became 
 excessive. The exploring party, who 
 had incautiously advanced too far, 
 were unable to effect their retain to 
 the shore before sunset, and were 
 obliged to spend the night exposed to 
 dl the inclemency of the weather, in 
 & singularly desolate and unsheltered 
 region. Dr Solander, who, having 
 travelled in the north of Europe, was 
 well acquainted with the fatal effects 
 of cold on the constitution, repeatedly 
 admonished his companions to resist 
 the first approach of drowsiness, as 
 the sleep superinduced by cold is sure 
 to prove fatal ; but he was the first 
 to feel the dangerous torpor he pre- 
 dicted, and entreated his companions 
 to allow him to lie down and take his 
 rest ; but they, fortunately instructed 
 by his lessons, persisted in dragging 
 him along, and thus saved his life. 
 On reaching the woods in their de- 
 scent, they kindled a fire, round 
 which they spent the night ; and when 
 the sun rose, they made their way to 
 the ships ; but two of the party, ser- 
 vants of Mr Banks, who lay down to 
 rest in the snow, were found dead the 
 next morning. 
 
 " The voyage round Cape Horn 
 into the Pacific occupied thirty-four 
 days ; and Cook, who was rather for- 
 tunate in his weather, seems to think 
 it preferable to the passage through the 
 Straits of Magellan. In his voyage 
 through the ocean, he descried some 
 small islands, of the group which had 
 been previously visited by Wallis and 
 Bougainville. He proceeded, how- 
 ever, direct to the place of his desti- 
 nation, not allowing himself to be 
 detained by unimportant discoveries. " 
 
 [The account of Cook's first stay at 
 Otaheite, and his transactions with 
 Ihe natives there, is altogether too 
 curious and interesting to be dismissed 
 with the curt notice Dr Lardner ac- 
 
 [VOY. I. 
 
 cords to it ; and we take the following 
 particular narration from Dr Hawkes- 
 worth's Collection of Voyages, as re- 
 produced by Kerr in his well-known 
 History of Voyages and Travels (Edin- 
 burgh, 1814; vol. xii., p. 423, ad 
 finem). The section headings have 
 not been regarded, the entire narra- 
 tive being treated as what it really is 
 — one consecutive story.] 
 
 About 1 o'clock on Monday the 
 10th April, some of the people who 
 were looking out for the island to 
 which we were bound, said they saw 
 land ahead, in that part of the horizon 
 where it was expected to appear ; but 
 it was so faint, that whether there 
 was land in sight or not remained a 
 matter of dispute till sunset. The 
 next morning, however, at 6 o'clock, 
 we were convinced that those who 
 said they had discovered land were 
 not mistaken ; it appeared to be very 
 high and mountainous, extending 
 from W. by S. half S. to W. by N. 
 half N., and we knew it to be the 
 same that Captain Wallis 1 had called 
 King George the Third's Island. We 
 were delayed in our approach to it by 
 light airs and calms, so that in the 
 morning of the 12th we were but little 
 nearer than we had been the night 
 before ; but about seven a breeze 
 sprung up, and before eleven several 
 canoes were seen making towards the 
 ship. There were but few of them, 
 however, that would come near ; and 
 the people in those that did, could 
 not be persuaded to come on board. 
 In every canoe there were young plan- 
 tains, and branches of a tree which 
 the Indians call "E' Midho ;" these, 
 as we afterwards learned, were brought 
 as tokens of peace and amity ; and 
 the people in one of the canoes handed 
 them up the ship's side, making sig- 
 nals at the same time witli great 
 earnestness, which we did not imme- 
 diately understand. At length we 
 guessed that they wished these sym- 
 bols should be placed in some conspi- 
 
 1 Who had circumnavigated the 
 globe in 176(3-1768 in the Dolphin, 
 and come into hostile contact with 
 the natives of Otaheite. 
 
1769.] ARRIVAL OF THE ENDEAVOUR AT OTAHEITE. 
 
 cuous pirt of the ship ; we therefore 
 immediately stuck them among the 
 rigging, at which they expressed tho 
 greatest satisfaction. AVe then pur- 
 chased their cargoes, consisting of 
 cocoa-nuts, and various kinds of fruit, 
 which, after our long voyage, were 
 very acceptable. 
 
 We stood on with an easy sail all 
 night, with soundings from twenty- 
 two fathoms to twelve ; and about 7 
 o'clock iu the morning we came to an 
 anchor in thirteen fathoms in Port 
 Royal Bay, called by the natives Mata- 
 vai. AVe were immediately surround- 
 ed by the natives in their canoes, who 
 gave us cocoa-nuts, fruit resembling 
 apples, bread-fruit, and some small 
 fishes, in exchange for beads and 
 other trifles. They had with tliem a 
 pig, which they would not part with for 
 anything but a hatchet, and therefore 
 we refused to purchase it ; because, if 
 we gave them a hatchet for a pig now, 
 we knew they would never afterwards 
 sell one for less, and we could not 
 afford to buy as many as it was pro- 
 bable we should want at that price. 
 The bread-fruit grows on a tree that 
 *s about the size of a middling oak. 
 Its leaves are frequently a foot and a 
 half long, of an oblong shape, deeply 
 sinuated like those of the fig-tree, 
 which they resemble in consistence 
 and colour, and in the exuding of a 
 white milky juice upon being broken. 
 The fruit is about the size and shape 
 of a child's head, and the surface is 
 reticulated not much unlike a truffle. 
 It is covered with a thin skin, and 
 has a core about as big as the handle 
 of a small knife. The eatable part 
 lies between the skin and the core ; it 
 is as white as snow, and somewhat of 
 the consistence of new bread. It must 
 be roasted before it is eaten, being 
 first divided into three or four parts. 
 Its taste is insipid, with a slight 
 Bwectness somewhat resembling that 
 of the crumb of wheaten bread mixed 
 with a Jerusalem artichoke. Among 
 others who came olf to the ship was 
 an elderly man, whose name, as we 
 learned afterwards, was Owhaw, and 
 who was immediately known to Mr 
 Gore, and several others who had been 
 
 9 
 
 here with Captain Wallis ; as I was 
 informed that he had been very useful 
 to them, I took him on board the ship 
 with some others, and was particularly 
 attentive to gratify him, as I hoped 
 he might also be useful to us. 
 
 As our stay here was not likely to 
 be very short, and as it was necessary 
 that the merchandise which we had 
 brought for traliic with the natives 
 should not diminish in its value, 
 which it would certainly have done if 
 every person had been left at liberty 
 to give what he pleased for such things 
 as he should purchase ; at the same 
 time that confusion and quarrels must 
 necessarily have arisen from there 
 being no standard at market ; I drew 
 up the following rules, and ordered 
 that they should be punctually ob- 
 served : 
 
 Rules to be observed by every person in 
 or belonging to Ms Majesty's bark 
 the Endeavour, for the better estab- 
 lishing a regular and uniform trade 
 for provision, <Lc. with the inhabi- 
 tants of King George's Island. 
 
 I. To endeavour, by every fair 
 means, to cultivate a friendship with 
 the natives ; and to treat them with 
 all imaginable humanity. 
 
 II. A proper person or persons will 
 be appointed to trade with the natives 
 for all manner of provisions, fruit, 
 and other productions of the earth ; 
 and no officer or seaman, or other per- 
 son belonging to the ship, excepting 
 such as are so appointed, shall trade 
 or offer to trade for any sort of provi- 
 sion, fruit, or other production of the 
 earth, unless they have leave so to 
 do. 
 
 III. Every person employed on 
 shore, on any duty whatsoever, is 
 strictly to attend to the same ; and if 
 by any neglect he loseth any of his 
 arms or working tools, or sull'ers them 
 to be stolen, the full value thereof 
 will be charged against his pay, ac- 
 cording to the custom of the navy in 
 such cases, and he shall receive such 
 further punishment as the nature of 
 the oifence may deserve. 
 
 IV. The same penalty will be in- 
 
10 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 r OY. I. 
 
 flicted on every person who is found 
 to embezzle, trade, or offer to trade, 
 with any part of the ship's stores of 
 what nature soever. 
 
 V. No sort cf iron, or anything 
 that is made of iron, or any sort of 
 cloth, or other useful or necessary 
 articles, are to he given in exchange 
 for anything hut provision. 
 
 J. Cook. 
 
 As soon as the ship was properly 
 secured, I went on shore with Mr Banks 
 mid Dr Solander, a party of men under 
 arms, and our friend Owhaw. We 
 were received from the boat by some 
 •hundreds of the inhabitants, whose 
 looks at least gave us welcome, though 
 they were struck with such awe, that 
 the first who approached us crouched 
 so low that he almost crept upon his 
 hands and knees. It is remarkable, 
 that he, like the people in the canoes, 
 presented to us the same symbol of 
 peace that is known to have been in 
 use among the ancient and mighty 
 nations of the northern hemisphere — 
 the green branch of a tree. We re- 
 ceived it with looks and gestures of 
 kindness and satisfaction ; and observ- 
 ing that each of them held one in his 
 hand, we immediately gathered every 
 one a bough, and carried it in our 
 hands in the same manner. 
 
 They marched with us about half a 
 mile towards the place where the Dol- 
 phin had watered, conducted by Ow- 
 haw ; they then made a Ml stop, and 
 having laid the ground bare, by clear- 
 ing away all the plants that grew 
 upon it, the principal persons among 
 them threw their green branches upon 
 the naked spot, and made signs that 
 we should do the same. We immedi- 
 ately showed our readiness to comply, 
 and to give a greater solemnity to the 
 rite, the marines were drawn up, and 
 marching in order, each dropped his 
 bough upon those of the Indians, and 
 we followed their example. We then 
 7jroceeded, and when we came to the 
 watering-place it was intimated to us 
 by signs that we might occupy that 
 ground ; but it happened not to be fit 
 for our purpose. During our walk 
 they had shaken off their first timid 
 
 sense of cur superiority, and were be- 
 come familiar : they went with ua 
 from the watering-place and took '<■ 
 circuit through the woods ; as we went 
 along, we distributed beads and other 
 small presents among them, and had 
 the satisfaction to see that they were 
 much gratified. Our circuit was not 
 less than four or five miles, through 
 groves of trees, which were loaded 
 with cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit, and 
 afforded the most grateful shade. 
 Under these trees were the habitations 
 of the people, most of them being only 
 a roof without walls ; and the whole 
 scene realised the poetical fables of 
 Arcadia. We remarked, however, not 
 without some regret, that in all our 
 walk we had seen only two hogs, and 
 not a single fowl. Those of our com- 
 pany who had been here with the Dol- 
 phin told us, that none of the people 
 whom we had yet seen were of the first 
 class ; they suspected that the chiefs 
 had removed, and upon carrying us to 
 the place where what they called the 
 Queen's Palace had stood, we found 
 that no traces of it were left. Wo 
 determined therefore .to return in the 
 morning, and endeavour to find out 
 the noblesse in their retreats. 
 
 In the morning, however, before we 
 could leave the ship, several canoea 
 came about us, most of them from 
 the westward, and two of them were 
 filled with people who by their dress 
 and deportment appeared to be of a 
 superior rank. Two of these came on 
 board, and each singled oiit his friend ; 
 one of them, whose name we found to 
 be Matahah, fixed upon Mr Banks, 
 and the other upon me : this ceremony 
 consisted in taking off great part of 
 their clothes and pixtting them upon 
 us. In return for this, we presented 
 each of them with a hatchet and some 
 beads. Soon after they made signs 
 for us to go with them to the places 
 where they lived, pointing to the SW. ; 
 and as I was desirous of finding a 
 more commodious harbour, and mak- 
 ing further trial of the disposition of 
 the people, I consented. 
 
 I ordered out two boats, and with 
 Mr Banks and Dr Solander, the other 
 gentlemen, and our two Indian friends, 
 
1769.] 
 
 we embarked for our expedition. After 
 rowing about a league, they made signs 
 that we should go on shore, and gave 
 us to understand that this was the 
 place of their residence. We accord- 
 ingly lauded, among several hundreds 
 of the natives, who conducted us into 
 a house of much greater length than 
 any we had seen. When we entered, 
 we saw a middle-aged man, whose 
 name was afterwards discovered to be 
 Tootahah ; mats were immediately 
 spread, and we were desired to sit 
 down over against him. Soon aft&r 
 we were seated, he ordered a cock and 
 hen to be brought out, which he pre- 
 sented to Mr Banks and me ; we ac- 
 cepted the present, and in a short 
 time each of us received a piece of 
 cloth, perfumed after their manner, 
 by no means disagreeably, which they 
 took great pains to make us remark. 
 The piece presented to Mr Banks was 
 eleven yards long and two wide ; in 
 return for which, he gave a laced silk 
 neckcloth, which he happened to have 
 on, and a linen pocket handkerchief. 
 Tootahah immediately dressed himself 
 in his new finery, with an air of per- 
 fect complacency and satisfaction. 
 But it is now time that I should take 
 some notice of the ladies. 
 
 Soon after the interchanging of our 
 presents with Tootahah, they attended 
 us to several large houses, in which 
 we walked about with great freedom : 
 they snowed us all the civility of 
 which, in our situation, we could ac- 
 cept ; and, on their part, seemed to 
 have no scruple that would have pre- 
 vented its being carried further. The 
 hor«es, which as I have observed be- 
 fore, o,re all open, except a roof, afforded 
 no place of retirement ; but the ladies, 
 by frequently pointing to the mats 
 upon the ground, and sometimes seat- 
 ing themselves and drawing us down 
 upon them, left us no room to doubt 
 of their being much less jealous of 
 observation than we were. 
 
 We now took leave of our friendly 
 chief, and directed our course along 
 the shore. When we had walked about 
 a mile, we met, at the head of a great 
 number of people, another chief, 
 whose name was Tubourai Tamaida, 
 
 A VISIT PAID TO TWO CHIEFS. 11 
 
 with whom we were also to ratify a 
 treaty of peace, with the ceremony of 
 which we were now become better ac- 
 quainted. Having received the branch 
 which he presented to us, and given 
 another in return, we laid our hands 
 upon our left breasts and pronounced 
 the word " Taio," which we supposed 
 to signify friend. The chief then gave 
 us to understand that if we chose to 
 eat he had victuals ready for us. We 
 accepted his offer, and dined very 
 heartily upon fish, bread-fruit, cocoa- 
 nuts, and plantains, dressed after their 
 manner ; they ate some of their fish 
 raw, and raw fish was offered to us, 
 but we declined that p o .rt of the enter- 
 tainment. 
 
 During this visit -■> wife of our noble 
 host, whose name was Tomio, did Mr 
 Banks the honour to place herself 
 upon the same mat close by him. 
 Tomio was not in the first bloom of 
 her youth, nor did she appear to have 
 been ever remarkable for her beauty ; 
 he did not, therefore, I believe, pay 
 her the most flattering attention. It 
 happened, too, as a further mortifica- 
 tion to this lady, that seeing a very 
 pretty girl among the crowd, he, not 
 adverting to the dignity of his com- 
 panion, beckoned her to come to him. 
 The girl, after some entreaty com- 
 plied, and sat down on the other side 
 of him ; he loaded her with beads and 
 every showy trifle that would please 
 her. His princess, though she was 
 somewhat mortified at the preference 
 that was given to her rival, did not 
 discontinue her civilities, but still as- 
 siduously supplied him with the milk 
 of the cocoa-nut, and such other dain- 
 ties as were in her reach. This scene 
 might possibly have become more 
 curious and interesting if it had not 
 been suddenly interrupted by an inter- 
 lude of a more serious kind. Just at 
 this time, Dr Solander and Mr Monk- 
 house complained that their pockets 
 had been picked. Dr Solander had 
 lost an opera-glass in a shagreen case, 
 and Mr Monkhouse his snuff-box. 
 This incident unfortunately put an 
 end to the good-humour of the com- 
 pany. Complaint of the injury was 
 made to the chief; and, to give it 
 
12 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 weight, Mr Banks started up and 
 hastily struck the butt end of his fire- 
 lock upon the ground.' This action, 
 and the noise that accompanied it, 
 struck the whole assembly with a 
 panic ; and every one of the natives 
 ran out of the house with the utmost 
 precipitation, except the chief, three 
 women, and two or three others who 
 appeared by their dress to be of a supe- 
 rior rank. 
 
 The chief, with a mixture of confu- 
 sion and concern, took Mr Banks by 
 the hand, and led him to a large quan- 
 tity of cloth which lay at the other 
 end of the house ; this he offered to 
 him piece by piece, intimating by 
 signs, that if that would atone for the 
 wrong which had been done, he might 
 take any part of it, or, if he pleased, 
 the whole. Mr Banks put it by, and 
 gave him to understand that he wanted 
 nothing but what had been dishonestly 
 taken away. Toubourai Tamaide then 
 went hastily out, leaving Mr Banks 
 with his wife Tomio, who, during the 
 whole scene of terror and confusion, 
 had kept constantly at his side, and 
 intimating his desire that he should 
 wait there till his return. Mr Banks 
 accordingly sat down and conversed 
 with her, as well as he could by signs, 
 about half an hour. The chief then 
 came back with the snuff-box and the 
 case of the opera-glass in his hand, 
 and, with a joy in his countenance 
 that was painted with a strength of 
 expression which distinguishes these 
 people from all others, delivered them 
 to the owners. The case of the opera- 
 glass, however, upon being opened, 
 was found to be empty ; upon this dis- 
 covery, his countenance changed in a 
 moment ; and catching Mr Banks 
 again by the hand, he rushed out of 
 the house without uttering any sound, 
 and led him along the shore, walking 
 with great rapidity. "When they had 
 got about a mile from the house, a 
 woman met him and gave him apiece 
 of cloth, which ho hastily took from 
 her, and continued to press forward 
 with it in his hand. Dr Solander and 
 Mr Monkhouse had followed them, 
 p.nd they came at length to a house 
 where they were received by a woman, 
 
 [VOY. I. 
 
 to whom he gave the cloth, and intim- 
 ated to the gentlemen that they should 
 give her some beads.« % They immedi- 
 ately complied ; and the beads and 
 cloth being deposited upon the floor, 
 the woman went out, and in about 
 half-an-hour returned with the opera- 
 glass, expressing the same joy upon the 
 occasion that had before been expressed 
 by the chief. The beads were now 
 returned, with an inflexible resolution 
 not to accept them ; and the cloth 
 was with the same pertinacity forced 
 upon Dr Solander as a recompense for 
 the injury that had been done him. 
 He could not avoid accepting the 
 cloth, but insisted in his turn upon 
 giving a new present of beads to the 
 woman. It will not perhaps be easy 
 to account for all the steps that were 
 taken in the recovery of this glass and 
 snuff-box ; but this cannot be thought 
 strange, considering that the scene of 
 action was among a people whose lan- 
 guage, policy, and connections are 
 even now but imperfectly known. 
 Upon the whole, however, they show 
 an intelligence and influence which 
 would do honour to any system of 
 government, however regular and im- 
 proved. In the evening, about 6 
 o'clock, we ij^urned to the ship. 
 
 On the next morning, Saturday the 
 15th, several of the chiefs whom we 
 had seen the day before came on board, 
 and brought with them hogs, bread- 
 fruit, and other refreshments, for which 
 we gave them hatchets and linen, and 
 such things as seemed to be most ac- 
 ceptable. 
 
 As in my excursion to the westward 
 I had not found any more convenient 
 harbour than that in which we lay, I 
 determined to go on shore and fix 
 upon some spot, commanded by the 
 ship's guns, where I might throw up a 
 small fort for our defence, and prepare 
 for making our astronomical observa- 
 tion. I therefore took a party of men 
 and landed without delay, accompanied 
 by Mr Banks, Dr Solander, and the 
 astronomer, Mr Green. "We soon fixed 
 upon a part of the sandy beach on the 
 NE. point of the bay, which was in 
 every respect convenient for our pur- 
 pose, and not near any habitation of 
 
DISTURBANCE WITH THE NATIVES. 13 
 
 17u?.] 
 
 the natives. Having marked out the 
 ground that we intended to occupy, a 
 small tent belonging to Mr Banks was 
 set up, which had been brought on 
 shore for that purpose ; by this time 
 a great number of the people had 
 gathered about us, but, as it appeared, 
 oidy to look on, there not being a 
 single weapon of any kind among 
 them. I intimated, however, that 
 none of them were to come within the 
 line I had drawn, except one, who ap- 
 peared to be a chief, and Owhaw. To 
 these two persons 1 addressed myself 
 by signs, and endeavoured to make 
 them understand that we wanted the 
 ground which we had marked out to 
 sleep upon for a certain number of 
 nights, and that then we should go 
 away. Whether I was understood, I 
 cannot certainly determine ; but the 
 people behaved with a deference and 
 respect that at once pleased and sur- 
 prised us ; they sat down peaceably 
 without the circle, and looked on, 
 without giving us any interruption, 
 till we had done, which was upwards 
 of two hours. As we had seen no 
 poultry, and but two hogs, in our 
 walk when we were last on shore at 
 this place, we suspected that upon our 
 arrival they had been driven farcher 
 up the countiy; and the rather, as 
 Owhaw was very importunate with 
 us, by signs, not to go into the woods, 
 which, however, and partly for these 
 reasons, we were determined to do. 
 Having therefore appointed the thir- 
 teen marines and a petty officer to 
 guard the tent, we set out, and a 
 great number of the natives joined 
 our party. As we were crossing a 
 little river that lay in our way, we 
 saw some ducks, and Mr Banks, as 
 soon as he had got over, fired at them, 
 and happened to kill three at one 
 shot. This struck [the natives] with 
 the utmost terror, so that most of them 
 fell suddenly to the ground as if they 
 also had been shot at the same dis- 
 charge. It was not long, however, 
 before they recovered from their fright, 
 rjid we continued our route ; but we 
 .Had not gone far before we were alarm- 
 id by the report of two pieces, which 
 v/ere fired by the guard at the tent. 
 
 We had then straggled a little distance 
 from each other, but Owhaw immedi- 
 ately called us together, and by waving 
 his hand, sent away every Indian who 
 followed us except three, each of whom, 
 as a pledge of peace on their part, and 
 an entreaty that there might be peace 
 on ours, hastily broke a branch from 
 the trees, and came to us with it in 
 their hands. As we had too much 
 reason to fear that some mischief had 
 happened, we hastened back to the 
 tent, which was not distant above half- 
 a-mile ; and when we came up, we 
 found it entirely deserted, except by 
 our own people. 
 
 It appeared that one of the Indians 
 who remained about the tent after we 
 left it, had watched his opportunity, 
 and, taking the sentry unawares, had 
 snatched away his musket. Upon 
 this the petty officer, a midshipman, 
 who commanded the party — perhaps 
 from a sudden fear of further violence, 
 perhaps from the natural petulance 
 of power newly acquired, and perhaps 
 from a brutality in his nature — ordered 
 the marines to fire. The men, with as 
 little consideration or humanity as 
 the officer, immediately discharged 
 their pieces among the thickest of the 
 flying crowd, consisting of more than 
 a hundred ; and, observing that the 
 thief did not fall, pursued him and 
 shot him dead. We afterwards learned 
 that none of the others were either 
 killed or wounded. Owhaw, who had 
 never left us, observing that we were 
 now totally deserted, got together a 
 few of those who had fled, though not 
 without some difficulty, and ranged 
 them about us. We endeavoured to 
 justify our people as well as we could, 
 and to convince the Indians that if 
 they did no wrong to us, we should 
 do no wrong to them. They went 
 away without any appearance of dis- 
 trustor resentment ; and having struck 
 our tent, we returned to the ship, but 
 by no means satisfied with the trans- 
 actions of the day. 
 
 Upon questioning our people morn 
 particularly, whose conduct they scon 
 perceived we could not approve, thoy 
 alleged that the sentinel whoso muskot 
 was taken away, was violently assault- 
 
14 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 ca and thrown down, and that a push 
 was afterwards made at him by the 
 man who took the musket, before any 
 command was given to fire. It was 
 also suggested, that Owhaw had sus- 
 picions, at least, if not certain know- 
 ledge, that something would be at- 
 tempted against our people at the tent, 
 which made him so very earnest in 
 his endeavours to prevent our leaving 
 it. Others imputed his importunity to 
 his desire that we should confine our- 
 selves to the beach : and it was re- 
 marked that neither Owhaw, nor the 
 chiefs who remained with us after he 
 had sent the rest of the people away, 
 would have inferred the breach of 
 peace from the firing at the tent, if 
 they had had no reason to suspect that 
 some injury had been offered by their 
 countrymen ; especially as Mr Banks 
 had just fired at the ducks. And yet 
 that they did infer a breach of peace 
 from that incident, was manifest from 
 their waving their hands for the peo- 
 ple to disperse, and instantly pulling 
 green branches from the trees. But 
 what were the real circumstances of 
 this unhappy affair, and whether 
 either, and which of these conjectures 
 were true, could never certainly be 
 known. 
 
 The next morning but few of the 
 natives were seen upon the beach, and 
 not one of them came off to the ship. 
 This convinced us that our endeavours 
 to quiet their apprehensions had not 
 been effectual ; and we remarked with 
 particular regret, that we were deserted 
 even by Owhaw, who had hitherto 
 been so constant in his attachment, 
 and so active in renewing the peace 
 that had been broken. Appearances 
 being thus unfavourable, I warped 
 the ship nearer to the shore, and 
 moored her in such a manner as to 
 command all the NE. part of the bay, 
 particularly the place which I had 
 marked out for building a fort. In 
 the evening, however, I went on shore 
 with only a boat's crew, and some of 
 the gentlemen. The natives gathered 
 ftbout us, but not in the same num- 
 ber as before. There were, I believe, 
 between thirty and forty, and they 
 trafficked witli us far cocoa-nuts and 
 
 [Voy. L 
 
 otherfruit, toall apposntnee as friendly 
 as ever. 
 
 On the 1 7th, early in the morning, 
 we had the misfortune to lose Mr 
 Buchan, the person whom Mr Banks 
 had brought out as a painter of land- 
 scapes and figures. He was a sober, 
 diligent, and ingenious young man, 
 and greatly regretted by Mr Banks ; 
 who hoped, by his means, to have 
 gratified his friends in England with 
 representations of this country and 
 its inhabitants, which no other per- 
 son on board could delineate with the 
 same accuracy and elegance. He had 
 always been subject to epileptic fits, 
 one of which seized him on the moun- 
 tains of Tierra del Fuego ; and this 
 disorder being aggravated by a bilious 
 complaint which he contracted on 
 board the ship, at length put an end 
 to his life. It was at first proposed 
 to bury him on shore, but Mr Banks 
 thinking that it might perhaps give 
 offence to the natives, with whose 
 customs we were then wholly unac- 
 quainted, we committed his body to 
 the sea, with as much decency and 
 solemnity as our circumstances and 
 situation would admit. 
 
 In the forenoon of this day we re- 
 ceived a visit from Tubourai Tamaide, 
 and Tootahah, our chiefs, from the 
 west : they brought with them, as 
 emblems of peace, not branches of 
 plantain, but two young trees, and 
 would not venture on board till these 
 had been received ; having probably 
 been alarmed by the mischief whicli 
 had been done at the tent. Each of 
 them also brought, as propitiatory 
 gifts, some bread-fruit, and a hog 
 ready dressed. This was a most ac- 
 ceptable present, as we perceived that 
 hogs were not always to be got ; and 
 in return we gave to each of our noble 
 benefactors a hatchet and a nail. In 
 the evening we went on shore and set 
 up a tent, in which Mr Green and 
 myself spent the night, in order to 
 observe an eclipse of the first satellite 
 of Jupiter ; but the weather becoming 
 cloudy, we were disappointed. 
 
 On the 18th, at daybreak, I went 
 on shore, with as many people as 
 could possibly be spared from the 
 
1769.] 
 
 hi i i p, and oegan to erect our fort. 
 While some were employed in throw- 
 ing up entrenchments, others were 
 busy in cutting pickets and fascines, 
 which the natives, who soon gathered 
 round us as they had been used to do, 
 were so far from hindering, that many 
 of them voluntarily assisted us, bring- 
 ing the pickets and fascines from the 
 wood where they had been cut, with 
 great alacrity. We had, indeed, been 
 so scrupulous of invading their pro- 
 perty, that we purchased every stake 
 which was used upon this occasion, 
 and cut down no tree till we had first 
 obtained their consent. The soil 
 where we constructed our fort was 
 sandy, and this made it necessary to 
 strengthen the entrenchments with 
 wood ; three sides were to be fortified 
 in this manner ; the fourth was 
 bounded by a river, upon the banks 
 of which I proposed to place a proper 
 number of water-casks. This day we 
 nerved pork to the ship's company for 
 the first time, and the Indians brought 
 down so much bread-fruit and cocoa- 
 nuts, that we found it necessary to 
 send away part of them unbought, 
 and to acquaint them by signs, that 
 we should want no more for two days 
 to come. Everything was purchased 
 this day with beads ; a single bead, 
 as big as a pea, being the purchase of 
 five or six cocoa-nuts, and as many of 
 the bread-fruit. Mr Banks's tent was 
 got up before night within the works, 
 and he slept on shore for the first 
 time. Proper sentries were placed 
 round it, but no Indian attempted to 
 approach it the whole night. 
 
 The next morning, our friend Tu- 
 bourai Tamaide made Mr Banks a 
 visit ?*t the tent, and brought with 
 him not only his wife and family, but 
 the roof of a house, and several mater- 
 ials for setting it up, with furniture 
 s,nd implements of various kinds, in- 
 tending, as we understood him, to 
 take up his residence in our neighbour- 
 hood. This instance of his confidence 
 and good-will gave us great pleasure, 
 and we determined to strengthen his 
 attachment to us by every means in 
 our power. Soon after his arrival he 
 took Mr Banks by the hand, and 
 
 ERECTION OF A FORT. 
 
 15 
 
 leading him out of the line, signified 
 that he should accompany him into 
 the woods. Mr Banks readily con- 
 sented, and having walked with him 
 about a quarter of a mile, they arrived 
 at a kind of awning which he had 
 already set up, and which seemed to 
 be his occasional habitation. Here 
 he unfolded a bundle of his country 
 cloth, and taking out two garments, 
 one of red cloth, and the other of very 
 neat matting, he clothed Mr Banks 
 in them, and without any other cere- 
 mony immediately conducted him 
 back to the tent. His attendants 
 soon after brought him some pork 
 and bread-fruit, which he ate, dip- 
 ping his meat into salt water instead 
 of sauce ; after his meal he retired to 
 Mr Banks's bed, and slept about an 
 hour. In the afternoon, his wife 
 Tomio brought to the tent a young 
 man about two-and-twenty years of 
 age, of a very comely appearance, 
 whom they both seemed to acknow- 
 ledge as their son, though we after- 
 wards discovered that he was not so. 
 In the evening, this young man and 
 another chief, who had also paid us 
 a visit, went away to the westward, 
 but Tubourai Tamaide and his wife 
 returned to the awning in the skirts 
 of the wood. 
 
 Our surgeon, Mr Monkhouse, hav 
 ing walked out this evening, reported 
 that he had seen the body of the man 
 who had been shot at the tents, which 
 he said was wrapped in cloth, and 
 placed on a kind of bier, supported 
 by stakes, under a roof that seemed 
 to have been set up for the purpose ; 
 that near it were deposited some in- 
 struments of war, and other things, 
 which he would particularly have 
 examined but for the stench of the 
 body, which was intolerable. He 
 said, that he saw also two more sheds 
 of the same kind, in one of which 
 were the bones of a human body that 
 had lain till they were quite dry. 
 We discovered, afterwards, that tliis 
 was the way in which they usually 
 disposed of their dead. 
 
 A kind of market now began to be 
 kept just without tho lines, and was 
 plentifully supplied with everything 
 
16 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 but pork. Tubourai Tamaide was 
 our constant guest, imitating our 
 manners, even to the using of a knife 
 and fork, which he did very handily. 
 As my curiosity was excited by Mr 
 Monkhouse's account of the situation 
 of the man who had been shot, I took 
 an opportunity to go with some others 
 to see it. I found the shed under 
 which his body lay, close by the 
 house in which he resided when he 
 was alive, some others being not more 
 than ten yards distant ; it was about 
 fifteen feet long, and eleven broad, 
 and of a proportionable height ; one 
 end was wholly open, and the other 
 end, and the two sides, were partly 
 enclosed with a kind of wicker work. 
 The bier on which the corpse was 
 deposited was a frame of wood like 
 that in which the sea-beds, called 
 cots, are placed, with a matted bot- 
 tom, and supported by four posts, at 
 the height of about five feet from the 
 ground. The body was covered first 
 with a mat, and then with white 
 cloth ; by the side of it lay a wooden 
 mace, one of their weapons of war, 
 and near the head of it, which lay 
 next to the close end of the shed, lay 
 two cocoa-nut shells, such as are some- 
 times used to carry water in ; at the 
 other end a bunch of green leaves, 
 with some dried twigs, all tied to- 
 gether, were stuck in the ground, by 
 which lay a stone about as big as a 
 cocoa-nut. Near these lay one of the 
 young plantain trees, which are used 
 for emblems of peace, and close by it 
 a stone axe. At the open end of the 
 shed also hung, in several strings, a 
 great number of palm-nuts, and with- 
 out the shed was stuck upright in the 
 ground the stem of a plantain tree 
 about five feet high, upon the top of 
 which was placed a cocoa-nut shell 
 full of fresh water. Against the side 
 of one of the posts hung a small bag, 
 containing a few pieces of bread-fruit 
 Jeady roasted, which were not all put 
 in at the same time, for some of them 
 were fresh; and others stale. I took 
 notice that several of the natives ob- 
 served us with a mixture of solicitude 
 iind jealousy in their countenances, 
 und by their gestures expressed nneasi- 
 
 [Vi)Y. I. 
 
 ness when w« went near the body, 
 standing themselves at a little dis- 
 tance while we were making our exa- 
 mination, and appearing to be pleased 
 when we came away. 
 
 Our residence on shore would by 
 no means have been disagreeable if 
 we had not been incessantly torment- 
 ed by the flies, which, among other 
 mischief, made it almost impossible 
 for Mr Parkinson, Mr Bank's natural 
 history painter, to work ; for they not 
 only covered his subject so as that no 
 part of its surface could be seen, but 
 even ate the colour off the paper as 
 fast as he could lay it on. We had 
 recourse to mosquito-nets and fly- 
 traps, which, though they made the 
 inconvenience tolerable, were very for 
 from removing it. 
 
 On the 22d, Tootahah gave us a 
 specimen of the music of this country : 
 four persons performed upon flutes, 
 which had only two stops, and there- 
 fore could not sound more than four 
 notes by half tones. They wera 
 sounded like our German flutes, ex- 
 cept that the performer, instead of 
 applying it to his mouth, blew into 
 it with one nostril, while he stopped 
 the other with his thumb. To thes-3 
 instruments four other persons sung, 
 and kept very good time; but only 
 one tune was played during the whola 
 concert. 
 
 Several of the natives brought as 
 axes, which they had received from 
 on board the Dolphin, to grind and 
 repair; but among others there was 
 one which became the subject of much 
 speculation, as it appeared to be 
 French. After much inquiry, wa 
 learned that a ship had been here 
 between our arrival and the departure 
 of the Dolphin, which we then con- 
 jectured to have been a Spaniard, but 
 afterwards knew to have been the 
 Boudeuss, commanded by M. de Bou- 
 gainville. 
 
 On the 24th, Mr Banks and Dr 
 Solander examined the country for 
 several miles along the shore to the 
 eastward. For about two miles it 
 was flat and fertile; after that tin 
 hills stretched quite to the water's 
 cik'e, and a little farther ran out inti 
 
1769.] 
 
 the sea, so that they weie obliged to 
 climb over them. These hills, which 
 were barren, continued for about three 
 miles more, and then terminated in a 
 large plain, which was full of good 
 houses, and people who appeared to 
 live in great affluence. In this place 
 there was a river, much more con- 
 siderable than that at our fort, which 
 issued from a deep and beautiful val- 
 ley, and where our travellers crossed 
 it, though at some distance from the 
 sea, was near 100 yards wide. About 
 a mile beyond this river the country 
 became again barren, the rocks every- 
 where projecting into the sea, for 
 which reason they resolved to return. 
 Just as they had formed this resolu- 
 tion, one of the natives offered them 
 refreshment, which they accepted. 
 They found this man to be of a kind 
 that has been described by various 
 authors as mixed with many nations, 
 but distinct from them all. His skin 
 was of a dead white, without the least 
 appearance of what is called com- 
 plexion, though some parts of his 
 body were in a small degree less white 
 than others; his hair, eyebrows, and 
 beard were as white as his skin ; his 
 eyes appeared as if they were blood- 
 shot, and he seemed to be very short- 
 sighted. At their return they were 
 met by Tubourai Tamaide and his 
 women, who, at seeing them, felt a 
 joy which not being able to express, 
 they burst into tears, and wept some 
 time before their passion could be re- 
 strained. 
 
 This evening Dr Solander lent his 
 knife to one of these women, who 
 neglected to return it, and the next 
 morning Mr Banks's also was missing. 
 Upon this occasion I must bear my 
 testimony that the people of this 
 country, of all ranks, men and women, 
 are the arrantest thieves upon the 
 face of the earth. The very day after 
 w 7 e arrived here, when they came on 
 board us, the chiefs were employed 
 in stealing what they could in the 
 cabin, and their dependants were no 
 less industrious in other parts of che 
 ehip : they snatched up everything 
 that it was possible for them to se- 
 crete, till they got on shore, even to 
 
 CASES OF THEFT. 
 
 17 
 
 which they 
 
 Tubourai 
 
 one except 
 
 been found 
 
 the glass ports, two of 
 carried off undetected. 
 Tamaide was the only 
 Tcotahah who had not 
 guilty, and the presumption, arising 
 from this circumstance, that he was 
 exempt from a vice of which the 
 whole nation besides were guilty, 
 could not be supposed to outweigh 
 strong appearances to the contrary. 
 Mr Banks, therefore, though not 
 without some reluctance, accused him 
 of having stolen his knife. Ho 
 solemnly and steadily denied that he 
 knew anything of it; upon which Mr 
 Banks made him understand that 
 whoever had taken it, he was deter- 
 mined to have it returned. Upon 
 this resolute declaration, one of the 
 natives who was present produced a 
 rag in whicli three knives were very 
 carefully tied up. One was that 
 which Dr Solander had lent to the 
 woman, another was a table knife 
 belonging to me, and the owner of 
 the third was not known. With these 
 the chief immediately set out in order 
 to make restitution of them to their 
 owners at the tents. Mr Banks re- 
 mained with the women, who ex- 
 pressed great apprehensions that some 
 mischief was designed against their 
 lord. When he came to the tents, 
 he restored one of the knives to Dr 
 Solander and another to me, the third 
 not being owned, and then began to 
 search for Mr Banks's in all the places 
 where he had ever seen it. After 
 some time, one of Mr Banks's ser- 
 vants, understanding what he was 
 about, immediately fetched his mas- 
 ter's knife, which it seems he had 
 laid by the day before, and till now 
 knew nothing of its having been 
 missed. Tubourai Tamaide, upon 
 this demonstration of his innocence, 
 expressed the strongest emotions of 
 mind, both in his looks and gestures ; 
 the tears started from his eyes, and 
 he made signs with the knife, that, 
 if he was ever guilty of such an action 
 as had been imputed to him, he would 
 submit to have his throat cut. He 
 then rushed out of the lines, and 
 returned hastily to Mr Banks, with a 
 countenance that severely reproached 
 
 B 
 
18 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 him with his suspicions. Mr Banks 
 soon understood that the knife had 
 been received from his servant, and 
 was scarcely less affected at what had 
 happened than the chief; he felt 
 himself to be the guilty person, and 
 was very desirous to atone for his 
 fault. The poor Indian, however 
 violent his passions, was a stranger 
 to sullen resentment; and upon Mr 
 Banks's spending a little time famil- 
 iarly with him, and making him a 
 few trilling presents, he forgot the 
 wrong that had been done him, and 
 was perfectly reconciled. 
 
 Upon this occasion it may be ob- 
 served that these people have a know- 
 ledge of right and wrong from the 
 mere dictates of natural conscience; 
 and involuntarily condemn themselves 
 when they do that to others which 
 they would condemn others for doing 
 to them. That Tubourai Tamaide 
 felt the force of moral obligation, is 
 certain ; for the imputation of an ac- 
 tion which he considered as indiffer- 
 ent, would not, when it appeared to 
 be groundless, have mryed him with 
 such excess of passion. We must 
 indeed estimate the virtue of these 
 people by the conformity of their 
 conduct to what in their opinion is 
 right ; but we must not hastily con- 
 clude that theft is a testimony of the 
 same depravity in them that it is in 
 us, in the instances in which our 
 people were sufferers by their dis- 
 honesty ; for their temptation was 
 such as to surmount, would be con- 
 sidered as a proof of uncommon in- 
 te<mty among those who have more 
 knowledge, better principles, and 
 stronger motives to resist the tempta- 
 tions of illicit advantage. An Indian 
 among penny knives and beads, or 
 even nails and broken glass, is in the 
 same state of trial with the meanest 
 servant in Europe among unlocked 
 coffers of jewels and gold. 
 
 On the 26th I mounted six swivel 
 guns upon the fort, which I was sorry 
 to see struck the natives with dread. 
 Some fishermen who lived upon the 
 point removed farther off, and Owhaw 
 told us, by signs, that in four days 
 w«o should fire great guns. 
 
 On the 27th, 
 
 [Tot. I 
 
 Tubourai Tamaide, 
 
 with a friend, who ate with a voracity 
 that I never saw before, and the 
 three women that usually attended 
 him, whose names were Terapo, Tirao, 
 and Omie, dined at the fort. In the 
 evening they took their leave, and 
 set out for the house which Tubourai 
 Tamaide had set up in the skirts of 
 the wood ; but in less than a quarter 
 of an hour he returned in great emo- 
 tion, and hastily seizing Mr Banks's 
 arm, made signs that he should fol- 
 low him. Mr Banks immediately 
 complied, and they soon came to a 
 place where they found the ship's 
 butcher, with a reaping-hook in his 
 hand. Here the chief stopped, and, 
 in a transport of rage which rendered 
 his signs scarcely intelligible, inti 
 mated'that the butcher had threat- 
 ened, or attempted, to cut his wife's 
 throat with the reaping-hook. Mr 
 Banks then signified to him, that if 
 he could fully explain the offence, the 
 man should be punished. Upon this 
 he became more calm, and made Mr 
 Banks understand that the offender, 
 having taken a fancy to a stone 
 hatchet which lay in his house, had 
 offered to purchase it of his wife for a 
 nail ; that she having refused to part 
 with it upon any terms, he had 
 catched it up, and throwing down 
 the nail, threatened to cut her throat 
 if she made any resistance. To prove 
 this charge, the hatchet and the nail 
 were produced ; and the butcher had 
 so little to say in his defence, that 
 there was not the least reason to 
 doubt of its truth. 
 
 Mr Banks having reported this 
 matter to me, 1 took an opportunity, 
 when the chief and his women, with 
 other Indians, were on board the ship, 
 to call up the butcher, and after a 
 recapitulation of the charge and the 
 proof, I gave orders that he should 
 be punished, as well to prevent other 
 offences of the same kind, as to acquit 
 Mr Banks of his promise. The In- 
 dians saw him stripped and tied up 
 to the rigging with a fixed attention, 
 waiting in silent suspense for the 
 event ; but as soon as the first stroke 
 was given, they interfered with gi'eat 
 
CHANGEABLE TEMPERAMENT OF NATIVES 
 
 17(59.] 
 
 agitation, earnestly entreating that 
 the rest of the punishment might he 
 remitted. To this, however, for 
 many reasons, I could not consent ; 
 and when they found that they could 
 not prevail by their intercession, they 
 gave vent to their pity by tears. 
 
 Their tears, indeed, like those of 
 children, were always ready to express 
 any passion that was strongly excited, 
 and, like those of children, they also 
 appeared to he forgotten as soon as 
 shed ; of which the following, among 
 many others, is a remarkable instance. 
 Very early in the morning of the 28th, 
 even before it was day, a great num- 
 ber of them came down to the fort, 
 and Terapo being observed among the 
 women ou the outside of the gate, 
 Mr Banks went out and brought her 
 in ; he saw that the tears then stood 
 in her eyes, and as soon as she en- 
 tered they began to flow in great 
 abundance. He inquired earnestly 
 the cause, but instead of answering, 
 ohe took from under her garment a 
 shark's tooth, and struck it six or 
 seven times into her head with great 
 force ; a profusion of blood followed, 
 and she talked loud, but in a most 
 melancholy tone, for some minutes, 
 without at all regarding his inquiries, 
 which he repeated 'with still more im- 
 patience and concern, while the other 
 Indians, to his great surprise, talked 
 and laughed, without taking the least 
 notice of her distress. But her own 
 behaviour was still more extraordin- 
 ary. As soon as the bleeding was 
 over, she looked up with a smile, and 
 began to collect some small pieces of 
 cloth, which during her bleeding she 
 had thrown down to catch the blood ; 
 as soon as she had picked them all 
 up, she carried them out of the tent, 
 and threw them into the sea, carefully 
 dispersing them abroad, as if she 
 wished to prevent the sight of them 
 from reviving the remembrance of 
 what she had done. She then plunged 
 into the river, and after having washed 
 her whole body, returned to the tents 
 with the same gaiety and cheerfulness 
 as if nothing had happened. 
 
 It is not indeed strange that the 
 sorrows of these artless people should 
 
 19 
 
 be transient, any more than that 
 their passions should be suddenly and 
 strongly expressed. What they feel 
 they have never been taught either to 
 disguise or suppress, and having no 
 habits of thinking which perpetually 
 recall the past, and anticipate the 
 future, they aro affected by all the 
 changes of the passing hour, and re- 
 flect the colour of the time, however 
 frequently it may vary. They have 
 no project which is to be pursued from 
 day to day, the subject of unremitted 
 anxiety and solicitude, that first 
 rushes into the mind when they 
 awake in the morning, and is last dis- 
 missed when they sleep at night. 
 Yet, if we admit that they are upon 
 the whole happier than we, we must 
 admit that the child is happier than 
 the man, and that we are losers by the 
 perfection of our nature, the increase 
 of our knowledge, and the enlarge- 
 ment of our views. 
 
 Canoes were continually coming in 
 during all this forenoon, and the 
 tents at the fort were crowded with 
 people of both sexes from different 
 parts of the island. I was myself 
 busy on board the ship, but Mr Mol- 
 lineux, our master, who was one oi 
 those that made the last voj'age in the 
 Dolphin, went on shore. As soon as 
 he entered Mr Banks's tent, he fixed 
 his eyes upon one of the women, who 
 was sitting there with great compo- 
 sure among the rest, and immediately 
 declared her to be the person who at 
 that time was supposed to be the queen 
 of the island ; she also, at the same 
 time, acknowledging him to be one of 
 the strangers whom she had seen be- 
 fore. - . The attention of all present 
 was now diverted from every other 
 object, and wholly engaged in con- 
 sidering a person who had made so 
 distinguished a. figure in the accounts 
 that had been given of this island by 
 its first discoverers ; and we soon 
 learned that her name was Oberea. 
 She seemed to be about forty years of 
 age, and was not only tall, but of a 
 large make ; her skin was white, and 
 there was an uncommon intelligence 
 and sensibility in her eyes. She ap- 
 peared to have been handsome when 
 
20 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 she was young, but at this time little 
 more than memorials of her beauty 
 were left. 
 
 As soon as her quality was known, 
 an offer was made to conduct her to 
 the ship. Of this she readily accepted, 
 and came on board with two men and 
 several women, who seemed to be all 
 of her family. I received her with 
 such marks of distinction as I thought 
 would gratify her most, and was not 
 sparing of my presents, among which 
 this august personage seemed particu- 
 larly delighted with a child's doll. 
 After some time spent on board, 1 at- 
 tended her back to the shore ; and as 
 soon as we landed, she presented me 
 with a hog, and several bunches of 
 plantains, which she caused to be 
 earned from her canoes up to the fort 
 in a kind of procession, of which she 
 and myself brought up the rear. In 
 our way to the fort we met Tootahah, 
 who, though not king, appeared to be 
 at this time invested with the sovereign 
 authority. He seemed not to be well 
 pleased with the distinction that was 
 shown to the lady, and became so 
 jealous when she produced her doll, 
 that to propitiate him it was thought 
 proper to compliment him with an- 
 other. At this time he thought fit 
 to prefer a doll to a hatchet ; but this 
 preference arose only from a childish 
 jealousy, which could not be soothed 
 but by a gift of exactly the same kind 
 with that which had been presented 
 to Oberea ; for dolls in a very short 
 time were universally considered as 
 trifles of no value. 
 
 The men who had visited us from 
 timetotimehad, without scruple, eaten 
 of our provisions ; but the women had 
 never yet been prevailed upon to taste 
 a morsel. To day, however, though 
 they refused the most pressing solicita- 
 tions to dine with the gentlemen, they 
 afterwards retired to the servants' 
 apartment, and ate of plantains very 
 heartily ; a mystery of female econo- 
 my here, which none of us could ex- 
 plain. 
 
 On the 29th, not very early in the 
 forenoon, Mr Banks went to pay his 
 court to Oberea, and was told that she 
 was still asleep under the awning of 
 
 [Voy. I. 
 therefore, he 
 
 her canoe. Thither, 
 went, intending to call her up, a 
 liberty which he thought he might 
 take without any danger of giving 
 offence. But, upon looking into her 
 chamber, to his great astonishment 
 he found her in bed with a handsome 
 young fellow about five-and-twenty, 
 whose name was Obad^e. He retreated 
 with some haste and confusion, but 
 was soon made to understand that such 
 amours gave no occasion to scandal, 
 and that Obadee was universally known 
 to have been selected by her as the 
 object of her private favours. The lady 
 being too polite to suffer Mr Banks to 
 wait long in her antechamber, dressed 
 herself with more than usual expedi- 
 tion, and, as a token of special grace, 
 clothed him in a suit of fine cloth, and 
 proceeded with him to the tents. In 
 the evening Mr Banks paid a visit to 
 Tubourai Tamaide, as he had often 
 done before, by candle light, and was 
 equally grieved and surprised to find 
 him and his family in a melancholy 
 mood, and most of them in tears. He 
 endeavoured in vain to discover the 
 cause, and therefore his stay among 
 them was but short. "When he re- 
 ported this circumstance to the offi- 
 cers at the fort, they recollected that 
 Owhaw had foretold that in four days 
 we should fire our great guns ; and as 
 this was the eve of the third day, the 
 situation in which Tubourai Tamaide 
 and his family had been found, alarmed 
 them. The sentries, therefore, were 
 doubled at the fort, and the gentlemen 
 slept under arms ; at two in the morn- 
 ing, Mr Banks himself went rouud 
 the point, but found everything so 
 quiet that he gave up all suspicions of 
 mischief intended by the natives as 
 groundless. We had, however, an- 
 other source of security ; our little for- 
 tification was now complete. The 
 north and south sides consisted of a 
 bank of earth four feet and a half high 
 on the inside, and a ditch without, ten 
 feet broad and six deep ; on the west 
 side, facing the bay, there was a bank 
 of earth four feet high, and palisadoes 
 upon that, but no ditch, the works 
 here being at high-water mark ; on 
 the east side, upon the bank of the 
 
1769.] TUBOUP.AI TAMAIDE 
 
 river, was placed a double row of 
 water-casks lilled with water ; and, as 
 this was the weakest side, the two 
 4-pounders were planted there, and six 
 swivel guns were mounted so as to 
 command the only two avenues from 
 the woods. Our garrison consisted of 
 about five-and-forty men witli small 
 arms, including the officers, and the 
 gentlemen who resided on shore ; and 
 our sentries were as well relieved as on 
 the best regulated frontier in Europe. 
 We continued our vigilance the next 
 day, though we had no particular 
 reason to think it necessary; but 
 about 10 o'clock in the morning, 
 Tomio came running to the tents, 
 with a mixture of grief and fear in 
 her countenance, and taking Mr 
 Banks, to whom they applied in every 
 emergency and distress, by the arm, 
 intimated that Tubourai Tamaide was 
 dying, in consequence of something 
 which our people had given him to 
 eat, and that he must instantly go 
 with her to his house. Mr Banks set 
 out without delay, and found his 
 Indian friend leaning his head against 
 a post in an attitude of the utmost 
 languor and despondency ; the people 
 about him intimated that he had. been 
 vomiting, and brought out a leaf 
 folded up with great care, which, they 
 said, contained some of the poison, 
 by the deleterious effects of which he 
 was now dying. Mr Banks hastily 
 opened the leaf, and upon examining 
 its contents, found them to be no 
 other than a chew of tobacco, which 
 the chief had begged of some of our 
 people, and which they had indiscreetly 
 given him. He had observed that 
 they kept it long in the mouth, and 
 being desirous of doing the same, he 
 had chewed it to powder and swal- 
 lowed the spittle. During the exam- 
 ination of the leaf and its contents, 
 he looked up at Mr Banks with the 
 most piteous aspect, and intimated 
 that he had but a very short time to 
 live. Mr Banks, however, being now 
 master of his disease, directed him to 
 drink plentifully of cocoa-nut milk, 
 which in a short time put an end to 
 his sickness and apprehensions ; and 
 he spent the day at the fort with that 
 
 'S USE OF TOBACCO. 
 
 21 
 
 uncommon flow of cheerfulness and 
 good-humour which is always pro- 
 duced by a sudden and unexpected 
 relief from pain either of body or 
 mind. 
 
 Captain Wallis having brought 
 home one of the adzes which these 
 people — having no metal of any kind — 
 make of stone, Mr Stevens, the Secre- 
 tary to the Admiralty, procured one 
 to be made of iron in imitation of it, 
 which I brought out with me, to show 
 how much we excelled in making 
 tools after their own fashion. This I 
 had not yet produced, as it never hap- 
 pened to come into my mind. But 
 on the 1st of May, Tootahah, coming 
 on board about 10 o'clock in the fore- 
 noon, expressed a great curiosity to 
 see the contents of every chest and 
 drawer that was in my cabin. As I 
 always made a point of gratifying him, 
 I opened them immediately ; and 
 having taken a fancy to many things 
 that he saw, and collected them to- 
 gether, he at last happened to cast his 
 eye upon this adze. He instantly 
 snatched it up with the greatest eager- 
 ness, and, putting away everything 
 which he had before selected, he asked 
 me whether I would let him have 
 that. I readily consented ; and, as if 
 he was afraid I should repent, he car- 
 ried it oil' immediately in a transport 
 of joy, without making any other re- 
 quest, which, whatever had been our 
 liberality, was seldom the case. 
 
 About noon, a chief who had dined 
 with me a few days before, accom- 
 panied by some of his women, camo 
 on board alone. I had observed that 
 he was fed by his women, but I made 
 no doubt that upon occasion he would 
 condescend to feed himself. In this, 
 however, I found myself mistaken. 
 "When my noble guest was seated, and 
 the dinner upon the table, I helped 
 him to some victuals. As I observed 
 that he did not immediately begin his 
 meal, I pressed him to eat; but he 
 still continued to sit motionless like a 
 statue, without attempting to put a 
 single morsel into his mouth, and 
 would certainly have gone without his 
 dinner if one of the servants had net 
 fed him. 
 
22 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 [Vo 
 
 ■=r T 
 
 In the afternoon of Monday the 1st 
 of May we set up the observatory, and 
 took the astronomical quadrant, with 
 some other instruments, on shore, for 
 the first time. The next morning, 
 about 9 o'clock, I went on shore with 
 Mr Green to fix the quadrant in a 
 situation for use, when, to our inex- 
 pressible surprise and concern, it was 
 not to be found. It had been deposited 
 in the tent which was reserved for my 
 use, where, as I passed the night ou 
 board, nobody slept. It had never 
 been taken out of the packing-case, 
 which was eighteen inches square, and 
 the whole was of considerable weight ; 
 a sentinel had been posted the whole 
 night within five yards of the tent 
 door, and none of the other instru- 
 ments were missing. We at first sus- 
 pected that it might have been stolen 
 by some of our own people, who, see- 
 ing a deal box, and not knowing the 
 contents, might think it contained 
 nails, or some other subjects of traffic 
 with the natives. A large reward was 
 therefore offered to any one who could 
 find it, as without this we could not 
 perforin the service for which our voy- 
 age was principally undertaken. Our 
 search in the meantime was not con- 
 fined to the fort and places adjacent, 
 but a3 the case might possibly have 
 been carried back to the ship, if any 
 of our own people had been the thieves, 
 the most diligent search was made for 
 it on board. All the parties, how- 
 ever, returned without any news of 
 the quadrant. Mr Banks, therefore, 
 who upon such occasions declined 
 neither labour nor risk, and who had 
 more influence over the Indians than 
 any of us, determined to go in search 
 of it into the woods ; he hoped that if 
 it had been stolen by the natives he 
 should find it wherever they had open- 
 ed the box, as they would immediately 
 discover that to them it would be 
 wholly useless ; or, if in this expecta- 
 tion he should be disappointed, that 
 he might recover it by the ascendancy 
 he had acquired over the chiefs. He 
 set out, accompanied by a midship- 
 man and Mr Green, and as he was 
 crossing the river he was met by Tu- 
 bourai Tamaide, who immediately 
 
 made the figure of a triangle with 
 three bits of straw upon his hand. 
 By this Mr Banks knew that the In- 
 dians were the thieves ; and that, 
 although they had opened the case, 
 they were not disposed to part with 
 the contents. No time was therefore 
 to be lost, and Mr Banks made Tu- 
 bourai Tamaide understand that he' 
 must instantly go with him to the 
 place whither "the quadrant had been 
 carried. He consented, and they set 
 out together to the eastward, the chief 
 inquiring at every house which they 
 passed after the thief by name. The 
 people readily told him which way he 
 was gone, and how long it was since 
 he had been there. The hope which 
 this gave them, that they should over- 
 take him, supported them under their 
 fatigue ; and they pressed forward, 
 sometimes walking, sometimes run- 
 ning, though the weather was intoler- 
 ably hot. When they had climbed a 
 hill at the distance of about four miles, 
 their conductor showed them a point 
 full three miles farther, and gave 
 them to understand that they were 
 not to expect the instrument till they 
 had got thither. Here they paused ; 
 they had no arms, except a pair of 
 pistols which Mr Banks always car- 
 ried in his pocket. They were going 
 to a place that was at least seven 
 miles distant from the fort, where the 
 Indians might be less submissive than 
 at home, and to take from them what 
 they had ventured their lives to get, 
 and what, notwithstanding our con- 
 jectures, they appeared desirous to 
 keep. These were discouraging cir- 
 cumstances, and their situation would 
 become more critical at every step. 
 They determined, however, not to re- 
 linquish their enterprise, nor to pur- 
 sue it without taking the best mea- 
 sures for their security that were in 
 their power. It was therefore deter- 
 mined that Mr Banks and Mr Green 
 should go on, and that the midship- 
 man should return to me, and desire 
 that I would send a party of men after 
 them, acquainting me, at the same 
 time, that it was impossible they 
 should return till it was dark. Upon 
 receiving this message, I set out with 
 
1769.] 
 
 such a party as I thought sufficient 
 for the occasion, leaving orders, both 
 at the ship and at the fort, that no 
 canoe should be suffered to go out of 
 the bay, but that none of the natives 
 should be seized or detained. 
 
 In the meantime, Mr Banks and 
 Mr Green pursued their journey, 
 under the auspices of Tubourai Tam- 
 aide, and in the very spot which he 
 had specified, they met one of his own 
 people, with part of a quadrant in his 
 hand. At this most welcome sight 
 they stopped ; and a great number of 
 Indians immediately came up, some 
 of whom pressing rather rudely upon 
 them, Mr Banks thought it necessary 
 to show one of his pistols, the sight 
 of which reduced them instantly to 
 order. As the crowd that gathered 
 round them was every moment in- 
 creasing, he marked out a circle in 
 the grass, and they ranged themselves 
 on the outside of it, to the number of 
 several hundreds, with great quietness 
 and decorum. Into the middle of 
 this circle, the box, which was now 
 arrived, was ordered to be brought, 
 with several reading glasses, and other 
 small matters, which in their hurry 
 they had put into a pistol-case that 
 Mr Banks knew to be his property — 
 it having been some time before stolen 
 from the tents, with a horse pistol in 
 it, which he immediately demanded, 
 and which was all restored. 
 
 Mr Green was impatient to see 
 whether all that had been taken away 
 was returned, and upon examining 
 the box found the stand, and a few 
 small things of less consequence want- 
 ing. Several persons were sent in 
 search of these, and most of the small 
 things were returned. But it was sig- 
 nified that the thief had not brought 
 the stand so far, and that it would 
 be delivered to our friends as they 
 went back ; this being confirmed by 
 Tubourai Tarn aide, they prepared to 
 return, as nothing would then be 
 wanting but what might easily be 
 supplied ; and after they had advanced 
 about two miles, I met them with my 
 party, to our mutual satisfaction, con- 
 gratulating each other upon the re- 
 coverv of the quadrant, with a pleasure 
 
 THEFT OF A QUADRANT. 
 
 23 
 
 proportioned to the importance of the 
 event. 
 
 About 8 o'clock, Mr Banks, with 
 Tubourai Tamaide, got back to the 
 fort ; when, to his great surprise, he 
 found Tootahah in custody, and many 
 of the natives in the utmost terror 
 and distress, crowding about the gate. 
 He went hastily in, some of the In- 
 dians were suffered to follow him, 
 and the scene was extremely affecting. 
 Tubourai Tamaide pressing forward, 
 ran up to Tootahah, and catching 
 him in his arms, they both burst into 
 tears, and wept over each other, with- 
 out being able to speak ; the other 
 Indians were also in tears for their 
 chief, both he and they being strongly 
 possessed with the notion that he was 
 to be put to death. In this situation 
 they continued till I entered the fort, 
 which was about a quarter of an hour 
 afterwards. I was equally surprised 
 and concerned at what had happened, 
 the confining Tootahah being contrary 
 to my orders, and therefore instantly 
 set him at liberty. Upon inquiring 
 into the affair, 1 was told, that my 
 going into the woods with a party of 
 men under arms, at a time when i 
 robbery had been committed, which 
 it was supposed I should resent in 
 proportion to our apparent injury by 
 the loss, had so alarmed the natives, 
 that in the evening they began to 
 leave the neighbourhood of the fort, 
 with their effects ; that a double canofl 
 having been seen to put off from tn-3 
 bottom of the bay by Mr Gc«e, the 
 second lieutenant, who v^as left in 
 command on board the ship, and who 
 had received orders not to suffer any 
 canoe to go out, he sent the boatswain 
 with a boat after her to bring her 
 back ; that as soon as the boat came 
 up, the Indians, being alarmed, leaped 
 into the sea and that, Tootahah being 
 unfortunately one of the number, the 
 boatswain took him up and brought 
 him to the ship, suffering the rest cf 
 the people to swim on shore ; that 
 Mr Gore, not sufficiently attending to 
 the order that none of the people 
 should bo confined, had sent him to 
 the fort, and Mr Hicks, the first lieu- 
 tenant, who commanded the~<>, receiv- 
 
24 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 in«; him in charge from Mr Gore, did 
 not think himself at liberty to dismiss 
 him. The notion that we intended 
 to put him to death had possessed 
 him so strongly, that he could not he 
 persuaded to the contrary till by my 
 orders he was led out of the fort. The 
 people received him as they would 
 have done a father in the same circum- 
 stances, and every one pressed forward 
 to embrace him. Sudden joy is com- 
 monly liberal, without a scrupulous 
 regard to merit ; and Tootahah, in the 
 first expansion of his heart, upon being 
 unexpectedly restored to liberty and 
 life, insisted upon our receiving a 
 present of two hogs ; though, being 
 conscious that upon this occasion we 
 had no claim to favours, we refused 
 them many times. 
 
 Mr Banks and Dr Solander attended 
 the next morning in their usual capa- 
 city of market-men ; but very few 
 Indians appeared, and those who came 
 brought no provisions. Tootahah, 
 however, sent some of his people for 
 the canoe that had been detained, 
 which they took away. A canoe hav- 
 ing also been detained that belonged 
 to Oberea, Tupia, the person who 
 managed her affairs when the Dolphin 
 was here, was sent to examine whether 
 anything on board had been taken 
 away ; and he was so well satisfied of 
 the contrary, that he left the canoe 
 where he found it, and joined us at 
 the fort, where he spent the day, and 
 slept on board the canoe at night. 
 About noon, some fishing-boats came 
 abreast of the tents, but would part 
 with very little of what they had on 
 board ; and we felt the want of cocoa- 
 nuts and bread-fruit very severely. 
 In the course of the day, Mr Banks 
 walked out into the woods, that by 
 conversing with the people he might 
 recover their confidence and good- 
 will. He found them civil, but they 
 all complained of the ill-treatment of 
 their chief, who, they said, had been 
 beaten and pulled by the hair. Mr 
 Banks endeavoured to convince them 
 that he had suffered no personal vio- 
 lence, which, to the best of our know- 
 ledge, was true ; yet, perhaps, the 
 boatswain had behaved withabrutality 
 
 [VOT.I. 
 
 which he was afraid or ashamed to 
 acknowledge. The chief himself be- 
 ing probably, upon recollection, of 
 opinion that we had ill-deserved the 
 hogs which he had left with us as a 
 present, sent a messenger in the after- 
 noon to demand an axe and a shirt in 
 return ; but as I was told that he did 
 not intend to come down to the fort 
 for ten days, I excused myself from 
 giving them till I should see him, 
 hoping that his impatience might 
 induce him to fetch them, and know- 
 ing that absence would probably con- 
 tinue the coolness between us, to 
 which the first interview might put 
 an end. 
 
 The next day we were still more 
 sensible of the inconvenience we had 
 incurred by giving offence to the peo- 
 ple in the person of their chief ; for 
 the market was so ill supplied that 
 we were in want of necessaries. Mr 
 Banks therefore went into the woods 
 to Tubourai Tamaidc, and with some 
 difficulty persuaded him to let us have 
 five baskets of bread-fruit ; a very 
 seasonable supply, as they contained 
 above 120. In the afternoon another 
 messenger arrived from Tootahah for 
 the axe and shirt. As it was now be- 
 come absolutely necessary to recover 
 the friendship of this man, without 
 which it would be scarcely possible to 
 procure provisions, I sent word that 
 Mr Banks and myself would risit him 
 on the morrow, and bring what ho 
 wanted with us. 
 
 Early the next morning he sent 
 again to remind me of my promise, 
 and his people seemed to wait, till we 
 should set out, with great impatience. 
 I therefore ordered the pinnace, in 
 which I embarked with Mr Banks 
 and Dr Solander about 10 o'clock. 
 We took one of Tootahah's people in 
 the boat with us, and in about an 
 hour we arrived at his place of resi- 
 dence, which is called Eparre, and is 
 about four miles to the westward of 
 the tents. 
 
 We found the people waiting for us 
 in great numbers upon the shore, so 
 that it would have been impossible 
 for us to have proceeded, if way nad 
 not been made for us by a tail well- 
 
1769.] A VISIT TO 
 
 looking man, who had something like 
 a turban about his head, and a long 
 white stick in his hand, with which 
 he laid about him at an unmerciful 
 rate. This man conducted us to the 
 chief, while the people shouted round 
 us, ' ' Taio Tootahah, "— " Tootahah is 
 your friend." We found him, like an 
 ancient patriarch, sitting under a tree, 
 with a number of venerable old men 
 standing round him. He made a 
 sign to us to sit down, and immedi- 
 ately asked for his axe ; this I pre- 
 sented to him, with an upper garment 
 of broad cloth, made after the country 
 fashion, and trimmed with tape, to 
 which I also added a shirt. He re- 
 ceived them with great satisfaction, 
 and immediately put on the garment ; 
 but the shirt he gave to the person 
 who had cleared the way for us ujxm 
 our landing, who was now seated by 
 us, and of whom he seemed desirous 
 that we should take particular notice. 
 In a short time, Oberea, and several 
 other women whom we knew, came 
 and sat down among us. Tootahah 
 left us several times, but after a short 
 absence returned ; we thought it had 
 been to show himself in his new finery 
 to the people, but we wronged him, 
 for it was to give directions for our 
 refreshment and entertainment. While 
 we were waiting for his return the last 
 time he left us, very impatient to be 
 dismissed, as we were almost suffocat- 
 ed in the crowd, word was brought us 
 that he expected us elsewhere. We 
 found him sitting under the awning 
 of our own boat, and making signs 
 that we should come to him. As 
 many of us, therefore, went on board 
 as the boat would hold, and he then 
 ordered bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts to 
 be brought, of both which we tasted, 
 rather to gratify him than because we 
 had a desire to eat. A message was 
 soon after brought him, upon which 
 he went out of the boat, and we were 
 in a short time desired to follow. We 
 were conducted to a large area or court- 
 yard, which was railed round with 
 bamboos about three feet high, on one 
 side of his house, where an entertain- 
 ment was provided for us, entirely 
 new. This was a wrestling-match. 
 
 TOOTAHAH. 25 
 
 At the upper end of the area sat the 
 chief, and several of his principal men 
 were ranged on each side of him, so 
 as to form a semicircle ; these were 
 the judges, by whom the victor was 
 to be applauded. Seats were also left 
 for us, at each end of the line ; but we 
 chose rather to be at liberty among the 
 rest of the spectators. 
 
 When all was ready, ten or twelve 
 persons, whom we understood to be 
 the combatants, and who were naked, 
 except a cloth that was fastened about 
 the waist, entered the area, and walked 
 slowly round it, in a stooping posture, 
 with their left hands on their right 
 breasts, and their right hands open, 
 with which they frequently struck the 
 left fore-arm so as to produce a quick 
 smart sound. This was a general chal- 
 lenge to the combatants whom they 
 were to engage, or any other person 
 present. After these followed others, 
 in the same manner ; and then a par- 
 ticular challenge was given, by wl ich 
 each man singled out his antagonist. 
 This was done by joining the finger 
 ends of both hands, and bringing them 
 to the breast, at the same time mov- 
 ing the elbows up and down with a 
 quick motion. If the person to whom 
 this was addressed accepted the chal- 
 lenge, he repeated the signs, and im- 
 mediately each put himself into an 
 attitude to engage. The next minuta 
 they closed, but, except in first seizing 
 each other, it was a mere contest of 
 strength ; each endeavoured to lay 
 hold of the other, first by the thigh, 
 and if that failed by the hand, the 
 hair, the cloth, or elsewhere as he 
 could. When this was done they 
 grappled, without the least dexterity 
 or skill, till one of them, by having 
 a more advantageous hold, or greater 
 muscular force, threw the other on his 
 back. When the contest was over, 
 the old men gave their plaudit to the 
 victor in a few words, which they re- 
 peated together in a kind of tune ; his 
 conquest was also generally celebrated 
 by three huzzas. The entertainment 
 was then suspended for a few minutes, 
 after which another couple of wrestlers 
 came forward and engaged in the same 
 If it happened that neither 
 
 manner. 
 
26 
 
 was thrown, after the contest had 
 continued about a minute, they parted, 
 either by consent or the intervention 
 of their friends ; and in this case each 
 slapped his arm, as a challenge to a 
 new engagement, either with the same 
 antagonist or some other. While the 
 wrestlers were engaged, another party 
 of men performed a dance, whichlasted 
 also about a minute ; but neither of 
 these parties took the least notice of 
 each other, their attentionbeing wholly 
 fixed on what they were doing. "We 
 observed with pleasure, that the con- 
 queror never exulted over the van- 
 quished, and that the vanquished 
 never repined at the success of the 
 conqueror ; the whole contest was 
 carried on with perfect good-will and 
 good-humour, though in the presence 
 of at least 500 spectators, of whom 
 some were women. The number of 
 women, indeed, was comparatively 
 small ; none but those of rank were 
 present ; and we had reason to believe 
 that they would not have been spec- 
 tators of this exercise but in compli- 
 ment to us. 
 
 Thislasted about two hours; during 
 all which time, the man who had 
 made a way for us when we landed, 
 kept the people at a proper distance, 
 by striking those who pressed forward 
 very severely with his stick. Upon 
 inquiry we learned that he was an 
 officer belonging to Tootahah, acting 
 as master of the ceremonies. It is 
 scarcely possible, for those who are 
 acquainted with the athletic sports of 
 very remote antiquity, not to remark 
 a rude resemblance of them in this 
 wrestling-match among the natives of 
 a little island in the midst of the Pa- 
 cific Ocean. And female readers may 
 recollect the account given of them by 
 Fcnelon in his Telemachus, where, 
 though the events are fictitious, the 
 manners of the age are faithfully tran- 
 scribed from authors by whom they 
 are supposed to have been truly re- 
 lated. 
 
 "When the wrestling was over, we 
 were given to understand that two 
 hogs, and a large quantity of bread- 
 fruit, were preparing for our dinner ; 
 which, as our appetites were now keen, 
 
 COOK'S YOYAGES. [Yoy. I. 
 
 was very agreeable intelligence. Our 
 host, however, seemed to repent of his 
 liberality ; for, instead of setting his 
 two hogs "before us, he ordered one of 
 them to be carried into our boat : at 
 first we were not sorry for this new 
 disposition of matters, thinking that 
 we should dine more comfortably in 
 the boat than on shore, as the crowd 
 would more easily be kept at a dis- 
 tance ; but when we came on board, 
 he ordered us to proceed with his hog 
 to the ship. This was mortifying, as 
 we were now to row four miles while 
 our dinner was growing cold; however, 
 we thought fit to comply, and were at 
 last gratified with the cheer that he 
 had provided, of which he and Tti- 
 bourai TamaiJe had a liberal share. 
 
 Our reconciliation with this man 
 operated uponthepeoyile likeacharm ; 
 for he was no sooner known to be on 
 board, than bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, 
 and other provisions were brought to 
 the fort in great plenty. Affairs now 
 went on in the usual channel ; but 
 pork being still a scarce commodity, 
 our master, Mr Mollineux, and Mr 
 Green, went in the pinnace to the east- 
 ward, on the 8th, early in the morn- 
 ing, to see whether they could procure 
 any hogs or poultry in that part of the 
 country. They proceeded in that di 
 
 rection twenty miles ; but though 
 they saw many hogs, and one turtle, 
 they could not purchase either at any 
 price. The people everywhere told 
 them, that they all belonged to Toot- 
 ahah, and that they could sell none 
 of them without his permission. We 
 now began to think that this man was 
 indeed a great prince ; for an influence 
 so extensive and absolute could be 
 acquired by no other. And we after- 
 wards found that he administered the 
 government of this part of the island, 
 as sovereign, for a minor whom we 
 never saw all the time that we were 
 upon it. "When Mr Green returned 
 from this expedition he said he had 
 seen a tree of a size which he was 
 afraid to relate, it being no less than 
 sixty yards in circumference ; but Mr 
 Banks and Dr Solander soon explained 
 to him that it was a species of the fig, 
 the branches of which, bending down, 
 
J769.] NAMES BESTOWED 
 
 take fresh root in the earth, and thus 
 form a congeries of trunks, vrhich 
 being very close to each other, and all 
 joined by a common vegetation, might 
 easily be mistaken for one. 
 
 Though the market at the fort was 
 now tolerably supplied, provisions 
 were brought more slowly ; a sufficient 
 quantity usedto be purchased between 
 sun-rise and eight o'clock, but it was 
 now become necessary to attend the 
 greatest part of the day. Mr Banks, 
 therefore, fixed his little boat up be- 
 fore the door of the fort, which was 
 of great use as a place to trade in. 
 Hitherto we had purchased cocoa-nuts 
 and bread-fruit for beads ; but the 
 market becoming rather slack in these 
 articles, we were now, for the first 
 time, forced to bring out our nails. 
 One of our smallest size, which was 
 about four inches long, procured us 
 twenty cocoa-nuts, and bread-fruit in 
 proportion, so that in a short time our 
 first plenty was restored. 
 
 On the 9th, soon after breakfast, we 
 received a visit from Oberea, being the 
 first that she had made us after the 
 loss of our quadrant and the unfor- 
 tunate confinement of Tootahah ; with 
 her came her present favourite, Oba- 
 dee, and Tupia. They brought us a 
 hog and some bread-fruit, in return for 
 which we gave her a hatchet. We had 
 now afforded our Indian friends a new 
 and interesting object of curiosity — 
 our forge, which, having been set up 
 some time, was almost constantly at 
 work. It was now common for them 
 to bring pieces of iron, which we sup- 
 pose they must have got from the Dol- 
 phin, to be made into tools of various 
 kinds ; and as I was very desirous to 
 gratify them, they were indulged, ex- 
 cept when the smith's time was too 
 precious to be spared. Oberea, hav- 
 ing received her hatchet, produced as 
 much old iron as would have made 
 another, with a request that another 
 might be made of it ; in this, however, 
 I could not gratify her, upon which 
 she brought out a broken axe, and de- 
 sired it might be mended. I was glad 
 of an opportunity to compromise the 
 difference between us ; her axe was 
 mended, and she appeared to be con- 
 
 by the Natives. 
 
 27 
 
 tent. They went away at night, ami 
 took with them the canoe, which had 
 been a considerable time at the point, 
 but promised to return in three days. 
 
 On the 10th, I put some seeds of 
 melons and other plants into a spot 
 of ground which had been turned up 
 for the purpose ; they had all been 
 sealed up by the person of whom they 
 were bought, in small bottles, with 
 rosin ; but none of them came up ex- 
 cent mustard : even the cucumbers 
 and melons failed, and Mr Banks is 
 of opinion that they were spoiled by 
 the total exclusion of fresh air. 
 
 This day we learned the Indian 
 name of the island, which is Otaheite, 
 and by that name I shall hereafter 
 distinguish it. But after great pains 
 taken we found it utterly impossible 
 to teach the Indians to pronounce our 
 names ; we had, therefore, new names, 
 consisting of such sounds as they pro- 
 duced in the attempt. They called 
 me "Toote;" Mr Hicks, "Hete;" 
 Mollineux they renounced in absolute 
 despair, and called the master ' ' Boba, " 
 from his christian name Robert ; Mr 
 Gore was "Toarro;" Dr Solander, 
 "Torano;" and Mr Banks, "Tap- 
 ane ;" Mr Green, "Eteree;" Mr Par- 
 kinson, "Patini;" MrSporing, "Pol- 
 ini;" Petersgill, " Pedrodero ;" and 
 in this manner they had now formed 
 names for almost every man in the 
 ship. In some, however, it was not 
 easy to find any traces of the original, 
 and they were perhaps not mere arbi- 
 trary sounds, formed upon the occa- 
 sion, but significant words in their own 
 language. Monkhouse, the midship- 
 man who commanded the party that 
 killed the man for stealing the musket, 
 they called "Matte ;" not merely by 
 an attempt to imitate in sound the 
 first syllable of Monkhouse, but be- 
 cause " Matte " signifies dead ; and 
 this might probably be the case with 
 others. 
 
 Friday, the 12th of May, was dis- 
 tinguished by a visit from some ladies 
 whom we had never seen before, and 
 who introduced themselves with very 
 singular ceremonies. Mr Banks was 
 trading in his boat at the gate of the 
 fort as usual, iu company with Tw* 
 
23 COOK'S V 
 
 tahah, who had that morning paid 
 him a visit, and some other of the 
 natives. Between 9 and 10 o'clock, 
 a double canoe came to the landing- 
 place, under the awning of which sat 
 a man and two women. The Indians 
 that were about Mr Banks made signs 
 that he should go out to meet them, 
 which he hasted to do ; but by the 
 time he could get out of the boat, 
 they had advanced -within ten yards of 
 him ; they then stopped, and made 
 signs that he should do so too, laying 
 down about a dozen young plantain 
 trees, and some other small plants. 
 He complied, and, the people having 
 made a lane between them, the man, 
 who appeared to be a servant, brought 
 six of them to Mr Banks by one of 
 each at a time, passing and repassing 
 six times, and always pronouncing a 
 short sentence when he delivered them. 
 Tupia, who stood by Mr Banks, acted 
 as his master of the ceremonies, and, 
 receiving the branches as they were 
 brought, laid them down in the boat. 
 When this was done, another man 
 brought a large bundle of cloth, which 
 having opened, he spread piece by 
 piece upon the ground, in the space 
 between Mr Banks and his visitors. 
 There were nine pieces, and having 
 laid three pieces one upon another, 
 the-foreinostof the women, who seemed 
 to be the principal, and who was called 
 Oorattooa, stepped upon them, and 
 taking up her garments all around 
 her to the waist, turned about, with 
 great composure and deliberation, and 
 with an air of perfect innocence and 
 simplicity, three times. "When this 
 was done, she dropped the veil, and 
 stepping off the cloth, three more 
 pieces were laid on, and she repeated 
 the ceremony, then stepping off as 
 before ; the last three were laid on, 
 and the ceremony was repeated in the 
 same manner the third time. Imme- 
 diately after this the cloth was rolled 
 up, and given to Mr Banks as a pre- 
 sent from the lady, who, with her 
 friend, came up and saluted him. He 
 made such presents to them both as 
 ho thought would be most acceptable, 
 End after having stayed about an hour 
 they went away. In the evening the 
 
 OYAGES. (Toy.I. 
 
 gentlemen at the fort had a visit from 
 Oberea, and her favourite female at- 
 tendant, whose name was Otheothea, 
 an agreeable girl, whom they were the 
 more pleased to see, because, having 
 been some da3 T s absent, it had been 
 reported she was either sick or dead. 
 
 On the 13th, the market being over 
 about 10 o'clock, Mr Banks walked 
 into the woods with his gun, as he 
 generally did, for the benefit of the 
 shade in the heat of the day. As 
 he was returning, he met Tubourai 
 Tamaide, near his occasional dwell- 
 ing, and stopping to spend a little 
 time with him, he suddenly took the 
 gun out of Mr Banks's hand, cocked 
 it, and holding it up in the air, drew 
 the trigger ; fortunately for him it 
 flashed in the pan. Mr Banks im- 
 mediately took it from him, not a 
 little surprised how he had acquired 
 sufficient knowledge of a gun to dis- 
 charge it, and reproved him with 
 great severity for what he had done. 
 As it was of infinite importance to 
 keep the Indians totally ignorant of 
 the management of fire-arms, he had 
 taken eveiy opportunity of intimat- 
 ing that they could never offend him 
 so highly as by even touching his 
 piece ; it was now proper to enforce 
 this prohibition, and he therefore 
 added threats to his reproof. The 
 Indian bore all patiently ; but the 
 moment Mr Banks crossed the river, 
 he set off with all his family and 
 furniture for his house at Eparre. 
 This being quickly known from the 
 Indians at the fort, and great incon- 
 venience being apprehended from the 
 displeasure of this man, who upon all 
 occasions had been particularly use- 
 ful, Mr Banks determined to follow 
 him without delay, and solicit his 
 return. He set out the same evening 
 accompanied by Mr Mollineux, and 
 found him sitting in the middle of a 
 large circle of people, to whom ho 
 had probably related what had hap- 
 pened, and his fears of the conse- 
 quences. He was himself the very 
 picture of grief and dejection, and 
 the same passions were strongly 
 marked in the countenances of all 
 the people that surrounded him. 
 
1769.] 
 
 THE NATIVES ATTEND DIVINE SERVICE. 
 
 £9 
 
 When Mr Banks and Mr Mollincux 
 went into the circle, one of the 
 women expressed her trouhle as Ter- 
 apo had done upon another occasion, 
 and struck a shark's tooth into her 
 head several times till it was covered 
 with blood. Mr Banks lost no time 
 in putting an end to this universal 
 distress ; he assured the chief that 
 everything which had passed should 
 be forgotten, that there was not the 
 least animositv remaining on one 
 side, nor anything to be feared on 
 the other. The chief was soon 
 soothed into confidence and com- 
 placency, a double canoe was ordered 
 to be got ready, they all returned 
 together to the fort before supper, 
 and, as a pledge of perfect reconcilia- 
 tion, both he and his wife slept all 
 night in Mr Banks's tent. Their pre- 
 sence, however, was no palladium ; 
 for, between 11 and 12 o'clock, one 
 of the natives attempted to get into 
 the fort by scaling the walls, wit\ a 
 design, no doubt, to steal whatever 
 he should happen to find. He was 
 discovered by tli e sentinel, who happily 
 did not fire, and he ran away much 
 faster than any of our people could 
 follow him. The iron and iron-tools 
 which were in continual use at the 
 armourer's forge that was set up 
 within the works, were temptations 
 to theft which none of these people 
 could withstand. 
 
 On the 14th, which was Sunday, I 
 directed that divine service should be 
 performed at the fort. We were de- 
 sirous that some of the principal 
 Indians should be present ; but when 
 the hour came, most of them were 
 returned home. Mr Banks, however, 
 crossed the river, and brought back 
 Tubourai Tamaide and his wife Tomio, 
 hoping that it would give occasion to 
 some inquiries on their part, and 
 some instruction on ours. Having 
 seated them, he placed himself be- 
 tween them, and during the whole 
 service they very attentively observ- 
 ed his behaviour, and very exactly 
 imitated it ; standing, sitting, or 
 kneeling, as they saw him do. They 
 wero conscious that we were employed 
 about somewhat serious and impor- 
 
 tant, as appeared by their calling to 
 the Indians without the ibrt to be 
 silent ; yet when the service was 
 over, neither of them asked any 
 questions, nor would they attend to 
 any attempt that was made to ex- 
 plain what had been done. 
 
 On the 14th and 15th, we had 
 another opportunity of observing the 
 general knowledge which these people 
 had of any design that was formed 
 among them. In the night between 
 the 13th and 14th, one of the water- 
 casks was stolen from the outside of 
 the fort. In the morning there was 
 not an Indian to be seen who did not 
 know that it was gone ; yet they ap- 
 peared not to have been trusted, or 
 not to have been worthy of trust ; 
 for they seemed all of them disposed 
 to give intelligence where it might be 
 found. Mr Banks traced it to a part 
 of the bay where he was told it had 
 been put into a canoe ; but, as it was 
 not of great consequence, he did not 
 complete the discovery. When he 
 returned, he was told by Tubourai 
 Tamaide that another cask would be 
 stolen before the morning. How he 
 came by this knowledge it is not easy 
 to imagine ; that he was not a party 
 in the design is certain, for he came 
 with his wife and family to the place 
 where the water-casks stood, and 
 placing their beds near them, he said 
 he would himself be a pledge for their 
 safety, in despite of the thief. Of 
 this, however, we would not admit, 
 and making them understand that a 
 sentry would be placed to watch the 
 casks till the morning, he removed 
 the beds into Mr Banks's tent, where 
 he and his family spent the night, 
 making signs to th-s sentry when he 
 retired, that he should keep his eyes 
 open. In the night this intelligence 
 appeared to be true; about 12 o'clock 
 the thief came, but discovering that 
 a watch had been set, he went away 
 without his booty. 
 
 Mr Banks's confidence in Tubourai 
 Tamaide had greatly increased since 
 the affair of the knife, in consequence 
 of which he was at length exposed to 
 temptations which neither his integ- 
 rity nor his horjour was able to resist 
 
30 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 rvoT.i. 
 
 The}' had withstood many allure- 
 ments, but were at length ensnared 
 by the fascinating charms of a basket 
 of nails. These nails were much 
 larger than any that had yet been 
 brought into trade, and had, with 
 perhaps some degree of criminal neg- 
 ligence, been left in a corner of Mr 
 Banks's tent, to which the chief had 
 always free access. One of these 
 nails Mr Banks's servant happened to 
 see in his possession, upon his having 
 inadvertently thrown back that part 
 of his garment under which it was 
 concealed. Mr Banks being told of 
 this, and knowing that no such thing 
 had been given him either as a pre- 
 sent or in barter, immediately ex- 
 amined the basket, and discovered 
 that out of seven nails five were 
 missing. He then, though not with- 
 out great reluctance, charged him 
 with the fact, which he immediately 
 confessed, and, however he might 
 suffer, was probably not more hurt 
 than his accuser. A demand was 
 immediately made for restitution ; 
 but this he declined, saying that the 
 nails were at Eparre. However, Mr 
 Banks appearing to be much in 
 earnest, and using some threatening 
 signs, he thought fit to produce one 
 of them. He was then taken to the 
 fort, to receive such judgment as 
 should be given against him by the 
 general voice. After some delibera- 
 tion, that we might not appear to 
 think too lightly of his offence, he 
 was told, that if he would bring the 
 other four nails to the fort, it should 
 be forgotten. To this condition he 
 agreed ; but I am sorry to say he did 
 not fulfil it. Instead of fetching the 
 nails, he removed with his family 
 before night, and took all his furni- 
 ture with him. 
 
 As our long-boat had appeared to 
 be leaky, I thought it necessary to 
 examine her bottom, and to my great 
 surprise, found it so much eaten by 
 the worms, that it was necessary to 
 give her a new one. No such acci- 
 dent had happened to the Dolphin's 
 boats, as I was informed by the 
 officers on board, and therefore it 
 was a misfortune that I did not 
 
 expect. I feared that the pinnace 
 also might be nearly in the same con- 
 dition, but, upon examining her, I 
 had the satisfaction to find that not 
 a worm had touched her, though she 
 was built of the same wood, and had 
 been as much in the water. The 
 reason of this difference I imagine to 
 be that the long-boat was payed with 
 varnish of pine, and the pinnace 
 painted with white lead and oil ; the 
 bottoms of all boats, therefore, which 
 are sent into this country should be 
 painted like that of the pinnace, and 
 the ships should be supplied with a 
 good stock, in order to give them a 
 new coating when it should be found 
 necessaiy. 
 
 Having received repeated messages 
 from Tootahah, that if we would pay 
 him a visit he would acknowledge the 
 favour by a present of four hogs, I 
 sent Mr Hicks, my first lieutenant, 
 to try if he could not procure the 
 hogs upon easier terms, with orders 
 to show him every civility in his 
 power. Mr Hicks found that he was 
 removed from Eparre to a place called 
 Tettahah, five miles farther to the 
 westward. He was received with 
 great cordiality; one hog was im- 
 mediately produced, and he was told 
 that the other three, which were at 
 some distance, should be brought in 
 the morning. Mr Hicks readily con- 
 sented to stay ; but the morning came 
 without the hogs ; and it not being 
 convenient to stay longer, he returned 
 in the evening with the one he had 
 got. 
 
 On the 25th, Tubourai Tamaidc 
 and his wife Tomio made their ap- 
 pearance at the tent, for the first 
 time since he had been detected in 
 stealing the nails. He seemed to be 
 under some discontent and apprehen- 
 sion, yet he did not think fit to pur- 
 chase our countenance and good-will 
 by restoring the four which he had 
 sent away. As Mr Banks and the 
 other gentlemeii treated him with a 
 coolness and reserve which did not at 
 all tend to restore his peace or good- 
 humour, his stay was short, and his 
 departure abrupt. Mi' Monkhouse, 
 the surgeon, went the next mon?inj2 
 
MR. BANKS HAS HIS CLOTHES STOLEN. 
 
 x769.] 
 
 in order to effect a reconciliation, by 
 persuading Mm to bring down the 
 nails ; but he could not succeed. 
 
 On the 27th, it was determined that 
 we should pay our visit to Tootahah, 
 though we were not very confident 
 that we should receive the hogs for 
 our pains. I therefore set out early 
 in the morning, with Mr Banks and 
 Pr Solander, and three others, in the 
 pinnace. He was now removed from 
 Tettahah, where Mr Hicks had seen 
 him, to a place called Atahourou, 
 about six miles farther ; and as we 
 could not go above half-way thither 
 in the boat, it was almost evening 
 before we arrived. We found him in 
 his usual state, sitting under a tree, 
 with a great crowd about him We 
 made our presents in due form, con- 
 sisting of a yellow stuff petticoat and 
 some other trifling articles, which 
 were graciously received ; a hog was 
 immediately ordered to be killed and 
 dressed for supper, with a promise of 
 more in the morning. However, as 
 we were less desirous of feasting upon 
 our journey than of carrying back 
 with us provisions, which would be 
 more welcome at the fort, we procured 
 a reprieve for the hog, and supped 
 upon the fruits of the country. As 
 night now came on, and the place was 
 crowded with many more than the 
 houses and canoes would contain, 
 here being Oberea, with her attend- 
 iiits, and many other travellers whom 
 we knew, we began to look out for 
 lodgings. Our party consisted of six. 
 Mr Banks thought himself fortunate 
 in being offered a place by Oberea in 
 her canoe, and wishing his friends a 
 good-night, took his leave. He went 
 to rest early, according to the custom 
 of the country, and taking off his 
 clothes, as was his constant practice, 
 the nights being hot, Oberea kindly 
 insisted upon taking them into her 
 own custody, for otherwise, she said, 
 they would certainly be stolen. Mr 
 Banks, having such a safe guard, 
 resigned himself to sleep with all 
 imaginable tranquillity ; but waking 
 about 11 o'clock, and wanting to get 
 up, he searched for his clothes where 
 he had seen them deposited by Oberea 
 
 31 
 
 when he lay down to sleep, and soon 
 perceived that they were amissing. 
 He immediately awakened Oberea, 
 who, starting up and hearing his 
 complaint, ordered lights, and pre- 
 pared in great haste to recover what 
 he had Inst. Tootahah himself slept 
 in the next canoe, and being soon 
 alarmed, he came to them, and set 
 out with Oberea in search of the thief. 
 Mr Banks was not in a condition to 
 go with them, for of his apparel scarce 
 anythingwas left him but his breeches. 
 His coat and his waistcoat, Avith his 
 pistols, powder-horn, and many other 
 things that were in the pockets, were 
 gone. In about half-an-hour his two 
 noble friends returned, but without 
 having obtained any intelligence of 
 his clothes or of the thief. At first 
 he began to be alarmed ; his musket 
 had not indeed been taken away, but 
 he had neglected to load it. Where 
 I and Dr Solander had disposed of 
 ourselves he did not know ; and there- 
 fore, whatever might happen, he could 
 not have recourse to us for assistance. 
 He thought it best, however, to ex- 
 press neither fear nor suspicion of 
 those about him ; and giving his 
 musket to Tupia, who had been 
 waked in the confusion and stood by 
 him, with a charge not to suffer it to 
 be stolen, he betook himself again to 
 rest, declaring himself perfectly satis- 
 fied with the pains that Tootahah and 
 Oberea had taken to recover his things, 
 though they had not been successful. 
 As it cannot be supposed that in such 
 a situation his sleep was very sound, 
 he soon after heard music, and saw 
 lights at a little distance on shore. 
 This was a concert or assembly, which 
 they call a Heiva, a common name 
 for every public exhibition ; and as it 
 would necessarily Iring many people 
 together, and there was a chance of 
 my being among them with bis other 
 friends, he rose and made the best of 
 his way towards it. He was soon led 
 by the lights and the sound to the 
 hut where I lay, with three other 
 gentlemen of our party ; and easily 
 distinguishing us from the rest, he 
 made up to us more than half naked, 
 and told us his melancholy story. We 
 
32 
 
 gave him such comfort as the unfor- 
 tunate generally give to each other, 
 by telling him that we were fellow- 
 sufferers. I showed him that I was 
 myself without stockings, they having 
 been stolen from under my head, 
 though I was sure I had never been 
 asleep ; and each of my associates 
 convinced him by his appearance that 
 lie had lost a jacket. "We determined 
 nevertheless to hear out the concert, 
 however deficient we might appear in 
 our dress. It consisted of three 
 drums, four flutes, and several voices. 
 When this entertainment, which lasted 
 about an hour, was over, we retired 
 again to our sleeping places, having 
 agreed that nothing could be done 
 toward the recovery of our things till 
 the morning. 
 
 We rose at daybreak, according to 
 the custom of the country. The first 
 man that Mr Banks saw was Tupia, 
 faithfully attending with his musket; 
 and soon after, Oberea brought him 
 some of her country clothes as a suc- 
 cedaneum for his own ; so that when 
 be came to us he made a most motley 
 appearance, half Indian and half Eng- 
 lish. Our party soon got together, 
 except Dr Solander, whose quarters 
 we did not know, and who had not 
 assisted at the concert. In a short 
 time Tootahah made his appearance, 
 and we pressed him to recover our 
 clothes ; but neither he nor Oberea 
 could be persuaded to take any mea- 
 sure for that purpose, so that we began 
 to suspect that they had been parties 
 in the theft. About 8 o'clock we were 
 joined by Dr Solander, who had fallen 
 into honester hands, at a house about 
 a mile distant, and had lost nothing. 
 Having given up all hope of recover- 
 ing our clothes, which indeed were 
 never afterwards heard of, we spent 
 all the morning in soliciting the hogs 
 which we had been promised ; but in 
 this we had no better success. We 
 therefore, in no very good humour, 
 set out for the boat about 12 o'clock, 
 with only that which we had redeemed 
 from the butcher and the cook the 
 night before. 
 
 As we were returning to the boat, 
 however, we were entertained with a 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. ivOY.I. 
 
 sight that in some measure compen- 
 sated for our fatigue and disappoint- 
 ment. In our way we came to one of 
 the few places where access to the 
 island is not guarded by a reef, and 
 consequently a high surf breaks upon 
 the shore. A more dreadful one in- 
 deed I had seldom seen. It was im- 
 possible for any European boat to 
 have lived in it; and if the best 
 swimmer in Europe had by any acci- 
 dent been exposed to its fury, I am 
 confident that he would not have been 
 able to preserve himself from drown- 
 ing, especially as the shore was covered 
 with pebbles and large stones. Yet 
 in the midst of these breakers were 
 ten_ or twelve Indians swimming for 
 their amusement. Whenever a surf 
 broke near them they dived under it, 
 and, to all appearance with infinite 
 facility, rose again on the other side. 
 This diversion was greatly improved 
 by the stem of an old canoe, which 
 they happened to find upon the spot. 
 They took this before them, and swam 
 out with it as far as the outermost 
 breach ; then two or three of them, 
 getting into it, and turning the square 
 end to the breaking wave, were driven 
 in towards the shore with incredible 
 rapidity, sometimes almost to the 
 beach ; but generally the wave broke 
 over them before they got half way, 
 in which case they dived, and rose on 
 the other side with the canoe in their 
 hands. They then swam out with it 
 again, and were again driven back, 
 just as our holiday youth climb the 
 hill in Greenwich Park for the plea- 
 sure of rolling down it. At this won- 
 derful scene we stood gazing for more 
 than half-an-hour, during which time 
 none of the swimmers attempted to 
 come on shore, but seemed to enjoy 
 their sport in the highest degree. 
 We then proceeded on our journey, 
 and late in the evening got back to 
 the fort. 
 
 Among other Indians that had 
 visited us, there were some from a 
 neighbouring island which they called 
 Eimeo or Imao, the same to which 
 Captain Wallis had given the name 
 of the Duke of York's Island; and 
 they gave us an account of no less 
 
1769.] PREPARATIONS TO 
 
 than two-and-t\venty islands that lay 
 in the neighbourhood of Otaheite. 
 
 As the day of observation now ap- 
 proached, I determined, in conse- 
 quence of some hints which had been 
 given me by Lord Morton, to send 
 out two parties to observe the transit 
 from other situations, hoping that if 
 we should fail at Otaheite, they might 
 have better success. "We were, there- 
 fore, now busily em ployed in prepar- 
 ing our instruments, and instructing 
 such gentlemen in the use of them as 
 I intended to serd out. On Thurs- 
 day the 1st of June, the Saturday 
 following being the day of the transit, 
 I despatched Mr Gore in the long- 
 boat to Imao, with Mr Monkhouse 
 and Mr Sporing, a gentleman belong- 
 ing to Mr Banks, Mr Green having 
 furnished them with proper instru- 
 ments. Mr Banks himself thought 
 fit to go upon this expedition ; and 
 several natives, particularly Tubourai 
 Tamaide and Tomio, were also of the 
 party. Very early on the Friday 
 morning, I sent Mr Hicks, with Mr 
 Clerk and Mr Petersgill, the master's 
 mates, and Mr Saunders, one of the 
 midshipmen, in the pinnace to the 
 eastward, with orders to fix on some 
 convenient spot at a distance from 
 our principal observatory, where they 
 also might employ the instruments 
 with which they had been furnished 
 for the same purpose. 
 
 The long-boat not having been got 
 ready till Thursday in the afternoon, 
 though all possible expedition was 
 used to fit her out, the people on 
 board, after having rowed most part 
 of the night, brought her to a grap- 
 pling just under the land of Imao. 
 Soon after daybreak they saw an 
 Indian canoe, which they hailed, and 
 the people on board showed them an 
 inlet through the reef, into which 
 they pulled, and soon fixed upon a 
 coral rock, which rose out of the 
 water about 150 yards from the shore, 
 as a proper situation for their obser- 
 vatory. It was about eighty yards 
 long and twenty broad, and in the 
 middle of it was a bed of white sand, 
 large enough for the tents to stand 
 upon. Mr Gore and his assistants 
 
 OBSERVE TRANSIT OF VENUS. 
 
 :« 
 
 immediately began to set them up, 
 and make other necessary prepara- 
 tions for the important business of 
 the next day. While this was doing, 
 Mr Banks, with the Indians of Ota- 
 heite, and the people whom they had 
 met in the canoe, went ashore upon 
 the main island to buy provisions; 
 of which he procured a sufficient 
 supply before night. When he re- 
 turned to the rock he found the ob- 
 servatory in order, and the telescopes 
 all fixed and tried. The evening was 
 very fine, yet their solicitude did not 
 permit them to take much rest in the 
 night; one or other of them was up 
 everj' half- hour, who satisfied the 
 impatience of the rest by reporting 
 the changes of the sky — now encour- 
 aging their hope by telling them that 
 it was clear, and now alarming their 
 fears by an account that it was hazy. 
 At daybreak they got up, and had 
 the satisfaction to see the sun rise 
 without a cloud. Mr Banks then 
 wishing the observers, Mr Gore and 
 Mr Monkhouse, success, repaired again 
 to the island, that he might examine 
 its produce and get a fresh supply cf 
 provisions. He began by trading 
 with the natives, for which purpose 
 he took his station under a tree ; and 
 to keep them from pressing upon him 
 in a crowd, he drew a circle round 
 him, which he suffered none of them 
 to enter. About 8 o'clock he saw 
 two canoes coming towards the place, 
 and was given to understand by the 
 people about him that they belonged 
 to Tarrao, the king of the island, 
 who was coming to make him a visit. 
 As soon as the canoes came near the 
 shore, the people made a lane from 
 the beach to the trading-place, and 
 his majesty landed with his sister, 
 whose name was Nuna. As they ad- 
 vanced towards the tree where Mr 
 Banks stood, he went out to meet 
 them, and, with great formality, in- 
 troduced them into the circle from 
 which the other natives had been 
 excluded. As it is the custom of 
 these people to sit during all their 
 conferences, Mr Banks unwrapped a 
 kind of turban of Indian cloth, which 
 he wore upon his head instead of a 
 
34 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 hat, and spreading it upon the ground, 
 they all sat down upon it together. 
 The royal pres&nt was then brought, 
 which consisted of a hog and a dog, 
 some bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and 
 other articles of the like kind. Mr 
 Banks then despatched a canoe to the 
 observatory for his present, and the 
 messengers soon returned with an 
 adze, a shirt, and some beads, which 
 were presented to his majesty, and 
 received with great satisfaction. By 
 this time Tubourai Tamaide and 
 Tomio joined them from the obser- 
 vatory. Tomio said that she was re- 
 lated to Tarrao, and brought him a 
 present of a long nail, at the same 
 time complimenting Nuna with a shirt. 
 
 The first internal contact of the 
 planet with the sun being over, Mr 
 Banks returned to the observatory, 
 taking Tarrao, Nuna, and some of 
 their principal attendants, among 
 whom were three very handsome 
 young women, with him. He showed 
 them the planet upon the sun, and 
 endeavoured to make them under- 
 stand that he and his companions 
 had come from their own countiy on 
 purpose to see it. Soon after Mr 
 Banks returned with them to the 
 island, where he spent the rest of the 
 day in examining its produce, which 
 he found to be much the same with 
 that of Otaheite. The people whom 
 he saw there also exactly resembled 
 the inhabitants of that island, and 
 many of them Avere persons whom he 
 had seen upon it; so that all those 
 whom he had dealt with knew of 
 what his trading articles consisted, 
 and the value they bore. The next 
 morning, having struck the tents, 
 they set out on their return, and 
 arrived at the fort before nigh t. 
 
 The observation was made with 
 equal success by the persons whom I 
 had sent to the eastward, and at the 
 fort. There not being a cloud in the 
 sky from the rising to the setting of 
 the sun, the whole passage of the 
 planet Venus over the sun's disc was 
 observed with great advantage by Mr 
 Green, Dr Solander, and myself. Mr 
 Green's telescope and mine were of, 
 the same magnifying power, but that 
 
 [VOY. I. 
 
 of Dr Solander's was gi eater. Yv r e all 
 saw an atmosphere or dusky cloud 
 round the body of the planet, which 
 very much disturbed the times of 
 contact, especially of the internal 
 ones ; and we differed from each other 
 in our accounts of the times of the 
 contacts much more than might have 
 been expected. According to Mr 
 Green, 
 
 Ho. Min. Sec. 
 The first external con- 
 tact, or first appear- 
 ance of Venus on the 
 Sun, was . . 9 25 42 
 The first internal con- 
 tact, or total emer- 
 sion, was . 9 44 4 
 The second internal con- 
 tact, or beginning of 
 the emersion, . . 3 14 8 
 The second external con- 
 tact, or total emer- 
 
 sion, 
 
 3 32 10 
 
 tc 
 
 'a 
 
 o 
 
 The latitude of the observatory was 
 found to be 17° 29' 15", and the 
 longitude 149° 32' 30" W. of Green- 
 wich. 
 
 But if we had reason to congratu- 
 late ourselves upon the success of our 
 observation, we had scarce less cause 
 to regret the diligence with which 
 that time had been improved by some 
 of our people to another purpose. 
 While the attention of the officers 
 was engrossed by the transit of Venus, 
 some of the ship's company broke 
 into one of the store-rooms and stole 
 a quantity of spike nails, amounting 
 to no less than one hundredweight. 
 This was a matter of public and seri- 
 ous concern; for these nails, if cir- 
 culated by the people among the 
 Indians, would do us irreparable in- 
 jury, by reducing the value of iron, 
 our staple commodity. One of the 
 thieves was detected, but only seven 
 nails were found in his custody, lie 
 was punished with two dozen lashes, 
 but would impeach none of his ac- 
 complices. 
 
 On the 5th we kept his Majesty's 
 birthday; for, though it is the 4th, 
 we were unwilling to celebrate it 
 during the absence of the two parties 
 who had been sent out to observe the 
 
1769.1 
 
 TREATMENT OF THE DEAD. 
 
 35 
 
 transit. We had several of the Indian 
 cliiefs at our entertainment, who drank 
 his Majesty's health hy the name of 
 "Kihiargo," which was the nearest 
 imitation they could produce of King 
 George. 
 
 About this time died an old woman 
 of some rank, who was related to 
 Toniio, which gave us an opportunity 
 to see how they disposed of the body, 
 and confirmed us in our opinion that 
 these people, contrary to the present 
 custom of all other nations now 
 known, never bury their dead. In 
 the middle of a small square, neatly 
 railed in with bamboo, the awning of 
 a canoe was raised upon two posts, 
 and under this the body was deposited 
 upon such a frame as has before been 
 described. It was covered with fine 
 cloth, and near it was placed bread- 
 fruit, fish, and ether provisions. We 
 supposed that the food was placed 
 there for the spirit of the deceased, 
 and consequently that these Indians 
 had some confused notion of a separate 
 state ; but upon our applying for fur- 
 ther information to Tubourai Tamaide, 
 lie told us that the food was placed 
 there as an offering to their gods. 
 They do not, however, suppose that 
 the gods eat, any more than the Jews 
 supposed that Jehovah could dwell in 
 a house. The offering is made here 
 upon the same principle as the temple 
 was built at Jerusalem — as an expres- 
 sion of reverence and gratitude, and 
 a solicitation of the more immediate 
 presence of the Deity. In the front 
 of the area was a kind of stile, where 
 the relations of the deceased stood to 
 pay the tribute of their sorrow ; and 
 under the awning were innumerable 
 small pieces of cloth, on which the 
 tears and blood of the mourners had 
 been shed ; for in their paroxysms of 
 grief it is a universal custom to wound 
 themselves with the shark's tooth. 
 Within a few yards two occasional 
 houses were set up, in one of which 
 some relations of the deceased con- 
 stantly resided, and in the other the 
 chief mourner — who is always a man, 
 and who keeps there a very singular 
 dress, in which a ceremony is per- 
 formed that will be described in its 
 
 turn. Near the place where ihe dead 
 are thus set up to rot, the bones are 
 afterwards buried. 
 
 Having observed that bread-fruit 
 had for some days been brought in 
 less quantities than usual, we inquired 
 the reason, and were told, that there 
 being a great show of fruit upon the 
 trees, they had been thinned all at 
 once, in order to make a kind of sour 
 paste, which the natives call "mahie," 
 and which, in consequence of having 
 undergone a fermentation, will keep 
 a considerable time, and supply them 
 with food when no ripe fruit is to b'j 
 had. 
 
 On the 10th, the ceremony was to 
 be performed in honour of the old 
 woman whose sepulchral tabernacle 
 has been described, by the chief 
 mourner ; and Mr Banks had so great 
 a curiosity to see all the mysteries of 
 the solemnity, that he determined to 
 take a part in it, being told that he 
 could be present upon no other con- 
 dition. In the evening, therefore, ho 
 repaired to the place where the body 
 lay, and was received by the daugh- 
 ter of the deceased, and several other 
 persons, among whom was a boy 
 about fourteen years old, who were 
 to assist in the ceremony. Tubourai 
 Tamaide was to be the principal 
 mourner ; and his dress was extremely 
 fantastical, though not unbecoming. 
 Mr Banks was stripped of his Euro- 
 pean clothes, and, a small piece of 
 cloth being tied round his middle, hi.? 
 body was smeared with charcoal and 
 water, as low as the shoulders, till it 
 was as black as that of a Negro. The 
 same operation was performed upon 
 several others, among whom were 
 some women, who were reduced to 
 a state as near to nakedness as him- 
 self; the boy was blacked all over, 
 and then the procession set forward. 
 Tubourai Tamaide uttered something, 
 which was supposed to be a prayer, 
 near the body, and did the same when 
 he came up to his own house. When 
 this ww done, the procession was con- 
 tinued towards the fort, permis3iop 
 having been obtained to approach it 
 upon this occasion. It is the custom 
 of the Indians to fly from these pro* 
 
3S COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 cessions with the utmost precipitation, 
 so that as soon as those who were 
 about the fort saw it at a distance, 
 they hid themselves in the woods. 
 It proceeded from the fort along 
 the shore, and put to flight another 
 body of Indians, consisting of more 
 than 100, every one hiding himself 
 under the first shelter that he could 
 find. It then crossed the river, and 
 entered the woods, passing several 
 houses, all which were deserted, and 
 not a single Indian could be seen 
 during the rest of the procession, 
 which continued more than half-an- 
 hour. The oltice that Mr Banks per- 
 formed was called that of the Nineveh, 
 of which there were two besides him- 
 self ; and the natives having all dis- 
 appeared, they came to the chief 
 mourner, and said, " Imitata " — 
 "There are no people," after which 
 the compan}' was dismissed to wash 
 themselves in the river, and put on 
 their customary apparel. 
 
 On the 12th, complaint being made 
 to me by some of the natives that two 
 of the seamen had taken from them 
 several bows and arrows, and some 
 strings of plaited hair, I examined 
 the matter, and finding the charge 
 well supported, I punished each of 
 the criminals with two dozen lashes. 
 Their bows and arrows have not been 
 mentioned before, nor were they often 
 brought down to the fort. This day, 
 however, Tubourai Tamaide brought 
 down his, in consequence of a challenge 
 which he had received from Mr Gore. 
 The chief supposed it was to try who 
 could send the arrow farthest; Mr 
 Gore, who best could hit a mark ; and 
 as Mr Gore did not value himself upon 
 shooting to a great distance, nor the 
 chief upon hitting a mark, there was 
 no trial of skill between them. Tu- 
 bourai Tamaide, however, to show us 
 what he could do, drew his bow, 
 and sent an arrow, none of which 
 are feathered, 274 yards, which is 
 something more than a seventh, and 
 something less than a sixth part of a 
 mile. Their manner of shooting is 
 somewhat singular ; they kneel down, 
 and, the moment the arrow ia dia- 
 ohanjed, drop the bow. 
 
 [Voy.I. 
 
 Mr Banks, in his morning walk 
 this day, met a number of the natives, 
 whom, upon inquiry, he found to be 
 travelling musicians ; and having 
 learned where they were to be at 
 night, we all repaired to the place. 
 The band consisted of two flutes and 
 three drums, and we found a great 
 number of people assembled upon the 
 occasion. The drummers accom- 
 panied the music with their voices, 
 aud, to our great surprise, we dis- 
 covered that we were generally the 
 subject of the song. We did not ex- 
 pect to have found among the un- 
 civilised inhabitants of this seques- 
 tered spot, a character which has 
 been the subject of such praise and 
 veneration where genius and know- 
 ledge have been most conspicuous ; 
 yet these were the bards or minstrels 
 of Otaheite. Their song was unpre- 
 meditated, and accompanied with 
 music ; they were continually going 
 about from place to place, and they 
 were rewarded by the master of the 
 house, and the audience, with such 
 things as one wanted and the other 
 could spare. 
 
 On the 14 th, we were brought into 
 new difficulties and inconvenience by 
 another robbery at the fort. In the 
 middle of the night, one of the na- 
 tives contrived to steal an iron coal- 
 rake that was made use of for the 
 oven. It happened to be set up 
 against the inside of the wall, so that 
 the top of the handle was visible from 
 without ; and we were informed that 
 the thief, who had been seen lurking 
 there in the evening, came secretly 
 about three o'clock in the morning, 
 and, watching his opportunity when 
 the sentinel's back was turned, very 
 dexterously laid hold of it with a 
 long crooked stick, and drew it over 
 the wall. I thought it of some conse- 
 quence, if possible, to put an end to 
 these practices at once, by doing 
 something that should make it the 
 common interest of the natives them- 
 selves to prevent them. I had given 
 strict orders that they should not be 
 fired upon, even when detected in 
 these attempts, for which I had many 
 reasons. The common sentinels were 
 
1769.] 
 
 SEIZURE OF FISHING CANOES. 
 
 37 
 
 by no means fit to be entrusted with 
 a power of life and death, to be ex- 
 erted whenever they should think fit, 
 and I had already experienced that 
 they were ready to take away the 
 live3 that were in their power upon 
 the slightest occasion ; neither, in- 
 deed, did I think that the thefts which 
 these people committed against us, 
 were, in them, crimes worthy of 
 death. That thieves are hanged in 
 England, I thought no reason why they 
 should be shot in Otaheite, because, 
 with respect to the natives, it would 
 have been an execution by a law ex 
 ■post facto. They had no such law 
 among themselves, and it did not ap- 
 pear to me that we had any right to 
 make such a law for them. That they 
 should abstain from theft, or be pun- 
 ished with death, was not one of the 
 conditions under which they claimed 
 advantages of civil society, as it is 
 among us ; and I was not willing to 
 expose them to fire-arms loaded with 
 shot, neither could I perfectly approve 
 of firing only with powder. At first, 
 indeed, the noise and the smoke 
 would alarm them, but when they 
 found that no mischief followed, they 
 would be led to despise the weapons 
 themselves, and proceed to insults 
 which would make it necessary to put 
 them to the test, and from which they 
 would be deterred by the very sight 
 of a gun, if it was never used but with 
 effect. 
 
 At this time, an accident furnished 
 me with what I thought a happy ex- 
 pedient. It happened that above 
 twenty of their sailing canoes were 
 just come in with a supply of fish. 
 Upon these I immediately seized, and, 
 bringing them into the river behind 
 the fort, gave public notice that ex- 
 cept the rake, and all the rest of the 
 things which from time to time had 
 been stolen, were returned, the canoes 
 should be burned. This menace I 
 ventured to publish, though I had no 
 design to put it into execution, mak- 
 ing no doubt but that it was well 
 known in whose possession the stolen 
 goods were, and that, as restitution 
 »vas thus made a common cause, they 
 would all of them in a short time be 
 
 brought back. A list of the things 
 was made out, consisting 'principally 
 of the rake, the musket which had 
 been taken from the marine when the 
 Indian was shot, the pistols which Mr 
 Banks lost with his clothes at Ata- 
 hourou, a sword belonging to one of 
 the petty officers, and the water cask. 
 About noon the rake was restored, 
 and great solicitation was made for 
 the release of the canoes ; but I still 
 insisted upon my original condition. 
 The next day came, and nothing 
 further was restored, at which I was 
 much surprised, for the people were 
 in the utmost distress for the fish, 
 which in a short time would be spoilt; 
 I was, therefore, reduced to a dis- 
 agreeable situation, either of releasing 
 the canoes, contrary to wdiat I had 
 solemnly and publicly declared, or 
 detaining them, to the great injury of 
 those who /were innocent, without 
 answering any good purpose to our- 
 selves. As a temporary expedient I 
 permitted them to take the fish, but 
 still detained the canoes. This very 
 license, however, was productive of 
 new confusion and injury ; for, it not 
 being easy at once to distinguish to 
 what particular person the several 
 lots of fish belonged, the canoes were 
 plundered, under favour of this cir- 
 cumstance, by those who had no right 
 to any part of their cargo. Most press- 
 ing instances were still made that the 
 canoes might be restored ; and I, hav- 
 ing now the greatest reason to believe 
 either that the things for which I de- 
 tained them were not in the island, 
 or that those who suffered by their 
 detention had not sufficient influ- 
 ence over the thieves to prevail 
 upon them to relinquish their booty, 
 determined at length to give them up, 
 not a little mortified at the bad suc- 
 cess of my project. 
 
 Another accident also about this 
 time was, notwithstanding all our 
 caution, very near embroiling us with 
 the Indians. I sent the boat on shore, 
 with an officer, to get ballast for the 
 ship ; and, not immediately finding 
 stones convenient for the purpose, he 
 began to pull down some part of an 
 enclosure where they deposited the 
 
38 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 [Vot. i. 
 
 bones of their (lend. This the Indians 
 violently opposed, and a messenger 
 came down to the tents to acquaint 
 the officers that they would not suffer 
 it. Mr Banks immediately repaired 
 to the place, and an amicable end was 
 soon put to the dispute, by sending 
 the boat's crew to the river, where 
 .stones enough were to be gathered 
 without a possibility of giving offence, 
 it is very remarkable, that these In- 
 dians appeared to be much more jeal- 
 ous of what was done to the dead than 
 the living. This was tiie onlv measure 
 in which they ventured to oppose us, 
 and the only insult that was offered 
 to any individual among us was upon 
 a similar occasion. Mr Monkhouse 
 happening one day to pull a flower 
 from a tree Avhich grew in one of 
 their sepulchral enclosures, an In- 
 dian, whose jealousy had probably 
 been upon the watch, came suddenly 
 behind him, and struck him. Mr 
 Monkhouse laid hold of him, but he 
 was instantly rescued by two more, 
 who took hold of Mr Monkhouse's 
 hair and forced him to quit his hold 
 of their companion, and then ran 
 away without offering him any further 
 violence. 
 
 In the evening of the 19th, while 
 the canoes were still detained, we re- 
 ceived a visit from Oberea, which sur- 
 prised us not a little, as she brought 
 with her none of the things that had 
 been stolen, and knew that she was 
 suspected of having some of them in 
 her custody. She said, indeed, that 
 her favourite Obad^e, whom she had 
 beaten and dismissed, had taken them 
 away ; but she seemed conscious that 
 she had no right to be believed. She 
 discovered the strongest signs of fear, 
 yet she surmounted it with astonish- 
 ing resolution ; and was very pressing 
 to sleep with her attendants in Mr 
 Banks's tent. In this, however, she 
 was not gratified ; the affair of the 
 jacket was too recent, and the tint 
 was, besides, filled with other people. 
 Nobody else seemed willing to enter- 
 tain her; and she therefore, witli 
 treat appearance of mortification and 
 I [jointment, spent the night in 
 her canoe The next morning early, 
 
 she returned to the fort, with he? 
 canoe and everything that it con- 
 tained, putting herself wholly into 
 our power, with something like great- 
 ness of mind, which excited our won- 
 der and admiration. As the most 
 effectual means to bring about a recon- 
 ciliation, she presented us with a hog, 
 and several other things, among which 
 was a dog. We had learned that 
 these animals were esteemed by the 
 Indians as more delicate food than 
 their pork ; and upon this occasion 
 we determined to try the experiment. 
 The dog, which was very fat, we con- 
 signed over to Tupia, who undertook 
 to perform the double office of butcher 
 and. cook. He killed him by holding 
 his hands close over his mouth and 
 nose, an operation which continued 
 above a quarter of an hour. While 
 this was doing, a hole was made in the 
 ground about a foot deep, in which 
 a fire was kindled, and some small 
 stones placed in layers alternately 
 with the wood to heat ; the dog was 
 then singed by holding him over the 
 fire, and, by scraping him with a 
 shell, the hair taken elf as clean as if 
 he had been scalded in hot water. 
 He was then cut up with the sam« 
 instrument, and his entrails, being 
 taken out, were sent to the sea, where, 
 being carefully washed, they were put 
 into cocoa-nut shells, with what blood 
 had come from the body. When the 
 hole was sufficiently heated, the fire 
 was taken out, and some of the stones, 
 which were not so hot as to discolour 
 anything that they touched, being 
 placed at the bottom, were covi . I 
 with green leaves. The dog, with 
 the entrails, was then placed up< n 
 the leaves, and other leaves being laid 
 upon them, the whole was covered 
 with the rest oi' the hot stone;-, 
 the mouth of the hole close stopped 
 with mould. In somewhat less than 
 four hours it was again opened, and 
 the dog taken out excellently ba 
 and we all agreed that he had madi 
 a very good dish. The dogs which 
 are here bred to be eaten, taste no 
 animal food, but are kept wholly upon 
 bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, yams, antf 
 other vegetables of the like kind. All 
 
1769.] 
 
 the flesh and fish eaten by the inha- 
 bitants is dressed in the same way. 
 
 On the 21st, we were visited at the 
 fort by a chief, called Oamo, -whom 
 we had never seen before, and who 
 was treated by the natives with un- 
 common respect. Pie brought with 
 him a boy about seven years old, and 
 a young woman about sixteen ; the 
 boy was carried upon a man's back, 
 which we considered as a piece of 
 state, for he was as well able to walk 
 as any present. As soon as they were 
 in sight, Oberea and several other 
 natives who were in the fort went out 
 to meet them, having first uncovered 
 their heads and bodies as low as the 
 waist. As they came on, the same 
 ceremony was performed by all the 
 natives who were without the fort. 
 Uncovering the body, therefore, is in 
 this country probably a mark of re- 
 spect ; and as all parts are here ex- 
 posed with equal indifference, the 
 ceremony of uncovering it from the 
 waist down wards, which was performed 
 by Oorattooa, might be nothing more 
 than a different mode of compliment 
 adapted to persons of a different rank. 
 The chief came into the tent, but no 
 entreaty could prevail upon the young 
 woman to follow him, though she 
 seemed to refuse contrary to her in- 
 clination. The natives without were 
 indeed all very solicitous to prevent 
 her ; sometimes, when her resolution 
 eeemed to fail, almost using force. 
 The boy also they restrained in the 
 same manner ; but Dr Solander, hap- 
 pening to meet him at the gate, took 
 him by the hand, and led him in 
 before the people were aware of it. 
 As soon, however, as those that were 
 within saw him, they took care to 
 have him sent out. 
 
 These circumstances having strong- 
 ly excited our curiosity, we inquired 
 who they were, and were informed 
 that Oamo was the husband of Oberea, 
 though they had been a long time 
 separated by mutual consent ; and 
 that the young woman and the boy 
 were their children. We learned also, 
 that the boy, whose name was Terri- 
 diri, was heir-apparent to the sove- 
 reignty of the island, and that his 
 
 OAMO'S VISIT TO THE FORT. 
 
 39 
 
 sister was intended for his wife, the 
 marriage being deferred only till he 
 should arrive at a proper age. The 
 sovereign at this time was a son of 
 Whappai, whose name was Outou, 
 and who, as before has been observed, 
 was a minor. Whappai, Oamo, and 
 Tootahah, were brothers ; Whappai 
 was the eldest, and Oamo the second ; 
 so that, Whappai having no child 
 but Outou, Terridiri, the son of his 
 next brother Oamo, was heir to the 
 sovereignty. It will, perhaps, seem 
 strange that a boy should be sovereign 
 during the life of his father ; but, 
 according to the custom of the coun- 
 try, a child succeeds to a father's title 
 and authority as soon as it is born. 
 A regent is then elected, and the father 
 of the new sovereign is generally con- 
 tinued in his authority, under that 
 title, till his child is of age ; but, at 
 this time, the choice had fallen upon 
 Tootahah, the uncle, in consequence 
 of his having distinguished himself 
 in a war. Oamo asked many ques- 
 tions concerning England and its in- 
 habitants, by which he appeared to 
 have great shrewdness and under- 
 standing. 
 
 OnMonday the 26th, about 3 o'clock 
 in the morning, I set out in the pin- 
 nace, accompanied by Mr Banks, to 
 make the circuit of the island, with 
 a view to sketch out the coast and 
 harbours. We took our route to the 
 eastward, and about eight in the fore- 
 noon we went on shore, in a district 
 called Oahounue, which is governed 
 by Ahio, a young chief, whom we had 
 often seen at the tents, and who fav- 
 oured us with his company to break- 
 fast. Here also we found two other 
 natives of our old acquaintance, Titu- 
 boalo and Hoona, who carried us to 
 their houses, near which we saw the 
 body of the old woman at whoss 
 funeral rites Mr Banks had assisted, 
 which had been removed hither from 
 the spot where it was first deposited 
 — this place having desceuded from 
 her by inheritance to Hoona, and it 
 being necessary on that account that 
 it should lie here. We then proceeded 
 on foot, the boat attending within call, 
 to the harbour in which Mr Bougain- 
 
40 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 ville lay, called Ohidea, where the 
 natives showed us the ground upon 
 which his people pitched their tent, 
 and the brook at which they watered, 
 though no trace of them "remained, 
 except the holes where the poles of 
 the tent had been fixed, and a small 
 piece of potsherd which Mr Banks 
 found in looking narrowly about the 
 spot. We met, however, with Orette, 
 a chief who was their principal friend, 
 and whose brother Outorrou went 
 away with them. This harbour lies 
 on the west side of a great bay, under 
 shelter of a small islandcalled Boourou, 
 near which is another called Taawir- 
 rii. The breach in the reefs is here 
 very large, but the shelter for the 
 ships is not the best. 
 
 Soon after we had examined this 
 place we took boat, and asked Titu- 
 hoalo to go with us to the other side 
 of the bay ; but he refused, and ad- 
 vised us not to go, for he said the 
 country there was inhabited by people 
 who were not subject to Tootahah, and 
 who would kill both him and us. 
 Upon receiving this intelligence, we 
 did not, as may be imagined, relin- 
 quish our enterprise ; but we imme- 
 diately loaded our pieces with ball. 
 This was so well understood by Titu- 
 boalo as a precaution, which rendered 
 us formidable, that he now consented 
 to be of our party. Having rowed 
 till it was dark, we reached a low neck 
 of land, or isthmus, at the bottom of 
 the bay, that divides the island into 
 two peninsulas, each of which is a dis- 
 trict or government wholly indepen- 
 dent of the other. From Port Boyal, 
 where the ship was at anchor, the 
 coast trends E. by S. and ESE. ten 
 miles, then S. by E. and S. eleven miles 
 to the isthmus. In the first direction 
 the shore is in general open to the sea ; 
 but in the last it is covered by reefs 
 of rocks, which form several good 
 harbours, with safe anchorage, in six- 
 teen, eighteen, twenty, and twenty- 
 four fathoms of water, with other con- 
 veniences. As we had not yet got 
 into our enemy's country, wo deter- 
 mined to sleep on shore. We landed, 
 and, though we found but few houses, 
 w f- 68.w several double canoes, whose 
 
 |Voy. I. 
 
 owners were well known to us, and 
 who provided us with supper and 
 lodging, of which Mr Banks was in- 
 debted for his share to Oorattooa, the 
 lady who had paid him her compli- 
 ments in so singular a manner at the 
 fort. 
 
 In the morning we looked about the 
 country, and found it to be a marshy 
 flat, about two miles over, across 
 which the natives haul their canoes to 
 the corresponding bay on the other 
 side. We then prepared to continue 
 our route for what Tituboalo called 
 the other kingdom. He said that the 
 name of it was Tiarrabou, or Otaheito 
 Ete ; and that of the chief who go- 
 verned it, Waheatua. Upon this oc- 
 casion, also, we learned that the name 
 of the peninsula where we had taken 
 our station was Opoureonu, or Ota- 
 heite Kue. Our new associate seemed 
 to be now in better spirits than he 
 had been the day before. The people 
 in Tiarrabou would not kill us, he 
 said ; but he assured us that we 
 should be able to procure no victuals 
 among them ; and indeed we had 
 seen no bread-fruit since we set out. 
 
 After rowing a few miles, we landed 
 in a district which was the dominion 
 of a chief called Maraitata, ' ' the bury- 
 ing-place of men," whose father's 
 name was Pahairedo, "the stealer of 
 boats." Though these names seemed 
 to favour the account that had been 
 given by Tituboalo, we soon found 
 that it was not true. Both the father 
 and the son received us with the 
 greatest civility, gave us provisions, 
 and, after some delay, sold us a very 
 large hog for a hatchet. A crowd 
 soon gathered round us, but we saw 
 only two people that we knew ; neither 
 did we observe a single bead or or- 
 nament among them that had come 
 from our ship, though we saw several 
 things which had been brought from 
 Europe. In one of the houses lay two 
 12-pound shot, one of which was 
 marked with the broad arrow of Eng- 
 land, though the people said they had 
 them from the ships that lay in Bou- 
 gainville's harbour. 
 
 We proceeded on foot till we cams 
 to the district which was immediately 
 
CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE ISLAND, 41 
 
 land. They were of the same figure 
 as those in Opoureonu, but cleaner 
 kept, 
 
 17G9.] 
 
 under the government of the principal 
 chief, or king, of the peninsula, Wa- 
 heatua. Waheatua had a son, but 
 whether, according to the custom of 
 Opoureonu, he admiuistered the go- 
 vernment as regent or in his own 
 right, is uncertain. This district 
 consists of a large and fertile plain 
 watered by a river so wide that we 
 were obliged to ferry over it in a canoe ; 
 our Indian train, however, chose to 
 swim, and took to the water with the 
 same facility as a pack of hounds. 
 In this place we saw no house that 
 appeared to be inhabited, but the 
 ruins of many that had been very 
 large. We proceeded along the shore, 
 which forms a bay called Oaitipeha, 
 and at last found the chief sitting 
 near some pretty canoe awnings, under 
 which, we supposed, he and his at- 
 tendants slept. He was a thin old 
 man, with a very white head and 
 beard, and had with him a comely 
 woman, about five-and-twenty years 
 old, whose name was Toudidde. We 
 had often heard the name of this 
 woman, and, from report and obser- 
 vation, we had reason to think that 
 she was the Oberea of this peninsula. 
 From this place — between which and 
 the isthmus there are other harbours, 
 formed by the reefs that lie along the 
 shore, where shipping may lie in per- 
 fect security, and from whence the 
 land trends SSE. and S. to the SE. 
 part of the island — we were accom- 
 panied by Tearee, the son of Waheatua, 
 of whom we had purchased a hog. 
 The country we passed through ap- 
 peared to be more cultivated than any 
 we had seen in other parts of the island ; 
 the brooks were everywhere banked 
 into narrow channels with stone, and 
 the shore had also a facing of stone, 
 where it was washed by the sea. The 
 houses were neither large nor numer- 
 ous, but the canoes that were hauled 
 up> along the shore were almost innu- 
 merable, and superior to any that we 
 had seen before, both in size and 
 make. They were longer, the sterns 
 were higher, and the awnings were 
 supported by pillars. At almost every 
 point there was a sepulchral building, 
 pjul there were many of thein also in- 
 
 and better kept, and decorated with 
 many carved boards, which 'were set 
 upright, and on the top of which were 
 various figures of birds and men. On 
 one, in particular, there was the re- 
 presentation of a cock, which w.is 
 painted red and yellow, to imitate the 
 feathers of that animal; and rude 
 images of men were, in some of them, 
 placed one upon the head of another. 
 But in this part of the country, how- 
 ever fertile and cultivated, we did not 
 see a single bread-fruit ; the trees were 
 entirely bare, and the inhabitants 
 seemed to subsist principally upon 
 nuts which are not unlike a chestnut, 
 and which they call Ahee. 
 
 When we had walked till we were 
 weary, we called up the boat, but 
 both our Indians, Tituboalo and Tua- 
 how, were missing. They had, it 
 seems, stayed behind at Waheatua's, 
 expecting us to return thither, in con- 
 sequence of a promise which had been 
 extorted from us, and which we had 
 it not in our power to fulfil. Tearee, 
 however, and another, embarked with 
 us, and we proceeded till we came 
 abreast of a small island called Otoo- 
 areitc. It being then dark, we deter- 
 mined to land, and our Indians con- 
 ducted us to a place where they said 
 we might sleep. It was a deserted 
 house, and near it was a little cove in 
 which the boat might lie with great 
 safety and convenience. We were, 
 however, in want of provisions, hav- 
 ing been very sparingly supplied since 
 we set out ; and Mr Banks immedi- 
 ately went into the woods to see 
 whether any could be procured. As 
 it was dark he met with no people, 
 and could find but one house that was 
 inhabited. A bread-fruit and a half, 
 a few ahees, and some fire, were all 
 that it afforded ; upon which, with a 
 duck or two and a few curlews, wa 
 made our supper, which, if not scanty, 
 was disagreeable by the want of bread, 
 with which we had neglected to fur- 
 nish ourselves, as we depended upon 
 meeting with bread-fruit. We took up 
 our lodging under the awning of a canoe 
 belonging to Tearee, which followed u?. 
 
42 
 
 The next morning, after having 
 spent some time in another fruitless 
 attempt to procure a supply of provi- 
 sions, we. proceeded round the south- 
 east point, part of which is not covered 
 by any reef, but lies open to the sea ; 
 and here the hill rises directly from 
 the shore. At the southernmost part 
 of the island the shore is again covered 
 by a reef, which forms a good harbour, 
 a :id the land about it is very fertile. 
 "We made this route partly on foot 
 and partly in the boat. AVhen we had 
 walked about three miles, we arrived 
 at a place where we saw several large 
 canoes and a number of people with 
 them, whom we were agreeably sur- 
 prised to find were of our intimate ac- 
 quaintance. Here, with much diffi- 
 culty, we procured some cocoa-nuts, 
 and then embarked, taking with us 
 Tuahow, one of the Indians who had 
 waited for lis at Waheatua's, and had 
 returned the night before, long after it 
 was dark. 
 
 When we came abreast of the south- 
 east end of the island we went ashore, 
 by the advice of our Indian guide, who 
 told us that the countr}' was rich and 
 good. The chief, whose name was 
 Mathiabo, soon came down to us, but 
 seemed to be a total stranger both to 
 lis and to our trade. His subjects, 
 however, brought us plenty of cocoa- 
 nuts and about twenty bread-fruit. 
 The bread-fruit we bought at a very 
 dear rate, but his excellency sold us a 
 pig for a glass bottle, which he pre- 
 ferred to everything else that we could 
 give him. We found in his posses- 
 sion a goose and a turkey-cock, which, 
 we were informed, had been left upon 
 the island by the Dolphin ; they were 
 both enormously fat, and so tame that 
 they followed the Indians, who were 
 fond, of them to excess, wherever they 
 went. 
 
 In a long house in this neighbour- 
 hood we saw what was altogether new 
 to us. At one end of it, fastened to 
 a semicircular board, hung fifteen 
 human jaw-bones; they appeared to 
 be lush, and there was not one of 
 that wanted a single tooth. A 
 sight so extraordinary strongly excited 
 •a-iosity, and v my in- 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. I. 
 
 quiries about it ; but at this time could 
 get no information, for the people 
 either could not or would not under- 
 stand us. 
 
 When we let! this place, the chief, 
 Mathiabo, desired leave to accompany 
 us, which was readily granted. He 
 continued with us the remainder of 
 the day, and proved very useful by 
 piloting us over the shoals. In the 
 evening we opened the bay on the 
 north-west side of the island, which 
 answered to that on the south-east, so 
 as at the isthmus, or carrying-place, 
 almost to intersect the island, as 1 
 have observed before ; and when we 
 had coasted about two-thirds of it we 
 determined to go on shore for the 
 
 night. We saw a large house at some 
 distance, which, Mathiabo informed 
 us, belonged to one of his friends ; 
 and soon after several canoes came off 
 to meet us, having on board some 
 very handsome women, who, by their 
 behaviour, seemed to have been sent 
 to entice us on shore. As we had be- 
 fore resolved to take up our residence 
 here for the night, little invitation 
 was necessary. We found that the 
 house belonged to the chief of the 
 district, whose name was Wiverou ; 
 he received us in a very friendly man- 
 ner, and ordered his people to assist 
 us in dressing our provision, of which 
 we had now got a tolerable stock. 
 When our supper was ready, we were 
 conducted into that part of the house 
 where Wiverou was sitting in order to 
 eat it. Mathiabo supped with us, and 
 Wiverou calling for his supper at the 
 same time, we ate our meal very soci- 
 ably, and with great good humour. 
 When it was over we began to inquire 
 where we were to sleep, and a part of 
 the house was shown us, of which we 
 were told we might take possession 
 for that purpose. We then sent for 
 our cloaks, and Mr Banks began to 
 undress, as his custom was ; and, with 
 a precaution which he had been taught 
 by the loss of the jackets at Atahourou, 
 sent his clothes aboard the boat, pro- 
 posing to cover himself with a piece 
 of Indian cloth. When Mathiabo 
 perceived what was doing, he also pre- 
 ivant a cloak: and, as he bad 
 
1769.] 
 
 behaved very well, and done us some 
 service, a cloak was ordered for him. 
 We lay down, and observed that Ma- 
 thiabo was not with us ; but we sup- 
 posed that he was gone to bathe, as 
 the Jadians always do before they 
 sleep. We had not waited long, 
 however, when an Indian, who was a 
 stranger to us, came and told Mr 
 Banks that the cloak and Mathiabo 
 had disappeared together. This man 
 had so far gained our confidence that 
 we did not at first believe the report ; 
 but it being soon after confirmed by 
 Tuahow, our own Indian, we knew no 
 time was to be lost. 
 
 As it was impossible for us to pur- 
 sue the thief with any hope of success, 
 without the assistance of the people 
 about us, Mr Banks started up, and 
 telling our case, required them to 
 recover the cloak ; and to enforce this 
 requisition, showed one of his pocket- 
 pistols, which he always kept about 
 him. Upon the sight of the pistol, 
 the whole company took the alarm, 
 and, instead of assisting to catch the 
 thief, or recover what had been stolen, 
 began with great precipitation to 
 leave the place ; one of them, how- 
 ever, was seized, upon which he im- 
 mediately offered to direct the chase. 
 I set out therefore with Mr Banks, 
 and though we ran all the way, the 
 alarm had got before us, for in about 
 ten minutes we met a man bringing 
 back the cloak, which the thief had 
 relinquished in great terror ; and as 
 we did not then think fit to continue 
 the pursuit, he made his escape. 
 When we returned, we found the 
 house, in which there had been be- 
 tween 200 and 300 people, entirely 
 deserted. It being, however, soon 
 known that we had no resentment 
 against anybody but Mathiabo, the 
 chief, Wiverou, our host, with his 
 wife and many others, returned and 
 took up their lodgings with us for 
 the night. In this place, however, 
 we were destined to m,ore confusion 
 about 5 o'clock in 
 sentry alarmed us 
 that the boat was 
 missing. He had seen her, he said, 
 about half- an -hour before, at her 
 
 OTHER CASES OF THEFT. 
 
 43 
 
 End trouble; for 
 the morning our 
 with an account 
 
 grappling, which was not above fifty 
 yards from the shore ; but, upon 
 hearing the sound of oars, he had 
 looked out again, and could see 
 nothing of her. At this account we 
 started up greatly alarmed, and ran 
 to the water-side. The morning was 
 clear and star-light, so that we could 
 see to a considerable distance, but 
 there was no appearance of the boat. 
 Our situation was now such as might 
 justify the most terrifyiug apprehen- 
 sions ; as it was a dead calm, and we 
 could not therefore suppose her to 
 have broken from her grappling, we 
 had great reason to fear that the 
 Indians had attacked her, and, find- 
 ing the people asleep, had succeeded 
 in their enterprise. We were but 
 four, with only one musket and two 
 pocket-pistols, without a spare ball 
 or charge of powder for either. In 
 this state of anxiety and distress we 
 remained a considerable time, ex- 
 pecting the Indians every moment to 
 improve their advantage — when ta 
 our unspeakable satisfaction, we saw 
 the boat return, which had been 
 driven from her grappling by the 
 tide ; a circumstance to which, in 
 our confusion and surprise, we did 
 not advert. As soon as the boat re- 
 turned, we got our breakfast, and 
 were impatient to leave the place, 
 lest some other vexatious accident 
 should befall us. It is situated on 
 the north side of Tiarrabou, the 
 south-east peninsula, or division, of 
 the island, and at the distance of 
 about five miles south-east from the 
 isthmus, having a large and commod- 
 ious harbour, inferior to none in the 
 island, about which the land is very 
 rich in produce. Notwithstanding 
 we had little communication with 
 this division, the inhabitants every- 
 where received us in a friendly man- 
 ner ; we found the whole of it fertile 
 and populous, and, to all appearance, 
 in a more flourishing state thi - 
 Opoureonu, though it is not above 
 one-fourth part as large. 
 
 The next district in which we 
 landed, was the last in Tiarrabou, 
 and governed by a chief, whose name 
 we understood to be Omoe. Ornoe 
 
44 
 
 was building a 
 
 . & <• nouse, and being 
 therefore very desirous cf procuring a 
 hatchet, lie would have been glad to 
 have purchased one with anything 
 that he had in his possession ; it 
 happened, however, rather unfortun- 
 ately for him and us, that we had not 
 one hatchet left in the boat. "We 
 ottered to trade with nails, but he 
 would not part with anything in ex- 
 change for them. We therefore re- 
 embarked, and put off our boat ; but 
 the chief being unwilling to relin- 
 quish all hope of obtaining some- 
 thing from us that would be of use to 
 him, embarked in a canoe, with his 
 wife Whanno-ouda, and followed us. 
 After some time, we took them into 
 the boat, and when we had rowed 
 about a league, they desired we would 
 put ashore. We immediately com- 
 plied with his request, and found 
 some of his people, who had brought 
 down a very large hog. We were as 
 unwilling to lose the hog, as the chief 
 was to part with us, and it was in- 
 deed worth the best axe we had in 
 the ship ; we therefore hit upon an 
 expedient, and told him that if he 
 would bring his hog to the fort at 
 Matavai — the Indian name for Port 
 Royal Bay — he should have a large 
 axe and a nail into the bargain for 
 his trouble. To this proposal, after 
 having consulted with his wife, he 
 agreed, and gave us a large piece of 
 his country-cloth as a pledge that he 
 would perform his agreement, which, 
 however, he never did. 
 
 At this place we saw a very singu- 
 lar curiosity. It was the figure of 
 a man, constructed of basket-work, 
 rudely made, but not ill designed ; 
 it was something more than seven 
 feet high, and rather too bulky in 
 proportion to its height. The wicker 
 skeleton was completely covered with 
 feathers, which were white where the 
 skin was to appear, and black in the 
 parts which it is their custom to 
 paint or stain, and upon the head 
 where there was to be a representation 
 of hair. Upon the head also were 
 four protuberances, three in front 
 and one behind, which wo should 
 have called horns, but which the 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.I. 
 
 Indians dignified with the name of 
 
 "Tate Ete "—little men. The image 
 was called Manioe, and was said to 
 be the only one of the kind in Ota- 
 heite. They attempted to give us an 
 explanation of its use and design, but 
 we had not then acquired enough of 
 their language to understand them. 
 We learned, however, afterwards, that 
 it was a representation of Mauwe, one 
 of their Eatuas, or gods of the second 
 class. 
 
 After having settled our affairs with 
 Omoe, we proceeded on our return, 
 and soon reached Opoureonu, the 
 north-west peninsula. After rowing 
 a few miles, we went on shore again, 
 but the only thing we saw worth 
 notice, was a repository for the dead, 
 uncommonly decorated. The pave- 
 ment was extremely neat, and upon 
 it was raised a pyramid, about five 
 feet high, which was entirely covered 
 with the fruits of two plants peculiar 
 to the country. Near the pyramid 
 was a small image of stone, of very 
 rude workmanship, and the first in- 
 stance of carving in stone that we 
 had seen among these people. They 
 appeared to set a high \ -due upon it, 
 for it was covered from t\ e weather by 
 a sh ed th at h ad been erect ?d on purpose . 
 
 We proceeded in the boat, and 
 passed through the only harbour, on 
 the south side of Opoureonu, that is 
 fit for shipping. It is situated about 
 five miles to the westward of the 
 isthmus, between two small islands 
 that lie near the shore, about a mile 
 distant from each other ; and affords 
 good anchorage in eleven and twelve 
 fathoms water. We were now not far 
 from the district called Paparra, which 
 belonged to our friends Oamo and 
 Oberea, where we proposed to sleep. 
 We went on shore about an hour before 
 night, and found that they were both 
 absent, having left their habitations 
 to pay us a visit at Matavai. This, 
 however did not alter our purpose; 
 we took up our quarters at the house 
 of Oberea, which, though small, was 
 very neat, and at this time had no 
 inhabitant but her father, who re- 
 ceived us with looks that bid us wel- 
 come. Having taken possession, we 
 
DESCRIPTION" OF A "MORAL 
 
 >rove the little 
 
 1769.] 
 
 were willing to in 
 day-light that was left us, and there- 
 lore walked out to a point upon which 
 we had seen, at a distance, trees that 
 are here called ' ' etoa, " which gener- 
 ally distinguish the places where these 
 people hury the bones of their dead. 
 Their name for such burying-grounds, 
 which are also places of worship, is 
 ' ' morai. " We were soon struck with 
 the sight of an enormous pile, which, 
 we were told, was the Morai of Oamo 
 and Oberea, and the principal piece 
 of Indian architecture in the island. 
 It was a pile of stone- work, raised 
 pyramidically, upon an oblong base, 
 or square, two hundred and sixty- 
 seven feet long, and eighty-seven 
 wide. It was built like the small 
 pyramidal mounts upon which we 
 sometimes fix the pillar of a sun-dial, 
 where each side is a flight of steps ; 
 the steps, however, at the sides, were 
 broader than those at the ends, so 
 that it terminated not in a square of 
 the same figure with the base, but in 
 a ridge, like the roof of a house. 
 There were eleven of these steps, each 
 of which was four feet high, so that 
 the height of the pile was forty-four 
 feet ; each step was formed of one 
 course of white coral-stone, which 
 was neatly squared and polished ; the 
 rest of the mass, for there was no hol- 
 low within, consisted of round peb- 
 bles, which, from the regularity of 
 their figure, seemed to have been 
 wrought. Some of the coral-stones 
 were very large ; we measured one of 
 them, and found it three feet and a 
 half by two feet and a half. The 
 foundation was of rock stones, which 
 were also squared ; and one of them 
 measured four feet seven inches by 
 two feet four. Such a structure, 
 raised without the assistance of iron- 
 tools to shape the stones, or mortar 
 to join them, struck us with astonish- 
 ment. It seemed to be as compact 
 and firm as it could have been made 
 by any workman in Europe, except 
 that the steps, which range along its 
 greatest length, are not perfectly 
 straight, but sink in a kind of hollow 
 in the middle, so that the whole sur- 
 face, from end to end, is not a ri^ht 
 
 45 
 
 line, but a curve. The quarry stones, 
 as we saw no quarry in the neighbour- 
 hood, must have been brought from 
 a considerable distance ; and there is 
 no method of conveyance here but by 
 hand. The coral must also have 
 been fished from under the water, 
 where, though it may be found in 
 plenty, it lies at a considerable depth, 
 never less than three feet. Both the 
 rock-stone and the coral could be 
 squared only by tools made of the 
 same substance, which must have 
 been a work of incredible labour; but 
 the polishing was more easily effected 
 by means of the sharp coral sand, 
 which is found everywhere upon the 
 sea-shore in great abundance. In the 
 middle of the top stood the image of 
 a bird, carved in wood ; and near it 
 lay the broken one of a iish, carved 
 in stone. The whole of this pyramid 
 made part of one side of a spacious 
 area or square, nearly of equal sides, 
 being 3 GO fret by 354. which was 
 walled in with stone, and paved with 
 flat stones in its whole extent; though 
 there were growing in it, notwith- 
 standing the pavement, several of the 
 trees which they call "etoa," and 
 plantains. About a hundred yards 
 to the west of this building, was 
 another paved area or court, in which 
 were several small stages raised on 
 wooden pillars, about seven feet high, 
 which are called by the Indians 
 "ewattas," 1 and seem to be a kind 
 of altars, as upon these are placed 
 provisions of all kinds as offerings to 
 their gods. We have since seen 
 whole hogs placed upon them, and 
 we found here the skulls of above 
 fifty, besides the skulls of a great 
 number of dogs. 
 
 The principal object of ambition 
 among these people is to have a mag- 
 nificent Morai, and this was a strik- 
 ing memorial of the rank and power 
 of Oberea, It has been remarked 
 that we did not find her invested 
 with the same authority she exercised 
 
 1 Subsequently described in the 
 account of the stay at Tongataboo 
 (Voyage III.) under the designation 
 
 of "whattas.* 
 
46 
 
 COOK'S V 
 
 when the Dolphin was at this place, 
 and we now learned the reason of it. 
 Our way from her house to the Morai 
 lay along the seaside, and we observed 
 everywhere under our feet a great 
 number of human hones, chiefly ribs 
 and vertebras. Upon inquiring into 
 the cause of so singular an appearance, 
 we were told that in the then last 
 month of Owarahew, which answered 
 to our December, 1763, about four or 
 five months before our arrival, the 
 people of Tiarrabou, the SE. penin- 
 sula which we had just visited, made 
 o descent at this place, and killed a 
 great number of people, whose bones 
 were those that we saw upon the 
 shore ; that upon this occasion Oherea 
 and Oamo, who then administered 
 the government for his son, had fled 
 to the mountains ; and that the con- 
 querors burned all the houses, which 
 were very large, and carried away the 
 hogs and what other animals they 
 found. We learned also that the 
 turkey and goose which we had seen 
 when we were with Mathiabo, the 
 stealer of cloaks, were among the 
 spoils. This accounted for their be- 
 ing found among people with whom 
 the Dolphin had little or no commu- 
 nication ; and upon mentioning the 
 jawbones which we had seen hanging 
 from a board in a long house, we were 
 told that they also had been carried 
 away as trophies, the people here 
 carrying away the jaw-bones of their 
 enemies, as the Indians of North 
 America do the scalps. 
 
 After having thus gratified our 
 curiosity, we returned to our quarters, 
 where we passed the night in perfect 
 security and quiet. By the next 
 evening we arrived at Atahourou, the 
 residence of our friend Tootahah, 
 where, last time we passed the night 
 under his protection, we had been 
 obliged to leave the best part of our 
 clothes behind us. This adventure, 
 however, seemed now to be forgotti i 
 on both sides. Our friends received 
 us with great pleasure, and gave us a 
 good supper and a good lodging, wh'Te 
 we suffered neither loss nor disturb- 
 ance. 
 
 The next day, Saturday, July the 
 
 OYAGE3. [Vov. /. 
 
 1st, we got back to our fort at Matv 
 vai, having found the circuit of the 
 island, including both peninsulas, to 
 be about thirty leagues. Upon our 
 complaining of the want of bread- 
 fruit, we were told that the produce 
 of the last season was nearly ex- 
 hausted, and that what was seen 
 sprouting upon the trees would not 
 be fit to use in less than three months. 
 This accounted for our having been 
 able to procure so little of it in our 
 route. While the bread-fruit is rip- 
 ening upon the flats, the inhabitants 
 are supplied in some measure from 
 the trees which they have planted 
 upon the hills to preserve a succes- 
 sion ; but the quantity is not suffi- 
 cient to prevent scarcity. They live 
 therefore upon the sour paste which 
 they call "mahie," upon wild plan- 
 tains, and ahee-nuts, which at this 
 time are in perfection. How it hap- 
 pened that the Dolphin, which was 
 here at this season, found such plenty 
 of bread-fruit upon the trees I cannot 
 tell, except the season in which they 
 ripen varies. 
 
 At our return, our Indian friends 
 crowded about us, and none of them 
 came empty-handed. Though I had 
 determined to restore to their owners 
 the canoes which had been detained, 
 it had not yet been done ; but I now 
 released them as they were applied 
 for. Upon this occasion I could not 
 but remark with concern that these 
 people were capable of practising petty 
 frauds against each other, with a de- 
 liberate dishonesty which gave me a 
 much worse opinion of them, than I 
 had ever entertained from the rob- 
 beries they committed under the strong 
 temptation, to which a sudden oppor- 
 tunity of enriching themselves with the 
 inestimable metal and manufactures of 
 Europe exposed them. Among others 
 who applied to me for the release of 
 a canoe was one Potattow, a man of 
 some consequence, well known to us 
 all. I consented, supposing the ves- 
 sel to be his own, or that he applied 
 on behalf of a friend. He went im- 
 mediately to the beach, and took pos- 
 ion of one of the boats, which, 
 with the assistance of his people, he 
 
1769.] 
 
 EXPLORATIONS MADE BY MR BANKS. 
 
 47 
 
 began to carry off; upon this, how- 
 ever, it was eagerly claimed by the 
 right owners, who, supported by the 
 other Indians, clamorously reproached 
 him for invading their property, and 
 prepared to take the canoe from him 
 by force. Upon this he desired to be 
 heard, and told them that the canoe 
 did indeed once belong to those who 
 ci:timed it ; but that I, having seized 
 it as a forfeit, had sold it to him for 
 a pig. This silenced the clamour ; 
 the owners, knowing that from my 
 power there was no appeal, acqui- 
 esced ; and Potattow would have car- 
 ried off his prize if the dispute had 
 not fortunately been overheard by 
 some of our people, who reported it 
 to me. I gave orders immediately 
 that th e Indian s should be undeceived ; 
 upon which the right owners took 
 possession of their canoe, and Potat- 
 tow was so conscious of his guilt that 
 neither he nor his wife, who was privy 
 to his knavery, could look us in the 
 face for some time afterwards. 
 
 On the 3d, Mr Banks set out early 
 in the morning, with some Indian 
 guides, to trace our river up the 
 valley from which it issues, and ex- 
 amine how far its banks were inhab- 
 ited. For about six miles they met 
 with houses, not far distant from each 
 ether, on each side of the river, and 
 the valley was everywhere about 400 
 yards wide from the foot of the hill 
 on one side to the foot of that on the 
 other. But they were now shown a 
 house which they were told was the 
 last that they would see. "When they 
 came up to it, the master of it offered 
 them refreshments of cocoa-nuts and 
 other fruits, of which they accepted. 
 After a short stay, they walked for- 
 ward for a considerable time. In bad 
 way it is not easy to compute dis- 
 tances, but they imagined that they 
 had walked about six miles farther, 
 following the course of the river, 
 when they frequently passed under 
 vaults formed by fragments of the 
 rock, in which they were told people 
 who were benighted frequently passed 
 the night. Soon after they found the 
 river banked by steep rocks, from 
 which a cascade falling with great 
 
 violence, formed a pool so steep that 
 the Indians said they could not pass 
 it. They seemed, indeed, not much 
 to be acquainted with the valley be- 
 yond this place, their business lying 
 chiefly upon the declivity of the rocks 
 on each side, and the plains which 
 extended on their summits, where 
 they found plenty of wild plantain, 
 which they called Vae. The way up 
 these rocks from the banks of the 
 river was in every respect dreadful ; 
 the sides were nearly perpendicular, 
 and in some places 100 feet high ; 
 they were also rendered exceeding 
 slippery by the water of innumerable 
 springs which issued from the fissurea 
 on the surface. Yet up these preci- 
 pices a way was to be traced by a 
 succession of long pieces of the bark 
 of the Hibiscus tiliaccus, which served 
 as a rope for the climber to take hold 
 of, and assisted him in scrambling 
 from one ledge to another, though 
 upon these ledger there was footing 
 only for an Indian or a goat. One of 
 these ropes was nearly thirty feet in 
 length, and their guides offered to 
 assist them in mounting this pass, 
 but recommended another, at a little 
 distance lower down, as less difficult 
 and dangerous. They took a view of 
 this "better way," but found it so 
 bad that they did not choose to at- 
 tempt it, as there was nothing at the 
 top to reward their toil and hazard 
 but a grove of the wild plantain or 
 Vae tree, which they had often seen 
 before. 
 
 During this excursion Mr Banks 
 had an excellent opportunity to ex- 
 amine the rocks, which were almost 
 everywhere naked, for minerals; but 
 he found not the least appearance of 
 any. The stones everywhere, like 
 those of Madeira, showed manifest 
 tokens of having been burned ; nor is 
 there a single specimen of any stone 
 among all those that were collected 
 in the island upon which there are 
 not manifest and indubitable marks 
 of fire, except, perhaps, some small 
 pieces of the hatchet-stone, and even 
 of that other fragments were collected 
 which were burned almost to a pum- 
 ice. Traces of fire are also manifest 
 
48 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 la the very clay upon the hills ; and 
 it may therefore not unreasonably be 
 supposed that this and the neighbour- 
 ing islands are either shattered re- 
 mains of a continent, which some 
 have supposed to he necessary in this 
 part of the globe to preserve an equi- 
 librium of its parts, which were left 
 behind when the rest sank by the 
 mining of a subterraneous fire, so as 
 to give a passage to the sea over it ; 
 or were torn from rocks which, from 
 the creation of the world, had been 
 the bed of the sea, and thrown up in 
 heaps to a height which the waters 
 never reach. One or other of these 
 suppositions will perhaps be thought 
 Hie more probable, as the water does 
 not gradually grow shallow as the 
 shore is approached, and the islands 
 are almost everywhere surrounded by 
 reefs which appear to be rude and 
 broken, as some violent concussion 
 would naturally leave the solid sub- 
 stance of the earth. 
 
 On the 4th, Mr Banks employed 
 himself in planting a great quantity 
 of the seeds of water-melons, oranges, 
 lemons, limes, and other plants and 
 trees which he had collected at Rio 
 tie Janeiro. For these he prepared 
 ground on each side of the fort, with 
 as many varieties of soil as he could 
 choose ; and there is little doubt that 
 they will succeed. He also gave 
 liberally of these seeds to the Indians, 
 and planted many of them in the 
 woods. Some of the melon seeds 
 having been planted soon after our 
 arrival, the natives showed him several 
 of the plants, which appeared to be 
 in the most flourishing condition, and 
 were continually asking him for more. 
 
 "We now begin to prepare for our 
 departure, by bending the sails and 
 performing other necessary operations 
 on board the ship — our water being 
 already on board, and the provisions 
 examined. In the meantime we had 
 another visit from Oamo, Oberea, and 
 their son and daughter; the Indians 
 expressing their respect by uncovering 
 the upper parts of their body as they 
 had done before. The daughter, 
 whose name we understand to be 
 Toimata, was very desirous to see the 
 
 (Toy. I. 
 
 fort, but her father would by no 
 means suffer her to come in. Tearee, 
 the son of "Waheatua, the sovereign 
 of Tiarrabou, the south-east peninsula, 
 was also with us at this time; and 
 we received intelligence of the landing 
 of another guest, whose company was 
 neither expected nor desired. This 
 was no other than the ingenious 
 
 gentleman who contrived to steal our 
 quadrant. "We were told that he 
 intended to try his fortune again in 
 the night ; but the Indians all offered 
 zealously to assist us against him, 
 desiring that, for this purpose, they 
 might be permitted to lie in the fort. 
 This had so good an effect, that the 
 thief relinquished his enterprise in 
 despair. 
 
 On the 7th, the carpenters were 
 employed in taking down the gatea 
 and palisadoes of our little fortifica- 
 tion, for fire-wood on board the ship ; 
 and one of the Indians had dexterity 
 enough to steal the staple and hook 
 upon which the gate turned. He was 
 immediately pursued, and after a 
 chase of six miles, he appeared to 
 have been passed, having concealed 
 himself among some rushes in the 
 brook. The rushes were searched, 
 and though the thief had escaped, 
 a scraper was found which had been 
 stolen from the ship some time before ; 
 and soon after our old friend Tubourai 
 Tamaide brought us the staple. On 
 the 8th and 9th we continued to dis- 
 mantle our fort, and our friends still 
 flocked about us ; some, I believe, 
 sorry at the approach of our departure, 
 and others desirous to make as much 
 as they could of us while we stayed. 
 "We were in hopes that we should 
 now leave the island without giving 
 or receiving any other offence, but 
 it unfortunately happened otherwise. 
 Two foreign seamen having been out 
 with my permission, one of them was 
 robbed of his knife, and endeavouring 
 to recover it, probably with circum- 
 stances of great provocation, the In- 
 dians attacked him and dangerously 
 wounded him with a stone ; they 
 wounded his companion also slightly 
 on the head, and then fled r into the 
 mountains. As I should have been 
 
1769.] 
 
 sorry to take any further notice of 
 the affair, I was not displeased that 
 the offenders had escaped ; but I was 
 immediately involved in a quarrel 
 which I very much regretted, and 
 which yet it was not possible to avoid. 
 In the middle of the night between 
 the 8th and 9th, Clement Webb and 
 Samuel Gibson, two of the marines, 
 both young men, went privately from 
 the fort, and in the morning were not 
 to be found. As public notice had 
 been given that all hands were to go 
 on board on the next day, and that 
 the ship would sail on the morrow of 
 that day or the day following, I be- 
 gan to fear that the absentees intended 
 to stay behind. I knew that I could 
 take no effectual steps to recover them 
 without endangering the harmony and 
 goodwill which at present subsisted 
 among us, and therefore determined 
 to wait a day for the chance of their 
 return. On Monday morning the 
 10th, the marines, to my great con- 
 cern, not being returned, an inquiry 
 was made after them of the Indians, 
 who frankly told us that they did 
 not intend to return, and had taken 
 refuge in the mountains, where it was 
 impossible for our people to find them. 
 They were then requested to assist in 
 tho search, and after some delibera- 
 tion, two of them undertook to con- 
 duct such persons as I should think 
 proper to send after them to the place 
 of their retreat. As they were known 
 to be without arms, I thought two 
 would be sufficient, and accordingly 
 despatched a petty officer and a cor- 
 poral of marines, with the Indian 
 guides, to fetch them back. As the 
 recovery of these men was a matter 
 of great importance, as I had no time 
 to lose, and a3 the Indians spoke 
 doubtfully of their return — telling us 
 that they had each of them taken a 
 wife, and were becomo inhabitants of 
 tho country, — it was intimated to 
 several of the chiefs who were in the 
 fort with their women, among whom 
 were Tubourai Taniaide, Tomio, and 
 Oberea, that thej r would not be per- 
 mitted to leave it till our deserters 
 were brought back. This precaution 
 } thought the more necessary, as, by 
 
 DESERTION OF TWO MARINES. 
 
 49 
 
 concealing them a few days, they 
 might compel me to go without them ; 
 and I had the pleasure to observe that 
 they received the intimation with very 
 little signs either of fear or discontent, 
 assuring me that my people should 
 be secured and sent back as soon as 
 possible. While this' was doing at 
 the fort, I sent Mr Hicks in the pin- 
 nace to fetch Tootahah on board the 
 ship ; which he did, without alarming 
 either him or his people. If the In- 
 dian guides proved faithful and in 
 earnest, I had reason to expect the 
 return of my people with the deserters 
 before evening. Being disappointed, 
 my suspicions increased ; and night 
 coming on, I thought I was not safe 
 to let the people whom I had detained 
 as hostages continue at the fort, and 
 I therefore ordered Tubourai Tamaide, 
 Oberea, and some others, to be taken 
 on board the ship. This spread a 
 general alarm, and several of them, 
 especially the women, expressed their 
 apprehensions with great emotion and 
 many tears when they were put into 
 the boat. I went on board with them, 
 and Mr Banks remained on shore, 
 with some others whom I thought it 
 of less consequence to secure. 
 
 About 9 o'clock Webb was brought 
 back by some of the natives, who 
 declared that Gibson and the petty 
 officer and corporal would be detained 
 till Tootahah should be set at liberty. 
 The tables were now turned upon me, 
 but I had proceeded too far to retreat. 
 I immediately despatched Mr Hicks 
 in the long-boat with a strong party 
 of men, to rescue tho prisoners, and 
 told Tootahah that u behoved him to 
 send some of his people with them, 
 with orders to afford them effectual 
 assistance, and to demand the release 
 of my men in his name, for that I 
 should expect him to answer for the. 
 contrary. He i eadily complied ; this 
 party recovered my men without the 
 least opposition, and, about 7 o'clock 
 in the morning, returned with them 
 to the ship, though they had not been 
 able to recover the arms which had 
 been taken from them when they were 
 seized. These, however, were brought 
 • on board in less than half-an-hour, 
 
 D 
 
50 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 [Vot.I. 
 
 and the chiefs were immediately set 
 at liberty. 
 
 When I questioned the petty officer 
 concerning what had happened on 
 shore, he told me that neither the 
 natives who went with them, nor 
 those whom they met in their way, 
 would give them any intelligence of 
 the deserters, but, on the contrary, 
 became very troublesome ; that, as 
 he was returning for further orders to 
 the ship, he and his comrade were 
 suddenly seized by a number of armed 
 men, who, having learned that Toota- 
 hah was confined, had concealed them- 
 selves in a wood for that purpose, and 
 who having taken them at a disad- 
 vantage, forced their weapons out of 
 their hands, and declared that they 
 would detain them till their chief 
 should be set at liberty. He said, 
 however, that the Indians were not 
 unanimous in this measure ; that 
 some were for setting them at liberty, 
 and others for detaining them ; that 
 an eager dispute ensued, and from 
 words they came to blows, but the 
 party for detaining them at length 
 prevailed; that soon after Webb and 
 Gibson were brought in by a party of 
 the natives as prisoners, that they 
 also might be secured as hostages for 
 the chief; but that it was after some 
 debate resolved to send Webb to in- 
 form me of their resolution, to assure 
 me that his companions were safe, 
 and direct me where I might send my 
 answer. Thus it appeals that, what- 
 ever were the disadvantages of seizing 
 the chiefs, I should never have re- 
 covered my men by any other method. 
 When the chiefs were set on shore 
 from the ship, those at the fort were 
 also set at liberty, and, after staying 
 with Mr Banks about an hour, they 
 all went away. Upon this occasion, 
 as they had done upon another of the 
 same kind, they expressed their joy 
 by an undeserved liberality, strongly 
 urging us to accept of four hogs. 
 These we absolutely refused as a pre- 
 sent, and they as absolutely refusing 
 to be paid for them, the hogs did not 
 change masters. Upon examining 
 the deserters, wo found that the 
 count which the Indians had given 
 
 of them was true, — they had strongly 
 attached themselves to two girls, and 
 it was their intention to conceal them- 
 selves till the ship had sailed, and 
 take up their residence upon the 
 island. This night everything was 
 got off from the shore, and everybody 
 slept on board. 
 
 Among the natives who were almost 
 constantly with us, was Tupia, whose 
 name has been often mentioned in this 
 narrative. He had been, as I have 
 before observed, the first minister of 
 Oberea, when she was in the height 
 of her power. He was also the chief 
 tahowa or priest of the island, conse- 
 quently well acquainted with the reli- 
 gion of the country, as well with respect 
 to its ceremonies as principles. He 
 had also great experience and know- 
 ledge in navigation, and was particu- 
 larly acquainted with the number and 
 situation of the neighbouring islands. 
 This man had often expressed a de- 
 sire to go with us, and on the 12th, in 
 the morning, having, with the other 
 natives, left us the day before, he 
 came on board with a boy about 
 thirteen years of age, his servant, and 
 urged us to let him proceed with us 
 on our voyage. To have such a per- 
 son on board was certainly desirable 
 for many reasons ; by learning his 
 language, and teaching him ours, we 
 should be able to acquire a much 
 better knowledge of the customs, 
 policy, and religion of the people, 
 than our short stay among them could 
 give us : I therefore gladly agreed to 
 receive them on board. As we were 
 prevented from sailing to-day, by 
 having found it necessary to make 
 new stocks to our small and best 
 bower anchors, the old ones having 
 been totally destroyed by the worms, 
 Tupia said he would go once more on 
 shore, and make a signal for the boat 
 to fetch him off in the evening. He 
 went accordingly, and took with him 
 a miniature picture of Mr Banks's to 
 show his friends, and several little 
 things to give them as parting pre- 
 
 Si 111.-. 
 
 After dinner, Mr Bank 
 sirous to procure a drawing of the 
 Moral belonging to Tootahah at 
 
 being de- 
 
176?.] 
 
 PREPARATIONS FOR LEAVING THE ISLAND. 
 
 51 
 
 Eparre, 1 attended him thither, ac- 
 companied by Dr Solander, in the 
 pinnace. As soon as we landed, 
 many of our friends came to meet us, 
 though some absented themselves in 
 resentment of what had happened the 
 day before. We immediately pro- 
 ceeded to Tootahah's house, where we 
 were joined by Oberea, with several 
 others who had not come out to meet 
 us, and a perfect reconciliation was 
 soon brought about ; in consequence 
 of which they promised to visit us 
 early the next day, to take a last 
 farewell of us, as we told them we 
 should certainly set sail in the after- 
 noon. At this place, also, we found 
 Tupia, who returned with us, and 
 slept this night on board the ship for 
 the tirst time. 
 
 On the next morning, Thursday the 
 13th of July, the ship was very early 
 crowded with our friends, and sur- 
 rounded by a multitude of canoes, 
 which were filled with the natives of 
 an inferior class. Between eleven 
 and twelve we weighed anchor, and 
 as soon as the ship was under sail, 
 the Indians on board took their leaves, 
 and wept, with a decent and silent 
 sorrow, in which there was something 
 very striking and tender. The people 
 in the canoes, on the contrary, seemed 
 to vie with each other in the loudness 
 of their lamentations, which we con- 
 sidered rather as affectation than grief. 
 Tupia sustained himself in this scene 
 with a firmness and resolution truly 
 admirable. He wept, indeed, but the 
 effort that he made to conceal his tears 
 concurred with them to do him hon- 
 our. He sent his last present, a shirt, 
 by Otheothea, to Potomia, Tootahah's 
 favourite mistress, and then went 
 with Mr Banks to the masthead, 
 waving to the canoes as long as they 
 continued in sight. 
 
 Thus we took leave of Otaheite and 
 its inhabitants, after a stay of just 
 three months. For much the greater 
 part of the time we lived together in 
 the most cordial friendship, and a 
 perpetual reciprocation of good offices. 
 The accidental differe'nces which now 
 and then happened could- not be more 
 sincerely regretted on their part, than 
 
 they were on ours. The pimcipal 
 causes were such as necessarily re- 
 sulted from our situation and cir- 
 cumstances, in conjunction with the 
 infirmities of human nature ; from our 
 not being able perfectly to understand 
 each other ; and from the disposition 
 of the inhabitants to theft, which we 
 could not all times bear with or pre- 
 vent. They had not, however, ex- 
 cept in one instance, b8en attended 
 with any fatal consequence ; and to 
 that accident were owing the measures 
 I took to prevent others of the same 
 kind. I hoped indeed to have availed 
 myself of the impression which had 
 been made upon them by the lives 
 sacrificed in their contest with the 
 Dolphin, so as that the intercourse 
 between us should have been carried 
 on wholly without bloodshed ; by this 
 hope all my measures were directed 
 during the whole of my continuance 
 at the island ; and I sincerely wish 
 that whoever shall next visit it may 
 be still more fortunate. Our traffic 
 here was carried on with as much 
 order as in the best regulated market 
 in Europe. It was managed princi- 
 pally by Mr Banks, who was inde- 
 fatigable in procuring provision and 
 refreshments while they were to be 
 had ; but during the latter part of 
 our time they became scarce, partly 
 by the increased consumption at the 
 fort and ship, and partly by the 
 coming on of the season in which 
 cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit fail. All 
 kinds of fruit we purchased for beads 
 and nails, but no nails less than 
 forty-penny were current. After a 
 very short time we could never get a 
 pig of more than ten or twelve pounds 
 for less than a hatchet ; because, 
 though these people set a high value 
 upon spike-nails, yet, these being an 
 article with which many people in 
 the ship were provided, the women 
 found a much more easy way of pro- 
 curing them than by bringing down 
 provisions. The best articles for 
 traffic here are axes, hatchets, spikes, 
 large nails, looking-glasses, knives, 
 and beads, for some of which, every- 
 thing that the natives have may 
 be procured, They are, indeed, fona 
 
52 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 of line iinen cloth, both white and 
 printed ; but an axe worth half-a- 
 crown will fetch more than a piece of 
 cloth worth twenty shillings. 
 
 [Although the account in the 
 Cabinet Cyclopaedia of Cook's stay at 
 Otaheite has been in great measure 
 anticipated, some particulars there go 
 beyond what Dr Hawkesworth him- 
 self relates, founding his narrative on 
 the observations and memoranda of 
 the distinguished navigator. ] 
 
 "The mild and judicious conduct 
 of Cook completely won the confid- 
 ence of the Otaheitans, and enabled 
 him to form a more accurate opinion 
 of their character than the voyagers 
 who had previously visited their island. 
 They were remarkably friendly and 
 affectionate, and indeed their attach- 
 ments alone seemed exempted from 
 the characteristic levity which pre- 
 vented them from fixing their atten- 
 tion on the same object for any length 
 of time. They are a handsome people, 
 finely made, and with open vivacious 
 countenances ; their ingenuity was 
 in nothing more conspicuous than in 
 the fine cloth, or rather paper, which 
 they made of the inner bark of a tree. 
 The garments of this material, winch 
 they wore, were becoming and even 
 elegant, and were arranged by the 
 women so as to produce an effect little 
 short of the classic draperies of anti- 
 quity. Their houses were little more 
 than sheds, erected in the neighbour- 
 hood of the trees under which they 
 reclined and took their meals during 
 the day. These habitations stood 
 very thick in the groves which cover 
 the low margin of the island. High 
 mountains rose behind, and a number 
 of small streams stole down the de- 
 clivities to the sea-shore ; the whole 
 [•resenting, from a distance, a most 
 enchanting picture. 
 
 " It was conjectured by M. de Bou- 
 gainville that the inhabitants of 
 Otaheite were composed of two differ- 
 ent races, and that one of these was 
 in a servile condition. Cook also 
 notices the superiority of the chiefs 
 in figure and appearance, but does 
 cot venture to ascribe this difference 
 
 [Tot. I. 
 
 to any circumstances of origin or 
 descent. He does not seem to have 
 observed the power which the chiefs 
 usually exercised over their retainers, 
 and which the French navigator, with 
 perhaps too little reason, seems to have 
 considered as absolutely despotic. 
 But the king, it was evident, though 
 treated with respect by all, possessed 
 no power but what was derived from 
 the voluntary attachment of the chiefs, 
 whose obedience or support in every 
 enterprise could be secured only by 
 consulting them. The rule of suc- 
 cession among these islanders is singu- 
 lar in the extreme. The son, as soon 
 as he is born, succeeds to the autho- 
 rity of his father, who at once becomes 
 only a regent instead of a king, if he 
 be fitted for that office. Associations 
 of a licentious character existed among 
 the chief persons in these islands, and 
 among other bad effects, tended to 
 encourage the crime of infanticide ; a 
 crime to which the law of inheritance 
 just mentioned may have held out 
 some inducement, as the ambition of 
 the parent was at once blighted by the 
 birth of a son. 
 
 "At the time of Cook's visit, the 
 sovereignty had devolved on a boy 
 only seven years old, the son of Oamo 
 and Oberea, the latter of whom had 
 figured so conspicuously in Captain 
 "Wallis's narrative as queen of the 
 island. She lived separate from her 
 husband, and though still treated as 
 a noble, no longer enjoyed the same 
 degree of power and consideration 
 which had rendered her friendship so 
 valuable to the commander of the 
 Dolphin. As a further proof of the 
 progress made by these islanders to- 
 wards civilisation, it deserves to be 
 remarked, that their women were not 
 condemned to labour, as is usually 
 the case amongst rude nations. They 
 had, indeed, abundance of domestic 
 occupation, in making and dyeing 
 their cloth, preparing the meals, and 
 similar offices ; but though they were 
 not permitted to eat with the men, 
 they were in general treated with 
 respect and attention. 
 
 "When M. de Bougainville arrived 
 here, he found the islanders already 
 
1769.] 
 
 TUPIA. 
 
 acquainted with the use of iron, which l coins and medals, and a pewter plate 
 
 they called 'aouri,' a name which he 
 supposed them to have learned from 
 the English who had preceded him ; 
 but Captain Wallis observed that they 
 were not wholly ignorant of that metal 
 in his time, though he does not men- 
 tion by what name they called it ; for 
 as soon as they were presented with 
 iron nails, they began to sharpen 
 them, while they took no such pains 
 with pieces of brass and copper. Cook 
 circumnavigated and surveyed the 
 coasts of Otaheite, which he found to 
 have a circumference of about thirty 
 leagues ; and after a stay of about 
 three months he piepared to depart. 
 In leaving the affectionate islanders, 
 he remarks, ' that, allowing for their 
 theft, they need not fear a comparison 
 with any people on earth. ' A native 
 named Tupia, one of Oberea's minis- 
 ters, and well instructed in all the 
 learning of his countrymen, offered 
 to accompany the English, and the 
 proposal was readily accepted. The 
 Otaheitans, it appeared, sometimes 
 ventured 200 or 300 miles through 
 the ocean in their open canoes ; and 
 Tupia had a vague knowledge of above 
 eighty islands, the position of many 
 of which he attempted to describe. 
 He was well tcquainted with the 
 heavens ; and, in every part of the 
 subsequent voyage in the Endeavour, 
 he was enabled to point out the direc- 
 tion of his native island. 
 
 " On leaving Otaheite, Cook visited 
 the neighbouring islands of Ulietea, 
 Borabora, Otahah, Huaheine, and 
 Eaiataia. Tupia related, that in the 
 time of his grandfather a friendly 
 ship had called at the last named 
 island, and he also stated that a ship 
 had been wrecked on a low island 
 called Oanna. These ships were pro- 
 bably those of Admiral Boggewein's 
 squadron, and Oanna may have been 
 the Schadelyk or Pernicious Island 
 of that navigator. At Huaheine, 
 Cook contracted a friendship with 
 Oree, the old chief of the island, from 
 whom he experienced unremitting 
 kindness, and to whom, at his depar- 
 ture, he gave, along with some valu- 
 able presents, a small bag containing 
 
 with an inscription, as a memorial of 
 his visit to this part of the world. 
 These gifts the old chief promised to 
 keep in safety. The people of Bora- 
 bora had invaded some of the islands 
 in the neighbourhood, and with such 
 success that they were looked upon 
 as invincible, and were become ob- 
 jects of dread to the simple islanders. 
 Tupia was anxious that the English 
 should terrify those haughty con- 
 querors, and exhibit their superiority 
 by firing great guns at Borabora ; and 
 at length, to calm his importunity, a 
 ball was fired towards the island when 
 the ship was at least seven leagues 
 distant from the shore. To the group 
 of islands which Cook now quitted, 
 ho gave the collective name of the 
 Society Islands. 
 
 " After sailing four days to the west 
 and south-west, an island was dis- 
 covered to which Tupia gave the name 
 of Ohetcroa. The natives crowded 
 on the shore to resist the landing of 
 the strangers. They were a hand- 
 some, vigorous people, and seemed 
 far to excel the natives of the Society 
 Islands in the beauty of their dress. 
 The cloth was dyed in various pat- 
 terns, and of several colours, though 
 bright yellow seemed to predomir ate. 
 Their robes being collected round their 
 waist by a belt of red cloth, gave 
 them a gay and warlike appearance. 
 Some had caps made of the feathers 
 of the tropic bird, while others wore 
 small turbans of a very elegant ap- 
 pearance. Their canoes were well 
 constructed, and, as well as the jave- 
 lins, were carved in a manner highly 
 creditable to their taste and ingenuity. 
 But no anchorage could be found near 
 the island; and as the natives seemed 
 bent on hostility, our navigators gave 
 up all thoughts of cultivating an ac- 
 quaintance witH them, and pursued 
 their voyage. 
 
 " On the 15th of August they sailed 
 from Oheteroa, and in the beginning 
 of October perceived, in the colour of 
 the sea, in the weeds with which it 
 was covered, and the birds which flew 
 around them, unequivocal signs of 
 the proximity of land. At Ipngtli, 
 
54 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 [Voy. I. 
 
 / 
 
 J 
 
 on the 6th of that month, land was 
 distinctly seen stretching to a great 
 extent in the horizon ; several ranges 
 of hills were distinguished rising one 
 fibove another, and a chain of moun- 
 tains of an enormous height termi- 
 nated the picture in the rear. The 
 general opinion was, that they had 
 discovered the 'Terra Australia In- 
 cognita,' but it was soon perceived 
 that this must he a part of New Zea- 
 land or Staaten Land, discovered by 
 Abel Tasman in 1642. A party who 
 went on shore in order to open an 
 intercourse with the natives met with 
 no success. They were fierce, and 
 obstinately hostile ; but it was dis- 
 covered, to the surprise and pleasure 
 of our navigators, that when Tupia 
 spoke to them in his native language, 
 he was perfectly understood. In a 
 quarrel which ensued, one of them 
 was killed, and his dress appeared, 
 on examination, to correspond exactly 
 with the drawing appended to Tas- 
 man 's voyage. As it was found im- 
 jiossible to commence an amicable 
 correspondence with them by gentle 
 means, it was determined to resort to 
 force, and, according to the method 
 followed by the first Spanish navi- 
 gators, to capture the Indians first, 
 in order to have an opportunity of 
 treating them with kindness. This 
 plan of proceeding can hardly be jus- 
 tified upon principles of reason or 
 morality, and it has never been at- 
 tended with such unequivocal success 
 as to palliate its demerits. Two 
 canoes were seen entering the bay, 
 and the ship's boats proceeded imme- 
 diately to intercept them ; :n one, 
 the natives escaped by paddling ; but 
 those in the other, which was a sailing 
 canoe, finding it impossible to get off, 
 boldly prepared for battle. Of seven 
 Indians who were in the canoe, four 
 were killed on the first discharge of 
 musketry, and the other three, who 
 were all young, immediately jumped 
 overboard, and attempted to save 
 themselves by swimming; they were, 
 however, overtaken and picked up by 
 the boat, though not without some 
 difficulty. They expected to be put 
 to death at once ; but as the studious 
 
 kindness with which they were treated 
 soon convinced them of their error, 
 their consternation gave way to trans- 
 ports of joy. They conversed freely 
 with Tupia; and after having been 
 kept a day on board the ship, were 
 again sent ashore. 
 
 " The account which the boys gave 
 to their countrymen of their treat- 
 ment on board the ship led to a cor- 
 respondence, which did not, however, 
 bear the appearance of confirmed 
 friendship. The New Zealanders still 
 maintained a fierce and independent 
 carnage, and acted so little in con- 
 cert, that the behaviour of different 
 individuals was often of a totally op- 
 posite character ; but their distrust 
 could not be generally overcome, nor 
 an intercourse established which was 
 likely to prove safe and advantageous. 
 An attempt was made by them to 
 carry off Tayeto, Tupia's boy, and 
 they nearly succeeded ; but guns be- 
 ing fired at the canoe as it paddled 
 oft', the natives, in a moment of fear, 
 let go their hold, and the boy leaped 
 into the water. The New Zealandera 
 made great exertions to secure their 
 prize, but the ship's boats finally suc- 
 ceeded in picking up the youth, whoso 
 terror at the violent conduct of these 
 savages was increased by the convic- 
 tion which our navigators had ob- 
 tained, that they were cannibals, and 
 even that they regarded human flesh 
 as a dainty. 
 
 " Tii is bay, in which no provisions 
 could be procured, was named Poverty 
 Bay ; and our voyagers, on leaving it, 
 proceeded along the coast towards the 
 north. They gave the name of Mer- 
 cury Bay to the inlet in which they 
 anchored while observing a transit of 
 that planet over the sun. They were 
 surprised to find that the natives, 
 notwithstanding their ferocity, were 
 not unacquainted with the art of cul- 
 tivating the ground. They had gar- 
 dens, in which they reared gourds and 
 several kinds of fruits. A decked 
 canoe also was found on this shore, 
 which indicated their proficiency in 
 maritime affairs. Their ' heppahs ' or 
 hamlets were forts neatly constructed 
 on elevated situations, defended by 
 
1769.] 
 
 lines and trenches, and accessible only 
 by a steep and narrow entrance. They 
 had no knowledge of iron when our 
 voyagers first touched here, although 
 iron sand was found in the beds of 
 several streams. The women were 
 thickly painted with oil and red ochre, 
 and the men were tattooed after the 
 usual fashion of the South Seas. They 
 were strong and active, not deficient 
 in intelligence, or in sentiments of 
 generosity, notwithstanding the cruel- 
 ty of disposition engendered by their 
 habits of continual warfare. Tupia 
 conversed much with their priests ; 
 and from the superiority of his know- 
 ledge and the variety of his supersti- 
 tious lore, he was regarded by them 
 with peculiar respect and veneration. 
 
 " In prosecuting his examination 
 of the coast towards the north, Cook 
 entered a deep inlet terminating in a 
 large river, which he explored to the 
 distance of fourteen miles ; from the 
 magnitude of this river, and the gene- 
 ral appearance of the country round 
 it, he named it the Thames. The 
 timber which grew here was of enor- 
 mous size, trees being seen nearly 
 twenty feet in girth six feet from the 
 grorrnd, and above eighty feet in 
 height to the branches. 
 
 " Having finished the examination 
 of the north-western shore of New 
 Zealand, Cook experienced such severe 
 gales, though it was now midsummer 
 in these latitudes, that in five weeks 
 he did not advance above fifty leagues 
 in his course along the western shore. 
 He at length reached a secure and 
 capacious harbour, which he named 
 Queen Charlotte's Sound. The country 
 was here taken possession of, and the 
 sound carefully surveyed. "Wood, 
 water, and fish were in the greatest 
 abundance, the natives friendly, and 
 plants of an anti-scorbutic quality 
 were gathered on the shore, which soon 
 restored the crew to perfect health. 
 Here our voyagers were particularly 
 struck with the exquisite warbling of 
 the birds, which, like our nightin- 
 gales, sing only during the night. 
 
 "Onascendinga heightinthc neigh- 
 bourhood of the sound, Cook was sur- 
 prised on descrying the sea to the 
 
 EXPLORATIONS ON NEW ZEALAND COAST. 55 
 
 south-east, and thus found that the 
 land, the continuity of which he had 
 not before suspected, was divided by 
 a strait. Passing through this strait, 
 to which geographers have unani- 
 mously given the name of its dis- 
 coverer, he directed his course towards 
 the north till he arrived near the 
 point where his examination of this 
 country had commenced. He then 
 resumed his course to the south-east, 
 and followed the coast of the south- 
 ernmost of the two islands comprised 
 under the name of New Zealand, re- 
 turning again from the south to Queen 
 Charlotte's Sound. The southern 
 island, or, as the natives call it, Tavai 
 Poenammoo, is a rugged country, with 
 mountains of prodigious height, and 
 covered with snow the greater part 
 of the year. The inhabitants also, 
 though not more fierce, are ruder than 
 their northern neighbours. They dif- 
 fer likewise in dialect from the inha- 
 bitants of Eaheinomauwe, as the nor- 
 thern island i3 called, where, as tha 
 climate is move genial and the soil 
 more luxuriant, the population is con- 
 siderably greater, and the arts as well 
 as the institutions of rude socittymucb 
 more advanced. 
 
 "Of the natives of New Zealand 
 Cook entertained a highly favourable 
 opinion, notwithstanding their canni- 
 balism, of which he saw numerous in- 
 contestable proofs. He could not col- 
 lect from them any tradition respecting 
 the arrival of Tasman on their shores'; 
 but they heard of a country called 
 Ulimaroa, situated NW. by W., where 
 the people ate hogs, and whence some- 
 canoes seemed to have accidently ar- 
 rived in their country. The circum- 
 navigation of New Zealand was the 
 first grand discovery of Cook. "When 
 Tasman touched on that country, he 
 imagined it to be a part of the great 
 Terra Australis, or continent supposed 
 to extend to the South Pole. Our 
 navigator was satisfied with having 
 disproved this supposition ; and as 
 the lateness of the season would not 
 permit him to continue his researches 
 in higher latitudes, he determined to 
 direct his course to the eastern coast 
 of New Holland, respecting which 
 
P6 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 the learned world was still in total 
 
 He took leave of New Zealand on 
 the 31st of March 1770, and in twenty 
 days discovered the coast of New Hol- 
 land, at no great distance from the 
 point where the survey of Tasraan had 
 terminated. In proceeding to the 
 north, an inlet was entered, in which 
 the ship rode securely for some days. 
 Inhabitants were seen, but, from their 
 shyness and timidity, they could not 
 be induced to approach the strangers ; 
 they seemed to be sunk in that brutal 
 condition which is insensible even to 
 the promptings of curiosity. From 
 the variety of new plants collected 
 here by the naturalists of the expedi- 
 tion, this inlet received the name of 
 Botany Bay. No rivers were dis- 
 covered by Cook in his voyage along 
 this coast, which has since been found 
 abundantlysupplied with fine streams. 
 The natives, wherever they were seen, 
 manifested the same repugnance to 
 the strangers, and the same indiffer- 
 ence to the trinkets presented to 
 them. Towards the north the country 
 grew more hilly, and the navigation 
 of the coast became more dangerous 
 and intricate. 
 
 " No accident had yet occurred in 
 a voyage of 2000 miles along a coast 
 hitherto unexplored ; but in Lat. 16° 
 S., a high headland being in sight, 
 which from the circumstance was 
 afterwards named Cape Tribulation, 
 the ship during the night struck on 
 some coral rocks with so much force 
 that there seemed imminent danger 
 of her going to pieces. The planks 
 which formed her sheathing were seen 
 floating off, and the water rushed in 
 with such impetuosity that, though 
 all the pumps were manned, the leak 
 could hardly be kept under. As day 
 broke, land was descried eight leagues 
 distant, without an island between to 
 which the boats might convey the 
 crew in case of the ship's foundering. 
 The guns and all the stores that could 
 be spared were thrown overboard, and 
 preparations wore made to heave the 
 ship olf the rocks, although it was 
 thought probable that she would sink 
 coon after. On the following night, 
 
 [Tot. I. 
 
 however, she was got afloat, and, to 
 the surprise of all, it was found that 
 the leakage did not increase. By con- 
 stant exertion and cool perseverance 
 the ship was navigated to a small 
 harbour opportunely discovered on 
 the coast — the only harbour, indeed, 
 seen by our people during the whole 
 voyage, which could have afforded 
 them the same relief. On examining 
 the injury done to the vessel, it was 
 found that a large piece of the coral 
 rock, having forced its way through 
 the timbers, had remained fixed in 
 the aperture ; but for this providen- 
 tial circumstance the ship must have 
 sunk the moment she was got oil' the 
 reef. 
 
 "The cove in which our navigators 
 found shelter is situated at the mouth 
 of a small stream, to which was given 
 the name of Endeavour River. Here 
 the natives appeared rather more fami- 
 liar, but they set little value on any- 
 thing offered to them, except food. 
 AVhen some turtle, which they coveted, 
 was refused them, they avenged the 
 affront by setting fire to the long 
 glass near the tents, an action which 
 had nearly been attended with dis- 
 agreeable consequences. Mr Banks and 
 Dr Solander found here abundance of 
 employment ; almost everything con- 
 nected with the animal and vegetable 
 kingdoms being absolutely new. Our 
 naturalists were particularly pleased 
 with the animal called by the natives 
 kangaroo. They saw several at a dis- 
 tance, but a long time elapsed before 
 they could succeed in shooting one. 
 
 " The ship being repaired, our voy- 
 agers left the harbour ; and, after 
 much patient labour and anxiety, at 
 length gained the deep sea, having 
 been three months entangled within 
 the reefs. They now prosecuted their 
 voyage to the north, nattering them- 
 selves that the danger was gone by, 
 when the wind abated, and the ship 
 was found to be drifting fast towards 
 the reefs which lined this coast nearly 
 in its whole extent, and on which the 
 great waves of the Southern Ocean 
 break with a tremendous surf. Her 
 destruction seemed inevitable, when a 
 narrow channel through the reefs was 
 
1770-2.] 
 
 descried at no great distance ; and 
 although the attempt was attended 
 with great risk, yet the ship was 
 steered to run through it. Having 
 thus entered from necessity a second 
 time within the reef, Cook resolved to 
 persevere through all difficulties in 
 following the coast lest he might lose 
 the strait that separates New Holland 
 from New Guinea, 'if,' as he doubt- 
 fully expresses it, ' such a strait there 
 be.' He at length reached a point of 
 land from which he could discern an 
 open sea to the south-west, and was 
 thus convinced that he had found the 
 strait in question. He then landed, 
 and in the name of his Sovereign took 
 possession of the immense line of 
 coast that he had discovered, to which 
 he gave the name of New South Wales. 
 The little island on which the cere- 
 mony was performed received the 
 name of Possession Island. 
 
 "The crew of the Endeavour had 
 suffered so much from sickness and 
 fatigue that it was not deemed advis- 
 able to prolong the voyage by an ex- 
 
 END OF FIRST VOYAGE. 57 
 
 animation of the coasts of New Guinea. 
 Our navigator, therefore, held his 
 course for Batavia, where he wished 
 to refit his vessel ; but the noxious 
 climate of this place proved more fatal 
 to the men than all their preceding 
 hardships — scarcely ten remained in 
 a condition to do duty. Tupia and 
 his poor boy Tayeto, who had been 
 afflicted with the scurvy during the 
 whole voyage, were among the first 
 victims to the pestilential air of Bat- 
 avia. The seeds of illness lingered in 
 the ship long after she had left the 
 place ; and before her arrival at the 
 Cape she had lost no less than thirty 
 persons, among whom were Mr Green 
 the astronomer, Dr Solander, and the 
 surgeon ; the life of Mr Banks also 
 was for some time despaired of. On 
 the 10th of June, land, which proved 
 to be the Lizard, was discovered by 
 the same boy who had first seen New 
 Zealand ; and on the 12th, Cook came 
 to an anchor in the Downs, having 
 been employed two years and eleven 
 months in his voyage round the earth. " 
 
 COOK'S SECOND VOYAGE. 
 
 "TnF, first important discovery made 
 by Cook was effected by the circum- 
 navigation of New Zealand. When 
 Tasman described that country, he 
 supposed it to be a part of the great 
 Terra Australis Incognita, extending 
 probably across the southern Pacific 
 Ocean ; but Cook's voyage at once 
 overturned this theory. An opinion, 
 however, which has long existed, can- 
 not bo at once dispelled, although 
 utterly groundless ; and many still 
 continued to believe in the existence 
 of a southern continent, although 
 Cook's discoveries had cut off the con- 
 nection between their theory and the 
 facts which hitherto had been adduced 
 in its support. But to set the ques- 
 tion of a southern continent completely 
 at rest, another expedition was neces. 
 
 sary; and the English Government, 
 having now made the advancement of 
 science the object of national exer- 
 tions, resolved to continue their laud- 
 able researches. The King was partial 
 to the scheme ; and the Earl of Sand- 
 wich, who was at the head of the Ad- 
 miralty, possessed a mind sufficiently 
 liberal and comprehensive to second 
 effectively the wishes of his Sovereign. 
 " Captain Cook was named at once 
 as the fittest person to command the 
 new expedition. Two ships, the Ke- 
 solution and the Adventure, the former 
 of 462, the latter of 336 tons burthen, 
 were fitted out for the voyage ; and, 
 that no opportunity might be lost to 
 science from the want of persons cap- 
 able of observing nature under every 
 aspect, astronomers and naturalists 
 
COOK'S VOYaGES. 
 
 53 
 
 of eminent ability were engaged to 
 accompany the expedition ; Messrs 
 "Wales and Bayley proceeding in tlie 
 former, Beinhold Forster and his son 
 in the latter, capacity. The ships 
 were amply stored and provided for a 
 long and difficult voyage, particularly 
 with anti-scorbutics, and whatever 
 was thought likely to preserve the 
 health of the crews. Cook sailed 
 from Plymouth on the 13th of July 
 1772, on his second voyage of dis- 
 covery. On his arrival at the Cape 
 of Good Hope, he was induced, by 
 the entreaties of Mr Forster, to allow 
 the celebrated naturalist Sparmann 
 to join the expedition. He now di- 
 rected his course to the south, in 
 search of the land said to have been 
 discovered by the French navigator 
 Bouvet, but violent gales drove him 
 far to the east of the meridian in 
 which it was supposed to lie. After 
 long struggling with adverse winds, 
 he at length reached the same meri- 
 dian, some leagues to the south of 
 the latitude assigned to Cape Cir- 
 cumcision. Having thus proved that 
 the land said to have been seen by 
 Bouvet, if it existed at all, was cer- 
 tainly no part of a southern contin- 
 ent, he continued his course to the 
 south and east. 
 
 " On the 10th of December our 
 navigators first met with islands of 
 ice, and on the following days these 
 occurred in greater numbers and of 
 larger sizo ; some of them were nearly 
 two miles in circuit, and sixty feet 
 high ; yet such was the force of the 
 waves, that the sea broke cpiite over 
 them. This was at first view a grati- 
 fying spectacle, but the sentiment of 
 pleasure was soon swallowed up in the 
 horror which seized on the mind from 
 the contemplation of danger ; for a 
 ship approaching these islands on the 
 weather side would be dashed to 
 pieces in a moment. Amidst the 
 obstructions to which our navigators 
 were exposed from the ice islands con- 
 tinually succeeding one another, they 
 derived the advantage of having an 
 abundant supply of fresh water ; large 
 masses of ice were carried off, and 
 stowed on deck, and the water pro- 
 
 TVOY. II. 
 
 duced from its melting was found 
 perfectly sweet and well tasted. 
 
 "On the 17th of January 1773, 
 our navigators had reached the Lati- 
 tude of 67° 15' S., and they saw the 
 ice extending from east to west-south- 
 west, without the least appearance 
 of an opening. It was vain, there- 
 fore, to persist any longer in a south- 
 erly course ; and as there was somo 
 danger of being surrounded by tlio 
 ice, prudence dictated a retreat to the 
 north. On the 8th of February, the 
 weather being extremely thick and 
 hazy, it was found that the Adventure 
 had parted company ; the rendezvous 
 appointed in case of this accident, 
 was Queen Charlotte's Sound in New 
 Zealand, and thither Cook directed 
 his course. In the Latitude of 62° 
 S., on the 17th of the same month, 
 between midnight and 3 o'clock in 
 the morning, lights were seen in the 
 heavens, similar to those that are 
 known in the northern hemisphere 
 by the name of the Aurora Borealis. 
 Captain Cook had never heard that 
 the Aurora Australia had been seen 
 before, but the same phenomenon 
 was witnessed repeatedly in the sequel 
 of this vo) r age. During his run to 
 the eastward in this high latitude, 
 he had ample reason to conclude that 
 no land lay to the south, unless at a 
 very great distance. At length, after 
 having been 117 days at sea, during 
 which time he had sailed 3660 leagues 
 without having come once within 
 sight of land, he saw the shores of 
 New Zealand on the 25th of March, 
 and on the following day came to an 
 anchor in Dusky Bay. Notwith- 
 standing the length and hardships of 
 his voyage, there was no sickness in 
 the ship ; the attention which he paid 
 to the health of the men, by enforc- 
 ing cleanliness, by keeping the vessel 
 dry and well ventilated, and by the 
 judicious use of anti-scorbutic diet, 
 being attended with complete success. 
 Having surveyed Dusky Bay, he pro- 
 ceeded to Queen Charlotte's Sound, 
 where Captain Furneaux had arrived 
 before him. 
 
 "The Adventure, after parting com- 
 pany with the Resolution, had fob 
 
1773.] VISIT TO OTAHEITE. 
 
 lowed a more northerly course, and 
 traced the coasts of Van Dieman's 
 Land along the southern and eastern 
 shores. Captain Furneaux reported, 
 ' ' that in his opinion there are no 
 straits between this land and New 
 Holland, hut a very deep bay. " Cook 
 had intended to investigate this 
 point, but, considering it to he now 
 settled by the judgment of his col- 
 league, he resolved to prosecute his 
 researches to the east, between the 
 Latitudes of 41° and 46'. But before 
 he left Queen Charlotte's Sound, he 
 succeededin establishing a friendlyand 
 mutually advantageous intercourse 
 with the natives. He endeavoured 
 to give them substantial proofs of his 
 kind intentions, by making an addi- 
 tion to their stock of useful animals. 
 He put on shore a ewe and ram, and 
 also two goats, a male and female. 
 A garden also was dug, and a variety 
 of seeds of culinary vegetables, adapted 
 to the climate, were sown in it. 
 
 "Although it was the winter sea- 
 son, Cook determined not to lose his 
 time in utter inactivity. His ships 
 being sound, and his crews healthy, 
 he thought that he might safely pro- 
 ceed to examine the Southern Ocean 
 within the Latitude of 46° ; and then, 
 refreshing at some of the islands be- 
 tween the tropics, return in the sum- 
 mer season to carry his researches to 
 a higher latitude. His voyage from 
 New Zealand towards the east was 
 not productive of an}' interesting dis- 
 coveries, nor diversified by any hut 
 the ordinary details of navigation. 
 He felt convinced, from the great sea 
 that rolled from the south, that no 
 land of any extent could lie near him 
 in that direction. When he had ad- 
 vanced so far as to find himself to 
 the north of Carteret's track, he 
 could no longer entertain any hope of 
 finding a continent ; and this circum- 
 stance, with the sickly state of the 
 Adventure's crew, induced him to 
 direct his course to the Society 
 Islands. During this part of his voy- 
 age, he saw a number of thosesmalllow 
 Hands which compose the Dangerous 
 Archipelago of Bougainville. 
 
 "The ships narrowly escaped de- 
 
 59 
 
 struction by drifting on the coral 
 reeis at Otahcite ; they were saved 
 only by the promptness of their 
 commander, and the unremitting 
 exertions of the crew. On the 
 24th of August they anchored in 
 their old station in Matavai Bay. 
 The men on board the Resolution 
 were at this time in perfect health ; 
 but the crew of the Adventure, on 
 the other hand, suffered dreadfully 
 from the scurvy, though the two 
 ships were equipped alike, and the 
 same precautionary system to pre- 
 serve the health of the men was pre- 
 scribed to both ; but zeal on the part 
 of the officers was requisite to give 
 efficacy to the orders, and their ex- 
 ample was necessary to encourage the 
 men to sacrifice old habits in order to 
 preserve their constitutions. 
 
 " During this visit to Otaheite, our 
 navigators obtained a more intimate 
 acquaintance with the manners and 
 character of the natives. Of their 
 religious doctrines they were unable 
 to acquire a distinct knowledge ; but 
 they ascertained that human victims 
 were often sacrificed to their gods. 
 They also witnessed the "Heavas" 
 or dramatic representations of the 
 people, and found them not devoid of 
 archness and ingenuity. The per- 
 formance was generally extemporane- 
 ous, founded upon some incidents 
 presented at the moment, and in 
 which our navigators usually made a 
 prominent figure. Otoo, the present 
 king of Otaheite, a man of fine figure 
 but of remarkably timid disposition, 
 contracted an intimate friendship with 
 Captain Cook. Oherea, who, when 
 the island was first visited by Captain 
 Wallis, was so conspicuous a char- 
 acter, was now reduced to an humble 
 station, and had declined as much in 
 personal appearance as in rank. It is 
 remarkable that few inquiries were 
 made after Tupia, who had accom- 
 panied Cook in his former voyage, 
 or after Aootooroo, the native of Ota- 
 heite, who had accompanied Bou- 
 gainville to Europe ; but, though the 
 islanders were neglectful of their own 
 countrymen, they were uniformly soli- 
 citous in inquiring after Mr /Janks. 
 
60 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 ' ' On leaving Otaheite, Cook visited 
 the other islands of the group, where 
 he found provisions in greater abund- 
 ance. Oree, the chief of Huaheine, 
 evinced towards him the most affec- 
 tionate regard. Omai, a native of 
 Ulietea, being desirous to accompany 
 the English, was admitted by Captain 
 Furneaux on board the Adventure ; 
 he was not of the higher class, and, 
 consequently, not a favourable speci- 
 men of these islanders as far as re- 
 garded person and deportment ; but 
 his docility and general propriety of 
 conduct eventually justified the choice 
 of Captain Furneaux. A young na- 
 tive of Borabora, named Hete-Hete, 
 or Oedidee (as our great navigator 
 named him), was at the same time 
 allowed by Captain Cook to embark 
 in the Resolution. 
 
 " On quitting the Society Islands, 
 Cook directed his course to the west, 
 where lie had reason to believe, from 
 the accounts of the natives, that 
 much yet remained to be explored. 
 At the island named Middleburg by 
 Roggewein, he was well treated by a 
 chief called Tioony ; at Amsterdam 
 Island his reception was equally 
 favourable. The language of these 
 islanders differed but little from that 
 of Otaheite, and they were evidently 
 of the same race. Some of our navi- 
 gators thought them much hand- 
 somer ; but others, and among these 
 Cook himself, were of a different 
 opinion. The men were grave and 
 stately ; but the women, on the con- 
 trary, were remarkably vivacious, 
 and prattled unceasingly to the 
 strangers, regardless of the mortify- 
 ing fact that the latter could not 
 understand them. But these people 
 were chiefly distinguished from the 
 natives of the Society Islands by 
 their superior industry. On the 
 Island of Amsterdam, Captain Cook 
 was struck with admiration, when he 
 surveyed the cultivation and the 
 beauty of the scene ; he thought him- 
 self transported into the most fertile 
 plains of Europe ; there was not an 
 inch of waste ground. The roads or 
 paths occupied no more space than 
 HftS absolutely necessary, and the 
 
 ["Vor.iL 
 
 fences did not take np above four 
 inches each ; nor was this small por- 
 tion of ground wholly lost, for the 
 fences themselves contained in gene- 
 ral useful trees or plants. The scene 
 was everywhere the same ; and nature, 
 assisted by a little art, nowhere as- 
 sumed a more splendid appearance 
 than in these islands. 
 
 "Cook now directed his course 
 again to New Zealand ; but, on ap- 
 proaching that country, the ships had 
 to encounter a succession of severe 
 gales and continued bad weather, 
 during which the Adventure was 
 again lost sight of and never after- 
 wards rejoined. On the 3d of Nov- 
 ember the Resolution anchored in 
 Queen Charlotte's Sound. The winter 
 had been spent not unprofitably in 
 revictualling the ships, restoring the 
 health of the crews, and obtaining a 
 more accurate knowledge of the 
 islands between the tropics. And 
 now, as summer approached, it was 
 Cook's intention to run from New 
 Zealand, where wood and water were 
 to be procured in abundance, and to 
 explore the high southern latitudes 
 from west to east, in which course he 
 might reckon upon having the winds 
 and currents in his favour. While 
 the Resolution lay in Queen Char- 
 lotte's Sound, indubitable proofs pre- 
 sented themselves that cannibalism 
 was common among the natives. One 
 of them who carried some human 
 flesh in his canoe, was allowed to 
 broil and eat it on board the Resolu- 
 tion, in order to satisfy the doubts of 
 some of the officers. Oedidee, who 
 witnessed all this, was shocked be- 
 yond measure at the spectacle. At 
 first he stood motionless as a statue, 
 but his horror at length gave way to 
 rage, which vented itself not only on 
 the New Zealander, but on the officers 
 who had encouraged him ; and he 
 could not be induced even to touch 
 the knife which had been employed 
 to cut the human llesh. 
 
 " On the 26th of November, Cook 
 sailed to prosecute his examination of 
 the Antarctic seas. His crew were in 
 good health and high spirits, not at 
 all dejected by the arduous task which 
 
1774.1 THE STATUES ON 
 
 was before them. In a few days they 
 crossed the antipodes of London, and 
 wore thus on the point of the globe 
 which was most distant from their 
 home. The first ice island was seen 
 on the 12th of December; and, on 
 the 30th of that month, our naviga- 
 tors had reached the 71st degree of 
 southern latitude ; but here the ice 
 was so compact that it was impossible 
 to proceed any further towards the 
 south ; and it was also obvious that 
 no continent existed in that direction 
 but what must be inaccessible from 
 the ice. It was Cook's intention to 
 winter again within the tropic ; but 
 in proceeding thither, he wished to 
 satisfy himself as to the southern land 
 said to have been discovered by Juan 
 Fernandez. He sailed sufficiently 
 near the position assigned to that 
 supposed continent to assure himself 
 that it could not have been anything 
 more than an island of moderate size. 
 He now directed his course in search 
 of Davis's Land or Easter Island, 
 which had been sought in vain by 
 Byron, Carteret, and Bougainville. 
 Cook, however, succeeded better, and 
 made the island on the 11th of March 
 1774. The natives were found to 
 speak a language radically the same 
 with that of Otaheite, and which 
 thus reaches across the Pacific Ocean 
 from New Zealand to the sequestered 
 islands in the East. Easter Island 
 was found to be remarkably barren, 
 ill supplied with water, and wholly 
 without wood. But the attention of 
 the English was forcibly attracted by 
 the great statues seen on the island 
 by Boggewein. About fifteen yards 
 from the landing-place was found a 
 perpendicular wall of square hewn 
 stones, about eight feet in height, 
 and nearly sixty in length ; another 
 wall parallel to the first, and about 
 forty feet distant from it, was raised 
 to the same height ; the whole area 
 between the walls was filled up and 
 paved with square stones of blackish 
 lava. The stones of the walls were 
 so carefully fitted as to make a dur- 
 able piece of architecture. In the 
 midst of the area was a pillar con- 
 sisting of a single stone, about twenty 
 
 EASTER ISLAND. 61 
 
 feet high and about five feet wide, re- 
 presenting the human figure down to 
 the waist. The workmanship was 
 rude but not bad ; nor were the fea- 
 tures of the face ill formed, but the 
 ears were long beyond proportion. 
 On the top of the head was placed 
 upright a huge round cylinder ol 
 stone, above five feet in height and 
 in diameter ; this cap, which resem- 
 bled the head-dress of an Egyptian 
 divinity, was formed of a kind of 
 stone different from that which com- 
 posed the rest of the pillar, and had 
 a hole on each side, as if it had been 
 made round b} r turning. It ajmeared 
 as difficult to explain how the natives 
 of this island, who were but few in 
 number, could carve such huge statues 
 with no better tools than those made 
 of bones or shells, or how they raised 
 them on their pedestals when finished, 
 as to divine for what purpose they 
 undertook such gigantic labours ; for 
 it did not appear that the statues 
 were objects of worship ; yet on the 
 eastern side of the island they were 
 numerous enough to employ the male 
 population of the island for many 
 centuries in their construction. The 
 skill of this people in carving was 
 still more manifest in the ornaments 
 of their canoes, and in small wooden 
 figures, of which the English brought 
 home many curious specimens. 
 
 ' ' From Easter Island Cook directed 
 his course to the Marquesas, dis- 
 covered by Mendana in 1595 ; and on 
 the 6th of April he got sight of one 
 island of the group, which was, how- 
 ever, a new.discovery, and received, 
 from the gentleman who first descried 
 it, the name of Hood's Island. The 
 other islands seen by Mendana, St 
 Pedro, Dominica, and St Christiana, 
 were afterwards discovered in succes- 
 sion. The ship with much difficulty 
 anchored in Mendana's Port in the 
 last-mentioned island. Magdalena, 
 the fifth island of the group, was 
 seen only at a distance. Of the in- 
 habitants of these islands Captain 
 Cook tells us, that collectively they 
 are without exception the finest rac* 
 of people in this sea ; for fine shape 
 and regular features ther perhaps 
 
62 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 Neverthe 
 
 surpass all other nations, 
 less the affinity of their language to 
 that spoken in Otaheite and the 
 Society Islands shows that they are 
 originally of the same nation. Oeili- 
 dee could converse with them toler- 
 ably well, though the English could 
 not, and it was obvious that their 
 languages were nearly the same. In 
 their manners and arts the people re- 
 sembled the natives of Otaheite, but 
 appeared to be rather less ingenious 
 and refined. Forts, or strongholds, 
 were seerj ou the summits of the 
 highest hills ; but they were not 
 visited by the English, who had not 
 become sufficiently acquainted with 
 the natives to venture into the in- 
 terior. 
 
 " Cook, having rediscovered the 
 Marquesas of Mendana, proceeded to 
 Otaheite, and passing by a group, to 
 which he gave the name of Palliser's 
 Islands, and some others which had 
 been seen by Byron, he anchored in 
 Matavai Bay on the 22d of April. 
 At this time there were no sick on 
 board; but as the island seemed to 
 abound with provisions, our naviga- 
 tor was willing to prolong his stay 
 here. His original stock in trade 
 was, indeed, now exhausted ; but he 
 found that the people of Otaheite set 
 a great value on the red parrot 
 feathers, of which he had brought a 
 considerable supply from Amsterdam 
 and Middleburg Islands. He thus 
 accidentally learned an advantageous 
 and easy course of traffic in the South 
 Sea. 
 
 "Among other entertainments with 
 which our navigators were treated 
 during this visit to Otaheite was a 
 grand naval review. The vessels of 
 war consisted of 160 great canoes, 
 from fifty to ninety feet in length ; 
 they were decorated with flags and 
 streamers ; and the chiefs, together 
 with all those who were on the fight- 
 ing stages, were dressed in their war 
 habits. The whole fleet made a noble 
 appearance, such as our voyagers had 
 never before seen, and could not have 
 expected iu this part of the world. 
 ,;ides the vessels of war, there were 
 170 sail of srordkr double otpiQes, 
 
 [Toy. II. 
 
 which seemed to be designed for 
 transports and victuallers. Upon 
 each of them was a small house or 
 shed ; and they were rigged with a 
 mast and sail, which was not the 
 case with the war canoes. Captain 
 Cook estimated, at a moderate com- 
 putation, that there could not be less 
 than 7760 men in the fleet ; but the 
 immense number of natives assembled 
 as spectators astonished the English 
 more than the splendour of the ar- 
 mament, and they were still further 
 surprised to learn that this fleet was 
 the naval force of only one of the 
 twenty districts into which the island 
 is divided. On these equivocal 
 grounds they were led to form an 
 extremely exaggerated calculation of 
 the population of Otaheite, which 
 they estimated to be at least 200,000 
 souls; a number exceeding the truth, 
 perhaps, in the proportion of ten to 
 one. 
 
 ' ' From Otaheite our navigators pro- 
 ceeded to visit the Society Islands, at 
 Huaheine. Cook was affectionately 
 received by the old chief Oree, who 
 still carefully preserved the medals, 
 coins, and pewter plate with an in- 
 scription commemorating the voyage, 
 which our commander had given him 
 on his former visit. Oedidce, who 
 for seven months had been the faith- 
 ful companion of our voyagers, and 
 had made with them the tour of the 
 Pacific, was put on shore at Ulietea. 
 He left the English with regret de- 
 monstrative of a strong attachment 
 to them ; and nothing could have 
 torn him from them but the fear of 
 never returning to his native country. 
 He was a fine young man, of a docile 
 and humane disposition, and of the 
 better class of natives, being nearly 
 related to Opoony, the formidable 
 chief of Borabora. But from his in- 
 experience and imperfect acquaintance 
 with the traditionary knowledge of 
 his countrymen, but little couid be 
 learned from him respecting their 
 history. 
 
 " Cook again directed his course to 
 the west, and repeated his visit to the 
 Friendly Islands. This name he gave 
 to a group extending through about 
 
1774.] 
 
 THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 
 
 63 
 
 three degrees of latitude and two de- 
 grees of longitude, and comprising 
 Anamooka, which Tasman, who first 
 discovered it, named Rotterdam, 
 Tongataboo or Amsterdam, Eaoowee 
 or Middleburg, and Pylstart Islands. 
 But this appellation, to which these 
 islands were entitled by the firm alli- 
 ance and friendship which seemed to 
 exist among their inhabitants, and 
 their courteous behaviour to strangers, 
 might perhaps be extended much far- 
 ther, so as to include the Boscawen 
 and Keppel Isles discovered by Cap- 
 tain Wallis, and inhabited by people 
 of the same friendly manners. 
 
 ' ' Pursuing their course to the west, 
 our navigators discovered on the 16th 
 of July, land, which was justly con- 
 jectured to be the 'Terra Australia 
 del Espirito Santo ' of Quiros. After 
 exploring the coast for a few days, 
 Cook came to an anchor in a harbour 
 in the Island of Mallicolo. The in- 
 habitants of this island were the most 
 ugly and deformed race which our 
 navigators had yet seen, and differed 
 in every respect from the other inha- 
 bitants of the Southern Ocean. They 
 were dark coloured, of small stature, 
 with long heads, flat faces, and coun- 
 tenances resembling that of a monkey. 
 Their language, also, was found not 
 to have any discoverable affinity with 
 that prevailing through the islands 
 with which the English had any ac- 
 quaintance. This people differed 
 likewise from the great Polynesian 
 race not more by their language and 
 figure than by their scrupulous hon- 
 est}'. As our navigators proceeded to- 
 wards the south from Mallicolo, they 
 passed by a group which Cook named 
 Shepherd's Isles. Farther to the 
 south was discovered a large island 
 agreeablydiversified with woods and 
 lawns over the whole surface, and ex- 
 hibiting a most beautiful and delight- 
 fill prospect. This our navigator 
 namedSandwichlsland iu compliment 
 to his friend and patron the Earl of 
 Sandwich. Still farther to the south 
 was seen another large island, called 
 by the natives Erromango, which ho 
 coasted for three days, and then came 
 to an anchor in the intention of pro* 
 
 curing a supply of wood and water. 
 This, however, could not be effected 
 without a violent conflict with the 
 natives, who were both fierce and 
 treacherous. It was observed that 
 they differed from the inhabitants of 
 Mallicolo both in language and phy- 
 sical conformation ; they were well 
 shaped and had tolerable features, but 
 dark colourcel, and with hair crisp 
 and somewhat woolly. From this 
 place Cook sailed for an island which 
 had been descried some time before 
 at a distance. He found that it was 
 called Tanna by the inhabitants, from 
 whom also he learned the names of 
 three other islands in its neighbour- 
 hood, Inmer, Erronan, and Anaton. 
 Two languages were found to be spoken 
 in Tanna ; one of them, which was 
 said to have been introduced from 
 Erronan, was nearly the same witli 
 that of the Friendly Islands ; the 
 other, which our navigators consi- 
 dered peculiar to Tanna, Erromango, 
 and Anaton, was different from any 
 they had hitherto met with in the 
 course of their researches. The people 
 at Tanna were well proportioned, but 
 not robust. They had good features 
 and agreeable countenances. Though 
 active, and fond of martial exercises, 
 they seemed incapable of patient 
 labour. It appeared that they prac- 
 tised circumcision, and that they 
 were eaters of human flesh ; though, 
 as their island aoounded with hog3 
 and fowls, and a variety of fruits, 
 they could not be driven by necessity 
 to adopt this horrid practice. 
 
 "Captain Cook devoted above a 
 month to the survey of this archipel- 
 ago, with which previous navigators 
 had made but a superficial acquaint- 
 ance. The northern islands were 
 discovered in 1606 by Quiros, who 
 supposed them to be portions of the 
 great southern continent. Bougain- 
 ville, in 1768, dispelled this idea, 
 though he did not proceed to examine 
 the islands near which he sailed ; but 
 Captain Cook, besides ascertaining 
 the extent and situation of the islands 
 already known, explored the whole 
 group ; and, conceiving that in con- 
 sequence Ije had a light to J58ir,r 
 
64 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 them, bestowed on them the appella- 
 tion of the New Hebrides. 
 
 " The season was now approaching 
 when it would be necessary to resume 
 his researches in a high southern lati- 
 tude, and he hastened therefore to 
 New Zealand, where he intended to 
 refresh his people and prepare for a 
 navigation of considerable length. 
 He sailed from the New Hebrides on 
 the 1st of September, and on the 4th 
 discovered land, near which the Reso- 
 lution came to anchor the next day. 
 The inhabitants were a strong, active, 
 and handsome race, bearing some re- 
 semblance to the people of Tanna, 
 and those of the Friendly Isles. The 
 same mixed character was observed in 
 their language. They had never seen 
 Europeans before, but were friendly 
 and obliging in their behaviour ; and 
 what is still more remarkable in the 
 South Seas, strictly honest in all their 
 dealings. To this island Captain Cook 
 gave the name of New Caledonia ; and 
 though compelled by necessity to leave 
 it before it was fully surveyed, he 
 had, nevertheless, examined it suffi- 
 ciently to prove, that, excepting New 
 Zealand, it is perhaps the largest 
 island in the South Pacific Ocean. 
 As the Resolution pursued her course 
 from New Caledonia, land was dis- 
 covered, which, on a nearer approach, 
 was found to be an island of good 
 height, and about five leagues in cir- 
 cuit. It was uninhabited, and pro- 
 bably our English navigators were 
 the first persons who had ever set foot 
 on it. In its vegetable productions it 
 bore a close resemblance to New Zea- 
 land. The flax plant of that country 
 was here particularly luxuriant ; but 
 the chief produce of the island was 
 a majestic species of pine, of such 
 e size that, breast high, two men 
 could scarcely clasp the trunk. This 
 little spot was named Norfolk Island. 
 Its fine woods and fertile soil allured, 
 some years later, a party of British 
 settlers ; who finally abandoned it, 
 however, from the inaccessible nature 
 of its coast. 
 
 " On the 1 8th of October the Reso- 
 lution came to anchor in Queen Char- 
 lotte's Sound. This was the third time 
 
 [VOT. II. 
 
 of touching at New Zealand during 
 this voyage. On searching for the 
 bottle which Cook had left behind on 
 his last visit, containing the particu- 
 lars of his arrival, it was found to 
 have been taken away ; and from other 
 circumstances it was evident that the 
 Adventure had visited the harbour 
 after the Resolution had left it. While 
 the Resolution remained here, the in- 
 tercourse maintained with the natives 
 was of the most friendly description. 
 Captain Cook continued his efforts to 
 stock the island with useful animals, 
 and for that purpose ordered a boar 
 and sow to be put on shore. 
 
 "On the 10th of November he left 
 New Zealand to pursue his voyage to 
 the east. Towards the close of that 
 month, he had reached the Latitude of 
 55° 48' S., when, deeming it useless 
 to search any longer for ; continent 
 in that direction, he bore away for 
 Cape Horn ; and on the 17th of De- 
 cember had sight of Tierra del Fuego. 
 This is the first instance of a run quite 
 across the Southern Pacific. It now 
 only remained for our navigator to 
 cross also the Southern Atlantic to 
 the point whence he had commenced 
 his explorations. Having completed 
 his examination of Tierra del Fuego 
 and Staaten Land, he proceeded to- 
 wards the east ; and, after a voyage 
 of ten days, land was seen at a dis- 
 tance, nearly covered with snow. On 
 approaching the shore, it was found 
 to be terminated in many places by 
 perpendicular ice cliffs of considerable 
 height. Pieces continually broke off 
 with a noise like the report of cannon, 
 and floated out to sea. The general 
 aspect of the country was savage and 
 horrid in the extreme. The wild 
 rocks raised their lofty summits till 
 they were lost in the clouds, and the 
 valleys lay covered with everlasting 
 snow. Our navigator, who at first 
 view of this land supposed that it 
 might be a continent, confesses that 
 he was not much disappointed on dis- 
 covering his error; 'for to judge of 
 the bulk by the sample, it would not 
 be worth discovering.' In Latitude 
 59°, and about eight degrees to the 
 east of New Georgia, as this inhospil- 
 
1774] BARBAROUS TREATMENT 
 
 able shore was named, land was again 
 seen, presenting an elevated coast, 
 whose lofty snow-clad summits reached 
 above the clouds. To this bleak region 
 Cook gave the name of the Southern 
 Thule, as it was the most southern 
 land which had yet been discovered ; 
 but on leaving the coast he gave to 
 the whole country the general appel- 
 lation of Sandwich Land, which he 
 concluded to be either a group of 
 islands or a point of the southern 
 continent. But the great quantities of 
 ice which he met with led him to infer 
 the existence of a large tract of land 
 near the South Pole. He now sailed 
 as far as the latitude assigned to Bou- 
 vet's supposed discovery ; but no in- 
 dications of land occurred, nor was it 
 possible to believe any longer in the 
 existence of Cape Circumcision. 
 
 " Cook had now made a circuit of 
 the Southern Ocean in a high latitude, 
 and traversed it in such a manner as 
 to demonstrate that no southern con- 
 tinent existed unless near the Pole, 
 and beyond the reach of navigation. 
 During this circumnavigation of the 
 globe, from the time of his leaving 
 the Cape of Good Hope to his return 
 to it again, he had sailed no less than 
 20,000 leagues. On the 13th of July 
 1775, he landed at Portsmouth, hav- 
 ing been absent from Great Britain 
 three years and eighteen days, during 
 which time, and under all changes of 
 climate, he had lost but four men, 
 and only one of them by sickness. 
 
 "It has been related above that 
 Captain Cook, on approaching New 
 Zealand for the second time in the 
 course of this voyage, lost sight of the 
 Adventure, and never joined company 
 with that ship again. Captain Fur- 
 neaux was long baffled by adverse 
 winds in his attempt to reach Queen 
 Charlotte's Sound, which was ap- 
 pointed the rendezvous for the ships 
 in case of separation. At length, on 
 the 30th of November, the Adventure 
 got safe into the desired port. The 
 Resolution not being there, Captain 
 Furneaux and his company began to 
 entertain doubts of her safety ; but on 
 going on shore they observed on an 
 old stuuiD of a tree these words cut 
 
 OF CREW OF ADVENTURE. 65 
 
 out — ' Look underneath.' They dug 
 accordingly, and soon found a bottle 
 corked and waxed down, with a letter 
 in it from Captain Cook, signifying 
 his arrival on the 3d and departure 
 on the 24th. Great exertions were 
 now made to get the Adventure ready 
 for sea, and on the 17th of December, 
 the preparations being completed, Mr 
 Rowe, a midshipman, with nine men, 
 were sent in the large cutter to gather 
 a stock of wild greens for the ship's 
 company. As the boat did not return 
 the same evening nor the next morn- 
 ing, and the ship was now ready for 
 sea, Mr Burney, the second lieuten- 
 ant, proceeded in search of her in the 
 launch, manned with the boat's crew 
 and ten marines. The launch pro- 
 ceeded, firing guns into all the coves 
 by way of signals, but no traces of 
 the cutter were found till they reached 
 Grass Cove. Here a great many bas- 
 kets were seen lying on the beach tied 
 up; when cut open, some of them 
 were found to be full of roasted flesh, 
 and some of fern root, which served 
 the natives for bread. On further 
 search, some shoes were picked up 
 and a hand, which was immediately 
 known to have belonged to Thomas 
 Hill, one of the forecastle men, the 
 initials of his name being marked on 
 it with an Otaheitan tatooing instru- 
 ment. The natives were collected in 
 considerable numbers round Grass 
 Cove, shouting and inviting the Eng- 
 lish to land, but evidently with no 
 friendly intentions. From their num- 
 bers, and the suspicion which their 
 conduct excited in our people, Lieu- 
 tenant Burney did not deem it pru- 
 dent to trust himself among them ; 
 but he pursued his examination far 
 enough to obtain a melancholy cer- 
 tainty as to the fate of his unfortunate 
 companions. ' On the beach, ' he says, 
 ' were two bundles of celery, which 
 had been gathered for loading the 
 cutter ; a broken oar was stuck up- 
 right in the ground, to which the 
 natives had tied their canoes, a proof 
 that the attack had been made here. 
 I then searched all along at the back 
 of the beach to see if the cutter was 
 there. We found no boat, but instead 
 
 E 
 
66 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 fVoY. IL 
 
 of her such a shocking scene of car- 
 nage and barbarity as can never be 
 mentioned nor thought of but with 
 horror ; for the heads, hearts, and 
 lungs of several of our people were 
 seen lying on the beach ; and, at a 
 little distance, the dogs gnawing their 
 entrails.' The men who had thus 
 fallen victims to the barbarity of the 
 natives were among the healthiest and 
 best of the ship's crew. 
 
 "The Adventure was detained in 
 the sound four days after this lament- 
 able occurrence, during which time no 
 natives were seen. On the 23d of 
 December, however, she got to sea ; 
 and in little more than a month 
 reached Cape Horn, being favoured 
 by a strong current running to the 
 east, and by westerly winds which 
 blow continually in the summer season 
 in the great ocean. Captain Furneaux 
 continued his course eastward to the 
 Cape of Good Hope, where he refitted 
 his ship and refreshed his people. He 
 then sailed for England, and anchored 
 at Spithead on the 14th of July 1774. 
 
 "In 1769 some discoveries of im- 
 
 Eortance were made in the South Seas 
 y a French mercantile adventurer. 
 Two ships were fitted out in Bengal 
 by MM. Law and Chevalier for a 
 trading voyage to Peru, and were 
 placed under the command of M. de 
 Surville. "While he was preparing to 
 embark, news arrived in India that 
 the English had discovered in the 
 South Sea, 700 leagues from Peru, 
 and in Lat. 27° S., an island exceed- 
 ingly rich, and inhabited by Jews. 
 This story gained credit, being con- 
 genial to the avaricious cravings of 
 mankind ; and even those who sus- 
 pected fiction in the mention of Jews 
 were still willing to believe that the 
 newly-discovered country was emin- 
 ently rich. Surville, touching at the 
 Bashee Islands, carried off three of 
 the natives to supply the deficiencies 
 cf his crew, thus furnishing a conspi- 
 cuous example of that overbearing 
 violence which has almost universally 
 forced weak and uncivilised nations 
 to regard Europeans as their natural 
 enemies. In running to the south- 
 
 east from New Guinea he discovered 
 land, to which he gave the name of 
 the Land of the Arsacides, and which 
 was, in fact, a part of that long chain 
 of islands that had already beeu seen 
 by Bougainville, who gave the name 
 of Louisiade to the portion which he 
 had examined. Surville, in his inter- 
 course with the natives, found them 
 to be of a fierce, intractable, and 
 treacherous disposition, and chose to 
 designate them Arsacides, a name 
 which he supposed to be equivalent 
 to the word assassins. Surville after- 
 wards visited New Zealand, and an- 
 chored in a bay, to which he gave the 
 name of Lauriston. Captain Cook, 
 who named it Double Bay, was at the 
 same time employed in surveying its 
 shores, yet these two navigators did 
 not meet nor descry each other. The 
 French commander, having lost his 
 boat while anchoring here, went on 
 shore with an armed party to punish 
 the natives, whom he supposed to 
 have stolen it. In a short time he 
 burned several villages, and carried off 
 a native chief. This outrage, perpe- 
 trated by some of the first Europeans 
 who visited them, was soon afterwards 
 repaid with cruel reprisals by the 
 New Zealanders. The chief died at 
 Juan Fernandez, and Surville was 
 drowned while going on shore at Val- 
 paraiso. 
 
 " The Land of the Arsacides, which 
 Surville had coasted on the north-east- 
 ern side, was again discovered in 1789 
 by Lieutenant Shorthand of the British 
 navy on his voj'age from Port Jackson 
 to the East Indies. He followed its 
 southern shores, to which he gave 
 the name of New Georgia, and passed 
 through the Straits of Bougainville, 
 which he named from himself, being 
 apparently ignorant of the discoveries 
 of the French navigators. The chain 
 of largo islands thus seen successively 
 and partially by Bougainville, Sur- 
 ville, and Shorthand, and which stretch 
 from north-west to south-east, between 
 New Guinea and the New Hebrides, 
 are unquestionably the Salomon Is- 
 lands of the early Spanish navigators. 
 The Egmont Island of Carteret, who 
 sought the Salomon Islands, and who 
 
KERGUELEN'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 2774.] 
 
 approached them very closely without 
 being aware of it, may be considered 
 as belonging to the archipelago. 
 
 "It has been already mentioned 
 that Bougainville brought home with 
 him to France a native of Otaheite 
 named Aootooroo. When the fame of 
 Cook's discoveries began to excite a 
 general interest in Europe, Captain 
 Marion du Fresne, animated with a 
 desire to emulate the glory of the 
 English navigator, offered to take 
 back the Otaheitean to his native 
 land from the Isle of France at his 
 own expense. The offer was accepted, 
 and Kerguelen, a navigator of some 
 note, was commissioned to carry 
 Aootooroo to the Isle of France, and 
 then to proceed to examine more care- 
 fully the southern part of the Atlantic 
 Ocean. The Otaheitean died at Mada- 
 gascar, but Marion did not on that 
 account relinquish his plans, but pro- 
 ceeded in the ardent hope of making 
 some important discoveries. He ar- 
 rived at New Zealand without any 
 accident, and anchored in the Bay of 
 Islands, where his people lived on 
 terms of familiarity, and apparently 
 of cordial friendship with the natives ; 
 but some offence was given unawares 
 to the passionate and capricious sav- 
 ages. Marion was murdered, with 
 sixteen officers and men who had ac- 
 companied him on shore. Another 
 party of eleven men, who were em- 
 ployed cutting wood in a different 
 quarter, were at the same time set 
 upon suddenly, and only one escaped 
 to the ships to relate the dismal fate 
 of his companions. When the French 
 landed to seek the remains of their 
 unfortunate commander, the natives 
 insultingly cried to them from their 
 fastnesses, ' Tacowry (the chief of the 
 district) has killed and eaten Marion.' 
 After this melancholy accident the 
 ships returned to the Isle of France 
 under the command of M. Ducles- 
 meur, all plans of discovery being 
 abandoned. 
 
 " Kerguelen, in the meantime, 
 sailed from the Isle of France in 
 January 1772; and, on the 12th of 
 February, discovered in Lat. 50° 5' S., 
 high land, near the coast of which he 
 
 67 
 
 remained six days. During this time 
 he was separated from the corvette 
 which accompanied him. To the 
 bleak and sterile shores which he had 
 discovered he gave his own name ; 
 took formal possession of them for 
 his sovereign ; and, on his return to 
 France, described their appearance in 
 such glowing terms, that Louis XV. , 
 deceived by his representations, hung 
 to his button-hole, with his own 
 hand, the cross of St Louis. Ker- 
 guelen's enemies, however, insisted 
 that he had seen ice at a distance, 
 and mistaken it for land ; they called 
 on him to show some of the produc- 
 tions of the country as a proof of his 
 discovery, and insinuated that he had 
 purposely got rid of his comrade 
 that he might be at liberty to indulge 
 in gross fictions. The King, however, 
 afforded him the means of refuting 
 these aspersions. Kerguelen sailed 
 again to the Southern Atlantic, and, 
 in December 1773, again discovered 
 land : by the 6th of January following 
 he had traced its coasts above eighty 
 leagues. It was, however, a barren, 
 inhospitable, and, in general, an un- 
 approachable shore, affording nothing 
 that could satisfy the French nation 
 of the importance of his discoveries. 
 On his return he was accused of cul- 
 pable indifference to the safety of his 
 men and officers, or rather of pur- 
 posely exposing those whom he dis- 
 liked to dangers which eventually 
 proved fatal. Being unable to excul- 
 pate himself, he was deprived of his 
 rank and thrown into prison. 
 
 " No expedition, fitted out for the 
 purpose of maritime discovery, had 
 ever equalled that from which Captain 
 Cook had now returned, in the mag- 
 nitude and arduous nature of its 
 peculiar object ; and none had ever 
 so completely answered its intentions 
 and performed its task with so little 
 loss of life or injury to the ships. 
 The success of Cook's voyage was 
 gratifying in the highest degree to 
 those who had patronised the under- 
 taking. The Earl of Sandwich was 
 still at the head of the Admiralty, 
 and felt naturally disposed to re- 
 ward liberally one whose courage and 
 
68 
 
 skill had so well justified his expec- 
 tations. Cook was immediately raised 
 to the rank of post captain, and ob- 
 tained a more substantial mark of 
 favour, being appointed one of the 
 captains of Greenwich Hospital, which 
 afforded him a liberal maintenance 
 and repose from his professional la- 
 bours. In February 1776, only a few 
 months after his return, he was elected 
 a Fellow of the Royal Society; and 
 on the evening of his first appearance 
 there, a paper was read containing an 
 account of the method he had taken 
 to preserve the health of the crew of 
 his Majesty's ship, the Resolution, 
 during her vo3 T age round the world. 
 The humane and successful attention 
 which Cook bestowed on his ship>'s 
 company was soon after rewarded by 
 the Copley medal, a prize annually 
 bestowed by the Royal Society on 
 the author of the best experimental 
 paper of the year. In the discourse 
 which the president, Sir John Pringle, 
 delivered on the occasion of bestowing 
 the medal, he uses the following em- 
 phatic expressions : 
 
 " ' What inquiry can be so useful 
 as that which has for its object the 
 saving the lives of men ? and where 
 shall we find one more successful than 
 that before us ? Here are no vain 
 boastings of the empiric, nor ingen- 
 ious and delusive theories of the 
 dogmatist ; but a concise and artless, 
 and an uncontested, relation of the 
 means by which, under divine favour, 
 Captain Cook, with a company of 113 
 men, performed a voyage of three 
 years and eighteen days, throughout 
 all the climates from Lat. 52° N., to 
 71° S., with the loss of only one man 
 by sickness. I would now inquire 
 of the most conversant with the bills 
 of mortality, whether, in the most 
 healthy climate and the best condition 
 of life, they have ever found so small 
 a number of deaths within that space 
 of time ? How great and agreeable, 
 then, must our surprise be, after per- 
 using the histories of long navigations 
 in former days, when so many perish- 
 ed by marine diseases, to find the air 
 of the sea acquitted of all malignity ; 
 and, in fine, that a voyage round the 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. (Toy. II. 
 
 world may be undertaken with less 
 
 danger perhaps to health than a com- 
 mon tour in Europe.' 
 
 " The great question as to the ex- 
 istence of a southern continent was 
 finally set at rest by the result of this 
 voyage ; not but that immense tracks 
 of land might exist in the neighbour- 
 hood of the South Pole. But Cook's 
 researches reduced the limits of the 
 southern continent, if it exist at all 
 within such high latitudes, as com- 
 pletely to dispel all those hopes of 
 unbounded wealth and fertility with 
 which imagination had hitherto graced 
 that undiscovered country. One grand 
 problem still divided the opinions of 
 speculative geographers, and eluded 
 every attempt made at a practical 
 solution. The English nation had 
 always felt a peculiar interest in the 
 question of a north-west passage. Their 
 earliest and most constant efforts in 
 the career of discovery were directed 
 towards Hudson's and Baffin's Bays, 
 in search of a communication with 
 the Pacific Ocean, so that they might 
 sail by a shorter navigation to China 
 and Japan. In consequence of the 
 disputes between Mr Dobbs and Cap- 
 tain Middleton, respecting the feasi- 
 bility of the scheme, the agitation of 
 the question was tolerably recent in 
 the public mind, and, Government 
 adopting the views of the former 
 gentleman, a reward of £20,000 was 
 offered by Act of Parliament to those 
 who should discover the desired pass- 
 age. 
 
 "The British Government, capti- 
 vated with the glory that might result 
 from expeditions destined for the im- 
 provement of science, resolved now to 
 direct its exertions towards the north- 
 west ; and, as a preliminary measure, 
 Captain Phipps (afterwards Lord Mul- 
 grave) was despatched towards the 
 North Pole, to ascertain how far navi- 
 gation was practicable in that quarter. 
 After struggling obstinately with in- 
 numerable difficulties and dangers, 
 arising from the quantity of ice that 
 beset him, he was obliged to return, 
 after having penetrated to the Lati- 
 tude of 80° 30', or within nine degrees 
 and a half of the Terrestrial Pole, 
 
Feb. 17/6.] 
 
 PROPOSALS FOR THIRD VOYAGE. 
 
 69 
 
 " The hope of finding a passage 
 between the Atlantic and Pacific 
 Oceans was not, however, abandoned; 
 and consultations were held by Lord 
 Sandwicli with Sir Hugh Palliser and 
 other experienced officers, relative to 
 the plan which should be adopted in 
 the expedition, and to the choice 
 of a commander. Captain Cook had 
 earned, by his eminent services, the 
 privilege of honourable repose ; and 
 no one thought of imposing on him, 
 for the third time, the dangers and 
 hardships of a voyage of discovery 
 round the world: but being invited 
 to dine with Lord Sandwich, in order 
 that he might lend the light of his 
 valuable experience to the various 
 particulars under discussion, he was 
 so fired with the observations that 
 were made en the benefits likely to 
 redound to science, to navigation, and 
 the intercourse of mankind, from the 
 projected expedition, that lie volun- 
 tarily offered to take the command of 
 
 it himself. This pioposal was too 
 much in accordance with the wishes 
 of Lord Sandwich to be rejected 
 through motives of mere delicacy ; 
 and Captain Cook was appointed ac- 
 cordingly to the command of the ex- 
 pedition, in February 1776. The Act 
 of Parliament, passed in 1745, which 
 secured a reward of £20,000 to ships 
 belonging to any of his Majesty's sub- 
 jects, which should make the proposed 
 discovery, was now also amended so 
 as to include ships belonging to his 
 Majesty, and proceeding in any di- 
 rection, for the old Act referred only 
 to ships which should find a pass- 
 age through Hudson's Bay ; whereas 
 Cook was directed by his instruc- 
 tions to proceed into the Pacific 
 Ocean, and to commence his re- 
 searches on the north-west coast of 
 America, in the Latitude of 65°, and 
 not to lose time in exploring rivers 
 or inlets until he had reached that 
 latitude." 
 
 COOK'S THIRD VOYAGE* 
 
 BOOK I. 
 
 TRANSACTIONS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE VOYAGE TILL OUR 
 DEPARTURE FROM NEW ZEALAND. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Having, on the 9th day of February 
 1776, received a commission to com- 
 
 1 The account of this voyage was 
 originally published in 1784, in three 
 quarto volumes, the first and second 
 being written by Cook himself, the 
 third by Captain King, who had 
 sailed as one of the Resolution's lieu- 
 tenants, but returned to England in 
 command of the Discovery. The title 
 was as follows : "A Voyage to the 
 Pacific Ocean ; undertaken by the 
 
 mand his Majesty's sloop the Resolu- 
 tion, I went on board the next day, 
 hoisted the pendant, and began to 
 enter men. At the same time the 
 
 command of His Majesty, for making 
 Discoveries in the Northern Hemi- 
 sphere, to determine the Position and 
 Extent of the West Side of North 
 America, its Distance from Asia, and 
 the Practicability of a Northern Pass- 
 age to Europe. Performed under 
 the direction of Captains Cook, Clerke, 
 and Gore, in His Majesty's Ships the 
 Resolution and Discovery, in the 
 
70 
 
 Discovery, 
 purchased 
 command 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 ■[Voy. III. B.I. GUI. 
 
 of 300 tons burthen, was 
 into the service, and the 
 of her given to Captain 
 Clerke, who had been my second 
 lieutenant on board the Resolution in 
 my second voyage round the world, 
 from which we had lately returned. 
 These two ships were at this time in 
 the dock at Deptford, under the hands 
 
 Years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 
 1780. Published by Order of the 
 Lords Commissioners of the Admir- 
 alty." In the portion of the work 
 specially ascribed to Captain Cook, 
 however, there are many valuable 
 contributions from the pen of Mi- 
 Anderson, surgeon of the Resolution, 
 usually on the physical features and 
 natural products of the countries 
 visited, the habits, ethnography, and 
 language of the inhabitants, &c. In 
 more than one instance the original 
 editor of the book — Dr Douglas, 
 Bishop of Salisbury, who, at the re- 
 quest of Lord Sandwich, undertook 
 that task — preferred Mr Anderson's 
 notes of actual incidents to Cook's 
 own story ; and not without wisdom, 
 as any one will admit who reads the 
 surgeon's account of the dances and 
 entertainments shown off before the 
 white strangers at Haapee (B. II., 
 Ch. V.), and at Tongataboo (B. II., 
 Ch. VII.). Necessities of space have 
 compelled the omission of many pas- 
 sages directly ascribed to Mr Ander- 
 son by Cook himself; but in eveiy 
 case these are scientific and technical 
 in their character, and the lapse of a 
 century has given us abundant light 
 en many matters which at the time 
 of Cook's last voyage were but imper- 
 fectly known, or subjects of crude and 
 vague speculation. Dr Douglas pre- 
 fixed to the voyage an elaborate intro- 
 ductory treatise on the possibility of 
 finding a north-east passage from the 
 Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, and 
 also enriched the volumes with many 
 learned notes, comparatively few of 
 which have been retained in the pre- 
 sent edition, as, dealing with matters of 
 controversy longsince settled, and with 
 records of travel all but totally forgot- 
 ten, thoycould only confuse the reader. 
 
 of the shipwrights, being ordered to be 
 equipped to makefurther discoveries in 
 the Pacific Ocean, under my direction. 
 
 On the 9th of March the Resolution 
 was hauled out of dock into the river, 
 where we completed her rigging, and 
 took on board the stores and provi- 
 sions requisite for a voyage of such 
 duration. Both ships, indeed, were 
 supplied with as much of every neces- 
 sary article as we could conveniently 
 stow, and with the best of every kind 
 that could be procured. And besides 
 this, everything that had been found 
 by the experience acquired during our 
 former extensive voyages to be of any 
 utility in preserving the health of sea- 
 men, was supplied in abuudance. 1 
 
 It was our intention to have sailed 
 to Long Reach on the Ctli of May, 
 when a pilot came on board to carry 
 us thither ; but it was the 29th be- 
 fore the wind would permit us to 
 move, and the 30th before we arrived 
 at that station, where our artillery, 
 powder, shot, and other ordnance 
 stores were received. "While we lay 
 in Long Reach thus employed, the 
 Earl of Sandwich, Sir Hugh Palliser, 
 and others of the Board of Admiralty, 
 as the last mark of the very great 
 attention they had all along shown to 
 this equipment, paid us a visit on the 
 8th of June, to examine whether 
 everything had been completed con- 
 formably to their intentions and 
 orders, and to the satisfaction of all 
 who were to embark in the voyage. 
 They and several other noblemen and 
 gentlemen, their friends, honoured me 
 with their company at dinner on that 
 day ; and on their coining on board, 
 and also on their going ashore, we 
 saluted thrm with seventeen guns, 
 and three cheers. 
 
 With the benevolent view of con- 
 veying some permanent benefit to the 
 inhabitants of Otaheite, and of the 
 
 1 Contrast the excellence of Cook's 
 equipment and the perfect success of 
 his arrangements for securing the 
 health of his ships' companies, with 
 the wretched plight in which Anson 
 left port thirty-six years before, and 
 the miserable i'ate of his crews. 
 
•June 1776. J EQUIPMENT OF RESOLUTION AND DISCOVERY. 71 
 
 other islands in the Pacific Ocean, 
 whom we might happen to visit, his 
 Majesty having commanded some use- 
 ful animals to he carried out, we took 
 on hoard, on the 10th, a bull, two 
 cows, with their calves, and some 
 sheep, with hay and corn for their 
 subsistence, intending to add to these 
 other useful animals when I should 
 arrive at the Cape of Good Hope. I 
 was also, from the same laudable mo- 
 tives, furnished with a sufficient quan- 
 tity of such of our European garden 
 seeds as could not fail to be a valuable 
 present to our newly-discovered is- 
 lands, by adding fresh supplies of food 
 to their own vegetable productions. 
 Many other articles calculated to im- 
 prove the condition of our friends in 
 the other hemisphere in various ways, 
 were at the same time delivered to us 
 by order of the Board of Admiralty. 
 And both ships were provided with a 
 proper assortment of iron tools and 
 trinkets, as the means of enabling us 
 to traffic, and to cultivate a friendly 
 intercourse with the inhabitants of 
 such new countries as we might be 
 fortunate enough to meet with. 
 
 The same humane attention was 
 extended to our own wants. Some 
 additional clothing, adapted to a cold 
 climate, was ordered for our crews ; 
 and nothing was denied to us that 
 could be supposed in* the least con- 
 ducive to health, or even to conven- 
 ience. Nor did the extraordinary 
 care of those at the head of the naval 
 department stop here. They were 
 equally solicitous to afford us every 
 assistance towards rendering our 
 voyage of public utility. According- 
 ly, we received on board, next day, 
 several astronomical and nautical in- 
 stallments, which the Board of Longi- 
 tude intrusted to me and to Mr King, 
 my second lieutenant ; we having 
 engaged to that Board to make all 
 the necessary observations during the 
 voyage for the improvement of astro- 
 nomy and navigation, and, by our 
 joint labours, to supply the place of a 
 professed observator. 
 
 Mr Anderson, my surgeon, who, to 
 skill in his immediate profession, 
 added great proficiency in natural his- 
 
 tory, was as willing as he was well 
 qualified to describe everything in 
 that branch of science which should 
 occur worthy of notice. As he had 
 already visited the South Sea islands 
 in the same ship, and been of singular 
 service by enabling me to enrich my re- 
 lation of that voyage withvarioususeful 
 remarks on men and things, I reason- 
 ably expected to derive considerable as- 
 sistance from him, inrecordingour new 
 proceedings. I had several young men 
 amongst my sea-officers, who, under 
 my direction, could be usefully em- 
 ployed in constructing charts, in tak- 
 ing views of the coasts and headlands 
 near which we should pass, and in 
 drawing plans of the bays and har- 
 bours in which we should anchor. 
 
 Every preparation being now com- 
 pleted, I received an order to proceed 
 to Plymouth, and to 'take the Dis- 
 covery under my command. I ac- 
 cordingly gave Captain Gierke two 
 orders ; one to put himself under my 
 command, and the o+her to carry his 
 ship round to Plymouth. On the 
 15th, the Resolution sailed from Long 
 Reach, with the Discovery in company, 
 and the same evening they anchored 
 at the Nore. Next day the Discovery 
 proceeded in obedience to my order ; 
 but the Resolution was ordered to re- 
 main at the Nore till I should join 
 her, being at this time in London. 
 
 As we were to touch at Otaheite 
 and the Society Islands in our way to 
 the intended scene of our fresh opera- 
 tions, it had been determined not to 
 omit this opportunity (the only one 
 ever likely to happen) of carrying 
 Omai back to his native country. 
 
 Omai left London with a mixture 
 of regret and satisfaction. When we 
 talked about England, and about those 
 who, during his stay, had honoured 
 him with their protection or friend- 
 ship, 1 could observe that his spirits 
 were sensibly affected, and that it was 
 with difficulty he could refrain from 
 tears. But the instant the conversa- 
 tion turned to his own islands, his 
 eyes began to sparkle with joy. Ha 
 was deeply impressed with a sense of 
 the good, treatment he had met with 
 in England, and entertained the high- 
 
72 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 est idea* of the country and of the 
 people. But the pleasing prospect he 
 now had before him of returning home, 
 loaded with what he well knew would 
 lie esteemed invaluable treasures there, 
 and the flattering hope which the pos- 
 session of these gave him of attaining 
 to a distinguished superiority amongst 
 his countrymen, were considerations 
 which operated by degrees to suppress 
 every uneasy sensation ; and he seemed 
 to be quite happy when he got on 
 board the ship. He was furnished 
 by his Majesty with an ample provi- 
 sion of every article which, during 
 our intercourse with his country, we 
 had observed to be in any estimation 
 there, either as useful or as orna- 
 mental. Ho had, besides, received 
 many presents of the same nature from 
 Lord Sandwich, Mr 1 Banks, andseveral 
 other gentlemen and ladies of his ac- 
 quaintance. In short, every method 
 had been employed, both during his 
 abode in England, and at his depar- 
 ture, to make him the instrument of 
 conveying to the inhabitants of the 
 islands of the Pacific Ocean the most 
 exalted opinion of the greatness and 
 generosity of the British nation. 
 
 On the 25th, about noon, we weighed 
 anchor, and made sail for the Downs, 
 through the Queen's Channel, with a 
 gentle breeze at NW. by W. At 
 nine in the evening we anchored, with 
 the North Foreland bearing S. by E., 
 and Margate Point SW. by S. Next 
 morning, at 2 o'clock, we weighed 
 and stood round the Foreland. At 8 
 
 o'clock the same morning, we anchored 
 in the Downs. Two boats had been 
 built for us at Deal, and I immediate- 
 ly sent on shore for them. I was told 
 that many people had assembled there 
 to see Omai ; but, to their great dis- 
 appointment, he did not land. Hav- 
 ing received the boats on board, and 
 a light breeze at SSE. springing up, 
 we got under sail the next day at 2 
 o'clock in the afternoon. But the 
 breeze soon died away, and we were 
 obliged to anchor again till 10 o'clock 
 at night. We then weighed, with 
 the wind at east, and proceeded down 
 
 1 Afterwards Sir Joseph. 
 
 [Vot.III.B.I.Ch.I. 
 
 the Channel. On the 30th, at 3 
 o'clock in the afternoon, we anchored 
 in Plymouth Sound, where the Dis- 
 covery had arrived only three days 
 before. 1 saluted Admiral Amherst, 
 whose flag was flying on board the 
 Ocean, with thirteen guns, and he 
 returned the compliment with eleven. 
 It was the first object of our care, on 
 arriving at Plymouth, to replace the 
 water and provisions that we had ex- 
 pended, and to receive on board a 
 supply of port w T ine. This was the 
 employment which occupied us on the 
 1st and 2d of July. 
 
 It could not but occur to us as a 
 singular and affecting circumstance, 
 that at the very instant of our de- 
 parture upon a voyage, the object 
 of which was to benefit Europe by 
 making fresh discoveries in North 
 America, there should be the unhappy 
 necessity of employing others of hi3 
 Majesty's ships, and of conveying 
 numerous bodies of land forces, to 
 secure the obedience of those parts of 
 that continent which had been dis- 
 covered and settled by our country- 
 men in the last century. On the 6th, 
 his Majesty's ships Diamond, Ambus- 
 cade, and Unicorn, with a fleet of 
 transports, consisting of sixty-two 
 sail, bound to America, with the last 
 division of the Hessian troops, and 
 
 some horse, 2 were forced into the 
 
 Sound by a strong north-west wind. 
 On the 8th, I received by express, 
 my instructions for the voyage, and 
 an order to proceed to the Cape of 
 Good Hope with the Resolution. I 
 was also directed to leave an order 
 for Captain Clerke to follow us, as 
 soon as he should join his ship ; he be- 
 ing, at this time, detained in London. 
 The Resolution was fitted out with 
 the same complement of officers and 
 men she had before ; 3 and the Dis- 
 covery's establishment varied from 
 that'of the Adventure, in the single 
 instance of her having no marine 
 
 2 To reinforce Sir William Howe, 
 then confronting General Washing- 
 ton, near New York. 
 
 3 In setting out on the second voy- 
 age in 1772. 
 
July 1776.J CHEWS OF RESOLUTION AND DISCOVERY. 
 
 73 
 
 ofiicer on board. This arrangement 
 was to be finally completed at Ply- 
 month ; and, on the 9th, we received 
 the party of marines allotted for our 
 voyage. Colonel Bell, who com- 
 manded the division at this port, 
 gave me such men for the detach- 
 
 ment as I had reason to be satisfied 
 with. And the supernumerary sea- 
 men, occasioned by this reinforce- 
 ment, being turned over into the 
 Ocean man-of-war, our several com- 
 plements remained fixed, as repre- 
 sented in the following table : 
 
 RESOLUTION. 
 
 DISCOVERY. 
 
 Officers and Men. 
 
 No. 
 1 
 
 Officers' Names. 
 
 No. 1 Officers' Names. 
 
 1 Captain, 
 
 James Cook. . 
 
 1 
 
 Charles Clcrke. 
 
 ' Lieutenants, . 
 
 3 
 
 John Gore. . 
 James King. . 
 John Williamson. 
 
 , 2 
 
 James Burney. 
 John Rickman. 
 
 ; Master, . 
 
 1 
 
 William Bligh. 1 
 
 
 Thomas Edgar. 
 
 Boatswain, . 
 
 1 
 
 William Ewin. 
 
 
 Eneas Atkins. 
 
 J Carpenter. 
 
 1 
 
 James Clevely. 
 
 
 Peter Reynolds. 
 
 Gunner, 
 
 1 
 
 Bobert Anderson. 
 
 
 William Pec kover. 
 
 ! Surgeon, 
 
 1 
 
 William Anderson. 
 
 
 John Law. 
 
 Master's Mates, 
 
 o 
 
 • • ■ i 
 
 
 
 Midshipmen, 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 » • I 
 
 
 
 Surgeon's Mates, . 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 ► • 
 
 
 
 Captain's Clerk, 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 • 
 
 > 1 1 
 
 Master at Arms, 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 1 • 
 
 
 
 Corporal, 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 i e i 
 
 
 
 Armourer, 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 * « i 
 
 
 
 Ditto Mate, . 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 i • 
 
 
 
 Sailmaker, 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 > • 4 
 
 
 
 Ditto Mate, . 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 1 • t 
 
 
 
 Boatswain's Mates, 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 1 * * 
 
 
 
 Carpenter's Ditto, . 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 > • 
 
 O 1 
 
 Gunner's Ditto, 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 
 Carpenter's Crew, . 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 • 
 
 
 
 Cook, . 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 t • 
 
 
 
 Ditto Mate, . 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 1 • 
 
 
 
 Quarter-Masters, . 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 • 
 
 4 
 
 
 Able Seamen, 
 
 45 
 
 
 
 • t 
 
 33 
 
 
 
 
 Marines. 
 
 
 \ 
 
 Lieutenant, . . 
 
 1 
 
 Molesworth Philip 
 
 3, 
 
 
 Sergeant, 
 
 1 
 
 • • • ■ 
 
 1 
 
 
 Corporals, 
 
 2 
 
 • • • * 
 
 1 
 
 
 Drummer, . . 
 
 1 
 
 • torn 
 
 1 
 
 
 Privates, 
 
 15 
 
 i • • ■ 
 
 8 
 
 
 Total, 
 
 112 
 
 
 '80 
 
 1 
 
 1 Afterwards captain of the Bounty, famous for his voyage of nearly 4000 
 miles in an open boat, into which he and twenty of his crew had been forced 
 after the mutiny on board that vessel. 
 
74 
 
 On the lOiii, the commissioner and 
 pay-clerks came on board, and paid 
 the officers and crew up to the 30th 
 of last month. The petty officers and 
 seam en had, besides, two months' wages 
 in advance. Such indulgence to the 
 latter, is no more than what is cus- 
 tomary in the navy. But the pay- 
 ment of what was due to the superior 
 officers was humanely ordered by the 
 Admiralty, in consideration of our 
 peciiliar situation, that we might 
 be better able to defray the very 
 great expense of furnishing ourselves 
 with a stock of necessaries for a voy- 
 age which, probably, would be of 
 unusual duration, and to regions 
 where no supply could be expected. 
 
 Nothing now obstructing my de- 
 parture but a contrary wind, which 
 blew strong at SW., in the morning 
 of the 11th, I delivered into the 
 hands of Mr Bumey, first lieutenant 
 of the Discovery, Captain Clerke's 
 sailing orders, a copy of which I also 
 left with the officer commanding his 
 Majesty's ships at Plymouth, to be 
 delivered to the captain immediately 
 on his arrival. In the afternoon, the 
 wind moderating, we weighed with 
 ebb, and got farther out, beyond all 
 the shipping in the Sound, where, 
 after making an unsuccessful attempt 
 to get to sea, we were detained most 
 of the following day, which was em- 
 ployed in receiving on board a supply 
 of water ; and, by the same vessel 
 that brought it, all the empty casks 
 were returned. We weighed again at 
 eight in the evening, and stood out of 
 the Sound, witha gentle breeze atNW. 
 by W. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 We had not been long out of Ply- 
 mouth Sound before the wind came 
 more westerly, and blew fresh, so that 
 we were obliged to ply 1 down the 
 Channel ; and it was not till the 14th, 
 
 1 To "ply," in nautical terminology, 
 is to boat to windward, or sail against 
 the direction of the wind by alternate 
 tacks. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vov. III. B. 1. Oh. II. 
 
 at eight in the evening, that we wera 
 off the Lizard. On the ICth, at noon, 
 St Agnes's Lighthouse, on the Isles 
 of Sc'illy, bore NW. byW., distant 
 seven or eight miles. On the 17th a 
 and 18th we were off Ushant. With 
 a strong gale at S. on the 19th, we 
 stood to the westward till 8 o'clock in 
 the morning, when, the wind shifting 
 to the W. and W, , we tacked and 
 stretched to the southward. At this 
 time Ave saw nine sail of large ships, 
 wluch we judged to be French men- 
 of-war. They took no particular 
 notice of us, nor we of them. At 10 
 o'clock in the morning of the 22d, wo 
 saw Cape Ortegal. After two days of 
 calm weather we passed Cape Finis- 
 terre, on the afternoon of the 24th, 
 with a fine gale at NNF. On the 
 30th, at six minutes and thirty-eiglr 4 ; 
 seconds past 10 o'clock at night, ap- 
 parent time, I observed with a night 
 telescope the moon totally eclipsed. 
 By the ephemeris, 3 the same happened 
 at Greenwich at nine minutes past 11 
 o'clock, the difference being one hour, 
 two minutes, and twenty-two seconds, 
 or 15° 35' 30" of Longitude. No other 
 observation could be made on this 
 eclipse, as the moon was hid behind 
 the clouds the greater part of the 
 time ; and, in particular, when tha 
 beginning and end of total darknees 
 and the end of the eclipse happened. 
 Finding that we had not hay and 
 corn sufficient for the subsistence of 
 the stock of animals on board till our 
 arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, I 
 determined to touch at Teneriffe to 
 get a supply of these and of the usual 
 refreshments for ourselves, thinking 
 that island, for such purposes, better 
 adapted than Madeira. At four in the 
 afternoon of the 31st we saw Teneriffe, 
 and steered for the eastern part. At 
 
 2 It appears from Captain Cook's 
 log-book that he began his judicious 
 operations for preserving the health 
 of his crew very early in the voyage. 
 On the 17th the ship was smoked be- 
 tween decks with gunpowder. The 
 spare sails also were then well aired. — 
 Note in Original Edition. 
 
 3 Nautical almanac. 
 
Aug. 1776.] IN THE ROAD OF SANTA CRUZ. 
 
 76 
 
 nine, being near it, we hauled up, and 
 
 stood off and on during the night. At 
 daylight on the morning of the 1st of 
 August we sailed round the east point 
 of the island, and about 8 o'clock an- 
 chored on the SE. side of it, in the road 
 of Santa Cruz, in twenty-three fathoms 
 water, the bottom sand and ooze. 
 
 No sooner had we anchored than we 
 were visited by the master of the 
 port, who satisfied himself with ask- 
 ing the ship's name. Upon his leav- 
 ing us, 1 sent an officer ashore to 
 present my respects to the Governor, 
 and to ask his leave to take in water, 
 and to purchase such articles as we 
 were in want of. All this he granted 
 with the greatest politeness, and soon 
 after sent an officer on board to com- 
 pliment me on my arrival. In the 
 afternoon I waited upon him in per- 
 son, accompanied by some of my 
 officers ; and, before 1 returned to my 
 ship, bespoke some corn and straw for 
 the live stock ; ordered a quantity of 
 wine frorn Mr M'Carrick, the contrac- 
 tor ; and made an agreement with the 
 master of a Spanish boat to supply us 
 with water, as I found that we could 
 not do it ourselves. 
 
 "Were we to judge from the appear- 
 ance of the country in the neighbour- 
 hood of Santa Cruz, it might be con- 
 cluded that Teneriffe is a barren spot, 
 insufficient to maintain even its own 
 inhabitants. The ample supplies, how- 
 ever, which we received, convinced us 
 that they had enough to spare for 
 visitors. Besides wine, which is the 
 chief produce of the island, beef 
 may be had at a moderate price. The 
 oxen are small and bony, and weigh 
 about ninety pounds a quarter. The 
 meat is but lean, and was, at present, 
 srld for half a bit (threepence sterling) 
 r pound . I, unadvisedly, bought the 
 jullocks alive, and paid considerably 
 more. Hogs, sheep, goats, and poul- 
 try, are likewise to be bought at the 
 same moderate rate ; and fruits are 
 in great plenty. At this time we had 
 grapes, figs, pears, mulberries, plan- 
 tains, and musk melons. There is a 
 variety of other fruits produced here, 
 though not in season at this time. Their 
 pumpkins, onions, and potatoes, are ex- 
 
 ceedingly good of their kind, and keep 
 better at sea than any I ever before 
 met w'ih. The Indian corn, which is 
 also their produce, cost me about three 
 shillings and sixpence a bushel ; and 
 the fruits and roots were, in general, 
 very cheap. They have not any plen- 
 tiful supply of fish from the adjoining 
 sea, but a very considerable fishery is 
 carried on by their vessels upon the 
 coast of Barbary, and the produce of 
 it sells at a reasonable price. Upon 
 the whole, I found Teneriffe to be a 
 more eligible place than Madeira for 
 ships bound on long voyages to touch 
 at, though the wine of the latter, ac- 
 cording to my taste, is as much supe- 
 rior to that of the former as strong 
 beer is to small. To compensate for 
 this, the difference of pi'ices is con- 
 siderable, for the best Teneriffe wine 
 was now sold for twelve pounds a 
 pipe, whereas a pipe of the best Ma- 
 deira would have cost considerably 
 more than double that sum. 1 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Having completed our water, and 
 got on board every other thing we 
 wanted at Teneriffe, we weighed an- 
 chor on the 4th of August, and pro- 
 ceeded on our voyage, with a fine gale 
 at NE. At 9 o'clock in the evening 
 on the 10th, 2 Ave saw the Island of 
 
 1 The remainder of this Chapter, 
 which is omitted, is occupied with 
 a technical account of observations 
 for fixing the longitude of Teneriffe, 
 and with a description, from the pen 
 of Mr Anderson, the surgeon, of the 
 natural features and products of the 
 island. 
 
 2 As a proof of Captain Cook's at- 
 tention, both to the discipline and to 
 the health of his ship's company, it 
 may be worth while to observe here, 
 that it appears from his log-book he 
 exercised them at great guns and 
 small arms, and cleared and smoked 
 the ship below decks, twice in tho 
 interval between the 4th and the 10th 
 of August. — Note in Original Edition. 
 
COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 bearing S., distant little 
 though, at this 
 
 league 
 
 76 
 
 Bonavista 
 more than a 
 
 time, we thought ourselves much 
 farther oft'; but this proved a mistake. 
 For, after hauling to the eastward till 
 12 o'clock, to clear the sunken rocks 
 that lie about a league from the SE. 
 point of the island, we found ourselves, 
 at that time, close upon them, and did 
 but just weather the breakers. Our 
 situation, for a few minutes, was very 
 alarming. I did not choose to sound, as 
 that might have heightened the danger 
 without any possibility of lessening it. 
 As soon as we were clear of the rocks, 
 we steered SSW. till daybreak next 
 morning, and then hauled to the west- 
 ward, to go between Bonavista and 
 the Isle of Mayo ; intending to look 
 into Port Praya for the Discovery, as 
 I had told Captain Clerke that I 
 should touch there, and did not know 
 how soon he might sail after me. At 
 one in the afternoon, we saw the rocks 
 that lie on the SW. side of Bonavista, 
 bearing SE., distant three or four 
 leagues. Next morning at 6 o'clock 
 the Isle of Mayo bore SSE., distant 
 about five leagues. In this situation 
 we sounded, and found ground at 
 sixty fathoms. . . 
 
 At 9 o'clock in the morning of the 
 13th, we arrived before Port Praya, 
 in the Island of St Jago, where we 
 saw two Dutch East India ships and 
 a small brigantine at anchor. As the 
 Discovery was not there, and we had 
 expended but little water in our pass- 
 age from Teneriffe, I did not think 
 proper to go in, but stood to the south- 
 ward. The day after we left the Cape 
 de Verd Islands, we lost the NE. trade- 
 wind ; but did not get that which 
 blows from the SE. till the 30th, 
 when we were in the Latitude of 
 2°N., and in the 25th degree of W. 
 Longitude. During this interval, the 
 wind was mostly in the SW. quarter. 
 Sometimes it blew fresh, and in squalls ; 
 but for the most part a gentle breeze. 
 The calms were few, and of short dura- 
 tion. Between the Latitude of 12° and 
 of 7° N., the weather was generally 
 dark and gloomy, with frequent rains, 
 which enabled us to save as much 
 water as filled most of our empty casks. 
 
 [Voy.III.B.I.Ch.III. 
 
 These rains, and the close sidtry 
 weather accompanying them, too often 
 bring on sickness in this passage. 
 Every bad consequence, at least, is to 
 be apprehended from them ; and com- 
 manders of ships cannot be too much 
 upon their guard, by purifying the 
 air between decks with fires and smoke, 
 and by obliging the people to dry their 
 clothes at every opportunity. These 
 precautions were constantly observed 
 on board the Eesolution 1 and Discov- 
 ery ; and we certainly profited by them, 
 for we had now fewer sick than on 
 either of my former voyages. We 
 had, however, the mortification to 
 find our ship exceedingly leaky in 
 all her upper works. The hot and 
 sultry weather we had just passed 
 through had opened her seams, which 
 had been badly calked at first, so 
 wide, that they admitted the rain 
 water through as it fell. There was 
 hardly a man that could lie dry in 
 his bed ; and the officers in the gun- 
 room were all driven out of their 
 cabins, by the water that came through 
 the sides. The sails in the scdl-room 
 got wet ; and before we had weather 
 to dry them, many of them were much 
 damaged, and a great expense of can- 
 vas and of time became necessary to 
 make them in some degree serviceable. 
 Having experienced the same defect 
 in our sail-rooms on my late voyage, 
 it had been represented to the yard 
 officers, who undertook to remove it. 
 But it did not appear to me that any- 
 thing had been done to remedy the 
 complaint. To repair these defects the 
 calkers were set to work, as soon as we 
 got into fair settled weather, to calk the 
 decks and inside weather works of the 
 
 1 The particulars are mentioned in 
 his log-book. On the 1 4th of August, 
 a fire was made in the well, to air the 
 ship below. On the 15th, the spare 
 sails were aired upon deck, and a fire 
 made to air the sail-room. On the 
 17th, cleaned and smoked betwixt 
 decks, and the bread-room aired with 
 fires. On the 21st, cleaned and smoked 
 betwixt decks ; and on the 22d, the 
 men's bedding was spread on deck to 
 air. — Note in Original Edition. 
 
Oct. 1776.;; ARRIVAL AT 
 
 ship ; for I would not trust them over 
 the sides while we were at sea. 
 
 On the 1st of September 1 we crossed 
 the Equator in the Longitude of 
 27° 38' W., with a fine gale at SE. 
 by S. ; and notwithstanding my ap- 
 prehensions of falling in with the 
 coast of Brazil in stretching to the 
 SW., I kept the ship a full point 
 from the wind. However, I found 
 my fears wew ill grounded ; for on 
 drawing near that coast, we met with 
 the wind more and more easterly; 
 so that, by the time we were in the 
 Latitude of 10° S., we could make a 
 south-easterly course good. On the 
 8th, we were in the Latitude of 8° 57' 
 S. ; which is a little to the southward 
 of Cape St Augustine, on the coast of 
 Brazil. Our longitude, deduced from 
 a very great number of lunar observa- 
 tions, was 34° 16' W. ; and by the 
 watch 34° 47'. The former is 1° 43', 
 and the latter 2° 14' more westerly 
 than the Island of Fernando de No- 
 ronha, the situation of which was 
 pretty well determined during my 
 late voyage. Hence I concluded that 
 we could not now be farther from the 
 continent than twenty orthirty leagues 
 at most ; and perhaps not much less, 
 as we neither had soundings, nor any 
 other signs of land. 
 
 We proceeded on our voyage, with- 
 out meeting with anything of note, 
 till the 6th of October. Being then 
 in the Latitude of 35° 15' S., Longi- 
 tude 7° 45' W., we met with light 
 airs and calms by turns, for three 
 days successively. We had, for some 
 days before, seen albatrosses, pinta- 
 does, and other petrels ; and here we 
 saw three penguins, which occasioned 
 us to sound, but we found no ground 
 with a line of 150 fathoms. We put 
 a boat in the water, and shot a few 
 
 1 The afternoon, as appears from 
 Mr Anderson's Journal, was spent in 
 performing the old and ridiculous 
 ceremony of ducking those who had 
 not crossed the Equator before. Though 
 Captain Cook did not suppress the 
 custom, he thought it too trifling to 
 deserve the least mention of it in his 
 journal, or even in his log-book. 
 
 THE CAPE. 7? 
 
 birds ; one of which was a black 
 petrel, about the size of a crow, and, 
 except as to the bill and feet, very 
 like one. It had a few white feathers 
 under the throat ; and the under-side 
 of the quill-feathers was of an ash- 
 colour. All the other feathers were 
 jet black, as also the bill and legs. 
 On the 8th, in the evening, one of 
 those birds which sailors call noddies 
 settled on our rigging and was caught. 
 It was something larger than an Eng- 
 lish blackbird, and nearly as black, 
 except the upper part of the head, 
 which was white, looking as if it were 
 powdered ; the whitest feathers grow- 
 ing out from the base of the upper 
 bill, from which they gradually as- 
 sumed a darker colour, to about the 
 middle of the upper part of the neck, 
 where the white shade was lost in the 
 black, without being divided by any 
 line. It was web-footed ; had black 
 legs and a black bill, which was long, 
 and not unlike that of a curlew. It 
 is said these birds never fly far from 
 land. We knew of none nearer the 
 station we were in, than Cough's or 
 Richmond Island, from which our 
 distance could not be less than 100 
 leagues. But it must be observed 
 that the Atlantic Ocean, to the south- 
 ward of this latitude, has been but 
 little frequented ; so that there may 
 be more islands there than we are 
 acquainted with. 
 
 This calm weather was succeeded 
 by a fresh gale from the NW., which 
 lasted two days. Then we had again 
 variable light airs for about twenty- 
 four hours ; when the NW. wind re- 
 turned, and blew with such strength 
 that on the 17th we had sight of the 
 Cape of Good Hope, and the next 
 day anchored in Table Bay. 
 
 As soon as we had received the 
 usual visit from the master attendant 
 and the surgeon, I sent an officer to 
 wait on Baron Plettenberg, the gov- 
 ernor ; and, on his return, saluted 
 the garrison with thirteen guns, 
 which compliment was returned witb 
 the same number. As soon as we had 
 saluted, I went on shore, accompanied 
 by some of my officers, and waited 
 on the Governor, the lieutenant-gover- 
 
73 
 
 Dor, the fiscal, and the commander of 
 the troops. These gentlemen received 
 me with the greatest civility ; and 
 the Governor, in particular, promised 
 me every assistance that the place 
 afforded. At the same time I ob- 
 tained his leave to set up our obser- 
 vatory on any spot I should think 
 most convenient ; to pitch tents for 
 the sailmakers and coopers ; and to 
 bring the cattle on shore, to graze 
 near our encampment. Before I re- 
 turned on board, I ordered soft bread, 
 fresh meat, and greens to be provided 
 every day for the ship's company. 
 On the 22d, we set up the tents and 
 observatory, and began to send the 
 several articles out of the ship which 
 I wanted on shore. This could not 
 be done sooner, as the militia of the 
 place were exercising on or near the 
 ground which we were to occupy. 
 
 The next day, we began to observe 
 equal altitudes of the sun, in order to 
 ascertain the rate of the watch, or 
 which is the same thing, to find 
 whether it had altered its rate. 
 These observations were continued 
 every day, whenever the weather 
 would permit, till the time of our 
 departure drew near. But before 
 this, the calkers had been set to 
 work to calk the ship \ and I had 
 concerted measures for supplying both 
 ships witli such provisions as I should 
 want. Bakers, likewise, had been 
 ordered, immediately after our ar- 
 rival, to bake such a quantity of 
 bread as I thought would be requisite. 
 As fast as the several articles destined 
 for the Resolution were got ready, they 
 were carried on board. 
 
 Nothing remarkable happened till 
 the evening of the 31st, when it came 
 on to blow excessively hard at SE., 
 and continued for three days ; dur- 
 ing which time there was no com- 
 munication between the ship and the 
 shore. The Resolution was the only 
 ship in the bay that rode out the gale 
 without dragging her anchors. We 
 felt its effects as sensibly on shore. 
 Our tents and observatory were torn 
 to pieces; and our astronomical quad- 
 rant narrowly escaped irreparable 
 rtJKnage. On the 3d of November 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. (Toy. III. B. I. Ch. III. 
 
 the storm ceased, and the next day 
 we resumed our different employ- 
 
 ments. In the morning of the 10th 
 the Discovery arrived in the bay. 
 Captain Gierke informed me that he 
 had sailed from Plymouth on the 1st 
 of August, and should have been 
 witli us here a week sooner if the 
 late gale of wind had not blown him 
 off the coast. Upon the whole, lie 
 was seven days longer in his pass tge 
 from England than we had been. He 
 had the misfortune to lose one of his 
 marines, by falling overboard ; but 
 there had been no other mortality 
 amongst his peojde, and they now ar- 
 rived well and healthy. [Here the 
 history of an excursion into the 
 country, narrated by Mr Anderson, 
 is omitted, with the exception of a 
 passage describing a remarkable stone 
 or rock.] 
 
 "In the afternoon we went to see 
 a stone of a remarkable size, called 
 by the inhabitants the Tower of 
 Babylon, or the Pearl Diamond. It 
 lies, or stands, upon the top of some 
 low hills, at the foot of which our 
 farm-house l was situated ; and though 
 the road to it is neither very steep 
 nor rugged, we were above an hour 
 and a half in walking to it. It is of 
 an oblong shape, rounded on the top, 
 and lies nearly south and north. The 
 east and west sides are steep and 
 almost perpendicidar. The south 
 end is likewise steep, and its greatest 
 height is there ; from whence it 
 declines gently to the north part, by 
 which we ascended to its top, and 
 had an extensive view of the whole 
 country. Its circumference, I think, 
 must be at least half-a-mile ; as it 
 took us above half-an-hour to walk 
 round it, including every allowance 
 for the bad road and stopping a little. 
 At its highest part, which is the south 
 end, comparing it with a known ob- 
 ject, it seems to equal the dome of St 
 P aid's Church. It is one uninter- 
 rupted mass or stone, if we except 
 some fissures, or rather impressions, 
 not above three or four feet deep, and 
 
 1 "Where the party had their quar- 
 ters on the previous night. 
 
Dec. 1776.] 
 
 h vein which mns across near its 
 north end. It is of that sort of stone 
 c?Ued by mineralogists Saxuni con- 
 glutinatum, and consists chiefly of 
 pieces of coarse quartz and glimmer, 
 held together by a clayey cement. 
 But the vein which crosses it, though 
 of the same materials, is much com- 
 pacter. This vein is not above a foot 
 broad or thick, and its surface is cut 
 into little squares or oblongs, disposed 
 obliquely, which makes it look like 
 the remains of some artificial work. 
 But I could not observe whether it 
 penetrated far into the large rock, or 
 was only superficial. In descending, 
 we found at its foot a very rich black 
 mould ; and on the sides of the hills, 
 eome trees of a considerable size, 
 natives of the place, which are a 
 species of olea." 
 
 On the 23d, we got on board the 
 observatory, clock, &C. 1 
 
 DEPARTURE FROM THE CAPE. 79 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 After the disaster which happened 
 to our sheep, 2 it may be well supposed 
 I did not trust those that remained 
 long on shore, but got them and the 
 other cattle on board as fast as pos- 
 sible. I also added to my original 
 stock by purchasing two young bulls, 
 two heifers, two young stone-horses, 
 two mares, two rams, several ewes 
 and goats, and some rabbits and 
 poultry. All of them were intended 
 for New Zealand, Otaheite, and the 
 neighbouring islands, or any other 
 places, in the course of our voyage, 
 where there might be a prospect that 
 the leaving any of them would be use- 
 ful to posterity. 
 
 Towards the latter end of November 
 
 1 The rest of the Chapter, omitted, 
 consists of purely technical accounts 
 of astronomical observations, and 
 nautical remarks on the passage from 
 England to the Cape, with regard to 
 the currents and the variation. 
 
 2 ' ' Some dogs having got in amongst 
 t^em, forced them out of the pen, kill- 
 ing four, and dispersing the rest." 
 
 the calkers had finished their worn 
 on board the Discovery, and she had 
 received all her provisions and water. 
 Of the former, both ships had a supply 
 sufficient for two years and upwards. 
 And every other article we could 
 think of necessary for such a voyage, 
 that could be had at the Cape, wa? 
 procured, neither knowing when nor 
 where we might come to a place where 
 we could furnish ourselves so well. 
 Having given Captain Gierke a copy 
 of my instructions, and an order 
 directing him how to proceed in case 
 of separation, in the morning of the 
 30th we repaired on board. At five 
 in the afternoon a breeze sprung up 
 at SE., with which we weighed and 
 stood out of the bay. At nine it fell 
 calm, and we anchored between Pen- 
 guin Island and the east shore, where 
 we lay till 3 o'clock next morning. 
 We then weighed and put to sea, with 
 a light breeze at S. ; but did not get 
 clear of the land till the morning of th e 
 3d [of December], when, with a fresh 
 gale at "WNW. , we stood to the SE. to 
 get more into the way of these winds. 
 
 On the 5th, a sudden squall of wind 
 carried away the Resolution's mizzen- 
 topmast. Having another to replace 
 it, the loss was not felt, especially as 
 it was a bad stick, and had often com- 
 plained. On the 6th, in the evening, 
 being then in the Latitude of 39° 1 4' S. , 
 and in the Longitude of 23° 56' E., 
 we passed through several small spoto 
 of water of reddish colour. Some cf 
 this was taken up, and it was found 
 to abound with a small animal, which 
 the microscope discovered to be like 
 a cray-fish, of a reddish hue. We 
 continued our course to the SE., with 
 a very strong gale from the westward, 
 followed by a mountainous sea, which 
 made the ship roll and tumble 
 ceedingly, and gave us a great deal cf 
 trouble to preserve the cattle we had 
 on board. Notwithstanding all our 
 care, several goats, especially the 
 males, died, and some sheep. This 
 misfortune was, in a great measure, 
 owing to the cold, which we now 
 began most sensibly to feel. 
 
 On the 12th, at noon, we saw land 
 extending from SE. by S. to SE. by E. 
 
80 
 
 Upon a nearer approach we found it 
 to be two islands. That which lies 
 most to the south, and is also the 
 largest, I judged to be about fifteen 
 leagues in circuit, and to be in the 
 Latitude of 46° 53' S., and in the Longi- 
 tude of 37° 46' E. The most northerly 
 one is about nine leagues in circuit, 
 and lies in the Latitude of 46° 40' S., 
 and in 38° 8' E. Longitude. The dis- 
 tance from the one to the other is 
 about five leagues. We passed through 
 this channel, at equal distance from 
 both islands, and could not discover, 
 with the assistance of our best glasses, 
 either tree or shrub on either of them. 
 They seemed to have a rocky and bold 
 shore ; and excepting the south-east 
 parts, where the land is rather low 
 and flat, a surface composed of barren 
 mountains, which rise to a consider- 
 able height, and whose summits and 
 sides were covered with snow, which 
 in many places seemed to be of a con- 
 siderable depth. The south-east parts 
 had a much greater quantity on them 
 than the rest, owing, probably, to the 
 sun acting for a less space of time oa 
 these than on the north and north- 
 west parts. The ground, where it 
 <vas not hid by the snow, from the 
 various shades it exhibited, may be 
 supposed to be covered with moss, or, 
 perhaps, such a coarse grass as is 
 found in some parts of Falkland's 
 Islands. On the north side of each 
 of the islands is a detached rock ; that 
 near the south island is shaped like a 
 tower, and seemed to be at some dis- 
 tance from the shore. As we passed 
 along, a quantity of sea-weed was 
 seen, and the colour of the water in- 
 dicated soundings. But there was no 
 appearance of an inlet, unless near 
 the rock just mentioned ; and that, 
 from its smallness, did not promise 
 a good anchoring-place. These two 
 islands, as also four others which lie 
 from nine to twelve degrees of longi- 
 tude more to the east, and nearly in 
 the same latitude, were discovered by 
 Captains Marion du Fresne andCrozet, 
 French navigators, in January 1772, 
 on their passage in two ships from 
 the Cape of Good Hope to the Philip- 
 pine Islands. Aa they have no names 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Tor. III. B. I. Ch. IV. 
 
 in the French chart of the southern 
 hemisphere, which Captain Crozet 
 communicated to me in 1775, I shall 
 distinguish the two we now saw by 
 calling them Prince Edward's Islands, 
 after his Majesty's fourth son ; and 
 the other four by the name of Marion's 
 and Crozet's Islands, to commemorate 
 their discoverers. 
 
 We had now, for the most part, 
 strong gales between the north and 
 west, and but very indifferent weather, 
 not better, indeed, than we generally 
 have in England in the very depth 
 of winter, though it was now the 
 middle of summer in this hemisphere. 
 Not discouraged, however, by this, 
 after leaving Prince Edward's Islands 
 I shaped our course to pass to the 
 southward of the others that I might 
 get into the latitude of the land dis- 
 covered by Monsieur de Kerguelen. 
 I had applied to the Chevalier de 
 Borda, whom I found at Teneriffe, 1 
 requesting that if he knew anything 
 of flie island discovered by Monsieur 
 de Kerguelen, between the Cape of 
 Good Hope and New Holland, he 
 would be so obliging as to communi- 
 cate it to me. Accordingly, just be- 
 fore we sailed from Santa Cruz Bay, 
 he sent me the following account of 
 it, viz. : "That the pilot of the Bous- 
 sole, who was in the voyage with 
 Monsieur de Kerguelen, had given him 
 the latitude and longitude of a little 
 island, which Monsieur de Kerguelen 
 called the Isle of E endezvous, and which 
 lies not far from the great island which 
 he saw. Latitude of the little isle, by 
 seven observations, 48° 26' S. ; Longi- 
 tude, by seven observations of the dis- 
 tance of the sun and moon, 64° 57' E. 
 from Paris." I was very sorry I had 
 not sooner known that there was on 
 board the frigate at Teneriffe an officer 
 who had been with Monsieur de Ker- 
 guelen, especially the pilot, because 
 from him I might have obtained more 
 interesting information about this 
 land than the situation alone, of which 
 I was not before entirely ignorant. 
 
 1 In command of the French frigate 
 La Doussole, ridir.g in the road o* 
 Santa Cruz. 
 
Dec. 1776.] 
 
 THE ISLE OF RENDEZVOUS. 
 
 81 
 
 My instructions directing me to 
 examine it, with a view to discover a 
 good harbour, I proceeded in the 
 search ; and on the 16th, being then 
 in the Latitude of 48° 45' S., and 
 in the Longitude of 52° E., we saw 
 penguins and divers, and rock -weed 
 floating in the sea. We continued to 
 meet with more or less of these every 
 day as we proceeded to the eastward ; 
 and on the 21st, in the Latitude of 
 48" 27' S., and in the Longitude of 
 65° E., a very large seal was seen. 
 We had now much foggy weather, 
 and as we expected to fall in with the 
 land every hour, our navigation be- 
 came both tedious and dangerous. At 
 length on the 24th, at 6 o'clock in 
 the morning, as we were steering to 
 the eastward — the fog clearing away 
 a little — we saw land, 1 bearing SSE., 
 which, upon a nearer approach, we 
 found to be an island of considerable 
 height, and about three leagues in 
 circuit. Soon after we saw another 
 of the same magnitude one league to 
 the eastward ; and between these two, 
 in the direction of SE., some smaller 
 ones. In the direction of S. by E. 
 half E., from the east end of the first 
 island, a third high island was seen. 
 At times, as the fog broke away, we 
 had the appearance of land over the 
 small islands, and I had thoughts of 
 steering for it by running in between 
 them. But on drawing nearer, I 
 found this would be a dangerous at- 
 tempt while the weather continued 
 foggy. For if there should be no 
 passage, or if we should meet with 
 any sudden danger, it would have 
 been impossible for us to get off, the 
 wind being right astern, and a prodi- 
 gious sea running that broke on all 
 the shores in a frightful surf. At the 
 same time, seeing another island in 
 the north-east direction, and not 
 knowing but that there might be 
 more, I judged it prudent to haul off 
 
 1 Captain Cook was not the original 
 discoverer of these small islands which 
 he now fell in with. It is certain 
 that they had been seen and named 
 by Kerguelen, on his second voyage, 
 m December 1773. 
 
 and wait for clearer weather lest we 
 should get entangled amongst un- 
 known lands in a thick fog. We did 
 but just weather the island last men- 
 tioned. It is a high round rock, which 
 was named Bligh's Cap. Perhaps 
 this is the same that Monsieur de 
 Kerguelen called the Isle of Rendez- 
 vous, 2 but I know nothing that can 
 rendezvous at it but fowls of the 
 air, for it is certainly inaccessible to 
 every other animal. 
 
 At 11 o'clock the weather began to 
 clear up, and we immediately tacked, 
 and steered in for the land. At noon 
 we had a pretty good observation, 
 which enabled us to determine the 
 latitude of Bligh's Cap, which is the 
 northernmost island, to be 48° 29' S., 
 and its longitude 68° 40' E. We 
 passed it at 3 o'clock, standing to the 
 SSE., with a fresh gale at W. Soon, 
 after we saw the land, of which we 
 had a faint view in the morning ; 
 and at 4 o'clock it extended from SE. 
 half E. to SW. by S., distant about 
 four miles. The left extreme, which 
 I judged to be the northern point ol 
 this land, called in the French chart 
 of the southern hemisphere, Cape St 
 Louis, 3 terminated in a perpendicular 
 rock of a considerable height ; and 
 the right one (near which is a detached 
 rock) in a high indented point. From 
 this point the coast seemed to turn 
 short round to the southward ; for we 
 could see no land to the westward of 
 the direction in which it now bore to 
 us, but the islands we had observed 
 in the morning ; the most southerly 
 
 a This isle, or rock, was the single 
 point about which Captain Cook had 
 received the least information at Tene- 
 riffe ; and we may observe how saga- 
 cious he was in tracing it. Kergue- 
 len 's words are : " Isle de Reunion, 
 qui n'est qu'une Roche, nous servoit 
 de Rendezvous, ou de point de ral- 
 liement, et ressemble a un coin de 
 mire." — Note in Original Edition. 
 
 3 Cook is here declared by his editor 
 
 to be in error ; the northern point he 
 
 here describes being really that to 
 
 I which the French had given the namo 
 
 of Cape Francois. 
 
 F 
 
82 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 of them lying nearly west from the 
 point, about two or three leagues dis- 
 tant. About the middle of the land 
 there appeared to be an inlet, for which 
 we steered ; but, on approaching, found 
 it was only a bending on the coast, and 
 therefore bore up, to go round Cape St 
 Louis. Soon after, land opened off the 
 cape, in the direction of S. 53° E., 
 and appeared to be a point at a con- 
 siderable distance ; for the trending 
 of the coast from the cape was more 
 southerly. We also saw several rocks 
 and islands to the eastward of the 
 above directions, the most distant of 
 which was about seven leagues from 
 the cape, bearing S. 88° E. Wo had 
 no sooner got off the cape, than we 
 observed the coast to the southward to 
 be much indented by projecting points 
 and bays ; so that we now made sure 
 of soon finding a good harbour. Ac- 
 cordingly, we had not run a mile 
 farther, before we discovered one be- 
 hind the cape, into which we began 
 to ply ; but after making one board, 
 it fell calm, and we anchored at the 
 entrance in forty-five fathoms water, 
 the bottom black sand ; as did the 
 Discovery soon after. I immediately 
 despatched Mr Bligh, the master, in 
 a boat to sound the harbour ; who, on 
 his return, reported it to be safe and 
 commodious, with good anchorage in 
 every part, and great plenty of fresh 
 water, seals, penguins, and other birds 
 on the shore, but not a stick of wood. 
 While we lay at anchor, we observed 
 that the flood tide came from the SE., 
 runningtwo knots, at least, inanhour. 
 At daybreak in the morning of the 
 25th, we weighed with a gentle breeze 
 at W., and' having wrought into the 
 harbour, to within a quarter of a mile 
 of the sandy beach at its head, we 
 anchored in eight fathoms water, the 
 bottom a fine dark sand. The Dis- 
 covery did not get in till 2 o'clock in 
 the afternoon ; when Captain Gierke 
 informed me, that he had narrowly 
 escaped being driven on the south 
 point of the harbour, his anchor hav- 
 ing started before they had tin* l o 
 sliorten in the cable. This obliged 
 them to set sail, and drag the anchor 
 after them, till they had room to 
 
 [Voy.III.B. i.Cn.IV. 
 
 heave it up ; and then they found 
 one of its palms was broken off. As 
 soon as we had anchored, I ordered 
 all the boats to be hoisted out ; the 
 ship to be moored with a kedge an- 
 chor ; and the water-casks to be got 
 ready to send on shore. In the mean- 
 time I landed, to look for the most 
 convenient spot where they might be 
 filled, and to see what else the place 
 afforded. I found the shore, in a 
 manner, covered with penguins and 
 other birds, and seals. These latter 
 were not numerous, but so insensible 
 of fear (which plainly indicated that 
 they were unaccustomed to such visi- 
 tors), that we killed as many as we 
 chose, for the sake of their fat or 
 blubber, to make oil for our lamps, 
 and other uses. Fresh water was in 
 no less plenty than were birds ; for 
 every gully afforded a large stream. 
 But not a single tree or shrub, nor 
 the least sign of any, was to be dis- 
 covered, and but very little herbage 
 of any sort. Before I returned to my 
 ship, I ascended the first ridge of 
 rocks, which rise in a kind of amphi- 
 theatre above one another. I was in 
 
 hopes, by this means, of obtaining a 
 
 view of 
 reached 
 
 thick a fog, 
 
 the country ; but before I 
 the top, there came on so 
 that I could hardly find 
 my way down again. In the evening, 
 we hauled the seine at the head of 
 the harbour, but caught only half-a- 
 dozen small fish. We had no better 
 success next day, when we tried with 
 hook and line. So that our only re- 
 source here, for fresh provisions, was 
 birds, of which there was an inex- 
 haustible store. 
 
 The morning of the 26th proved 
 foggy, with ram. However, we went 
 to work to fill water, and to cut grass 
 for our cattle, which we found in 
 small spots near the head of the har- 
 bour. The rain which fell swelled 
 all the rivulets to such a degree, that 
 the sides of the hills bounding the 
 harbour seemed to be covered with a 
 sheet of water. For the rain, as it 
 fell, run into the fissures and crags of 
 the rocks that composed the interior 
 parts of the hills, and was precipitated 
 down their sides in prodigious tor- 
 
Dec. 1776.] KERGUELEN'S 
 
 rents. The people having wrought 
 hard the two preceding days, and 
 nearly completed our water, which 
 we filled from a brook at the left 
 corner of the beach, I allowed them 
 the 27th as a day of rest, to celebrate 
 Christmas. Upon this indulgence, 
 many of them went on shore, and 
 made excursions, in different direc- 
 tions, into the country, which they 
 found barren and desolate in the high- 
 est degree. In the evening, one of 
 them brought to me a quart bottle 
 which he had found, fastened with 
 some wire to a projecting rock on the 
 north side of the harbour. This 
 bottle contained a piece of parch- 
 ment, on which was written the fol- 
 lowing inscription : 
 
 " Ludovico X V Galliarum 
 regc, et d. 1 de Boynes 
 regi a Secretis ad res 
 tnaritimas annis 1772 et 
 1733." 
 
 From this inscription, it is clear 
 that we were not the first Europeans 
 who had been in this harbour. I sup- 
 posed it to be left by Monsieur de 
 Boisguehenneu, who went on shore 
 in a boat on the 13th of February 
 1772, the same # day that Monsieur de 
 Kerguelen discovered this land. 2 As 
 a memorial of our having been in this 
 harbour, I wrote on the other side of 
 the parchment : 
 
 1 The (d), no doubt, is a contraction 
 of the word Domino. The French 
 Secretary of the Marine was then 
 Monsieur de Boynes. 
 
 2 The bottle and inscription were 
 really left nearly two years later, in 
 January 1774, when Kerguelen, on 
 his second voyage, by M. de Roche- 
 gude, one of his officers, took posses- 
 sion of the country, with all the 
 requisite formalities, in the name of 
 the King of France. As the French 
 ships had arrived on the coast in 
 December 1773, it was natural that 
 the inscription should refer to that 
 year rather than the following, as 
 barring possible claims by rival navi- 
 gators, 
 
 LAND VISITED. SS 
 
 " Naves Resolution 
 et Discovery 
 d# Rege Magnoz Britannw. 
 Dcccmbris 1776." 
 
 I then put it again into a bottle, to- 
 gether with a silver twopenny piece 
 of 1772 ; and having covered the 
 mouth of the bottle with a leaden 
 cap, I placed it, the next morning, in 
 a pile of stones erected for the pur- 
 pose, upon a little eminence on the 
 north shore of the harbour, and near 
 to the place where it was first found ; 
 in which position it cannot escape the 
 notice of any European whom chance 
 or design may bring into this port. 
 Here I displayed the British flag, and 
 named the place Christmas Harbour, 
 from our having arrived in it on that 
 festival. 
 
 After I had finished this business 
 of the inscription, I went in my boat 
 round the harbour, and landed in 
 several places, to examine what the 
 shore afforded, and particularly to 
 look for drift wood. For although 
 the land here was totally destitute of 
 trees, this might not be the case in 
 other parts ; and if there were any, 
 the torrents would force some, or, at 
 least, some branches, into the sea, 
 which woidd afterward throw them 
 upon the shores, as in all other 
 countries where there is wood, and in 
 many where there is none.; but 
 throughout the whole extent of the 
 harbour I found not a single piece. 
 In the afternoon, I went upon Cape 
 St Louis, 3 accompanied by Mr King, 
 my second lieutenant. I was in 
 hopes, from this elevation, to have 
 had a view of the sea coast, and of 
 the islands lying off it. But, when 
 I got up, I found every distant object 
 below me hid in a thick fog. The 
 land on the same plain, 4 or of a 
 greater height, was visible enough, 
 and appeared naked and desolate in 
 the highest degree, except some hills 
 to the southward, which were covered 
 with snow. When I got on board, I 
 found the launch hoisted in, the ships 
 unmoored, and ready to put to sea ; 
 
 3 Cape Francois. 
 
 4 Level. 
 
84 
 
 but our sailing was 
 o'clock the next morning, 
 veiehed anchor. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Toy. III. B. I. Cm. Y. 
 
 deferred till 5 after his separation from me during 
 
 when 
 
 we 
 
 CHAPTER V.» 
 
 Being desirous of getting the length 
 of Cape George, 2 to be assured whether 
 or no it was the most southerly point 
 of the whole land, I continued to 
 stretch to the south, under all the 
 sail we could carry, till half-an-hour 
 past 7 o'clock [December 30] ; when, 
 seeing no likelihood of accomplishing 
 my design, as the wind had by this 
 time shifted to WSW., the very di- 
 rection in which we wanted to go, I 
 took the advantage of the shifting of 
 the wind, and stood away from the 
 coast. At this time, Cape George 
 bore S. 53° W., distant about seven 
 leagues. A small island that lies off 
 the pitch of the cape, was the only 
 land we could see to the south of it ; 
 and we were further confirmed that 
 there was no more in that quarter, by 
 a SW. swell which we met as soon as 
 we brought the cape to bear in this 
 direction. 
 
 But we have still a stronger proof 
 that no part of this land can extend 
 much, if at all, to the southward of 
 Cape George ; and that is, Captain 
 Furneaux's track in February 1773, 
 
 1 This Chapter is almost entirely de- 
 voted to a minute account of Captain 
 Cook's examination of the coast of 
 Kerguelen's Land, and to Mr Ander- 
 son's observations on the natural 
 products, the animals, the soil, &c, 
 of that remote and unprofitable re- 
 gion. The present interest of these 
 matters is so slight, that there is no 
 loss in the omission of the Chapter, 
 with the exception of a brief passage, 
 in which Cook affirms the insularity 
 of Kerguelen's Land, described at first 
 by its discoverer as a magnificent 
 continent. 
 
 2 So called by Captain Cook in 
 honour of the King ; it is placed by 
 him in Latitude 49" 54' S., " 
 fcnde 70° IS' E. 
 
 Longi- 
 
 my late voyage. His log-book is now 
 lying before me, and I find from it 
 that he crossed the meridian of this 
 land only about seventeen leagues to 
 the southward of Cape George •, a dis- 
 tance at which it may very well be 
 seen in clear weather. This seems to 
 have been the case when Captain 
 Furneaux passed it. For his log- 
 book makes no mention of fogs or 
 hazy weather ; on the contrary, it ex- 
 pressly tells us that, when in this 
 situation, they had it in their power 
 to make observations, both for lati- 
 tude and longitude, on board hia 
 ship ; so that, if this land extends 
 farther south than Cape George, it 
 woidd have been scarcely possible 
 that he should have passed without 
 seeing it. 
 
 From these circumstances we are 
 able to determine, within a very few 
 miles, the quantity of latitude that 
 this land occupies, which does not 
 much exceed one degree and a quar- 
 ter. As to its extent from east to 
 west, that still remains undecided. 
 We only know, that no part of it can 
 reach so far to the west as the meri- 
 dian of 65° ; because, in 1773, under 
 that meridian, I searched for it in 
 vain. The French discoverers, with 
 some reason, imagined • Cape St Louia 
 to be the projecting point of a southern 
 continent. The English have since 
 proved that no such continent exists; 
 and that the land in question is an 
 island of no great extent, 3 which, 
 from its sterility, I should, with great 
 propriety, call the Island of Desola- 
 tion, but that I woiild not rob Mon- 
 sieur de Kerguelen of the honour of 
 its bearing his name. 4 . . . 
 
 3 Kerguelen concurs with Captain 
 Cook as to this. However, he tells 
 us, that he has reason to believe that 
 it is about 200 leagues in circuit ; and 
 that he was acquainted with about 
 fourscore leagues of its coast. " J'en 
 connois environs quatre-vingt lieues 
 des cotes; et j'ailieudecroire, qu'elle 
 a environ deux cents lieues de cir- 
 cuit " — Note in Original Edition. 
 
 4 Cook's alternative title, amply 
 
Jan. 1777.] FROM KERGUELEN'* 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 After leaving "Kerguelen's Land I 
 steered E. by N., intending, in obed- 
 ience to my instructions, to toucb 
 next at New Zealand, to recruit our 
 water, to take in wood, and to make 
 bay for the cattle. Their number 
 by this time had been considerably 
 diminished ; two young bulls, one of 
 the heifers, two rams, and several of 
 the goats having of late died while we 
 were employed in exploring this deso- 
 late coast. . . . 
 
 Thus far [to Jan. 3] we had fresh 
 gales from the W. and SW., and 
 tolerably clear weather. But now 
 the wind veered to the N., where it 
 continued eight days, and was at- 
 tended with a thick fog. During 
 this time, we ran above 300 leagues 
 in the dark. Now and then the 
 weather would clear up, and give us 
 a sight of the sun ; but this happened 
 very seldom, and was always of short 
 continuance. On the 7th, I hoisted 
 out a boat, and sent an order to Cap- 
 tain Gierke, appointing Adventure 
 Bay, in Van Diemen's Land, as our 
 place of rendezvous, in case of separa- 
 tion before we arrived in the meridian 
 of that land. But we were fortunate 
 enough, amidst all this foggy weather, 
 by frequently firing guns as signals, 
 though we seldom saw each other, not 
 to lose company. 
 
 On the 12th, being in the Latitude 
 of 48° 40' S., Longitude 110° 26' E., 
 the northerly winds ended in a calm ; 
 which, after a few hours, was suc- 
 ceeded by a wind from the southward. 
 This, with rain, continued for twenty- 
 four hours ; when it freshened, and 
 veered to the west and north-west, 
 and brought on fair and clear weather. 
 "We continued our course to the east- 
 ward, without meeting with anything 
 worthy of notice, till 4 o'clock in 
 the morning of the 19th, when, in a 
 sudden squall of wind, though the 
 Discovery received no damage, our 
 
 justified by all that he and Mr Ander- 
 son observed, is now commonly 
 adopted in English maps. 
 
 TO VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. 85 
 fore-topmast went by the board, and 
 carried the maintop-gallantmast with 
 it. This occasioned some delay, as it 
 took us up the whole day to clear the 
 wreck, and to fit another topmast. 
 The former was accomplished without 
 losing any part of it, except a few 
 fathoms of small rope. Not having 
 a spare maintop-gallantmast on board, 
 the foretop-gallantmast was converted 
 into one for our immediate use. 
 
 On the 24th, at 3 o'clock in the 
 morning, we discovered the coast of 
 Van Diemen's Land, bearing N. half 
 W. At 6 o'clock in the afternoon we 
 sounded, and found sixty fathoms 
 water, over a bottom of broken coral 
 and shells. Soon after we had sight 
 of land the westerly winds left us, 
 and were succeeded by variable light 
 airs and alternate calms, till the 26th 
 at noon. At that time a breeze sprung 
 up and freshened at SE., which put 
 it in my power to carry into execution 
 the design I had upon due considera- 
 tion formed, of carrying the ships 
 into Adventure Ba}% where I might 
 expect to get a supply of wood and of 
 grass for the cattle ; of both which 
 articles we should, as I now found, 
 have been in great want, if I had 
 waited till our arrival in New Zea- 
 land. We therefore stood for the 
 bay, and anchored in it at 4 o'clock 
 in the afternoon, in twelve fathoms 
 water. Our distance from the nearest 
 shore was about three quarters of a 
 mile. As soon as we had anchored, I 
 ordered the boats to be hoisted out. 
 In one of them I went myself, to look 
 for the most commodious place for 
 furnishing ourselves with th'j neces- 
 sary supplies ; and Captain Gierke 
 went in his boat upon the same ser- 
 vice. Wood and water we found in 
 plenty, and in situations convenient 
 enough, especially the first. Cut 
 grass, of which we stood most in 
 need, was scarce, and also very coarse. 
 Necessity, however, obliged us to take 
 such as we could get. Next morning 
 early, I sent Lieutenant King to the 
 east side of the bay with two parties, 
 one to cut wood, and the other to cut 
 grass, under the protection of the 
 marines, whom I judged it prudc-nt 
 
86 
 
 to land as a guard. For although, as 
 yet, none of the natives had appeared, 
 there could be no doubt that some 
 were in our neighbourhood, as we had 
 seen columns of smoke from the time 
 of our approaching the coast ; and 
 some now was observed at no great 
 distance up in the woods. I also sent 
 the launch for water ; and afterwards 
 visited all the parties myself. In the 
 evening, we drew the seine at the head 
 of the bay, and, at one haul, caught 
 a great quantity of fish. We should 
 have got many more had not the net 
 broken in drawing it ashore. Most 
 of them were of that sort known to 
 seamen by the name of elephant fish. 
 After this every one repaired on board 
 with what wood and grass we had cut, 
 that we might be ready to sail when- 
 ever the wind should serve. This not 
 happening next morning, the people 
 were sent on shore again on the same 
 duty as the day before. I also em- 
 ployed the carpenter, with part of his 
 crew, to cut some spars for the use of 
 the ship ; and despatched Mr Koberts, 
 one of the mates, in a small boat to 
 survey the bay. 
 
 In the afternoon, we were agree- 
 ably surprised, at the place where we 
 were cutting wood, with a visit from 
 some of the natives — eight men and a 
 boy. They approached us froni the 
 woods, without betraying any marks 
 of fear, or rather with the greatest 
 confidence imaginable ; for none of 
 them had any weapons, except one 
 who held in his hand a stick about 
 two feet long, and pointed at one end. 
 They were quite naked, and wore no 
 ornaments, unless we consider as such, 
 and as a proof of their love of finery, 
 some large punctures or ridges raised 
 on different parts of their bodies, some 
 in straight and others in curved lines. 
 They were of the common stature, but 
 rather slender. Their skin was black, 
 and also their hair, which was as woolly 
 as that of any native of Guinea ; but 
 they were notdistinguished by remark- 
 ably thick lips, nor flat noses. On 
 the contrary, their features were far 
 from being disagreeable. They had 
 pretty good eyes, and their teeth were 
 tolerably even, but very dirty. Most 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. I. Ch. VI. 
 
 of them had their hair and beards 
 smeared with a red ointment ; and 
 some had their faces also painted with 
 the same composition. They received 
 every present we made to them with- 
 out the least appearance of satisfac- 
 tion. "When some bread was given, 
 as soon as they understood that it was 
 to be eaten, they either returned it or 
 threw it away, without even tasting 
 it. They also refused some elephant 
 fish, both raw and dressed, which we 
 offered to them. But upon giving 
 some birds to them, they did not re- 
 turn these, and easily made us com- 
 prehend that they were fond of such 
 food. I had brought two pigs ashore, 
 with a view to leave them in the 
 woods. The instant these came with- 
 in their reach, they seized them, as a 
 dog would have done, by the ears, 
 and were for carrying them off imme- 
 diately, with no other intention, as 
 we could perceive, but to kill them. 
 
 Being desirous of knowing the use 
 of the stick which one of our visitors 
 carried in his hand, I made signs to 
 them to show me, and so far succeeded, 
 that one of them set up a piece of 
 wood as a mark, and threw at it, at 
 the distance of about twenty yards. 
 But we had little reason to commend 
 his dexterity, for after repeated trials, 
 he was still very wide from the object. 
 Omai, to show them how much supe- 
 rior our weapons were to theirs, then 
 fired his musket at it ; which alarmed 
 them so much, that notwithstanding 
 all we could do or say, they ran in- 
 stantly into the woods. One of them 
 was so frightened, that he let drop an 
 axe and two knives that had teen 
 given to him. From us, however, 
 they went to the place where some of 
 the Discovery's people were employed 
 in taking water into their boat. The 
 officer of that party, not knowing that 
 they had paid us so friendly a visit, 
 nor what their intent might be, fired 
 a musket in the air,~which sent them 
 off with the greatest precipitation. 
 
 Thus ended our first interview with 
 the natives. Immediately after their 
 final retreat, judging that their fears 
 would prevent their remaining near 
 enough to observe what was passing, 
 
INTERVIEWS WITH THE NATIVES. S7 
 
 Jan. 1777. ] 
 I ordered two pigs, being a boar and 
 bow, to be carried about a mile with- 
 in the woods, at the head of the bay. 
 I saw them left there, by the side of 
 a fresh-water brook. A young bull 
 and a cow, and some sheep and goats 
 were also at first intended to have 
 been left by me, as an additional pre- 
 sent to Van Diemen's Land. Butlsoon 
 laid aside all thoughts of this, from a 
 persuasion that the natives, incapable 
 of entering into my views of improving 
 their country, would destroy them. 
 If ever they should meet with the 
 pigs, I have no doubt this will be 
 their fate. But as that race of animals 
 soon becomes wild, and is fond of the 
 thickest cover of the woods, there is 
 great probability of their being pre- 
 served. An open place musf'bave 
 been chosen for the accommodation of 
 the other cattle ; and in such a situa- 
 tion they could not possibly have re- 
 mained concealed many days. 
 
 The morning of the 29th was ushered 
 in with a dead calm, which continued 
 all day, and effectually prevented our 
 saibng. I therefore sent a party over 
 to the east point of the bay to cut 
 grass, having been informed that 
 some of a superior quality grew there. 
 Another party, to cut wood, was 
 ordered to go to the usual place, and 
 I accompanied them myself. We had 
 observed several of the natives this 
 morning sauntering along the shore, 
 which assured us, that though their 
 consternation had made them leave 
 us so abruptly the day before, they 
 were convinced that we intended them 
 no mischief, and were desirous of re- 
 newing the intercourse. It was natu- 
 ral that I should wish to be present 
 on the occasion. We had not been 
 long landed before about twenty of 
 them, men and boys, joined us, with- 
 out expressing the least sign of fear 
 or distrust. There was one of this 
 company conspicuously deformed, and 
 who was not more distinguishable by 
 the hump upon his back than by the 
 drollery of his gestures and the seem- 
 ing humour of his speeches, which he 
 was very fond of exhibiting, as we 
 supposed, for our entertainment. But, 
 nnfortunately, we could not under- 
 
 stand him ; the language spoken here 
 being wholly unintelligible to ua. It 
 appeared to me to be different from 
 that spoken by the inhabitants of the 
 more northern parts of this country 
 whom I met with in my first voyage, 
 which is not extraordinary, since those 
 we now saw, and those^we then visited, 
 differ in many other respects. * Nor 
 did they seem to be such miserable 
 wretches as the natives whom Dampier 
 mentions to have seen on its western 
 coast. Some of our present group 
 wore, loose round their necks, three 
 or four folds of small cord made of 
 the fur of some animal ; and others of 
 them had a narrow slip of the kan- 
 garoo skin tied round their ancles. I 
 gave to each of them a string of beads 
 and a medal, which I thought they 
 received with some satisfaction. They 
 seemed to set no value on iron or on 
 iron tools. They were even ignorant 
 of the use of fish-hooks, if we might 
 judge from their manner of looking at 
 some of ours which we showed to 
 them. We cannot, however, suppose 
 it to be possible that a people who 
 inhabit a sea coast, and who seem to 
 derive no part of their sustenance 
 from the productions of the ground, 
 should not be acquainted with some 
 mode of catching fish, although we 
 did not happen to see any of them 
 thus employed, nor observe' any canoe 
 or vessel in which they could go upon 
 the water. Though they absolutely re- 
 jected the sort of fish that we offered to 
 them, it was evident that shell-fish, at 
 least, made a part of their food, from 
 the many heaps of mussel-shells we saw 
 in different parts near the shore, and 
 about some deserted habitations near 
 the head of the bay. These were little 
 sheds or hovels built of sticks and 
 covered with bark. We „could alsa 
 perceive evident signs of their some- 
 
 1 The most striking difference seem- 
 ed to be with regard to the texture of 
 the hair. The natives whom Captain 
 Cook met with at Endeavour River in 
 1769 are said by him to have natur- 
 ally long and black hair, thdugh it 
 be universally cropped short. 
 
COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 88 
 
 times taking up their abode in the 
 trunks of large trees, which had been 
 hollowed out by fire most probably 
 for this very purpose. In or near 
 all these habitations, and wherever 
 there was a heap of shells, there re- 
 mained the marks of fire, an indubit- 
 able proof that they do not eat their 
 food raw. 
 
 After staying about an hour with 
 the wooding party and the natives, as 
 I could now be pretty confident that 
 the latter were not likely to give the 
 former any disturbance, I left them, 
 and went over to the grass-cutters on 
 the east point of the bay, and found 
 that they had met with a fine patch. 
 Having seen the boats loaded, I left 
 that party and returned on board to 
 dinner, where, some time after, Lieu- 
 tenant King arrived. From him I 
 learned that I had but just left the 
 shore when several women and chil- 
 dren made their appearance, and were 
 i introduced to him by some of the men 
 who attended them. He gave pre- 
 sents to all of them of such trifles as 
 he had about him. These females 
 wore a kangaroo skin (in the same 
 shape as it came from the animal) 
 tied over the shoulders and round the 
 waist. But its only use seemed to be 
 to support their children when car- 
 ried on their backs, for it did not 
 cover those parts which most nations 
 conceal ; being in all other respects as 
 naked as the men, and as black, and 
 their bodies marked with scars in the 
 same manner. But in this they dif- 
 fered from the men, that though their 
 hair was of the same colour and tex- 
 ture, some of them had their heads 
 completely shorn or shaved ; in others 
 this operation had been performed 
 only on one side, while the rest of 
 them had all the upper part of the 
 head shorn close, leaving a circle of 
 hair all round, somewhat like the 
 tonsure of the Romish ecclesiastics. 
 Many of the children had fine features, 
 and were thought pretty ; but of the 
 persons of the women, especially those 
 advanced in years, a less favourable 
 report was made. However, some 
 of the gentlemen belonging to the 
 Discovery, I was told, paid their 
 
 [Voy.III.B.T.Ch.VL 
 
 addresses, and made liberal offers of pre- 
 sents, which were rejected with great 
 disdain ; whether from a sense of 
 virtue, or the fear of displeasing their 
 men, I shall not pretend to determine. 
 That this gallantry was not very agree- 
 able to the latter, is certain ; for an 
 elderly man, as soon as he observed it, 
 ordered all the women and children 
 to retire, which they obeyed, though 
 some of them showed a little reluct- 
 ance. 
 
 This conduct of Europeans amongst 
 savages to their women is highly 
 blamable, as it creates a jealousy in 
 their men that may be attended with 
 consequences fatal to the success of 
 the common enterprise, and to the 
 whole body of adventurers, without 
 ad nncing the private purpose of the 
 im_7vidual, or enabling him to gain 
 the object of his 'wishes. I believe it 
 has been generally found, amongst 
 uncivilised people, that where the 
 women are easy of access the men are 
 the first to offer them to strangers j 
 and that, where this is not the case, 
 neither the allurement of presents nor 
 the opportunity of privacy, will be 
 likely to have the desired effect. This 
 observation, I am sure, will hold good 
 throughout all the parts of the South 
 Sea where I have been. "Why, then, 
 should men act so absurd a part as to 
 risk their own safety, and that of all 
 their companions, in pursuit of a 
 gratification which they have no pro- 
 bability of obtaining? 
 
 In the afternoon 1 went again to the 
 grass-cutters to forward their work. 
 I found them then upon Penguin 
 Island, where they had met with a 
 plentiful crop of excellent grass. We 
 laboured hard till sunset, and then 
 repaired on board satisfied with the 
 quantity we had collected, which 1 
 judged sufficient to last till our arrival 
 in New Zealand. During our whole 
 stay we had either calms or light airs 
 from the eastward. Little or no time, 
 therefore, was lost by my putting in 
 at this place. For if I had kept tho 
 sea, wo should not have been twenty 
 leagues advanced farther on our voy- 
 age ; and, short as our continuance 
 was here, it has enabled ma to add 
 
Feb. 177?.] 
 
 somewhat to the imperfect acquaint- 
 ance that has hitherto been acquired 
 with this part of the globe. 1 
 
 ARRIVAL AT NEW ZEALAND. S9 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 At 8 o'clock in the morning of the 
 30th of January, a light breeze spring- 
 ing up at W., we weighed anchor, 
 and put to sea from Adventure Bay. 
 Soon after, the wind veered to the 
 southward, and increased to a perfect 
 storm. Its fury abated in the even- 
 ing, when it veered to the E. and 
 NE. We pursued our course to the 
 eastward without meeting with any- 
 thing worthy of note, till the night 
 between the 6th and 7th of February, 
 whim a marine belonging to the Dis- 
 covery fell overboard and was never 
 seen afterward. This was the second 
 misfortune of the kind that had hap- 
 pened to Captain Clerke since he left 
 England. 
 
 On the 10th, at four in the after- 
 noon, we discovered the land of New 
 Zealand. The part we saw proved to 
 be Rocks Point, and bore SE. by S. , 
 about eight or nine leagues distant. 
 After making the land, I steered for 
 Cape Farewell, which at daybreak 
 the next morning bore S. by AV., 
 distant about four leagues. At 8 
 o'clock it bore S W. by S. , about five 
 leagues distant ; and in this situa- 
 tion, we had forty-five fathoms water 
 over a sandy bottom. In rounding 
 the Cape we had fifty fathoms, and 
 the same sort of bottom. I now 
 steered for Stephen's Island, which 
 we came up with at 9 o'clock at 
 night ; and at ten next morning, 
 anchored in our old station in Queen 
 Charlotte's Sound. Unwilling to lose 
 any time, our operations commenced 
 that very afternoon, when we landed 
 a number of empty watercasks, and 
 began to clear a place where we might 
 
 1 Several pages of naturalistic and 
 other observations on Van Diemen's 
 Land, by Mr Anderson — valuable and 
 novel in their day, but now devoid of 
 interest— are here omitted. 
 
 set up the two observatories, and 
 tents for the reception of a guard and 
 of such of our people whose business 
 might make it necessary for them to 
 remain on shore. 
 
 We had not been long at anchor 
 before several canoes, filled with 
 natives, came alongside of the ships ; 
 but very few of them would venture 
 on board, which appeared the more 
 extraordinary, as I was well known 
 to them all. There was one man in 
 particular amongst them whom I had 
 treated with remarkable kindness 
 during the whole of my stay when I 
 was last here. Yet now neither pro- 
 fessions of friendship nor presents 
 could prevail upon him to come iatc 
 the ship. This shyness was to be 
 accounted for only upon this sup- 
 position, that they were apprehensive 
 we had revisited their country in 
 order to revenge the death of Captain 
 Furneaux's people. Seeing Omai on 
 board my ship now, whom they must 
 have remembered to have seen on 
 board the Adventure when the mel- 
 ancholy affair happened, and whose 
 first conversation with them, as they 
 approached, generally turned on that 
 subject, they must be well assured 
 that I was no longer a stranger to it. 
 I thought it necessary, therefore, to 
 use every endeavour to assure them 
 of the continuance of my friendship, 
 and that I should not disturb them 
 on that account. I do not know 
 whether this had any weight with 
 them ; but certain it is, that they 
 very soon laid aside all manner cf 
 restraint and distrust. 
 
 On the 13th we set up two tents, 
 one from each ship, on the same spot 
 where we had pitched them formerly. 
 The observatories were at the same 
 time erected ; and Messrs King and 
 Bayly began their operations imme- 
 diately, to find the rate of the time- 
 keeper, and to make other observa- 
 tions. The remainder of the empty 
 water-casks were also sent on shore, 
 with the cooper to trim and a suffix 
 cient number of sailors to fill them. 
 Two men were appointed to brew 
 spruce beer, and the carpenter and 
 his crew were ordered to cut wood. 
 
90 
 
 A boat, with & party of men, under 
 the direction of one of the mates, was 
 sent to collect grass for our cattle ; 
 and the people that remained on 
 board were employed in refitting the 
 ship, and arranging the provisions. 
 In this manner we were all profitably 
 busied during our stay. For the pro- 
 tection of the party on shore, I ap- 
 pointed a guard of ten marines, and 
 ordered arms for all the workmen ; 
 and Mr King and two or three petty 
 officers, constantly remained with 
 them. A boat was never sent to any 
 considerable distance from the ships 
 without being armed, and under the 
 direction of such officers as I could 
 depend upon, and who were well ac- 
 quainted with the natives. During 
 my former visits to this country, I 
 had never taken some of theso pre- 
 cautions ; nor were they, I firmly be- 
 lieve, more necessary now than they 
 had been formerly. But after the 
 tragical fate of the Adventure's boat's 
 crew in this sound, and of Captain 
 Marion du Fresne, and of some of his 
 people, in the Bay of Islands, 1 it was 
 impossible totally to divest ourselves 
 of all apprehension of experiencing 
 a. similar calamity. 
 
 If the natives entertained any sus- 
 picion of our revenging these acts of 
 barbarity, they very soon laid it aside. 
 For, during the course of this day, a 
 great number of families came from 
 different parts of the coast, and took 
 up their residence close to us ; so 
 that there was not a spot in the cove 
 where a hut could be put up, that 
 was not occupied by them, except the 
 place where we had fixed our little 
 encampment. This they left us in 
 quiet possession of; but they came 
 and took away the ruins of some old 
 huts that were there, as materials for 
 their new erections. It is curious to 
 observe with what facility they build 
 these occasional places of abode. I 
 have seen above twenty of them 
 erected on a spot of ground that, not 
 an hour before, was covered with 
 shrubs and plants. They generally 
 bring some part of the materials with 
 
 1 In 1772. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vov.III.B.I.Cn. YII. 
 
 them ; the rest they find upon the 
 premises. I was present when a 
 number of people landed, and built 
 one of these villages. The moment 
 the canoes reached the shore, the men 
 leaped out, and at once took posses- 
 sion of a piece of ground, by tearing 
 up the plants and shrubs, or sticking 
 up some part of the framing of a hut. 
 They then returned to their canoet, 
 and secured their weapons by setting 
 them up against a tree, or placing them 
 in such a position that they could be 
 laid hold of in an instant. I took 
 particular notice that no one neglected 
 this precaution. "While the men were 
 employed in raising the huts, the 
 women were not idle. Some were 
 stationed to take care of the canoes ; 
 others to secure the provisions, and 
 the few utensils in their possession ; 
 and the rest went to gather dry sticks, 
 that a fire might be prepared for dress- 
 ing their victuals. As to the children, 
 I kept them, as also some of the more 
 aged, sufficiently occupied in scram- 
 bling for beads, till I had emptied 
 my pockets, and then I left them. 
 These temporary habitations are abun- 
 dantly sufficient to afford shelter from 
 the wind and rain, which is the only 
 purpose they are meant to answer. I 
 observed that generally, if not always, 
 the same tribe or family, though it 
 were ever so large, associated and 
 built together ; so that we frequently 
 saw a village, as well as their larger 
 towns, divided into different districts 
 by low pallisades, or some similar 
 mode of separation* 
 
 The advantage we received from 
 the natives coming to live with us 
 was not inconsiderable. For every 
 day, when the weather would permit, 
 some of them went out to catch fish ; 
 and we generally got, by exchanges, 
 a good share of the produce of their 
 labours. This supply, and what our 
 own nets and lines afforded us, was so 
 ample, that we seldom were in want 
 of fish. Nor was there any deficiency 
 of other refreshments. Celery, scurvy- 
 grass, and jjortable soup were boiled 
 with the pease and wheat, for both 
 ships' companies, every day during 
 our whole stay ; and they had spruce- 
 
Feb. 1777.] NEWS OF MASSACRE OF ADVENTURES CREW. 91 
 
 beer for their drink, so that, if any 
 of our people had contracted the 
 seeds of the scurvy, such a regimen 
 soon removed them. But the truth 
 is, when we arrived here, there were 
 only two invalids (and these on board 
 the Resolution) upon the sick lists in 
 both ships. Besides the natives who 
 took up their abode close to us, we 
 were occasionally visited by others of 
 them whose residence was not far off, 
 and by some who lived more remote. 
 Their articles of commerce were curi- 
 osities, fish, and women. The two 
 first always came to a good market ; 
 which the latter did not. The sea- 
 men had taken a kind of dislike to 
 these people, and were either unwill- 
 ing or afraid to associate with them ; 
 which produced this good effect, that 
 I knew no instance of a man's quit- 
 ting his station to go to their habita- 
 tions. 
 
 Amongst our occasional visitors 
 was a chief named Kahoora, who, as 
 1 was informed, headed the party 
 that cut off Captain Furneaux's 
 people, and himself killed Mr Rowe, 
 the officer who commanded. To judge 
 of the character of Kahoora, by what 
 I heard from many of his country- 
 men, he seemed to be more feared 
 than beloved amongst them. Not 
 satisfied with telling me that he was 
 a very bad man, some of them even 
 importuned me to kill him ; and, I 
 believe, they were not a little sur- 
 prised that I did not listen to them ; 
 for, according to their ideas of equity, 
 this ought to have been done. But 
 if I had followed the advice of all our 
 pretended friends, I might have ex- 
 tirpated the whole race ; for the 
 peojtle of each hamlet or village, by 
 turns, applied to me to destroy the 
 other. One would have almost 
 thought it impossible that so striking 
 a proof of the divided state in which 
 this miserable people live could have 
 been assigned. And yet I was sure that 
 I did not misconceive the meaning of 
 those who made these strange appli- 
 ca tions to me ; for Omai, whose lan- 
 guage was a dialect of their own, and 
 perfectly understood all that they 
 eaid, was our interpreter. 
 
 On the 15th, I made an excursion 
 in my boat to look for grass, and 
 visited the "hippah," or fortified 
 village, 1 at the SW. point of Motuara, 
 and the places where our gardens had 
 been planted on that island. There 
 were no people at the former ; but 
 the houses and pallisades had been 
 rebuilt, and were now in a state of 
 good repair ; and there were other 
 evident marks of its having been in- 
 habited not long before. 
 
 When the Adventure arrived first 
 at Queen Charlotte's Sound, in 1773, 
 Mr Bayly fixed upon this place for 
 making his observations ; and he and 
 the people with him, at their leisure 
 hours, planted several spots with 
 English garden seeds. Not the least 
 vestige of these now remained. It ia 
 probable that they had been all rooted 
 out to make room for buildings, 
 when the village was re-inhabited ; 
 for at all the other gardens then 
 planted by Captain Furneaux, al- 
 though now wholly overrun with 
 the weeds of the country, wo found 
 cabbages, onions, leeks, purslane, 
 radishes, mustard, &c, and a few 
 potatoes. These potatoes, which 
 were first brought from the Cape of 
 Good Hope, had been greatly im- 
 proved by change of soil ; and, with 
 proper cultivation, would be superior 
 to those produced in most other 
 countries. Though the New Zea- 
 landers are fond of this root, it was 
 evident that they had not taken 
 the trouble to plant a single one 
 (much less any other of the articles 
 which we had introduced) ; and if it 
 were not for the difficulty of clearing 
 ground where potatoes had been once 
 planted, there would not have been 
 any now remaining. 
 
 On the 16th, at daybreak, I set out 
 with a party of men, in five boats, to 
 collect food for our cattle. Captain 
 
 1 Of which a minute description is 
 given in the account of Cook's first 
 voyage, in Hawkesworth's Collection. 
 The hippahs, or pahs, of New Zea- 
 land have become painfully familiar 
 to English minds by the experiences 
 of the late war in tAat colony 
 
S2 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 Gierke, and several of the officers, 
 Ornai, and two of the natives, accom- 
 panied me. We proceeded ahout 
 three leagues up the sound, and then 
 landed on the east side, at a place 
 where I had formerly heen. Here we 
 cut as much grass as loaded the two 
 launches. As we returned down the 
 sound, we visited Grass Cove, the 
 memorable scene of the massacre of 
 Captain Furneaux's people. 
 
 We stayed here till the evening, 
 when, having loaded the rest of the 
 boats with grass, celery, scurvy-grass, 
 &c, we embarked to return to the 
 ships. We had prevailed upon Pedro 
 to launch his canoe and accompany 
 us ; but we had scarcely put oif from 
 the shore, when the wind began to 
 blow very hard at NW„ which obliged 
 him to put back. We proceeded our- 
 selves, but it was with a good deal of 
 difficulty that we could reach the 
 ships, where some of the boats did 
 not arrive till 1 o'clock the next 
 morning; and it was fortunate that 
 they got on board then, for it after- 
 ward blew a perfect storm, with abun- 
 dance of rain, so that no manner of 
 work could go forward that day. In 
 tha evening the gale ceased, and the 
 wind having veered to the east, 
 brought with it fair weather. The 
 next day we resumed our works ; the 
 natives ventured out to catch fish ; 
 and Pedro, with all his family, came 
 and took up his abode near us. This 
 chief's proper name is Matahouah; 
 the other being given him by some of 
 my people during my last voyage, 
 which I did not know till now. He 
 was, however, equally well known 
 amongst his countrymen by both 
 names. 
 
 On the 20th, in the forenoon, we 
 had another storm from the NW. 
 Though this was not of so long con- 
 tinuance as the former, the gusts of 
 wind from the hills were far more 
 violent, insomuch that we were 
 obliged to strike the yards and top- 
 masts to the very utmost; and, even 
 with all this precaution, it was with 
 difficulty that we rode it out. These 
 storms are very frequent here, and 
 <toi>ietimen violent and troublesome. 
 
 [Voy.III.B.I.Cii.VII. 
 
 The neighbouring mountains, which 
 at these times are always loaded with 
 vapours, not only increase the force 
 of the wind, but alter its direction in 
 such a manner, that no two blasts 
 follow each other from the same quar- 
 ter; and the nearer the shore, the 
 more their effects are felt. The next 
 day we were visited by a tribe or 
 family consisting of about thirty 
 persons, men, women, and children, 
 who came from the upper part of the 
 sound. I had never seen them be- 
 fore. The name of their chief was 
 Tomatongeauooranuc, a man of about 
 forty -five years of age, with a cheerful 
 open countenance; and, indeed, the 
 rest of his tribe were, in general, the 
 handsomest of the New Zealand race 
 I had ever met with. By this time 
 more than two-thirds of the inhabit- 
 ants of the sound had settled them- 
 selves about us. Great numbers of 
 them daily frequented the ships and 
 the encampment on shore ; but the 
 latter became by far the most favourite 
 place of resort, while our people there 
 were melting some seal blubber. No 
 Greenlander was ever fonder of train 
 oil than our friends here seem to be. 
 They relished the very skimmings of 
 the kettle and dregs of the casks; 
 but a little of the pure stinking oil 
 was a delicious feast, so eagerly de- 
 sired, that I supposed it is seldom 
 enjoyed. 
 
 Having got on board as much hay 
 and grass as we judged sufficient to 
 serve the cattle till our arrival at 
 Otaheite, and having completed tho 
 wood and water of both ships, on the 
 23d we struck our tents, and carried 
 everything off from the shore; and 
 next morning we weighed anchor and 
 stood out of the cove. But the wind 
 not being very fair, and finding that 
 the tide of ebb would be spent before 
 we could get out of the sound, we 
 cast anchor again a little without the 
 Island Motuara, to wait for a more 
 favourable opportunity of putting into 
 the strait. While we were unmooring 
 and getting under sail, Tomaton- 
 geauooranuc, Matahouah, and many 
 more of the natives, came to take 
 their leave of us, or rather to obtain. 
 
two 
 
 some goats 
 
 Feb. 1777.] 
 
 if they could, some additional present 
 from us before we left them. These 
 chiefs became suitors to me for 
 and hogs. Accordingly, 
 I gave to Matahouah two goats, a 
 male and female with kid ; and to 
 Tomatongeauooranuc two pigs, a boar 
 and a sow. They made me a pro- 
 mise not to kill them, though I must 
 own I put no great faith in this. The 
 animals which Captain Furneaux sent 
 on shore here, and which soon after 
 fell into the hands of the natives, I 
 was now told were all dead ; but I 
 could get no intelligence about the 
 fate of those I had left in West Bay, 
 \/ and in Cannibal Cove, when I was 
 here in the course of my last voyage. 
 However, all the natives whom 1 con- 
 versed with agreed that poultry are 
 now to be met with wild in the woods 
 behind Ship Cove ; and I was after- 
 ward informed, by the two youths 
 who went away with us, that Tiratou, 
 a popular chief amongst them, had a 
 great many cocks and hens in his 
 separate possession, and one of the 
 sows. 
 
 On my present arrival at this place, 
 I fully intended to have left not only 
 goats and hogs, but sheep, and a 
 young bull, with two heifers, if I 
 could have found eitner a chief power- 
 ful enough to protect and keep them, 
 or a place where there might be a 
 probability of their being concealed 
 from those who would ignorantly 
 attempt to destroy them. But neither 
 the one nor the other presented itself 
 to me. I could not learn that there 
 remained in our neighbourhood any 
 tribe whose numbers could secure to 
 them a superiority of power over the 
 rest of their countrymen. To have 
 given the animals to any of the na- 
 tives who possessed no such power, 
 would not have answered the inten- 
 tion ; for in a country like this, where 
 no man's property is secure, they 
 would soon have fallen a prey to dif- 
 ferent parties, and been either sepa- 
 rated or killed ; but most likely both. 
 This was so evident, from what we 
 had observed since our arrival, that I 
 had resolved to leave no kind of ani- 
 mal, till Matahouah and the other 
 
 LIVE STOCK LEFT ASHORE. 93 
 
 chief solicited me for the hogs and 
 goats. As I could spare them, I let 
 them go, to take their chance. I 
 have, at different times, left in New 
 Zealand no less than ten or a dozen 
 hogs, besides those put on shore by 
 Captain Furneaux. It will be a little 
 extraordinary, therefore, if this race 
 should not increase and be preserved 
 here, either in a wild or in a domestic 
 state, or in both. 
 
 "We had not been long at anchor 
 near Motuara before three or four 
 canoes filled with natives came off to 
 us from the south-east side of the 
 sound, and a brisk trade was carried 
 on with them for the curiosities of 
 this place. In one of these canoes 
 was Kahoora, whom I have already 
 mentioned as the leader of the party 
 who cut off the crew of the Adven- 
 ture's boat. This was the third time 
 he had visited us without betraying 
 the smallest appearance of fear. I was 
 ashore when he now arrived, but had 
 got on board just as he was going 
 away. Omai, who had returned with 
 me, presently pointed him out and 
 solicited me to shoot him. Not satis- 
 fied with this, he addressed himself to 
 Kahoora, threatening to be his execu- 
 tioner if ever he presumed to visit ua 
 again. The New Zealander paid so 
 little regard to these threats that he 
 returned the next morning with his 
 whole family — men, women, and chil- 
 dren — to the number of twenty and 
 upwards. Omai was the first who 
 acquainted me with his being along- 
 side the ship, and desired to know if 
 he should ask him to come on board. 
 I told him he might ; and accordingly 
 he introduced the chief into the cabin, 
 saying, " There is Kahoora ; kill 
 him!" But, as if he had forgot his 
 former threats, or were afraid that I 
 should call upon him to perform them, 
 he immediately retired. In a short 
 time, however, he returned ; and see- 
 ing the chief unhurt, he expostulated 
 with me very earnestly, saying, "Why 
 do you not kill him ? You tell me if 
 a man kills another in England that 
 he is hanged for it. This man has 
 killed ten, and yet you will not kill 
 him, though many oi his countrymen 
 
94 
 
 desire it, and it would be very good." 
 Omai's arguments, though specious 
 enough, having no weight with me, I 
 desired him to ask the chief why he 
 had killed Captain Furneaux's people. 
 At this question, Kahoora folded his 
 arms, hung down his head, and looked 
 like one caught in a trap ; and I firmly 
 believe he expected instant death. 
 But no sooner was he assured of his 
 safety than he became cheerful. He 
 did not, however, seem willing to give 
 me an answer to the question that 
 had been put to him till I had again 
 and again repeated my promise that 
 he should not be hurt. Then he ven- 
 tured to tell us that one of his coun- 
 trymen, having brought a stone 
 hatchet to barter, the man to whom 
 it was offered took it, and would 
 neither return it nor give anything 
 for it ; on which the owner of it 
 snatched up the bread as an equiva- 
 lent, and then the quarrel began. 
 
 The remainder of Kahoora's account 
 of this unhappy affair differed very 
 little from what we had before learned, 
 from the rest of his countrymen. He 
 mentioned the narrow escape he had 
 during the fray, a musket being 
 levelled at him, which he avoided by 
 skulking behind the boat, and another 
 man who stood close to him was shot 
 dead. As soon as the musket was 
 discharged, he instantly seized the 
 opportunity to attack Mr Rowe, who 
 commanded the party, and who de- 
 fended himself with his hanger (with 
 which he wounded Kahoora in the 
 arm), till he was overpowered by num- 
 bers. Mr Burney, who was sent by 
 Captain Furneaux the next day with 
 an armed party to look for his missing 
 people, upon discovering the horrid 
 proofs of their shocking fate, had fired 
 several volleys amongst the crowds of 
 natives who still remained assembled 
 on the spot, and were, probably, par- 
 taking of the detestable banquet. It 
 was natural to suppose that he had 
 not fired in vain, and that therefore 
 some of the murderers and devourers 
 of our unhappy countrymen had suf- 
 fered under our just resentment. 
 Upon inquiry, however, into this 
 matter, not only from Kahoora, but 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. I. Ch. VII. 
 
 from others who had opportunities 
 
 of knowing, it appeared that our 
 supposition was groundless, and that 
 not one of the shots fired by Mr 
 Burney's people had taken effect so 
 as to kill or even to hurt a single 
 person. 
 
 It was evident that most of the 
 natives we had met with since our 
 arrival, as they knew I was fully ac- 
 quainted with the history of the mas- 
 sacre, expected I should avenge it 
 with the death of Kahoora. And 
 many of them seemed not only to 
 wish it, but expressed their surprise 
 at my forbearance. As he could not 
 be ignorant of this, it was a matter of 
 wonder to me that he put himself so 
 often in my power. When he visited 
 us while the ships lay in the cove, 
 confiding in the number of his friends 
 that accompanied him, he might think 
 himself safe. But his two last visits 
 had been made under such circum- 
 stances that he could no longer rely 
 upon this. We were then at anchor 
 in the entrance of the sound, and at 
 some distance from any shore, so that 
 he could not have any assistance from 
 thence, nor flatter himself he could 
 have the means of making his escape 
 had I determined to detain him. And 
 yet, after his first fears on being in- 
 terrogated were over, he was so far 
 from entertaining any uneasy sensa- 
 tions, that on seeing a portrait of one 
 of his countrymen hanging up in the 
 cabin he desired to have his own poi- 
 trait drawn, and sat till Mr Webber 
 had finished it without marking the 
 least impatience. I must confess I 
 admired his courage, and was not a 
 little pleased to observe the extent of 
 the confidence he put in me. For he 
 placed his whole safety in the declar- 
 ations I had uniformly made to those 
 who solicited his death ; that I had 
 always been a friend to them all, and 
 would continue so, unless they gave 
 me cause to act otherwise ; that as to 
 their inhuman treatment of our people, 
 I shordd think no more of it, tho 
 transaction having happened long ago, 
 and when I was not present ; but 
 that, if ever they made a second 
 attempt of that kind, they migh* 
 
Feb. 1777.] TWO YOUTHS EMBARK WITH OMAI. 
 rest assured of feeling the weight of 
 
 my resentment. 
 
 For some time 'before we arrived at 
 New Zealand, Omai had expressed a 
 desire to take one of the natives with 
 him to his own country. We had 
 not been there many days before he 
 Lad an opportunity of being gratified 
 in this, for a youth about seventeen 
 or eighteen years of age, named Ta- 
 weiharooa, offered to accompany him, 
 and took up his residence on board. 
 I paid little attention to this at first, 
 imagining that he would leave us 
 when we were about to depart, and 
 after he had got what he could from 
 Omai. At length, finding that he 
 was fixed in his resolution to go with 
 us, and having learned that he was 
 the only son of a deceased chief ; and 
 that his mother, still living, was a 
 woman much respected here, I was 
 apprehensive that Omai had deceived 
 him and his friends by giving them 
 hopes and assurances of his being sent 
 back. I therefore caused it to be 
 made known to them all that if the 
 young man went away with us he 
 would never return. But this declar- 
 ation seemed to make no sort of im- 
 pression. The afternoon before we 
 left the cove, Tiratoutou, his mother, 
 came on board, to receive her last 
 present from Omai. The same even- 
 ing, she and Taweiharooa parted with 
 ail tho marks of tender affection that 
 
 might be expected between a parent 
 and a child who were never to meet 
 again. But she said she would cry 
 no more ; and, sure enough, she kept 
 her word, for when she returned the 
 next morning to take her last farewell 
 of him, all the time she was on board 
 she remained quite cheerful, and went 
 away wholly unconcerned. 
 
 That Taweiharooa might be sent 
 away in a manner becoming his birth, 
 another youth was to have gone with 
 him as a servant ; and with this view, 
 as we supposed, he remained on board 
 till we were about to sail,, when his 
 friends took him ashore. However, 
 his place was supplied next morning 
 by another, a boy of about nine or 
 ten years of age, named Kokoa. He 
 was presented to me by his own 
 father, who, I believe, would have 
 parted with his dog with far less in- 
 difference. The very little clothing 
 the boy had, he stripped him of, and 
 left him as naked as he was born. It 
 was to no purpose that I endeavoured 
 to convince these people of the impro- 
 bability, or rather of the impossibility, 
 of these youths ever returning home. 
 Not one, not even their nearest rela- 
 tions, seemed to trouble themselves 
 about their future fate. Since this 
 was the case, and I was well satisfied 
 that the boys would be no losers by 
 exchange of place, I the more readily 
 gave my consent to their going. x 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 PROM LEAVING NEW ZEALAND TO OUR ARRIVAL AT OTAHEITE, 
 OR THE SOCIETY ISLANDS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 On the 25th, at 10 o'clock in the 
 morning, a light breeze springing up 
 at NW. by W., we weighed, stood out 
 of the sound, and made sail through 
 the strait, with the Discovery in com- 
 pany. We had hardly got the length 
 of Cape Tierawhittc, when the wind 
 
 took us aback at SE. 
 in this quarter till 
 next morning, when 
 
 It continued 
 2 o'clock the 
 we had a few 
 
 1 Omission is made of the remain- 
 der of this Chapter, and of Chapter 
 VIII. — the latter entirely written by 
 Mr Anderson — which are occupied 
 with dissertations on the morilEj 
 
96 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 hours' c&lm. After which we had a 
 breeze at N. ; but here it fixed not 
 long, before it veered to the E. , and 
 after that to the S. At length, on the 
 27th, at 8 o'clock in the morning, we 
 took our departure from Cape Palliser. 
 We had a fine gale, and I steered E. 
 by N. "We had no sooner lost sight 
 of the land than our two New Zealand 
 adventurers, the sea sickness they now 
 experienced giving a turn to their re- 
 flections, repented heartily of the step 
 they had taken. All the soothing 
 encouragement we could think of 
 availed but little. They wept, both 
 in public and in private, and made 
 their lamentations in a kind of song, 
 which, as far as we could comprehend 
 the meaning of the words, was expres- 
 sive of their praises of their country 
 and people, from which they were to 
 be separated for ever. Thus they 
 continued for many days, till their 
 sea sickness wore off, and the tumult 
 of their minds began to subside. Then 
 these fits of lamentation became less 
 and less frequent, and at length en- 
 tirely ceased. Their native country 
 and their friends were by degrees for- 
 got, and they appeared to be as firmly 
 attached to us as if they had been 
 born amongst us. 
 
 On the 29th [of March], at ten in the 
 morning, as we were standing to the 
 NE., the Discovery made the signal of 
 seeing land. We saw it from the mast- 
 head almost the same moment, bear- 
 ing NE. by E. by compass. We soon 
 discovered it to be an island of no 
 great extent, and stood for it till sun- 
 set, when it bore NNE., distant about 
 two or three leagues. The night was 
 spent in standing off and on, and at 
 daybreak the next morning I bore up 
 for the lee or west side of the island, 
 as neither anchorage nor landing ap- 
 peared to be practicable on the south 
 side, on account of a great surf which 
 broke every where with violence against 
 the shore 
 rounded it. 
 
 or against the reef that sur- 
 
 manners, and customs, &c, &c, of the 
 New Zealanders, but do not in any 
 way relate to the actual transactions 
 of the voyage. 
 
 [Voy.III.B.H.Ch.1. 
 
 We presently found that the island 
 was inhabited, and saw several people 
 on a point of the land we had passed, 
 wading to the reef, where, as they 
 found the ship leaving them quickly, 
 they remained. But others, who soon 
 appeared in different parts, followed 
 her course, and sometimes several of 
 them collected into small bodies, who 
 made a shouting noise all together, 
 nearly after the manner of the inha- 
 bitants of New Zealand. Between 7 
 and 8 o'clock, we were at the WNW. 
 part of the island, and, being near 
 the shore, we could perceive with our 
 glasses that several of the natives, 
 who appeared upon a sandy beach, 
 were all armed with long spears and 
 clubs, which they brandished in the 
 air with signs of threatening, or as 
 some on board interpreted their atti- 
 tudes, with invitations to land. Most 
 of them appeared naked, except having 
 a sort of girdle, which, being brought 
 up between the thighs, covered that 
 part of the body. But some of them 
 had pieces of cloth of different colours, 
 white, striped, or chequered, which 
 they wore as a garment, thrown about 
 their shoulders. And almost all of 
 them had a white wrapper about their 
 heads, not much unlike a turban, or, 
 in some instances, like a high conical 
 cap. We could also perceive that 
 they were of a tawny colour, and in 
 general of a middling stature, but 
 robust, and inclining to corpulence. 
 
 At this time, a small canoe was 
 launched in a great hurry from the 
 farther end of the beach, and a man 
 getting into it, put off, as with a view 
 to reach the ship. On perceiving 
 this, I brought to, that we might re- 
 ceive the visit ; but the man's resolu- 
 tion failing, he soon returned toward 
 the beach, where, after some time, an- 
 other man joined him in the canoe ; 
 and then they both paddled towards 
 us. They stopped short, however, as 
 if afraid to approach, until Omai, who 
 addressed them in the Otaheite lan- 
 guage, in some measure quieted their 
 apprehensions. They then came near 
 enough to take some beads and nails, 
 which were tied to a piece of wood 
 and thrown into the canoe. They 
 
March 1777.] AN ISLAND CALLED MANGEEA DISCOVERED. 
 
 97 
 
 seemed afraid to touch these things, 
 and put the piece of wood aside with- 
 out untying them. This, however, 
 might arise from superstition ; for 
 Omai told us, that when they saw us 
 offering them presents, they asked 
 something for their " Eatooa," or god. 
 He also, perhaps improperly, put the 
 question to them, "Whether they 
 ever ate human flesh?" which they 
 answered in the negative, with a mix- 
 ture of indignation and ahhorrence. 
 One of them, whose name was Mou- 
 rooa, being asked how he came by a 
 scar on his forehead, told us that it 
 was the consequence of a wound he 
 had got in fighting with the people of 
 an island which lies to the north-east- 
 ward, who sometimes came to invade 
 them. They afterward took hold of 
 a rope. Still, however, they would 
 not venture on board ; but told Omai, 
 who understood them pretty well, 
 that their countrymen on shore had 
 given them this caution, at the same 
 time directing them to inquire from 
 whence our ship came, and to learn 
 the name of the captain. On our 
 part, we inquired the name of the 
 island, which they called "Mangya" 
 or "Mangeea;" and sometimes added 
 to it " Nooe, nai, naiwa." The name 
 of their chief, theysaid, wasOrooaeeka. 
 Mourooa was lusty and well made, 
 but not very tall. His features were 
 agreeable, and his disposition seeming- 
 ly no less so ; for he made several droll 
 gesticulations, which indicated both 
 good-nature and a share of humour. 
 He also made others which seemed of 
 a serious kind, and repeated some 
 words with a devout air, before he 
 ventured to lay hold of the rope at 
 the ship's stern ; which was probably 
 to recommend himself to the protec- 
 tion of some divinity. His colour 
 was nearly of the same cast with that 
 common to the most southern Euro- 
 
 f>eans. The other man was not so 
 landsome. Both of them had strong, 
 straight hair, of a jet colour, tied to- 
 gether on the crown of the head with 
 a bit of cloth. They wore such girdles 
 as we had perceived about those on 
 Rhore, and wo found they were a sub- 
 stance made from the Morus papyri- 
 
 /era, in the same manner as at the 
 other islands of this ocean. It was 
 glazed like the sort used by the natives 
 of the Friendly Islands ; but the cloth 
 on their heads was white, like that 
 which is found at Otaheite. They 
 had on a kind of sandals, made of a 
 grassy substance interwoven, which 
 we also observed were worn by those 
 who stood upon the beach, and, as we 
 supposed, intended to defend their 
 feet against the rough coral rock. 
 Their beards were long ; and the in- 
 side of their arms, from the shoulder 
 to the elbow, and some other parts, 
 were punctured or tattooed, after the 
 manner of the inhabitants of almost 
 all the other islands in the South Sea. 
 The lobe of their ears was pierced, or 
 rather slit, and to such a length, that 
 one of them stuck there a knife and 
 some beads which he had received 
 from us ; and the same person had 
 two polished pearl shells, and a bunch 
 of human hair, loosely twisted, hang- 
 ing about his neck, which was the 
 only ornament we observed. The 
 canoe they came in (which was the 
 only one we saw) was not above ten 
 feet long, and very narrow ; but both 
 strong and neatly made. The fore- 
 part had a flat board fastened over it, 
 and projecting out, to prevent the 
 sea getting in on plunging, like the 
 small "evaas" at Otaheite; but it 
 had an upright stern, about five feet 
 high, like some in New Zealand ; and 
 the upper end of this stern-post was 
 forked. The lower part of the canoe 
 was of white wood, but the upper was 
 black ; and their paddles made of wood 
 of the same colour, not above three feet 
 long, broad at one end, and blunted. 
 They paddled either end of the canoe 
 forward indifferently, and only turned 
 about their faces to paddle the con- 
 trary way. 
 
 AVe now stood off and on, and as 
 soon as the ships were in a proper 
 station, about 10 o'clock I ordered 
 two boats, one of them from the Dis- 
 covery to sound the coast, and to en- 
 deavour to find a landing-place. With 
 this view, 1 went in one of them my- 
 self, taking with me such articles to 
 give the natives as I thought might 
 G- 
 
93 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B.II.Ch.II. 
 
 serve to gain their goodwill. I had 
 no sooner put off from the ship than 
 the canoe, with the two men which 
 had left us not long before, paddled 
 towards my boat ; and, having come 
 alongside, Mourooa stepped into her, 
 without being asked, and without a 
 moment's hesitation. Omai, who was 
 with me, was ordered to inquire of 
 him where we could land, and he 
 directed us to two different places. 
 But I saw with regret that the at- 
 tempt could not be made at either 
 place, unless at the risk of having 
 our boats filled with water, or even 
 staved to pieces. Nor were we more 
 fortunate in our search for anchorage, 
 for we could find no bottom till within 
 a cable's length of the breakers. There 
 we met with from forty to twenty 
 fathoms depth, over sharp coral rocks, 
 so that anchoring would have been 
 attended with much more danger than 
 landing. Thus were we obliged to 
 leave, imvisited, this fine island, which 
 seemed capable of supplying all our 
 wants. 
 
 The natives of Mangeea seem to 
 resemble those of Otaheite and the 
 Marquesas in the beaut}' of their per- 
 sons more than any other nation I 
 have seen in these seas ; having a 
 smooth skin, and not being muscular. 
 Their general disposition also corre- 
 sponds, as far as we had opportunities 
 of judging, with that which distin- 
 guishes the first-mentioned people. 
 For they are not only cheerful, but, 
 as Mourooa showed us, are acquainted 
 with all the lascivious gesticulations 
 which the Otaheiteans practise in their 
 dances. It may also be supposed that 
 their method of living is similar ; for, 
 though the nature of the country pre- 
 vented our seeing many of their habi- 
 tations, we observed one house near 
 the beach, which much resembled, 
 in its mode of construction, those of 
 Otaheite. It was pleasantly situated 
 in a grove of trees, and appeared to 
 be about thirty feet long, and seven 
 or eight high, with an open end, 
 which represented an ellipse divided 
 transversely. Btfore it was spread 
 something white on a few bushes, 
 wluch we conjectured to be a fishing- 
 
 net, and, to appearance, of a very 
 delicate texture. 
 
 They salute strangers much after 
 the manner of the New Zealanders, 
 by joining noses ; adding, however, 
 the additional ceremony of taking the 
 hand of the person to whom they are 
 paying civilities, and rubbing it with 
 a degree of force upon their nose and 
 mouth. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 After leaving Mangeea, on the after- 
 noon of the 30th, we continued our 
 course northward all that night, and 
 till noon on the 31st, when we again 
 saw land, in the direction of NE. by 
 N., distant eight or ten leagues. 
 Next morning at 8 o'clock, we had 
 got abreast of its north end, within 
 four leagues of it, but to leeward, and 
 could now pronounce it to be an 
 island, nearly of the same appearance 
 and extent with that we had so lately 
 left. At the same time, another 
 island, but much smaller, was seen 
 right ahead. We could have soon 
 reached this ; but the largest one had 
 the preference, as most likely to fur- 
 nish a supply of food for the cattle, 
 of which we began to be in great 
 want. With this view I determined 
 to work up to it ; but as there was 
 but little wind, and that little was 
 unfavourable, we were still two 
 leagues to leeward at 8 o'clock the 
 following morning. Soon after, I 
 sent two armed boats from the Resol- 
 ution, and one from the Discovery, 
 under the command of Lieutenant 
 Gore, to look for anchoring-ground 
 and a landing-place. In the mean- 
 time, we plied up under the island 
 with the ships. 
 
 Just as the boats were putting off, 
 we observed several single canoes 
 coming from the shore. They went 
 first to the Discovery, she being the 
 nearest ship. It was not long after 
 when three of these canoes came 
 alongside of the Resolution, each con- 
 ducted by one man. They are long 
 and narrow, and supported by out- 
 
April 1777.] 
 
 riggers. The stern is elevated about 
 three or four feet, something like a 
 ship's stern-post. The head is flat 
 above, but prow-like below, and turns 
 down at the extremity, like the end 
 of a violin. Some knives, beads, and 
 other trifles were conveyed to our 
 visitors, and they gave us a few cocoa- 
 nuts, upon our asking for them. But 
 they did not part with them by way 
 of exchange for what they had re- 
 ceived from us. For they seemed to 
 have no idea of bartering ; nor did 
 they appear to estimate any of our 
 presents at a high rate. "With a little 
 persuasion, one of them made his 
 canoe fast to the ship, and came on 
 board, and the other two, encour- 
 aged by his example, soon followed 
 him. Their whole behaviour marked 
 that they were quite at their ease, and 
 felt no sort of apprehension of our de- 
 taining or using them ill. 
 
 After their departure, another canoe 
 fcrrived, conducted by a man who 
 srought a bunch of plantains as a 
 present to me ; asking for me by 
 name, having learned it from Omai, 
 who was sent before us in the boat 
 with Mr Gore. In return for this 
 civility, I gave him an axe, and a 
 piece of red cloth, and he paddled 
 back to the shore well satisfied. I 
 afterward understood from Omai, 
 that this present had been sent from 
 the king, or principal chief, of the 
 island. Not long after, a double 
 canoe, in which were twelve men, 
 came toward us. As they drew near 
 the ship, they recited some words in 
 concert, by way of chorus, one of 
 their number first standing up, and 
 giving the word before each repeti- 
 tion. When they had finished their 
 solemn chant, they came alongside, 
 and asked for the chief. As soon as 
 I showed myself, a pig and a few 
 cocoa-nuts were conveyed up into the 
 ship ; and the principal person in 
 the canoe made me an additional pre- 
 sent of a piece of matting, as soon as 
 he and his companions got on board. 
 
 Our visitors were conducted into 
 the cabin, and to other parts of the 
 ship.- Some objects seemed to strike 
 them with a degree of surprise ; but 
 
 NATIVES OF WATEEOO. 
 
 90 
 
 nothing fixed their attention for a 
 moment. They were afraid to come 
 near the cows and horses ; nor did 
 they form the least conception of 
 their nature. But the sheep and 
 goats did not surpass the limits of 
 their ideas ; for they gave us to 
 understand that they knew them to 
 be birds. It will appear rather in- 
 credible that human ignorance could 
 ever make so strange a mistake ; 
 there not being the most distant 
 similitude between a sheep or goat 
 and any winged animal. But these 
 people seemed to know nothing of 
 the existence of any other land- 
 animals besides hogs, dogs, and birds. 
 Our sheep and goats, they could see, 
 were very different creatures from the 
 two first, and therefore they inferred 
 that they must belong to the latter 
 class, in which they knew there is a 
 considerable variety of species. I 
 made a present to my new friend of 
 what I thought might be most ac- 
 ceptable to him ; but, on his going 
 away, he seemed rather disappointed 
 than pleased. I afterward under- 
 stood that he was very desirous of 
 obtaining a dog, of which animal 
 this island could not boast, though 
 its inhabitants knew that the race 
 existed in other islands of their ocean. 
 Captain Clerke had received the like 
 present, with the same view, from 
 another man, who met with from 
 him the like disappointment. 
 
 The people in these canoes were in 
 general of a middling size, and not 
 unlike those of Mangeea ; though 
 several were of a blacker cast than 
 any we saw there. Their hair was 
 tied on the crown of the head, or 
 flowing loose upon the shoulders ; 
 and though in some it was of a 
 frizzling disposition, yet, for the 
 most part, that, as well as the 
 straight sort, was long. Their fea- 
 tures were various, and some of the 
 young men rather handsome. Like 
 those of Mangeea, they had girdles 
 of glazed cloth, or fine matting, the 
 ends of which, being brought betwixt 
 their thighs, covered the adjoining 
 parts. Ornaments composed of a 
 sort of broad grass, stained with red, 
 
100 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 and strung with berries of the night- 
 shade, were worn about their necks. 
 Their ears were bored, but not slit ; 
 and they were punctured upon the 
 legs, from the knee to the heel, which 
 made them appear as if they wore a 
 kind of boots. They also resembled 
 the inhabitants of Mangeea in the 
 length of their beards, and like them 
 wore a sort of sandals upon their feet. 
 Their behaviour was frank and cheer- 
 ful, with a great deal of good-nature. 
 
 At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Mr 
 Gore returned with the boat, and in- 
 formed me that he had examined all 
 the west side of the island, without 
 finding a place where a boat could 
 land or the ships could anchor, the 
 shore being everywhere bounded by a 
 steep coral rock, against which the 
 sea broke in a dreadful surf. But as 
 the natives seemed very friendly, and 
 to express a degree of disappointment 
 when they saw that our people failed 
 in their attempts to land, Mr Gore was 
 of opinion that, by means of Omai, 
 who could best explain our request, 
 they might be prevailed upon to 
 bring off to the boats, beyond the 
 surf, such articles as we most wanted ; 
 in particular, the stems of plantain 
 trees, which make good food for the 
 cattle. Having little or no wind, the 
 delay of a day or two was not of any 
 moment ; and therefore I determined 
 to try the experiment, and got every- 
 thing ready against the next morning. 
 
 Soon after daybreak, we observed 
 some canoes coming off to the ships, 
 and one of them directed its course 
 to the Resolution. In it was a hog, 
 with some plantains and cocoa-nuts, 
 for which the people who brought 
 them demanded a dog from vis, and 
 refused every other thing that we 
 offered in exchange. One of our 
 gentlemen on board happened to have 
 a dog and a bitch, which were great 
 nuisances in the ship, and might 
 have been disposed of on this occasion 
 for a purpose of real utility, by pro- 
 pagating a race of so useful an animal 
 in this island. But their owner had 
 no such views in making them the 
 companions of his voyage. How- 
 ever, to gratify these people, Omai 
 
 [Voy.III.B.II.Ch.II. 
 
 parted with a favourite dog he had 
 brought from England ; and with 
 this acquisition they departed highly 
 satisfied. About 10 o'clock, I des- 
 patched Mr Gore with three boats, 
 two from the Resolution and one 
 from the Discovery, to try the ex- 
 periment he had proposed. And, as 
 I could confide in his diligence and 
 ability, I left it entirely to him- 
 self to act as from circumstances he 
 should judge to be most proper. Two 
 of the natives, who had been on 
 board, accompanied him, and Omai 
 went with him in his boat as an in- 
 terpreter. The ships being a full 
 league from the island when the 
 boats put off, and having but little 
 wind, it was noon before we could 
 work up to it. We then saw our 
 three boats riding at their grapplings, 
 just without the surf, and a prodig- 
 ious number of the natives on the 
 shore abreast of them. By this we 
 concluded, that Mr Gore, and others 
 of our people, had landed ; and our 
 impatience to know the event may be 
 easily conceived. In order to observe 
 their motions, and to be ready to 
 give them such assistance as they 
 might want and our respective situa- 
 tions would admit of, I kept as near 
 the shore as was prudent. I was 
 sensible, however, that the reef was 
 as effectual a barrier between us and 
 our friends who had landed, and put 
 them as much beyond the reach of 
 our protection, as if half the circum- 
 ference of the globe had intervened ; 
 but the islanders, it was probable, 
 did not know this so well as we did. 
 Some of them, now and then, came 
 off to the ships in their canoes, with 
 a few cocoa-nuts, which they ex- 
 changed for whatever was offered to 
 them, without seeming to give the 
 preference to any particular article. 
 
 These occasional visits served to 
 lessen my solicitude about our people 
 who had landed. Though we could 
 get no information from cur visitors, 
 yet their venturing on board seemed 
 to imply, at least, that their country- 
 men on shore had not made an impro- 
 per use of the confidence put in them. 
 At lensrth- «■ little before sunset, we 
 
April lTrf.) INTERVIEWS WITH THE NATIVES. 
 
 101 
 
 had the satisfaction of seeing the 
 boats put off. When they got on 
 board, I found that Mr Gore himself, 
 Omai, Mr Anderson, and Mr Burney, 
 were the only persons who had landed. 
 The transactions of the day were now 
 fully reported to me by Mr Gore ; but 
 Mr Anderson's account of them being 
 very particular, and including some 
 remarks on the island and its inhabit- 
 ants, I shall give it a place here, 
 nearly in his own words. 
 
 " We rowed toward a small sandy 
 beach, upon which, and upon the ad- 
 jacent rocks, a great number of the 
 natives had assembled, and came to 
 an anchor within 100 yards of the 
 reef, which extends about as far, 
 or a little farther, from the shore. 
 Several of the natives swam off, bring- 
 ing cocoa-nuts ; and Omai, with their 
 countrymen, whom we had with us in 
 the boats, made them sensible of our 
 wish to land. But their attention was 
 taken up for a little time by the dog, 
 which had been earned from the ship, 
 and was just brought on shore, round 
 whom they flocked with great eager- 
 ness. Soon after, two canoes came 
 off; and, to create a greater confid- 
 ence in the islanders, we determined 
 to go unarmed and run the hazard of 
 being treated well or ill. 
 
 " Mr Burney, the first lieutenant 
 of the Discovery, and I, went in one 
 canoe a little time before the other ; 
 and our conductors, watching atten- 
 tively the motions of the surf, landed 
 us safely upon the reef. An islander 
 took hold of each of us, obviously 
 with an intention to support us in 
 walking over the rugged rocks to the 
 beach, where several of the others 
 met us, holding the green boughs of 
 a [species of mimosa in their hands, 
 and saluted us by applying their noses 
 to ours. 
 
 "We were conducted from the beach 
 by our guides amidst a great crowd of 
 people, who flocked with very eager 
 curiosity to look at us, and would have 
 prevented our proceeding had not 
 some men, who seemed to have au- 
 tn rity, dealt blows with little dis- 
 tinction amo "st them to keep them 
 off. We were then led uo an avenue 
 
 of cocoa-palms, and soon came to a 
 number of men arranged in two rows, 
 armed with clubs, which they held 
 on their shoulders much in the man- 
 ner we rest a musket. After walking 
 a little way amongst these, we found 
 a person who seemed a chief sitting 
 on the ground cross-legged, cooling 
 himself with a sort of triangular fan 
 made from a leaf of the cocoa-palm, 
 with a polished handle of black wood 
 fixed to one corner. In his ears were 
 large bunches of beautiful red feathers 
 which pointed forward. But he had 
 no other mark or ornament to distin- 
 guish him from the rest of the people, 
 though they all obeyed him with the 
 greatest alacrity. He either natur- 
 ally had, or at this time put on, a 
 serious but not severe countenance ; 
 and we were desired to salute him as 
 he sat by some people who seemed of 
 consequence. 
 
 " We proceeded still amongst the 
 men armed with clubs, and came to a 
 second chief, who sat fanning himself, 
 and ornamented as the first. He was 
 remarkable for his size and uncommon 
 corpulence, though, to appearance, 
 not above thirty years of age. In the 
 same manner we were conducted to a 
 third chief, who seemed older than 
 the two former ; and though not so 
 fat as the second, was of a large size. 
 He also was sitting, and adorned with 
 red feathers ; and after saluting him 
 as we had done the others, he desired 
 us both to sit down, which we were 
 very willing to do, being pretty well 
 fatigued with walking up, and with 
 the excessive heat we felt amongst tho 
 vast crowd that surrounded us. 
 
 " In a few minutes the people were 
 ordered to separate ; and we saw, at 
 the distance of thirty yards, about 
 twenty young women ornamented aa 
 the chiefs, with red feathers, engaged 
 in a dance, which they performed to 
 a slow and serious air sung by them 
 all. We got up and went forward to 
 see them, and though we must have 
 been strange objects to them, they 
 continue? their dance without pay- 
 ing the least attention to us. They 
 seemed to be dire ed by a man who 
 served as a prompter, end mentioned 
 
i02 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 each motion they were to make. But 
 they never changed the spot, as we 
 do in dancing ; and though their feet 
 were not at rest, this exercise con- 
 sisted more in moving the fingers 
 very nimbly, at the same time hold- 
 ing their hands in a prone position 
 near the face, and now and then also 
 clapping them together. Their mo- 
 tions and song were performed in such 
 exact concert that it should seem they 
 had been taught with great care ; and 
 probably they were selected for this 
 ceremony, as few of those whom we 
 saw in the crowd equalled them in 
 beauty. In general, they were rather 
 stout than slender, with black hair 
 flowing in ringlets down the neck, 
 and of an olive complexion. Their 
 features were rather fuller than what 
 we allow to perfect beauties, and much 
 alike ; but their eyes were of a deep 
 black, and each countenance expressed 
 a degree of complacency and modesty 
 peculiar to the sex in every part of 
 the world, but perhaps more conspi- 
 cuous here where Nature presented 
 us with her productions in the fullest 
 perfection, unbiassed in sentiment by 
 custom, or unrestrained in manner by 
 art. Their shape and limbs were ele- 
 gantly formed ; for, as their dress con- 
 sisted only of a piece of glazed cloth 
 fastened about the waist, and scarcely 
 reaching so low as the knees, in 
 many we had an opportunity of ob- 
 serving every part. This dance was 
 not finished when we heard a noise as 
 if some horses had been galloping to- 
 ward us, and, on looking aside, we 
 saw the people armed with clubs, who 
 had been desired, as we supposed, to 
 entertain us with the sight of their 
 manner of fighting. This they now 
 did, one party pursuing another who 
 lied. 
 
 "As we supposed the ceremony of 
 being introduced to the chiefs was at 
 an end, we began to look about for Mr 
 Gore and Omai ; and, though the 
 crowd would hardly suffer us to move, 
 wo at length found them coming up, 
 as much incommoded by the number 
 of people as we had been, and intro- 
 duced in the same manner to the 
 three chie fs, whose n am es were tteroo, 
 
 [Voy.III.B.II.Ch.II. 
 
 Taroa, and Fatouweera. Each of 
 these expected a present, and Mr 
 Gore gave them such things as he 
 had brought with him from the ship 
 for that purpose. After this, making 
 use of Omai as his interpreter, he in- 
 formed the chiefs with what intention 
 we had come on shore ; but was given 
 to understand that he must wait till 
 the next day, and then he should 
 have what was wanted. 
 
 "They now seemed to take som6 
 pains to separate us from each other, 
 and every one of us had his circle to 
 surround and gaze at him. For my 
 own part, I was at one time above an 
 hour apart from my friends ; and when 
 I told the chief with whom I sat that 
 I wanted to speak to Omai, he per- 
 emptorily refused my request. At 
 the same time, I found the people 
 began to steal several trifling things 
 which I had in my pocket ; and when 
 I took the liberty of complaining to 
 the chief of this treatment, he justified 
 it. From these circumstances, I now 
 entertained apprehensions that they 
 might have formed the design of de- 
 taining us amongst them. They did 
 not, indeed, seem to be of a disposi- 
 tion so savage as to make us anxious 
 for the safety of our persons ; but it 
 was nevertheless vexing to think we 
 had hazarded being detained by their 
 curiosity. In this situation, 1 asked 
 for something to eat, and they readily 
 brought to me some cocoa-nuts, bread- 
 fruit, and a sort of sour pudding, 
 which was presented by a woman. 
 And on my complaining much of the 
 heat, occasioned by the crowd, the 
 chief himself condescended to fun me, 
 and gave me a small piece of cloth 
 which he had round his waist. 
 
 " Mr Burnc} 7 happening to come to 
 the place where I was, I mentioned 
 my suspicions to him ; and, to put it 
 to the test whether they were well 
 founded, we attempted to get to the 
 beach. But we were stopped when 
 about half way by some men, who 
 told us that we must go back to the 
 place which we had left. On coming 
 up, we found Omai entertaining the 
 same apprehensions. But he h^;*2, as 
 he fancied, an additional reason for 
 
April 1777.] DETENTION BY 
 
 being afraid, for he had observed that 
 they had dug a hole in the ground for 
 an oven, which they were now heat- 
 ing ; and he could assign no other 
 reason for this than that they meant 
 to roast and eat us, as is practised by 
 the inhabitants of New Zealand. Nay, 
 he went so far as to ask them the 
 question, at which they were greatly 
 surprised, asking in return whether 
 that was a custom with us. Mr Bur- 
 ney and I were rather angry that they 
 should be thus suspected by him, 
 there having as yet been no appear- 
 ances in their conduct toward us of 
 their being capable of such brutality. 
 
 "In this manner we were detained 
 the greatest part of the day, being 
 sometimes together, and sometimes 
 separated, but always in a crowd, 
 who, not satisfied with gazing at us, 
 frequently desired us to uncover parts 
 of our skin ; the sight of which com- 
 monly produced a general murmur of 
 admiration. At the same time, they 
 did not omit these opportunities of 
 rifling our pockets ; and, at last, one 
 of them snatched a small bayonet 
 from Mr Gore, which hung in its 
 sheath by his side. This was repre- 
 sented to the chief, who pretended to 
 send some person in search of it. 
 But, in all probability, he counten- 
 anced the theft ; for, soon after, Omai 
 had a dagger stolen from his side in 
 the same manner, though he did not 
 miss it immediately. 
 
 "Whether they observed any signs 
 of uneasiness in us, or that they vol- 
 untarily repeated their emblems of 
 friendship when we expressed a de- 
 sire to go, I cannot tell ; but, at this 
 time, they brought some green boughs, 
 and, sticking their ends in the ground, 
 desired we might hold them as we 
 sat. Upon our urging again the busi- 
 ness we came upon, they gave us to 
 understand that we must stay and 
 eat with them ; and a pig which we 
 saw, soon after, lying near the oven, 
 which they had prepared and heated, 
 removed Omai's apprehensions of be- 
 in^ put into it himself, and made us 
 think it might be intended for our 
 repast. The chief also promised to 
 send some people to procure food for 
 
 THE NATIVES. 
 
 103 
 
 the cattle ; but it was not till pretty 
 late in the afternoon that we saw 
 them return with a few plantain 
 trees, which they carried to our 
 boats. 
 
 ' ' In the meantime, Mr Burney and 
 I attempted again to go to the beach); 
 but, when we arrived, found ourselves 
 watched by people who, to appear- 
 ance, had been placed there for this 
 purpose. For when I tried to wade 
 in upon the reef, one of them took 
 hold of my clothes and dragged me 
 back. I picked up some small pieces 
 of coral, which they required me to 
 throw down again ; and, on my re- 
 fusal, they made no scruple to take 
 them forcibly from me. I had 
 gathered some small plants, but these 
 also I could not be permitted to re- 
 tain. And they took a fan from Mr 
 Burney, which he had received as a 
 present on coming ashore. Omai 
 said we had done wrong in taking up 
 anything, for it was not the custom 
 here to permit freedoms of that kind 
 to strangers, till they had in some 
 measure naturalised them to the 
 country, by entertaining them with 
 festivity for two or three days. 
 
 " Finding that the only method of 
 procuring better treatment was to 
 yield implicit obedience to their will, 
 we went up again to the place we had 
 left, and they now promised that we 
 should have a canoe to carry us off to 
 our boats, after we had eaten of a re- 
 past which had been prepared for us. 
 Accordingly, the second chief, to 
 whom we had been introduced in the 
 morning, having seated himself upon 
 a low broad stool of blackish, hard 
 wood, tolerably polished, and direct- 
 ing the multitude to make a pretty 
 large ring, made us sit down by him. 
 A considerable number of cocoa-nuts 
 were now brought, and, shortly after, 
 a long green basket, with a sufficient 
 quantity of baked plantains to have 
 served a dozen persons. A piece of 
 the young hog that had been dressed 
 was then set before each of us, ot 
 which we were desired to eat. Our 
 appetites, however, had failed from 
 the fatigue of the day ; and though 
 we did eat a little to please them, 
 
104 COOK'S VOYAGES, 
 
 without satisfaction to our 
 
 [Voy.ULB.II.Ch.II. 
 
 it was 
 selves. 
 
 " It being now near sunset, we told 
 them it was time to go on board. 
 This they allowed, and sent down to 
 the beach the remainder of the 
 victuals that had been dressed, to be 
 carried with us to the ships. But, 
 before we set out, Omai was treated 
 with a drink he had been used to in 
 his own country, which, we observed, 
 was made here, as at other islands in 
 the South Sea, by chewing the root 
 of a sort of pepper. We found a 
 canoe ready to put us off to our boats, 
 which the natives did with the same 
 caution as when we landed. But 
 even here their thievish disposition 
 did not leave them. For a person of 
 some consequence among them, who 
 came with us, took an opportunity, 
 just as they were pushing the canoe 
 into the surf, to snatch a bag out of 
 her, which I had with the greatest 
 difficulty preserved all the day, there 
 being in it a small pocket pistol 
 which I was unwilling to part with. 
 Perceiving him, I called out, express- 
 ing as much displeasure as I could. On 
 which he thought proper to return, 
 and swim with the bag to the canoe ; 
 but denied he had stolen it, though 
 detected in the very act. They put 
 us on our boats, with the cocoa-nuts, 
 plantains, and other provisions which 
 they had brought ; and we rowed to 
 the ships, very well pleased that wo 
 had at last got out of the hands of 
 our troublesome masters. 
 
 "We regretted much that our 
 restrained situation gave us so little 
 opportunity of making observations 
 on the country. For, during the 
 whole day, we were seldom 100 yards 
 from the place where we were intro- 
 duced to the chiefs on landing ; and, 
 consequently, were confined to the 
 surrounding objects. The first thing 
 that presented itself worthy of our 
 notice was the number ol people, 
 which must have been at least 2000 ; 
 for those who welcomed us on the shore 
 bore no proportion to the multitude 
 we found amongst tho trees, on pro- 
 ceeding a little way up. We could 
 also observe that, except a few, those 
 
 we had hitherto seen on board were 
 of the lower class. For a great num- 
 ber of those we now met with had a 
 superior dignity in their air, and were 
 of a much whiter cast. In general, 
 they had the hair tied on the crown 
 of the head, long, black, and of a 
 most luxuriant growth. Many of the 
 young men were perfect models in 
 shape, of a complexion as delicate as 
 that of the women, and, to appear- 
 ance, of a disposition as amiable. 
 Others, who were more advanced in 
 years, were corpulent ; and all had a 
 remarkable smoothness of the skin. 
 Their general dress was a piece of 
 cloth, or mat, wrapped about the 
 waist, and covering the parts which 
 modesty conceals. But some had 
 pieces of mats, most curiously varied 
 with black and white, made into a 
 sort of jacket without sleeves ; and 
 others wore conical caps of cocoa-nut 
 coir, neatly interwoven with small 
 beads, made of a shelly substance. 
 Their ears were pierced, and in them 
 they hung bits of the membraneous 
 part of some plant, or stuck there an 
 odoriferous flower, which seemed to 
 be a species of Gardenia. Some, who 
 were of a superior class, and also the 
 chiefs, had two little balls, with a 
 common base, made from the bone of 
 some animal, which was hung round 
 the neck, with a great many folds of 
 small cord. And after the ceremony of 
 introduction to the chiefs was over, 
 they then appeared without their red 
 feathers, which are certainly con- 
 sidered here as a particular mark of 
 distinction, for none but themselves, 
 and the young women who danced, 
 assumed them. 
 
 " Some of the men were punctured 
 all over the sides and ^back in an 
 uncommon manner ; and some of tho 
 women had the same ornament on 
 their legs. But this method was con- 
 fined to those who seemed to be of a 
 superior rank ; and the men, in that 
 case, were also generally distinguished 
 by their size and corpulence, unless 
 very young. The women of an ad- 
 vanced age had their hair cropped 
 short ; many were cut in oblique 
 lines all over the fore -part of the 
 
April 1777.] A 
 
 body ; and some 
 
 which formed rhomboidal figures, had 
 been so lately inflicted, that the co- 
 agulated blood still remained in 
 them. 
 
 " The wife of one of the chiefs ap- 
 peared with her child laid in a piece 
 of red cloth which had been pre- 
 sented to her Lusband, and seemed 
 to carry it with great tenderness, 
 suckling it much after the manner of 
 our women. Another chief intro- 
 duced his daughter, who was young 
 and beautiful, but appeared w ith all 
 tne timidity natural to the sex ; 
 though she gazed on us with a kind 
 of anxious concern that seemed to 
 struggle with her fear, and to express 
 her astonishment at so unusual a 
 sight. Others advanced with more 
 firmness, and, indeed, were less re- 
 served than we expected; but be- 
 haved with a becoming modesty. 
 We did not observe any personal de- 
 formities amongst either sex, except 
 in a few who had scars of broad super- 
 ficial ulcers remaining on the face 
 and other parts. In proportion to 
 ihe number of people assembled, 
 there appeared not many old men or 
 women, which may easily be ac- 
 counted for by supposing that such 
 as were in an advanced period of life 
 might neither have the inclination 
 nor the ability to come from the more 
 distant parts of the island. On the 
 other hand, the children were numer- 
 ous ; and both these and the men 
 climbed the trees to look at us, 
 when we were hid by the surround- 
 ing crowd. 
 
 "About a third part of the men 
 were armed with clubs and spears ; 
 and, probably, these were only the 
 persons who had come from a distance, 
 as many of them had small baskets, 
 mats, and other things, fastened to 
 the ends of their weapons. The clubs 
 were generally about six feet long, 
 made of a hard black wood, lance- 
 shaped at the end, but much broader, 
 with the edge nicely scolloped, and 
 the whole neatly polished. Others of 
 them were narrower at the point, 
 much shorter, and plain ; and some 
 were even so small as to be used with 
 
 FURTHER DISPLAY OF CURIOSITY. 105 
 
 of the wounds, one hand. The spears were made of 
 
 the same wood, simply pointed, and, 
 in general, above twelve feet long ; 
 though some were so short 1hat they 
 seemed intended to be thrown as 
 darts. 
 
 " The place where we were all the 
 day was under the shade of various 
 trees ; in which they preserved their 
 canoes from the sun. About eight 
 or ten of them were here, all double 
 ones ; that is, too single ones fastened 
 together (as is usual throughout the 
 whole extent of the Pacific Ocean), 
 by rafters lashed across. They were 
 about twenty feet long, about four 
 feet deep, and the sides rounded, with 
 a plank raised upon them, which was 
 fastened strongly by means of withes. 
 Two of these canoes were most curi- 
 ously stained or painted all over with 
 black, in numberless small figures, as 
 squares, triangles, &c, and excelled 
 by far anything of that kind I had 
 ever seen at any other island in this 
 ocean. Our friends here, indeed, 
 seemed to have exerted more skill in 
 doing this, than in puncturing their 
 own bodies. The paddles were about 
 four feet long, nearly elliptical, but 
 broader at the upper end than the 
 middle. Near the same place was a 
 hut or shed about thirty feet long and 
 nine or ten high, in which, perhaps, 
 these boats are built ; but, at this 
 time, it was empty." 
 
 Though the landing of our gentle- 
 men proved the means of enriching 
 my journal with the foregoing parti- 
 culars, the principal object I had iE 
 view was, in a great measure, unat- 
 tained ; for the day was spent without 
 getting any one thing from the island 
 worth mentioning. The natives, how- 
 ever, were gratified with a sight they 
 never before had, and, probably, will 
 never have again. And mere curi- 
 osity seems to have been their chief 
 motive for keeping the gentlemen 
 under such restraint, and for using 
 every art to prolong their continuance 
 amongst them. 
 
 It has been mentioned, that Omai 
 was sent upon this expedition ; and, 
 perhaps, his being Mr Gore's inter- 
 preter was not the only service h-a 
 
106 
 
 performed this day. He was asked 
 by the natives a great many questions 
 concerning us, our ships, our country, 
 and the sort of arms we used ; and, 
 according to the account he gave me, 
 his answers were not a little upon the 
 marvellous. As, for instance, he told 
 them, that our country had ships as 
 large as their island, on board which 
 were instruments of war (describing 
 our guns), of such dimensions, that 
 several people might "sit within them ; 
 and that one of them was suffi- 
 cient to crush the whole island at 
 one shot. This led them to inquire 
 of him what sort of guns we actually 
 had in our two ships. He said that 
 though they were but small in com- 
 parison with those he had just de- 
 scribed, yet, with such as they were, 
 we could with the greatest ease, and 
 at the distance the ships were from 
 the shore, destroy the island and kill 
 every soul in it. They persevered in 
 their inquiries, to know by what 
 means this could be done ; and Omai 
 explained the matter as well as he 
 could. He happened luckily to have 
 a few cartridges in his pocket. These 
 he produced ; the balls, and the gun- 
 powder which was to set them in 
 motion, were submitted to inspection : 
 and, to supply the defects of his de- 
 scription, an appeal was made to the 
 senses of the spectators. It has been 
 mentioned above, that one of the 
 chiefs had ordered the multitude to 
 form themselves into a circle. This 
 furnished Omai with a convenient 
 stage for hi3 exhibition. In the 
 centre of this amphitheatre, the in- 
 considerable quantity of gunpowder 
 collected from his cartridges was pro- 
 perly disposed upon the ground, and, 
 by means of a bit of burning wood 
 from the oven where dinner was dress- 
 ing, set on fire. The sudden blast 
 and loud report, the mingled flame and 
 smoke, that instantly succeeded, now 
 filled the whole assembly with aston- 
 ishment : they no longer doubted the 
 tremendous power of our weapons, 
 and gave full credit to all that Omai 
 had said. 
 
 If it had not been for the terrible 
 iAwn they conceived of the guns of 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vot.I1LB.II.Cu.II. 
 our ships from this specimen of their 
 
 mode of operation, it was thought 
 that they would have detained the 
 gentlemen all night. For Omai as- 
 sured them, that, if he and his com- 
 panions did not return on board the 
 same day, they might expect that I 
 would fire upon the island. And as 
 we stood in nearer the land in the 
 evening than we had done any time 
 before, of which position of the ships 
 they were observed to take great notice, 
 they probably thought we were medi- 
 tating this formidable attack, and, 
 therefore, suffered their guests to de- 
 part ; under the expectation, however, 
 of seeing them again on shore next 
 morning. But I was too sensible of 
 the risk they had already run to think 
 of a repetition of the experiment. 
 
 This day, it seems, was destined to 
 give Omai more occasions than one of 
 being brought forward to bear a prin- 
 cipal part in its transactions. The 
 island, though never before visited by 
 Europeans, actually happened to have 
 other strangers residing in it ; and it 
 was entirely owing to Omai's being 
 one of Mr Gore's attendants, that this 
 curious circumstance came to our 
 knowledge. Scarcely had he been 
 landed upon the beach, when he found 
 amongst the crowd there assembled 
 three of his own countrymen, natives 
 of the Society Islands. At the dis- 
 tance of about 200 leagues from those 
 islands, an immense unknown ocean 
 intervening, with such wretched sea- 
 boats as their inhabitants are known 
 to make use of, fit only for a passage 
 where sight of land is scarcely ever 
 lost, such a meeting, at such a place, 
 so accidentally visited by us, may 
 well be looked upon as one of those 
 unexpected situations with which the 
 writers of feigned adventures love to 
 surprise their readers, and which, 
 when they really happen in common 
 life, deserve to be recorded for their 
 singularity. 
 
 It may easily be guessed, with what 
 mutual surprise and satisfaction Omai 
 and his countrymen engaged in con- 
 versation. Their story, as related by 
 them, is an affecting one. About 
 twenty persons in number of both 
 
Ulietea 
 
 April 1777.] DISASTROUS CANOE 
 
 sexes, had embarked on board a canoe 
 at Otaheite, to cross over to the neigh- 
 bouring island Ulietea. A violent 
 contrary wind arising, they could 
 neither reach the latter, nor get back 
 to the former. Their intended pass- 
 age being a very short one, their stock 
 of provisions was scanty and soon ex- 
 hausted. The hardships they suffered, 
 while driven along by the storm they 
 knew not whither, are not to be con- 
 ceived. They passed many days with- 
 out having anything to eat or drink. 
 Their numbers gradually diminished, 
 worn out by famine and fatigue. Four 
 men only survived when the canoe 
 overset ; and then the perdition of 
 this small remnant seemed inevitable. 
 However, they kept hanging by the 
 side of their vessel during some of the 
 last days, till Providence brought 
 them in sight of the people of this 
 island, who immediately sent out 
 canoes, took them off their wreck, 
 and brought them ashore. Of the 
 four who were thus saved, one was 
 since dead. The other three, who 
 lived to have this opportunity of giv- 
 ing an account of their almost mira- 
 culous transplantation, spoke highly 
 of the kind treatment they here met 
 with. And so well satisfied were they 
 with their situation, that they refused 
 the offer made to them by our gentle- 
 men, at Oniai's request, of giving them 
 a passage on board our ships, to re- 
 store them to their native islands. 
 The similarity of manners and lan- 
 guage had more than naturalised them 
 to this spot ; and the fresh connec- 
 tions which they had here formed, 
 and which it would have been painful 
 to have broken off after such a length 
 of time, sufficiently account for their 
 declining to revisit the places of their 
 birth. They had arrived upon this 
 island at least twelve years ago. For 
 I learned from Mr Anderson that he 
 found they knew nothing of Captain 
 Wallis's visit to Otaheite in 1765, 
 nor of several other memorable oc- 
 currences, such as the conquest of 
 Ulietea, by those of Bolabola, which 
 had preceded the arrival of the Euro- 
 peans. To Mr Anderson I am also 
 indebted for their names, Orououte, 
 
 VOYAGE. 10/ 
 
 Otirreroa, and Tavee . the first, born 
 
 at Matavai in Otaheite ; the second, at 
 
 and the third, at Huaheine. 
 
 The landing of our gentlemen on 
 this island, though they failed in the 
 object of it, cannot but be considered 
 as a very fortunate circumstance. It 
 has proved, as we have seen, the 
 means of bringing to our knowledge 
 a matter of fact not only very curious, 
 but very instructive. The applica- 
 tion of the above narrative is obvious. 
 It will serve to explain, better than a 
 thousand conjectures of speculative 
 reasoners, how the detached parts of 
 the earth, and, in particular, how the 
 islands of the South Sea, may have 
 been first peopled ; especially those 
 that lie remoto from any inhabited 
 continent, or from each other. 
 
 This island is called Wateeoo by 
 the natives. It lies in the Latitude 
 of 20° 1' S., and in the Longitude of 
 201° 45' E., and is about six leagues 
 in circumference. It is a beautiful 
 spot, with a surface composed of hills 
 and plains, and covered with verdure 
 of many hues. 
 
 [Having failed in obtaining some 
 effectual supply at Wateeoo, Captain 
 Cook steered for the smaller neigh- 
 bouring island previously observed, 
 where his boats' crews succeeded in 
 procuring about 100 cocoa-nuts for 
 each ship, with a quantity of grass 
 and leaves and branches of young 
 cocoa-trees, &c, for the cattle. The 
 island, which was only about three 
 miles in circumference, and uninha- 
 bited, was called, by the natives of 
 Wateeoo, generally Otakootaia, but 
 sometimes Wenooa-ette, which signi- 
 fies "little island." The navigators 
 then steered northward for Harvey's 
 Island, which had been discovered in 
 1773, during Cook's second voyage.] 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 As we drew near it, at 8 o'clock [on 
 the morning of the 6th April], we ob- 
 served several canoes vv ■ off from the 
 shore; and they cam^ directly toward 
 the ships. This was a sight that, 
 
108 
 
 indeed, surprised me, as no signs of 
 inhabitants were seen when the island 
 was first discovered, which might be 
 owing to a pretty brisk wind that 
 then blew, and prevented their canoes 
 venturing out, as the ships passed to 
 leeward, whereas now we were to wind- 
 ward. As we still kept on toward the 
 island, six or seven of the canoes, all 
 double ones, soon came near us. 
 There were from three to six men in 
 each of them. They stopped at the dis- 
 tance of about a stone's throw from the 
 ship, and it was some time before Omai 
 could prevail upon them to come 
 alongside ; but no entreaties could in- 
 duce any of them to venture on board. 
 Indeed, their disorderly and clamor- 
 ous behaviour by no means indicated 
 a disposition to trust us, or treat us 
 well. We afterward learned that they 
 had attempted to take some oars out 
 of the Discovery's boat that lay along- 
 side, and struck a man who endea- 
 voured to prevent them. They also 
 cut away, with a shell, a net with 
 meat which hung over that ship's 
 stern, and absolutely refused to restore 
 it, though we afterwards purchased it 
 from them. Those who were about 
 our ship behaved in the same daring 
 manner ; for they made a sort of hook 
 cf a long stick, with which they en- 
 deavoured openly to rob us of several 
 things ; aud at last actually got a 
 frock belonging to one of our people, 
 that was towing overboard. At the 
 same time, they immediately showed 
 a knowledge of bartering, and sold 
 some fish they had (amongst which 
 was an extraordinary flounder, spotted 
 like porphyry, and a cream-coloured 
 eel, spotted with black), for small nails, 
 of which they were immoderately fond, 
 and called them "goore." But, in- 
 deed, they caught, with the greatest 
 avidity, bits of paper or anything else 
 that was thrown to them ; and if 
 what was thrown fell into the sea 
 they made no scruple to s .vim after it. 
 These people seemed to differ as much 
 in person as in disposition from the 
 natives of Wateeoo, though the dis- 
 tance between the two islands is not 
 very great. Their colour was of a 
 d^jjier cast ; and several had a fierce, 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. II. Ch. III. 
 
 rugged aspect resembling the natives 
 of New Zealand ; but some were fairer. 
 They had strong black hair, which 
 in general they wore either hanging 
 loose about the shoulders, or tied in 
 a bunch on the crown of the head. 
 Some, however, had it cropped pretty 
 short ; and in two or three of them 
 it was of a brown or reddish colour. 
 Their only covering was a narrow piece 
 of mat, wrapt several times round the 
 lower part of the body, and which 
 passed between the thighs; but a fine 
 cap of red feathers was seen lying 
 in one of the canoes. The shell of a 
 pearl oyster polished, and hung about 
 the neck, was the only ornamental 
 fashion that we observed amongst 
 them ; for not one of them had adopted 
 that mode of ornament, so generally 
 prevalent amongst the natives of this 
 ocean, of puncturing or tattooing their 
 bodies. 
 
 [Lieutenant King was sent, with two 
 armed boats, to search for a suitable 
 anchoring-ground or landing-place ; 
 but he returned with a completely un- 
 favourable report, and further stated, 
 that decided manifestations of hostility 
 had been made by the natives. Cap- 
 tain Cook, therefore, thought it pru- 
 dent to run no risks for the uncertain 
 chance of finding the grass and water 
 of which the ships were in need.] 
 
 Being thus disappointed at all the 
 islands we had met with since our 
 leaving New Zealand, and the un- 
 favourable winds and other unfore- 
 seen circumstances having unavoid- 
 ably retarded our progress so much, 
 it was now impossible to think of 
 doing anything this year in the high 
 latitudes of the northern hemisphere, 
 from which we were still at so great a 
 distance, though the season for our ope- 
 rations there was already begun. In 
 this situation it was absolutely neces- 
 sary to pursue such measures as weie 
 most likely to preserve the cattle we 
 had on board, in the first place ; and, 
 in the next place (which was still a 
 more capital object), to save the stores 
 and provisions of the ships that we 
 migV, be better enabled to prosecute 
 our northern discoveries, which could 
 not now commence till a year later 
 
April 1777.3 
 
 than was originally intended. If I 
 had been so fortunate as to have pro- 
 cured a supply of water and of grass 
 at any of the islands we had lately 
 visited, it was my purpose to have 
 stood back to the south till I had met 
 with a westerly wind. But the cer- 
 tain consequence of doing this with- 
 out such a supply would have been 
 the loss of all the cattle before we 
 could possibly reach Otaheite, without 
 gaining any one advantage with regard 
 to the great object of our voyage. I 
 therefore determined to bear away for 
 the Friendly Islands, where I was 
 sure of meeting with abundance of 
 everything I wanted ; and it being 
 necessary to run in the night as well 
 as in the day, 1 ordered Captain 
 (Jlerke to keep about a league ahead 
 of the Resolution. I used this pre- 
 caution, because his ship could best 
 claw off the land, and it was very 
 possible we might fall in with some 
 in our passage. 
 
 At daybreak in the morning of the 
 13th, we saw Palmerston Island, bear- 
 ing W. by S., distant about five 
 leagues. However, we did not get 
 up with it till 8 o'clock the next 
 morning. I then sent four boats, 
 three from the Eesolution and one 
 from the Discovery, with an officer in 
 each, to search the coast for the most 
 convenient landing-place. For now 
 we were under an absolute necessity 
 of procuring from this island some 
 food for the cattle, otherwise we must 
 have lost them. What is compre- 
 hended under the name of Palmerston 's 
 Island is a group of small islets, of 
 which there are, in the whole, nine 
 or ten, lying in a circular direction, 
 and connected together by a reef of 
 coral rocks. The boats first examined 
 the south-easternmost of the islets 
 which compose this group ; and, fail- 
 ing there, ran down to the second, 
 where we had the satisfaction to see 
 them land. I then bore down with 
 the ships till abreast of the place, and 
 there we kept standing off and on. 
 For no bottom was to be found to 
 anchor upon, which was not of much 
 consequence, as the party who had 
 landed from our boats were the only 
 
 PALMERSTON'S ISLAND. 
 
 109 
 
 human beings upon the island. There 
 were no traces of inhabitants having 
 ever been here, if we except a small 
 piece of a canoe that was found upon 
 the beach, which probably may have 
 drifted from some other island. But, 
 what is pretty extraordinary, we saw 
 several small brown rats on this spot, 
 a circumstance, perhaps, difficult to 
 account for, unless we allow that they 
 were imported in the canoe of which 
 we saw the remains. After the boats 
 were laden, I returned on board, leav- 
 ing Mr Gore with a party to pass the 
 night on shore, in order to be ready 
 to go to work early the next morning. 
 
 [The next three days were spent in 
 provisioning the ships from this and 
 other islets of the group, where 
 cocoa-trees and vegetation suitable 
 for feeding the cattle abounded, but 
 where w 7 ater was not to be found — the 
 islets being merely the heads or sum- 
 mits of coral rock. Twelve hundred 
 cocoa-nuts were shipped and equally 
 divided among the whole crew, while 
 the fish and birds, which were caught 
 in abundance, afforded a salutary and 
 welcome relief from the monotony ot 
 ship -fare.] 
 
 After leaving Palmerston's Island 
 I steered W. with a view to make the 
 best of my way to Annamooka. "We 
 still continued to have variable winds, 
 frequently between the N. and W., 
 with squalls, some thunder, and muc'i 
 rain. During these showers, whica 
 were generally very copious, we saved 
 a considerable quantity of water ; and 
 finding that we could get a greater 
 supply by the rain in one hour than 
 we could get by distillation in a month, 
 I laid aside the still as a thing attended 
 with more trouble than profit. Tho 
 heat, which had been great for about a 
 month, became now much more dis- 
 agreeable in this close rainy weather; 
 and, from the moisture attending it, 
 threatened soon to be noxious, as the 
 ships could not be kept dry, nor the 
 scuttles open, for the sea. However, 
 it is remarkable enough that though 
 the only refreshment we had receive*! 
 since leaving the Cape of Good Hopu 
 was that at New Zealand, there was 
 not as yet a single person on board 
 
110 COOK'S VOYAOES 
 
 sick, from the constant use of salt 
 food or vicissitude of climate. 
 
 [Savage Island, which Cook had 
 discovered in 1774, was passed in the 
 uight between the 24th and 25th of 
 April ; on the 28th, in the afternoon, 
 Annamooka was sighted ; but as night 
 drew on, and the weather was squally 
 and rainy, anchor was cast two leagues 
 frona the neighbouring isle of Kom- 
 ango.] 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Soon after we had anchored, two 
 canoes, the one with four and the 
 other with three men, paddled to- 
 ward us, and came alongside without 
 the least hesitation. They brought 
 some cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, plan- 
 tains, and sugar-cane, which they 
 bartered with us for nails. One of 
 the men came on board ; and when 
 these canoes had left us, another 
 visited us, but did not stay long, 
 as night was approaching. Kom- 
 ango, the island nearest to us, was at 
 least five miles off, which shows the 
 hazard these people would run in 
 order to possess a few of our most 
 trifling articles. Besides this sup- 
 ply from the shore, we caught this 
 evening, with hooks and lines, a con- 
 siderable quantity of fish. Next 
 morning at 4 o'clock I sent Lieuten- 
 ant King with two boats to Komango 
 to procure refreshments, and at five 
 made the signal to weigh, in order to 
 ply up to Annamooka, the wind being 
 unfavourable at NW. 
 
 It was no sooner daylight than wo 
 were visited by six or seven canoes from 
 different islands, bringing with them, 
 besides fruits and roots, two pigs, 
 several fowls, some large wood-pigeons, 
 small rails, and large violet-coloured 
 coots. All these they exchanged with 
 us for beads, nails, hatchets, &c. They 
 had also other articles of commerce ; 
 such as pieces of their cloth, fish- 
 hooks, small baskets, musical reeds, 
 and some clubs, spears, and bows. 
 But I ordered that no curiosities 
 should be purchased till the ships 
 should be supplied with provisions, 
 
 [Voy.11I.B.II.C;lIY. 
 
 and leave given for that purpose. 
 Knowing, also, from experience, that 
 if all our people might trade with 
 the natives according to their own 
 caprice, perpetual quarrels would en- 
 sue, I ordered that particular persons 
 should manage the traffic both on 
 board and on shore, prohibiting all 
 others to interfere. Before mid-day 
 Mr King's boat returned with seven 
 hogs, some fowls, a quantity of fruit 
 and roots for ourselves, and some 
 grass for the cattle. His party was 
 very civilly treated at Komango. 
 The inhabitants did not seem to be 
 numerous ; and their huts, which 
 stood close to each other, within a 
 plantain walk, were but indifferent. 
 Not far from them was a pretty large 
 pond of fresh water, tolerably good ; 
 but there was not any appearance of 
 a stream. With Mr King came on 
 board the chief of the island, named 
 Tooboulangee, and another whoso 
 name was Taipa. They brought with 
 them a hog as a present to me, and 
 promised more the next day. 
 
 As soon as the boats were aboard, 
 I stood for Annamooka ; and the 
 wind being scant, I intended to go 
 between Annamooka-ette, 1 and the 
 breakers to the SE. of it. But, on 
 drawing near, we met with very irre- 
 gular soundings, varying, every cast, 
 ten or twelve fathoms. This obliged 
 me to give up the design, and to go 
 to the southward of all ; which carried 
 us to leeward, and made it necessary 
 to spend the night under sail. It was 
 very dark, and we had the wind from 
 every direction, accompanied with 
 heavy showers of rain. So that, at 
 daylight the next morning, we found 
 ourselves much farther oil' than wo 
 had been the evening before ; and the 
 little wind that now blew was right 
 in our teeth. 
 
 "We continued to ply all day to very 
 little purpose, and in the evening 
 anchored. Tooboulangee and Taipa 
 kept their promise, and brought off 
 to me some hogs. Several others 
 were also procured by bartering from 
 different canoes that followed us, and 
 
 1 That is. Little Annamooka. 
 
Mat 1777.] TRANSACTIONS 
 
 as umch fruit as we could well man- 
 age. It was remarkable that during 
 the whole day our visitors from the 
 islands would hardly part with any 
 of their commodities to anybody but 
 me. Captain Clerke did not get 
 above one or two hogs. 
 
 At 4 o'clock next morning I 
 ordered a boat to be hoisted out, and 
 sent the master to sound the SW. 
 side of Annamooka. In the mean- 
 time the ships were got under sail, 
 and wrought up to the island. When 
 the master returned, he reported that 
 he had sounded between Great and 
 Little Annamooka, where he found 
 ten and twelve fathoms' depth of 
 water, the bottom coral sand; that 
 the place was very well sheltered 
 from all winds ; but that there was 
 no fresh water to he found, except at 
 some distance inland, and even there 
 little of it was to be got, and that 
 little not good. For this reason 
 only, and it was a very sufficient one, 
 I determined to anchor on the north 
 side of the island, where, during my 
 last voyage, I had found a place fit 
 both for watering and landing. It 
 was not above a league distant, and 
 yet we did not reach it till 5 o'clock 
 in the afternoon, being considerably 
 retarded by the great number of 
 canoes that continually crowded round 
 the ships, bringing to us abundant 
 supplies of the produce of their 
 island. Amongst these canoes there 
 were some double ones, with a large 
 sail, that carried between forty and 
 fifty men each. These sailed round 
 us, apparently with the same ease as 
 if we had been at anchor. There 
 were several women in the canoes, 
 who were, perhaps, incited by curi- 
 osity to visit us ; though, at the same 
 time, they bartered as eagerly as the 
 men, and used the paddle with equal 
 labour and dexterity. I came to an 
 anchor in eighteen fathoms water, the 
 bottom coarse coral sand ; the island 
 extending from E. to SW., and the 
 W. point of the westernmost cove 
 SE., about three-quarters of a mile 
 distant. Thus I resumed the very 
 £ame station which I had occupied 
 when I visited Annamooka three 
 
 AT ANNAMOOKA. 
 
 Ill 
 
 years before ; and, probably, almost 
 in the same place where Tasman, the 
 first discoverer of this and some of 
 the neighbouring islands, anchored in 
 1643. 1 
 
 Finding that we had quite ex- 
 hausted the island of almost every 
 article of food that it afforded, I em- 
 ployed the 11th in moving off from 
 the shore the horses, observatories, 
 and other things that we had landed, 
 as also the party of marines who had 
 mounted guard at our station, intend- 
 ing to sail as soon as the Discovery 
 should have recovered her best bower 
 anchor. The 12th and the 13 th were 
 spent in attempting the recovery of 
 Captain Clerke's anchor, which, after 
 much trouble, was happily accom- 
 plished ; and on the 14th, in the 
 morning, we got under sail and left 
 Annamooka. 
 
 To the north and north-east of 
 Annamooka, and in the direct tract 
 to Hapaee, whither we were now 
 bound, the sea is sprinkled with a 
 great number of small isles. Amidst 
 the shoals and rocks adjoining to 
 this group, I could not be assured 
 that there was a free or safe passage 
 for such large ships as oura ; though 
 the natives sailed through the inter- 
 vals in their canoes. For this sub- 
 stantial reason, when we weighed 
 anchor from Annamooka I thought it 
 necessary to go to the westward of 
 the above islands, and steered NNW. 
 toward Kao and Toofoa, the two most 
 westerly islands in sight, and remark- 
 able for their great height. Feenou 
 and his attendants remained on board 
 the Resolution till near noon, when 
 he went into the large sailing cance 
 which had brought him from Tonga- 
 taboo, and stood in amongst the clus- 
 
 1 Captain Cook, accompanied by 
 Captain Clerke, went ashore here to 
 fix a place for their observatories, 
 when Loobu, the chief of the island, 
 showed them every attention and 
 civility. On the 6th they were visited 
 by a chief from Tongataboo, whose 
 name was Feenou, who was fond of 
 associating with them, and who 'jfOaa 
 dined on board. 
 
112 
 
 ter of islands above mentioned, of 
 which we were now almost abreast ; 
 and a tide or current from the west- 
 ward had set us, since our sailing in 
 the morning, much over toward 
 them. They lie scattered at unequal 
 distances, and are, in general, nearly 
 as high as Annamooka ; but only 
 from two or three miles to half-a- 
 mile in length, and some of them 
 scarcely so much. They have either 
 steep rocky shores, like Annamooka, 
 or reddish cliffs ; but some have 
 sandy beaches extending almost their 
 whole length. Most of them are 
 entirely clothed with trees, amongst 
 which are many cocoa-palms ; and 
 each forms a prospect like a beautiful 
 garden placed in the sea. To heighten 
 this, the serene weather we now had 
 contributed very much ; and the whole 
 might supply the imagination with 
 an idea of some fairy-land realised. 
 
 At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, being 
 the length of Kotoo, the westernmost 
 of the above cluster of small islands, 
 we steered to the north, leaving 
 Toofoa and Kao on our larboard, 
 keeping along the west side of a reef 
 of rocks which lie to the westward of 
 Kotoo, till we came to their northern 
 extremity, round which we hauled in 
 for the island. It was our intention 
 to have anchored for the night ; but 
 it came upon us before we could find 
 a place in less than fifty-five fathoms 
 water ; and rather than come to in 
 this depth I chose to spend the night 
 under sail. We had in the afternoon 
 been within two leagues of Toofoa, 
 the smoke of which we saw several 
 times in the day. The Friendly 
 Islanders have some superstitious 
 notions about the volcano upon it, 
 which they call "Kollofeea," and 
 eay it is an "Otooa," or divinity. 
 According to their account, it some- 
 times throws up very large stones ; 
 and they compare the crater to the 
 size oi a small islet, which has never 
 ceased smoking in their memory ; 
 nor have they any tradition that it 
 ever did. We sometimes saw the 
 smoke rising from the centre of the 
 hlani, while we were at Annamooka, 
 though at the distance of at least ten 
 
 COOK'S VOl' AGES 
 
 Jeagues. 
 
 (Toy. III. B. II. Cn. IV. 
 
 Toofoa, we were told, is 
 but thinly inhabited, but the water 
 upon it is good. 
 
 At day-break the next morning, 
 being then not far from Kao, which 
 is a vast rock of a conic figure, we 
 steered to the east, for the passage 
 between the islands Footooha and 
 Hafaiva, with a gentle breeze at SE. 
 About 10 o'clock Feenou came on 
 board, and remained 'with us all day. 
 He brought with him two hogs and a 
 quantity of fruit ; and, in the course 
 of the day, several canoes, from the 
 different islands round us, came to 
 barter quantities of the latter article, 
 which was very acceptable, as our 
 stock was nearly expended. After 
 passing Footooha, we met with a reef 
 of rocks ; and, as there was but little 
 wind, it cost us some trouble to keep 
 clear of them. This reef lies between 
 Footooha and Neeneeva, which is a 
 small low isle, in the direction of 
 ENE. from Footooha, at the distance 
 of seven or eight miles. Being past 
 the reef of rocks just mentioned, we 
 hauled up for Neeneeva, in hopes of 
 finding anchorage; but were again 
 disappointed, and obliged to spend 
 the night, making short boards. 1 
 For, although we had land in every 
 direction, the sea was unfathomable. 
 In the course of this night we could 
 plainly see flames issuing from the 
 volcano upon Toofoa, though to no 
 great height. 
 
 At daybreak in the morning of the 
 16th, with a gentle breeze at SE., 
 we steered NE. for Hapaee, which 
 was now in sight ; and we could 
 judge it to be low land, from the 
 trees only appearing above the water. 
 About 9 o'clock we could see it 
 plainly, forming three islands, nearly 
 of an equal size ; and soon after, a 
 fourth to the southward of these, a.' 
 large as the others. Each seemed t( 
 be about six or seven miles long, anc 
 of a similar height and appearance. 
 The northernmost of them is called 
 Haanno, the next Foa, the third 
 Lefooga, and the southernmost Hoo- 
 laiva ; but all four are includod by 
 
 1 Tacks. 
 
May 1777.] RECEPTION 
 
 the natives under the general name 
 Hapaee. 
 
 The wind scanting upon us, we could 
 not fetch the land ; so that we were 
 forced to ply to windward. In doing 
 this, we once passed over some coral 
 rocks on which we had only six 
 fathoms water ; hut the moment we 
 were over them, found no ground 
 with eighty fathoms of line. We 
 got up with the northernmost of 
 these isles by sunset ; and there 
 found ourselves in the very same dis- 
 tress, for want of anchorage, that we 
 had experienced the two preceding 
 evenings ; so that we had another 
 night to spend under sail, with land 
 and breakers in every direction. To- 
 wards the evening Feenou, who had 
 been on board all day, went forward 
 to Hapaee, and took Omai in the 
 canoe with him. He did not forget 
 our disagreeable situation, and kept 
 up a good fire all night by way of a 
 land-mark. As soon as the daylight 
 returned, being then close in with 
 Foa, we saw it was joined to Haanno 
 by a reef running even with the sur- 
 face of the sea from the one island to 
 the other. I now despatched a boat 
 to look for anchorage. A proper 
 place was soon found, and we came 
 to abreast of a reef, being that which 
 joins Lefooga to Foa (in the same 
 manner that Foa is joined to Haanno), 
 having twenty-four fathoms' depth of 
 water. "We lay before a creek in the 
 reef, which made it convenient land- 
 ing at all times ; and we were not 
 above three-quarters of a mile from 
 the shore. 
 
 AT HAPAEE. 
 
 113 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 By the time we had anchored, the 
 ships were filled with the natives, 
 and surrounded by a multitude of 
 canoes filled also with them. They 
 brought from the shore hogs, fowls, 
 fruit, and roots, which they ex- 
 changed for hatchets, knives, nails, 
 beads, and cloth. Feenou and Omai 
 having come on board, after it was 
 light, in order to introduce me to 
 the people of the island, I soon ac- 
 
 companied them on shore for that 
 purpose, landing at the north part of 
 Lefooga, a little to the right of the 
 ships' station. 
 
 The chief conducted me to a house, 
 or rather a hut, situated close to the 
 sea-beach, which I had seen brought 
 thither but a few minutes before for 
 our reception. In this Feenou, Omai, 
 and myself, were seated. The other 
 chiefs and the multitude composed a 
 circle on the outside, fronting us, 
 and they also sat down. I was then 
 asked, " How long I intended to 
 stay ? " On my saying, "Five days, " 
 Taipa was ordered to come and sit by 
 me, and proclaim this to the people. 
 He then harangued them, in a speech 
 mostly dictated by Feenou. The pur- 
 port of it, as I learned from Omai, was 
 that they were all, both old and 
 young, to look upon me as a friend, 
 who intended to remain with them a 
 few days ; that, during my stay, they 
 must not steal anything, nor molest 
 me any other way ; and that it was 
 expected they should bring hogs, 
 fowls, fruit, &c. , to the ships, where 
 they would receive in exchange for 
 them such and such things which he 
 enumerated. Soon after Taipa had 
 finished this address to the assembly, 
 Feenou left us. Taipa then took 
 occasion to signify to me, that it was 
 necessary I should make a present to 
 the chief of the island, whose name 
 was Earoupa. I was not unprepared 
 for this ; and gave him such articles 
 as far exceeded his expectation. My 
 liberality to him brought upon me 
 demands of the same kind from two 
 chiefs of other isles who were present 
 and from Taipa himself. "When Fee- 
 nou returned, which was immediately 
 after I had made the last of these 
 presents, he pretended to be angry 
 with Taipa for suffering me to give 
 away so much ; but I looked upon 
 this as a mere finesse, being confident 
 that he acted in concert with the 
 others. He now took his seat again 
 and ordered Earoupa to sit by him 
 and to harangue the people as Taipa 
 had done, and to the same purpose ; 
 dictating as before, the heads of the 
 speech. 
 
 H 
 
114 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 rVoY.III.B.Il.CH.V. 
 
 These ceremonies being performed, 
 the chief, at my request, conducted 
 me to three stagnant pools of fresh 
 water, as he was pleased to call it ; 
 and, indeed, in one of these the water 
 was tolerable, and the situation not 
 inconvenient for filling our casks. 
 After viewing the watering-place, we 
 returned to our former station, where 
 I found a baked hog and some yams, 
 smoking hot, ready to be earned on 
 board for my dinner. I invited 
 Feenou and his friends to partake of 
 it, and we embarked for the ship ; 
 but none but himself sat down with 
 us at the table. After dinner I con- 
 ducted them on shore ; and before I 
 returned on board, the chief gave me 
 a fine large turtle and a quantity of 
 yams. Our supply of provisions was 
 copious, for in the course of the day 
 we got, by barter alongside the ship, 
 about twenty small hogs, besides 
 fruit and roots. I was told that on 
 my first landing in the morning, a 
 man came off to the ship3, and 
 ordered every one of the natives to 
 go on shore. Probably, this was 
 done with a view to have the whole 
 body of inhabitants present at the 
 ceremony of my reception ; for when 
 that was over, multitudes of them re- 
 turned again to the ships. 
 
 Next morning early, Feenou and 
 Omai, who scarcely ever quitted the 
 chief, and now slept on shore, came 
 on board. The object of the visit 
 was to require my presence upon the 
 island. After some time I accom- 
 panied them, and, upon landing, 
 was conducted to the same place 
 where I had been seated the day be- 
 fore, where I saw a large concourse of 
 ] .eople already assembled. I guessed 
 that something more than ordinary 
 v/as in agitation, but could not tell 
 what, nor could Omai inform me. I 
 had not been long seated, before near 
 a hundred of the natives appeared in 
 sight, and advanced, laden with 
 yams, bread-fruit, plantains, cocoa- 
 nuts, and sugar-canes. They depos- 
 ited their burdens in two heaps, or 
 piles, upon our left, being the side 
 they came from. Soon after arrived 
 a number of others from the right, 
 
 bearing the same kind of articles ; 
 which were collected into two piles 
 upon that side. To these were tied 
 two pigs and six fowls ; and to those 
 upon the left, six pigs and two 
 turtles.. Earoupa seated himself be- 
 fore the several articles upon the left, 
 and another chief before those upon 
 the right ; they being, as I judged, 
 the two chiefs who had collected them 
 by order of Feenou, who seemed to 
 be as implicitly obeyed here as he 
 had been at Annamooka, and, iu 
 consequence of his commanding supe- 
 riority over the chiefs of Hapaee, 
 had laid this tax upon them for the 
 present occasion. 
 
 As soon as this munificent collec- 
 tion of provisions was laid down in 
 order, and disposed to the best ad- 
 vantage, the bearers of it joined the 
 multitude, who formed a large circle 
 round the whole. Presently after, a 
 number of men entered this circle, or 
 area, before us, armed with clubs 
 made of the green branches of the 
 cocoa-nut tree. These paraded about 
 for a few minutes, and then retired, 
 the one half to one side, and the 
 other half to the other side ; seating 
 themselves before the spectators. 
 Soon after, they successively entered 
 the lists, and entertained us with 
 single combats. One champion, ris- 
 ing up and stepping forward from 
 one side, challenged those of the 
 other side, by expressive gestures 
 more than by words, to send one of 
 their body to oppose him. If the 
 challenge was accepted, which was 
 generally the case, the combatants 
 put themselves in proper attitudes, 
 and then began the engagement, 
 which continued till one or other 
 owned himself conquered, or till 
 their Aveapons were broken. As soon 
 as each combat was over, the victor 
 squatted himself down facing the 
 chief, then rose up and retired. At 
 the same time, some old men, who 
 seemed to sit as judges, gave their 
 plaudit in a few words, and the mul- 
 titude, especially those on the side to 
 which the victor belonged, celebrated 
 the glory he had acquired, in two or 
 three huzzas. 
 
May 1777.] WRESTLING AND 
 
 This entertainment was, now and 
 then, suspended for a few minutes. 
 During these intervals there were 
 both wrestling and boxing matches. 
 The first were performed in the same 
 manner as at Otaheite; and the 
 second differed very little from the 
 method practised in England. But 
 what struck us with most surprise 
 was to see a couple of lusty wenches 
 step forth and begin boxing without 
 the least ceremony, and with as much 
 art as the men. This contest, how- 
 ever, did not last above half-a-minute 
 before one of them gave it up. The 
 conquering heroine received the same 
 applause from the spectators which 
 they bestowed upon the successful 
 combatants of the other sex. We 
 expressed some dislike at this part of 
 the entertainment; which, however, 
 did not prevent two other females 
 from entering the lists. They seemed 
 to be girls of spirit, and would cer- 
 tainly have given each other a good 
 drubbing, if two old women had not 
 interfered to part them. All these 
 combats were exhibited in the midst 
 of at least 3000 people, and were con- 
 ducted with the greatest good humour 
 on all sides; though some of the 
 champions, women as well as men, 
 received blows which, doubtless, they 
 must have felt for some time after. 
 
 As soon as these diversions were 
 ended, the chief told me that the 
 heaps of provisions on our right hand 
 were a present to Omai; aud that 
 those on our left hand, being about 
 two-thirds of the whole quantity, 
 were given to me. He added, that I 
 might take them on board whenever 
 it was convenient; but that there 
 would be no occasion to set any of 
 our people as guards over them, as I 
 might be assured that not a single 
 cocoa-nut would be taken away by 
 the natives. So it proved ; for I left 
 everything behind, and returned to 
 the ship to dinner, carrying the chief 
 with me ; and when the provisions 
 were removed on board in the after- 
 not a single article 
 
 BOXING MATCHES, 
 nou, for this present far 
 
 was miss- 
 
 uoon, 
 
 ing. There was as much as loaded 
 four boats ; and I could not but be 
 struck with the munificence of Fee- 
 
 115 
 
 eeded any 
 
 I had ever received from any of the 
 sovereigns of the various islands I 
 had visited in the Pacific Ocean. I 
 lost no time in convincing my friend 
 that I was not insensible of his liber- 
 ality; for, before he quitted my 
 ship, I bestowed upon him such of 
 our commodities as I guessed were 
 most valuable in his estimation. 
 And the return I made was so much 
 to his satisfaction that, as scon as he 
 got on shore, he left me still indebted 
 to him by sending me a fresh pre- 
 sent, consisting of two large hogs, a 
 considerable quantity of cloth, and 
 some yams. 
 
 Feenou had expressed a desire to 
 see the marines go through their 
 military exercise. As I was desirous 
 to gratify his curiosity, I ordered 
 them all ashore from both ships in 
 the morning of the 20th. After they 
 had performed various evolutions, 
 and fired several volleys, with which 
 the numerous body of spectators 
 seemed well pleased, the chief enter- 
 tained us in his turn with an exhibi- 
 tion which, as was acknowledged by 
 us all, was performed with a dexterity 
 and exactness far surpassing the spec- 
 imen we had given of our military 
 manoeuvres. It was a kind of a 
 dance so entirely different from any- 
 thing I had ever seen, that I fear I 
 can give no description that will con- 
 vey any tolerable idea of it, to my 
 readers. It was performed by men ; 
 and 105 persons bore their parts in 
 it. Each of them had in his hand 
 an instrument neatly made, shaped 
 somewhat like a paddle, of two feet 
 and a half in length, with a small 
 handle and a thin blade ; so that they 
 were very light. With these instru- 
 ments they made many and various 
 flourishes, each of which was accom- 
 panied with a different attitude of 
 the body or a different movement. 
 At first the performers ranged them- 
 selves in three lines ; and, by various 
 evolutions, each man changed his 
 station in such a manner that those 
 who had been in the rear came into 
 the front. Nor did they remain 
 long in the same position ; but these 
 
116 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 changes were made by pretty quick 
 transitions. At one time they ex- 
 tended themselves in one line ; they 
 then formed into a semicircle ; and, 
 lastly, into two square columns. 
 While this last movement was exe- 
 cuting, one of them advanced, and 
 performed an antic dance before me ; 
 with which the whole ended. 
 
 The musical instruments consisted 
 of two drums, or rather two hollow 
 logs of wood, from which some varied 
 notes were produced by beating on 
 them with two sticks. It did not, 
 however, appear to me that the 
 dancers were much assisted or direc- 
 ted by these sounds, but by a chorus 
 of vocal music, in which all the per- 
 formers joined at the same time. 
 Their song was not destitute of pleas- 
 ing melody; and all their corre- 
 sponding motions were executed with 
 so much skill, that the numerous 
 body of dancers seemed to act as if 
 they were one great machine. It 
 was the opinion of every one of us 
 that snch a performance would have 
 met with universal applause on a 
 European theatre; and it so far ex- 
 ceeded any attempt we had made to 
 entertain them, that they seemed to 
 pique themselves upon the superior- 
 ity they had over us. As to our 
 musical instruments, they held none 
 of them in the least esteem, except 
 the drum; and even that they did 
 not think equal to their own. Our 
 French horns, in particular, seemed 
 to be held in great contempt ; for 
 neither here, nor at any other of the 
 islands, would they pay the smallest 
 attention to them. 
 
 In order to give them a more favour- 
 able opinion of English amusements, 
 and to leave their minds fully im- 
 pressed with the deepest sense of our 
 superior attainments, I directed some 
 fireworks to bo got ready ; and, after 
 it was dark, played them off in the 
 presence of Feenou, the other chiefs, 
 and a vast concourse of their people. 
 Some of the preparations we found 
 damaged ; but others of them were in 
 excellent order, and succeeded so 
 perfectly as to answer the end I had 
 in view. Our water and sky rockets, 
 
 [Voy.III.B.II.Ch.V. 
 
 in particular, pleased and astonished 
 them beyond all conception ; and the 
 scale was now turned in our favour. 
 This, however, seemed only to furnish 
 them with an additional motive to 
 proceed to fresh exertions of their 
 very singular dexterity ; and our fire- 
 works were no sooner ended, than a 
 succession of dances, which Feenou 
 had got ready for our entertainment, 
 began. As 1 a prelude to them, a 
 band of music, or chorus of eighteen 
 men, seated themselves before us, in 
 the centre of the circle composed by 
 the numerous spectators, the area of 
 which was to be the scene of the ex- 
 hibitions. Four or five of this band 
 had pieces of large bamboo, from 
 three to five or six feet long, each 
 managed by one man, who held it 
 nearly in a vertical position, the upper 
 end open but the other end closed by 
 one of the joints. With this close 
 end, the performers kept constantly 
 striking the ground, though slowly, 
 thus producing different notes, accord- 
 ing to the different lengths of the 
 instruments, but all of them of the 
 hollow or bass sort ; to counteract 
 which, a person kept striking quickly 
 with two sticks a piece of the same 
 substance, split, and laid along the 
 ground, and by that means furnishing 
 a tone as acute as those produced by 
 the others were grave. The rest of 
 the band, as well as those who per- 
 formed upon the bamboos, sung a 
 slow and soft air, which so tempered 
 the harsher notes of the above instru- 
 ments, that no bystander, however 
 accustomed to hear the most perfect 
 and varied modulation of sweet sounds, 
 could avoid confessing the vast power 
 and pleasing effect of this simple har- 
 mony. 
 
 The concert having continued about 
 a quarter of an hour, twenty women 
 entered the circle. Most of them had 
 upon their heads garlands of the crim- 
 son flowers of the China rose, or others ; 
 and many of them had ornamented their 
 
 1 Mr Anderson's accountof the night 
 dances, being much fuller than Cap- 
 tain Cook's, was adopted by the editor 
 of the original edition. 
 
May 1777.] ENTERTAINMENT OF SINGING AND DANCING. 117 
 
 persons with leaves of trees, cut with 
 a great deal of nicety about the edges. 
 They made a circle round the chorus 
 turning their faces toward it, and 
 began* by singing a soft air, to which 
 responses were made by the chorus in 
 the same tone ; and these were repeated 
 alternately. All this while, the women 
 accompanied their song with several 
 very graceful motions of their hands 
 toward their faces, and in other direc- 
 tions at the same time, making con- 
 stantly a step forward, and then back 
 again, with one foot, while the other 
 was fixed. They then turned their 
 faces to the assembly, sung some time, 
 and retreated slowly in a body to that 
 part of the circle which was opposite 
 the hut where the principal spectators 
 sat. After this, one of them advanced 
 from each side, meeting and passing 
 each other in the front, and continuing 
 their progress round, till they came to 
 the rest. On which, two advanced 
 from each side, two of whom also passed 
 each other, and returned as the former ; 
 but the other two remained; and to these 
 came one, from each side, by intervals, 
 till the whole number had again formed 
 a circle about the chorus. Their man- 
 ner of dancing was now changed to a 
 quicker measure, in which they made 
 a kind of half turn by leaping, and 
 clapped their hands, and snapped 
 their fingers, repeating some words in 
 conjunction with the chorus. Towards 
 the end, as the quickness of the music 
 increased, their gestures and attitudes 
 were varied with wonderful vigour 
 and dexterity ; and some of their 
 motions, perhaps, would with us be 
 reckoned rather indecent. Though 
 this part of the performance, most 
 probably, was not meant to convey 
 any wanton ideas, but merely to dis- 
 play the astonishing variety of their 
 movements. 
 
 To this grand female ballet suc- 
 ceeded one performed by t fifteen men. 
 Some of them were old ; but their 
 age seemed to have abated little of 
 their agility or ardour for the dance. 
 They were disposed in a sort of circle, 
 divided at the front, with their faces 
 not turned out toward the assembly, 
 nor inward to the chorus ; but one 
 
 half of their circle faced forward as 
 they had advanced, and the other 
 half in a contrary direction. They 
 sometimes sung slowly in concert with 
 the chorus ; and while thus employed, 
 they also made several very fine mo- 
 tions with their hands, but different 
 from those made by the women, at 
 the same time inclining the body to 
 either side alternately, by raising one 
 leg, which was stretched outward, 
 and resting on the other ; the arm of 
 the same side being also stretched 
 fully upward. At other times, they 
 recited sentences in a musical tone, 
 which were answered by the chorus ; 
 and at intervals increased the measure 
 of the dance, by clapping the hands, 
 and quickening the motions of the 
 feet, which, however, were never 
 varied. At the end, the rapidity of 
 the music and of the dancing increased 
 so much, that it was scarcely possi- 
 ble to distinguish the different move- 
 ments ; though one might suppose 
 the actors were now almost tired, as 
 their performance had lasted near 
 half-an-hour. 
 
 After a considerable interval, an- 
 other act, as we may call it, began. 
 Twelve men now advanced, who placed 
 themselves in double rows fronting 
 each other, but on opposite sides of 
 the circle ; and on one side a man 
 was stationed, who, as if he had been 
 a prompter, repeated several sentences, 
 to which the twelve new performers 
 and the chorus replied. They then 
 sung slowly, and afterwards danced 
 and sung more quickly, for about a 
 quarter of an hour, after the manner of 
 the dancers whom they had succeeded. 
 Soon after they had finished, nine 
 women exhibited themselves, and sat 
 down fronting the hut where the chief 
 was. A man then rose, and struck 
 the first of these women on the back 
 with both fists joined. He proceeded, 
 in the same manner, to the second and 
 third ; but when he came to the fourth, 
 whether from accident or design I 
 cannot tell, instead of the back, he 
 struck her on the breast. Upon this, a 
 person rose instantly from the crowd, 
 who brought him to the ground with 
 a blow on the head ; and he was caniad 
 
118 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. II. Ch. V. 
 
 off without the least noise or disorder. 
 But this did not save the other five 
 women from so odd a discipline, or 
 perhaps necessary ceremony ; for a 
 person succeeded him, who treated 
 them in the same manner. Their 
 disgrace did not end here ; for when 
 they danced, they had the mortifica- 
 tion to find their performance twice 
 disapproved of, and. were obliged to 
 repeat it. This dance did not differ 
 much from that of the first women, 
 except in this one circumstance, that 
 the present set sometimes raised the 
 body upon one leg, by a sort of double 
 motion, and then upon the other 
 alternately, in which attitude they 
 kept snapping their fingers ; and at 
 the end they repeated with great 
 agility the brisk movements in which 
 the former group of female dancers 
 had shown themselves so expert. 
 
 In a little time, a person entered 
 unexpectedly, and said something in a 
 ludicrous way about the fireworks that 
 had been exhibited, which extorted a 
 burst of laughter from the multitude. 
 After this, we had a dance composed 
 of the men who attended or had fol- 
 lowed Feenou. They formed a double 
 circle (i.e., one within another) of 
 twenty-four each, round the chorus, 
 andbegan a gentle soothing song, with 
 corresponding motions of the hands 
 and head. This lasted a consider- 
 able time, and then changed to a much 
 quicker measure, during which they 
 repeated sentences, either in conjunc- 
 tion with the chorus, or in answer to 
 some spoken by that band. They then 
 retreated to the back part of the circle, 
 as the women had done, and again 
 advanced, on each side, in a triple 
 row, till they formed a semicircle, 
 which was done very slowly, by in- 
 clining the body on one leg, and ad- 
 vancing the other a little way, as they 
 put it down. They accompanied this 
 with such a soft air as they had sung 
 at the beginning ; but soon changed 
 it to repeat sentences in a harsher 
 tone, at the same time quickening the 
 dance very much, till they finished 
 with a general shout and clap of the 
 hands. The same was repeated several 
 times ; but, at last, they formed a 
 
 double circle as at the beginning, 
 danced, and repeated very quickly, 
 and finally closed with several very 
 dexterous transpositions of the two 
 circles. 
 
 The entertainments of this memor- 
 able night concluded with a dance, in 
 which the principal people present 
 exhibited. It resembled the imme- 
 diately preceding one in some respects, 
 having the same number of performers, 
 who began nearly in the same way ; 
 but their ending at each interval was 
 different. For they increased their 
 motions to a prodigious quickness, 
 shaking their heads from shoulder to 
 shoulder with such force, that a spec- 
 tator, unaccustomed tothesight, would 
 suppose that they ran a risk of dislo- 
 cating their necks. This was attended 
 with a smart clapping of the hands, 
 and a kind of savage ' ' Holla ! " or 
 shriek, not unlike what is sometimes 
 practised in the comic dances on our 
 European theatres. They formed 
 the triple semicircle, as the preceding 
 dancers had done ; and a person, who 
 advanced at the head on one side of 
 the semicircle, began by repeating 
 something in a truly musical recita- 
 tive, which was delivered with an air 
 so graceful as might put to the blush 
 our most applauded performers. He 
 was answered in the same manner by 
 the person at the head of the opposite 
 party. This being repeated several 
 times, the whole body on one side 
 joined in the responses to the whole 
 corresponding body on the opposite 
 side, as the semicircle advanced to 
 the front ; and they finished by sing- 
 ing and dancing as they had begun. 
 
 These two last dances were per- 
 formed with so much spirit, and so 
 great exactness, that they met with 
 universal approbation. The native 
 spectators, who, no doubt, were per- 
 fect judges whether the several per- 
 formances were properly executed, 
 could not withhold their applauses at 
 soino particular parts ; and even a 
 stranger, who never saw the diversion 
 before, felt similar satisfaction at the 
 same instant. For though, through 
 the whole, the most strict concert was 
 observed, some of the gestures were 
 
May 1777.] DESCRIPTION 
 
 bo expressive, that it might be said 
 they spoke the language that accom- 
 panied them ; if we allow that there 
 is any connection between motion and 
 sound. At the same time, it should be 
 observed that though the music of the 
 chorus and that of the dancers corre- 
 sponded, constant practice in these 
 favourite amusements of our friends 
 seems to have a great share in effect- 
 ing the exact time they keep in their 
 performances. For we observed, that if 
 any of them happened accidentally to 
 be interrupted, they never found the 
 smallest difficulty in recovering the 
 proper place of the dance or song. 
 And their perfect discipline was in no 
 instance more remarkable than in the 
 sudden transitions they so dexterously 
 made from the ruder exertions, and 
 harsh sounds, to the softest arts and 
 gentlest movements. 
 
 The place where the dances were 
 performed was an open space amongst 
 the trees, just by the sea, with lights 
 at small intervals placed round the 
 inside of the circle. The concourse 
 of people was pretty large, though not 
 equal to the number assembled in the 
 forenoon when the marines exercised. 
 At that time, some of our gentlemen 
 guessed there might be present about 
 5000 persons; others thought there 
 were more ; but they who reckoned 
 that there were fewer probably came 
 nearer to the truth. 
 
 OF LEFOOGA. 
 
 119 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Curiosity on both sides being now 
 sufficiently gratified by the exhibition 
 of the various entertainments I have 
 described, I began to have time to 
 look about me. Accordingly, next 
 day [May 21st], I took a walk into 
 the Island of Lefooga, of which I was 
 desirous to obtain some knowledge. 
 I found it to be in some respects supe- 
 rior to Annamooka. The plantations 
 were both more numerous and more 
 extensive. In many places, indeed, 
 towards the sea, especially on the east 
 side, the country is still waste, owing 
 perhaps to the sandy soil ; as it is 
 
 much lower than Annamooka and its 
 surrounding isles. But towards the 
 middle of the island the soil is better, 
 and the marks of considerable popu- 
 lation and of improved cultivation 
 were very conspicuous. For we met 
 here with very large plantations, en- 
 closed in such a manner, that the 
 fences running parallel to each other, 
 form fine spacious public roads, that 
 would appear ornamental in countries 
 where rural conveniences have been 
 earned to the greatest perfection. We 
 observed large spots covered with the 
 paper mulberry-trees ; and the plan- 
 tations in general were well stocked 
 with such roots and fruits as are the 
 natural produce of the island. To 
 these I made some addition, by sow- 
 ing the seeds of Indian corn, melons, 
 pumpkins, and the like. At one 
 place was a house, four or five times 
 as large as those of the common sort, 
 with a large area of grass before it ; 
 and I take it for granted the people 
 resort thither on certain public occa- 
 sions. Near the landing-place we 
 saw a mount, two or three feet high, 
 covered with gravel ; and on it stood 
 four or five small huts, in which, the 
 natives told us, the bodies of some of 
 their principal people had been in- 
 terred. 
 
 In my walk on the 25th I happened 
 to step into a house where a woman 
 was dressing the eyes of a young child, 
 who seemed blind ; the eyes being 
 much inflamed, and a thin film spread 
 over them. The instruments she used 
 were two slender wooden probes, with 
 which she had brushed the eyes so as 
 to make them bleed. It seems worth 
 mentioning, that the natives of these 
 islands should attempt an operation 
 of this sort ; though I entered the 
 house too late to describe exactly 
 how this female oculist employed the 
 wretched tools she had to work with. 
 I was fortunate enough to see a dif- 
 ferent operation going on in the same 
 house, of which I can give a tolerable 
 account. I found there another woman 
 shaving a child's head with a shark's 
 tooth stuck into the end of a piece of 
 stick. I observed that she first wet 
 the hair with a rag dipped in water, 
 
120 
 
 applying her instrument to that part 
 which she had previously soaked. 
 The operation seemed to give no pain 
 to the child ; although the hair was 
 taken off as close as if one of our razors 
 had been employed. Encouraged by 
 what I now saw, I soon after tried one 
 of these singular instruments upon 
 myself, and found it to be an excellent 
 succedaneum. However, the men of 
 these islands have recourse to another 
 contrivance when they shave their 
 beards. The operation is performed 
 with two shells ; one of which they 
 place under a small part of the beard, 
 and with the other, applied above, 
 they scrape that part off. In this 
 manner they are able to shave very 
 close. The process is, indeed, rather 
 tedious, but not painful ; and there 
 are men amongst them who seem to 
 profess this trade. 1 1 was as common , 
 while we were here, to see our sailors 
 go ashore to have their beards scraped 
 off, after the fashion of Hapaee, as it 
 was to see their chiefs come on board 
 to be shaved by our barbers. 
 
 Finding that little or nothing of 
 the produce of the island was now 
 brought to the ships, I resolved to 
 change our station, and to await Fee- 
 nou's return from Vavaoo in some 
 other convenient anchoring - place, 
 where refreshments might still be met 
 with. Accordingly, in the forenoon of 
 the 26th we got under sail, and stood 
 to the southward along the reef of the 
 island. At half-past two in the after- 
 noon, I hauled into a bay that lies 
 between the south end of Lefooga and 
 the north end of Hoolaiva, and there 
 anchored in seventeen fathoms water. 
 The Discovery did not get to an an- 
 chor till sunset. She had touched 
 upon one of the shoals, but backed off 
 again without receiving any damage. 
 The place where we now anchored is 
 much better sheltered than that which 
 we had lately come from ; but between 
 the two is another anchoring station 
 much better than either. Lefooga 
 and Hoolaiva are divided from each 
 other by a reef of coral rocks, which 
 is dry at low water ; so that one may 
 walk at that time from the one to the 
 ovher without wetting a foot. Some 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [VoY.ni.B.lI.Cn.VL 
 
 of our gentlemen, who landed in the 
 latter island, did not find the least 
 mark of cultivation or habitation upon 
 it ; except a single hut, the residence 
 of a man employed to catch fish and 
 turtle. 
 
 At daybreak on the 27th, I mada 
 the signal to weigh ; and as I in- 
 tended to attempt a passage to Anna- 
 mooka in my way to Tongataboo by 
 the south-west amongst the interven- 
 ing islands, I sent the master in a 
 boat to sound before the ships. But 
 before we could get under sail, the 
 wind became unsettled ; which made 
 it unsafe to attempt a passage this 
 way till we were better acquainted 
 with it. I therefore lay fast, and 
 made the signal for the master to re- 
 turn, and afterward sent him and the 
 master of the Discovery, each in a 
 boat, with instructions to examine 
 the channels as far as they could, 
 allowing themselves time to get back 
 to the ships before the close of the 
 day. 1 
 
 At daybreak on the 29th, I weighed 
 with a fine breeze at ENE., and stood 
 to the westward, with a view to re- 
 turn to Annamooka by the track we 
 had already experienced. We were 
 followed by several sailing canoes, in 
 one of which was the King. As soon 
 as he got on board the Resolution, he 
 inquired for his brother and the others 
 who had remained with us all night. 
 It now appeared that they had stayed 
 without his leave, for he gave them 
 in a very few words such a reprimand 
 as brought tears from their eyes ; and 
 yet they were men not less than thirty 
 years of age. He was, however, soon 
 
 1 While lying here they received a 
 visit from Poulaho, the real king of 
 Tongataboo, who brought two fat hogs 
 on board as a present, but which are 
 described as not so fat as himself. 
 He endeavoured to convince them 
 that he and not Feenou was the king. 
 Early in the morning of the last day 
 of their stay, he brought a present to 
 Captain Cook of one of their native 
 caps, which was covered with the tail 
 feathers of tropic birds, and highlv 
 prized even amongst themselves 
 
June 1777.] 
 
 ISLAND OF KOTOO. 
 
 12' 
 
 reconciled to their making a ionger 
 stay ; for on quitting us he left his 
 brother and five of his attendants on 
 board. We had also the company of 
 a chief, just then arrived from Tonga- 
 taboo, whose name was Tooboueitoa. 
 The moment he arrived he sent his 
 canoe away, and declared that he and 
 five more who came with him would 
 sleep on board ; so that I had now my 
 cabin filled with visitors. This, in- 
 deed, was some inconvenience ; but I 
 bore with it more willingly, as they 
 brought plenty of provisions with them 
 as presents to me ; for which they 
 always had suitable returns. About 
 1 o'clock in the afternoon the easterly 
 wind was succeeded by a fresh breeze 
 at SSE. Our course now being SSW. , 
 or more southerly, we were obliged to 
 ply to windward, and did but just 
 fetch the north side of Footooha by 
 8 o'clock, where we spent the night, 
 making short boards. The next morn- 
 ing we plied up to Lofanga, where, 
 according to the information of our 
 friends, there was anchorage. It was 
 1 o'clock in the afternoon before we 
 got soundings, under the lee or north- 
 west side, in forty fathoms water, near 
 half-a-mile from the shore ; but the 
 bank was steep and the bottom rocky, 
 and a chain of breakers lay to leeward. 
 All these circumstances being against 
 us, I stretched away for Kotoo, with 
 the expectation of finding better an- 
 choring ground under that island. 
 But so much time had been spent in 
 plying up to Lofanga, that it was dark 
 before we reached the other ; and, 
 finding no place to anchor in, the 
 night was spent as the preceding one. 
 At daybreak on the 31st, I stood for 
 the channel which is between Kotoo 
 and the reef of rocks that lies to the 
 westward of it ; but on drawing near 
 I found the wiud too scant to lead us 
 through. I therefore bore up on the 
 outside of the reef, and stretched to 
 the SW. till near noon, when, per- 
 ceiving that we made no progress to 
 windward, and being apprehensive of 
 losing the islands with so many of 
 the natives on board, I tacked and 
 stood back, intending to wait till 
 some more favourable opportunity. 
 
 We did but just fetch in witli Foo- 
 tooha, between which and Kotoo we 
 spent the night under reefed topsails 
 and foresail. The wind blew fresh, 
 and by squalls, with rain ; and we 
 were not without apprehensions of 
 danger. I kept the deck till mid- 
 night, when I left it to the master, 
 with such directions as I thought 
 would keep the ships clear of the 
 shoals and rocks that lay round us. 
 But after making a trip to the north, 
 and standing back again to the south, 
 our ship, by a small shift of the wind, 
 fetched farther to the windward than 
 was expected. By this means she 
 was very near running full upon a 
 low sandy isle, called Pootoo Pootooa, 
 surrounded with breakers. It hap- 
 pened very fortunately that the people 
 had just been ordered upon the deck, 
 to put the ship about, and the most 
 of them were at their stations, so that 
 the necessary movements were not 
 only executed with judgment, but 
 also with alertness, and this alone 
 saved us from destruction. The Dis- 
 covery, being astern, was out of danger. 
 Such hazardous situations are the un- 
 avoidable companions of the man who 
 goes upon a voyage of discovery. 
 
 This circumstance frightened our 
 passengers so much, that they ex- 
 pressed a strong desire to get ashore. 
 Accordingly, as soon as daylight re- 
 turned, I hoisted out a boat, and 
 ordered the officer who commanded 
 her, after landing them at Kotoo, to 
 sound along the reef that spits off 
 from that island, for anchorage. For 
 I was full as much tired as they could 
 be with beating about amongst the 
 surrounding isles and shoals, and de- 
 termined to get to an anchor some- 
 where or other if possible. While 
 the boat was absent, we attempted to 
 turn the ships through the channel 
 between the sandy isle and the reef 
 of Kotoo, in expectation of finding !\ 
 moderate depth of water behind them 
 to anchor in. But meeting with c 
 tide or current against us, we were 
 obliged to desist, and anchor in fifty 
 fathoms water, with the sandy isle 
 bearing E. by N., one mile distant 
 We lay here till the 4th. While in 
 
122 
 
 this station we were several times 
 visited by the King, by Tooboueitoa, 
 and by people from the neighbour- 
 ing islands, who came off to trade 
 with us, though the wind blew very 
 fresh most of the time. The master 
 was now sent to sound the channels 
 between the islands that lie to the 
 eastward ; and I landed on Kotoo, to 
 examine it, in the forenoon of the 2d 
 [of June]. This island is scarcely ac- 
 cessible by boats, on account of coral 
 reefs tbat surround it. It is not more 
 than a mile and a half or two miles 
 long, and not so broad. The NW. 
 end of it is low, like the islands of 
 Hapaee ; but it rises suddenly in the 
 middle, and terminates in reddish 
 clayey cliffs, at the SE. end, about 
 thirty feet high. The soil in that 
 quarter is of the same sort as in the 
 cliffs ; but in the other parts it is a 
 loose, black mould. It produces the 
 same fruits and roots which we found 
 at the other islands, is tolerably cul- 
 tivated, but thinly inhabited. "While 
 I was walking all over it, our people 
 were employed in cutting some grass 
 for the cattle ; and we planted some 
 melon seeds, with which the natives 
 seemed much pleased, and enclosed 
 them with branches. On our return 
 to the boat, we passed by two or three 
 ponds of dirty water, which was more 
 or less brackish in each of them ; and 
 saw one of their burying-places, which 
 was much neater than those that were 
 met with at Hapaee. 
 
 On the 4th, at seven in the morn- 
 ing, we weighed, and, with a fresh 
 gale at ESE. stood away for Anna- 
 mooka, where we anchored next 
 morning nearly in the same station 
 which we had so lately occupied. I 
 went on shore soon after, and found 
 the inhabitants very busy in their 
 plantations, digging up yams to bring 
 to market ; and in the course of the 
 day about 200 of them had assembled 
 on the beach, and traded with as 
 much eagerness as during our late 
 visit. Their stock appeared to have 
 been recruited much, though we had 
 returned so soon ; but instead of brcad- 
 fuiit, which was the only article we 
 Could purchase on our first arrival, 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B.ILCh.VI. 
 
 nothing was to be seen now but yams 
 and a few plantains. This shows the 
 quick succession of the seasons, at 
 least of the different vegetables pro- 
 duced here at the several times of the 
 year. It appeared also that they had 
 been very busy while we were absent 
 in cultivating ; for we now saw several 
 large plantain fields in places which 
 we had so lately seen lying waste. 
 The yams were now in the greatest 
 perfection : and we procured a good 
 quantity in exchanges for pieces of 
 iron. These people, in the absence 
 of Tooboii, whom we left behind us 
 at Kotoo with Poulaho and other 
 chiefs, seemed to be under little sub- 
 ordination. For we could not per- 
 ceive this day that one man assumed 
 more authority than another. Before 
 I returned on board, I visited the 
 several places where I had sown melon 
 seeds, and had the mortification to 
 find that most of them were destroyed 
 by a small ant ; but some pine-apple 
 plants, which I had also left, were in 
 a thriving state. 
 
 About noon next day Feenou ar- 
 rived from Vavaoo. He told us thai 
 several canoes, laden with hogs and 
 other provisions, which had sailed with 
 him from that island, had been lost, 
 owing to the late blowing weather ; 
 and that everybody on board them 
 had perished. This melancholy tale 
 did not seem to affect any of his coun- 
 trymen who heard it ; and as to our- 
 selves, we were by this time too well 
 acquainted with his character to give 
 much credit to such a story. The 
 truth probably was, that he had not 
 been able to procure at Yavaoo the 
 supplies which lie expected, or, if he 
 got any there, that he had left them 
 at Hapaee, which lay in his way back, 
 and where he could not but receive 
 intelligence that Poulaho had been 
 with us, who therefore, he knew, 
 would as his superior have all the 
 merit and reward of procuring them, 
 though he had not any share of the 
 trouble. The invention of this loss 
 at sea was, however, well imagined. 
 For there had lately been very blow- 
 ing weather, insomuch that the King 
 and other chiefs, who had followed us 
 
Jtjke 1777.J ARRIVAL AT 
 
 from Hapaee to Kotoo, liad been left 
 there, not caring to venture to sea 
 when we did ; but desired I might 
 ■wait for them at Annamooka, which 
 was the reason of my anchoring there 
 this second time, and of my not pro- 
 ceeding directly to Tongataboo. 
 
 The following morning, Poulaho 
 and the other chiefs who had been 
 windbound with him arrived. I hap- 
 pened, at this time to be ashore in 
 company with Feenou, who now 
 seemed to be sensible of the impro- 
 priety of his conduct in assuming a 
 character that did not belong to him. 
 For he not only acknowledged Poulaho 
 to be King of Tongataboo and the 
 other isles, but affected to insist much 
 on it, which no doubt was with a view 
 to make amends for his former pre- 
 sumption. I left him to visit this 
 greater man, whom I found sitting 
 with a few people before him. But, 
 every one hastening to pay court to 
 him, the circle increased pretty fast. 
 I was very desirous of observing Fee- 
 nou's behaviour on this occasion ; and 
 had the most convincing proof of his 
 inferiority, for he placed himself 
 amongst the rest that sat before Pou- 
 laho as attendants on his majesty. 
 He seemed at first rather abashed, as 
 some of us were present who had been 
 rised to see him act a different part ; 
 but he soon recovered himself. Some 
 little conversation passed between 
 these two chiefs, which none of us 
 understood ; nor were we satisfied 
 with Omai's interpretation of it. "We 
 were, however, by this time sufficiently 
 undeceived as to Feenou's rank. Both 
 he and Poulaho went on board with 
 me to dinner ; but only the latter sat 
 at table. Feenou, having made his 
 obeisance in the usual way, saluting 
 his sovereign's foot with his head and 
 hands, retired out of the cabin. The 
 King had before told us that this 
 would happen ; and it now appeared 
 that Feenou could not even eat nor 
 drink in his royal presence. 
 
 At 8 o'clock next morning we 
 weighed and steered for Tongataboo, 
 having a gentle breeze at NE. About 
 fourteen or fifteen sailing vessels be- 
 longing to the natives set out with- 
 
 TONGATABOO. 
 
 123 
 
 out us ; but every one of them outrun 
 the ships considerably. Feenou was 
 to have taken his passage in the 
 Resolution, but preferred his own 
 canoe, and put two men on board to 
 conduct us to the best anchorage. 
 "We steered S. by "W. by compass. 
 "We continued the same course till 
 2 o'clock next morning, when, seeing 
 some lights ahead, and not knowing 
 whether they were on shore or on 
 board the canoes, we hauled the 
 wind, and made a short trip each 
 way till daybreak. We then re- 
 sumed our course to the S. by "W. ; 
 and, presently after, saw several 
 small islands before us, and Eooa and 
 Tongataboo beyond them. "We had 
 at this time twenty-five fathoms 
 water, over a bottom of broken coral 
 and sand. The depth gradually de- 
 creased as we drew near the isles 
 above mentioned, which lie ranged 
 along the NE. side of Tongataboo. 
 By the direction of our pilots we 
 steered for the middle of it, and for 
 the widest space between the small 
 isles which we were to pass, having 
 our boats ahead employed in sound- 
 ing. We were, insensibly, drawn 
 upon a large flat, upon which lay in- 
 numerable coral rocks, of different 
 depths below the surface of the water. 
 Notwithstanding all our care and at- 
 tention to keep the ship clear of them, 
 we could not prevent her from striking 
 on one of these rocks. Nor did the 
 Discovery, though behind us, escape 
 any better. Fortunately neither of 
 the ships stuck fast, nor received any 
 damage. "We could not get back with- 
 out increasing the danger, as we had 
 come in almost before the wind. Nor 
 could we cast anchor but with the cer- 
 tainty of having our cables instantly 
 cut in two by the rocks. "We had no 
 other resource but to proceed. To 
 this, indeed, we were encoiiraged, not 
 only by being told, but by seeing, 
 that there was deeper water between 
 us and the shore. However, that we 
 might be better informed, the mo- 
 ment we found a spot where we could 
 drop the anchor clear of rocks, wa 
 came to, and sent the masters, with 
 the boats, to sound. 
 
124 
 
 Soon after we had anchored, which 
 was about noon, several of the in- 
 habitants of Tongataboo came off in 
 their canoes to the ships. These, as 
 well as our pilots, assured us that we 
 should find deep water farther in, 
 and a bottom free from rocks. They 
 were not mistaken, for about 4 o'clock 
 the boats made the signal for having 
 found good anchorage. Upon this 
 we weighed and stood in till dark, 
 and then anchored in nine fathoms, 
 having a fine, clear, sandy bottom. 
 During the night we had some 
 showers of rain ; but towards the 
 morning the wind shifted to the S. 
 and SE., and brought on fair weather. 
 At daybreak we weighed, and, work- 
 ing in to the shore, met with no ob- 
 structions but such as were visible 
 and easily avoided. AVhile we were 
 plying up to the harbour, to which 
 the natives directed us, the King kept 
 sailing round us in his canoe. There 
 were at the same time a great many 
 small canoes about the ships. Two 
 of these, which could not get out of 
 the way of his royal vessel, he run 
 quite over, with as little concern as if 
 they had been bits of wood. Amongst 
 many others who came on board the 
 Resolution was Otago, who had been 
 so useful to me when I visited Ton- 
 gataboo during my last voyage ; and 
 one Toobou, who at that time had 
 attached himself to Captain Furneaux. 
 Each of them brought a hog and some 
 yams as a testimony of his friendship ; 
 and I was not wanting on my part in 
 making a suitable return. At length, 
 about two in the afternoon, we ar- 
 rived at our intended station. It was 
 a very snug place, formed by the shore 
 of Tongataboo on the SE., and two 
 small islands on the E. and NE. 
 Here we anchored in 
 water, over a bottom 
 distant from the shore 
 mile. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 Omai and some 
 
 ten fathoms 
 of oozy sand, 
 one-third of a 
 
 found the King waiting for 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Soon after we had anchored, having 
 first dined, 1 landed, accompanied by 
 
 [VOY.III.B.II.CE.VII. 
 
 of the officers. We 
 us upon 
 the beach. He immediately conducted 
 us to a small neat house, situated 
 a little within the skirts of the woods, 
 with a fine large area before it. This 
 house, he told me, was at my service 
 during our stay at the island, and a 
 better situation we could not wish 
 for. 
 
 We had not been long in the house 
 before a pretty large circle of the 
 natives were assembled before us and 
 seated upon the area. A root of the 
 " kava " plant being brought and laid 
 down before the King, he ordered it 
 to be split into pieces and distributed 
 to several people of both sexes, who 
 began the operation of chewing it; 
 and a bowl of their favourite liquor 
 was soon prepared. In the meantime 
 a baked hog, and two baskets of baked 
 yams, were produced, and afterward 
 divided into ten portions. These por- 
 tions were then given to certain people 
 present, but how many were to share 
 in each I could not tell. One of them, 
 I observed, was bestowed upon the 
 King's brother ; and one remained 
 undisposed of, which I judged was 
 for the King himself, as it was a 
 choice bit. The liquor was next 
 served out, but Poulaho seemed to 
 give no directions about it. The first 
 cup was brought to him, which he 
 ordered to be given to one who sat 
 near him. The second was also 
 brought to him, and this he kept. 
 The third was given to me, but their 
 manner of brewing having quenched 
 my thirst, it became Omai's property. 
 The rest of the liquor was distributed 
 to different people by direction of the 
 man who had the management of it. 
 One of the cups being carried to the 
 King's brother, he retired with this 
 and with his mess of victuals. Some 
 others also quitted the circle with 
 their portions; and the reason was, 
 they could neither eat nor drink in 
 the royal presence; but there wers 
 others present of a much inferior rank 
 of both sexes, who did both. Soon 
 after, most of them withdrew, carry- 
 ing with them what they had not 
 eaten of their share of the feast, I 
 
June 1777.] FRIENDLY RECEPTION AT TONGATABOO 
 
 observed that not a fourth part of the 
 company had tasted either the victuals 
 or the drink — those who partook of 
 the former I supposed to be of the 
 King's household. The servants, who 
 distributed the baked meat and the 
 "kava," always delivered it out of 
 their hand sitting, not only to the 
 King, but to every other person. It 
 is worthy of remark, though this was 
 the first time of our landing, and a 
 great many people were present who 
 had never seen us before, yet no one 
 was troublesome ; but the greatest 
 good order was preserved throughout 
 the whole assembly. 
 
 Before I returned on board I went 
 in search of a watering-piace, and was 
 conducted to some ponds, or, rather, 
 holes, containing fresh water, as they 
 were pleased to call it. The contents 
 of one of these, indeed, were tolerable ; 
 but it was at some distance inland, 
 and the supply to be got from it was 
 rery inconsiderable. Being informed 
 that the little ijland of Pangimodoo, 
 near which the ships lay, could better 
 furnish this necessary article, I went 
 over to it next morning, and was so 
 fortunate as to find there a small pool 
 that had rather fresher water than any 
 we had met with amongstthese islands. 
 The pool being very dirty, I ordered 
 it to be cleaned, and here it was that 
 we watered the ships. As I intended 
 to make some stay at Tongataboo, we 
 pitched a tent in the forenoon just by 
 the house which Poulaho had assigned 
 for our use. The horses, cattle, and 
 sheep, were afterwards landed, and a 
 party of marines, with their officer, 
 stationed there as a guard. The ob- 
 servatory was then set up at a small 
 distance from the other tent, and Mr 
 King resided on shore to attend the 
 observations, and to superintend the 
 several operations necessary to be con- 
 ducted there ; for the sails were car- 
 ried thither to be repaired; a party 
 was employed in cutting wood for 
 fuel and plank for the use of the ships ; 
 and the gunners of both were ordered 
 to. remain upon the spot to conduct 
 the traffic with the natives, who 
 thronged from every part of the island 
 with hogs, yams, cocoa-nuts, and 
 
 125 
 
 other articles of their produce. In a 
 short time our land-post was like a 
 fair, and the ships were so crowded 
 with visitors that we had hardly room 
 to stir upon the decks. [On hearing 
 that there were other great men on 
 the island whom they had not seen, 
 with some little difficulty they were 
 introduced to Mareewagee and old 
 Toobou, whom they entertained for 
 an hour with a performance on two 
 French horns and a drum. This visit 
 old Toobou returned next morning 
 by coming on board ship, when he 
 received a considerable present from 
 Captain Clerke.] 
 
 Toward noon [on the 4th] Poulaho 
 returned from the place where we had 
 left him two days before, and brought 
 with him his son, a youth about 
 twelve years of age. I had his com- 
 pany at dinner, but the son, though 
 present, was not allowed to sit down 
 with him. It was very convenient to 
 have him for my guest ; for when he 
 was present, which was generally the 
 case while we stayed here, every other 
 native was excluded from the table, 
 and but few of them would remain in 
 the cabin. Whereas, if by chance it 
 happened that neither he nor Feenou 
 was on board, the inferior chiefs 
 would be very importunate to be of 
 our dining' party, or to be admitted 
 into the cabin at that time ; and then 
 we were so crowded that we could not 
 sit down to a meal with any satisfac- 
 tion. The King was very soon recon- 
 ciled to our manner of cookery. But 
 still I believe he dined thus frequently 
 with me more for the sake of what we 
 gave him to drink than for what we 
 set before him to eat. For he had 
 taken a liking to our wine, could 
 empty his bottle as well as most men, 
 and was as cheerful over it. He now 
 fixed his residence at the house, or 
 " malaee," by our tent; and there he 
 entertained our people this evening 
 with a dance. To the surprise of 
 everybody the unwieldy Poulaho en- 
 deavoured to vie with others in that 
 active amusement. 
 
 In the morning of the 15th I re- 
 ceived a message from old Toobou 
 that he wanted to see me ashore. 
 
12b COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 Accordingly Oinai and I went to wait 
 upon hirn. "VVe found him, like an 
 ancient patriarch, seated under the 
 shade of a tree, with a large piece of 
 a cloth made in the island spread out 
 at full length before him, and a num- 
 ber of respectable-looking people sit- 
 ting round it. He desired us to {dace 
 ourselves by him, and then he told 
 Omai that the cloth, together with a 
 piece of red feathers and about a dozen 
 cocoa-nuts, were his present to me. 
 I thanked him for the favour, and 
 desired he would go on board with 
 me, as I had nothing on shore to give 
 him in return. Omai now left me, 
 being sent for by Poulaho ; and soon 
 after Feenou came and acquainted me 
 that young Fatrafaihe, Poulaho 's son, 
 desired to see me. I obeyed the sum- 
 mons, and found the prince and Omai 
 sitting under a large canopy of the 
 finer sort of cloth, with a piece of the 
 coarser sort spread under them and 
 before them that was seventy-six 
 yards long and seven and a half broad. 
 On one side was a large old boar, and 
 on the other side a heap of cocoa-nuts. 
 A number of people were seated round 
 the cloth, and amongst them I ob- 
 
 served Mareewagee and others of the 
 first rank. I was desired to sit down 
 by the prince, and then Omai informed 
 me that he had been instructed by the 
 King to tell me that, as he and I 
 were friends, he hoped his son might 
 be joined in this friendship, and that, 
 as a token of my consent, I would 
 accept of his present. I very readily 
 agreed to the proposal ; and it being 
 now dinner-time, I invited them all 
 on board. 
 
 Accordingly the young prince, Ma- 
 reewagee, old Toobou, three or four 
 inferior chiefs, and two respectable 
 old ladies of the first rank, accom- 
 panied me. Mareewagee was dressed 
 in a new piece of cloth, on the skirts 
 of which were fixed six pretty large 
 patches of red feathers. This dress 
 seemed to have been made on purpose 
 for this visit, for as soon as he got on 
 board he put it off and presented it to 
 me, having, I guess, heard that it 
 would be acceptable on account of the 
 feathers. Every one of my visitors 
 
 [Voy.IILB.II.Ch.VII. 
 
 received from me such presents as I 
 had reason to believe they were highly 
 satisfied with. When dinner came 
 upon table, not one of them would sit 
 down, or eat a bit of anything that 
 was served up. On expressing my 
 surprise at this, they were all " taboo, " 
 as they said, which word has a very 
 comprehensive meaning, but in gene- 
 ral signifies that a thing is forbidden. 
 Why they were laid under such re- 
 straints at present was not explained. 
 Dinner being over, and having grati- 
 fied their curiosity by showing to 
 them every part of the ship, I then 
 conducted them ashore. As soon as 
 the boat reached the beach, Feenou 
 and some others instantly stepped out. 
 
 Young Fatrafaihe following them, was 
 called back by Mareewagee, who now 
 paid the heir-apparent the same obeis- 
 ance, and in the same manner, that I 
 had seen it paid to the King. And 
 when old Toobou and one of the old 
 ladies had shown him the same marks 
 of respect, he was suffered to land. 
 This ceremony being over, the old 
 people stepped from my boat into a 
 canoe that was waiting to carry them 
 to their place of abode. 
 
 I was not sorry to be preset on 
 this occasion, as I was thus furnished 
 with the most unequivocal proofs of 
 the supreme dignity of Poulaho and 
 his son over the other principal chiefs. 
 Indeed by this time I had acquired 
 some certain information about the 
 relative situations of the several great 
 men whose names have been so often 
 mentioned. I now knew that Maree- 
 wagee and old Toobou were brothers. 
 Both of them were men of great pro- 
 perty in the island, and seemed to be 
 in high estimation with the people ; 
 the former, in particular, had the 
 very honourable appellation given to 
 him, by everybody, of "Motooa 
 Tonga;" that is to say, Father of 
 Tonga, or of his country. The 
 nature of his relationship to the King 
 was also no longer a secret to us ; for 
 we now understood that he was his 
 father-in-law, Poulaho having mar- 
 ried one of his daughters, by whom 
 he had this son; so that Mareewagee 
 was the prince's grandfather. Pou- 
 
June 1777.] ENTERTAINMENT GIVEN BY MAREEWAGEE. 127 
 
 tivate for that purpose, and which 
 seldom grows more than six or seven 
 feet in height and about four fingers 
 in thickness. From these they strip 
 the bark, and scrape off the outer 
 rind with a mussel-shell. The bark 
 is then rolled up to take off the con- 
 vexity which it had round the stalk, 
 and macerated in water for some 
 time (they say a night). After this, 
 it is laid across the trunk of a small 
 tree squared, and beaten with a 
 square wooden instrument, about a 
 foot long, full of coarse grooves on all 
 sides; but sometimes with one that 
 is plain. According to the size of 
 the bark, a piece is soon produced ; 
 but the operation is often repeated by 
 another hand, or it is folded several 
 times and beaten longer, which seems 
 rather intended to close than to divide 
 its texture. "When this is sufficiently 
 effected, it is spread out to dry ; the 
 pieces being from four to six or more 
 feet in length, and half as broad. 
 They are then given to another per- 
 son, who joins the pieces, by smear- 
 ing part of them over with the viscous 
 juice of a berry called "to-oo," which 
 
 laho's appearance having satisfied us 
 that we had been under a mistake in 
 considering Feenou as the sovereign 
 of these islands, we had been at first 
 much puzzled about his real rank ; 
 but that was by this time ascertained, 
 Feenou was one of Mareewagee's sons, 
 and Tooboueitoa was another. 
 
 On my landing I found the King 
 in the house adjoining to our tent, 
 along with our people who resided on 
 shore. The moment I got to him, 
 he bestowed upon me a present of a 
 large hog and a quantity of yams. 
 About the dusk of the evening a 
 number of men came, and, having 
 sat down in a round group, began to 
 sing in concert with the music of 
 bamboo drums, which were placed in 
 the centre. There were three long 
 ones and two short. With these 
 they struck the ground endwise, as 
 before described. 1 There were two 
 others which lay on the ground 
 Bide by side, and one of them was 
 split or shivered; on these a man 
 kept beating with two small sticks. 
 They sung three songs while I stayed, 
 and I was told that after I left them 
 the entertainment lasted till 10 
 o'clock. They burnt the leaves of 
 the "wharra" palm for a light; 
 which is the only thing I ever saw 
 them make use of for this purpose. 
 
 On the 16th in the morning, after 
 visiting the several works now carry- 
 ing on ashore, Mr Gore and I took a 
 walk into the country ; in the course 
 of which nothing remarkable ap- 
 peared but our having opportunities 
 of seeing the whole process of making 
 cloth, which is the principal manu- 
 facture of these islands, as well as of 
 many others in this ocean. In the 
 narrative of my first voyage, a minute 
 description is given of these operations 
 as performed at Otaheite ; but the 
 process here differing in some partic- 
 ulars, it may be worth while to give 
 the following account of it : 
 
 The manufactiu-ers, who are females, 
 take the slender stalks or trunks of 
 the paper-mulberry, which they cul- 
 
 1 In the account of the festivities 
 at Hnpnee, ante, Chapter V. 
 
 a glue. 
 
 Having been thus 
 
 lengthened, they are laid over a large 
 piece of wood, with a kind of stamp, 
 made of a fibrous substance pretty 
 closely interwoven, placed beneath. 
 The}' then take a bit of cloth, and 
 dip it in a juice expressed from tho 
 bark of a tree called " kokka," which 
 they rub briskly upon the piece that 
 is making. This at once leaves a 
 dull brown colour and a dry gloss 
 upon its surface; the stamp at the 
 same time making a slight impres- 
 sion, that answers no other purpose 
 that I could see but to make the 
 several pieces that are glued together 
 stick a little more firmly. In this 
 manner they proceed, joining and 
 staining by degrees, till they produce 
 a piece of cloth of such length and 
 breadth as they want; generally 
 leaving a border of a foot broad at 
 the sides, and longer at the ends, 
 unstained. Throughout the whole, 
 if any parts of the original pieces 
 are too thin, or have holes, which is 
 often the case, they glue spara bits 
 
i28 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 upon them till they become of an 
 equal thickness. When they want 
 to produce a black colour, they mix 
 the soot procured from an oily nut 
 called " dooe dooe," with the juice of 
 the " kokka," in different quantities, 
 according to the proposed depth of the 
 tinge. They say that the black sort 
 of cloth, which is most commonly 
 glazed, makes a cold dress, but the 
 other a warm one; and, to obtain 
 strength in both they are always 
 careful to join the small pieces length- 
 wise, which makes it impossible to 
 tear the cloth in any direction but 
 one. 
 
 On our return from the country 
 we met with Feenou, and took him 
 and another young chief on board to 
 dinner. "When our fare was set upon 
 the table, neither of them would eat 
 a bit; saying that they were " taboo 
 avy." But after inquiring how the 
 victuals had been dressed, having 
 found that no "avy" (water) had 
 been used in cooking a pig and some 
 yams, they both sat down and made 
 a very hearty meal; and, on being 
 assured that there was no water in 
 the wine, they drank of it also. From 
 this we conjectured that on some 
 account or another they were at this 
 time forbidden to use water ; or, 
 which was more probable, they did 
 not like the water we made use of, it 
 being taken up out of one of their 
 bathing places. This was not the 
 only time of our meeting with people 
 that were "taboo avy;" but for what 
 reason we never could tell with any 
 degree of certainty. 
 
 Next day, the 17th, was fixed upon 
 by Mareewagee for giving a grand 
 "Haiva," or entertainment, to which 
 we were all invited. For this purpose 
 a large space had been cleared before 
 the temporary hut of this chief near 
 our post, as an area where the per- 
 formances were to be exhibited. In 
 the morning great multitudes of the 
 natives came in from the country, 
 every one carrying a pole about six 
 feet long upon his shoulder; and at 
 each end of every pole a yam was 
 suspended. These yams and poles 
 were deposited on each side of the 
 
 [Voy.IILB.II.Ch.VH. 
 
 area, so as to form two large heaps, 
 decorated with different sorts 01 small 
 fish, and piled up to the greatest 
 advantage. They were Mareewagee's 
 present to Captain Clerke and me ; 
 and it was hard to say whether the 
 wood for fuel or the yams for food 
 were of most value to us. As for the 
 fish, they might serve to please the 
 sight, but were very offensive to the 
 smell ; part of them having been kept 
 two or three days, to be presented to 
 us on this occasion. Everything 
 being thus prepared, about 11 o'clock 
 they began to exhibit various dances, 
 which they call "mai." The music 1 
 consisted at first of seventy men as a 
 chorus, who sat down ; and amidst 
 them were placed three instruments 
 which we called drums, though 
 very unlike them. They are large 
 cylindrical pieces of wood, or trunks 
 of trees, from three to four feet long, 
 some twice as thick as an ordinary- 
 sized man, and some smaller, hol- 
 lowed entirely out, but close at both 
 ends, and open only by a chink about 
 three inches broad running almost 
 the whole length of the drums ; by 
 which opening the rest of the wood is 
 certainly hollowed, though the opera- 
 tion must be difficult. This instru- 
 ment is called "naffa;" and with the 
 chink turned toward them, they sit 
 and beat strongly upon it with two 
 cylindrical pieces of hard wood about 
 a foot long and as thick as the wrist ; 
 by which means they produce a rude 
 though loud and powerful sound. 
 They vary the strength and rate of 
 their beating at different parts of the 
 dance ; and also change the tones, by 
 beating in the middle or near the 
 end of their drum. 
 
 The first dance consisted of four 
 ranks of twenty-four men each, hold- 
 ing in their hands a little, thin, light 
 wooden instrument, above two feet 
 long, and in shape not unlike a small 
 oblong paddle. AVith these, which 
 
 1 Mr Anderson's description of the 
 entertainments of this day, being 
 much fuller than Captain Cook's, has 
 been adopted, as on a former occa- 
 sion. 
 
June 1777.] 
 
 are called ' 
 great m^ny 
 
 MAREEWAGEE'S ENTERTAINMENT. 
 
 they made a 
 motions ; such 
 
 129 
 
 pagge, 
 different 
 as pointing them towards the ground 
 on one side, at the same time inclin- 
 ing their bodies that way, from which 
 they were shifted to the opposite side 
 in the same manner ; then passing 
 them quickly from one hand to the 
 other, and twirling them about very 
 dexterously, with a variety of other 
 manoeuvres, all which were accom- 
 panied by corresponding attitudes of 
 the body. Their motions were at 
 first slow, but quickened as the drums 
 beat faster ; and they recited sen- 
 tences in a musical tone the whole 
 time, which were answered by the 
 chorus ; but at the end of a short 
 space they all joined, and finished 
 with a shout. After ceasing about 
 two or three minutes, they began as 
 before, and continued, with short in- 
 tervals, above a quarter of an hour, 
 when, the rear rank dividing, shifted 
 themselves very slowly rouDd each 
 end, and meeting in the front, formed 
 the first rank, the whole number con- 
 tinuing to recite the sentences as 
 before. The other ranks did the same 
 successively, till that which at first 
 was the front became the rear ; and 
 the evolution continued in the same 
 manner till the last rank regained its 
 first situation. They then began a 
 much quicker dance (though slow at 
 first), and sang for about ten minutes, 
 when the whole body divided into two 
 parts, retreated a little, and then ap- 
 proached, forming a sort of circular 
 figure, which finished the dance, the 
 drums being removed, and the chorus 
 going off the field at the same time. 
 
 The second dance had only two 
 drums, with forty men for a chorus ; 
 and the dancers, or rather actors, 
 consisted of two ranks, the foremost 
 having seventeen and the other fifteen 
 persons. Feenou was at their head, 
 or in the middle of the front rank, 
 which is the principal place in these 
 cases. They danced and recited sen- 
 tences, with some very short intervals, 
 for about half-an-hour, sometimes 
 quickly, sometimes more slowly, but 
 ■with such a degree of exactness as if 
 ili the motions were made by one 
 
 man, which did them great credit. 
 Near the close, the back rank divided, 
 came round, and took the place of the 
 front, which again resumed its situa- 
 tion, as in the first dance ; and when 
 they finished, the drums and chorus, 
 as before, went off. 
 
 Three drums (which at least took 
 two, and sometimes three, men to 
 carry them) were now brought in, 
 and seventy men sat down as a chorus 
 to the third dance. This consisted 
 of two ranks of sixteen persons each, 
 with young Toobou at their head, who 
 was richly ornamented with a sort of 
 garment covered with red feathers. 
 These danced, sang, and twirled the 
 "pagge" as before, but in general 
 much quicker, and performed so well 
 that they had the constant applauses 
 of the spectators. A motion that met 
 with particular approbation was one 
 in which they held the face aside as 
 if ashamed, and the "pagge" before 
 it. The back rank closed before the 
 front one, and that again resumed its 
 place, as in the two former dances ; 
 but then they began again, formed a 
 triple row, divided, retreated to each 
 end of the area, and left the greatest 
 part of the ground clear. At that 
 instant two men entered very hastily, 
 and exercised the clubs which they 
 use in battle. They did this by first 
 twirling them in their hands and 
 making circular strokes before them 
 with great force and quickness, but 
 so skilfully managed that though 
 standing quite close they never inter- 
 fered. They shifted their clubs from 
 hand to hand with great dexterity ; 
 and after continuing a little time, 
 kneeled and made different motions, 
 tossing the clubs up in the air, which 
 they caught as they fell, and then 
 went off as hastily as they entered. 
 Their heads were covered with pieces 
 of white cloth tied at the crown almost 
 like a nightcap, with a wreath of 
 foliage round the forehead ; but they 
 had only very small pieces of white 
 cloth tied about their waists, probably 
 that they might be cool and free from 
 every encumbrance or weight. A 
 person with a spear, dressed like the 
 former, then came in, and in the same 
 
 I 
 
130 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 hasty manner, looking about eagerly 
 as if in search of somebody to throw 
 it at. He then ran hastily to one 
 sid6 of the CTowd in the front, and 
 put himself in a threatening attitude, 
 as if he meant to strike with his spear 
 at one of them, bending the knee a 
 little, and trembling as it were with 
 rage. He continued in this manner 
 only a few seconds, when he moved 
 to the other side, and having stood 
 in the same posture there for the same 
 short time, retreated from the ground 
 as fast as when he made his appear- 
 ance. The dancers, who had divided 
 into two parties, kept repeating some- 
 thing slowly all this while, and now 
 advanced and joined again, ending 
 with universal applause. It should 
 seem that this dance was considered 
 as one of their capital performances, 
 if we might judge from some of the 
 principal people being engaged in it. 
 For one of the drums was beat by 
 Futtafaihe, the brother of Poulaho ; 
 another by Feenou ; and the third, 
 which did not belong to the chorus, 
 byMareewagee himself, at the entrance 
 of his hut. 
 
 The last dance had forty men and 
 two drums as a chorus. It consisted 
 of sixty men who had not danced be- 
 fore, disposed in three rows, having 
 twenty-four in front. But before 
 they began we were entertained with 
 a pretty long preliminary harangue, 
 in which the whole body made re- 
 sponses to a single person who spoke. 
 They recited sentences (perhaps verses) 
 alternately with the chorus, and made 
 many motions with the "pagge,"in 
 a very brisk mode, which were all 
 applauded with " mareeai " and " fy- 
 fogge," words expressing two different 
 degrees of praise. They divided into 
 two bodies, with their backs to each 
 other, formed again, shifted their 
 ranks as in the other dances, divided 
 and retreated, making room for two 
 champions, who exercised their clubs 
 as before ; and after them two others, 
 the dancers all the time reciting 
 slowly in turn with tho chorus, after 
 which they advanced and finished. 
 These dances, if they can properly be 
 called so, lasted from 11 till near 3 
 
 [Vot.III.B.II.Ch.VI1. 
 
 o'clock ; and though they were doubt- 
 less intended particularly either in 
 honour of us, or to show a specimen 
 of their dexterity, vast numbers of 
 their own people attended as specta- 
 tors. Their numbers could not be 
 computed exactly, on account of the 
 inequality of tht ground ; but by 
 reckoning the inner circle, and the 
 number in depth, which was between 
 twenty and thirty in many places, we 
 supposed that there must be near 
 4000. At the same time there were 
 round the trading place at the tent 
 and straggling about, at least as many 
 more ; and some of us computed that 
 at this time there were not less than 
 10,000 or 12,000 people in our neigh- 
 bourhood — that is, within the com- 
 pass of a quarter of a mile, — drawn 
 together for the most part by mere 
 curiosity. 
 
 At night we were entertained with 
 the ' ' bomai, " or night dances, on 
 a space before Feenou's temporary 
 habitation. They lasted about three 
 hours, in which time we had about 
 twelve of them performed, much after 
 the same manner as those at Hapaee. 
 But in two, that were performed by 
 women, a number of men came and 
 formed a circle within theirs ; and in 
 another, consisting of twenty-four 
 men, there were a number of motions 
 with the hands that we had not seen 
 before, and were highly applauded. 
 The music was also once changed in 
 the course of the night, and in one of 
 the dances Feenou appeared, at the 
 head of fifty men who had performed 
 at Hapaee, and he was well dressed 
 with linen, a large piece of gauze, 
 and some little pictures hung round 
 his neck. But it was evident, after 
 the diversions were closed, that we 
 had put these poor people, or rather 
 that they had put themselves, to much 
 inconvenience ; for being drawn to- 
 gether on this uninhabited part of 
 their island, numbers of them were 
 obliged to lie down and sleep under 
 the bushes, by the side of a tree, or 
 of a canoe — nay, many either lay 
 down in the open air, which they are 
 not fond of, or walked about all the 
 night. The whole of this entertain- 
 
June 1777.] THEFTS COMMITTED 
 
 ment was conducted with far better 
 order than could have been expected 
 in so large an assembly. Amongst 
 such a multitude there must be a 
 number of ill-disposed people, and we 
 hourly experienced it. All our care 
 and attention did not prevent their 
 plundering us in every quarter, and 
 that in the most daring and insolent 
 manner. There was hardly anything 
 that they did not attempt to steal ; 
 and yet, as the crowd was always so 
 great, I would not allow the sentries 
 to fire, lest the innocent should suffer 
 for the guilty. They once, at noon- 
 day, ventured to aim at taking an 
 anchor from off the Discovery's bows, 
 and they would certainly have suc- 
 ceeded if the fluke had not hooked 
 one of the chain plates in lowering 
 down the ship's side, from which 
 they could not disengage it by hand, 
 and tackles were things they were 
 unacquainted with. The only act of 
 violence they were guilty of was the 
 breaking the shoulder-bone of one 
 of our goats, so that she died soon 
 after. This loss fell upon themselves, 
 as she was one of those that I intended 
 to leave upon the island ; but of this 
 the person who did it was ignorant. 
 
 Early in the morning of the 18th, 
 an incident happened that strongly 
 marked one of then - customs. A man 
 got out of a canoe into the quarter- 
 gallery of the Resolution, and stole 
 from thence a pewter basin. He was 
 discovered, pursued, and brought 
 alongside the ship. On this occasion 
 three old women who were in the 
 canoe made loud lamentations over 
 the prisoner, beating their breasts and 
 faces in a most violent manner with 
 the inside of their fists, and all this 
 was done without shedding a tear. 
 This mode of expressing grief is what 
 occasions the mark which almost all 
 this people bear on the face over the 
 cheek-bones. The repeated blows 
 which they inflict upon this part 
 abrade the skin, and make even the 
 blood flow out in a considerable 
 quantity ; and when the wounds are 
 recent they look as if a hollow circle 
 had been burned in. On many occa- 
 sions they actually cut this part of the 
 
 BY THE NATIVES. 131 
 
 face with an instrument, in the same 
 manner as the people of Otaheite cut 
 their heads. 
 
 This day I bestowed on Mareewa- 
 gee some presents in return for those 
 we had received from him the day be- 
 fore ; and as the entertainments which 
 he had then exhibited for our amuse- 
 ment called upon us to make somo 
 exhibition in our way, I ordered the 
 party of marines to go through their 
 exercise on the spot where his dances 
 had been performed, and in the even- 
 ing played off some fireworks at the 
 same place. Foulaho, with all the 
 principal chiefs, and a great number 
 of people of all denominations, were 
 present. The platoon firing, which 
 was executed tolerably well, seemed 
 to give them pleasure ; but they were 
 lost in astonishment when they be- 
 held our water rockets. They paid but 
 little attention to the fife and drum, 
 or French horns, that played during 
 the intervals. The King sat behind 
 everybody, because no one is allowed 
 to sit behind him, and, that his view 
 might not be obstructed, nobody sat 
 immediately before him ; but a lane, 
 as it were, was made by the people 
 from him quite down to the space 
 allotted for the fireworks. 
 
 In expectation of this evening show, 
 the circle of natives about our tent 
 being pretty large, they engaged the 
 greatest part of the afternoon in box- 
 ing and wrestling ; the first of which 
 exercises they call "fangatooa" and 
 the second "fooboo." When any of 
 them chooses to wrestle, he gets up from 
 one side of the ring, and crosses the 
 ground in a sort of measured pace, 
 clapping smartly on the elbow joint 
 of one arm, which is bent, and pro- 
 duces a hollow sound ; that is reck- 
 oned the challenge. If no person 
 comes out from the opposite side to 
 engage him, he returns in the same 
 manner and sits down ; but sometimes 
 stands clapping in the midst of the 
 ground to provoke some one to come 
 out. If an opponent appear, they 
 come together with marks of the 
 greatest good-nature, generally smil- 
 ing, and taking time to adjust the 
 piece of cloth which is fastened round 
 
332 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. II. Ch. VII, 
 
 the waist. They then lay hold of 
 each other by this girdle, with a hand 
 on each side ; and lie who succeeds 
 in drawing his antagonist to him, im- 
 mediately tries to lilt him upon his 
 breast and throw him upon his back ; 
 and if he be able to turn round with 
 him two or three times in that posi- 
 tion before he throws him, his dex- 
 terity never fails of procuring plau- 
 dits from the spectators. If they 
 be more equally matched, they close 
 soon, and endeavour to throw each 
 other by entwining their legs, or lift- 
 ing each other from the ground, in 
 which struggles they show a prodigi- 
 ous exertion of strength, every muscle, 
 as it were, being ready to burst with 
 straining. When one is thrown, he 
 immediately quits the field ; but the 
 vietor sits down for a few seconds, 
 then gets up and goes to the side he 
 came from, who proclaim the victory 
 aloud, in a sentence delivered slowly 
 and in a musical cadence. After sit- 
 ting a short space, he rises again and 
 challenges, when sometimes several 
 antagonists make their appearance ; 
 but he has the privilege of choosing 
 which of them he pleases to wrestle 
 with, and has likewise the preference 
 of challenging again, if lie should 
 throw his adversary, until he himself 
 be vanquished ; and then the opposite 
 side sing the song of victory in favour 
 of their champion. It also often 
 happens that five or six rise from 
 each side and challenge together, in 
 
 which case it is common to 
 or four couple engaged on 
 
 see three 
 the field 
 at once. But it is astonishing 
 to see what temper they preserve in 
 this exercise, for we observed no 
 instances of their leaving the spot 
 with the least displeasure in their 
 countenances. When they find that 
 they are so equally matched as not 
 to be likely to throw each other, they 
 leave off by mutual consent. And if 
 the fall of one is not fair, or if it does 
 not appear very clearly who has had 
 the advantage, both sides sing the 
 victory, and then they engage again. 
 But no person who has been van- 
 quished can engage with his conqueror 
 ft second time. 
 
 The boxers advance sidewaya, 
 changing the side at every pace, with 
 one arm stretched fully out before, 
 the other behind, and holding a piece 
 of cord in one hand, which they wrap 
 firmly about it when they find an 
 antagonist, or else have done so before 
 they enter. This I imagine they do 
 to prevent dislocation of the hand or 
 fingers. Their blows are directed 
 chiefly to the head, but sometimes to 
 the sides, and are dealt out with great 
 activity. They shift sides, and box 
 equally well with both hands. But 
 one of their favourite and most dex- 
 terous blows is to turn round on their 
 heel just as they have struck their 
 antagonist, and to give him another 
 very smart one with the other hand 
 backward. The boxing matches sel- 
 dom last long, and the parties either 
 leave off together, or one acknow- 
 ledges his being beaten. But they 
 never sing the song of victory in thesa 
 cases, unless one strikes his adversary 
 to the ground, which shows, that of 
 the two, wrestling is their most ap- 
 proved diversion. Not only boys 
 engage in both the exercises, but fre- 
 quently little girls box very obstin- 
 ately for a short time. In all which 
 cases it does not appear that they 
 ever consider it as the smallest dis- 
 grace to be vanquished ; and the per- 
 son overcome sits down with as much 
 indifference as if he had never entered 
 the lists. Some of our people ven- 
 tured to contend with them in both 
 exercises, but were always worsted, 
 except in a few instances, where it 
 appeared that the fear they were in of 
 oll'ending us contributed more to the 
 victory than the superiority of the 
 person they engaged. 
 
 The cattle which we had brought, 
 and which were all on shore, how- 
 ever carefully guarded, I was sensible, 
 ran no small risk, when I considered 
 the thievish disposition of many of 
 the natives, and their dexterity in 
 appropriating to themselves by stealth 
 what they saw no prospect of obtain- 
 ing by fair means. For this reason I 
 thought it prudent to declare my in- 
 tention of leaving behind me some of 
 our animals, and even to make a dis- 
 
June 1777.] 
 
 tribution of them previously to my 
 departure. "With this view, in the 
 evening of the 19th, I assembled all 
 the chiefs before our house, and my 
 intended presents to them were marked 
 out. To Poulaho, the King, I gave 
 a young English bull and cow ; to 
 Mareewagce, a Cape ram and two 
 ewes; and to Feenou a horse and a 
 mare. As my design to make such a 
 distribution had been made known 
 the day before, most of the people in 
 the neighbourhood were then present. 
 I instructed Omai to tell them that 
 there were no such animals within 
 many months' sad of their island ; 
 that we had brought them for their use 
 from that immense distance, at a vast 
 trouble and expense ; that therefore 
 they must be careful not to kill any 
 of them till they had multiplied to a 
 numerous race ; and lastly, that they 
 and their children ought to remem- 
 ber that they had received them from 
 the men of "Britane. " He also ex- 
 plained to them their several uses, 
 and what else was necessary for them 
 to know, or rather as far as he knew ; 
 for Omai was not very well versed in 
 such things himself. As I intended 
 that the above presents should re- 
 main with the other cattle till we 
 were ready to sail, I desired each of 
 the chiefs to send a man or two to 
 look after their respective animals 
 along with my people, in order that 
 they might be better acquainted with 
 them, and with the manner of treat- 
 ing them. The King and Feenou did 
 so, but neither Mareewagee, nor any 
 other person for him, took the least 
 notice of the sheep afterwards ; nor 
 did old Toobou attend at this meet- 
 ing, though he was invited, and was 
 in the neighbourhood. I had meant 
 to give him the goats, viz. , a ram and 
 two ewes, which, as he was so indif- 
 ferent about them, I added to the 
 King's share. 
 
 It soon appeared that some were 
 dissatisfied with this allotment of our 
 animals ; for early next morning one 
 of our kids and two turkey cocks were 
 missing. I could not be so simple as 
 to suppose that this was merely an ac- 
 cidental loss ; and I was determined to 
 
 CONFINEMENT OF POULAHO. 
 
 133 
 
 have them again , The first step I took 
 was to seize on tnree canoes that hap- 
 pened to be alongside the ships. I 
 then went ashore, and having found 
 the King, his brother, Feenou, and 
 some other chiefs, in the house that 
 Wi occupied, I immediately put a 
 guard over them, and gave them to 
 understand that they must remain 
 under restraint till not only the kid 
 and the turkeys, but the other things 
 that had been stolen from us, at dif- 
 ferent times, were restored. They 
 concealed, as well as they could, their 
 feelings on finding themselves pri- 
 soners ; and having assured me that 
 everything should be restored as I de- 
 sired, sat down to drink their "kava," 
 seemingly much at their ease. It was 
 not long before an axe and an iron 
 wedge were brought to me. In the 
 meantime some armed natives began 
 to gather behind the house ; but on a 
 part of our guard marching against 
 them they dispersed, and I advised 
 the chiefs to give orders that no more 
 should appear. Such orders were ac- 
 cordingly given by them, and they 
 were obeyed. On asking them to go 
 aboard with me to dinner, th^y readily 
 consented. But some having after- 
 ward objected to the King's going, he 
 instantly rose up and declared he would 
 be the first man. Accordingly we 
 came on board. I kept them there 
 till near 4 o'clock, when I conducted 
 them ashore, and soon after the kid 
 and one of the turkey cocks were 
 brought back. The other, they said, 
 should be restored the next morning. 
 I believed this would happen, and re- 
 leased both them and the canoes. 
 
 After the chiefs had left us, I walked 
 out with Omai to observe how the 
 people about us fared, for this was 
 the time of their meals. I found that 
 in general they were at short commons. 
 Nor is this to be wondered at, since 
 most of the yams and ether provisions 
 which they brought with them were 
 sold to us ; and they never thought of 
 returning to their own habitations 
 while they could find any sort of sub- 
 sistence in our neighbourhood. Our 
 station was upon an uncultivated 
 point of land, so that there were nolio 
 
134 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 of the islandeiB who, properly, resided 
 within half-a-mile of us. But even 
 at this distance, the multitude of 
 strangers being so great, one might 
 have expected that every house would 
 have been much crowded. It was 
 quite otherwise. The families resid- 
 ing there were as much left to them- 
 selves as if there had not been a 
 supernumerary visitor near them. All 
 the strangers lived in little temporary 
 sheds, or under trees and bushes ; and 
 the cocoa-trees were stripped of their 
 branches to erect habitations for the 
 chiefs. In this walk we met with 
 about half-a-dozen women in one place 
 at supper. Two of the company, I 
 observed, being fed by the others, on 
 our asking the reason they said 
 "taboo mattee." On further inquiry 
 we found that one of them had two 
 months before washed the dead corpse 
 of a chief, and that on this account 
 she was not to handle any food for five 
 months. The other had performed 
 the same office to the corpse of an- 
 other person of inferior rank, and was 
 now under the same restriction, but 
 not for so long a time. At another 
 place hard by we saw another woman 
 fed, and we learned that she had as- 
 sisted in washing the corpse of the 
 above-mentioned chief. 
 
 Early the next morning the King 
 came on board to invite me to an 
 entertainment which he proposed to 
 give the same day. He had already 
 been under the barber's hands, his 
 head being all besmeared with red 
 pigment in order to redden his hair, 
 which was naturally of a dark brown 
 :olour. After breakfast I attended 
 him to the shore, and we found his 
 people very busy, in two places in 
 the front of our area,, fixing in an up- 
 right and square position, thus [° °], 
 four very long posts near two feet 
 from each other. The space between 
 the posts was afterwards tilled up with 
 yams, and as they went on filling it, 
 they fastened pieces of sticks across 
 from post to post at the distance of 
 about every four feet, to prevent the 
 posts from separating by the weight of 
 the enclosed yams, and also to get up 
 by. Wheu the yams had reached the 
 
 [Voy.HI.B.II.Ch.VII. 
 
 top of the first posts, they fastened 
 others to them, and so continued til! 
 each pile was the height of thirty 
 feet or upwards. On the top of one 
 they placed two baked hogs, and on 
 the top of the other a living one ; and 
 another they tied by the legs half- 
 way up. It was matter of curiosity 
 to observe with what facility and de- 
 spatch these two piles were raised. 
 Had our seamen been ordered to exe- 
 cute such a work, they would have 
 sworn that it could not be performed 
 without carpenters ; and the carpen- 
 ters woidd have called to their aid a 
 dozen different sorts of tools, and 
 have expended at least a hundred- 
 weight of nails ; and after all it would 
 have employed them as many days as 
 it did these people hours. But sea- 
 men, like most other amphibious ani- 
 mals, are always the most helpless on 
 land. After they had completed these 
 two piles, they made several other 
 heaps of yams and bread-fruit on each 
 side of the area, to which were added 
 a turtle and a large quantity of excel- 
 lent fish. All this, with a piece of 
 cloth, a mat, and some red feathers, 
 was the King's present to me ; and he 
 seemed to pique himself on exceeding, 
 as he really did, Feenou's liberality 
 which I experienced at Hapaee. 
 
 About 1 o'clock they began the 
 "mai," or dances, the first of which 
 was almost a copy of the first that 
 was exhibited at Mareewagee's enter- 
 tainment. The second was conducted 
 by Captain Furneaux's Toobou, who, 
 as we mentioned, had also danced 
 there ; and in this four or five women 
 were introduced, who went through 
 the several parts with as much exact- 
 ness as the men. Towards the end, 
 the performers divided to leave room 
 for two champions, who exercised 
 their clubs, as described on a former 
 occasion. And in the third dance, 
 which was the last now presented, two 
 more men with their clubs displayed 
 their dexterity. The dances were 
 succeeded by wrestling and boxing, 
 and one man entered the lists with a 
 sort of club made from the stem of a 
 cocoa-leaf, which is firm and heavy, 
 but could find no antagonist to engage 
 
JtTKBl777.] SOME OF THE OFFICERS 
 
 him at so rough a sport. At night 
 we had the ' ' bomai " repeated, in 
 which Poulaho himself danced, dressed 
 in English manufacture. But neither 
 these, nor the dances in the daytime 
 were so considerable, nor carried on 
 with so much spirit, as Feenou's or 
 Mareewagee's ; and therefore there is 
 less occasion to be more particular 
 in our description of them. 
 
 In order to be present the whole 
 time, I dined ashore. The King sat 
 down with us, hut he neither ate nor 
 drank. I found that this was owing 
 to the presence of a female whom, at 
 his desire, I had admitted to the 
 dining party, and who, as we after- 
 wards understood, had superior rank 
 to himself. As soon as this great 
 personage had dined, she stepped up 
 to the King, who put his hands to her 
 feet, and then she retired. He imme- 
 diately dipped his fingers into a glass 
 of wine, and then received the obeis- 
 ance of all her followers. This was 
 the single instance we ever observed 
 of his paying this mark of reverence 
 to any person. At the King's desire 
 I ordered some fireworks to be played 
 off in the evening, but unfortunately 
 being damaged, this exhibition did 
 not answer expectation. 
 
 PLUNDERED. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 As no more entertainments were to 
 be expected on either side, and the 
 curiosity of the populace was by this 
 time pretty well satisfied, on the day 
 after Poulaho's " Haiva," most of 
 them left us. "We still, however, had 
 thieves about us ; and, encouraged by 
 the negligence of our own people, we 
 had continual instances of their de- 
 predations. Some of the officers be- 
 longing to both ships, who had made 
 an excursion into the interior parts 
 of the island without my leave, and 
 indeed without my knowledge, re- 
 turned this evening, after an absence 
 of two days. They had taken with 
 them their muskets, with the neces- 
 sary ammunition, and several small 
 articles of the favourite commodities; 
 
 all which the natives had tne dexterity 
 to steal from them in the course of 
 their expedition. This affair was 
 likely to be attended with incon- 
 venient consequences. For our plun- 
 dered travellers, upon their return, 
 without consulting me, employed 
 Omai to complain to the King of the 
 treatment they had met with. He, 
 not knowing what step I should take, 
 and, from what had already happened, 
 fearing lest I might lay him again 
 under restraint, went off early the 
 next morning. His example was fol- 
 lowed by Feenou ; so that we had 
 not a chief of any authority remaining 
 in our neighbourhood. I was very 
 much displeased at this, and repri- 
 manded Omai for having presumed to 
 meddle. This reprimand put him 
 upon his metal to bring his friend 
 Feenou back ; and he succeeded in 
 the negotiation, having this powerful 
 argument to urge, that he might depend 
 upon my using no violent measures to 
 oblige the natives to restore what had 
 been taken from the gentlemen. Fee- 
 nou, trusting to this declaration, re- 
 turned toward the evening ; and, 
 encouraged by his reception, Poulaho 
 favoured us with his company the day 
 after. 
 
 Both these chiefs, upon this occa- 
 sion, very justly observed to me that 
 if any of my people at any time wanted 
 to go into the country, they ought to 
 be acquainted with it ; in which case 
 they would send proper people along 
 with them, and then they would be 
 answerable for their safety. And I 
 am convinced from experience that, 
 by taking this very reasonable pre- 
 caution, a man and his property may 
 he as safe among these islanders as in 
 other parts of the more civilised world. 
 Though I gave myself no trouble about 
 the recovery of the things stolen upon 
 this occasion, most of them, through 
 Feenou's interposition, were recovered, 
 except one musket and a few other 
 articles of inferior value. By this 
 time also we had recovered the tur- 
 key cock and most of the tools and 
 other matters that had been stolen 
 from our workmen. We had now 
 recruited the ships with wood and 
 
136 
 
 COOK'S 
 
 water ; we had finished the repairs of 
 our sails ; and had little more to ex- 
 pect from the inhabitants of the pro- 
 duce of their island. However, as an 
 eclipse of the sun was to happen upon 
 the 5th of the next month, I resolved 
 to defer sailing till that time had 
 elapsed, in order to have a chance of 
 observing it. Having therefore some 
 days of leisure before me, a party of 
 us, accompanied by Poulaho, set out 
 early next morning in a boat, for 
 Jlooa, the village where he and the 
 other great men usually reside. As 
 we rowed up the inlet, we met with 
 fourteen canoes fishing in company, 
 in one of which was Poulaho's son. 
 In each canoe was a triangular net, 
 extended between two poles, at the 
 lower end of which was a cod 1 to re- 
 ceive and secure the fish. They had 
 already caught some fine mullets, and 
 they put about a dozen into our boat. 
 I desired to see their method of fish- 
 ing, which they readily complied 
 with. A shoal of fish was supposed 
 to be upon one of the banks, which 
 they instantly enclosed in a long net 
 like a seine or set-net. This the 
 fishers, one getting into the water out 
 of each boat, surrounded with the tri- 
 angular nets in their hands j with 
 which they scooped the fish out of 
 the seine, or caught them as they at- 
 tempted to leap over it. They showed 
 us the whole process of this operation 
 (which seemed to be a sure one), by 
 throwing in some of the fish they had 
 already caught, for at this time there 
 happened to be none upon the bank 
 that was enclosed. 
 
 Leaving the prince and his fishing 
 party, we proceeded to the bottom of 
 the bay, and landed where we had 
 done before on our fruitless errand to 
 Bee Mareewagee. As soon as we got 
 on shore, the King desired Ornai to 
 tell me that I need be under no ap- 
 prehensions about the boat or any- 
 thing in her, for not a single article 
 would be touched by any one ; and we 
 afterward found this to be the case. 
 We were immediately conducted to 
 one of Poulaho's houses not far off, 
 
 1 A bag, or pocket. 
 
 VOYAGES. [Vol. III. B. II. Ch. VIII. 
 
 and near the public one, or "lualaee,'' 
 in which we had been, when we first 
 visited Mooa. This, though pretty 
 large, seemed to be his private habi- 
 tation, and was situated within a 
 plantation. The King took his seal 
 at one end of the house, and the 
 people who came to visit him sat 
 down, as they arrived, in a semicircle 
 at the other end. The first thing 
 done was to prepare a bowl of "kava," 
 and to order some yams to be baked 
 for us. "While these were getting 
 ready, some of us, accompanied by a 
 few of the King's attendants, and 
 Omai as our interpreter, walked out 
 to take a view of a "fiatooka," oi 
 burying-place, which we had observed 
 to be almost close by the house, and 
 was much more extensive, and seem- 
 ingly of more consequence, than any 
 we had seen at the other islands. 
 We were told that it belonged to the 
 King. It consisted of three pretty 
 large houses, situated upon a rising 
 ground, or rather just by the brink ol 
 it, with a small one at some distance, 
 all ranged longitudinally. The mid- 
 dle house of the three first was by 
 much the largest, and placed in "a 
 square, twenty-four paces by twenty- 
 eight, raised about three feet. The 
 other houses were placed on little 
 mounts raised artificially to the same 
 height. The floors of these houses, 
 as also the tops of the mounts round 
 them, were covered with loose, fine 
 pebbles, and the whole was enclosed 
 by large flat stones of hard coral rock, 
 properly hewn, placed on their edges; 
 one of which stones measured twelve 
 feet in length, two in breadth, and 
 above one in thickness. One of the 
 houses, contrary to what we had seen 
 before, was open on one side; and 
 within it were two rude wooden busts 
 of men, one near the entrance and the 
 other farther in. On inquiring of the 
 natives who had followed us to the 
 ground, but durst not enter here, 
 what these images were intended for, 
 they made us as sensible as we could 
 wish, that they were merely memo- 
 rials of some chiefs who had been 
 buried there, and not the representa- 
 tions of any deity. Such monuments, 
 
Juke 1777.] 
 
 it should seem, are seldom raised ; 
 for these had probably been erected 
 several ages ago. "We were told that 
 the dead had been buried in each of 
 these houses ; but no marks of this 
 appeared. In one of them was the 
 carved head of an Otaheite canoe, 
 which had been driven ashore on their 
 coast, and deposited here. At the 
 foot of the rising ground was a large 
 area or grass plot, with different trees 
 planted about it; amongst which 
 were several of those called "etoa," 
 very large. These, as they resemble 
 the cypress, had a fine effect in such 
 a place. There was also a row of low 
 palms near one of the houses, and be- 
 hind it a ditch in which lay a great 
 number of old baskets. 
 
 After dinner, or rather after we had 
 refreshed ourselves with some provi- 
 sions which we had brought with us 
 from our ship, wo made an excursion 
 into the country, taking a pretty 
 large circuit, attended by one of the 
 King's ministers. Our train was not 
 great, as he would not suffer the 
 rabble to follow us. He also obliged 
 all those whom we met upon our pro- 
 gress to sit down till we had passed ; 
 which is a mark of respect due only 
 to their sovereigns. We found by far 
 the greatest part of the country cul- 
 tivated, and planted with various 
 sorts of productions; and most of 
 these plantations were fenced round. 
 Some spots, where plantations had 
 been formerly, now produced nothing, 
 lying fallow ; and there were places 
 that had never been touched, but lay 
 in a state of nature; and yet even 
 these were useful in affording them 
 timber, as they were generally covered 
 with trees. We met with several 
 large uninhabited houses, which, we 
 were told, belonged to the King. 
 There were many public and well- 
 beaten roads, and abundance of foot- 
 paths leading to every part of the 
 island. The roads being good and 
 the country level, travelling was very 
 easy. It is remarkable that when we 
 were on the most elevated parts, at 
 least 100 feet above the level of the 
 sea, we often met with the same coral 
 rock which is found at the shore, pro- 
 
 AT POULAHO'S HOUSE. 
 
 137 
 
 jecting above the surface, and perfor- 
 ated and cut into all those inequalities 
 which are usually seen in rocks that 
 lie within the wash of the tide. And 
 yet these very spots, with hardly any 
 soil upon them, were covered with 
 luxuriant vegetation. We were con- 
 ducted to several little pools and to 
 some springs of water ; but in general 
 they were either stinking or brackish, 
 though recommended to us by the 
 natives as excellent. The former were 
 mostly inland, the latter near the 
 shore of the bay and below high-water 
 mark ; so that tolerable water could 
 be taken up from them only when the 
 tide was out. 
 
 When we returned from our walk, 
 which was not till the dusk of the 
 evening, our supper was ready. It 
 consisted of a baked hog, some fish, 
 and yams, all excellently well cooked 
 after the method of these islands. As 
 there was nothing to amuse us after 
 supper, we followed the custom of the 
 country, and lay down to sleep, our 
 beds being mats spread upon the floor, 
 and cloth to cover us. The King, 
 who had made himself very happy 
 with some wine and brandy which we 
 had brought, slept in the same house, 
 as well as several others of the natives. 
 Long before daybreak he and they all 
 rose, and sat conversing by moon- 
 light. The conversation, as might 
 well be guessed, turned wholly upon 
 us, the King entertaining his company 
 with an account of what he had seen 
 or remarked. As soon as it was day, 
 they dispersed, some one way and 
 some another ; but it was not long 
 before they all returned, and with 
 them several more of their country- 
 men. They now began to prepare a 
 bowl of " kava ; " and leaving them so 
 employed, I went to pay a visit to 
 Toobou, Captain Furneaux's friend, 
 who had a house hard by, which for 
 size and neatness was exceeded by 
 few in the place. As I had left the 
 others, so I found here a company pre- 
 paring a morning draught. This 
 chief made a present to me of a living 
 hog, a baked one, a quantity of yams, 
 and a large piece of cloth. When I 
 returned to the King, I found hint 
 
138 
 
 and his circle of attendants drinking 
 the second bowl of "kava." That 
 being emptied, he told Omai that he 
 was going presently to perform a 
 mourning ceremony, called ' ' tooge," 
 on account of a son who had been 
 dead some time, and he desired us to 
 accompany him. "We were glad of 
 the opportunity, expecting to see 
 somewhat new or curious. 
 
 The first thing the chief did was to 
 step out of the house, attended by 
 two old women, and put on a new 
 suit of clothes, or rather a new piece 
 of cloth, and over it an old ragged 
 mat that might have served his great- 
 grandfather on some such occasion. 
 His servants, or those who attended 
 him, were all dressed in the same 
 manner, excepting that none of their 
 mats could vie in antiquity with that 
 of their master. Thus equipped, we 
 marched off, preceded by about eight 
 or ten persons, all in the above habits 
 of ceremony, each of them besides 
 having a small green bough about his 
 neck. Poulaho held his bough in his 
 hand till we drew near the place of 
 rendezvous, when he also put it about 
 his neck. We now entered a small 
 enclosure, in which was a neat house, 
 and we found one man sitting before 
 it. As the company entered, they 
 pulled off the green branches from 
 round their necks and threw them 
 away. The King having first seated 
 himself, the others sat down before 
 7 iim in the usual manner. The circle 
 ncreased, by others dropping in, to 
 ;he number of 100 or upwards, mostly 
 Md men, all dressed as above described. 
 The company being completely as- 
 sembled, a large root of " kava," 
 brought by one of the King's servants, 
 was pi'oduced, and a bowl which con- 
 tained four or five gallons. Several 
 persons now began to chew the root, 
 and this bowl was made brim-full of 
 liquor. While it was preparing, 
 others were employed in making 
 <li inking-eups of plantain leaves. The 
 first cup that was filled was presented 
 to the King, and he ordered it to be 
 given to another person. The second 
 was also brought to him, which lie 
 drsnk, and th< 5 third was offered to 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. II. Ch. VIII. 
 
 me. Afterward, as each cup was 
 filled, the man who filled it aske<3 
 who was to have it. Another then 
 named the person, and to him it was 
 carried. As the bowl grew low, the 
 man who distributed the liquor seemed 
 rather at a loss to whom cups of it 
 should be next sent, and frequently 
 consulted those who sat near him. 
 This mode of distribution continued 
 while any liquor remained, and though 
 not half the company had a share, 
 yet no one seemed dissatisfied. About 
 half-a-dozen cups served for all, and 
 each, as it was emptied, was thrown 
 down upon the ground, where the 
 servants picked it up and carried it to 
 be filled again. During the whole 
 time the chief and his circle sat, as 
 was usually the case, with a great 
 deal of gravity, hardly speaking a 
 word to each other. "We had long 
 waited in expectation each moment 
 of seeing the mourning ceremony 
 begin, when, soon after the "kava" 
 was drank out, to our great surprise 
 and disappointment they all rose up 
 and dispersed, and Poulaho told us 
 he was now ready to attend us to tha 
 ships. If tliis was a mourning cere- 
 mony, it was a strange one. Perhaps 
 it was the second, third, or fourth 
 mourning ; or, which was not very 
 uncommon, Omai might have misun- 
 derstood what Poulaho said to him. 
 For, excepting the change of dress 
 and the putting the green bough 
 round their necks, nothing seemed to 
 have passed at this meeting but what 
 we saw them practise too frequently 
 every day. 
 
 As soon as this mourning ceremony 
 was over, we left Mooa and set out to 
 return to the ships. "While we rowed 
 down the lagoon or inlet, we met witb 
 two canoes coming in from fishing. 
 Poulaho ordered them to be called 
 alongside our boat, and took from 
 them every fish and shell they had 
 got. He afterwards stopped two other 
 canoes and searched them, but they 
 had nothing. Why this was done I 
 cannot say, for we had plenty of pro- 
 visions in the boat. Some of this fish 
 he gave to me, and his servants sold 
 the rest on board the ship. As w* 
 
NATIVES FIRED AT BY A 
 
 July 1777.] 
 
 proceeded down the inlet we over- 
 took a large sailing canoe. Every 
 person on board her that was upon 
 his legs when we came up sat down 
 till we had passed, even the man 
 who steered, though he could not 
 manage the helm except in a stand- 
 ing posture. 
 
 When we got on board the ship I 
 found that everything had been quiet 
 during my absence, not a theft having 
 been committed, of which Feenou 
 and Futtafaihe, the King's brother, 
 who had undertaken the management 
 of his countrymen, boasted not a 
 little. This shows what power the 
 chiefs have when they have the will 
 to execute it, which we were seldom 
 to expect, since whatever was stolen 
 from us generally, if not always, was 
 conveyed to them. The good con- 
 duct of the natives was of short dura- 
 tion, for the next day six or eight of 
 them assaulted some of our people 
 who were sawing planks. They were 
 iired upon by the sentry, and one 
 was supposed to be wounded and three 
 others taken. These I kept confined 
 till night, and did not dismiss them 
 without punishment. After this they 
 behaved with a little more circumspec- 
 tion, and gave us much less trouble. 
 This change of behaviour was cer- 
 tainly occasioned by the man being 
 wounded, for before they had only 
 been told of the effect of firearms, but 
 now they had felt it. The repeated 
 insolence of the natives had induced 
 me to order the muskets of the sen- 
 tries to be loaded with small shot, 
 and to authorise them to fire on par- 
 ticular occasions. I took it for granted, 
 therefore, that this man had only 
 been wounded with small shot. But 
 Mr King and Mr Anderson, in an ex- 
 cursion into the country, met with 
 him, and found indubitable marks of 
 his having been wounded, but not 
 dangerously, with a musket ball. I 
 never could find out how this musket 
 happened to be charged with ball, 
 and there were people enough ready 
 to swear that its contents were only 
 small shot. 1 
 
 1 Mr Anderson's account of the ex- 
 
 SENTINEL. 139 
 
 I had prolonged my stay at this 
 island on account of the approaching 
 eclipse ; but on the 2d of July, on 
 looking at the micrometer belonging 
 to the Board of Longitude, I found 
 some of the rack- work broken, and 
 the instrument useless till repaired, 
 which there was not time to do before 
 it was intended to be used. Prepar- 
 ing now for our departure, I got on 
 board this day all the cattle, poultry, 
 and other animals, except such as 
 were destined to remain. I had de- 
 signed to leave a turkey cock and 
 hen ; but having now only two of 
 each undisposed of, one of the hens, 
 through the ignorance of one of my 
 people, was strangled, and died upon 
 the spot. I had brought three tur- 
 key hens to these islands. One was 
 killed as above mentioned ; and the 
 other by a useless dog belonging to one 
 of the officers. These two accidents put 
 it out of my power to leave a pair 
 here, and at the same time to cany 
 the breed to Otaheite, for which island 
 they were originally intended. I was 
 sorry afterwards that I did not give 
 the preference to Tongataboo, as tho 
 present would have been of more value 
 there than at Otaheite ; for the natives 
 of the former island, I am persuaded, 
 would have taken more pains to mul- 
 tiply the breed. The next day we 
 took up our anchor, and moved the 
 ships behind Pangimodoo, that we 
 might be ready to take the advantage 
 of the first favourable wind to get 
 through the narrows. The King, who 
 was one of our company this day at 
 dinner, I observed took particular 
 notice of the plates. This occasioned 
 me to make him an offer of one, either 
 of pewter or of earthenware. He 
 chose the first, and then began to tell 
 us the several uses to which he in- 
 tended to apply it. Two of them are 
 so extraordinary that I cannot omit 
 mentioning them. He said that, 
 whenever he should have occasion to 
 visit any of the other islands, he 
 would leave this plate behind him at 
 Tongataboo, as a sort of representa- 
 
 cursion just mentioned, 
 
 little or nothing new, is omitted 
 
 containing 
 
140 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 tive in his absence, that the people 
 might pay it the same obeisance they 
 do to himself in person. He was 
 asked what had been usually employed 
 for this purpose before he got this 
 plate. ; and we had the satisfaction of 
 learning from him that this singular 
 honour had hitherto been conferred 
 on a wooden bowl in which he washed 
 his hands. The other extraordinary 
 use to which he meant to apply it, in 
 the room of his wooden bowl, was to 
 discover a thief. He said that when 
 anything was stolen, and the thief 
 could not be found out, the people 
 were all assembled together before 
 him, when he washed his hands in 
 water in this vessel ; after which it 
 was cleaned, and then the whole mul- 
 titude advanced, one after another, 
 and touched it in the same manner 
 that they touch his foot when they 
 pay him obeisance. If the guilty per- 
 son touched it, he died immediately 
 upon the spot, not by violence, but 
 by the hand of Providenoe ; and if any 
 one refused to touch it, his refusal 
 was a clear proof that he was the man. 
 In the morning of the 5th, the day 
 of the eclipse, the weather was dark 
 and cloudy, with showers of rain, so 
 that we had little hopes of an obser- 
 vation. About 9 o'clock the sun 
 broke out at intervals for about half- 
 an-hour ; after which it was totally 
 obscured till within a minute or two 
 of the beginning of the eclipse. "We 
 were all at our telescopes, viz., Mr 
 Bayly, Mr King, Captain Clerke, Mr 
 Bligh, and myself. I lost the obser- 
 vation by not having a dark glass at 
 hand suitable to the clouds that were 
 continually passing over the sun ; and 
 Mr Bligh had not got the sun into 
 the field of his telescope ; so that the 
 commencement of the eclipse was only 
 observed by the other three gentle- 
 men, and by them, with an uncer- 
 tainty of several seconds, as follows : 
 Ho. Min. Sec. 
 By Mr Bayly, at 11 46 
 Mr King, at 11 46 
 Capt. Clerke, at 11 47 
 Apparent time. 
 
 234 
 
 28 
 
 5 
 
 (Toy. III. B. II. Ch. IX. 
 
 with the achromatic telescopes be- 
 longing to the Board of Longitude, of 
 equal magnifying powers ; and Cap- 
 tain Clerke observed with one of the 
 reflectors. The sun appeared at in- 
 tervals till about the middle of the 
 eclipse ; after which it was seen no 
 more during the day, so that the end 
 could not be observed. The disap- 
 pointment was of little consequence, 
 since the longitude was more than 
 sufficiently determined, independently 
 of this eclipse, by lunar observations. 
 As soon as we knew the eclipse to be 
 over, we packed up the instruments, 
 took down the observatories, and sent 
 everything on board that had not 
 been already removed. As none of 
 the natives had taken the least notice 
 or care of the three sheep allotted to 
 Mareewagee, I ordered them to be 
 carried back to the ships. 1 was 
 apprehensive that if I had left them 
 here they run great risk of being de- 
 stroyed by dogs. (That animal did 
 not exist upon this island when I first 
 visited it in 1773 ; but I now found 
 they had got a good many, partly 
 from the breed then left by myself, 
 and partly from some imported since 
 that time from an island not very re- 
 mote, called Feejee. The dogs, how- 
 ever, at present had not found their 
 way into any of the Friendly Islands 
 except Tongataboo ; and none but the 
 chiefs there had as yet got possession 
 of any. 1 
 
 CHAPTER, IX. 
 
 ]< r iT Bayly and Mr King observed 
 
 bnt 
 
 not 
 
 We were now ready to sail ; 
 the wind being easterly, we had 
 sufficient daylight to turn through 
 the narrows, either with the morning 
 or with the evening flood ; the one 
 falling out too early, and the other 
 too late. So that, without a leading 
 wind, we were under a necessity of 
 waiting two or three days. I took 
 
 1 The remainder of the Chapter, 
 taken up by Mr Anderson's notes on 
 the physical formation and features 
 and natural products of Tongataboo 
 or Amsterdam Island in nmtitnA 
 
July 1777.1 SOLEMNITY IN HONOUR OF KING'S SON. 
 
 141 
 
 the opportunity of this delay to be 
 present at a public solemnity to which 
 the King had invited us when we 
 went last to visit him, and which, he 
 had informed us, was to be performed 
 on the 8th. With a view to this, he 
 and all the people of note quitted our 
 neighbourhood on the 7th, and re- 
 paired to Mooa, where the solemnity 
 was to be exhibited. A party of us 
 followed them the next morning. We 
 understood from what Poulaho had 
 said to us that his son and heir was 
 now to be initiated into certain privi- 
 leges ; amongst which was that of 
 eating with his father, an honour he 
 had not as yet been admitted to. 
 
 AVe arrived at Mooa about 8 o'clock, 
 and found the King with a large circle 
 of attendants sitting before him, with- 
 in an enclosure so small and dirty as 
 to excite my wonder that any such 
 could be found in that neighbourhood. 
 They were intent upon their usual 
 morning occupation, in preparing a 
 bowl of "kava." As this was no 
 liquor for us, we walked out to visit 
 fcoine of our friends, and to observe 
 what preparations might be making 
 for the ceremony which was soon to 
 begin. About 10 o'clock, the people 
 began to assemble in a large area 
 which is before the ' ' malaee, " or great 
 house, to which we had been con- 
 ducted the first time we visited Mooa. 
 At the end of a road that opens into 
 this area stood some men with spears 
 and clubs, who kept constantly recit- 
 ing or chanting short sentences in a 
 mournful tone, which conveyed some 
 idea of distress, and as if they called 
 for something. This was continued 
 about an hour ; and in the meantime 
 many people came down the road, 
 each of them bringing a yam tied to 
 the middle of a pole, which they laid 
 down before the persons who con- 
 tinued repeating the sentences. While 
 this was going on, the King and prince 
 arrived, and seated themselves upon 
 the area ; and we were desired to sit 
 down by them, but to pull off our 
 hats, and to untie our hair. The 
 bearers of the yams being all come 
 in, each pole was taken up between 
 tv.'o men, who carried it over their 
 
 shoulders. After forming themselves 
 into companies of ten or twelve per- 
 sons each, they marched across the 
 place with a quick pace ; each com- 
 pany headed by a man bearing a club 
 or spear, and guarded on the right by 
 several others armed with different 
 weapons. A man carrying a living 
 pigeon on a perch closed the rear of 
 the procession, in which about 250 
 persons walked. 
 
 Omai was desired by me to ask the 
 chief to what place the yams were to 
 be thus carried with so much solem- 
 nity. But, as he seemed unwilling 
 to give us the information we wanted. 
 two or three of us followed the pro- 
 cession, contrary to his inclination. 
 We found that they stopped before a 
 "morai" or "fiatooka" of onehouse, 
 standing upon a mount, which was 
 hardly a quarter of a mile from the 
 place where they first assembled. 
 Here we observed them depositing 
 the yams, and making them up into 
 bundles ; but for what purpose we 
 could not learn. And as our presence 
 seemed to give them uneasiness, we 
 left them and returned to Poulaho, 
 who told us we might amuse ourselves 
 by walking about, as nothing would 
 be done for some time. The fear of 
 losing any part of the ceremony pre- 
 vented our being long absent. When 
 we returned to the King, he desired 
 me to order the boat's crew not to stir 
 from the boat ; for as everything would 
 very soon be "taboo," if any of our 
 people, or of their own, should be 
 found walking about, they would bo 
 knocked down with clubs, nay, "ma- 
 teed," that is, killed. He also ac- 
 quainted us that we could not be 
 present at the ceremony ; but that we 
 should be conducted to a place where 
 we might see everything that passed. 
 Objections were made to our dress. 
 We were told that to qualify us to be 
 present it was necessary that we should 
 be naked as low as the breast, with 
 our hats oil' and our hair untied. Omai 
 offered to conform to these requisites, 
 and began to strip ; other objections 
 were then started, so that the exclu- 
 sion was given to him equally with 
 ourselves. 
 
142 COOK'S 7 
 
 I did not much like this restriction, 
 and therefore stole out to see what 
 might now he going forward. I 
 found very few people stirring, except 
 those dressed to attend the ceremony; 
 some of whom had in their hands 
 small poles ahout four feet long, and 
 to the under-part of these were fast- 
 ened two or three other sticks, not 
 bigger than one's finger, and about 
 six inches in length. These men 
 were going toward the " inorai " just 
 mentioned. I took the same road, 
 and was several times stopped by 
 them, all crying out "taboo." How- 
 ever, I went forward without much 
 regarding them, till I came in sight 
 of the "morai," and of the people 
 who were sitting before it. I was now 
 urged very strongly to go back ; and 
 not knowing what might be the con- 
 sequence of a refusal, I complied. I 
 had observed that the people who 
 carried the poles passed this ' ' morai, " 
 or what I may as well call temple ; 
 and guessing from this circumstance 
 thatsomething was transacting beyond 
 it which might be worth looking at, 
 I had thoughts of advancing, by 
 making a round, for this purpose ; 
 but I was so closely watched by three 
 men that 1 could not put my design 
 in execution. In order to shake these 
 fellows off, I returned to the "ma- 
 te " where I had left the King, and 
 from thence made an elopement a 
 second time ; but I instantly met the 
 same three men, so that it seemed as 
 if they had been ordered to watch my 
 motions. I paid no regard to what 
 they said or did, till I came within 
 sight of the King's principal "fia- 
 tooka" or "morai," which I have 
 already described, 1 before which a 
 great number of men were sitting, 
 being the same persons whom I had 
 just before seen pass by the other 
 "morai," from which this was but a 
 little distant. Observing that I 
 could watch the proceedings of this 
 company from the King's plantation, 
 I repaired thither, very much to the 
 satisfaction of those who attended me. 
 
 1 In the Chapter immediately pre- 
 ceding. 
 
 OYAGES. [Voy.IILB.II.Ch.IX. 
 As soon as I got in, I acquainted 
 the gentlemen who had come with 
 me from the ships with what I had 
 seen ; and we took a proper station 
 to watch the result. The number of 
 people at the "fiatooka" continued 
 to increase for some time ; and at 
 length we could see them quit their 
 sitting posture and march off in pro- 
 cession. They walked in pairs, one 
 after another, every pair carrying be- 
 tween them one of the small poles 
 above mentioned, on their shoulders. 
 We were told that the small pieces of 
 sticks fastened to the poles were 
 yams ; so that probably they were 
 meant to represent this root emblema- 
 tically. The hindmost man of each 
 couple, for the most part, placed one 
 of his hands to the middle of the 
 pole, as if without this additional 
 support it were not strong enough to 
 carry the weight that hung to it, 
 and under which they all seemed 
 to bend as they walked. This pro- 
 cession consisted of 108 pairs, and 
 all or most of them men of rank. 
 They came close by the fence behind 
 which we stood ; so that we had a 
 full view of them. Having waited 
 here till they had all passed, we then 
 repaired to lValaho's house, and saw 
 him going out. We could not be 
 allowed to follow him ; but were 
 forthwith conducted to the place al- 
 lotted to us, which was behind a 
 fence adjoining to the area of the 
 " fiatooka" where the yams had been 
 deposited in the forenoon. As we 
 were not the only people who were 
 excluded from being publicly present 
 at this ceremony, but allowed to peep 
 from behind the curtain, we had a 
 good deal of company ; and I ob- 
 served that all the other enclosures 
 round the place were filled with 
 people. And yet all imaginable care 
 seemed to be taken that they should 
 see as little as possible ; for the fences 
 had not only been repaired that morn- 
 ing, but in many places raised higher 
 than common, so that the tallest man 
 could not look over them. To remedy 
 this defect in our station, Ave took 
 the liberty to cut holes in the fence 
 with our knives ; and by this means 
 
July 1777.] 
 
 we could see pretty distinctly every- 
 thing that was transacting on the 
 other side. 
 
 On our arrival at our station, we 
 found two or three hundred people 
 sitting on the grass near the end of 
 the road that opened into the area 
 of the "morai;" and the number 
 continually increased by others join- 
 ing them. At length arrived a few 
 men carrying some small poles, and 
 branches or leaves of the cocoa-nut 
 tree ; upon their first appearance an old 
 man seated himself in the road, and 
 with his face toward them, pronounced 
 a long oration in a serious tone. He 
 then retired back, and the others 
 advancing to the middle of the area, 
 began to erect a small shed, employ- 
 ing for that purpose the materials 
 above mentioned. When they had 
 finished their work, they all scpiatted 
 down for a moment before it, then 
 rc3e up and retired to the rest of the 
 company. Soon after came Poulaho's 
 son, preceded by four or five men, and 
 they seated themselves a little aside 
 from the shed, and rather behind it. 
 After them appeared twelve or four- 
 teen women of the first rank, walking 
 slowly in pairs, each pair carrying 
 between them a narrow piece of white 
 cloth extended, about two or three 
 yards in length. These marched up 
 to the prince, squatted down before 
 him, and, having wrapped some of the 
 pieces of the cloth they had brought, 
 round his body, they rose up and re- 
 tired in the same order to some dis- 
 tance on his left, and there seated 
 themselves. Poulaho himself soon 
 made his appearance, preceded by 
 four men, who walked two and two 
 abreast, and sat down on his son's 
 left hand, about twenty paces from 
 him. The young prince then quitting 
 his first position, went and sat down 
 under the shed with his attend- 
 ants ; and a considerable number 
 more placed themselves on the grass 
 before this royal canopy. The prince 
 himself sat facing the people, with 
 his back to the "morai." This 
 being done, three companies of 
 teu or a dozen men in each started 
 up from amongst the large crowd, a 
 
 PROCESSIONS AND CEREMONIES. 143 
 
 little after each other, aaa running 
 hastily to the opposite side of the 
 area, sat down for a few seconds ; 
 after which they returned in the 
 same manner to their former stations. 
 To them succeeded two men, each of 
 whom held a small green branch in 
 his hand, who got up and approached 
 the prince, sitting down for a few 
 seconds, three different times as they 
 advanced ; and then, turning their 
 backs, retired in the same manner, 
 inclining their branches to each other 
 as they sat. In a little time two 
 more repeated this ceremony. 
 
 The grand procession which I had 
 seen march off from the other "morai " 
 now began to come in. To judge of 
 the circuit they had made, from the 
 time they had been absent, it must 
 have been pretty large. As they en- 
 tered the area they marched up to the 
 right of the shed, and, having pro- 
 strated themselves on the grass, de- 
 posited their pretended burthens (the 
 poles above mentioned), and faced 
 round to the prince. They then rose 
 up and retired in the same order, 
 closing their hands, which they held 
 before them, with the most serious 
 aspect, and seated themselves along 
 the front of the area. During all the 
 time that this numerous band were 
 coming in and depositing their poles, 
 three men who sat under the shed 
 ■with the prince continued pronouncing 
 separate sentences in a melancholy tone. 
 After this a profound silence ensued 
 for a little time, and then a man, 
 who sat in the front of the area, began 
 an oration (or prayer), during which, 
 at several different times, he went 
 and broke one of the poles which 
 had been brought in by those who had 
 walked in procession. When he had 
 ended, the people sitting before the 
 shed separated to make a lane through 
 which the prince and his attendants 
 passed, and the assembly broke up. 
 Some of our party, satisfied with what 
 they had already seen, now returned 
 to the ships ; but I and two or three 
 more of the officers remained at Mooa 
 to see the conclusion of the solemnity, 
 which was not to be till the next day, 
 being desirous of omitting no oppor* 
 
144 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 trinity which might nfford any infor- 
 mation about the religious or the poli- 
 tical institutions of this people. The 
 small sticks or poles which had hcen 
 brought into the area by those who 
 walked in procession, being left lying 
 on the ground after the crowd had 
 dispersed, I went and examined them. 
 I found that to the middle of each two 
 or three small sticks were tied, as 
 has been related. Yet we had been 
 repeatedly told by the natives who 
 stood near us that they were young 
 yams, insomuch that some of our 
 gentlemen believed them rather than 
 their own eyes. As I had the de- 
 monstration of my senses to satisfy 
 me that they were not real yams, it is 
 clear that we ought to have under- 
 stood that they were only the artificial 
 representations of these roots. 
 
 Our supper was got ready about 7 
 o'clock. It consisted of fish and 
 yams. "We might have had pork 
 also ; but we did not choose to kill a 
 large hog which the King had given 
 to us for that purpose. He supped 
 with us, and drank pretty freely of 
 brandy and water; so that he went 
 to bed with a sufficient dose. We 
 passed the night in the same house 
 with him and several' of his attend- 
 ants. About 1 or 2 o'clock in the 
 morning they waked and conversed 
 for about an hour, and then went to 
 sleep again. All but Poulaho him- 
 self rose at day-break, and went I 
 know not whither. Soon after, a 
 woman, one of those who generally 
 attended upon the chief, came in and 
 inquired where he was. I pointed 
 him out to her, and she immediately 
 sat down by him, and began the same 
 operation which Mr Anderson had 
 seen practised upon Futtafaihe, tap- 
 ping or beating gently with her 
 clenched fists on his thighs. This, 
 instead of prolonging his sleep as was 
 intended, had the contrary effect ; 
 however, though he awaked, he con- 
 tinued to lie down. Omai and I now 
 went to visit the prince, who had 
 parted from us early in the evening. 
 For he did not lodge with the King, 
 but in apartments of his own, or at 
 l»nst such as had been allotted to 
 
 [Vot.IILB.II.Ch.IX. 
 
 him, at some distance from h»B 
 father's house. We found him with 
 a circle of boys, or youths, about his 
 own age, sitting before him ; and an 
 old woman and an old man, who 
 seemed to have the care of him, sit- 
 ting behind. There were others, both 
 men and women, employed about 
 their necessary affairs in different de- 
 partments, who probably belonged to 
 his household. 
 
 From the prince we returned to the 
 King. By this time he had got up, 
 and had a crowded circle before him, 
 composed chiefly of old men. While 
 a large bowl of "kava"was prepar- 
 ing, a baked hog and yams, smoking 
 hot, were brought in, the greatest 
 part of which fell to our share, and 
 was very acceptable t& the boat's 
 crew; for these people eat very little 
 in the morning, especially the " kava" 
 drinkers. I afterward walked out 
 and visited several other chiefs ; ana. 
 found that all of them were taking 
 their morning draught, or had already 
 taken it. Returning to the King, I 
 found him asleep in a small retired 
 hut, with two women tapping on his 
 breech. About 11 o'clock he arose 
 again ; and then some fish and yams, 
 which tasted as if they had been 
 stewed in cocoa-nut milk, were 
 brought to him. Of these he ate a 
 large portion, and lay down ones 
 more to sleep. I now left him, and 
 carried to the prince a present of 
 cloth, beads, and other articles, which 
 I had brought with me from the ship 
 for the purpose. There was a suffi- 
 cient quantity of cloth to make him 
 a complete suit ; and he was immedi- 
 ately decked out with it. Proud of 
 his dress, he first went to show him- 
 self to his father, and then conducted 
 me to his mother ; with whom were 
 about ten or a dozen other women of 
 a respectable appearance. Here the 
 prince changed his apparel, and made 
 me a present of two pieces of the cloth 
 manufactured in the island. By thi3 
 time it was past noon, when by ap- 
 pointment I repaired to the palace to 
 dinner. Several of our gentlemen 
 had returned this morning from the 
 ships ; and we were all invited to tha 
 
CONTINUATION OF THE CEREMONIES. 
 
 JUJ.Y 1777.3 
 
 feast, which was presently served up, 
 and consisted of two pigs and yams. 
 I roused the drowsy monarch to par- 
 take of what he had provided for our 
 entertainment. In the meantime 
 two mullets and some shell-fish were 
 brought to him, as I supposed, for 
 his separate portion. But he joined 
 it to our fare, sat down with us, and 
 made a hearty meal. 
 
 When dinner was over, we were 
 told that the ceremony would soon 
 begin, and were strictly enjoined not 
 to walk out. I had resolved, how- 
 ever, to peep no longer from behind 
 the curtain, but to mix with the 
 actors themselves if possible. With 
 this view I stole out from the planta- 
 tion, and walked toward the "morai," 
 the scene of the solemnity. I was 
 Beveral times desired to go back by 
 people whom I met; but I paid no 
 regard to them, and they suffered me 
 to pass on. When I arrived at the 
 "morai," I found a number of men 
 seated on the side of the area, on 
 each side of the road that leads 
 up to it. A few were sitting on 
 the opposite side of the area, and 
 two men in the middle of it, with 
 their faces turned to the "morai." 
 When I got into the midst of the 
 first company, I was desired to sit 
 down, which I accordingly did. 
 Where I sat there were lying a num- 
 ber of small bundles or parcels, com- 
 posed of cocoa-nut leaves, and tied to 
 sticks made into the form of hand- 
 barrows. All the information I could 
 get about them was that they were 
 "taboo." Our number kept contin- 
 ually increasing; every one coming 
 from the same quarter. From time 
 to time, one or another of the com- 
 pany turned himself to those who 
 were coming to join us, and made a 
 short speech ; in which I could remark 
 that the word "arakee," that is, King, 
 was generally mentioned. One man 
 said something that produced bursts 
 of hearty laughter from all the crowd ; 
 others of the speakers met with public 
 applause. I was several times de- 
 sired to leave the place ; and at last, 
 when they found that I would not stir, 
 after some seeming consultation they 
 
 applied to me to uncover my shoulders 
 as theirs were. With this request I 
 complied, and then they seemed t' be 
 no longer uneasy at my presence. 
 
 I sat a full hour without anything 
 more going forward, beside what I 
 have mentioned. At length the 
 prince, the women, and the King all 
 came in, as they had done the day 
 before. The prince being placed 
 under the shed, after his father's 
 arrival, two men, each carrying a 
 piece of mat, came repeating some- 
 thing seriously, and put them about 
 him. The assembled people now 
 began their operations; and first 
 three companies ran backwards and 
 forwards across the area, as described 
 in the account of the proceedings of 
 the former day. Soon after, the two 
 men who sat in the middle of the 
 area made a short speech or prayer ; 
 and then the whole body amongst 
 whom I had my place started up, and 
 ran and seated themselves before the 
 shed under which the prince and three 
 or four men were sitting. I was now 
 partly under the management of one 
 of the company, who seemed very 
 assiduous to serve me. By his means 
 I was placed in such a situation, that 
 if I had been allowed to make use of 
 my eyes, nothing that passed could 
 have escaped me. But it was neces- 
 sary to sit with down-cast looks, and 
 demure as maids. Soon after, the 
 procession came in, as on the day 
 before ; each two persons bearing on 
 their shoulders a pole, round the 
 middle of which a cocoa-nut leaf was 
 plaited. These were deposited with 
 ceremonies similar to those observed 
 on the preceding day. This first pro- 
 cession was followed by a second ; the 
 men composing which brought baskets 
 such as are usually employed by this 
 people to carry provisions in, and 
 made of palm leaves. These were 
 followed by a third procession, in 
 which were brought different kinds 
 of small fish, each fixed at the end of 
 a forked stick. The baskets were 
 carried up to an old man, whom I 
 took to be the chief priest, and who 
 sat on the prince's right hand, with- 
 out the shed. He held each in his 
 
146 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 hand, while he made a short speech 
 or prayer; then laid it down and 
 called for another, repeating the same 
 words as before; and thus he went 
 through the whole number of baskets. 
 The fw wve presented, one by one, 
 4n ths. forked sticks, as they came in, 
 to two men who sat on the left, and 
 who till now held green branches in 
 their hands. The first fish they laid 
 down on their right, and the second 
 on their left. When the third was 
 presented, a stout-looking man who 
 sat behind the other two reached his 
 arm over between them and made a 
 snatch at it; as also did the other 
 two at the very same time. Thus 
 they seemed to contend for every fish 
 that was presented ; but as there were 
 two hands against one, besides the 
 advantage of situation, the man be- 
 hind got nothing but pieces ; for he 
 never quitted his hold till the fish was 
 torn out of his hand, and what little 
 remained in it he shook out behind 
 him. The others laid what they got 
 on the right and left alternately. At 
 Length, either by accident or design, 
 the man behind got possession of a 
 whole fish without either of the other 
 two so much as touching it. At this 
 the word " Mareeai," which signifies 
 " Very good ! " or "Well done ! " was 
 uttered in a low voice throughout the 
 whole crowd. It seemed that he had 
 performed now all that was expected 
 from him, for he made no attempt 
 upon the few fish that came after. 
 These fish, as also the baskets, were 
 all delivered, by the persons who 
 brought tliem in, sitting; and in the 
 same order and manner the small 
 poles, which the first procession car- 
 ried, had been laid upon the ground. 
 The last procession being closed, 
 there was some speaking or praying 
 by different persons. Then on some 
 signal being given, we all started up, 
 ran several paces to the left, and sat 
 down with our backs to the prince 
 and the few who remained with him. 
 I was desired not to look behind me. 
 However, neither this injunction, nor 
 the remembrance of Lot's wife, dis- 
 couraged me from facing about. I 
 niw ww that the prince had turned 
 
 [Toy. III. B. II. Cu. IX. 
 
 his face to the "morai:" but this 
 last movement had brought so many 
 people between him and me, that I 
 could not perceive what was doing. 
 I was afterward assured that at this 
 very time the prince was admitted to 
 the high honour of eating with his 
 father, which till now had never been 
 permitted to him ; a piece of roasted 
 yam being presented to each of them 
 for this purpose. This was the more 
 probable, as Ave had been told before- 
 hand that this was to happen during 
 the solemnity ; and as all the people 
 turned their backs to them at this 
 time, which they always do when 
 their monarch eats. After some little 
 time we all faced about, and formed a 
 semicircle before the prince, leaving a 
 large openspacebetween us. Presently 
 there appeared some men coming to- 
 ward us, two and two, bearing large 
 sticks or poles upon their shoulders, 
 making a noise that might be called 
 singing, and waving their hands as 
 they advanced. When they had got 
 close up to us, they made a show of 
 walking very fast, without proceeding 
 a single step. Immediately after, 
 three or four men started up from 
 the crowd, with large sticks in their 
 hands, who ran toward those new- 
 comers. The latter instantly threw 
 down the poles from their shoulders 
 and scampered off ; and the others 
 attacked the poles, and, having beat 
 them most unmercifully, returned to 
 their places. As the pole-bearers 
 ran off, they gave the challenge that 
 is usual here in wrestling ; and not 
 long after, a number of stout fellows 
 came from the same quarter, repeating 
 the challenge as they advanced. These 
 were opposed by a party who came 
 from the opposite side almost at the 
 same instant. The two parties par- 
 aded about the area for a few minutes, 
 and then retired each to their own 
 side. After this there were wrestling 
 and boxing matches for about half-an- 
 
 seated tlicm- 
 prince, and made 
 
 hour. Then two men 
 selves before the 
 speeches addressed, as 
 entirely to him. With this the 
 solemnity ended, and the whole as- 
 sembly broke up. 
 
 I thought, 
 
iVhY 1777.] REMARKS ON NATURE OF CEREMONIES. 
 
 147 
 
 I now went and examined theseveral 
 baskets which had been presented ; a 
 curiosity that I was not allowed before 
 to indulge, because everything was 
 then "taboo." But the solemnity 
 being now over, they became simply 
 what I found them to be, empty 
 baskets. So that whatever they were 
 supposed to contain was emblemati- 
 cally represented. And so indeed 
 was every other thing which had been 
 brought in procession except the fish. 
 We endeavoured in vain to find out 
 the meaning, not only of the ceremony 
 in general, which is called " Natche," 
 but of its different parts. We seldom 
 got any other answer to our inquiries, 
 but " Taboo ;" a word which, I have 
 before observed, is applied to many 
 other things. But as the prince was 
 evidently the principal person con- 
 cerned in it ; and as we had been 
 told by the King, ten days before the 
 celebration of the " Natche," that the 
 people would bring in yams for him 
 and his son to eat together ; and as he 
 even described some part of the cere- 
 mony, we concluded from what he 
 had then said, and from what we now 
 saw, that an oath of allegiance, if I 
 may so express myself, or solemn 
 promise, was on this occasion made 
 to the prince, as the immediate suc- 
 cessor to the regal dignity, to stand 
 by him and to furnish him with the 
 eeveral articles that were here emble- 
 matically represented. That seems 
 the more probable, as aU the principal 
 people of the island whom we had 
 ever seen assisted in the processions. 
 But be this as it may, the whole was 
 conducted with a great deal of mysteri- 
 ous solemnity ; and that there was a 
 mixture of religion in the institution 
 was evident not only from the place 
 where it was performed, but from the 
 manner of performing it. Our dress 
 and deportment had never been called 
 in question upon any former occasion 
 whatever. Now it was expected that 
 ■we should be uncovered as low as the 
 waist ; that our hair should be loose 
 and flowing over our shoulders ; that 
 we should like themselves sit cross- 
 legged, and at times in the most 
 humble posture, with down-cast eyes 
 
 and hands locked together : all which 
 requisites were most devoutly observed 
 by the whole assembly. And, lastly, 
 every one was excluded from the 
 solemnity but the principal people 
 and those who assisted in the celebra- 
 tion. All these circumstances were 
 to me a sufficient testimony that upon 
 this occasion they considered them- 
 selves as acting under the immediate 
 inspection of a Supreme Being. The 
 present "Natche " may be considered, 
 from the above account of it, as merely 
 figurative. For the small quantity 
 of yams which we saw the first day 
 could not be intended as a general 
 contribution ; and indeed we were 
 given to understand that they were 
 a portion consecrated to the " Otooa," 
 or divinity. But we were informed 
 that in about three months there would 
 be performed, on the same account, 
 a far more important and grander 
 solemnity ; on which occasion not 
 only the tribute of Tongataboo, but 
 that of Hapaee, Vavaoo, and of all 
 the other islands, would be brought 
 to the chief, and confirmed more aw- 
 fully by sacrificing ten human victims 
 from amongst the inferior sort of 
 people. A horrid solemnity indeed ! 
 which is a most significant instance 
 of the influence of gloomy and ignor- 
 ant superstition over the minds of one 
 of the most benevolent and humane 
 nations upon earth. On inquiring 
 into the reasons of so barbarous a 
 practice, they only said that it was a 
 necessary part of the " Natche ; " 
 and that if they omitted it the deity 
 would certainly destroy their king. 
 
 Before the assembly broke up, the 
 day was far spent ; and as we were at 
 some distance from the ships, and had 
 an intricate navigation to go through, 
 we were in haste to set out from Mooa. 
 When I took leave of Poulaho, he press- 
 ed me much to stay till the next day, 
 to bo present at a funeral ceremony. 
 The wife of Mareewagee, who was 
 mother-in-law to the King, had lately 
 died ; and her corpse had, on account 
 of the "Natche," been carried on 
 board a canoe that lay in the lagoon. 
 Poulaho told me that as soon as ha 
 bad paid the last offices to her ha 
 
148 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Toy. III. B. II. Cm. IX. 
 
 would attend me to Eooa ; but, if I 
 did not wait, that lie would follow 
 me thither. I understood at the 
 same time, that if it had not been for 
 the death of this woman most of the 
 chiefs would have accompanied us to 
 that island, where, it seems, all of 
 them have possessions. I would 
 gladly have waited to see this cere- 
 mony also, had not the tide been now 
 favourable for the ships to get through 
 the narrows. The wind, besides, 
 which, for several days past had been 
 very boisterous, was now moderate 
 and settled ; and to have lost this 
 opportunity might have detained us 
 a fortnight longer. But, what was 
 decisive against my waiting, we under- 
 stood that the fimeral ceremonies 
 would last five days ; which was too 
 long a time, as the ships lay in such 
 a situation that 1 could not get to sea 
 at pleasure. I however, assured the 
 King that if we did not sail I should 
 certainly visit him again the next day. 
 And so we all took leave of him, and 
 set out for the ships, where we arrived 
 about 8 o'clock in the evening. 
 
 I had forgot to mention that Omai 
 was present at this second day's cere- 
 mony as well as myself ; but we were 
 not together, nor did I know that he 
 was there till it was almost over. He 
 afterwards told me that as soon as the 
 King saw that I had stolen out from 
 the plantation, he sent several people 
 one after another to desire me to come 
 back. Probably these messengers 
 were not admitted to the place where 
 I was ; for I saw nothing of them. 
 At last intelligence was brought to 
 the chief that 1 had actually stripped 
 in conformity to their custom ; and 
 then he told Omai that he might be 
 present also, if he would comply with 
 all the necessary forms. Omai had 
 no objection, as nothing was required 
 of him but to conform to the custom 
 of his own country. Accordingly he 
 was furnished with a proper dress, and 
 appeared at the ceremony as one of 
 the natives. It is likely that one 
 reason of our being excluded at first 
 was an apprehension that we would 
 not submit to the requisites to qualify 
 ns to assist. 
 
 Whilel wasattendingthe "Natche" 
 at Mooa, I ordered the horses, bull 
 and cow, and goats, to be brought 
 thither, thinking that they would be 
 safer there, under the eyes of the 
 chiefs, than at a place that would be 
 in a manner deserted the moment 
 after our departure. Besides the 
 above-mentioned animals, we left with 
 our friends here a young boar and 
 three young sows of the English 
 breed. They were exceedingly desir- 
 ous of them, judging, no doubt, that 
 they would greatly improve their own 
 breed, which is rather small. Feenou 
 also got from us two rabbits, a buck, 
 and a doe; and before we sailed we 
 were told that young ones had been 
 already produced. If the cattle suc- 
 ceed, of which I make no doubt, it 
 will be a vast acquisition to these 
 islands ; and as Tongataboo is a fine 
 level country, the horses cannot but 
 be useful. 
 
 [Weighing anchor on the morning 
 of the 10th, the ships got with some 
 difficulty through the channel, and 
 did not weather the east end of Ton- 
 gataboo before 10 o'clock next night. 
 On the morning of the 12th they 
 anchored off Middleburg Island, 
 called by the natives Eooa, or English 
 Road — the name Cook had given to 
 his station in 1773.] 
 
 We had no sooner anchored than 
 Taoofa the chief 1 and several other 
 natives visited us on board, and seemed 
 to rejoice much at our arrival. In 
 a little time I went ashore with him 
 in search of fresh water, the procuring 
 of which was the chief object that 
 brought me to Eooa. I had been 
 told at Tongataboo that there was 
 here a stream running from the hills 
 into the sea, but this was not the case 
 now. I was first conducted to a 
 brackish spring, between low and high 
 water mark amongst rocks in the cove 
 where we landed, and where no one 
 would ever have thought of looking 
 for what we wanted. However, I be- 
 
 1 In the account of Captain Cook's 
 former voyage, he calls the only chief 
 he then met with at this place 
 Tioony.— Note in Original Edition. 
 
July 1777.] ARRIVAL 
 
 lieve the water of this spring might 
 be good, were it possible to take it up 
 before the tide mixes with it. Find- 
 ing that we did not like this, our 
 friends took us a little way into the 
 island, where in a deep chasm we 
 found very good water, which, at the 
 expense of some time and trouble, 
 might be conveyed down to the shore 
 by means of spouts or troughs that 
 could be made with plantain leaves 
 and the stem of the tree. But rather 
 than undertake that tedious task I 
 resolved to rest contented with the 
 supply the ships had got at Tongata- 
 boo. Before I returned on board I 
 set on foot a trade for hogs and yams. 
 Of the former we could procure but 
 few, but of the latter plenty. I put 
 ashore at this island the ram and two 
 ewes of the Cape of Good Hope breed 
 of sheep, entrusting them to the care 
 of Taoofa, who seemed proud of his 
 charge. It was fortunate, perhaps, 
 that Mareewagee, to whom I had 
 given them, as before mentioned, 
 slighted the present. Eooa, not having 
 as yet got any dogs upon it, seems to 
 be a properer place than Tongataboo 
 for the rearing of sheep. As we lay 
 it anchor, this island bore a very dif- 
 ferent aspect from any we had lately 
 seen, and formed a most beautiful 
 landscape. It is higher than any we 
 had passed since leaving New Zea- 
 land (as Kao may justly be reckoned 
 an immense rock), and from its top, 
 which is almost flat, declines very 
 gently toward the sea. As the other 
 isles of this cluster are level, the eye 
 can discover nothing but the trees 
 that cover them ; but here the land, 
 rising gently upward, presents us 
 with an extensive prospect, where 
 groves of trees are only interspersed 
 at irregular distances in beautiful 
 disorder, and the rest covered with 
 grass. Near the shore, again, it 
 is quite shaded with various trees, 
 amongst which are the habitations 
 of the natives ; and to the right of 
 our station was one of the most ex- 
 tensive groves of cocoa-palms we had 
 ever seen. . . . 
 
 Soon after we weighed, and with a 
 light breeze at SE. stood out to sea : 
 
 AT EOOA. 
 
 149 
 
 and then Taoofa and a few other 
 natives that were in the ship left us. 
 On heaving up the anchor, we found 
 that the cable had suffered consider- 
 ably by the rocks, so that the bottom 
 in this road is not to be depended 
 upon. Besides this, we experienced 
 that a prodigious swell rolls in there 
 from the SW. We had not been long 
 under sail before we observed a sail- 
 ing canoe coming from Tongataboo, 
 and entering the creek before which 
 we had anchored. Some hours after, 
 a small canoe, conducted by four 
 men, came off to us, for as we had but 
 little wind, we were still at no great 
 distance from the land. These men 
 told us that the sailing canoe which 
 we had seen arrive from Tongatabo,. 
 had brought orders to the people of 
 Eooa to furnish us with a certain 
 number of hogs, and that in two 
 days the King and other chiefs would 
 be with us. They therefore desired 
 we would return to our former sta- 
 tion. There was no reason to doubt 
 the truth of what these men told us. 
 Two of them had actually come from 
 Tongataboo in the sailing canoe, and 
 they had no view in coming off to up 
 but to give this intelligence. How- 
 ever, as we were now clear of the land, 
 it was not a sufficient inducement to 
 bring me back, especially as we had 
 already on board a stock of fresh pro- 
 visions sufficient in all probability to 
 last during our passage to Otalieite. 
 Besides Taoofa's present, we had got 
 a good quantity of yams at Eooa in 
 exchange chiefly for small nails. Our 
 supply of hogs was also considerably 
 increased there, though doubtless we 
 should have got many more if the 
 chiefs of Tongataboo had been with 
 us, whose property they mostly were. 
 At the approach of night these men, 
 finding that we would not return, left 
 us, as also some others who had corns 
 off in two canoes with a few cocoa- 
 nuts and shaddocks to exchange them 
 for what they could get; the eager- 
 ness of these people to get into their 
 possession more of our commodities 
 inducing them to follow the ships out 
 to sea, and to continue their inter- 
 course with us to t liP last moment. 
 
150 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Thus we took leave of tlie Friendly 
 Islands and their inhabitants, after a 
 stay of between two and three months, 
 during which time we lived together 
 in the most cordial friendship. Some 
 accidental differences, it is true, now 
 and then happened, owing to their 
 great propensity to thieving, but too 
 often encouraged by the negligence of 
 our own people. But these differ- 
 ences were never attended with any 
 fatal consequences, to prevent which 
 all my measures were directed ; and I 
 believe few on board our ships left 
 our friends here without some regret. 
 The time employed amongst them 
 was not thrown away. We expended 
 very little of our sea provisions, sub- 
 sisting in general upon the produce 
 of the islands while we stayed, and 
 carrying away with us a quantity of 
 refreshments sufficient to last till our 
 arrival at another station, where we 
 could depend upon a fresh supply. I 
 was not sorry, besides, to have had an 
 opportunity of bettering the condition 
 of these good people, by leaving the 
 useful animals before mentioned among 
 them ; and at the same time those 
 designed for Otaheite received fresh 
 strength in the pastures of Toagata- 
 boo. Upon the whole, therefore, the 
 advantages we received by touching 
 here were very great ; and I had the 
 additional satisfaction to reflect that 
 they were received without retarding 
 one moment the prosecution of the 
 great object of our voyage ; the season 
 for proceeding to the north being, as 
 
 1 This, and the subsequent Chapter 
 of Book II., devoted to an account of 
 the Friendly Isles and their inhabit- 
 ants, although obstructing not a little 
 the course of Cook's narrative, have 
 been retained with some unimportant 
 or desirable omissions, condensa- 
 tions, and as giving, mainly from his 
 own pen and his own observation, a 
 lively picture of one of the great 
 Australasian communities which he 
 first unveiled to the knowledge of the 
 ■vorld. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. \yoy. III. B. II. Ch. X. 
 
 has been already observed, lost be- 
 fore I took the resolution of bearing 
 away for these islands. But besides 
 the immediate advantages which both 
 the natives of the Friendly Islands 
 and ourselves received by this visit, 
 future navigators from Europe, if any 
 such should ever tread our steps, will 
 profit by the knowledge I acquired of 
 the geography of this part of the 
 Pacific Ocean ; and the more philoso- 
 phical reader, who loves to view 
 human nature in new situations, and 
 to speculate on singular but faithful 
 representations of the persons, the 
 customs, the arts, the religion, the 
 government, and the language of 
 uncultivated man in remote and fresh 
 discovered quarters of the globe, will 
 perhaps find matter of amusement, if 
 not of instruction, in the information 
 which I have been enabled to convey 
 to him concerning the inhabitants of 
 this archipelago. I shall suspend my 
 narrative of the progress of the voy- 
 age, while I faithfully relate what I 
 had opportunities of collecting on 
 these several topics. 
 
 [Best articles for traffic at Friendly 
 Islands : iron, tools, and nails of all 
 kinds, red cloth, linen, looking- 
 glasses, and beads — useful and orna- 
 mental commodities not always sway- 
 ing the market with equal power, 
 though the useful have generally the 
 preference. In exchange may be pro- 
 cured hogs, fowl, fish, yams, bread -fruit, 
 plantains, cocoa-nuts, sugar-cane, and 
 everything that can be got at the 
 Society Islands, though not all of 
 equally good quality. Good water is 
 scarce, but indifferent may be had on 
 all the islands.] 
 
 Underthe denomination of Friendly 
 Islands we must include not only 
 the group at Hapaee which I visited, 
 but also all those islands that have 
 been discovered nearly under the 
 same meridian to the north, as well 
 as some others that have never been 
 seen hitherto by any European navi- 
 gators, but are under the dominion 
 of Tongataboo, which, though not 
 the largest, is the capital and seat of 
 government. According to the in- 
 formation that we received there, this 
 
July 1777.] REMARKS ON FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 
 
 151 
 
 archipelago is very extensive. Above 
 150 islands were reckoned up to us by 
 the natives, who made use of bits of 
 leaves to ascertain their number ; and 
 Mr Anderson, with his usual dili- 
 gence, even procured all their names. 
 Fifteen of them are said to be high or 
 hilly, such as Toofoa and Eooa ; and 
 thirty-five of them large. Of these 
 only three were seen this voyage : 
 Hapaee (which is considered by the 
 natives as one island), Tongataboo, 
 and Eooa ; of the size of the unex- 
 plored thirty-two nothing more can 
 »e mentioned but that they must be 
 all larger than Annamooka, which 
 those from whom we had our inform- 
 ation ranked amongst the smaller 
 isles. Some, or indeed several, of 
 this latter denomination are mere 
 spots without inhabitants. * 
 
 I have not the least doubt that 
 Prince William's Islands, discovered 
 and so named by Tasman, are in- 
 cluded in the foregoing list. For 
 while we lay at Hapaee, one of the 
 natives told me that three or four 
 days' sail from thence to the NW. 
 there was a cluster of small islands 
 consisting of upwards of forty. This 
 situation corresponds very well with 
 that assigned, in the accounts we 
 have of Tasman 's voyage, to his Prince 
 William's Islands. 2 
 
 We have also very good authority 
 to believe that Keppel's and Bos- 
 cawen's Islands, two of Captain 
 Wallis's discoveries in 1765, are com- 
 prehended in our list ; and that they 
 are not only well known to these 
 people, but are under the same sove- 
 reign. The following information 
 
 1 Follows in the original a list of 
 ninety-five islands of the group, men- 
 tioned by the inhabitants of the 
 islands which Cook visited ; but we 
 mercifully spare the reader the inflic- 
 tion of the soft but unwieldy poly- 
 syllables. 
 
 2 Tasman saw eighteen or twenty 
 of these small islands, every one of 
 which was surrounded with sands, 
 ?hoals, and rocks. They are also 
 called, in some charts, Heemskirk's 
 Banks, — Note in Original Edition. 
 
 seemed to me decisive ag to this. 
 Upon my inquiring one day of Pou- 
 laho, the King, in what manner tha 
 inhabitants of Tongataboo had ac- 
 quired theknowledge of iron, and from 
 what quarter they had procured a small 
 iron tool which I had seen amongst 
 them when I first visited their island 
 during my former voyage, he informed 
 me that they had received this iron 
 from an island which he called Nee- 
 ootabootaboo. Carrying my inquiries 
 further, I then desired to know 
 whether he had ever been informed 
 from whom the people of Neeoota- 
 bootaboo had got it. I found him 
 perfectly acquainted with its history. 
 He said that one of these islanders 
 sold a club for five nails to a ship 
 which had touched there, and that 
 these five nails afterwards were sent 
 to Tongataboo. He added that this 
 was the first iron known amongst 
 them ; so that what Tasman left of 
 that metal must have been worn out 
 and forgotten long ago. I was very 
 particular in my inquiries about the 
 situation, size, and form of the island ; 
 expressing my desire to know when 
 this ship had touched there, how 
 long she stayed, and whether any 
 more were in company. The leading 
 facts appeared to be fresh in his 
 memory. He said that there was but 
 one ship ; that she did not come 
 to an anchor, but left the island 
 after her boat had been on shore. 
 And from many circumstances which 
 he mentioned, it could not be many 
 years since this had happened. Ac • 
 cording to his information, there are. 
 two islands near each other, which 
 he himself had been at. The one he 
 described as high and peaked like 
 Kao, and he called it Kootahee ; the 
 other, where the people of the ship 
 landed, called Neeootabootaboo, he 
 represented as much lower. He 
 added that the natives of both are tho 
 same sort of people with those of Ton- 
 gataboo, built their canoes in the 
 same manner, that their islands had 
 hogs and fowls, and in general the 
 same vegetable productions. Tk», 
 ship so pointedly referred to in thk 
 conversation could be no other than 
 
152 
 
 the Dolphin ; 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 the only single ship 
 from Europe, as far as we have ever 
 learned, that had touched of late 
 years at any island in this part of the 
 Pacific Ocean prior to my former visit 
 to the Friendly Islands. 1 
 
 But the most considerable islands 
 in this neighbourhood that we now 
 heard of (and we heard a great deal 
 about them) are Hamoa, Vavaoo, and 
 Feejee. Each of these was represented 
 to us as larger than Tongataboo. 
 No European that M - e know of has as 
 yet seen any one of them. Tasman, 
 indeed, lays down in his chart an 
 island nearly in the situation where I 
 suppose Vavaoo to be ; that is, about 
 the Latitude of 19°. But then that 
 island is there marked as a very small 
 one ; whereas Vavaoo, according to 
 the united testimony of all our friends 
 at Tongataboo, exceeds the size of 
 their own island, and has high moun- 
 tains. I should certainly have visited 
 it, aud have accompanied Feenou from 
 Hapaee, if he had not then discour- 
 aged me by representing it to be very 
 inconsiderable and without any har- 
 bour. But Poulaho, the King, after- 
 wards assured me that it was a large 
 island, and that it not only produced 
 everything in common with Tonga- 
 taboo, but had the peculiar advantage 
 of possessing several streams of fresh 
 water, with as good a harbour as that 
 which we found at his capital island. 
 He offered to attend me if I would 
 visit it ; adding that if 1 did not find 
 everything agreeing with his repre- 
 sentation, I might kill him. I had 
 not the least doubt of the truth of his 
 
 1 See Captain Wallis's voyage, in 
 Hawkesworth's Collection. Captain 
 Wallis there calls both these islands 
 high ones. But the superior height 
 of one of them may be inferred from 
 his saying that it appears like a sugar- 
 loaf. This strongly marks its re- 
 semblance to Kao. From comparing 
 Poulaho's intelligence to Captain 
 Cook, with Captain Wallis's account, 
 it seems to be past all doubt that 
 Boscawen's Island is our Kootahee, 
 and Keppel's Island our Neeootaboo- 
 ts\boo. — Note in Original Edition, 
 
 [Voy.III.B.II.Ch.X. 
 
 intelligence ; and was satisfied that 
 Feenou, from some interested view, 
 attempted to deceive me. 
 
 Hamoa, which is also under the 
 dominion of Tongataboo, lies two 
 days' sail NW. from Vavaoo. It was 
 described to me as the largest of all 
 their islands, as affording harbours 
 and good water, and as producing in 
 abundance every article of refresh- 
 ment found at the places we visited. 
 Poulaho himself frequently resides 
 there. It should seem that the 
 people of this island are in high esti- 
 mation at Tongataboo, for we were 
 told that some of the songs and dances 
 with which we were entertained had 
 been copied from theirs, and we saw 
 some houses said to be built after 
 their fashion. 
 
 Feejee, as we were told, lies three 
 days' sail from Tongataboo in the 
 direction of NW. by W. It was 
 described to us as a high but very 
 fruitful island, abounding with hogs, 
 dogs, fowls, and all kinds of fruit 
 and roots that are found in any of 
 the others, and as much larger than 
 Tongataboo, to the dominion of which, 
 as was represented to us, it is not 
 subject, as the other islands of this 
 archipelago are. On the contrary, 
 Feejee and Tongataboo frequently 
 make war upon each other ; and it 
 appeared from several circumstances 
 that the inhabitants of the latter are 
 much afraid of this enemy. They 
 used to express their sense of their 
 own inferiority to the Feejee men by 
 bending their body forward, and 
 covering the face with their hands. 
 And it is no wonder that they should 
 be under this dread, for those of 
 Feejee are formidable on account of 
 the dexterity with which they use 
 their bows and slings, but much more 
 so on account of the savage practice 
 to which they are addicted, like those 
 of New Zealand, of eating their ene- 
 mies whom they kill in battle. We 
 were satisfied that this was not a mis- 
 representation ; for we met with seve- 
 ral Feejee people at Tongataboo, and 
 on inquiring of them they did not 
 deny the charge. 
 
 Now thot 1 
 
 led to speak 
 
July 1777. 
 
 NATIVES OF FEEJEE. 
 
 153 
 
 of cannibals, let me ask those who 
 maintain that the want of food first 
 brings men to feed on human flesh, 
 What is it that induceth the Feejee 
 people to keep it up in the midst of 
 plenty ? This practice is detested 
 very much by those of Tongataboo, 
 who cultivate the friendship of their 
 savage neighbours of Feejee apparently 
 out of fear, though they sometimes 
 venture to skirmish with them on 
 their own ground, and carry off red 
 feathers as their booty, which are in 
 great plenty there, and, as has been 
 frequently mentioned, are in great 
 estimation amongst our Friendly t Is- 
 landers. When the two islands are 
 at peace, the intercourse between 
 them seems to be pretty frequent, 
 though they have doubtless been but 
 lately known to each other, or we 
 may suppose that Tongataboo and its 
 adjoining islands would have been 
 supplied before this with a breed of 
 dogs which abound at Feejee, and 
 had not been introduced at Tonga- 
 taboo so late as 1773, when I first 
 visited it. The natives of Feejee 
 whom we met with here were of a 
 colour that was a full shade darker 
 than that of the inhabitants of the 
 Friendly Islands in general. One of 
 them had his left ear slit, and the 
 lobe was so distended that it almost 
 reached his shoulder, which singu- 
 larity I had met with at other islands 
 of the South Sea during my second 
 voyage. It appeared to me that the 
 Feejee men whom we now saw were 
 much respected here, not only per- 
 haps from the power and cruel man- 
 ner of their nation's going to war, 
 but also from their ingenuity. For 
 they seem to excel the inhabitants of 
 Tongataboo in that respect, if we 
 might judge from several specimens 
 of their skill in workmanship which 
 we saw, such as clubs and spears, 
 which were carved in a very masterly 
 manner, cloth beautifully chequered, 
 variegated mats, earthen pots, and 
 some other articles, all which had a 
 cast of superiority in the execution. 
 
 I have mentioned that Feejee lies 
 three days' sail from Tongataboo, 
 because these people have no other 
 
 method of measuring the distance 
 from island to island but by express- 
 ing the time required to make the 
 voyage in one of their canoes. In 
 order to ascertain this with some pre- 
 cision, or at least to form some judg- 
 ment how far these canoes can sail in 
 a moderate gale in any given time, I 
 went on board one of them when 
 under sail, and by several trials with 
 the log found that she went seven 
 knots or miles in an hour, close-hauled 
 in a gentle gale. From this I judge 
 that they will sail on a medium, with 
 such breezes as generally blow in their 
 sea, about seven or eight miles in an 
 hour. But the length of each day is 
 not to be reckoned at twenty-four 
 hours , for when they spoke of one 
 day's sail, they mean no more than 
 from the morning to the evening of 
 the same day — that is, ten or twelve 
 hours at most ; and two days' sail 
 with them signifies from the morning 
 of the first day to the evening of the 
 second ; and so for any other number 
 of days. In these navigations the 
 sun is their guide by day, and the 
 stars by night. When these are ob- 
 scured they have recourse to the points 
 from whence the winds and the waves 
 come upon the vessel. If during the 
 obscuration both the wind and the 
 waves should shift (which, within the 
 limits of the trade-wind, seldom hap- 
 pens at any other time), they are then 
 bewildered, frequently miss their in- 
 tended port, and are never heard of 
 more. The history of Omai's coun- 
 trymen, who were driven to Wateeoo, 
 leads us to infer that those not heard 
 of are not always lost. 
 
 Of all the harbours and anchoring 
 places I have met with amongst these 
 islands, that of Tongataboo is by far 
 the best, not only on account of its 
 great security, but of its capacity, 
 and of the goodness of its bottom. 
 Although Tongataboo has the best 
 harbour, Annamooka furnishes the 
 best water, and yet it cannot be called 
 good. However, by digging holes 
 near the side of the pond we can get 
 what may be called tolerable. This 
 island, too, is the best situated for 
 drawirg refreshments from all thr 
 
154 
 
 others, as being nearly in the centre 
 of the whole group. 
 
 It may be expected that after spend- 
 ing between two and three months 
 amongst the [natives] I should be 
 enabled to give a tolerably satisfactory 
 account of their customs, opinions, 
 and institutions, both civil and reli- 
 gious, especially as we had a person 
 on board who might be supposed 
 qualified to act the part of an inter- 
 preter, by understanding their lan- 
 guage and others. But poor Omai 
 was very deficient ; for unless the 
 object or thing we wanted to inquire 
 about was actually before us, we found 
 it difficult to gain a tolerable know- 
 ledge of it from information only, 
 without falling into a hundred mis- 
 takes, and to such mistakes Omai 
 was more liable than we were ; for 
 having no curiosity, he never gave 
 himself the trouble to make remarks 
 for himself; and when he was dis- 
 posed to explain matters to us, his 
 ideas appeared to be so Limited, and 
 perhaps so different from ours, that 
 his accounts were often so confused 
 as to perplex instead of instructing 
 us. Add to this, that it was very 
 rare that we found amongst the na- 
 tives a person who united the- ability 
 and the inclination to give us the 
 information we wanted ; and we found 
 that most of them hated to be troubled 
 with what they probably thought idle 
 questions. Our situation at Tongata- 
 boo, where we remained the longest, 
 was likewise unfavourable. It was 
 in a part of the country where there 
 were few inhabitants except fishers. 
 It was always holiday with our visit- 
 ors, as well as with those we visited ; 
 so that we had but few opportunities 
 of observing what was really the do- 
 mestic way of living of the natives. 
 Under these disadvantages it is not 
 surprising that we should not be able 
 to bring away with us satisfactory 
 accounts of many things ; but some 
 of us endeavoured to remedy those 
 disadvantages by diligent observation ; 
 and I am indebted to Mr Anderson 
 for a considerable share of what fol- 
 lows in this and in the following 
 Chapter. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vov.III. B.II.Ch. 
 
 The natives of the Friendly Islands 
 seldom exceed the common stature 
 (though we have measured some who 
 were above six feet), but are very 
 strong and well made, especially a3 
 to their limbs. They are generally 
 broad about the shoulders, and though 
 the muscular disposition of the men, 
 which seems a consequence of much 
 action, rather conveys the appearance 
 of strength than of beauty, there are 
 several to be seen who are really 
 handsome. Their features are very 
 various, insomuch that it is scarcely 
 possible to fix on any general likeness 
 by which to characterise them, unless 
 it be a fulness at the point of the 
 nose, which is very common. But, 
 on the other hand, we met with hun- 
 dreds of truly European faces, and 
 many genuine Roman noses amongst 
 them. Their eyes and teeth arc good, 
 but the last neither so remarkably 
 white nor so well set as is often found 
 amongst Indian nations, though, to 
 balance that, few of them have any 
 uncommon thickness about the lips, 
 a defect as frequent as the other per- 
 fection. The women are not so much 
 distinguished from the men by their 
 features as by their general form, 
 which is for the most part destitute 
 of that strong fleshy firmness that 
 appears in the latter. Though the 
 features of some are so delicate 
 as not only to be a true index of 
 their sex, but to lay claim to a con- 
 siderable share of beauty and expres- 
 sion, the rule is by no means so 
 general as in many other countries. 
 But at the same time this is frequently 
 the most exceptionable part, for the 
 bodies and limbs of most of the 
 females are well proportioned, and 
 some absolutely perfect models of u 
 beautiful figure. But the most re- 
 markable distinction in the women is 
 the uncommon smallness and deli- 
 cacy of their fingers, which may be 
 put in competition with the finest in 
 Europe. 
 
 The geneml colour is a cast deeper 
 than the copper brown, but several of 
 the men and women have a true oliva 
 complexion ; and some of the last aro 
 even a great deal fairer, which is pro!' 
 
July 1777.] OF THE MORE PREVALENT DISEASES. 
 
 ably the effect of being less exposed 
 to the sun, as a tendency to corpulence 
 in a few of the principal people seems 
 to be the consequence of a more in- 
 dolent life. It is also amongst the 
 last that a soft clear skin is most fre- 
 quently observed. Amongst the bulk 
 of the people the skin is more com- 
 monly of a dull hue, with some degree 
 of roughness, especially the parts that 
 are not covered, which perhaps may 
 be occasioned by some cutaneous dis- 
 ease. We saw a man and boy at Ha- 
 paee, and a child at Annamooka, per- 
 fectly white. Such have been found 
 amongst all black nations, but I ap- 
 prehend that their colour is rather a 
 disease than a natural phenomenon. 
 There are, nevertheless, upon the 
 whole, few natural defects or defor- 
 mities to be found amongst them, 
 though we saw two or three with 
 their feet bent inward, and some 
 afflicted with a sort of blindness oc- 
 casioned by a disease of the cornea. 
 Neither are they exempt from some 
 other diseases, the most common of 
 which is the tetter, or ring-worm, 
 that seems to affect almost one-half 
 of them, and leaves whitish serpentine 
 marks everywhere behind it. But 
 this is of less consequence than an- 
 other disease which is very frequent, 
 and appears on every part of the body 
 in large broad ulcers with thick white 
 edges, discharging a thin, clear mat- 
 ter, some of which had a very virulent 
 appearance, particularly those on the 
 face, which were shocking to look at. 
 And yet we met with some who 
 seemed to be cured of it, and others 
 in a fair way of being cured ; but this 
 was not effected without the loss of 
 the nose, or of the best part of it. As 
 we know for a certainty 1 (and the 
 fact is acknowledged by themselves) 
 that the people of these islands were 
 subject to this loathsome disease be- 
 fore the English first visited them, 
 notwithstanding the similarity of 
 
 1 Captain Cook, in the account of 
 his Second Voyage, gives a particular 
 account of meeting with a person 
 afflicted with this disease at Anna- 
 mooka on bis landing there in 1773. 
 
 155 
 
 symptoms, it cannot be the effect of 
 the venereal contagion, unless wo 
 adopt a supposition, which I could 
 wish had sufficient foundation iu 
 truth, that the venereal disorder was 
 not introduced here from Europe by 
 our ships in 1773. It assuredly wa3 
 now found to exist amongst them, for 
 we had not been long there before 
 some of our people received the infec- 
 tion ; and I had the mortification to 
 learn from thence that all the care I 
 took when I first visited these islands 
 to prevent this dreadful disease from 
 being communicated to their inhabit- 
 ants had proved ineffectual. What is 
 extraordinary, they do not seem to 
 regard it much ; and as we saw few 
 signs of its destroying effects, prob- 
 ably the climate and the way of living 
 of these people greatly abate its viru- 
 lence. [Two other diseases are fre- 
 quent amongst them. ] But in other 
 respects they may be considered as 
 uncommonly healthy, not a single 
 person having been seen during our 
 stay confined to the house by sickness 
 of any kind. On the contrary, their 
 strength and activity are every way 
 answerable to their muscular appear- 
 ance ; and they exert both in their 
 usual employment and in their diver- 
 sions, in such a manner that there 
 can be no doubt of their being as yet 
 little debilitated by the numerous 
 diseases that are the consequence of 
 indolence and an unnatural method 
 of life. The graceful air and firm 
 step with which these people walk are 
 not the least obvious proof of their 
 personal accomplishments. They con- 
 sider this as a thing so natural or so 
 necessary to be acquired that nothing 
 used to excite their laughter sooner 
 than to see us frequently stumbling 
 upon the roots of trees or other in- 
 equalities of the ground. 
 
 Their countenances very remarkably 
 express the abundant mildness or 
 good-nature which they possess, and 
 are entirely free from that savage 
 keenness which marks nations in a 
 barbarous state. One would indeed 
 be apt to fancy that they had been 
 bred up under the severest restric- 
 tions to acquire an aspect so settled, 
 
156 
 
 and such a command of their pas- 
 sions, as well as steadiness in conduct. 
 But they are at the same time frank, 
 cheerful, and good-humoured, though 
 sometimes in the presence of their 
 chiefs they put on a degree of gravity 
 and such a serious air as becomes stiff 
 and awkward, and has an appearance 
 of reserve. Their peaceable disposi- 
 tion is sufficiently evinced from the 
 friendly reception all strangers have 
 met with who have visited them. 
 Instead of offering to attack them 
 openly or clandestinely, as has been 
 the case with most of the inhabitants 
 of these seas, they have never appeared 
 in the smallest degree hostile ; but on 
 the contrary, like the most civilised 
 people, have courted an intercourse 
 with their visitors by bartering, which 
 is the only medium that unites all 
 nations in a sort of friendship. They 
 understand barter (which they call 
 "fukkatou") so perfectly that at 
 first we imagined they might have 
 acquired this knowledge of it by com- 
 mercial intercourse with the neigh- 
 bouring islands, but we were afterward 
 assured that they had little or no 
 traffic except with Feejee, from which 
 they get the red feathers and the few 
 other articles mentioned before. Per- 
 haps no nation in the world traffic 
 with more honesty and less distrust. 
 We could always safely permit them 
 to examine our goods, and to hand 
 them about one to another ; and they 
 put the same confidence in us. If 
 either party repented of the bargain, 
 the goods were re-exchanged with 
 mutual consent and good-humour. 
 Upon the whole, they seem possessed 
 of many of the most excellent quali- 
 ties that adorn the human mind, such 
 as industry, ingenuity, perseverance, 
 affability, and perhaps other virtues 
 which our short stay with them might 
 prevent our observing. The only de- 
 fect sullying their character that we 
 know of is a propensity to thieving, 
 to which we found those of all ages 
 and both sexes addicted, and to an 
 uncommon degree. 
 
 Their hair is in general straight, 
 thick, and strong, though a few have 
 it bushy or frizzled. The natural 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vov. III. P, II. Ch. X. 
 
 colour, I believe, almost without ex- 
 ception, is black ; but the greatest 
 part of the men and some of the 
 women have it stained of a brown 01 
 purple colour, and a few of an orange 
 cast. The first colour is produced by 
 applying a sort of plaster of burned, 
 coral mixed with water ; the second by 
 the raspings of a reddish wood, which 
 is made up with water into a poultice 
 and laid over the hair ; and the third 
 is, I believe, the effect of turmeric 
 root. "When I first visited these 
 islands I thought it had been a uni- 
 versal custom for both men and women 
 to Avear the hair short, but during our 
 present longer stay we saw a great 
 many exceptions. Indeed they are so 
 whimsical in their fashions of wearing 
 it that it is hard to tell which is most 
 in vogue. Some have it cut olf one 
 side of the head, while that on the 
 other side remains long ; some have 
 only a portion of it cut short or per- 
 haps shaved ; others have it entirely 
 cut olf except a single lock, which is 
 left commonly on one side ; or it is 
 suffered to grow to its full length with- 
 out any of these mutilations. The 
 women in general wear it short. The 
 men have their beards cut short, and 
 both men and women strip the hair 
 from their arm-pits. The operation 
 by which this is performed has been 
 already described. 1 The men are 
 stained from about the middle of the 
 belly to about half way down the 
 thighs with a deep blue colour. This 
 is done with a flat bone instrument 
 cut full of fine teeth, which, being 
 dipped in the staining mixture pre- 
 pared from the juice of the "dooe 
 dooe," is struck into the skin with a 
 bit of stick, and by that means indel- 
 ible marks are made. In this manner 
 they trace lines and figures, which in 
 some are very elegant, both from the 
 variety and from the arrangement. 
 The women have only a few small 
 lines or spots thus imprinted on tho 
 inside of their hands. Their kings, 
 as a mark of distinction, are exempted 
 from this custom, as also from infliet- 
 
 In Chapter VI. of this Book. 
 
CLEANLINESS OF THE NATIVES. 
 
 Iuly 1777.] 
 
 Ing on themselves any of those bloody 
 .narks of mourning which shall be 
 mentioned in another place. 
 
 The dress of both men and women 
 is the same, and consists of a piece of 
 cloth or matting (but mostly the 
 former), about two yards wide and 
 two and a half long ; at least, so long 
 as to go once and a half round the 
 waist, to which it is confined by a 
 girdle or cord. It is double before, 
 and hangs down like a petticoat as 
 low as the middle of the leg. The 
 upper part of the garment above the 
 girdle is plaited into several folds, so 
 that when unfolded there is cloth 
 sufficient to draw up and wrap round 
 the shoulders ; which is very seldom 
 done. This, as to form, is the general 
 dress; but large pieces of cloth and 
 fine matting are worn only by the 
 superior people. The inferior sort 
 are satisfied with small pieces, and 
 very often wear nothing but a cover- 
 ing made of leaves of plants, or the 
 "maro," which is a narrow piece of 
 cloth or matting like a sash. This 
 they pass between the thighs and 
 wrap round the waist; but the use 
 of it is chiefly confined to the men. 
 In their great "Haivas," or enter- 
 tainments, they have various dresses 
 made for the purpose, but the form 
 is always the same, and the richest 
 dresses are covered more or less with 
 red feathers. On what particular oc- 
 casion their chiefs wear their large 
 red feather-caps 1 could not learn. 
 Both men and women sometimes 
 shade their faces from the sun with 
 little bonnets made of various mate- 
 rials. As the clothing, so are the 
 ornaments worn by those of both 
 sexes the same. The most common 
 of these are necklaces made of the 
 fruit of the Pandanus and various 
 sweet-smellingflowers, which go under 
 the general name of " kabulla. " 
 Others are composed of small shells, 
 the wing and leg-bones of birds, 
 sharks' teeth, and other things ; all 
 which hang loose upon the breast. 
 In the same manner they often wear a 
 mother-of-pearl shell neatly polished, 
 or a ring of the same substance carved, 
 on the upper part of the arm ; rings 
 
 157 
 
 of tortoise-shell on the fingers ; and a 
 number of these joined together as 
 bracelets on the wrists. The lober. 
 of the ears (though most frequently 
 only one) are perforated with two 
 holes, in which they wear cylindrical 
 bits of ivory about three inches long, 
 introduced at one hole and brought 
 out of the other, or bits of reed of 
 the same size filled with a yellow 
 pigment. This seems to be a fine 
 powder of turmeric, with which the 
 women rub themselves all over in the 
 same manner as our ladies use their 
 dry rouge upon the cheeks. 
 
 Nothing appears to give them 
 greater pleasure than personal clean- 
 liness ; to produce whicli they fre- 
 quently bathe in the ponds, which 
 seem to serve no other purpose. 
 Though the water in most of them 
 stinks intolerably, they prefer them 
 to the sea ; and they are so sensible 
 that salt water hurts their skin, that 
 when necessity obliges them to bathe 
 in the sea they commonly have jome 
 cocoa-nut shells filled with fresh water 
 poured over them to wash it off. 
 They are immoderately fond of cocoa- 
 nut oil for the same reason ; a great 
 quantity of which they not only pour 
 upon their head and shoulders, but 
 rub the body all over briskly with a 
 smaller quantity. And none but 
 those who have seen this practice can 
 easily conceive how the appearance of 
 the skin is improved by it. This oil, 
 however, is not to be procured by every 
 one, and the inferior sort of people 
 doubtless appear less smooth for want 
 of it. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Their domestic life is of that middle; 
 kind, neither so laborious as to be 
 disagreeable, nor so vacant as to suffer 
 them to degenerate into indolence. 
 Nature has done so much for their 
 country that the first can hardly oc- 
 cur, and their disposition seems to lie 
 a pretty good bar to the last. By 
 this happy combination of circum- 
 stances their necessary labour seems 
 to vield in its turn to their recrea- 
 
158 
 
 tions in such a manner, that the 
 latter are never interrupted by the 
 thoughts of being obliged to recur to 
 the former, till satiety makes them 
 wish for such a transition. 
 
 The employment of the women is 
 of the easy kind, and for the most 
 part such as may be executed in the 
 house. The manufacturing their cloth 
 is wholly consigned to their care. 
 Having already described the process, 
 I shall only add that they have this 
 cloth of different degrees of fineness. 
 The coarser sort, of which they make 
 very large pieces, does not receive 
 the impression of any pattern. Of 
 the finer sort they have some that is 
 striped and chequered, and of other 
 patterns differently coloured. But 
 how these colours are laid on I cannot 
 say, as I never saw any of this sort 
 made. The cloth in general will 
 resist water for some time, but that 
 which has the strongest glaze will 
 resist longest. The manufacture next 
 iu consequence, and also within the 
 department of the women, is that of 
 their mats, which excel everything I 
 have seen at any other place both as 
 to their texture and their beauty. 
 In particular, many of them are so 
 superior to those made at Otaheite, 
 that they are not a bad article to 
 carry thither by way of trade. Of 
 these mats they have seven or eight 
 different sorts for the purposes of 
 wearing or sleeping upon, and many 
 are merely ornamental. The last are 
 chiefly made from the tough, mem- 
 braneous part of the stock of the 
 plantain tree ; those that they wear, 
 from the Pandanus, cultivated for 
 that purpose, and never suffered to 
 shoot into a trunk ; and the coarser 
 sort, which they sleep upon, from a 
 plant called "evarra." There are 
 many other articles of less note that 
 employ the spare time of their females, 
 as combs, of which they make vast 
 numbers, little baskets made of the 
 same substance as the mats, and others 
 of the fibrous cocoa-nut husk, either 
 plain or interwoven with small beads, 
 but all finished with such neatness 
 jvnd taste in the disposition of the 
 Various parts, that a stranger cannot 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [ Voy. III. B. II. Cxi. XI 
 
 help admiring their assiduity and 
 dexterity. 
 
 The province allotted to the men 
 is, as might be expected, far more 
 laborious and extensive than that of 
 the women. Agriculture, architec- 
 ture, boat-building, fishing, and othei 
 things that relate to navigation, are 
 the objects of their care. Cultivated 
 roots and fruits being their principal 
 support, this requires their constant 
 attention to agriculture, which they 
 pursue very diligently, and seem to 
 have brought almost to as great per- 
 fection as circumstances will permit. 
 The large extent of the plantain fields 
 has been taken notice of already ; and 
 the same may be said of the yams, 
 these two together being at least as 
 ten to one with respect to all the 
 other articles. In planting both 
 these, they dig small holes for their 
 reception, and afterwards root up the 
 surrounding grass, which in this hot 
 country is quickly deprived of its 
 vegetating power, and, soon rotting, 
 becomes a good manure. The instru- 
 ments they use for this purpose, which 
 they call "hooo," are nothing more 
 than pickets or stakes of different 
 lengths, according to the depth they 
 have to dig. These are flattened and 
 sharpened to an edge at one end, and 
 the largest have a short piece fixed 
 transversely for pressing it into the 
 ground with the foot. With these, 
 though they are not more than from 
 two to four inches broad, they dig 
 and plant ground of many acres in 
 extent. In planting the plantains 
 and yams they observe so much exact- 
 ness, that whichever way you look 
 the rows present themselves regular 
 and complete. 
 
 The cocoa-nut and bread-fruit trees 
 are scattered about without any order, 
 and seem to give them no trouble 
 after they have attained a certain 
 height. The same may be said of 
 another large tree, which produces 
 great numbers of a large, roundish, 
 compressed nut, called " eeefee ;" and 
 of a smaller tree that bears a rounded 
 oval nut two inches long, with two or 
 thrco triangular kernels, tough and 
 insipid, called "mabba," most fro- 
 
CONSTRUCTION OF NATIVE HOUSES. 
 
 Jttly 1777.] 
 
 qycntly planted near their houses. 
 The "kappe" is, commonly, regu- 
 larly planted, and in pretty large 
 spots; but the "mawhaha"is inter- 
 spersed amongst other things, as the 
 "jeejee" and yams are- the last of 
 which I have frequently been in the 
 interspaces of the plantain trees at 
 their common distance. Sugar-cane 
 is commonly in small spots, crowded 
 closely together; and the mulberry, 
 of which the cloth is made, though 
 without order, has sufficient room 
 allowed for it, and is kept very clean. 
 The only other plant that they culti- 
 vate for their manufactures is the 
 Pandanus, which is generally planted 
 in a row close together at the sides of 
 the other fields ; and they consider it 
 as a thing so distinct in this state, 
 that they have a different name for 
 it, which shows that they are very 
 sensible of the great changes brought 
 about by cultivation. 
 
 It is remarkable that these people, 
 who in many things show much taste 
 and ingenuity, should show little of 
 either in building their houses ; though 
 the defect is rather in the design than 
 in the execution. Those of the lower 
 people are poor huts, scarcely suffi- 
 cient to defend them from the weather, 
 and veiy small. Those of the better 
 sort are larger and more comfortable ; 
 but not what one might expect. The 
 dimensions of one of a middling size 
 are about thirty feet long, twenty 
 broad, and twelve high. Their house 
 is, properly speaking, a thatched roof 
 or shed, supported by posts and 
 rafters disposed in a very judicious 
 manner. The floor is raised with 
 earth smoothed, and covered with 
 strong, thick matting, and kept very 
 clean. The most of them are closed 
 on the weather side (and some more 
 than two-thirds round) with strong 
 mats, or with branches of the cocoa- 
 nut tree plaited or woven into each 
 other. These they fix up edgewise, 
 reaching from the eaves to the ground, 
 and thus they answer the purpose of 
 a wall. A thick, strong mat, about 
 two and one-half or three feet broad, 
 bent into the form of a semicircle, 
 and set upon its edge with the ends 
 
 touching tbc side of the house, in 
 shape resembling the fender of a fire- 
 hearth, encloses a space for the master 
 and mistress of the family to sleep in. 
 The lady, indeed, spends most of her 
 time during the clay within it. The 
 rest of the family sleep upon the floor 
 wherever they please to lie down ; the 
 unmarried men and women apart 
 from each other. Or, if the family 
 be large, there are small huts adjoin- 
 ing to which the servants retire in 
 the night ; so that privacy is as much 
 observed here as one could expect. 
 They have mats made on purpose for 
 sleeping on ; and the clothes that 
 they wear in the day serve for their 
 covering in the night. Their whole 
 furniture consists of a bowl or two, 
 in which they make "kava;" a few 
 gourds, cocoa-nut shells, some small 
 wooden stools which serve them for 
 pillows, and, perhaps, a large stool 
 for the chief or master of the family 
 to sit upon. The only probable reason 
 I can assign for their neglect of orna- 
 mental architecture in the construc- 
 tion of their houses, is their being 
 fond of living much in the open air. 
 Indeed, they seem to consider their 
 houses, within which they seldom 
 eat, as of little use but to sleep in and 
 to retire to in bad weather. And the 
 lower sort of people, who spend a 
 great part of their time in close attend- 
 ance upon the chiefs, can have little 
 use for their own houses but in the 
 last case. 
 
 They make amends for the defects 
 of their houses by their great atten- 
 tion to and dexterity in naval archi- 
 tecture, if I may be allowed to give 
 it that name. But I refer to the 
 narrative of my last voyage for an 
 account of their canoes, and their 
 manner of building and navigating 
 them. The only tools which they use 
 to construct these boats are hatchets, 
 or rather thick adzes, of a smooth 
 black stone that abounds at Toofoa; 
 augers made of sharks' teeth fixed on 
 small handles ; and rasps of a rough 
 skin of a fish, fastened on flat pieces 
 of wood, thinner on one side, which 
 also have handles. The labour and 
 time employed in finishing thvb 
 
160 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 canoes, which .ire the most perfect of 
 their mechanical productions, will 
 account for their being very careful 
 of them. For they are built and pre- 
 served under sheds; or they cover 
 the decked part of them with cocoa- 
 leaves when they are hauled on shore, 
 to prevent their being hurt by the 
 sun. The same tools are all they 
 have for other works, if we except 
 different shells, which they use as 
 knives. But there are few of their 
 productions that require these, unless 
 it be some of their weapons; the other 
 articles being chiefly their fishing 
 materials, and cordage. The cordage 
 is made from the fibres of the cocoa- 
 nut husk, which, though not more 
 than nine or ten inches long, they 
 plait, about the size of a quill or less, 
 to any length that they please, and 
 roll it up in balls, from which the 
 larger ropes are made by twisting 
 several of these together. The lines 
 that they fish with are as strong and 
 even as the best cord we make, resem- 
 bling it almost in every respect. The 
 other fishing implements are large 
 and small hooks. The last are com- 
 posed entirely of pearl-shell, but the 
 first are only covered with it on the 
 back, and the points of both com- 
 monly of tortoise-shell ; those of the 
 small being plain and the others 
 barbed. With the large ones they 
 catch bonitos and albicores, by put- 
 ting them to a bamboo rod twelve or 
 fourteen feet long, with a line of the 
 same length, which rests in a notch 
 of a piece of wood fixed in the stern 
 of the canoe for that purpose, and is 
 dragged on the surface of the sea as 
 she rows along, without any other 
 bait than a tuft of flaxy stuff near the 
 point. They have also great numbers 
 of pretty small seines, some of which 
 are of a very delicate texture. These 
 they use to catch fish with in the 
 holes on the reefs when the tide 
 ebbs. 
 
 The other manual employments con- 
 sist chiefly in making musical reeds, 
 flutes, warlike weapons, and stools or 
 rather pillows to sleep on, The reeds 
 have eight, nine, or ten pieces placed 
 parallel to each other, but not in any 
 
 [Voy.III.B.II.Ch.XL 
 
 regular progression, having the longest 
 sometimes in the middle, and several 
 of the same length; so that I have 
 seen none with more than six notes ; 
 and they seem incapable of playing 
 any music on them that is distin- 
 guishable by our ears. The flutes 
 are a joint of bamboo, close at both 
 ends, with a hole near each, and four 
 others ; two of which, and one of the 
 first only, are used in playing. They 
 apply the thumb of the left hand to 
 close the left nostril, and blow into 
 the hole at one end with the other. 
 The middle finger of the left hand is 
 applied to the first hole on the left, 
 and the forefinger of the right to tho 
 lowest hole on that side. In this 
 manner, though the notes are only 
 three, they produce a pleasing yet 
 simple music, which they vary much 
 more than one would think possible 
 with so imperfect an instrument. 
 Their being accustomed to a music 
 which consists of so few notes is per- 
 haps the reason why they do not seem 
 to relish any of ours, which is so 
 complex. But they can taste what 
 is more deficient than their own ; for 
 we observed that they used to be well 
 pleased with hearing the chant of our 
 two young New Zealanders, which 
 consisted rather in mere strength 
 than in melody of expression. The 
 weapons which they make are clubs 
 of different sorts (in the ornamenting 
 of which they spend much time), 
 spears, and darts. They have also 
 bows and arrows; but these seemed 
 to be designed only for amusement, 
 such as shooting at birds, and not for 
 military purposes. The stools are 
 about two feet long, but only four or 
 five inches high, and near four broad, 
 bending downward in the middle, 
 with four strong legs and circular 
 feet ; the whole made of one piece of 
 black or brown wood, neatly polished 
 and sometimes inlaid with bits of 
 ivory. They also inlay the handles 
 of flyflaps with ivory, after being 
 neatly carved ; and they shape bones 
 into small figures of men, birds, and 
 other things, which must be very 
 difficult, as their carving instrument 
 is only a shark's tooth. 
 
July 1777.] FOOD AND 
 
 Yams, plantains, and cocoa-nuts, 
 compose the greatest part of their 
 vegetable diet. Of their animal food, 
 the chief articles are hogs, fowls, fish, 
 and all sorts of shell-fish ; but the 
 lower people eat rats. The two first 
 vegetable articles, with bread-fruit, 
 are what may be called the basis of 
 their food at different times of the 
 year, with fish and shell-fish ; for 
 hogs, fowls, and turtle, seem only to 
 be occasional dainties reserved for 
 their chiefs. The intervals between 
 the seasons of these vegetable produc- 
 tions must be sometimes considerable, 
 as they prepare a sort of artificial 
 bread from plantains, which they put 
 under ground before ripe, and suffer 
 them to remain till they ferment, 
 when they are taken out and made 
 up into small balls ; but so sour and 
 indifferent, that they often said our 
 bread was preferable, though some- 
 what musty. Their food is, generally, 
 dressed by baking, in the same man- 
 ner as at Otaheite ; and they have 
 the art of making from different kinds 
 of fruit several dishes which most of 
 us esteemed very good. I never saw 
 them make use of any kind of sauce ; 
 nor drink anything at their meals 
 but water or the juice of the cocoa- 
 nut ; for the "kava" is only their 
 morning draught. I cannot say that 
 they are cleanly either in their cook- 
 ery or manner of eating. The gener- 
 ality of them will lay their victuals 
 upon the first leaf they meet with, 
 however dirty it may be ; but when 
 food is served up to the chiefs it is 
 commonly laid upon green plantain 
 leaves. "When the King made a meal, 
 he was for the most part attended 
 upon by three or four persons. One 
 cut large pieces of the joint or of the 
 fish ; another divided it into niouth- 
 fuls ; and others stood by with cocoa- 
 nuts and whatever else he might 
 want. I never saw a large company 
 •At down to what wo should call a 
 sociable meal, by eating from the 
 same dish. The food, be what it 
 will, is always divided into portions, 
 each to serve a certain number ; these 
 portions are again subdivided ; so 
 that one seldom sees above two or 
 
 COOKERY. 
 
 161 
 
 three persons eating together. The 
 women are not excluded from eating 
 with the men, but there are certain 
 ranks or orders amongst them that 
 can neither eat nor drink together. 
 This distinction begins with the King; 
 but where it ends I cannot say. They 
 seem to have no set time for meals ; 
 though it should be observed that 
 during our stay amongst them their 
 domestic economy was much dis- 
 turbed by their constant attention to 
 u&. As far as we could remark, those 
 of the superior rank only drink 
 "kava" in the forenoon, and the 
 others eat perhaps a bit of yam ; but 
 we commonly saw all of them eat 
 something in the afternoon. It is 
 probable that the practice of making 
 a meal in the night is pretty common ; 
 and their rest being thus interrupted 
 they frequently sleep in the day. 
 They go to bed as soon as it is dark, 
 and rise with the dawn in the morning. 
 They are very fond of associating 
 together, so that it is common to find 
 several houses empty, and the owners 
 of them convened in some other one, 
 or rather upon a convenient spot in 
 the neighbourhood where they recreate 
 themselves by conversing and other 
 amusements. Their private diversions 
 are chiefly singing, dancing, and music 
 performed by the women. "When two 
 or three women sing in concert, and 
 snap their fingers, it is called "oobai ;" 
 but when there is a greater number 
 they divide into several parties, each 
 of which sings on a different key, 
 which makes a very agreeable music, 
 and is called "heeva" or "haiva." 
 In the same manner, they vary the 
 music of their flutes, by playing on 
 those of a different size ; but their 
 dancing is much the same as when 
 they perform publicly. The dancing 
 of the men (if it is to be called danc- 
 ing), although it does not consist 
 much in moving the feet as we do, 
 has a thousand different motions with 
 the hands to which we are entire 
 strangers ; and they are performed 
 with an ease and grace which are not 
 to be described nor even conceived 
 but by those who have seen them. 
 But I need add nothing to what has 
 
 L 
 
162 
 
 been already said on this subject in 
 the account of the incidents that hap- 
 pened during our stay at the islands. 
 
 Whether their marriages be made 
 lasting by any kind of solemn con- 
 tract, we could not determine with 
 precision ; but it is certain, that the 
 bulk of the people satisfied themselves 
 with one wife. The chiefs, however, 
 have commonly several women; though 
 some of us were of opinion that there 
 was only one that was looked upon as 
 the mistress of the family. As female 
 chastity at first sight seemed to be held 
 in no great estimation, we expected 
 to have found frequent breaches of 
 their conjugal fidelity ; but we did 
 them great injustice. I do not know 
 that a single instance happened dur- 
 ing our whole stay. Neither are those 
 of the better sort that are unmarried 
 more free of their favours. It is true, 
 there was no want of those of a differ- 
 ent character ; and perhaps such are 
 more frequently met with here in pro- 
 portion to the number of people, than 
 in many other countries. But it 
 appeared to me that the most, if not 
 all of them, were of the lowest class ; 
 and such of them as permitted fami- 
 liarities to our people were prostitutes 
 by profession. 
 
 Nothing can be a greater proof of 
 the humanity of these people than 
 the concern they show for the dead. 
 To use a common expression, their 
 mourning is not in words but deeds. 
 For, besides the " tooge " mentioned 
 before, and burnt circles and scars, 
 they beat the teeth with stones, 
 strike a shark's tooth into the head 
 until the blood flows in streams, and 
 thrust spears into the inner part of 
 the thigh, into their sides below the 
 arm-pits, and through the cheeks into 
 the mouth. All these operations con- 
 vey an idea of such rigorous discipline 
 as must require either an uncommon 
 degree of affection, or the grossest 
 superstition, to exact. I will not say 
 that the last has no share in it ; for 
 sometimes it is so universal that many 
 could not have any knowledge of the 
 person for whom the concern is ex- 
 pressed. Thus we saw the people of 
 Tongataboo mourning the death of a 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vot. III. B. II. Oh. XL 
 
 chief at Vavaoo ; and other similar 
 instances occurred during our stay. 
 It should be observed, however, that 
 the more painful operations are only 
 practised on account of the death of 
 those most nearly connected with the 
 mourners. When a person dies, he 
 is buried, after being wrapped up in 
 mats and cloth, much after our man- 
 ner. The chiefs seem to have the 
 "fiatookas" appropriated to them as 
 their burial-places ; but the common 
 people are interred in no particular 
 spot. What part of the mourning 
 ceremony follows immediately after 
 is uncertain ; but that there is some- 
 thing besides the general one, which 
 is continued for a considerable length 
 of time, we could infer from being 
 informed that the funeral of Maree- 
 wagee's wife, as mentioned before, was 
 to be attended with ceremonies that 
 were to last five days, in which all 
 the principal people were to com- 
 memorate her. 
 
 Their long and general mourning 
 proves that they consider death as a 
 very great evil. And this is con- 
 firmed by a very odd custom which 
 they practise to avert it. When I 
 first visited these islands, during my 
 last voyage, I observed that many of 
 the inhabitants had one or both of 
 their little fingers cut off; and we 
 could not then receive any satisfactory 
 account of the reason of this mutila- 
 tion. But we now learned that this 
 operation is performed when they 
 labour under some grievous disease 
 and think themselves in danger of 
 dying. They suppose that the Deity 
 will accept of the little finger as e 
 sort of sacrifice efficacious enough to 
 procure the recovery of their health. 
 They cut it off with one of their stone 
 hatchets. There was scarcely one in 
 ten of them whom we did not find 
 thus mutilated in one or both hands ; 
 which has a disagreeable effect, especi- 
 ally as they sometimes cut so close 
 that they encroach upon the bone of 
 the hand which joins to the ampu- 
 tated finger. 1 
 
 1 It may be proper to mention here, 
 on the authority of Captain King, thai 
 
July 1777.] MOURNING CEREMONIES FOR THE DEAD: 
 
 From the rigid severity with which 
 some of these mourning and religious 
 ceremonies are executed, one would 
 expect to find that they meant there- 
 by to secure to themselves felicity 
 beyond the grave ; but their princi- 
 pal object relates to things merely 
 temporal, for they seem to have little 
 conception of future punishment for 
 faults committed in this life. They 
 believe, however, that they are justly 
 punished upon earth ; and conse- 
 quently use eveiy method to render 
 their Divinities propitious. The Su- 
 preme Author of most things they 
 call "Kallafootonga," who, they say, 
 is a female residing in the sky and 
 directing the thunder, wind, rain, and 
 in general all the changes of weather. 
 They believe that when she is angry 
 with them the productions of the 
 earth are blasted ; that many things 
 are destroyed by lightning ; and that 
 they themselves are afflicted with sick- 
 ness and death, as well as their hogs 
 and other animals. When this anger 
 abates, they suppose that everything 
 is restored to its natural order ; and it 
 should seem that they have a great 
 reliance on the efficacy of their en- 
 deavours to appease their offended 
 Divinity. They also admit a plurality 
 of deities, though all inferior to " Kal- 
 lafootonga." Amongst them they 
 mention " Toofooa-boolootoo, " god of 
 the clouds and fog; " Talleteboo, " 
 and some others, residing in the 
 heavens. The first in rank and 
 power, who has the government of 
 the sea and its productions, is called 
 " Futtafaihe, " oi", as it was sometimes 
 pronounced, "Footafooa," who, they 
 say, is a male, and has for his wife 
 " Fykavakajeea ;" and here, as in 
 heaven, there are several inferior 
 potentates, such as " Vahaa-fonooa, " 
 "Tareeava," "Kattaba," "Evaroo," 
 and others. The same religious sys- 
 tem, however, does not extend all 
 over the cluster of the Friendly Isles ; 
 
 it is common for the inferior people to 
 cut off a joint of their little finger, on 
 account of the sickness of the chiefs 
 
 to whom they belong. 
 ginal Edition, 
 
 -Note in Ori- 
 
 163 
 for the supreme god of Hapaee, for 
 instance, is called "Alo Alo;" and 
 other isles have two or three of differ- 
 ent names. But their notions of the 
 power and other attributes of these 
 beings are so very absurd, that they 
 suppose they have no further concern 
 with them after death. 
 
 They have, however, very proper 
 sentiments about the immateriality 
 and the immortality of the soul. They 
 call it life, the living principle, or, 
 what is more agreeable to their notions 
 of it, an " Otooa ;" that is, a divinity 
 or invisible being. They say that 
 immediately upon death the souls of 
 their chiefs separate from their bodies, 
 and go to a place called " Boolootoo," 
 the chief or god of which is ' ' Gooleho. " 
 This "Gooleho" seems to be a per- 
 sonification of death ; for they used 
 to say to us, " You and the men of 
 Feejee " (by this junction meaning to 
 pay a compliment expressive of their 
 confession of our superiority over 
 themselves) "are also subject to the 
 power and dominion of ' Gooleho. ' " 
 His country, the general receptacle of 
 the dead, according to their mytho- 
 logy, was never seen by any person ; 
 yet it seems they know that it lies to 
 the westward of Feejee, and that they 
 who are once transported thither live 
 for ever, or, to use their own expres- 
 sion, are not subject to death again, 
 but feast upon aU the favourite pro- 
 ducts of their own country, with which 
 this everlasting abode is supposed to 
 abound. As to the souls of the lower 
 sort of people, they undergo a sort of 
 transmigration ; or, as they say, are 
 eaten up by a bird called "loata," 
 which walks upon their graves for 
 that purpose. 
 
 I think I may venture to assert 
 that they do not worship anything 
 that is the work of their own hands, 
 or any visible part of the creation. 
 They do not make offerings of hogs, 
 dogs, and fruit, as at Otaheite, unless 
 it be emblematically, for their "mor- 
 ais " were perfectly free from every- 
 thing of the kind. But that they 
 offer real human sacrifices is with mo 
 beyond a doubt. Their • ' morais " or 
 "fiatookas" (for they are called by 
 
164 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Toy. III. B. II. Cn. XI. 
 
 both names, but mostly by the latter) 
 are, as at Otalieite and many other 
 parts of the world, burying-grounds 
 and places of worship, though some 
 of them seemed to be only appropri- 
 ated t,o the first purpose, but these 
 were small, and in every other respect 
 inferior to the others. 
 
 Of the nature of their government 
 we know no more than the general 
 outline. A subordination is estab- 
 lished among them that resembles 
 the feudal system of our progenitors 
 in Europe. But of its subdivisions, 
 of the constituent parts, and in what 
 manner they are connected so as to 
 form a body politic, I confess myself 
 totally ignorant. Some of them told 
 us that the power of the King is un- 
 limited, and that the life and property 
 of the subject is at his disposal. But 
 the few circumstances that fell under 
 our observation rather contradicted 
 than confirmed the idea of a despotic 
 government. Mareewagee, old Too- 
 bou, and Feenou, acted each like 
 petty sovereigns, and frequently 
 thwarted the measures of the King, of 
 which he often complained. Neither 
 vas his court more splendid than 
 those of the two first, who are the 
 most powerful chiefs in the islands ; 
 and next to them Feenou, Mareewa- 
 gee's sou, seemed to stand highest in 
 authority. But however independent 
 on the despotic power of the King the 
 great men may be, we saw instances 
 enough to prove that the lower order 
 of people have no property nor safety 
 for their persons but at the will of the 
 chiefs to whom they respective 1 v be- 
 long. 
 
 Tongataboo is divided into many 
 districts, of above thirty of which we 
 learned the names. Each of these 
 has its particular chief, who decides 
 dill'erences and distributes justice 
 within his own district. But we could 
 not form any satisfactory judgment 
 about the extent of their power in 
 general, or their mode of proportion- 
 ing punishments to crimes. Host of 
 these chiefs have possessions in other 
 islands, whence they draw supplies. 
 At least we know this is so with re- 
 spect to the King, who at certain 
 
 established times receives the product 
 of his distant domains at Tongataboo, 
 which is not only the principal place 
 of his residence, but seemingly of all 
 the people of consequence amongst 
 these isles. Its inhabitants in com- 
 mon conversation call it the Land of 
 Chiefs, while the subordinate isles are 
 distinguished by the appellation of 
 Lands of Servants. These chiefs are 
 by the people styled not only Lords 
 ot the Earth, but of the Sun and Sky ; 
 and the King's family assume the 
 name of Futtafaihe, from the god so 
 called, who is probably their tutelary 
 patron and perhaps their common 
 ancestor. The Sovereign's peculiar 
 earthly title is, however, simply 
 "Tooee Tonga." 
 
 There is a decorum observed in the 
 presence of their principal men, and 
 particularly of their King, that is 
 truly admirable. Whenever he sits 
 down, whether it be in a house or 
 without, all the attendants seat them- 
 selves at the same time in a semicircle 
 before him, leaving always a conveni- 
 ent space between him and them, into 
 which no one attempts to come unless 
 he has some particular business. 
 Neither is any one allowed to pass or 
 sit behind him, nor even near him, 
 without his order or permission ; so 
 that our having been indulged with 
 this privilege was a significant proof 
 of the great respect that was paid us. 
 When any one wants to speak with 
 the King, he advances and sits down 
 before him, delivers what he has to 
 say in a few words ; and, having re- 
 ceived his answer, retires again to the 
 circle. But if the King speaks to 
 any one, that person answers from his 
 seat, unless he is to receive some order, 
 in which case he gets up from his 
 place and sits down before the chief 
 with his legs across, which is a posture 
 to which they are so much accustomed 
 that any other mode of sitting is dis- 
 agreeable to them. 1 To speak to the 
 King standing would be accounted 
 here as a striking mark of rudeness, 
 
 1 This is peculiar to the men, ths 
 women always sitting with both lege 
 thrown a little on one side. 
 
OBEISANCE PAID TO THE KING. 
 
 Jm-Y 1777.] 
 
 as it would be with us for one to sit 
 down and put on his hat when he ad- 
 dresses himself to his superior, andthat 
 superior on his feet and uncovered. 
 
 It does not indeed appear that any 
 of the most civilised nations have ever 
 exceeded this people in the great order 
 observed on all occasions, in ready 
 compliance with the commands of 
 their chiefs, and in the harmony that 
 subsists throughout all ranks, and 
 unites them as if they were all one 
 man, informed with and directed by 
 the same principle. Such a behavi- 
 our is remarkably obvious whenever 
 it is requisite that their chief should 
 harangue any body of them collected 
 together, which is frequently done. 
 The most profound silence and atten- 
 tion are observed during the harangue, 
 even to a much greater degree than is 
 practised amongst us on the most 
 interesting and serious deliberations 
 of our most respectable assemblies. 
 And whatever might have been the 
 subject of the speech delivered, we 
 never saw an instance when any indi- 
 vidual present showed signs of his 
 being displeased, or indicated the 
 least inclination to dispute the de- 
 clared will of a person who had a 
 right to command. Nay, such is the 
 force of these verbal laws, as I may 
 call them, that I have seen one of 
 their chiefs express his being aston- 
 ished at a person's having acted con- 
 trary to such orders, though it ap- 
 peared that the poor man could not 
 possibly have been informed in time 
 to have observed them. 
 
 Though some of the more potent 
 chiefs may vie with the King in point 
 of actual possessions, they fall very 
 short in rank and in certain marks of 
 respect which the collective body 
 have agreed to pay the monarch. It 
 is a particular privilege annexed to 
 his sovereignty not to be punctured 
 nor circumcised as all his subjects are. 
 Whenever he walks out, every one 
 whom he meets must sit down till he 
 has passed. No one is allowed to be 
 over his head ; on the contrary, all 
 must come under his feet, for there 
 cannot be a greater outward mark of 
 submission than that which is paid to 
 
 165 
 
 the Sovereign and other great people 
 of these islands by their inferiors. 
 The method is this : the person who 
 is to pay obeisance squats down before 
 the chief, and bows the head to the 
 sole of his foot, which when he sits is 
 so placed that it can be easily come 
 at ; and having tapped or touched it 
 with the under and upper side of the 
 fingers of both hands, he rises up and 
 retires. It should seem that the King 
 cannot refuse any one who chooses to 
 pay him this homage, which is called 
 " moe moea," for the common people 
 would frequently take it into their 
 heads to do it when he was walking ; 
 and he was always obliged to stop and 
 hold up one of his feet behind him 
 till they had performed the ceremony. 
 This to a heavy unwieldy man like 
 Poulaho must be attended with some 
 trouble and pain ; and I have some- 
 times seen him make a run, though 
 very unable, to get out of the way or 
 to reach a place where he might con- 
 veniently sit down. The hands, after 
 this application of them to the chief's 
 feet, are in some cases rendered use- 
 less for a time, for until they be washed 
 they must not touch any kind of food. 
 This interdiction, in a country where 
 water is so scarce, would seem to bo 
 attended with some inconvenience ; 
 but they are never at a loss for a suc- 
 cedaneum, and a piece of any juicy 
 plant, which they can easily procure 
 immediately, being rubbed upon them, 
 this serves for the purpose of purifica- 
 tion as well as washing them with 
 water. When the hands are iu this 
 state they call it "taboo rema. " 
 "Taboo," in general, signifies for- 
 bidden; and "rema" is their word 
 for hand. 
 
 When the " taboo " is incurred by 
 paying obeisance to a great personage, 
 it is thus easily washed off. But in 
 some other cases it must necessarily 
 continue for a certain time. Wc 
 have frequently seen women who have 
 been "taboo rema" fed by others. 
 At the expiration of the time, the in- 
 terdicted person washes herself in ono 
 of their baths, which are dirty holes, 
 for the most part, of brackish water. 
 She then waits upon the King, anv ? . t 
 
IOG 
 
 after making her obeisance in the 
 usual way, lays hold of his foot and 
 applies it to her breast, shoulders, 
 and other parts of her body. He then 
 embraces her on each shoulder, after 
 which she retires purified from her 
 uncleanness. I do not know that it 
 is always necessary to come to the 
 King for this purpose, though Omai 
 assured me it was. If this be so, it 
 may be one reason why he is for the 
 most part travelling from island to 
 island. I saw this ceremony performed 
 by him two or three times, and once 
 by Feenou to one of his own women ; 
 but as Omai was not then with me I 
 could not ask the occasion. " Ta- 
 boo," as I have before observed, is a 
 word of an extensive signification. 
 Human sacrifices are called " tangata 
 taboo ; " and when anything is for- 
 bidden to be eaten or made use of, 
 they say that it is "taboo." They 
 tell us that if the King should happen 
 to go into a house belonging to a sub- 
 ject, that house would be "taboo," 
 and could never more be inhabited by 
 the owner, so that wherever he travels 
 there are particular houses for his re- 
 ception. Old Toobou at this time 
 presided over the "taboo," that is, 
 if Omai comprehended the matter 
 rightly, he and his deputies inspected 
 all the produce of the island, taking 
 care that every man should cultivate 
 and plant his quota, and ordering 
 what should be eaten and what not. 
 By this wise regulation they effectu- 
 ally guard against a famine, a suffi- 
 cient quantity of ground is employed 
 in raising provisions, and every article 
 thus raised is secured from unneces- 
 sary waste. 
 
 By another prudent regulation in 
 their government, they have an officer 
 over the police, or something like 
 it. This department when we were 
 amongst them was administered by 
 Feenou ; whose business, we were told, 
 it was to punish all offenders, whether 
 against the State or against indi- 
 viduals. He was also generalissimo, 
 and commanded the warriors when 
 called out upon service ; but by all 
 accounts this is very seldom. The 
 King frequently took some pains to 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES, 
 inform us 
 
 [VOY.III.B.H.CH.XI. 
 
 of Feenou's office ; and, 
 among other things, told us that if 
 he himself should become a bad man, 
 Feenou would kill him. What I 
 understood by this expression of being 
 a bad man was, that if he did not go- 
 vern according to law or custom, 
 Feenou would be ordered by the other 
 great men, or by the people at large, 
 to put him to death. There should 
 seem to be no doubt that a sovereign 
 thus liable to be controlled and pun- 
 ished for an abuse of power, cannot 
 be called a despotic monarch. When 
 we consider the number of islands 
 that compose this little state, and the 
 distance at which some of them lie 
 from the seat of government, attempts 
 to throw off the yoke and to acquire 
 independency, it should seem, might 
 be apprehended. But they tell us 
 that this never happens. One reason 
 why they are not thus disturbed by 
 domestic quarrels may be this, that 
 all the powerful chiefs, as we have 
 already mentioned, reside at Tongata- 
 boo. They also secure the independ- 
 ence of the other islands by the 
 celerity of their operations ; for if at 
 any time a troublesome and popular 
 man should start up in any of them, 
 Feenou, or whoever holds his office, 
 is immediately despatched thither to 
 kill him. By this means they crush 
 a rebellion in its very infaucy. 
 
 The orders or classes amongst their 
 chiefs, or those who call themselves 
 such, seemed to be almost as numer- 
 ous as amongst us ; but there are few 
 in comparison that are lords of large 
 districts of territory, the rest holding 
 their lands under those principal 
 barons, as they may be called. I was, 
 indeed, told that when a man of pro- 
 perty dies, everything he leaves be- 
 hind him falls to the King ; but that 
 it is usual to give it to the eldest son 
 of the deceased, with an obligation to 
 make a provision out of it for the 
 rest of the children. It is not the cus- 
 tom here, as at Otaheite, for the son, 
 the moment he is born, to take from 
 the father the homage and title, but 
 ho succeeds to them at his decease ; so 
 that their form of government is not 
 only monarchical but hereditary. 
 
Jttly 1777.] AN ACCOUNT OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. 
 
 The order of succession to the crown 
 has not been of late interrupted ; for 
 we know from a particular circum- 
 stance that the Futtafaihes (Poulaho 
 being only an addition to distinguish 
 the King from the rest of his family) 
 have reigned in a direct line for at 
 least 135 years. Upon inquiring 
 whether any account had been pre- 
 served amongst them of the arrival 
 of Tasman's ships, we found that this 
 history had been handed down to 
 them from their ancestors with an 
 accuracy which marks that oral tradi- 
 tion may sometimes be depended upon. 
 For they described the two ships as 
 resembling ours ; mentioning the 
 place where they had anchored ; their 
 having stayed but a few days ; and 
 their moving from that station to 
 Annamooka. And, by way of in- 
 forming us how long ago this had 
 happened, they told us the name of 
 the Futtafaihe who was then king, 
 and of those who had succeeded, down 
 to Poulaho, who is the fifth since that 
 period ; the first being an old man 
 at the time of the arrival of the 
 ships. 
 
 From what has been said of the 
 present King, it would be natural to 
 suppose that he had the highest rank 
 of any person in the islands. But to 
 our great surprise we found it is not 
 so ; for Latoolibooloo, the person who 
 was pointed out to me as King when 
 I first visited Tongataboo, and three 
 women, are in some respects superior 
 to Poulaho himself. On our inquir- 
 ing who these extraordinary person- 
 ages were whom they distinguish by 
 the name and title of "Tammaha," 
 we were told that the late King, Pou- 
 laho's father, had a sister of equal 
 rank, and older than himself ; that 
 she, by a man who came from the 
 island of Feejee, had a son and two 
 daughters ; and that these three per- 
 sons, as well as their mother, rank 
 above Futtafaihe, the King. "Wo en- 
 deavoured in vain to trace the reason 
 
 167 
 
 of this singular pre-eminence of the 
 "Tammahas;" for wo could learn 
 nothing besides this account of their 
 pedigree. The mother, and one of 
 the daughters, called Tooeela-kaipa, 
 live at Vavaoo. Latoolibooloo, the 
 son, and the other daughter, whose 
 name is Moungoula - kaipa, reside 
 at Tongataboo. The latter is the 
 woman who is mentioned to have 
 dined with me on the 21st of June. 1 
 This gave occasion to our discovering 
 her superiority over the King, who 
 would not eat in her presence, though 
 she made no scruple to do so before 
 him, and received from him the cus- 
 tomary obeisance by touching her foot. 
 We never had an opportunity of see- 
 ing him pay this mark of respect to 
 Latoolibooloo ; but we have observed 
 him leave off eating, and have his 
 victuals put aside, when the latter 
 came into the same house. Latooli- 
 booloo assumed the privilege of taking 
 anything from the people, even if it 
 belonged to the King ; and yet, in 
 the ceremony called "Natche," he 
 assisted only in the same manner as 
 the other principal men. He was 
 looked upon by his countrymen as a 
 madman ; and many of his actions 
 seemed to confirm this judgment. 
 At Eooa they showed me a good deal 
 of land said to belong to him ; and I 
 saw there a son of his, a child whom 
 they distinguished by the same title 
 as his father. The son of the greatest 
 prince in Europe could not be more 
 humoured and caressed than this littlo 
 " Tammaha " was. 2 
 
 1 In Chapter VII. of this Book, 
 ante, p. 135. 
 
 2 The remainder of the Chapter is 
 omitted ; it is taken up with linguis- 
 tic speculations, and lists of similar 
 words current at the Friendly Islands 
 and Otaheite ; and with a technical 
 record of the nautical and astronomi* 
 cal observations made during the s> 
 journ at Tongataboo. 
 
168 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. (Toy. III. B. III. Ch. I 
 
 BOOK III. 
 
 TRANSACTIONS AT OTAHEITE, AND THE SOCIETY ISLANDS J AND 
 PROSECUTION OF TIIE VOYAGE TO THE COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Having taken our final leave of the 
 Friendly Islands, I now resume my 
 narrative of the voyage. In the even- 
 ing of the 17th of July, at 8 o'clock, 
 the body of Eooa bore NE. by N., 
 distant three or four leagues. The 
 wind was now at E., and blew a fresh 
 gale. With it I stood to the S. till 
 half-an-hour past 6 o'clock the next 
 morning, when a sudden squall from 
 the same direction took our ship 
 aback ; and before the sails could be 
 trimmed on the other tack, the main- 
 sail and top-gallant sails were much 
 torn. The wind kept between the 
 SW. and SE. on the 19th and 20th ; 
 afterward it veered to the ENE., and 
 N. The night between the 20th and 
 21st an eclipse of the moon was 
 observed. I continued to stretch to 
 the ESE., with the wind at NE. and 
 N., without meeting with anything 
 worthy of note till 7 o'clock in the 
 evening of the 29th, when we had a 
 sudden and very heavy squall of wind 
 from the N. At this time we were 
 under single reefed topsails, courses, 
 and stay-sails. Two of the latter were 
 blown to pieces ; and it was with 
 difficulty that we saved the other 
 sails. After this squall, we observed 
 several lights moving about on board 
 the Discovery, by which we concluded 
 that something had given way ; and 
 the next morning we saw that her 
 main-topmast had been lost. Both 
 wind and weather continued very un- 
 settled till noon this day, when the 
 latter cleared up, and the former 
 settled in the NW. quarter. At this 
 time we were in the Latitude of 28° 
 6' S., and our Longitude was 198° 
 23' E. Here we saw some pintado 
 liirds, being the first since we left the 
 land. 
 On tho 31st at noon Captain Clerkfi 
 
 made a signal to speak with me. By 
 the return of the boat which I sent 
 on board his ship, he informed me 
 that the head of the mainmast had 
 been discovered to be sprung in such 
 a manner as to render the rigging of 
 another topmast very dangerous, and 
 that therefore he must rig something 
 lighter in its place. He also informed 
 me that he had lost his maintop- 
 gallantyard, and that he neither had 
 another nor a spar to make one on 
 board. The Resolution's spritsail 
 and topsail-yard, which I sent him, 
 supplied this want. The next day 
 we got up a jury topmast, on which 
 he set a mizzen topsail, and this en- 
 abled him to keep way with the Re- 
 solution. The wind was fixed in tha 
 western board — that is, from the N. 
 round by the W. to S., and I steered 
 E. and NE., without meeting with 
 anything remarkable, till 11 o'clock 
 in the morning of the 8th of August, 
 when the land was seen bearing NNE. 
 nine or ten leagues distant. At first 
 it appeared in detached hills, like so 
 many separate islands, but as we drew 
 nearer we found that they were all 
 connected, and belonged to one and 
 the same island. I steered directly 
 for it, with a fine gale at SE. by S. , 
 and at half-past 6 o'clock in the 
 afternoon it extended from N. by E. 
 to NNE. three-quarters E., distant 
 three or four leagues. 
 
 The night was spent standing off 
 and on, and at daybreak the next 
 morning I steered for the NW., or 
 leeside of tho island ; and as we 
 stood round its S. or SW. part, we 
 saw it everywhere guarded by a reef 
 of coral rock, extending in some places 
 a full mile from the land, and a high 
 surf beating upon it. Some thought 
 that they saw land to the southward 
 of this island, but as that was to tho 
 windward it was left undetermined- 
 
Aug. 1777.] THE ISLAND TOO 
 
 As we drew near we saw people on 
 several parts of the coast, walking or 
 running along shore, and in a little 
 time after we had reached the leeside 
 of the island we saw them launch two 
 canoes, into which ahove a dozen men 
 got, and paddled toward us. I now 
 shortened sail, as well to give these 
 canoes time to come up with us, as to 
 sound for anchorage. At the distance 
 of about half-a-mile from the reef we 
 found from forty to thirty-five fathoms 
 water, over a bottom of flue sand. 
 Nearer in, the bottom was strewed 
 with coral rocks. The canoes having 
 advanced to about the distance of a 
 pistol-shot from the ship, there stop- 
 ped. Omai was employed, as he 
 usually had been on such occasions, 
 to use all his eloquence to prevail 
 upon the men in them to come nearer, 
 but no entreaties could induce them 
 to trust themselves within our reach. 
 They kept eagerly pointing to the 
 shore with their paddles, and calling 
 to us to go thither ; and several of 
 their countrymen who stood upon the 
 beach held up something white, which 
 we considered also as an invitation to 
 land. We could very well have done 
 this, as there was good anchorage 
 without the reef, and a break or open- 
 ing in it, from whence the canoes had 
 come out, which had no surf upon it, 
 and where, if there was not water for 
 the ships, there was more than suffi- 
 cient for the boats. But I did not 
 think proper to risk losing the advan- 
 tage of a fair wind for the sake of 
 examining an island that appeared to 
 be of little consequence. We stood 
 in no need of refreshments, if I had 
 been sure of meeting with them there ; 
 and having already been so unexpect- 
 edly delayed in my progress to the 
 Society Islands, I was desirous of 
 avoiding every possibility of further 
 retardment. For this reason, after 
 making several unsuccessful attempts 
 to induce these people to come along- 
 side, I made sail to the north, and 
 left them, but not without getting 
 from them during their vicinity to 
 our ship the name of their island, 
 which they called Toobouai. It ia 
 situated in the Latitude of 22° 15' S., 
 
 BOUAI DISCOVERED. 
 
 1G9 
 
 and in 210° 37' E. Longitude. Its 
 createst extent in any direction, ex- 
 clusive of the reef is not above five or 
 six miles. 
 
 After leaving this island, I steered 
 to the N. witli a fresh gale at E. by 
 S., and at daybreak in the morning 
 of the 12th we saw the island of 
 Maitea. Soon after Otaheite made 
 its appearance, and at noon it ex- 
 tended from SW. by W. to WNW., 
 the point of Oheitepeha Bay, bearing 
 W., about four leagues distant. I 
 steered for this bay, intending to 
 anchor there, in order to draw what 
 refreshments I could from the SE. 
 part of the island before I went down 
 to Matavai, from the neighbourhood 
 of which station I expected my prin- 
 cipal supply. We had a fresh gale 
 easterly till 2 o'clock in the afternoon, 
 when, being about a league from the 
 bay, the wind suddenly died away, 
 and was succeeded by baffling light 
 airs from every direction, and calms 
 by turns. This lasted about two 
 hours ; then we had sudden squalls, 
 with rain, from the east. These 
 carried us before the bay, where we 
 got a breeze from the land, and at- 
 tempted in vain to work in, to gain 
 the anchoring place ; so that at last, 
 about 9 o'clock, we were obliged to 
 stand out and to spend the night at 
 sea. 
 
 When we first drew near the island 
 several canoes came off to the ship, 
 each conducted by two or three men. 
 But as they were common fellows, 
 Omai took no particular notice of 
 them, nor they of him. They did 
 not even seem to perceive that he was 
 one of their countrymen, although 
 they conversed with him for some 
 time. At length a chief whom I had 
 known before, named Ootee, and 
 Omai's brother-in-law, who chanced 
 to be now at this corner of the island, 
 and three or four more persons, all of 
 whom knew Omai before he embarked 
 with Captain Furneaux, came on 
 board. Yet there was nothing either 
 tender or striking in their meeting. 
 On the contrary, there seemed to b<? 
 a perfect indifference on both sides, 
 till Omai, having tak^n his brother 
 
170 
 
 down into the cabin, opened the 
 drawer where he kept his red feathers, 
 and gave him a few. This being pre- 
 sently known amongst the rest of the 
 natives upon deck, the face of affairs 
 was entirely turned, and Ootee, who 
 would hardly speak to Omai before, 
 now begged that they might be 
 "tayos," 1 and exchange names. 
 Omai accepted of the honour, and 
 confirmed it with a present of red 
 feathers, and Ootee, by way of return, 
 sent ashore for a hog. But it was 
 evident to every one of us that it was 
 not the man, but his property, they 
 were in love with. Had he not 
 shown them his treasure of red fea- 
 thers, which is the commodity in 
 greatest estimation at the island, I 
 question much whether they would 
 have bestowed even a cocoa-nut upon 
 him. Such was Omai's first reception 
 among his countrymen. I own I never 
 expected it woiild be otherwise, but still 
 I was in hopes that the valuable cargo 
 of presents with which the liberality 
 of his friends in England had loaded 
 him would be the means of raising 
 him into consequence, and of making 
 him respected and even courted by 
 the first persons throughout the ex- 
 tent of the Society Islands. This 
 could not but have happened had he 
 conducted liimself with any degree of 
 prudence. But instead of it, I am 
 sorry to say that he paid too little 
 regard to the repeated advice of those 
 who wished him well, and suffered 
 himself to be duped by eveiy design- 
 ing knave. 
 
 From the natives who came off to 
 us in the course of this clay we learned 
 that two ships had twice been in 
 Oheitepeha Bay since my last visit to 
 this island, in 1774, and that they 
 had left animals there such as we had 
 on board. But on further inquiry we 
 found they were only hogs, dogs, 
 goats, one bull, and the male of some 
 other animal, which from the imper- 
 fect description now given us we could 
 not find out. They told us that these 
 ships had come from a place called 
 " Reema," by which we guessed that 
 
 1 Friends. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Toy. III. B. III. Ch. I. 
 
 Lima, the capital of Pern, was meant, 
 and that these late visitors were 
 Spaniards. We were informed that 
 the first time they came they built a 
 house, and left four men behind them 
 — viz. , two priests, a boy or servant, 
 and a fourth person, called Mateema, 
 who was much spoken of at this time, 
 carrying away with them when they 
 sailed four of the natives ; that in 
 about ten months the same two ships 
 returned, bringing back two of the 
 islanders, the other two having died 
 at Lima ; and that after a short stay 
 they took away their own people, but 
 that the house which they had built 
 was left standing. 
 
 The important news of red feathers 
 being on board our ships having been 
 conveyed on shore by Omai's friends, 
 day had no sooner begun to break next 
 morning than we were surrounded by 
 a multitude of canoes crowded with 
 people, bringing hogs and fruit to 
 market. At first, a quantity of feathers 
 not greater than what might be got 
 from a tom-tit would purchase a hog 
 of forty or fifty pounds weight. But 
 as almost everybody in the ships was 
 possessed of some of this precions 
 article in trade, it fell in its value 
 above 500 per cent, before night. How- 
 ever, even then the balance was much 
 in our favour ; and red feathers con- 
 tinued to preserve their superiority 
 over every other commodity. Some 
 of the natives would not part with a 
 hog unless they received an axe in 
 exchange ; but nails, and beads, and 
 other trinkets, which during our for- 
 mer voyages had so great a run at 
 this island, were now so much despised 
 that few would deign so much as to 
 look at them. 
 
 There being but little wind all the 
 morning, it was 9 o'clock before we 
 could get to an anchor in the bay, 
 where we moored with two bowers. 
 Soon after we had anchored, Omai's 
 sister came on board to see him. I 
 was happy to observe that, much to 
 the honour of them both, their meet- 
 ing was marked with expressions of 
 the tenderest affection, easier to bo 
 conceived than to be described. Tins 
 moving scene having closed, and tha 
 
Aug. 1777. J TRACES OF A VISIT 
 
 skip being properly moored, Omai and 
 I went ashore. My first object was 
 to pay a visit to a man whom my 
 friend represented as a very extra- 
 ordinary personage- indeed, for he 
 said that he was the god of Bolabola. 
 "We found him seated under one of 
 those small awnings which they usually 
 carry in their larger canoes. He was 
 an elderly man, and had lost the use 
 of his limbs, so that he was carried 
 from place to place upon a hand-bar- 
 row. Some called him "Olla" or 
 "Orra," which is the name of the 
 god of Bolabola ; but his own proper 
 name was Etary. From Omai's ac- 
 count of this person I expected to 
 have seen some religious adoration 
 paid to him ; but excepting some 
 plantain trees that lay before him 
 and upon the awning under which he 
 sat, I could observe nothing by which 
 he might be distinguished from their 
 other chiefs. Omai presented to him 
 a tuft of red feathers tied to the end 
 of a small stick ; but, after a little 
 conversation on indifferent matters 
 with this Bolabola man, his attention 
 was drawn to an old woman, the sister 
 of his mother. She was already at 
 his feet, and had bedewed them plen- 
 tifully with tears of joy. 
 
 I left him with the old lady, in the 
 midst of a number of people who had 
 gathered round him, and went to 
 take a view of the house said to be 
 built by the strangers who had lately 
 been here. I found it standing at a 
 email distance from the beach. The 
 wooden materials of which it was com- 
 posed seemed tc have been brought 
 hither ready prepared, to be set up 
 occasionally ; for all the planks were 
 numbered. It was divided into two 
 small rooms ; and in the inner one 
 were a bedstead, a table, a bench, 
 some old hats, and other trifles, of 
 which the natives seemed to be very 
 careful, as also of the house itself, 
 which had suffered no hurt from the 
 weather, a shed having been built 
 over it. There were scuttles all around 
 which served as air holes ; and per- 
 haps they were also meant to fire from 
 with muskets, if ever this should be 
 found necessary. At a little distance 
 
 MADE BY SPANIARDS. 171 
 
 from the front stood a wooden cross, 
 on the transverse part of which was 
 cut the following inscription : 
 
 " Christus vincit." 
 
 And on the perpendicular part (which 
 confirmed our conjecture that the two 
 ships were Spanish) : 
 
 "CarolusIII. Imperat. 177 4." 
 
 On the other side of the post I pre- 
 served the memory of the prior visits 
 of the English by inscribing : 
 
 ' ' Gcorgius Tertius Eex, 
 
 Annis 1767, 
 
 1769, 1773, 1774, & 1777." 
 
 The natives pointed out to us, near 
 the foot of the cross, the grave of the 
 Commodore of the two ships, who had 
 died here while they lay in the bay 
 the first time. His name, as they 
 pronounced it, was Oreede. What- 
 ever the intentions of the Spaniards 
 in visiting this island might be, they 
 seemed to have taken great pains to 
 ingratiate themselves with the inha- 
 bitants ; who upon every occasion 
 mentioned them with the strongest 
 expressions of esteem and veneration. 
 
 I met with no chief of any consider- 
 able note on this occasion excepting 
 the extraordinary personage above de- 
 scribed. Waheiadooa, the sovereign 
 of Tiaraboo (as this part of the island 
 is called), was now absent ; and I 
 afterwards found that he was not 
 the same person, though of the same 
 name, with the chief whom I had 
 seen here during my last voyage, but 
 his brother, a boy of about ten years 
 of age, who had succeeded upon the 
 death of the elder "Waheiadooa, about 
 twenty months before our arrival. We 
 also learned that the celebrated Oberea 
 was dead, but that Otoo and all our 
 other friends were living. When I 
 returned from viewing the house and 
 cross erected by the Spaniards, I 
 found Omai holding forth to a large 
 company ; and it was with some diffi- 
 culty that he could be got away to 
 accompany me on board, where I had 
 an important affair to settle. 
 
 On our landing [on the 17th] we 
 first visited Etary, who, carried on a 
 
172 - COOK'S \ 
 
 hand-barrow, attended us to a largo 
 house, where he was set down, and 
 we seated ourselves on each side of 
 him. I caused a piece of Tongntaboo 
 cloth to be spread out before us, on 
 which I laid the presents I intended 
 to make. Presently the young chief 
 came, attended by his mother and 
 several principal men, who all seated 
 themselves at the other end of the 
 cloth, facing us. Then a man who 
 sat by me made a speech, consisting 
 of short and separate sentences, part 
 of which was dictated by those about 
 him. He was answered by one from 
 the opposite side, near the chief. 
 Etary spoke next, then Omai ; and 
 both of them were answered from the 
 same quarter. These orations were 
 entirely about my arrival, and con- 
 nections with thein. The person who 
 spoke last told me, amongst other 
 tilings, that the men of "lieema," 
 that is, the Spaniards, had desired '■ 
 them not to suffer me to come into 
 Oheitepeha Bay if I should return 
 any more to the island, for that it 
 belonged to them ; but that they were 
 so far from paying any regard to this 
 request, that he was authorised now 
 to make a formal surrender of the 
 province of Tiaraboo to me, and every- 
 thing in it ; which marks very plainly 
 that these people are no strangers to 
 the policy of accommodating them- 
 selves to present circumstances. At 
 length the young chief was directed 
 by his attendants to come and em- 
 brace me ; and by way of confirming 
 this treaty of friendship we exchanged 
 names. The ceremony being closed, 
 he and his friends accompanied me on 
 board to dinner. 
 
 Omai had prepared a " maro," com- 
 
 Eosed of red and yellow feathers, which 
 e intended for Otoo, the King of the 
 whole island ; and, considering where 
 we were, it was a present of veiy great 
 value. I said all that I could to per- 
 suade him not to produce it now, 
 wishing him to keep it on board till 
 an opportunity should offer of pre- 
 senting it to Otoo with his own hands. 
 But he had too good an opinion of the 
 honesty and fidelity of his country- 
 men to take my advice. Nothing 
 
 OYAGES. [VoY.III.B.III.Cal. 
 
 would serve him but to carry it ashore 
 on this occasion, and to give it to 
 Waheiadooa, to be by him forwarded 
 to Otoo, in order to its being added 
 to the royal "maro." He thought 
 by this management that he should 
 oblige both chiefs ; whereas he highly 
 disobliged the one whose favour waa 
 of the most consequence to him, with- 
 out gaining any reward from the 
 other. What I had foreseen hap- 
 pened ; for Waheiadooa kept the 
 "maro" for himself, and only sent 
 to Otoo a very small piece of feathers, 
 not the twentieth part of what be- 
 longed to the magnificent present. On 
 the 19th this young chief made me a 
 present of ten or a dozen hogs, a quan- 
 tity of fruit, and some cloth. In the 
 evening we played off some fireworks, 
 which both astonished and entertained 
 the numerous spectators. 
 
 This day some of our gentlemen in 
 their walks found what they were 
 pleased to call a Roman Catholic 
 chapel. Indeed, from their account, 
 this was not to be doubted, for they 
 described the altar and every other 
 constituent part of such a place of 
 worship. However, as they men- 
 tioned at the same time that two men 
 who had the care of it would not suffer 
 them to go in, I thought that they 
 might be mistaken, and had the 
 curiosity to pay a visit to it myself. 
 The supposed chapel proved to be a 
 "toopapaoo," in which the remains 
 of the late Waheiadooa lay as it were 
 in state. It was in a pretty large 
 house, which was enclosed with a low 
 palisade. The "toopapaoo " was un- 
 commonly neat, and resembled one 
 of those little houses, or awnings, be- 
 longing to their large canoes. Per- 
 haps it had originally been employed 
 for that purpose. It was covered, 
 and hung round with cloth and mats 
 of different colours so as to have a 
 pretty effect. There was one piece of 
 scarlet broad-cloth four or five yards 
 in length conspicuous among the 
 other ornaments, which no doubt had 
 been a present from the Spaniards. 
 This cloth, and a few tassels of feathers 
 which our gentlemen supposed to be 
 silk, suggested to them the idea of i\ 
 
Aug. 1777.] 
 
 chapel ; for whatever else was want- 
 ing to create a resemblance, their im- 
 agination supplied ; and if they had 
 not previously known that there had 
 been Spaniards lately here they could 
 not possibly have made the mistake. 
 Small oiferings of fruit and roots 
 seemed to be daily made at this shrine, 
 as some pieces were quite fresh. These 
 were deposited upon a ' ' whatta, " or 
 altar, which stood without the pali- 
 sades ; and within these we were not 
 permitted to enter. Two men con- 
 stantly attended night and day, not 
 only to watch over the place, but also 
 to dress and undress the "toopapaoo." 
 For when I first went to survey it, the 
 cloth and its appendages were all 
 rolled up ; but at my request the two 
 attendants hung it out in order, first 
 dressing themselves in clean white 
 robes. They told me that the chief 
 had been dead twenty months. 
 
 Having taken in a fresh supply of 
 water, and finished all our other ne- 
 cessary operations, on the 22d I 
 brought olf the cattle and sheep which 
 had been put on shore here to graze, 
 and made ready for sea. In the 
 morning of the 23d, while the ships 
 were unmooring, Omai and I landed 
 to take leave of the young chief. 
 While we were with him, one of those 
 enthusiastic persons whom they call 
 "Eatooas," from a persuasion that 
 they are possessed with the spirit of 
 the Divinity, came and stood before 
 us. He had all the appearance of a 
 man not in his right senses, and his 
 only dress was a large quantity of 
 plantain leaves wrapped round his 
 waist. He spoke in a low squeaking 
 voice so as hardly to be understood, 
 at least not by me. But Omai said 
 that he comprehended him perfectly, 
 and that he was advising Waheiadooa 
 not to go with me to Matavai, an ex- 
 pedition which I had never heard he 
 intended, nor had I ever made such a 
 proposal to him. The " Eatooa " also 
 foretold that the ships would not get 
 to Matavai that day. But in this he 
 was mistaken, though appearances 
 jow rather favoured his prediction, 
 there not being a breath of wind in 
 any direction. While he was prophe- 
 
 A MAD PROPHET. 
 
 173 
 
 sying, there fell a very heavy shower 
 of rain, which made every one run for 
 shelter but himself, who seemed not 
 to regard it. He remained squeaking 
 by us about half-an-hour, and then 
 retired. No one paid any attention 
 to what he uttered, though some 
 laughed at him. I asked the chief 
 what he was, whether an "Earee " or a 
 " Towtow," and the answer I received 
 was, that he was ' ' taato eno, " that 
 is, a bad man. And yet, notwith- 
 standing this, and the little notice 
 any of the natives seemed to take of 
 the mad prophet, superstition has so 
 far got the better of their reason that 
 they firmly believe such persons to bo 
 possessed with the spirit of the ' ' Ea- 
 tooa. " Omai seemed to be very well 
 instructed about them. He said that 
 during the fits that came upon them 
 they knew nobody, not even their 
 most intimate acquaintances ; and 
 that if any one of them happens to be 
 a man of property he will very often 
 give away every movable he is pos- 
 sessed of if his friends do not put 
 them out of his reach ; and when he 
 recovers, will inquire what had be- 
 come of those veiy things which he 
 had but just before distributed, not 
 seeming to have the leastremembrance 
 of what he had done while the fit was 
 upon him. 
 
 As soon as I got on 
 breeze springing up at E., we 
 under sail and steered for Matavai 
 Bay, where the Resolution anchored 
 the same evening. But the Discovery 
 did not get in till the next morning, 
 so that half of the man's prophecy 
 was fulfilled. 
 
 board a light 
 got 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 About 9 o'clock in the morning, Otoo, 
 the King of the whole island, attended 
 by a great number of canoes full of 
 people, came from Oparre, his place 
 of residence ; and having landed on 
 Matavai Point, sent a message on 
 board expressing his desire to see ma 
 there. Accordingly I landed, accoin« 
 panied by Omai and some of the oili- 
 
174 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 cers. "We found a prodigious number 
 of people assembled on this occasion, 
 and in the midst of them was the 
 King, attended by his father, his two 
 brothers, and three sisters. I went 
 up first and saluted him, being fol- 
 lowed by Omai, who kneeled and em- 
 braced his legs. He had prepared 
 himself for this ceremony by dressing 
 himself in his very best suit of clothes, 
 and behaved with a great deal of re- 
 spect and modesty. Nevertheless, 
 very little notice was taken of him. 
 Perhaps envy had some share in pro- 
 ducing this cold reception. He made 
 the chief a present of a large piece of 
 red feathers and about two or three 
 yards of gold cloth ; and I gave him 
 a suit of fine linen, a gold-laced hat, 
 some tools, and, what was of more 
 value than all the other articles, a 
 quantity of red feathers and one of 
 the bonnets in use at the Friendly 
 Islands. 
 
 After the hurry of this visit was 
 over, the King and the whole royal 
 family accompanied me on board, fol- 
 lowed by several canoes laden with all 
 kinds of provisions, in quantity suffi- 
 cient to have served the companies of 
 both ships for a week. Each of the 
 family owned, or pretended to own, 
 a part, so that I had a present from 
 every one of them ; and every one of 
 them had a separate present in return 
 from me, which was the great object 
 in view. Soon after, the King's 
 mother, who had not been present at 
 the first interview, came on board, 
 bringing with her a quantity of pro- 
 visions and cloth, which she divided 
 between me and Omai. For although 
 he was but little noticed at first by 
 his countrymen, they no sooner 
 gained the knowledge of his riches 
 than they began to court his friend- 
 ship. I encouraged this as much as 
 I could, for it was my wish to fix him 
 with Otoo. As I intended to leave all 
 my European animals at this island, 
 I thought he would be able to give 
 some instruction about the manage- 
 ment of them and about their use. 
 Besides, I knew and saw that the 
 farther he was from his native island 
 he would be the better respected. But 
 
 [Voy.III.B.III.Ch.H. 
 
 unfortunately poor Omai rejected my 
 advice, and conducted himself in so 
 imprudent a manner that he soon lost 
 the friendship of Otoo, and of every 
 other person of note in Otaheite. He 
 associated with none but vagabonds 
 and strangers, whose sole views were 
 to plunder him ; and if I had not in- 
 terfered they would not have left 
 him a single article worth the carry- 
 ing from the island. This necessarily 
 drew upon him the ill-will of the 
 principal chiefs, who found that they 
 could not procure from any one in the 
 ships such valuable presents as Omai 
 bestowed on the lowest of the people, 
 his companions. 
 
 As soon as we had dined, a party 
 of us accompanied Otoo to Oparre, 
 taking with us the poultry with 
 which we were to stock the island. 
 They consisted of a peacock and hen 
 (which Lord Bessborough was so kind 
 as to send me for this purpose a few 
 days before I left London), a turkey 
 cock and hen, one gander and three 
 geese, a drake and four ducks. All 
 these I left at Oparre in the possession 
 of Otoo; and the geese and ducks 
 began to breed before we sailed. We 
 found there a gander which the na- 
 tives told us was the same that Cap- 
 tain "Wallis had given to Oberea ten 
 years before, several goats, and the 
 Spanish bull, which they kept tied 
 to a tree near Otoo's house. 1 never 
 saw a finer animal of his kind. He 
 was now the property of Etary, and 
 had been brought from Oheitepeha to 
 this place in order to be shipped for 
 Bolabola. But it passes my com- 
 prehension how they can contrive to 
 carry him in one of their canoes. If 
 we had not arrived, it would have 
 been of little consequence who had 
 the property of him, as without a 
 cow be could be of no use, and none 
 had been left with him. Though the 
 natives told us that there were cows 
 on board the Spanish ships, and that 
 they took them away with them, I 
 cannot believe this, and should rather 
 suppose that they had died in the 
 passage from Lima. The next day I 
 sent the threo Cows that I had on 
 board to this bull ; and the bull which 
 
Aug. 1777.] 
 I had brought, the horse and mare, 
 and sheep, I put ashore at Matavai. 
 Having thus disposed of these pas- 
 sengers, I found myself lightened of 
 a very heavy burthen. The trouble 
 and vexation that attended the bring- 
 ing of this living cargo thus far is 
 hardly to be conceived ; but the satis- 
 faction that I felt in having been so 
 fortunate as to fulfil his Majesty's 
 humane design in sending such valu- 
 able animals to supply the wants of 
 two worthy nations, sufficiently re- 
 compensed me for the many anxious 
 hours I had passed before this subor- 
 dinate object of my voyage could be 
 carried into execution. 
 
 As I intended to make some stay 
 here, we set up the two observatories 
 on Matavai Point. Adjoining to them 
 two tents were pitched for the recep- 
 tion of a guard, and of such people 
 as it might be necessary to leave on 
 shore in different departments. At 
 this station I entrusted the command 
 to Mr King, who, at the same time, 
 attended the observations for ascer- 
 taining the going of the time-keeper 
 and other purposes. During our stay 
 various necessary operations employed 
 the crews of both ships. The Dis- 
 covery's mainmast was carried ashore 
 and made as good as ever. Our sails 
 and water-casks were repaired ; the 
 ships were calked ; and the rigging 
 all overhauled. We also inspected 
 all the bread that we had on board 
 in casks, and had the satisfaction to 
 find that but little of it was damaged. 
 On the 26th I had a piece of ground 
 cleared for a garden, and planted it 
 with several articles, very few of 
 which I believe the natives will ever 
 look after. Some melons, potatoes, 
 and two pine-apple plants were in a 
 fair way of succeeding before we left 
 the place. I had brought from the 
 Friendly Islands several shaddock 
 trees. These I also planted here, and 
 they can hardly fail of success, unless 
 their growth should be checked by 
 the same premature curiosity which 
 destroyed a vine planted by the 
 Spaniards at Oheitepeha. A number 
 of the natives got together to taste 
 the first fruit it bore ; but as the 
 
 EUROPEAN ANIMALS LANDED. 175 
 
 grapes were still sour they considered 
 it as little better than poison, and it 
 was unanimously determined to tread 
 it under foot. In that state Omai 
 found it by chance, and was overjoyed 
 at the discovery; for he had a full 
 confidence that if he had but grapes 
 he could easily make wine. Accord- 
 ingly he had several slips cut from off 
 the tree to carry away with him, and 
 we pruned and put in order the re- 
 mains of it. Probably grown wise by 
 Omai's instructions, they may now 
 suffer the fruit to grow to perfection, 
 and not pass so hasty a sentence upon 
 it again. 
 
 We had not been eight-and-forty 
 hours at anchor in Matavai Bay be- 
 fore we were visited by our old friends 
 whose names are recorded in the ac- 
 count of my last voyage. Not one of 
 them came empty-handed, so that we 
 had more provisions than we knew 
 what to do with. What was still 
 more, we were under no apprehen- 
 sions of exhausting the island, which 
 presented to our eyes every mark of 
 the most exuberant plenty in every 
 article of refreshment. Soon after 
 our arrival here, one of the natives 
 whom the Spaniards had carried with 
 them to Lima paid us a visit ; but in 
 his external appearance he was not 
 distinguishable from the rest of his 
 countrymen. However, he had not 
 forgot some Spanish words which he 
 had acquired, though he pronounced 
 them badly. Amongst them the 
 most frequent were " Si, Seflor ; " and 
 when a stranger was introduced to 
 him he did not fail to rise up and 
 accost him as well as he could. We 
 also found here the young man whom 
 we called Oedidee, but whose real 
 name is Heete-heete. I had carried 
 him from Ulietea in 1773, and brought 
 him back in 1774, after he had visited 
 the Friendly Islands, New Zealand, 
 Easter Island, and the Marquesas, 
 and been on board my ship in that 
 extensive navigation about seven 
 months. He was at least as tenaci- 
 ous of his good breeding as the man 
 who had been at Lima, and "Yes, 
 Sir," or "If you please, Sir," were 
 as frequently repeated by him as " Si, 
 
COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 176 
 
 Sefior" was by tne other. Heete- 
 heete, who is a native of Bolahola, 
 had arrived in Otaheite ahout three 
 months before, with no other inten- 
 tion tbat we could learn than to gra- 
 tify his curiosity, or perhaps some 
 other favourite passion, which are 
 very often the only object of the 
 pursuit of other travelling gentlemen. 
 It was evident, however, that he pre- 
 ferred the modes and even garb of his 
 countrymen to ours ; for though I 
 gave him some clothes which our Ad- 
 miralty Board had been pleased to 
 send for his use (to which I added a 
 chest of tools and a few other articles 
 as a present from myself), he declined 
 wearing them after a few days. This 
 instance, and that of the person who 
 had been at Lima, may be urged as a 
 proof of the strong propensity natural 
 to man of returning to habits acquired 
 at an early age, and only interrupted 
 by accident. And perhaps it may be 
 concluded that even Omai, who had 
 imbibed almost the whole English 
 manners, will in a very short time 
 after our leaving him, like Oedidee 
 and the visitor of Lima, return to his 
 own native garments. 
 
 In the morning of the 27th a man 
 came from Oheitepeha, and told us 
 that two Spanish ships had anchored 
 in that bay the night before ; and in 
 confirmation of this intelligence he 
 produced a piece of coarse blue cloth, 
 which he said he got out of one of 
 the ships, and which, indeed, to ap- 
 pearance was almost quite new. He 
 added that Mateema was in one of 
 the ships, and that they were to come 
 down to Matavai in a day or two. 
 Some other circumstances which he 
 mentioned with the foregoing ones, 
 gave the story so much the air of 
 truth, that I despatched Lieutenant 
 Williamson in a boat to look into 
 Oheitepeha Bay ; and in the mean- 
 time 1 put the ships into a proper 
 posture of defence. For though 
 England and Spain were in peace 
 when I left Europe, for aught I knew 
 a different scene might by this time 
 have opened. However, on further 
 inquiry we had reason to think that 
 the fellow who brought the intelli- 
 
 [Voy.IILE.III.Ch.II. 
 
 gence had imposed upon us ; and this 
 was put beyond all doubt when Mr 
 Williamson returned next day, who 
 made his report to me that he had 
 been at Oheitepeha, and found that 
 no ships were there now, and that 
 none had been there since we left it 
 The people of this part of the island 
 where we now were, indeed, told us 
 from the beginning tliu.t it was a 
 fiction invented by those of Tiaraboo. 
 But what view they could have we 
 were at a loss to conceive, unless they 
 supposed that the report would have 
 some effect in making us quit the 
 island, and by that means deprive 
 the people of Otaheite-nooe of the 
 advantages they might reap from our 
 ships continuing there; the inhabi- 
 tants of the two parts of the island 
 being inveterate enemies to each other. 
 From the time of our arrival at 
 Matavai the weather had been very 
 unsettled, with more or less rain 
 every day, till the 29th ; before which 
 we were not able to get equal altitudes 
 of the sun for ascertaining the going 
 of the time-keeper. The same cause 
 also retarded the calking and other 
 necessary repairs of the ships. In 
 the evening of this day the natives 
 made a precipitate retreat both from 
 on board the ships and from our 
 station on shore, for what reason we 
 could not at first learn, though in 
 general we guessed it arose from their 
 knowing that some theft had been 
 committed, and apprehending punish- 
 ment on that account. At length I 
 understood what had happened. One 
 of the surgeon's mates had been in 
 the country to purchase curiosities, 
 and had taken with him four hatchets 
 for that purpose. Having employed 
 one of the natives to carry them for 
 him, the fellow took an opportunity 
 to run off with so valuable a prize. 
 This was the cause of the sudden 
 flight, in which Otoo himself and his 
 whole family had joined ; and it was 
 with difliculty that I stopped them, 
 after following them two or three 
 miles. As I had resolved to take no 
 measures for the recovery of the 
 hatchets, in order to put my people 
 upon their guard against such negli- 
 
Sept. 1777.] WAR WITH EIMEO 
 
 gence for the future, I found no diffi- 
 culty in bringing the natives back and 
 in restoring everything to its usual 
 tranquillity. 
 
 Hitherto the attention of Otoo and 
 his people had been confined to us; 
 but next morning a new scene of 
 business opened by the arrival of 
 some messengers from Eimeo or (as 
 it is much oftener called by the na- 
 tives) Morea, 1 with intelligence that 
 the people in that island were in 
 arms, and that Otoo's partisans there 
 had been worsted and obliged to re- 
 treat to the mountains. The quarrel 
 between the two islands, which com- 
 menced in 1774, hid, it seems, partly 
 subsisted ever sine. . . . 
 
 On the arrival of these messengers, 
 all the chiefs who happened to be at 
 Matavai assembled at Otoo's house, 
 where I actually w*s at the time, and 
 had the honour to be admitted into 
 their council. Ons of the messengers 
 opened the business of the assembly 
 in a speech of considerable length ; 
 but I understood little of it besides 
 its general purport, which was to ex- 
 plain the situation of affairs in Eimeo, 
 and to excite the assembled chiefs of 
 Otaheite to arm on the occasion. 
 This opinion was combated by others 
 who were against commencing hos- 
 tilities ; and the debate was carried 
 on with great order, no more than 
 one man speaking at a time. At last 
 they became very noisy, and I ex- 
 pected that our meeting would have 
 ended like a Polish Diet. But the 
 contending great men cooled as fast 
 as they grew warm, and order was 
 soon restored. At length the party 
 for war prevailed, and it was deter- 
 mined that a strong force should be 
 sent to assist their friends in Eimeo. 
 But this resolution was far from being 
 unanimous. Otoo during the whole 
 debate remained silent, except that 
 now and then he addressed a word or 
 two to the speakers. Those of the 
 council who were for prosecuting the 
 war applied to me for my assistance ; 
 and all of them wanted to know what 
 
 1 Morea, according to Dr Forster, 
 is a district in Eimeo. 
 
 DETERMINED UPON. 
 
 177 
 
 part I would take. Omai was sent for 
 to be my interpreter ; but as he could 
 not be found I was obliged to speak 
 for myself, and told them, as well as 
 I could, that as I was not thoroughly 
 acquainted with the dispute, and as the 
 people of Eimeo had never offended 
 me, I could not think myself at 
 liberty to engage in hostilities against 
 them. With this declaration they 
 either were or seemed satisfied. The 
 assembly then broke up ; but before 
 I left them Otoo desired me to come 
 to him in the afternoon, and to bring 
 Omai with me. Accordingly, a party 
 of us waited upon him at the ap- 
 pointed time, and we were conducted 
 by him to his father, in whose pre- 
 sence the dispute with Eimeo was 
 again talked over. Being very desir- 
 ous of devising some method to bring 
 about an accommodation, I sounded 
 the old chief on that head ; but we 
 found him deaf to any such proposal, 
 and fully determined to prosecute the 
 war. He repeated the solicitations 
 which I had already resisted about 
 giving them my assistance. On our 
 inquiring into the cause of the war, 
 we were told, that some years ago a 
 brother of Waheiadooa, of Tiaraboo, 
 was sent to Eimeo, at the request of 
 Maheine, a popular chief of that 
 island, to be their king ; but that he 
 had not been there a week before 
 Maheine, having caused him to be 
 killed, set up for himself, in opposi- 
 tion to Tierataboonooe, his sister's son, 
 who became the lawful heir, or else 
 had been pitched upon by the people 
 of Otaheite to succeed to the govern- 
 ment on the death of the other. 
 
 Towha, who is a relation of Otoo 
 and chief of the district of Tettaha, a 
 man of much weight in the island, 
 and who had been commander-in- 
 chief of the armament fitted out 
 against Eimeo in 1774, happened not 
 to be at Matavai at this time, and 
 consequently was not present at any 
 of these consultations. It, however, 
 appeared that he was no stranger to 
 what was transacted, and that he en- 
 tered with more spirit into the affair 
 than any other chief. For early in the 
 morning of the 1st of September n 
 
 M 
 
178 
 
 messenger arrived from him to ac- 
 quaint Otoo that lie had killed a man 
 to be sacrificed to "Eatooa," to im- 
 plore the assistance of the god against 
 Eimeo. This act of worship was to 
 be performed at the great "morai" 
 at Attahooroo, and Otoo's presence, it 
 seems, was absolutely necessary on that 
 solemn occasion. That the offering of 
 human sacrifices is part of the religi- 
 ous institutions of this island had 
 been mentioned by M. de Bougain- 
 ville on the authority of the native 
 whom he carried with him to France. 
 During my last visit to Otaheite, and 
 while I had opportunities of convers- 
 ing with Omai on the subject, I had 
 satisfied myself that there was too 
 much reason to admit that such a 
 practice, however inconsistent with 
 the general humanity of the people, 
 was here adopted. But as this was 
 one of those extraordinary facts about 
 which many are apt to retain doubts 
 unless the relater himself has had 
 ocular proofs to confirm what he had 
 heard from others, I thought this a 
 good opportunity of obtaining the 
 highest evidence of its certainty by 
 being present myself at the solemnity, 
 and accordingly proposed to Otoo that 
 I might be allowed to accompany him. 
 To this he readily consented, and we 
 immediately set out in my boat, with 
 my old friend Potatou, Mr Anderson, 
 and Mr Webber, Omai following in a 
 canoe. In our way we landed upon 
 a little island which lies off Tettaha, 
 where we found Towha and his re- 
 tinue. After some little conversation 
 between the two chiefs on the subject 
 of the war, Towha addressed himself 
 to me, asking my assistance. When 
 I excused mj'self, he seemed angry ; 
 thinking it strange that I, who had 
 always declared myself to be the friend 
 of their island, would not now go and 
 fight against its enemies. Before we 
 parted, he gaveto Otoo twoor threered 
 feathers tied up in a tuft, and a lean, 
 half-starved dog was put into a canoe 
 thatwastoaccompanyus. We then em- 
 barked again, taking on board a priest 
 who was to assist at the solemnity. 
 
 As soon as we landed at Attahooroo, 
 which was about 2 o'clock in the 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.IILB.IILCh.Ii. 
 
 afternoon, Otoo expressed his desire 
 that the seamen might be ordered to 
 remain in the boat ; and that Mr 
 Anderson, Mr Webber, and myself, 
 might take off our hats as soon as we 
 should come to the "morai," to 
 which we immediately proceeded, at- 
 tended by a great many men and 
 some boys, but not one woman. We 
 found four priests and their attend- 
 ants or assistants waiting for us. The 
 dead body, or sacrifice, was in a small 
 canoe that lay on the beach, and 
 partly in the wash of the sea, fronting 
 the "morai." Two of the priests, 
 with some of their attendants, were 
 sitting by the canoe ; the others at 
 the "morai." Our company stopped 
 about twenty or thirty paces from the 
 priests. Here Otoo placed himself; 
 we and a few others standing by him, 
 while the bulk of the people remained 
 at a greater distance. 
 
 The ceremonies now began. One 
 of the priest's attendants brought a 
 young plantain tree and laid it down 
 before Otoo. Another approached 
 with a small tuft of red feathers, 
 twisted on some fibres of the cocoa- 
 nut husk, with which he touched one 
 of the King's feet, and then retired 
 with it to his companions. One of the 
 priests seated at the " morai," facing 
 those who were upon the beach, now 
 began a long prayer, and at certain 
 times sent down young plantain trees, 
 which were laid upon the sacrifice. 
 During this prayer, a man who stood 
 by the officiating priest held in his 
 hands two bundles, seemingly of 
 cloth. In one of them, as we after- 
 ward found, was the royal "maro," 
 and the other, if I may be allowed 
 the expression, was the ark of the 
 "Eatooa." As soon as the prayer 
 was ended, the priests atthe "morai," 
 with their attendants, went and sat 
 down by those upon the beach, carry- 
 ing with them the two bundles. 
 Here they renewed their prayers, dur- 
 ing which the plantain trees were 
 taken one by one, at different times, 
 from off the sacrifice, which was partly 
 wrapped up in cocoa leaves and small 
 branches. It was now taken out of 
 the canoe, and laid upon the beach, 
 
Sept. 1777.] 
 
 with the feet to the sea. The priests 
 placed themselves around it, some 
 sitting and others standing, and one 
 or more of them repeated sentences 
 for ahout ten minutes. The dead 
 body was now uncovered, by remov- 
 ing the leaves and branches, and laid 
 in a parallel direction with the sea- 
 shore. One of the priests then, stand- 
 ing at the feet of it, pronounced a 
 long prayer, in which he was at times 
 joined by the others, each holding in 
 his hand a tuft of red feathers. In 
 the course of this prayer, some hair 
 was pulled off the head of the sacri- 
 fice, and the left eye taken out ; both 
 which were presented to Otoo, wrap- 
 ped up in a green leaf. He did not, 
 however, touch it, but gave to the 
 man who presented it the tuft of 
 leathers which he had received from 
 Towha. This, with the hair and 
 eye, was carried back to the priests. 
 Soon after, Otoo sent to them another 
 piece of feathers, which he had given me 
 in the morning to keep in my pocket. 
 During some part of this last cere- 
 mony, a kingfisher making a noise in 
 the trees, Otoo turned to me, saying, 
 " That is the ' Eatooa,'" and seemed 
 to look upon it to be a good omen. 
 
 The body was then carried a little 
 way, with its head toward the 
 'morai," and laid under a tree; 
 near which were fixed three broad 
 thin pieces of wood differently but 
 rudely carved. The bundles of cloth 
 were laid on a part of the ' ' morai ; " 
 and the tufts of red feathers were 
 placed at the feet of the sacrifice, 
 round which the priests took their 
 stations; and we were now allowed 
 to go as near as we pleased. He who 
 seemed to be the chief priest sat at 
 a small distance, and spoke for a 
 quarter of an hour, but with different 
 tones and gestures ; so that he seemed 
 often to expostulate with the dead 
 person, to whom he constantly ad- 
 dressed himself; and sometimes asked 
 several questions, seemingly with re- 
 spect to the propriety of his having 
 been killed. At other times he made 
 several demands, as if the deceased 
 cither now had power himself, or 
 interest with the Divinity, to engage 
 
 A HUMAN SACRIFICE. 
 
 179 
 
 him to comply with such requests. 
 Amongst which, we understood, he 
 asked him to deliver Eimeo, Maheine 
 its chief, the hogs, women, and other 
 things of the island, into their hands ; 
 which was, indeed, the express inten- 
 tion of the sacrifice. He then chanted 
 a prayer, which lasted half-an-hour, 
 in a whining, melancholy tone, ac- 
 companied by two other priests ; in 
 which Potatou and some others joined. 
 In the course of this prayer some more 
 hair was plucked by a priest from the 
 head of the corpse, and put upon one 
 of the bundles. After this the chief 
 priest prayed alone, holding in his 
 hand the feathers which came from 
 Towha. "When he had finished, ho 
 gave them to another, who prayed in 
 like manner. Then all the tufts of 
 feathers were laid upon the bundles 
 of cloth ; which closed the ceremony 
 at this place. 
 
 The corpse was then carried up to 
 the most conspicuous part of the 
 "morai," with the feathers, the tw« 
 bundles of cloth, and the drums; the 
 last of which beat slowly. The 
 feathers and bundles were laid against 
 the pile of stones, and the corpse at 
 the foot of them. The priests, having 
 again seated themselves round it, re- 
 newed their prayers; while some of 
 the attendants dug a hole about two 
 feet deep, into which they threw the 
 unhappy victim, and covered it with 
 earth and stones. While they were 
 putting him into the grave, a bey 
 squeaked aloud, and Omai said to me 
 that it was the "Eatooa." During 
 this time, a fire having been made, 
 the dog before mentioned was pro- 
 duced, and killed by twisting his 
 neck and suffocating him. The hair 
 was singed off, and the entrails taken 
 out and thrown into the fire, where 
 they were left to consume. But the 
 heart, liver, and kidneys were only 
 roasted by being laid on the stone3 
 for a few minutes ; and the body of 
 the dog, after being besmeared with 
 the blood which had been collected in 
 a cocoa-nut shell and dried over the 
 fire, was, with the liver, &c, carried 
 and laid down before the priests, who 
 sat praying round the grave. They 
 
180 
 
 continued their ejaculations over the 
 dog for some time, while two men, at 
 intervals, beat on two drums very 
 loud ; and a boy screamed, as before, 
 in a loud, shrill voice three different 
 times. This, as we were told, was to 
 invite the "Eatooa"to feast on the 
 banquet that they had prepared for 
 him. As soon as the priests had 
 ended their prayers, the carcase of 
 the dog, with what belonged to it, 
 were laid on a " whatta," or scaffold, 
 about six feet high, that stood close 
 by, on which lay the remains of two 
 other dogs and of two pigs which had 
 lately been sacrificed and at this time 
 emitted an intolerable stench. This 
 kept us at a greater distance than 
 would otherwise have been required 
 of us. For after the victim was re- 
 moved from the seaside toward the 
 ' ' morai, " we were allowed to approach 
 as near as we pleased. Indeed, after 
 that, neither seriousness nor attention 
 were much observed by the specta- 
 tors. When the dog was put upon 
 the " whatta," the priests and attend- 
 ants gave a kind of shout, which 
 closed the ceremonies for the present. 
 The day being now also closed, we 
 were conducted to a house belonging 
 to Potatou, where we were entertained 
 and lodged for the night. "We had 
 been told that the religious rites 
 were to be renewed in the morning ; 
 and I would not leave the place, 
 while anything remained to be seen. 
 
 Being unwilling to lose any part of 
 the solemnity, some of us repaired to 
 the scene of action pretty early, but 
 found nothing going forward. How- 
 ever, soon after, a pig was sacrificed 
 and laid upon the same "whatta'" 
 with the others. About 8 o'clock, 
 Otoo took us again to the "morai," 
 where the priests and a great number 
 of men were by this time assembled. 
 The two bundles occupied the place 
 in which we had seen them deposited 
 the preceding evening ; the two drums 
 stood in the front of the "morai," 
 but somewhat nearer it than before; 
 and the priests were beyond them. 
 Otoo placed himself between the two 
 drums, and desired me to stand by 
 him. The ceremony began as usual 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B.III.Ch.11. 
 
 with bringing a young plantain -tree 
 and laying it down at the King's feet. 
 After this a prayer was repeated by 
 the priests, who held in their hands 
 several tufts of red feathers, and also 
 a plume of ostrich feathers, which I 
 had given to Otoo on my first arrival, 
 and which had been consecrated to 
 this use. When the priests had made 
 an end of the prayer, they changed 
 their station, placing themselves be- 
 tween us and the " morai;" and one 
 of them — the same person who had 
 acted the principal part the day 
 before — began another prayer, which 
 lasted about half-an-hour. During 
 the continuance of this, the tufts of 
 feathers were one by one carried and 
 laid upon the ark of the " Eatooa." 
 
 Some little time after, four pigs 
 were produced; one of which was 
 immediately killed, and the others 
 were taken to a sty hard by, probably 
 reserved for some future occasion of 
 sacrifice. One of the bundles was 
 now untied, and it was found, as 1 
 have before observed, to contain the 
 "maro," with which these people 
 invest their kings ; and which seems 
 to answer in some degree to the Euro- 
 pean ensigns of royalty. It was care- 
 fully taken out of the cloth in which 
 it had been wrapped up, and spread 
 at full length upon the ground before 
 the priests. It is a girdle about five 
 yards long and fifteen inches broad ; 
 and from its name seems to be put on 
 in the same manner as is the com- 
 mon "maro," or piece of cloth, used 
 by these people to wrap round the 
 waist. It was ornamented with red 
 and yellow feathers, but mostly with 
 the latter, taken from a dove found 
 upon the island. The one end was 
 bordered with eight pieces, each about 
 the size and shape of a horse-shoe, 
 having their edges fringed with black 
 feathers. The other end was forked, 
 and the points were of different 
 lengths. The feathers were in square 
 compartments, ranged in two rows, 
 and otherwise so disposed as to pro- 
 duce a pleasing effeci. They had 
 been first pasted, or fixed upon some 
 of their own country cloth, and then 
 sewed to the upper end of the pen- 
 
OTHER CEREMONIES AT THE "MORAL" 
 
 Sept. 1777.] 
 
 dant which Captain Wallis had dis- 
 played, and left flying ashore, the 
 first time that he landed at Matavai. 
 This was what they told us ; and we 
 had no reason to doubt it, as we 
 could easily trace the remains of an 
 English pendant. About six or eight 
 inches square of the " maro " was un- 
 ornamented ; there being no feathers 
 upon that space, except a few that had 
 been sent by Waheiadooa, as already 
 mentioned. The priests made a long 
 prayer relative to this part of the 
 ceremony, and, if I mistook not, they 
 called it the prayer of the "maro." 
 "When it was finished, the badge of 
 royalty was carefully folded up, put 
 into the cloth, and deposited again 
 upon the "rnorai." The other bundle 
 which I have distinguished by the 
 name of the ark, was next opened at 
 one end ; but we were not allowed to 
 go near enough to examine its myster- 
 ious contents. The information we 
 received was, that the " Eatooa " to 
 whom they had been sacrificing, and 
 whose name is " Ooro," was concealed 
 in it ; or rather what is supposed to 
 represent him. This sacred repository 
 is made of the twisted fibres of the 
 husk of the cocoa-nut, shaped some- 
 what like a large fid, or sugar-loaf — 
 that is, roundish, with one end much 
 thicker than the other. "We had very 
 often got small ones from different 
 people, but never knew their use before. 
 By this time the pig that had been 
 killed was cleaned, and the entrails 
 taken out. These happened to have 
 a considerable share of those convul- 
 sive motions which often appear in 
 different parts after an animal is 
 killed ; and this was considered by 
 the spectators as a very favourable 
 omen to the expedition on account of 
 which the sacrifices had been offered. 
 After being exposed for some time, 
 that those who choose might examine 
 their appearances, the entrails were 
 carried to the priests and laid down 
 before them. "While one of the num- 
 ber prayed, another inspected the 
 entrails more narrowly, and kept 
 turning them gently with a stick. 1 
 
 1 There is a grotesque analogy be- 
 
 181 
 
 "When they had been sufficiently 
 examined, they were thrown into the 
 fire and left to consume. The sacri- 
 ficed pig, and its liver, &c, were now 
 put upon the "whatta" where the 
 dog had been deposited the day be- 
 fore ; then all the feathers, except 
 the ostrich plume, were enclosed 
 with the "Eatooa" in the ark ; and 
 the solemnity finally closed. Four 
 double canoes lay upon the beach 
 before the place of sacrifice all the 
 morning. On the fore-part of each 
 of these was fixed a small platform 
 covered with palm-leaves tied in 
 mysterious knots; and this also is 
 called a "morai." Some cocoa-nuts, 
 plantains, pieces of bread-fruit, fish, 
 and other things, lay upon each of 
 these naval "morais." We were told 
 that they belonged to the " Eatooa ;" 
 and that they were to attend tha 
 fleet designed to go against Eimeo. 
 
 The unhappy victim offered to the 
 object of their worship upon this oc- 
 casion seemed to be a middle-aged 
 man, and, as we were told, was a tow- 
 tow — that is, one of the lowest class 
 of the people. But, after all my 
 inquiries, I could not learn that ho 
 had. been pitched upon on account of 
 any particular crime committed by 
 him meriting death. It is certain, 
 however, that they generally make 
 choice of such guilty persons for their 
 sacrifice ; or else of common low fel- 
 lows, who stroll about from place to 
 place and from island to island with- 
 out having any fixed abode or any 
 visible way of getting an honest live- 
 lihood ; of which description of men 
 enough are to be met with at these 
 islands. Having had an opportunity 
 of examining the appearance of the 
 body of the poor sufferer now offered 
 up, I could observe that it was bloody 
 about the head and face, and a good 
 deal bruised upon the right temple, 
 which marked the manner of his being 
 
 tween these South Sea soothsayers 
 and the Roman " haruspices, " whose 
 never highly-honoured craft it was to 
 draw omens of good or ill from tho 
 entrails of victims slain in the same 
 sort of interrogatory sacrifice. 
 
182 
 
 killed. And we were told that he had 
 been privately knocked on the head 
 with a stone. Those who are devoted 
 to suffer, in order to perform this 
 bloody act of worship, are never ap- 
 prized of their fate till the blow is 
 given that puts an end to their exist- 
 ence. Whenever any one of the great 
 chiefs thinks a human sacrifice neces- 
 sary on any particular emergency, he 
 pitches upon the victim. Some of 
 his trusty servants are then sent, who 
 fall upon him suddenly and put him 
 to death with a club or by stoning 
 him. The King is next acquainted 
 with it, whose jtresence at the solemn 
 rites that follow is, as I was told, 
 absolutely necessary ; and indeed on 
 the present occasion we could observe 
 that Otoo bore a principal part. The 
 solemnity itself is called " Poore 
 Eree," or chief's prayer; and the 
 victim, who is offered up, "Taata- 
 taboo," or consecrated man. TLis 
 is the only instance where we have 
 heard the word "taboo " used at this 
 island, where it seems to have the 
 same mysterious signification as at 
 Tonga ; though it is there applied to 
 all cases where things are not to be 
 touched. But at Otaheite the wcrd 
 "raa" serves the same purpose, and 
 is full as extensive in its meaning. 
 
 The "morai " (which, undoubtedly, 
 is a place of worship, sacrifice, and 
 burial, at the same time) where the 
 sacrifice was now offered, is that where 
 the supreme chief of the whole island 
 is always buried, and is appropriated 
 to his family and some of the princi- 
 pal people. It differs little from the 
 common ones except in extent. Its 
 principal part is a large, oblong pile 
 of stones, lying loosely upon each 
 other, about twelve or fourteen feet 
 high, contracted towards the top, with 
 a square area on each side loosely paved 
 with pebble stones, under which the 
 bones of the chiefs are buried. At a 
 little distance from the end nearest 
 the sea is the place where the sacri- 
 fices are offered ; which, for a con- 
 siderable extent, is also loosely paved. 
 There is here a very large scaffold, or 
 "whatta," on which the offerings of 
 fruits and other vegetables are laid. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. (Toy. III. B. HI. Cn. II. 
 
 But the animals are deposited on a 
 smaller one, already mentioned, and 
 the human sacrifices are buried under 
 different parts of the pavement. There 
 are several other relics which ignorant 
 superstition had scattered about this 
 place ; such as small stones, raised in 
 different parts of the pavement, some 
 with bits of cloth tied round them, 
 others covered with it ; and upon the 
 side of the large pile which fronts the 
 area are placed a great many pieces of 
 carved wood, which are supposed to 
 be sometimes the residence of their 
 divinities, and consequently held 
 sacred. But one place, more particu- 
 lar than the rest, is a heap of stones, 
 at one end of the large "whatta," 
 before which the sacrifice was offered, 
 with a kind of platform at one side. 
 On this are laid the skulls of all the 
 human sacrifices, which are taken up 
 after they have been several months 
 under ground. Just above them are 
 placed a great number of the pieces 
 of wood ; and it was also here where 
 the "maro" and the other bundles 
 supposed to contain the god ' ' Ooro " 
 (and which I call the ark) were laid 
 during the ceremony, a circumstancft 
 which denotes its agreement with the 
 altar of other nations. 
 
 It is much to be regretted that a 
 practice so horrid in its own nature, 
 and so destructive of that inviolable 
 right of self-preservation which every 
 one is born with, should be found 
 still existing ; and (such is the power 
 of superstition to counteract the first 
 principles of humanity !) existing 
 amongst a people in many other re- 
 spects emerged from the brutal man- 
 ners of savage life. "What is still worse, 
 it is probable that these bloody rites 
 of worship are prevalent throughout 
 all the wide extended islands of the 
 Pacific Ocean. The similarity of cus- 
 toms and language which our late 
 voyages have enabled us to trace be- 
 tween the most distant of these islands, 
 makes it not unlikely that some of 
 the most important articles of their 
 religious institutions should agree. 
 And, indeed, we have the most au- 
 thentic information that human sacri- 
 fices continue to be offered at thi 
 
REMARKS ON BARBAROUS CEREMONIES. 183 
 
 Sept. 1777.] 
 
 Friendly Islands. When I described 
 the " Natch e " at Tongataboo, I men- 
 tioned that, on the approaching sequel 
 of that festival, we had been told that 
 ten men were to be sacrificed. This may- 
 give us an idea of the extent of this 
 religious massacre in that island. And 
 though we should suppose that never 
 more than one person is sacrificed on 
 any single occasion at Otaheite, it is 
 more than probable that these occa- 
 sions happen so frequently as to make 
 a shocking waste of the human race ; 
 for I counted no less than forty-nine 
 skulls of former victims lying before 
 the "morai" where we saw one more 
 added to the number. And as none 
 of those skulls had as yet suffered any 
 considerable change from the weather, 
 it may hence be inferred that no great 
 length of time had elapsed since at 
 least this considerable number of un- 
 happy wretches had been offered upon 
 this altar of blood. 
 
 The custom, though no considera- 
 tion can make it cease to be abomin- 
 able, might be thought less detrimental 
 in some respects if it served to impress 
 any awe for the Divinity, or reverence 
 for religion, upon the minds of the 
 multitude. But this is so far from 
 being the case, that though a great 
 number of people had assembled at 
 the "morai" on this occasion, they 
 did not seem to show any proper 
 reverence for what was doing or say- 
 ing during the celebration of the rites. 
 And Omai happening to arrive after 
 they had begun, many of the spec- 
 tators flocked round him and were 
 engaged the remainder of the time in 
 making him relate some of his adven- 
 tures, which they listened to with 
 great attention, regardless of the 
 solemn offices performing by their 
 priests. Indeed, the priests them- 
 selves, except the one who chiefly 
 repeated the prayers, either from their 
 being familiarised to such objects, or 
 from want of confidence in the efficacy 
 of their institutions, observed very 
 little of that solemnity which is neces- 
 sary to give to religious performances 
 their due weight. Their dress was 
 only an ordinary one ; they conversed 
 together without scruple ; and the only 
 
 attempt made by them to preserve any 
 appearance of decency was by exerting 
 their authority to prevent the people 
 from coming upon the very spot where 
 the cei'emonies were performed, and 
 to suffer us as strangers to advance a 
 little forward. They were, however, 
 very candid in their answers to any 
 questions that were put to them con- 
 cerning the institution ; and particu- 
 larly onbeing asked what the intention 
 of it was. They said that it was an 
 old custom, and was agreeable to their 
 god, who delighted in, or in other 
 words came and fed upon, the sacri- 
 fices ; in consequence of which he 
 complied with their petitions. Upon 
 its being objected that he could not 
 feed on these, as he was neither seen 
 to do it, nor were the bodies of the 
 animals quickly consumed ; and that 
 as to the human victim they pre- 
 vented his feeding on him by burying 
 him : to all this they answered, that 
 he came in the night, but invisibly ; 
 and fed only on the soul or immaterial 
 part, which according to their doctrine 
 remains about the place of sacrifice 
 until the body of the victim b°, entirely 
 wasted by putrefaction. 
 
 It were much to be wished that this 
 deluded people may learn to entertain 
 the same horror of murdering their 
 fellow-creatures, in order to furnish 
 such an invisible banquet to their god, 
 as they now have of feeding corporeally 
 on human flesh themselves. And yet 
 wo have great reason to believe that 
 there was a time when they were can- 
 nibals. We were told (and indeed 
 partly saw it) that it is a necessary 
 ceremony, when a poor wretch is 
 sacrificed, for the priest to take out 
 the left eye. This he presents to the 
 king, holding it to his mouth, which 
 he desires him to open ; but instead 
 of putting it in, immediately with- 
 draws it. This they call " eating the 
 man," or "food for the chief;" and 
 perhaps we may observe here some 
 traces of former times, when the dead 
 body was really feasted upon. But, 
 not to insist upon this, it is certain 
 that human sacrifices are not the only 
 barbarous custom we find still prevail- 
 ing amongst this benevolent, humane 
 
184 COOK'S V 
 
 people. For besides cutting out the 
 jaw-bones of tbeir enemies slain in 
 battle, which they carry about as 
 trophies, they in some measure offer 
 their dead bodies as a sacrifice to the 
 "Eatooa." Soon after a battle in 
 which they have been victors, they 
 collect all the dead that have fallen 
 into their hands, and bring them to 
 the " morai," where with a great deal 
 of ceremony they dig a hole and bury 
 them all in it, as so many offerings to 
 the gods ; but their skulls are never 
 after taken up. 
 
 Their own great chiefs that fall in 
 battle are treated in a different man- 
 ner. We were informed that their 
 late King Tootaha, Tubourai-tamaide, 
 and another chief who fell with them 
 in the battle, fought with those of 
 Tiaraboo, and were brought to this 
 ' ' morai, ' ' at Attahooroo. There their 
 bowels were cut out by the priests 
 before the great altar; and the bodies 
 afterward buried in three different 
 places, which were pointed out to us, 
 in the great pile of stones that com- 
 pose the most conspicuous part of this 
 "morai." And their common men 
 who also fell in this battle were all 
 buried in one hole at the foot of the 
 pile. This Omai, who was present, 
 told me was done the day after the 
 battle, with much pomp and cere- 
 mony, and in the midst of a great 
 concourse of people, as a thanksgiving 
 offering to the " Eatooa," for the vic- 
 tory they had obtained ; while the 
 vanquished had taken refuge in the 
 mountains. There they remained a 
 week or ten days, till the fuiy of the 
 victors was over, and a treaty set on 
 loot by which it was agreed that Otoo 
 should be declared King of the whole 
 island ; and the solemnity of invest- 
 ing him witli the "maro" was per- 
 formed at the same "morai," with 
 great pomp, in the presence of all the 
 principal men of the country. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The close of the very singular scene 
 exhibited at the "morai," which I 
 
 OYAGES. [VoY.IlI.B.III.Cii.IIL 
 
 have faithfully described in the last 
 Chapter, leaving us no other business 
 in Attahooroo, we embarked about 
 noon in order to return to Matavai, 
 and in our way visited Towha, who 
 had remained on the little island 
 where we met him the day before. 
 Some conversation passed between 
 Otoo and him on the present posture 
 of public affairs, and then the latter 
 solicited me once more to join them 
 in their war against Eimeo. By my 
 positive refusal I entirely lost the 
 good graces of this chief. . . . 
 
 On the 14th, a party of us dined 
 ashore with Omai, who gave excellent 
 fare, consisting offish, fowls, pork, and 
 puddings. After dinner, I attended 
 Otoo, who had been one of the party, 
 back to his house, where I found all 
 his servants very busy getting a 
 quantity of provisions ready for me. 
 Amongst other articles there was a 
 large hog, which they killed in my 
 presence. The entrails were divided 
 into eleven portions, in such a man- 
 ner that each of them contained a bit 
 of everything. These portions were 
 distributed to the servants, and some 
 dressed theirs in the same oven with 
 the hog, while others carried off un- 
 dressed what had come to their share. 
 There was also a large pudding, the 
 whole process in making which 1 saw. 
 It was composed of bread-fruit, ripe 
 plantains, taro, and palm, or Pan- 
 danus, nuts, each rasped, scraped, or 
 beat up fine, and baked by itself. 
 A quantity of juice expressed from 
 cocoa-nut kernels was put into a large 
 tray or wooden vessel. The other 
 articles, hot from the oven, were de- 
 posited in this vessel, and a few hot 
 stones were also put in, to make the 
 contents simmer. Three or four men 
 made use of sticks to stir the several 
 ingredients, till they w r ere incorpo- 
 rated one with another, and the juice 
 of the cocoa-nut was turned to oil ; so 
 that the whole mass at last became of 
 the consistency of a hasty-pudding. 
 Some of these puddings are excellent, 
 and few that we make in England 
 equal them. I seldom or never dined 
 without one when I could get it, which 
 was not always the case. Otoo's hog 
 
A REMARKABLE PRESENT OF CLOTH. 
 
 two "taames, " or bra. 
 way of enriching the 
 
 Sept. 1777.] 
 
 being baked, and the pudding which 
 I hare described being made, they, 
 togethei with two living hogs and a 
 quantity of bread-fruit and cocoa- 
 nuts, were put into a canoe and sent 
 on board my ship, followed by my- 
 self and all the royal family. 
 
 The following evening, a young 
 ram of the Cape breed, that had been 
 lambed, and with great care brought 
 up on board the ship, was killed by a 
 dog. Incidents are of more or less 
 consequence, as connected with situa- 
 tion. In our present situation, de- 
 sirous as I was to propagate this useful 
 race amongst these islands, the loss 
 of the ram was a serious misfortune, 
 as it was the only one I had of that 
 breed, and I had only one of the 
 English breed left. And in the even- 
 ing of the 7th we played off some 
 fireworks before a great concourse of 
 people. 
 
 The next day a party of us dined 
 with our former shipmate, Oedidee, on 
 fish and pork. The hog weighed about 
 thirty pounds ; and it may be worth 
 mentioning that it was alive, dressed, 
 and brought upon the table within 
 the hour. We had but just dined, 
 when Otoo came and asked me if my 
 belly was full ? Ou my answering in 
 the affirmative, he said, " Then come 
 along with me." I accordingly went 
 with him to his father's, where I 
 found some people employed in dress- 
 ing two girls with a prodigious 
 quantity of fine cloth, after a very 
 singular fashion. The one end of 
 each piece of cloth, of which there 
 was a good many, was held up over 
 the heads of the girls, while the re- 
 mainder was wrapped round their 
 bodies, under the arra-pits. Then 
 the upper ends were let fall, and 
 hung down in folds to the ground 
 over the other, so as to bear some re- 
 semblance to a circular hoop-petticoat. 
 Afterwards, round the outside of all, 
 were wrapped several pieces of differ- 
 ently coloured cloth, which consider- 
 ably increased the size ; so that it was 
 not less than five or six yards in cir- 
 cuit, and the weight of this singular 
 attire was as much as the poor girls 
 could support. To each were hung 
 
 185 
 it-plates, by 
 whole, and 
 
 giving it a picturesque appearance. 
 Thus equipped, they were conducted 
 on board the ship, together with 
 several hogs and a quantity of fruit, 
 which, with the cloth, was a present 
 to me from Otoo's father. Persons of 
 either sex dressed in this manner are 
 called "atee;" but I believe it is 
 never practised except when large 
 presents of cloth are to be made. At 
 least I never saw it practised upon 
 any other occasion, nor, indeed, had 
 I ever such a present before ; but both 
 Captain Clerke and I had cloth given 
 to us afterwards thus wrapped round 
 the bearers. The next day I had a 
 present of five hogs and some fruit 
 from Otoo, and one hog and some 
 fruit from each of his sisters. ±Tov 
 were other provisions wanting. For 
 two or three days great quantities of 
 mackerel had been caught by the 
 natives, within the reef, in seines ; 
 some of which they brought to the 
 ships and tents, and sold. 
 
 Otoo was not more attentive to sup- 
 ply our wants by a succession of pre- 
 sents, than lie was to contribute to our 
 amusement by a succession of diver- 
 sions. A party of us having gone 
 down to Oparre on the 10 th, he treated 
 us with what may be called a play. 
 His three sisters were the actresses ; 
 and the dresses they appeared in were 
 new and elegant, that is, more so 
 than we had usually met with at any 
 of these islands. But the principal 
 object I had in view this day in going 
 to Oparre was to take a view of an 
 embalmed corpse, which some of our 
 gentlemen had happened to meet with 
 at that place, near the residence of 
 Otoo. On inquiry I found it to be 
 the remains of Tee, a chief well known 
 to me when I was at this island dur- 
 ing my last voyage. It was lying in 
 a "toopapaoo," more elegantly con- 
 structed than their common ones, 
 and in all respects similar to that 
 lately seen by us at Oheitepeha, in 
 which the remains of Waheiadooa are 
 deposited, embalmed in the same man- 
 ner. When we arrived at the place, 
 the body was under cover and wrap- 
 
186 
 
 ped up i: 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Toy. III. B. III. Ch. III. 
 
 cloth within the ' ' toopa- 
 
 Eaoo ;" but at my desire the man who 
 ad the care of it brought it out and 
 laid it upon a kind of bier, in such a 
 manner that we had as full a view of 
 it as we could wish ; but we were not 
 allowed to go within the pales that 
 enclosed the "toopapaoo." After he 
 had thus exhibited the corpse, he 
 hung the place with mats and cloth, 
 go disposed as to produce a very 
 pretty effect. We found the body 
 not only entire in every part, but 
 what surprised us much more, was 
 that putrefaction seemed scarcely to 
 be begun, as there was not the least 
 disagreeable smell proceeding from 
 it, though the climate is one of the 
 hottest, and Tee had been dead above 
 four months. The only remarkable 
 alteration that had happened was a 
 shrinking of the muscular parts of the 
 eyes ; but the hair and nails were in 
 their original state, and still adhered 
 firmly; and the several joints ^ere 
 quite pliable, or in that kind of re- 
 laxed state which happens to persons 
 who faint suddenly. Such were Mr 
 Anderson's remarks to me, who also 
 told me, that on his inquiring into 
 the method of effecting this preserva- 
 tion of their dead bodies, he had been 
 informed that soon after their death 
 they are disembowelled by drawing 
 the intestines and other viscera out 
 at the anus, and the whole cavity is 
 then filled or stuffed with cloth intro- 
 duced through the same part ; that 
 when any moisture appeared on the 
 skin it was carefully dried up, and 
 the bodies afterward rubbed all over 
 with a large quantity of perfumed 
 cocoa-nut oil, which being frequently 
 repeated, preserved them a great 
 many months, but at last they gra- 
 dually moulder away. This was the 
 information Mr Anderson received ; 
 for my own part I could not learn 
 any more about their mode of opera- 
 tion than what Omai told me, who 
 said that they made use of the juice 
 of a plant which grows amongst the 
 mountains ; of cocoa-nut oil ; and of 
 frequent washing with sea-water. I 
 was also told that the bodies of all 
 their great men who died a natural 
 
 death are preserved in this manner; 
 and that they expose them to public 
 view for a considerable time after. 
 At first they are laid out every day 
 when it does not rain, afterwards the 
 intervals become greater and greater, 
 and at last they are seldom to be 
 seen. 
 
 In the evening we returned from 
 Oparee, where we left Otoo and all 
 the royal family ; and I saw none of 
 them till the 12th, when all but the 
 chief himself paid me a visit. He, 
 as they told me, was gone to Atta- 
 hooroo to assist this day at another 
 human sacrifice which the chief of 
 Tiaraboo had sent thither to be offered 
 up at the "morai." This second 
 instance within the course of a few 
 days was too melancholy a proof how 
 numerous the victims of this bloody 
 superstition are amongst this humane 
 people. I would have been present 
 at this sacrifice too had I known of 
 it in time, for now.it- was too late. 
 From the very same cause I missed 
 being present at a public transaction 
 which had passed at Oparre the pre- 
 ceding day, when Otoo, with all the 
 solemnities observed on such occa- 
 sions, restored to the friends and fol- 
 lowers of the late King Tootaha the 
 loads and possessions which had been 
 withheld from them ever since his 
 death. Probably the new sacrifice 
 was the concluding ceremony of what 
 may be called the reversal of attainder. 
 
 The following evening Otoo returned 
 from exercising this most disagreeable 
 of all his duties as Sovereign; and 
 the next day, being now honoured 
 with his company, Captain Clerke and 
 I, mounted on horseback, took a ride 
 round the plain of Matavai, to the 
 very great surprise of a great train of 
 people who attended on the occasion, 
 gazing upon us with as much astonish- 
 ment as if we had been Centaurs. 
 Omai, indeed, had once or twice be- 
 fore this attempted to get on horse- 
 back, but he had as often been thrown 
 off before he could contrive to seat 
 himself; so that this was the first 
 time they had seen anybody ride a 
 horse. What Captain Clerke and I 
 began was after this repeated every 
 
ANIMALS GIVEN TO OTOO. 
 
 Sept. 1777.] 
 
 day while we stayed, by one or another 
 of our people, and yet the curiosity 
 of the natives continued still unabated. 
 They were exceedingly delighted with 
 these animals, after they had seen the 
 use that was made of them; and as 
 far as I could judge they conveyed to 
 them a better idea of the greatness of 
 other nations than all the other novel- 
 ties put together that their European 
 visitors had carried amongst them. 
 Both the horse and mare were in good 
 case, and looked extremely well. 
 
 The next day, Etary or 011a, the 
 god of Bolabola, who had for several 
 (.lays past been in the neighbourhood 
 of Matavai, removed to Oparre, at- 
 tended by several sailing canoes. We 
 were told that Otoo did not approve 
 of his being so near our station, 
 where his people could more easily 
 invade our property. I must do Otoo 
 the justice to say that he took every 
 method prudence could suggest to 
 prevent thefts and robberies ; and it 
 was more owing to his regulations 
 than to our circumspection that so 
 few were committed. He had taken 
 care to erect a little house or two on 
 the other side of the river behind our 
 post, and two others close to our tents 
 on the bank between the river and 
 the sea. In all these places some of 
 his own people constantly kept watch, 
 and his father generally resided on 
 Matavai Point, so that we were in a 
 manner surrounded by them. Thus 
 stationed, they not only guarded us 
 in the night from thieves, but could 
 observe everything that passed in the 
 day, and were ready to collect contri- 
 butions from such girls as had private 
 connections with our people, which 
 was generally done every morning. 
 So that the measures adopted by him 
 to secure our safety at the same time 
 served the more essential purpose of 
 enlarging his own profits. Otoo in- 
 forming me that his presence was 
 necessary at Oparre, where he was to 
 give audience to the great personage 
 from Bolabola, and asking me to ac- 
 company him, I readily consented in 
 hopes of meeting with something 
 worth our notice. Accordingly I 
 went with him in the morning of the 
 
 187 
 
 16th, attended by Mr Anderson. 
 Nothing, however, occurred on thin 
 occasion that was either interesting 
 or curious. We saw Etary and his 
 followers present some coarse cloth 
 and hogs to Otoo, and each article 
 was delivered with some ceremony 
 and a set speech. After this, they 
 and some other chiefs held a consul- 
 tation about the expedition to Eimeo. 
 Etary at first seemed to disapprove ot 
 it, but at last his objections were 
 overruled. Indeed it appeared next 
 day that it was too late to deliberate 
 about this measure ; and that Towha, 
 Potatou, and another chief had already 
 gone upon the expedition, with the 
 fleet of Attahooroo. For a messenger 
 arrived in the evening with intelli- 
 gence that they had reached Eimeo, 
 and that there had been some skir- 
 mishes without much loss or advan- 
 tage on either side. 
 
 In the morning of the 18th Mr 
 Anderson, myself, and Omai went 
 again with Otoo to Oparre, and took 
 with us the sheep which I intended 
 to leave upon the island, consisting 
 of an English ram and ewe and three 
 Cape ewes, all which I gave to Otoo. 
 As all the three cows had taken the 
 bull, I thought I might venture to 
 divide them and carry some to TJlie- 
 tea. With this view I had them 
 brought before us, and proposed to 
 Etary that if he would leave his bull 
 with Otoo, he should have mine and 
 one of the three cows, adding that I 
 would carry them for him to TJlietea ; 
 for I was afraid to remove the Spanish 
 bull, lest some accident shoidd hap- 
 pen to him, as he was a bulky, spirited 
 beast. To this proposal of mine Etary 
 at first made some objections, but at 
 last agreed to it, partly through the 
 persuasion of Omai. However, just 
 as the cattle were putting into the 
 boat, one of Etary's followers valiantly 
 opposed any exchange whatever being 
 made. Finding this, and suspecting 
 that Etary had only consented to the 
 proposed arrangement for the present 
 moment to please me, and that after 
 I was gone he might take away his 
 bull, and then Otoo would not have 
 one, I thought it best to drop the 
 
188 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 idea of an exchange, as it could not 
 
 be made with the mutual consent of 
 
 both parties, and finally determined 
 
 to leave them all with Otoo, strictly 
 
 enjoining him never to suffer them to 
 
 be removed from Oparre, not even 
 
 the Spanish bull, nor any of the 
 
 sheep, till he should get a stock of 
 
 young ones, which he might then 
 dispose of to his friends, and send to 
 the neighbouring islands. 
 
 This being settled, Ave left Etary 
 and his party to ruminate upon their 
 folly, and attended Otoo to another 
 place hard by, where we found the 
 servants of a chief whose name I for- 
 got to ask, waiting with a hog, a pig, 
 and a dog, as a present from their 
 master to the Sovereign. These were 
 delivered with the usual ceremonies, 
 and with an harangue in form in 
 which the speaker in his master's 
 name inquired after the health of 
 Otco and of all the principal people 
 about him. This compliment was 
 echoed back in the name of Otoo by 
 one of his ministers, and then the 
 dispute with Eimeo was discussed, 
 with many arguments for and against 
 it. The deputies of this chief were 
 for prosecuting the war with vigour, 
 and advised Otoo to offer a human 
 sacrifice. On the other hand, a chief 
 who was in constant attendance on 
 Otoo's person opposed it, seemingly 
 with great strength of argument. 
 This confirmed me in the opinion 
 that Otoo himself never entered 
 heartily into the spirit of this war. 
 He now received repeated messages 
 from Towha strongly soliciting him 
 to hasten to his assistance. We were 
 told that his fleet was in a manner 
 surrounded by that of Maheine, but 
 that neither the one nor the other 
 durst hazard an engagement. 
 
 After dining with Otoo, we returned 
 to Matavai, leaving him at Oparre. 
 This day, and also the 19th, we were 
 very sparingly supplied with fruit. 
 Otoo hearing of this, he and his 
 brother, who had attached himself to 
 Captain Clerke, came from Oparre 
 between 9 and 10 o'clock in the even- 
 ing with a large supply for both ships. 
 This marked his humane attention 
 
 [Voy.III.B.IIT.Ch.III. 
 
 had 
 
 more strongly than anything he 
 hitherto done for us. The next day 
 all the royal family came with pre- 
 sents, so that our wants were not 
 only relieved, but we had more pro- 
 visions than we could consume. 
 
 Having got all our water on beard, 
 the ships being calked, the rigging 
 overhauled, and everything put in 
 order, I began to think of leaving 
 the island, that I might have suffi- 
 cient time to spare for visiting others 
 in this neighbourhood. With this 
 view we removed from the shore our 
 observatories and instruments, and 
 bent the sails. Early the next morn- 
 ing Otoo came on board to acquaint 
 me that all the war canoes of Matavai 
 and of the three other districts ad- 
 joining were going to Oparre to join 
 those belonging to that part of the 
 island, and that there would be a 
 general review there. Soon after the 
 squadron of Matavai was all in motion, 
 and, after parading a while about the 
 bay, assembled ashore near the middle 
 of it. I now went in my boat to take 
 a view of them. Of those with stages 
 on which they fight, or what they 
 call their war-canoes, there were about 
 sixty, with near as many more of a 
 smaller size. I was ready to have 
 attended them to Oparre, but soon 
 after a resolution was taken by the 
 chiefs that they should not move till 
 the next day. I looked upon this to 
 be a fortunate delay, as it afforded 
 me a good opportunity to get some 
 insight into their manner of fighting. 
 With this view I expressed my wish 
 to Otoo that he would order some of 
 them to go through the necessary 
 manoeuvres. Two were accordingly 
 ordered out into the bay, in one of 
 which Otoo, Mr King, and myself 
 embarked, and Omai went on board 
 the other. When we had got suffi- 
 cient sea-room, we faced and advanced 
 upon each other, and retreated by 
 tuens, as quick as our rowers could 
 paddle. During this, the warriors on 
 the stages flourished their weapons, 
 and played a hundred antic tricks, 
 which could answer no other end, in 
 my judgment, than to work up their 
 passions and prepare them for fighting, 
 
Sept. 1777.] MOCK FIGHT OF 
 
 Otco stood by the side of our stage, 
 and gave the necessary orders when 
 to advance and when to retreat. In 
 this great judgment and a quick eye 
 combined together seemed requisite 
 to seize every advantage that might 
 offer, and to avoid giving any advan- 
 tage to the adversary. At last, after 
 advancing and retreating from each 
 other at least a dozen times, the two 
 canoes closed, head to head or stage 
 to stage; and after a short conflict 
 the troops on our stage were supposed 
 to be all killed, and we were boarded 
 by Omai and his associates. At that 
 very instant Otoo and all our paddlers 
 leaped overboard, as if reduced to the 
 necessity of endeavouring to save 
 their lives by swimming. 
 
 If Omai 's information is to be de- 
 pended upon, their naval engagements 
 are not always conducted in this man- 
 ner. He told me that they sometimes 
 begin Avith lashing the two vessels 
 together, head to head, and then fight 
 till all the warriors are killed on one 
 side or the other. But this close com- 
 bat, I apprehend, is never practised 
 but when they are determined to con- 
 quer or die. Indeed, one or the other 
 must happen, for all agree that they 
 never give quarter, unless it be to 
 reserve their prisoners for a more cruel 
 death the next day. The power and 
 strength of these islands lie entirely 
 in their navies. I never heard of a 
 general engagement on land, and all 
 their decisive battles are fought on the 
 water. If the time and place of con- 
 flict are fixed upon by both parties, 
 the preceding day and night are spent 
 in diversions and feasting. Toward 
 morning they launch the canoes, put 
 everything in order, and with the 
 day begins the battle, the fate of 
 which generally decides the dispute. 
 The vanquished save themselves by a 
 precipitate flight, and such as reach 
 the shore fly with their friends to 
 the mountains, for the victors, while 
 their fury lasts, spare neither the 
 aged, women, nor children. The next 
 day they assemble at the " morai," to 
 return thanks to the " Eatooa " for 
 the victory, and to offer up the slain 
 in .w.nfices, and the prisoners also if 
 
 WAR CANOES. 
 
 189 
 
 they have any. After this a treaty is 
 set on foot, and the conquerors for 
 the most part obtain their own terms, 
 by which particular districts of land, 
 and sometimes whole islands, change 
 their owners. Omai told us that he 
 was once taken a prisoner by the men 
 of Bolabola, and carried to that island, 
 where he and some others would have 
 been put to death the next day if 
 they had not found means to escape 
 in the night. 
 
 As soon as this mock-fight was over, 
 Omai put on his suit of armour, 
 mounted a stage in one of the canoes, 
 and was paddled all along the shore 
 of the bay, so that every one had a 
 full view of him. His coat of mail 
 did not draw the attention of his 
 countrymen so much as might have 
 been expected. Some of them, indeed, 
 had seen a part of it before ; and there 
 were others, again, who had taken 
 such a dislike to Omai, from his im- 
 prudent conduct at this place, that 
 they would hardly look at anything, 
 however singular, that was exhibited 
 by him. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Early in the morning of the 22d, 
 Otoo and his father came on board to 
 know when I proposed sailing. For 
 having been informed that there was 
 a good harbour at Eimeo, I had told 
 them that I should visit that island 
 on my way to Huaheine; and they 
 were desirous of taking a passage with 
 me, and of their fleet sailing at the 
 time to reinforce Towha. As I was 
 ready to take my departure, I left it 
 to them to name the day; and the 
 Wednesday following was fixed upon, 
 when I was to take on board Otoo, his 
 father, mother, and in short the whole 
 family. These points being settled, 
 I proposed setting out immediately 
 for Oparre, where all the fleet fitted 
 out for the expedition was to assemble 
 this day and to be reviewed. 
 
 I had but just time to get into my 
 boat when news was brought that 
 Towha had concluded a treaty with 
 
190 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 Maheine, and had returned with his 
 fleet to Attahooroo. This unexpected 
 event made all further proceedings in 
 the military way quite unnecessary; 
 and the war-canoes, instead of rendez- 
 vousing at Oparre, were ordered home 
 to their respective districts. This 
 alteration, however, did not hinder 
 me from following Otoo to Oparre, 
 accompanied by Mr King and Omai. 
 Soon after our arrival, and while dinner 
 was preparing, a messenger arrived 
 from Eimeo and related the conditions 
 of the peace, or rather- of the truce, it 
 being only for a limited time. The 
 terms were disadvantageous to Ota- 
 heite, and much blame was thrown 
 upon Otoo, whose delay in sending 
 reinforcements had obliged Towha to 
 submit to a disgraceful accommoda 
 tion. It was even currently reported 
 that Towha, resenting his not being 
 supported, had declared that ts soon 
 as I could leave the island he would 
 join his forces to those of Tiaraboo, 
 and attack Otoo at Matavai or Oparre. 
 This called upon me to declare in the 
 most public manner that I was deter- 
 mined to espouse the interest of my 
 friend against any such combination, 
 and that whoever presumed to attack 
 him should feel the weight of my heavy 
 displeasure when I returned again to 
 their island. My declaration probably 
 had the desired effect, and if Towha 
 had any such hostile intention at first, 
 we soon heard no more of the report. 
 Whappai, Otoo's father, highly dis- 
 approved of the peace, and blamed 
 Towha very much for concluding it. 
 This sensible old man wisely judged 
 that my going down with them to 
 Eimeo must have been of singular 
 service to their cause, though I should 
 take no other part whatever in the 
 quarrel. And it was upon this that 
 he built his arguments, and main- 
 tained that Otoo had acted properly 
 by waiting for me, though this had 
 prevented his giving assistance to 
 Towha so soon as he expected. 
 
 Onr debates at Oparre on this sub- 
 ject were hardly ended before a mes- 
 BGiiger arrived from Towha, desiring 
 Otoo's attendance the next day at the 
 " niorai " in Attahooroo, to give 
 
 [Voy.III.B.III.Ch.IV. 
 
 thanks to the gods for the peace he 
 had concluded ; at least such was 
 Omai's account to me of the object of 
 this solemnity. I was asked to go, 
 but being much out of order was ob- 
 liged to decline. Desirous, however, 
 of knowing what ceremonies might be 
 observed on so memorable an occasion, 
 I sent Mr King and Omai, and returned 
 on board my ship, attended by Otoo's 
 mother, his three sisters, and eight 
 more women. At first I thought 
 that this numerous train of females 
 came into my boat with no other view 
 than to get a passage to Matavai. But 
 when we arrived at the ship they told 
 me they intended passing the night 
 on board for the express purpose of 
 undertaking the cure of the disorder 
 I complained of, which was a pain of 
 the rheumatic kind extending from 
 the hip to the foot. I accepted the 
 friendly offer, had a bed spread for 
 them upon the cabin floor, and sub- 
 mitted myself to their directions. I wa3 
 desired to lay myself down amongst 
 them. Then as many of them as 
 could get round me began to squeeze 
 me with both hands from head to 
 foot, but more particularly on the 
 parts where the pain was lodged, till 
 they made my bones crack and my 
 flesh became a perfect mummy. In 
 short, after undergoing this discipline 
 about a quarter of an hour, I was 
 glad to get away from them. How- 
 ever, the operation gave me immediate 
 relief, which encouraged me to submit 
 to another rubbing-down before I 
 went to bed ; and it was so effectual 
 that I found myself pretty easy all 
 the night after. My female physicians 
 repeated their prescription the next 
 morning before they went ashore, and 
 again in the evening when they re- 
 turned on board, after which I found 
 the pains entirely removed ; and the 
 cure being perfected, they took then 
 leave of me the following morning. 
 This they call " romee," an operation 
 which in my opinion far exceeds the 
 flesh-brush, or anything of the kind 
 that we make use of externally. It 
 is universally practised amongst these 
 islanders, being sometimes performed 
 by the men, but more generally by 
 
Sept. 1777.] PRESENT TO OMAI 
 
 the women. If at any time one ap- 
 pears languid and tired, and sits 
 down by any one of them, they im- 
 mediately begin to practise the 
 " romee " upon his legs ; and I have 
 always found it to have an exceeding 
 good effect. . . . 
 
 [On the 27th] I accompanied Otoo 
 to Oparre ; and before I left it I looked 
 at the cattle and poultry which I had 
 consigned to my friend's care at that 
 place. Everything was in a promising 
 way, and properly attended to. Two 
 of the geese and two of the ducks 
 were sitting ; but the pea and turkey 
 hens had not begun to lay. I got 
 from Otoo four goats, two of which I 
 intended to leave at Ulietea, where 
 none had as yet been introduced ; and 
 the other two I proposed to reserve 
 for the use of any other islands I 
 might meet with in my passage to 
 the north. 
 
 Our friend Omai got one good thing 
 at this island for the many good things 
 he gave away. This was a very fine 
 double sailing canoe, completely 
 equipped, and fit for the sea. Some 
 time before I had made up for him 
 a suit of English colours ; but he 
 thought these too valuable to be used 
 at this time, and patched up a parcel 
 of colours, such as flags and pendants, 
 to the number of ten or a dozen, 
 which he spread on different parts of 
 this vessel all at the same time, and 
 drew together as many people to look 
 at her as a man-of-war would, dressed, 
 in a European port. These streamers 
 of Omai were a mixture of English, 
 French, Spanish, and Dutch, which 
 were all the European colours that he 
 had seen. When I was last at this 
 island, I gave to Otoo an English jack 
 and pendant, and to Towha a pen- 
 dant ; which I now found they had 
 preserved with the greatest care. 
 Omai had also provided himself with 
 a good stock of cloth and cocoa-nut 
 oil, which are not only in greater 
 plenty, but much better, at Otaheitc 
 than at any of the Society Islands, 
 insomuch that they are articles of 
 trade. Omai would not have behaved 
 so inconsistently, and so much unlike 
 himself as he did in many instances, 
 
 OF A WAR CANOE. 191 
 
 but for his sister and brother-in-law, 
 who, together with a few more of their 
 acquaintance, engrossed him entirely 
 to themselves, with no other view than 
 to strip him of everything he had 
 got. And they would undoubtedly 
 have succeeded in their scheme, if I 
 had not put a stop to it in time, by 
 taking the most useful articles of his 
 property into my possession. But 
 even this would not have saved Omai 
 from ruin, if I had suffered these rela- 
 tions of his to have gone with or to 
 have followed us to his intended place 
 of settlement, Huaheine. This they 
 had intended, but I disappointed their 
 further views of plunder by forbid- 
 ding them to show themselves in that 
 island while I remained in the neigh- 
 bourhood ; and they knew me too well 
 not to comply. 
 
 On the 28th Otoo came on board, 
 and informed me that he had got a 
 canoe, which he desired I would take 
 with me, and carry home as a present 
 from him to the " Earee rahie no Pre- 
 tane;" it being the only thing, he 
 said, that he could send worth his 
 Majesty's acceptance. I was not a 
 little pleased with Otoo for this mark 
 of his gratitude. It was a thought 
 entirely his own, not one of us having 
 given him the least hint about it ; and 
 it showed that he fully understood to 
 whom he was indebted for the mo3t 
 valuable presents that he had received. 
 At first I thought that this canoe had 
 been a model of one of their vessels of 
 war ; but I soon found that it was a 
 small "ivahah," about sixteen feet 
 long. It was double, and seemed to 
 have been built for the purpose : and 
 was decorated with all tlnse pieces of 
 carved work which they usually fix 
 upon their canoes. As it Mas too 
 large for me to take on board, I could 
 only thank him for his good inten- 
 tion ; but it would have pleased him 
 much better if his present could have 
 been accepted. 
 
 We were detained here some daya 
 longer than I expected, by light 
 breezes from the west, and calms, by 
 turns ; so that we could not get out 
 of the bay. During this time the 
 6hips were crowded with our friends, 
 
192 COOK'S 
 
 and surrounded by a multitude of 
 canoes ; for not one would leave the 
 place till we were gone. At length, 
 at 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the 
 29th the wind came at east, and we 
 weighed anchor. As soon as the ships 
 were under sail, at the request of Otoo, 
 and to gratify the curiosity of his 
 people, I fired seven guns loaded with 
 shot ; after which all our friends, 
 except him and two or three more, 
 left us with such marks of affection 
 and grief as sufficiently showed how 
 much they regretted our departure. 
 Otoo being desirous of seeing the ship 
 sail, I made a stretch out to sea and 
 then in again ; when he also bid us 
 farewell and went ashore in his canoe. 
 The frequent visits we have lately paid 
 to this island seem to have created a 
 full persuasion that the intercourse 
 will not be discontinued. It was 
 strictly enjoined to me by Otoo to 
 request, in his name, the " Earee 
 rahie no Pretane " to send him by 
 the next ships red feathers and the 
 birds that produce them, axes, half-a- 
 dozen muskets, with powder and shot ; 
 and by no means to forget horses. 
 
 I have occasionally mentioned my 
 receiving considerable presents from 
 Otoo and the rest of the family, with- 
 out specifying what returns I made. 
 It is customary for these people, when 
 they make a present, to let ua know 
 what they expect in return ; and we 
 find it necessary to gratify them ; so 
 that what we get by way of present 
 comes dearer than what we get by 
 barter. But as we were sometimes 
 pressed by occasional scarcity, we 
 could have recourse to our b mds for 
 a present or supply whe. nb could 
 not get our wants relieved by any 
 other method ; and therefore, upon 
 the whole, this way of traffic was full 
 as advantageous to us as to the natives. 
 For the most part, I paid for each 
 separate article as I received it, except 
 in my intercourse with Otoo. His 
 presents generally came so fast upon 
 me, that no account was kept between 
 us. Whatever he asked for that I 
 could spare, he had whenever he asked 
 for it ; and I always found him moder- 
 ate in his demands. 
 
 VOYAGES. [Vot.IILB.III.Ch.IV. 
 
 If I could have prevailed upon 
 Omai to fix himself at Otaheite, I 
 should not have left it so soon as I 
 did. For there was not a probability 
 of our being better or cheaper sup- 
 plied with refreshments at any other 
 place than we continued to be here 
 even at the time of our leaving it. 
 Besides, such a cordial friendship and 
 confidence subsisted between us and 
 the inhabitants as could hardly be 
 expected any where else ; and it was a 
 little extraordinary that this friendly 
 intercourse had never once been sus- 
 pended by any untoward accident, 
 nor had there been a theft committed 
 that deserves to be mentioned. Not 
 that I believe their morals in this 
 respect to be much mended, but am 
 rather of opinion that their regularity 
 of conduct was owing to the fear the 
 chiefs were under of interrupting a 
 traffic which they might consider as 
 the means of securing to themselves 
 a more considerable share of our com- 
 modities than could have been got by 
 plunder or pilfering. Indeed, this 
 point I settled at the first interview 
 with their chiefs after my arrival. 
 For observing the great plenty that 
 was in the island, and the eagerness 
 of the natives to possess our various 
 articles of trade, I resolved to make 
 the most of these two favourable cir- 
 cumstances, and explained myself in 
 the most decisive terms that I would 
 not suffer them to rob us as they had 
 done upon many former occasions. 
 In this Omai was of great use, as I 
 instructed him to point out to them 
 the good consequences of their honest 
 conduct, and the fatal mischiefs they 
 must expect to suffer by deviating 
 from it. It is not always in the power 
 of the chiefs to prevent robberies ; 
 they are frequently robbed themselves, 
 and complain of it as a great evil. Otoo 
 left the most valuable things he had 
 from me in my possession till the day 
 before we sailed ; and the reason he 
 gave for it was that they were no- 
 where so safe. Since the bringing-in 
 of new riches, the inducements to 
 pilfering must have increased. The 
 chiefs, sensible of this, are now ex- 
 tremely desirous of chests. Thov 
 
Sept. 1777.] ACCOUNT OF THE 
 
 seemed to set much value upon a few 
 the Spaniards had left amongst them ; 
 and they were continually asking us 
 for some. I had one made for Otoo, 
 the dimensions of which, according 
 to his own directions, were eight feet 
 in length, five in breadth, and about 
 three in depth. Locks and bolts were 
 not a sufficient security ; but it must 
 be large enough for two people to sleep 
 upon, by way of guarding it in the 
 night. 
 
 It will appear a little extraordinary 
 that we, who had a smattering of their 
 language, and Omai besides for an 
 interpreter, could never get any clear 
 account of the time when the Span- 
 iards arrived, how long they stayed, 
 and when they departed. The more 
 we inquired into this matter, the more 
 we were convinced of the inability 
 of most of these people to remember 
 or note the time when past events 
 happened; especially if it exceeded 
 ten or twenty months. It, however, 
 appeared by the date of the inscrip- 
 tion upon the cross, and by the in- 
 formation we received from the most 
 intelligent of the natives, that two 
 ships arrived at Oheitepeha in 1774, 
 soon after I left Matavai, which was 
 in May the same year. They brought 
 with them the house and live stock 
 before mentioned. Some said that 
 after landing these things, and some 
 men, they sailed in quest of me and 
 returned in about ten days. But I 
 have some doubt of the truth of this, 
 as they were never seen either at 
 Huaheine or at Ulietea. The live 
 stock they left here consisted of one 
 bull, some goats, hogs, and dogs, and 
 the male of some other animal ; which 
 we afterward found to be a ram, and 
 at this time was at Bolabola, whither 
 the bull was also to have been trans- 
 ported. The hogs are of a large 
 kind, have already greatly improved 
 the breed originally found by us upon 
 the island, and at the time of our late 
 arrival were very numerous. Goats 
 are also in tolerable plenty, there 
 being hardly a chief of any note that 
 has not some. As to the dogs that 
 the Spaniards put ashore, which are 
 of two or three sorts, I think they 
 
 SPANISH EXPEDITION. ic, 3 
 
 would have done the island a great 
 deal more service if they had hanged 
 them all, instead of leaving them 
 upon it. It was to one of them that 
 my young ram fell a victim. 
 
 When these ships left the islands 
 four Spaniards remained behind. Two 
 were priests, one a servant, and the 
 fourth made himself very popular 
 among the natives, who distinguish 
 him by the name of Mateema. He 
 seems to have been a person who had 
 studied their language, or at least to 
 have spoken it so as to be understood ; 
 and to have taken uncommon pains 
 to impress the minds of the islanders 
 with the most exalted ideas of the 
 greatness of the Spanish nation, and 
 to make them think meanly of the 
 English. He even went so far as 
 to assure them that we no longer 
 existed as an independent nation ; 
 that "Pretane" was only a small 
 island which they (the Spaniards) 
 had entirely destroyed; and for me, 
 that they had met with me at sea, 
 and with a few shot had sent my 
 ship and every soul in her to the bot- 
 tom, so that my visiting Otaheite at 
 this time was of course very unex- 
 pected. All this and many other 
 improbable falsehoods did this Span- 
 iard make these people believe. Ii 
 Spain had no other views in this ex- 
 pedition but to depreciate the English 
 they had better have kept their ships 
 at home ; for my returning again to 
 Otaheite was considered as a complete 
 confutation of all that Mateema had 
 said. 
 
 "With what design the priests stayed 
 we can only guess. If it was to con- 
 vert the natives to the Catholic faith, 
 they have not succeeded in any one 
 instance. But it does not appear 
 that they ever attempted it; for, if 
 the natives are to be believed, they 
 never conversed with them either on 
 this or on any other subject. The 
 priests resided constantly in the house 
 at Oheitepeha; but Mateema roved 
 about, visiting most parts of the 
 island. At length, after he and his 
 companions had stayed ten months, 
 two ships came to Oheitepeha, took 
 them on board, and sailed again in 
 
 x 
 
191 
 
 five days. This hasty departure shows 
 that whatever design the Spaniards 
 might have had upon this island, 
 they had now laid it aside. And yet, 
 as I was informed by Otoo and many 
 others, before they went away they 
 would have the natives believe that 
 they still meant to return, and to 
 bring with them houses, all kinds of 
 animals, and men and women who 
 were to settle, live, and die on the 
 island. Otoo, when he told me this, 
 added that if the Spaniards should 
 return he would uot let them come 
 to Matavai Fort, which, he said, was 
 ours. It was easy to see that the 
 idea pleased him, little thinking that 
 the completion of it would at once 
 deprive him of his kingdom and the 
 people of their liberties. This shows 
 with what facility a settlement might 
 be made at Otaheite ; which, grateful 
 as I am for repeated good offices, I hope 
 will never happen. Our occasional 
 visits may in some respects have 
 benefited its inhabitants; but a per- 
 manent establishment amongst them 
 conducted as most European estab- 
 lishments amongst Indian nations 
 have unfortunately been, would, I 
 fear, give them just cause to lament 
 that our ships had ever ftmnd them 
 out. Indeed, it is very unlikely that 
 any measure of this kind should ever 
 be seriously thought of, as it can 
 neither serve the purposes of public 
 ambition nor of private avarice ; and 
 without such inducements I may pro- 
 nounce that it will never be under- 
 taken. 
 
 I have already mentioned the visit 
 that I had from one of the two natives 
 of this island who had been carried 
 by the Spaniards to Lima. I never 
 saw him afterward; which I rather 
 wondered at, as I had received him 
 with uncommon civility. I believe, 
 however, that Omai had kept him at 
 a distance from me by some rough 
 usage, jealous that there should be 
 another traveller upon the island who 
 might vie with himself. Our touch- 
 ing at Teneriffe was a fortunate cir- 
 fumstance for Omai, as ho prided 
 himself in having visited a place be- 
 longing to Spain as well as this man. 
 
 COOK'S TOYAOES. [Voy. III. B. III. Ch. V, 
 
 I did not meet with the other who 
 had returned from Lima ; but Captain 
 Gierke, who had seen him, spoke of 
 him as a low fellow, and as a little 
 out of his senses. His own country- 
 men, I found, agreed iu the same 
 account of him. In short, these two 
 adventurers seemed to be held in no 
 esteem. They had not, indeed, been 
 so fortunate as to return home with 
 such valuable acquisitions of pro- 
 perty as we had bestowed upon Omai, 
 and with the advantages he reaped 
 from his voyage to England, it must 
 be his own fault if he should sinK 
 into the same state of insignificance. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 As I did not give up my design of 
 touching at Eimeo, at daybreak in 
 the morning of the 30th, after leaving 
 Otaheite, I stood for the north end 
 of the island; the harbour which I 
 wished to examine being at that part 
 of it. Omai, in his canoe, having 
 arrived there long before us, had 
 taken some necessary measures to 
 show us the place. However, we 
 were not without pilots, having seve- 
 ral men of Otaheite on board, and 
 not a few women. Not caring to 
 trust entirely to these guides, I sent 
 two boats to examine the harbour ; 
 and on their making the signal for 
 safe anchorage, we stood in with the 
 ships, and anchored close up to the 
 head of the inlet, in ten fathoms 
 water. We had no sooner anchored 
 than the ships were crowded with the 
 inhabitants, whom curiosity alone 
 brought on board ; for they had 
 nothing with them for the purposes 
 of barter. But the next morning this 
 deficiency was supplied ; several canoes 
 then arriving from more distant parts, 
 which brought with them abundance 
 of bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and a few 
 hogs. These they exchanged for 
 hatchets, nails, and beads ; for red 
 feathers were not so much sought 
 after here as at Otaheite. The ship 
 being a good deal pestered with rat?, 
 I hauled her within thirty yards of 
 
OfiT. 1777.] VISIT FROM 
 
 the shore, as near sa the depth of 
 water would allow, and made a path 
 for them to get to the land, by fas- 
 tening hawsers to the trees. It is 
 said that this experiment has some- 
 times succeeded, but I believe we got 
 clear of very few, if any, of the numer- 
 ous tribe that haunted us. 
 
 In the morning of the 2d, Maheine, 
 the chief of the island, paid me a 
 visit. He approached the ship with 
 great caution, and it required some 
 persuasion to get him on board. 
 Probably he was under some appre- 
 hensions of mischief from us as friends 
 of the Otaheiteans ; these people not 
 being able to comprehend how we 
 can be friends with any one without 
 adopting at the same time his cause 
 against his enemies. Maheine was 
 accompanied by his wife, who, as I 
 was informed, is sister to Oamo of 
 Otaheite, of whose death we had an 
 account while we were at this island. 
 I made presents to both of them, of 
 such things as they seemed to set the 
 highest value upon ; and after a stay 
 of about half-an-hour they went away. 
 Not long after, they returned with a 
 large hog, which they meant as a re- 
 turn for my present, but I made them 
 another present to the full value of it. 
 After this they paid a visit to Captain 
 Gierke. 
 
 This chief, who, with a few fol- 
 lowers, has made himself in a manner 
 independent of Otaheite, is between 
 forty and fifty years old. He is 
 bald-headed, which is rather an un- 
 common appearance in these islands 
 at that age. He wore a kind of 
 turban, and seemed ashamed to show 
 his head ; but whether they them- 
 selves considered this deficiency of 
 hair as a mark of disgrace, or whether 
 they entertained a notion of our con- 
 sidering it as such, I cannot say. We 
 judged that the latter supposition was 
 the truth, from this circumstance, 
 that they had seen us shave the head 
 of one of their people whom we had 
 caught stealing. They therefore con- 
 cluded that this was the punishment 
 usually inflicted by us upon all 
 thieves ; and one or two of our gentle- 
 men, whose heads were not overbur- 
 
 MAHEINE. 195 
 
 thened with hair, we could observe, 
 lay under violent suspicions of being 
 " tetos." In the evening, Omai and I 
 mounted on horseback, and took a 
 ride along the shore to the eastward . 
 Our train was not very numerous, ns 
 Omai had forbid the natives to fol- 
 low us, and many complied, the fear 
 of giving offence getting the better of 
 their curiosity. Towha had stationed 
 his fleet in this harboi;r, and though 
 the war lasted but a few days, the 
 marks of its devastation were every- 
 where to be seen. The trees were 
 stripped of their fruit, and all the 
 houses in the neighbourhood had been 
 pulled down or burned. 
 
 [On the morning of the 6th they 
 had intended putting off to sea, when 
 they were prevented by first one and 
 then another of their goats being 
 stolen. One of them was recovered 
 without much difficulty, the other 
 was only restored to them after a 
 threatening message had been sent to 
 the chief Maheine, and a number of 
 their canoes had been burned.] 
 
 About 9 o'clock [on the 11th] we 
 weighed with a breeze down the har- 
 bour, but it proved so faint and 
 variable that it was noon before we 
 got out to sea, when I steered for 
 Huaheine, attended by Omai in his 
 canoe. He did not depend entirely 
 upon his own judgment, but had got 
 on board a pilot. I observed that 
 they shaped as direct a course for the 
 island as I could do. At Eimeo we 
 abundantly supplied the ships with 
 firewood. "We had not taken in any 
 at Otaheite, where the procuring this 
 article would have been very incon- 
 venient, there not being a tree at 
 Matavai but what is useful to the in- 
 habitants. We also got here good 
 store of refreshments, both in hogs 
 and vegetables, that is, bread-fruit and 
 cocoa-nuts, little else being in season. 
 I do not know that there is any dif- 
 ference between the produce of tlm 
 island and of Otaheite ; but there is 
 a very striking difference in their 
 women, that I can by no mean? 
 account for. Those of Eimeo are of 
 low stature, have a dark hue, and, in 
 general, forbidding features. If wo 
 
196 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 met with a fine woman amongst them 
 
 we were 
 that she 
 island. 
 
 sure, 
 had 
 
 upon inquiry, to find 
 come from some other 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 a gentle 
 daybreak 
 Huaheine 
 W. half 
 
 Having left Eimeo, with 
 breeze and fine weather, at 
 the next morning we saw 
 extending from SW. by 
 W. to W. by N. At noon we anchor- 
 ed at the north entrance of Owharre 
 harbour, which is on the west side of 
 the island. The whole afternoon was 
 spent in warping the ships into a pro- 
 per berth and mooring. Omai entered 
 the harbour just before us in his 
 canoe, but did not land. Nor did he 
 take much notice of any of his country- 
 men, though many crowded to see him ; 
 but far more of them came off to the 
 ships, insomuch that we could hardly 
 work on account of their numbers. 
 Our passengers presently acquainted 
 them with what we had done at 
 Eimeo, and multiplied the number of 
 houses and canoes that we had de- 
 stroyed by ten at least. I was not 
 sorry for this exaggerated account, as 
 I saw that it made a great impression 
 upon all who heard it, so that I had 
 hopes it would induce the inhabitants 
 of this island to behave better to us 
 than they had done during my former 
 visits. While I was at Otaheite I 
 had learned that my old friend Oree 
 was no longer the chief of Huaheine ; 
 and that at this time he resided at 
 Ulietea. Indeed, he never had been 
 more than regent during the minority 
 of Taireetareea, the present "Earee 
 rahie;" but he did not give up the 
 regency till he was forced. His two 
 sons, Opoony and Towha, were the 
 first who paid mc a visit, coming on 
 board before the ship was well in the 
 harbour, and bringing a present with 
 them. 
 
 Our arrival brought all the princi- 
 pal people cf the island to our ships 
 
 being the 13th. 
 This was just what I wished, as it 
 was high time to think of settling 
 Omai ; and the presence of these 
 
 on the next morning, 
 
 [Vot.IILB.II1.Ch.VI. 
 
 chiefs, I guessed, would enable me to 
 do it in the most satisfactory manner. 
 He now seemed to have an inclina- 
 tion to establish himself at Ulietea ; 
 and if he and I could have agreed 
 about the mode of bringing that plan 
 to bear, I should have had no objec- 
 tion to adopt it. His father had been 
 dispossessed by the men of Bolabola, 
 when they conquered Ulietea, of some 
 land in that island ; and I made no 
 doubt of being able to get it restored 
 to the son in an amicable manner. 
 For that purpose it was necessary 
 that he should be upon good terms 
 with those who now were masters of 
 the island ; but he was too great a 
 patriot to listen to any such thing, 
 and was vain enough to suppose that 
 I would reinstate him in his forfeited 
 lands by force. This made it im- 
 possible to fix him at Ulietea, and 
 pointed out to me Huaheine as the 
 proper place. I therefore resolved to 
 avail myself of the presence of the 
 chief men of the island, and to make 
 this proposal to them. 
 
 After the hurry of the morning was 
 over, we got ready to pay a formal 
 visit to Taireetareea, meaning then to 
 introduce his business. Omai dressed 
 himself very properly on the occasion, 
 and prepared a handsome present for 
 the chief himself, and another for his 
 " Eatooa." Indeed, after he had got 
 clear of the gang that surrounded him 
 at Otaheite, he behaved with such 
 prudence as to gain respect. Our 
 landing drew most of our visitors 
 from the ships, and they, as well as 
 those that were on shore, assembled 
 in a large house. The concourse of 
 people on this occasion was very great. ; 
 and amongst them there appeared to 
 be a greater proportion of personable 
 men and women than wo had ever 
 seen in one assembly at any of these 
 new islands. Not only the bulk of 
 the people seemed in general much 
 stouter and fairer than those of Ota- 
 heite, but there was also a much 
 greater number of men who appeared 
 to be of consequence, in proportion 
 to the extent of the island ; most of 
 whom had exactly the corpulent ap- 
 pearance of the chiefs of Wateeo, 
 
Oct. 2777.] 
 
 OMAl'S SPEECH TO THE CHIEFS. 
 
 197 
 
 We waited some time for Taireetareea, 
 as I would do nothing till the " Earee 
 rahie " came ; but when he appeared 
 I found that his presence might 
 have been dispensed with, as he was 
 not above eight or ten years of age. 
 Omai, who stood at a little distance 
 from this circle of great men, began 
 with making his offering to the gods, 
 consisting of red feathers, cloth, &c. 
 Then followed another olfering, which 
 was to be given to the gods by the 
 chief, and after that several other 
 small pieces and tufts of red feathers 
 were presented. Each article was laid 
 before one of the company, who, I 
 understood, was a priest, and was de- 
 livered with a set speech or prayer, 
 spoken by one of Omai's friends who 
 6at by him, but mostly dictated by 
 himself. In these prayers he did not 
 forget his friends in England, nor 
 those who had brought him safe back. 
 The "Earee rahie no Pretane," Lord 
 Sandwich, "Toote," " Tatee, " 1 were 
 mentioned in every one of them. 
 When Omai's offerings and prayers 
 were finished, the priest took each 
 article, in the same order in which 
 it had been laid before him, and after 
 repeating a prayer, sent it to the 
 "morai," which, as Omai told us, 
 was at a great distance, otherwise the 
 offerings would have been made there. 
 These religious ceremonies having 
 been performed, Omai sat down by 
 me, and we entered upon business by 
 giving the young chief my present, 
 and receiving his in return ; and, all 
 things considered, they were liberal 
 enough on both sides. Some arrange- 
 ments were next agreed upon as to 
 the manner of carrying on the inter- 
 course betwixt us ; and I pointed out 
 the mischievous consequences that 
 would attend their robbing us as they 
 had done during my former visits. 
 Omai's establishment was then pro- 
 posed to the assembled chiefs. He 
 acquainted them " that he had been 
 carried by us into our country, where 
 he was well received by the great 
 King and his ' Earees, ' and treated 
 with every mark of regard and affec- 
 
 1 Cooke and Clerke. 
 
 tion while he stayed amongst us ; that 
 he had been brought back again, en- 
 riched by our liberality with a variety 
 of articles which would prove veiy 
 useful to his countrymen ; and that, 
 besides the two horses which were to 
 remain with him, several other new 
 and valuable animals had been left at 
 Otaheite, which would soon multiply 
 and furnish a sufficient number for 
 the use of all the islands in the 
 neighbourhood. He then siguiiied 
 to them that it was my earnest re- 
 quest, in return for all my friendly 
 offices, that they would give him a 
 piece of land to build a house upon, 
 and to raise provisions for himself and 
 servants, adding that if this could not 
 be obtained for him in Huaheine, 
 either by gift or by purchase, I was 
 determined to carry him to Ulietea 
 and fix him there. " 
 
 Perhaps I have here made a better 
 speech for my friend than he actually 
 delivered, but these were the topics 
 I dictated to him. I observed that 
 what he concluded with, about carry- 
 ing him to Ulietea, seemed to meet 
 with the approbation of all the chiefs, 
 and I instantly saw the reason. Omai 
 had, as I have already mentioned, 
 vainly flattered himself that I meant 
 to use force in restoring him to his 
 father's lands in Ulietea, and he had 
 talked idly and without any authority 
 from me on this subject to some of 
 the present assembly, who dreamed 
 of nothing less than a hostile invasion 
 of Ulietea, and of being assisted by 
 me to drive the Bolabola men out of 
 that island. It was of consequence, 
 therefore, that I should undeceive 
 them ; and in order to this I signified 
 in the most peremptory manner that 
 I neither would assist them in such 
 an enterprise, nor suffer it to be put 
 in execution while I Avas in their 
 seas ; and that if Omai fixed himself 
 in Ulietea, he must be introduced as 
 a friend, and not forced upon the 
 Bolabola men as their conqueror. 
 
 This declaration gave a new turn 
 to the sentiments of the council. 
 One of the chiefs immediately ex- 
 pressed himself to this effect : " That 
 the whole island of Huaheine, «*i4 
 
198 
 
 everything in it, were mine, and that 
 therefore I might give what portion 
 of it I pleased to rny friend." Oniai, 
 who like the rest of his countrymen 
 seldom sees things beyond the present 
 moment, was greatly pleased to hear 
 this, thinking, no doubt, that I should 
 be very liberal and give him enough. 
 But to oiler what it would have been 
 improper to accept, I considered as 
 offering nothing at all; and therefore 
 I now desired that they would not 
 only assign the particular spot, but 
 also the exact quantity of land which 
 they would allot for the settlement. 
 Upon this some chiefs who had al- 
 ready left the assembly were sent for, 
 and after a short consultation among 
 themselves, my request was granted 
 by general consent, and the ground 
 immediately pitched upon adjoining 
 to the house where our meeting was 
 held. The extent, along the shore of 
 the harbour, was about 200 yards, 
 and its depth to the foot of the hill 
 somewhat more ; but a proportional 
 part of the hill was included in the 
 grant. This business being settled 
 to the satisfaction of all parties, I set 
 up a tent ashore, established a post, 
 and erected the observatories. The 
 carpenters of both ships were also set 
 to work to build a small house for 
 Omai, in which he might secure the 
 European commodities that were his 
 property. At the same time some 
 hands were employed in making a 
 garden for his 'use, planting shad- 
 docks, vines, pine-apples, melons, and 
 the seeds of several other vegetable 
 articles ; all of which I had the satis- 
 faction of observing to be in a flourish- 
 ing state before I left the island. 
 
 Omai now began seriously to at- 
 tend to his own affairs, and repented 
 heartily of his ill-judged prodigality 
 while at Otaheite. He found at 
 Huaheine a brother, a sister, and a 
 brother-in-law, the sister being mar- 
 ried; but these did not plunder him 
 as he had lately been by his other 
 relations. I was sorry, however, to 
 discover that though they were too 
 honest to do him any injury, they 
 were of too little consequence in the 
 island to do him any positive good. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. (Toy. III. B. III. Cir. VI. 
 
 They had neither authority nor influ- 
 ence to protect his person or his pro- 
 perty ; and in that helpless situation 
 I had reason to apprehend that he 
 ran great risk of being stripped of 
 everything he had got from us as 
 soon as he should cease to have us 
 within his reach to enforce the good 
 behaviour of his countrymen by an 
 immediate appeal to our irresistible 
 power. A man who is richer than 
 his neighbours is sure to be envied 
 by numbers who wish to see him 
 brought down to their own level. 
 But in countries where civilisation, 
 law, and religion impose their re- 
 straints, the rich have a reasonable 
 ground of security. And, besides, 
 there being in all such communities 
 a diffusion of property, no single in- 
 dividual need fear that the efforts of 
 all the poorer sort can ever be united 
 to injure him, exclusively of others 
 who are equally the objects of envy. 
 It was very different with Omai. 
 He was to live amongst those who 
 are strangers, in a great measure, to 
 any other principle of action besides 
 the immediate impulse of their na- 
 tural feelings. But what was his 
 principal danger, he was to be placed 
 in the very singular situation of being 
 the only rich man in the community 
 to which he was to belong ; and hav- 
 ing, by a fortunate connection with 
 us, got into his possession an ac- 
 cumulated quantity of a species of 
 treasure which none of his country- 
 men could create by any art or in- 
 dustry of their own, while all coveted 
 a share of this envied wealth, it was 
 natural to apprehend that all would 
 be ready to join in attempting to 
 strip its sole proprietor. To prevent 
 this, if possible, I desired him to 
 make a proper distribution of some 
 of his movables to two or three of 
 the principal chiefs, who, being thus 
 gratified themselves, might be induced 
 to take him under their patronage 
 and protect him from the injuries of 
 others. He promised to follow my 
 advice ; and I heard with satisfaction 
 before I sailed that this very prudent 
 step had been taken. Not trusting, 
 however, entirely to the operation of 
 
DAMAGE DONE 
 
 Oof. 1777.] 
 
 gratitude, I had recourse to the more 
 forci ble motive of intimidation. With 
 this view I took every opportunity of 
 notifying to the inhabitants that it 
 was my intention to return to their 
 island again, after heing ahsent the 
 usual time, and that if I did not find 
 Omai in the same state of security in 
 which I was now to leave him, all 
 those whom I should then discover 
 to have heen his enemies might ex- 
 pect to feel the weight of my resent- 
 ment. This threatening declaration 
 will prohably have no inconsiderable 
 effect ; for our successive visits of late 
 years have taught these people to 
 believe that our ships are to return 
 at certain periods ; and while they 
 continue to be impressed with such 
 a notion, which I thought it a fair 
 stratagem to confirm, Omai has some 
 prospect of being permitted to thrive 
 upon his new plantation. * 
 
 While we lay in this harbour we 
 carried ashore the bread remaining in 
 the bread-room to clear it of vermin. 
 The number of cockroaches that in- 
 fested the ship at this time is incred- 
 ible. The damage they did us was 
 very considerable, and every method 
 levised by us to destroy them proved 
 ineffectual. These animals, which at 
 first were a nuisance like all other 
 insects, had now become a real pest, 
 and so destructive that few things 
 vrere free from their ravages. If food 
 of any kind was exposed only for a few 
 minutes, it was covered with them ; 
 and they soon pierced it full of holes 
 resembling a honeycomb. They were 
 particularly destructive to birds which 
 had been stuffed and preserved as 
 curiosities, and, what was worse, were 
 uncommonly fond of ink, so that the 
 writing on the labels fastened to dif- 
 ferent articles was quite eaten out ; 
 and the only thing that preserved 
 books from them was the closeness 
 of the binding, which prevented 
 these devourers getting between the 
 leaves. According to Mr Anderson's 
 observations, they were of two sorts, 
 the Blatta orientalis and germanica. 
 
 1 See Note at end of Chapter on 
 \ho subsequent fortunes of Omai. 
 
 BY COCKROACHES. lyo 
 
 The first of these had been carried 
 home in the ship from her former 
 voyage, where they withstood the 
 severity of the hard winter in 1776, 
 though she was in dock all the time. 
 The others had only made their ap- 
 pearance since our leaving New Zea- 
 land, but had increased so fast, that 
 they now not only did all the mischief 
 mentioned above, but had even got 
 amongst the rigging, so that when a 
 sail was loosened thousands of them fell 
 uponthedecks. The orientalcs, though 
 in infinite numbers, scarcely came out 
 but in the night, when they made 
 everything in the cabins seem as if in 
 motion from the particular noise in 
 crawling about. And, besides their 
 disagreeable appearance, they did 
 great mischief to our bread, which 
 was so bespattered with their excre- 
 ment that it would have been badly 
 relished by delicate feeders. 
 
 The intercourse of trade and friendly 
 offices was carried on between us and 
 the natives without being disturbed 
 by any one accident till the evening 
 of the 22d, when a man found means 
 to get into Mr Bayly's observatory, 
 and to carry off a sextant unobserved. 
 As soon as I was made acquainted 
 with the theft, I went ashore and got 
 Omai to apply to the chiefs to procure 
 restitution. He did so, but they 
 took no steps toward it, being more 
 attentive to a " haiva " that was then 
 acting, till I ordered the performers 
 of the exhibition to desist. They 
 were now convinced that I was in 
 earnest, and began to make some in- 
 quiry after the thief, who was sitting 
 in the midst of them quite uncon- 
 cerned, insomuch that I was in great 
 doubt of his being the guilty person, 
 especially as he denied it. Omai, 
 however, assuring me that he was the 
 man, I sent him on board the ship 
 and there confined him. This raised 
 
 a general ferment amongst the as- 
 sembled natives, and the whole body 
 fled in spite of all my endeavours to 
 stop them. Having employed Omai 
 to examine the prisoner, with some 
 difficulty he was brought to confess- 
 where he had laid the sextant ; but 
 as it was now dark he could not find 
 
200 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 it till daylight the next morning 
 
 when it was brought back unhurt. 
 After this the natives recovered from 
 their fright and began to gather about 
 us as usual. And as to the thief, he 
 appearing to be a hardened scoundrel, 
 I punished him more severely than I 
 had done any culprit before. Besides 
 having his head and beard shaved, I 
 ordered both his ears to be cut off, 
 and then dismissed him. 
 
 This, however, did not deter him 
 from giving us further trouble ; for, 
 in the night between the 24th and 
 25th, a general alarm was spread, 
 occasioned as was said by one of our 
 goats being stolen by this very man. 
 On examination we found that all was 
 safe in that quarter. Probably the 
 goats were so well guarded that he 
 could not put his design in execution. 
 Hut his hostilities had succeeded 
 against another object, and it appeared 
 that he had destroyed and carried off 
 several vines and cabbage-plants in 
 Omai's grounds ; and he publicly 
 threatened to kill him and to burn 
 his house as soon as we should leave 
 the island. To prevent the fellow's 
 doing me and Omai any more mis- 
 chief, I had him seized and confined 
 on board the ship with a view of car- 
 rying him off the island ; and it 
 seemed to give general satisfaction to 
 the chiefs that I meant thus to dis- 
 pose of him. He was from Bolabola, 
 but there were too many of the natives 
 here ready to assist him in any of his 
 designs whenever he should think of 
 executing them. I had always met with 
 more troublesome people in Huaheine 
 than in any other of the neighbouring 
 islands ; and it was only fear, and the 
 want of opportunities, that induced 
 them to behave better now. Anarchy 
 seemed to prevail amongst them. 
 Their nominal Sovereign, the " Earee 
 rahie," as I have before observed, was 
 but a child ; and I did not find that 
 there was any one man, or set of men, 
 who managed the government for him ; 
 so that whenever any misunderstand- 
 ing happened between us, I never 
 knew with sufficient precision where 
 to make application in order to bring 
 ebout an accommodation or to procure 
 
 [Voy.III.B.III.Ch.VI. 
 
 redress. The young chief's mother 
 would, indeed, sometimes exert her- 
 self ; but I did not perceive that she 
 had greater authority than many 
 others. 
 
 Omai's house being nearly finished, 
 many of his movables were carried 
 ashore on the 26th. Amongst a variety 
 of other useless articles was a box of 
 toys, which when exposed to public 
 view seemed greatly to please the 
 gazing multitude. But as to his 
 pots, kettles, dishes, plates, drinking- 
 mugs, glasses, and the whole train of 
 our domestic accommodations, hardly 
 any one of his countrymen would so 
 much as look at them. Omai himself 
 now began to think that they were of no 
 manner of use to him ; that a baked hog 
 was more savoury food than a boiled 
 one ; that a plantain-leaf made as 
 good a dish or plate as pewter ; and 
 that a cocoa-nut shell was as conveni- 
 ent a goblet as a black-jack. And 
 therefore he very wisely disposed of 
 as many of these articles of English 
 furniture for the kitchen and pantry 
 as he could find purchasers for amongst 
 the people of the ships, receiving from 
 them in return hatchets and other 
 iron tools, which had a more intrinsic 
 value in this part of the world, and 
 added more to his distinguishing 
 superiority over those with whom he 
 was to pass the remainder of his days. 
 In the long list of the presents be- 
 stowed upon him in England fire- 
 works had not been forgotten. Some 
 of these we exhibited in the evening 
 of the 28th before a great concourse 
 of people, who beheld them with a 
 mixture of pleasure and fear. What 
 remained after the evening's entertain- 
 ment were put in order and left with 
 Omai, agreeably to their original des- 
 tination. Perhaps we need not lament 
 it as a serious misfortune that the far 
 greater share of this part of his cargo 
 had been already expended in exhibi- 
 tions at other islands, or rendered uss- 
 less by being kept so long. 
 
 Between midnight and four in the 
 morning of the 30th the Bolabola man 
 whom I had in confinement found 
 means to make his escape out of the 
 ship. He earned with him the shackle 
 
Oct. 1777.J 
 
 of the bilbo-bolt that was about his 
 leg, which was taken from him as 
 soon as he got on shore by one of the 
 chiefs, and given to Ornai, who came 
 on board very early in the morning 
 to acquaint me that his mortal enemy 
 was again let loose upon him. Upon 
 inquiry it appeared that not only the 
 sentry placed over the prisoner, but 
 the whole watch upon the quarter- 
 deck where he was confined, had laid 
 themselves down to sleep. He seized 
 the opportunity to take the key of the 
 irons out of the binnacle-drawer, 
 where he had seen it put, and set 
 himself at liberty. This escape con- 
 vinced me that my people had been 
 very remiss in their night-duty, which 
 made it necessary to punish those who 
 were now in fault, and to establish 
 some new regulations to prevent the 
 like negligence for the future. I was 
 not a little pleased to hear afterwards 
 that the fellow who escaped had trans- 
 ported himself to Ulietea, in this 
 seconding my views of putting him a 
 second time in irons. 
 
 As soon as Omai was settled in his 
 new habitation I began to think of 
 leaving the island, and got everything 
 off from the shore this evening except 
 the horse and mare, and a goat big 
 with kid, which were left in the pos- 
 session of our friend, with whom we 
 were now finally to part. I also gave 
 him a boar and two sows of the Eng- 
 lish breed, and he had got a sow or 
 two of his own. The horse covered 
 the mare while we were at Otaheite, 
 so that I consider the introduction of 
 a breed of horses into these islands as 
 likely to have succeeded by this valu- 
 able present. The history of Omai 
 will perhaps interest a very numerous 
 class of readers more than any other 
 occurrence of a voyage, the objects of 
 which do not in general promise much 
 entertainment. Every circumstance, 
 therefore, which may serve to convey 
 a satisfactory account of the exact 
 situation in which he was left will be 
 thought worth preserving ; and the 
 following particulars are added to 
 complete the view of his domestic 
 establishment. He had picked up at 
 Otaheite four or five " Toutous ; " the 
 
 ANIMALS LEFT WITH OMAI. 
 
 201 
 youths remained 
 
 two New Zealand 
 
 with him ; and his brother and some 
 others joined him at Huaheine, so 
 that his family consisted already of 
 eight or ten persons, if that can ba 
 called a family to which not a single 
 female as yet belonged, nor, I doubt, 
 was likely to belong, unless its master 
 became less volatile. At present Omai 
 did not seem at all disposed to take 
 unto himself a wife. The house 
 which we erected for him was twenty- 
 four feet by eighteen, and ten feet 
 high. It was composed of boards, 
 the spoils of our military operations 
 at Eimeo ; and in building it, as few 
 nails as possible were used, that there 
 might be no inducement, from the 
 love of iron, to pull it down. It was 
 settled that immediately after our 
 departure he should begin to build a 
 large house after the fashion of his 
 country, one end of which was to be 
 brought over that which we had 
 erected, so as to enclose it entirely for 
 greater security. In this work some 
 of the chiefs promised to assist him ; 
 and if the intended building should 
 cover the ground which he marked 
 out, it will be as large as most upon 
 the island. His European weapons 
 consisted of a musket, bayonet, and 
 cartouche-box ; a fowling-piece ; two 
 pair of pistols ; and two or three 
 swords or cutlasses. The possession 
 of these made him quite happy, which 
 was my only view in giving him such 
 presents. For I was always of opinion 
 that he would have been happier with- 
 out fire-arms, and other European 
 weapons, than with them ; as such 
 implements of war, in the hands of 
 one whose prudent use of them I had 
 some grounds for mistrusting, would 
 rather increase his dangers than estab- 
 lish his superiority. After he had got 
 on shore everything that belonged to 
 him, and was settled in his house, he 
 had most of the officers of both ships 
 two or three times to dinner ; and his 
 table was always well supplied with 
 the very best provisions that the 
 island produced. 
 
 Before I sailed, I had the follow- 
 ing inscription cut upon the outside 
 of his house : 
 
202 
 
 COOK'S VOYACxES. [Toy. III. B. III. Cn. VI. 
 
 " Gcorgius Tcrtius Rex, 2 Novembris, 
 1777. 
 > r I Resolution, Jac. Cook, Pr. 
 \ Discovery, Gar. Gierke, Pr." 
 
 On the 2d of November, at four in 
 the afternoon, I took the advantage 
 of a breeze which then sprung up at 
 E., and sailed out of the harbour. 
 Most of our friends remained on board 
 till the ships were under sail ; when, 
 to gratify their curiosity, I ordered 
 five guns to be fired. They then all 
 took their leave, except Omai, who re- 
 mained till we were at sea. We had 
 come to sail by a hawser fastened to the 
 shore. In casting the ship it parted, 
 being cut by the rocks, and the outer 
 end was left behind, as those who cast 
 it off, did not perceive that it was 
 broken ; so that it became necessary 
 to send a boat to bring it on board. 
 In this boat Omai went ashore, after 
 taking a very affectionate farewell of 
 all the officers. He sustained himself 
 with a manly resolution till he came 
 to me. Then his utmost efforts to 
 conceal his tears failed ; and Mr 
 King, who went in the boat, told me 
 that he wept all the time in going 
 ashore. 
 
 It was no small satisfaction to re- 
 flect that we had brought him safe 
 back to the very spot from which he 
 was taken. And yet such is the 
 strange nature of human affairs, that 
 it is probable we left him in a less 
 desirable situation than he was in 
 before his connection with us. I do 
 not by this mean that, because he 
 has tasted the sweets of civilised life, 
 he must become more miserable from 
 being obliged to abandon all thoughts 
 of continuing them. I confine myself 
 to this single disagreeable circum- 
 stance, that the advantages he receiv- 
 ed from us have placed him in a more 
 hazardous situation with respect to 
 his personal safety. Omai, from be- 
 ing much caressed in England, lost 
 sight of his original condition, and 
 never considered in what manner his 
 acquisitions either of knowledge or 
 of riches would be estimated by his 
 countrymen at his return ; which 
 v/ere the only things he could have 
 
 to recommend him to them now more 
 than before, and on which he could 
 build either his future greatness or 
 happiness. He seemed even to have 
 mistaken their genius in this respect, 
 and, in some measure to have for- 
 gotten their customs ; otherwise he 
 must have known the extreme diffi- 
 culty there would be in getting him- 
 self admitted as a person of rank, 
 where there is perhaps no instance 
 of a man's being raised from an infer- 
 ior station by the greatest merit. 
 Eank seems to be the very foundation 
 of all distinction here, and of its 
 attendant, power ; and so pertinaci- 
 ously or rather blindly adhered to, 
 that unless a person has some degree 
 of it, he will certainly be despised 
 and hated if he assumes the appear- 
 ance of exercising any authority. This 
 was really the case in some measure 
 with Omai ; though his countrymen 
 were pretty cautious of expressing 
 their sentiments while we remained 
 among them. Had he made a propel 
 use of the presents he brought with 
 him from England, this, with the 
 knowledge he had acquired by travel- 
 ling so far, might have enabled him 
 to form the most useful connections. 
 But we have given too many instances, 
 in the course of our narrative, of his 
 childish inattention to this obvious 
 means of advancing his interest. His 
 schemes seemed to be of a higher 
 though ridiculous nature ; indeed I 
 might say meaner ; for revenge, rather 
 than a desire of becoming great, ap- 
 peared to actuate him from the begin- 
 ning. This, however, may be excused 
 if we consider that it is common to 
 his countrymen. His father was 
 doubtless a man of considerable pro- 
 perty in Ulietea when that island was 
 conquered by those of Bolabola ; and, 
 with many others, sought refuge in 
 Huaheine, where he died and left 
 Omai with some other children, who 
 by that means became totally depend- 
 ent. In this situation he was taken 
 rip by Captain Furneaux and carried 
 to England. Whether he really ex- 
 pected, from his treatment there, that 
 any assistance would be given him 
 i against the enemies of his father and 
 
Nov. 1777.] REMARKS ON THE 
 
 ins country, or whether he imagined 
 that his own personal courage and 
 superiority of knowledge woidd be 
 sufficient to dispossess the conquerors 
 of Uiietea, is uncertain ; but from the 
 beginning of the voyage this was his 
 constant theme. He would not listen 
 to our remonstrances on so wild a 
 determination ; but flew into a passion 
 if more moderate and reasonable coun- 
 sels were proposed for his advantage. 
 Nay, so infatuated and attached to 
 his favourite scheme was he, that he 
 affected to believe these people would 
 certainly quit the conquered island 
 as soon as they should hear of his 
 arrival at Otaheite. As we advanced, 
 however, on our voyage, he became 
 more sensible of his error ; and by 
 the time we reached the Friendly 
 Islands had even such apprehensions 
 of his reception at home, that, as I 
 have mentioned in my journal, he 
 would fain have stayed behind at Ton- 
 gataboo under Feenou's protection. 
 At these islands he squandered away 
 much of his European treasure very 
 unnecessarily ; and he was equally im- 
 prudent, as I also took notice of above, 
 at Tiaraboo, where he could have no 
 view of making friends, as he had not 
 any intention of remaining there. At 
 Matavai he continued the same incon- 
 siderate behaviour till I absolutely 
 put a stop to his profusion ; and he 
 formed such improper connections 
 there, that Otoo, who was at first 
 much disposed to countenance him, 
 afterward openly expressed his dislike 
 of him on account of his conduct. 
 It was not, however, too late to re- 
 cover his favour ; and he might have 
 settled to great advantage in Otaheite, 
 as he had formerly lived several years 
 there, and was now a good deal noticed 
 by Towha, whose valuable present of 
 a very large double canoe we have 
 seen above. The objection to admit- 
 ting him to some rank would have 
 also been much lessened if he had 
 fixed at Otaheite ; as a native will 
 always find it more difficult to accom- 
 plish such a change of state amongst 
 his countrymen, than a stranger, who 
 naturally claims respect. But Omai 
 remained undetermined to the last, 
 
 CONDUCT OF OMAI. 
 
 203 
 
 and would not, I believe, have adopted 
 my plan of settlement in Huaheine, 
 if I had not so explicitly refused to 
 employ force in restoring him to his 
 father's possessions. ;Whether the 
 remains of his European wealth, which 
 after all his improvident waste was 
 still considerable, will be more pru- 
 dently administered by him, or whether 
 the steps I took to insure him protec- 
 tion in Huaheine shall have proved 
 effectual, must be left to the decision 
 of future navigators of this ocean; 
 with whom it cannot but be a prin- 
 cipal object of curiosity to trace the 
 future fortunes of our traveller. At 
 present I can only conjecture that 
 his greatest danger will arise from the 
 very impolitic declarations of his an- 
 tipathy to the inhabitants of Bola- 
 bola. For these people, from a 
 principle of jealousy, will no doubt 
 endeavour to render him obnoxious 
 to those of Huaheine, as they are at 
 peace with that island at present, and 
 may easily effect their designs, many 
 of them living there. This is a cir- 
 cumstance which, of all others, he 
 might the most easily have avoided. 
 For they were not only free from any 
 aversion to him, but the person men- 
 tioned before, whom we found at 
 Tiaraboo as an ambassador, priest, or 
 god, absolutely offered to reinstate 
 him in the property that was formerly 
 his father's. But he refused thia 
 peremptorily ; and to the very last 
 continued determined to take the first 
 opportunity that offered of satisfying 
 his revenge in battle. To this, I 
 guess, he is not a little spurred by 
 the coat of mail he brought from Eng- 
 land ; clothed in which, and in posses- 
 sion of some fire-arms, he fancies that 
 he shall bo invincible. 
 
 Whatever faults belonged to Omai'a 
 character, they were more than over- 
 balanced by his great good-nature 
 and docile disposition. During the 
 whole time he was with me I very 
 seldom had reason to be seriously dis- 
 pleased with his general conduct. His 
 grateful heart always retained the 
 highest sense of the favours he had 
 received in England ; nor will he 
 ever forget those who honoured him 
 
204 
 
 COOK'S V 
 
 with their protection and friendship 
 during his stay there. He had a 
 tolerable share of understanding, hut 
 wanted application and perseverance 
 to exert it ; so that his knowledge of 
 things was very general, and in many 
 instances imperfect. He was not a 
 man of much observation. There were 
 many useful arts, as well as elegant 
 amusements, amongst the people of 
 the Friendly Islands, which he might 
 have conveyed to his own ; where 
 they probably would have been readily 
 adopted as being so much in their 
 own way. But 1 never found that he 
 used the least endeavour to make 
 himself master of any one. This kind 
 of indifference is, indeed, the charac- 
 teristic foible of his nation. Euro- 
 peans have visited them at times for 
 these ten years past, yet we could not 
 discover the slightest trace of any 
 attempt to profit by this intercourse ; 
 nor have they hitherto copied after us 
 in any one thing. We are not, there- 
 fore, to expect that Omai will be able 
 to introduce many of our arts and 
 customs among them, or much im- 
 prove those to which they have been 
 long habituated. I am confident, 
 however, that he will endeavour to 
 bring to perfection the various fruits 
 and vegetables we planted, which will 
 be no small acquisition. But the 
 greatest benefit these islands are likely 
 to receive from Omai's travels will be 
 in the animals that have been left 
 upon them ; which probably they 
 never would have got had he not come 
 to England. When these multiply, 
 of which I think there is little doubt, 
 Otaheite and the Society Islands will 
 equal, if not exceed, any place in the 
 known world for provisions. 
 
 Omai's return, and the substantial 
 proofs he brought back with him of 
 our liberality, encouraged many to offer 
 themselves as volunteers to attend me 
 to "Pretane." I took every oppor- 
 tunity of expressing my determination 
 to reject all such applications. But 
 notwithstanding this, Omai, who was 
 very ambitious of remaining the only 
 great traveller, being afraid lest I 
 might be prevailed upon to put others 
 in a situation of rivalling him, fre- 
 
 YAGES. [Voy. III. B. III. Ch. VII. 
 
 quently put me in mind that Lord 
 Sandwich had told him no others 
 of his countrymen were to come to 
 England. If there had been the most 
 distant probability of any ship being 
 again sent to New Zealand, I would 
 have brought the two youths of that 
 country home with me, as both of 
 them were very desirous of continuing 
 with us. Tiarooa, the eldest, was an 
 exceedingly well disposed young man, 
 with strong natural sense, and capable 
 of receiving any instruction. He 
 seemed to be fully sensible of the in- 
 feriority of his own country to these 
 islands, and resigned himself, though 
 perhaps with reluctance, to end his 
 days in ease and plenty in Huaheine. 
 But the other was so strongly attached 
 to us, that he was taken out of the 
 ship and carried ashore by force. He 
 was a witty, smart boy , and on that 
 account much noticed on board. 1 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The boat that carried Omai ashore, 
 never to join us again, having returned 
 to the ship with the remainder of the 
 
 1 " Omai did not live long to enjoy 
 his good fortune ; it does not appear 
 that he had any reason to complain of 
 the rapacity or covetousness of his 
 neighbours. The numerous articles 
 of European manufacture which were 
 in his possession rendered his house a 
 splendid museum of curiosities in the 
 eyes of a South Sea islander ; and it 
 is possible that his pride felt gratified 
 in being thus able to minister to their 
 wonder and admiration. He con- 
 ducted himself prudently, and gained 
 the esteem of his neighbours by the 
 affability with which he recounted his 
 voyages and adventures. About two 
 years and a half after Captain Cook's 
 departure, Omai died a natural death ; 
 nor did the New Zealanders survive 
 him long enough to furnish European 
 navigators witli an ampler account of 
 the influence which his experience and 
 observations abroad may have exerted 
 on his countrymen." 
 
Nov. 1777.1 INSTRUCTIONS TO 
 
 hawser, we hcisted her in and imme- 
 diately stood over for Ulietea, where 
 I intended to touch next. At 10 
 o'clock at night we brought to till 
 four the next morning, when we made 
 sail round the south end of the island 
 for the harbour of Ohamaneno. We 
 met with calms and light airs of wind 
 from different directions by turns, so 
 that at noon we were still a league 
 from the entrance of the harbour. 
 "While we were thus detained, my old 
 friend Oreo, chief of the island, with 
 his son, and Pootoe, his son-in-law, 
 came off to visit us. . . . 
 
 Though we had separated from 
 Omai, we were still near enough to 
 have intelligence of his proceeding ; 
 and I had desired to hear from him. 
 Accordingly, about a fortnight after 
 our arrival at Ulietea he sent two of 
 his people in a canoe, who brought 
 me the satisfactory intelligence that 
 he remained undisturbed by the people 
 of the island, and that everything went 
 well with him, except that his goat 
 had died in kidding. He accompanied 
 this intelligence with a request that 
 I would send him another goat and 
 two axes. Being happy to have this 
 additional opportunity of serving him, 
 the messengers were sent back to Hua- 
 heine on the 18th with the axes, and 
 two kids, male and female, which were 
 spared for him out of the Discovery. 
 
 The next day I delivered to Captain 
 Clerke instructions how to proceed in 
 case of being separated from me after 
 leaving these islands ; and it may not 
 be improper to give them a place here. 
 
 "By Captain James Cook, Commander 
 of His Majesty's Sloop the Resolu- 
 tion. 
 
 "Whereas the passage from the 
 Society Islands to the northern coast 
 of America is of considerable length 
 both in distance and in time, and as 
 a part of it must be performed in the 
 very depth of winter, when gales of 
 wind and bad weather must be ex- 
 pected, and may possibly occasion a 
 separation, you are to take all imagin- 
 able care to prevent this. But if, not- 
 withstanding all our endeavours to 
 keep company, you should be separated 
 
 CAPTAIN CLERKE. 
 
 205 
 
 from me, you are first to look for me 
 where you last saw me. Not seeing 
 me in five days, you are to proceed 
 (as directed by the instructions of 
 their Lordships, a copy of which you 
 have already received) for the coast of 
 New Albion, endeavouring to fall in 
 with it in the Latitude of 45°. 
 
 "In that latitude, and at a con- 
 venient distance from the land, you 
 are to cruise for me ten days. Not 
 seeing me in that time, you are to 
 put into the first convenient port, in 
 or to the north of that latitude, to 
 recruit your wood and water, and to 
 procure refreshments. 
 
 ' ' During your stay in port, you 
 are constantly to keep a good look- 
 out for me. It will be necessary, 
 therefore, to make choice of a station 
 situated as near the sea-coast as is 
 possible, the better to enable you to 
 see me when I shall appear in the 
 offing. 
 
 "If I do not join you before the 
 1st of next April, you are to put to 
 sea, and proceed northward to the 
 Latitude 56° ; in which latitude, and 
 at a convenient distance from the 
 coast, never exceeding fifteen leagues, 
 you are to cruise for me till the 10th 
 of May. 
 
 " Not seeing me in that time, you 
 are to proceed northward, and endea- 
 vour to find a passage into the Atlantic 
 Ocean, through Hudson's or Baffin's 
 Bays, as directed by the above-men- 
 tioned instructions. 
 
 " But if you should fail in finding 
 a passage through either of the said 
 bays, or by any other way, as the 
 season of the year may render it unsafe 
 for you to remain in high latitudes, 
 you are to repair to the harbour of St 
 Peter and St Paul in Kamtschatka, 
 in order to refresh your people and to 
 pass the winter. 
 
 " But nevertheless if you find that 
 you cannot procure the necessary re- 
 freshments at the said port, you are 
 at liberty to go where you shall judge 
 most proper ; taking care, before you 
 depart, to leave with the governor an 
 account of your intended destination, 
 to be delivered to me upon my arrival ; 
 and in the spring of the ensuing year, 
 
206 
 
 1779, you are to repair Lack to the 
 above-mentioned port, endeavouring 
 to be there by the 10th of May, or 
 sooner. 
 
 "If, on your arrival, you receive 
 no orders from, or account of me, so 
 as to justify your pursuing any other 
 measures than what are pointed out 
 in the before-mentioned instructions, 
 your future proceedings are to be 
 governed by them. 
 
 " You are also to comply with such 
 parts of said instructions as have not 
 been executed, and are not contrary 
 to these orders. And in case of your 
 inability, by sickness or otherwise, to 
 carry these and the instructions of 
 their Lordships into execution, you 
 are to be careful to leave them with 
 the next officer in command, who is 
 hereby required to execute them in 
 the best manner he can. 
 
 " Given under my hand, on board 
 the Resolution, at TJlietea, the 
 18th day of November 1777. 
 "J. Cook. 
 
 " To Captain diaries Clcrke, 
 Commander of His Majesty's 
 Sloo}} the Discovery." 
 
 While we lay moored to the shore, 
 we heeled, and scrubbed both sides 
 of the bottoms of the ships. At the 
 same time, we fixed some tin plates 
 under the binds ; first taking off the 
 old sheathing, and putting in a piece 
 unfilled, over which the plates were 
 nailed. These plates I had from the 
 ingenious Mr Pelham, Secretary to 
 the Commissioners for Victualling 
 his Majesty's Navy, with a view of 
 trying whether tin would answer the 
 same end as copper on the bottoms of 
 ships. 
 
 On the 24th in the morning I was 
 informed that a midshipman and a 
 seaman, both belonging to the Dis- 
 covery, were missing. Soon after, 
 we learned from the natives that they 
 went away in a canoe the preceding 
 evening, and were at this time at the 
 other end of the island. As the mid- 
 shipman was known to have expressed 
 a desire to remain at these islands, it 
 poemed pretty certain that he and his 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. III. On. VII. 
 
 companion had gone off with this in- 
 
 tention, and Captain Gierke set out in 
 quest of them with two armed boats 
 and a party of marines. His expedi- 
 tion proved fruitless, for he returned 
 in the evening without haviug got 
 any certain intelligence where they 
 were. From the conduct of the 
 natives, Captain Clerke seemed to 
 think that they intended to conceal 
 the deserters, and with that view had 
 amused him with false information 
 the whole day, and directed him to 
 search for them in places where they 
 were not to be found. The captain 
 judged right, for the next morning 
 we were told that our runaways were 
 at Otaha. As these two were not the 
 only persons in the ships w r ho wished 
 to end their days at these favourite 
 islands, in order to put a stop to any 
 further desertion it was necessary to 
 get them back at all events, and that 
 the natives might be convinced that 
 I was in earnest, 1 resolved to go 
 after them myself, having observed, 
 from repeated instances, that they 
 seldom offered to deceive me with 
 false information. Accordingly I set 
 out the next morning with two armed 
 boats, being accompanied by the chief 
 himself. I proceeded, as he directed, 
 without stopping anywhere till we 
 came to the middle of the east side of 
 Otaha. There we put ashore ; and 
 Oreo despatched a man before us with 
 orders to seize the deserters and keep 
 them till we should arrive with the 
 boats. But when we got to the place 
 where we expected to find them, we 
 were told that they had quitted this 
 island and gone over to Bolabola the 
 day before. I did not think proper 
 to follow them thither, but returned 
 to the ships, fully determined, how- 
 ever, to have recourse to a measure 
 which I guessed would oblige the 
 natives to bring them back. 
 
 Soon after daybreak the chief, hie 
 son, daughter, and son-in-law came 
 on board the Resolution. The throe 
 last I resolved to detain till the two 
 deserters should be brought back. 
 With this view Captain Clerke in- 
 vited them to go on board his ship ; 
 and, as soon as they arrived there, 
 
Nov. 1777.] CONFINEMENT OF 
 
 confined them in his cabin. The 
 chief was with me when the news 
 reached him. He immediately ac- 
 quainted me with it, supposing that 
 this step had been taken without my 
 knowledge and consequently without 
 my approbation. I instantly unde- 
 ceived him ; and then he began to 
 have Apprehensions as to his own 
 situation, and his looks expressed the 
 utmost perturbation of mind. But I 
 soon made him easy as to this, by 
 telling him that he was at liberty to 
 leave the ship whenever he pleased, 
 and to take such measures as he 
 .should judge best calculated to get 
 our two men back; that if he suc- 
 ceeded, his friends on board the Dis- 
 covery should be delivered up ; if not, 
 that I was determined to carry them 
 away with me. I added that his own 
 conduct, as well as that of many of 
 his people, in not only assisting these 
 two men to escape, but in being even 
 at this very time assiduous in enticing 
 others to follow them, would justify 
 p.ny step I could take to put a stop 
 to such proceedings. 
 
 This explanation of the motives 
 upon which I acted, and which we 
 found means to make Oreo and his 
 people who were present fully com- 
 prehend, seemed to recover them in a 
 great measure from that general con- 
 sternation into which they were at 
 first thrown. But, if relieved from 
 apprehensions about their own safety, 
 they continued under the deepest 
 concern for those who were prisoners. 
 Many of them went under the Dis- 
 covery's stern in canoes to bewail 
 their captivity ; which they did with 
 long and loud exclamations. " Poe- 
 dooa!" for so the chief's daughter was 
 called, resounded from every quarter, 
 and the women seemed to vie with 
 each other in mourning her fate with 
 more significant expressions of their 
 grief than tears and cries, for there 
 were many bloody heads upon the 
 occasion. Oreo himself did not give 
 way to unavailing lamentations, but 
 instantly began his exertions to re- 
 cover our deserters by dispatching a 
 canoe to Bolabola with a message to 
 Opoony, the Sovereign of that island, 
 
 THREE OF THE NATIVES. 207 
 
 acquainting him with what had hap- 
 pened, and requesting him to seize 
 the two fugitives and send them back. 
 The messenger, who was no less a 
 man than the father of Pootoe, Oreo's 
 son-in-law, before he set out came to 
 receive my commands. I strictly 
 enjoined him not to return without 
 the deserters ; and to tell Opoony 
 from me that if they had left Bola- 
 bola he must send canoes to bring 
 them back ; for I suspected that they 
 would not long remain in one place. 
 
 The consequence, however, of the 
 prisoners was so great that the natives 
 did not think proper to trust to the 
 return of our people for their release ; 
 or at least their impatience was so 
 great, that it hurried them to make 
 an attempt which might have involved 
 them in still greater distress had it 
 not been fortunately prevented. Be- 
 tween 5 and 6 o'clock in the evening 
 I observed that all their canoes in 
 and about the harbour, began to 
 move off as if some sudden panic had 
 seized them. I was ashore, abreast 
 of the ship at the time, and in- 
 quired in vain to find out the cause ; 
 till our people called to us from the 
 Discovery, and told us that a party 
 of the natives had seized Captain 
 Clerke and Mr Gore, who had walked 
 out a little way from the ships. 
 Struck with the boldness of this plan 
 of retaliation, which seemed to coun- 
 teract me so effectually in my own 
 way, there was no time to deliberate. 
 I instantly ordered the people to arm, 
 and in less than five minutes a strong 
 party under the command of Mr 
 King was sent to rescue our two 
 gentlemen. At the same time two 
 armed boats, and a party under Mr 
 Williamson, went after the flying 
 canoes to cut off their retreat to the 
 shore. These several detachments 
 were hardly out of sight before an 
 account arrived that we had been 
 misinformed ; upon which I sent and 
 called them all in. 
 
 It was evident, however, from seve- 
 ral corroborating circumstances, that 
 the design of seizing Captain Clerke 
 had really been in agitation amongst 
 the natives ; nay, they made no 
 
208 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 secret in speaking of it the next day. 
 But their first and great plan of oper- 
 ations was to have laid hold of me. 
 It was my custom every evening to 
 bathe in the fresh water. Very often I 
 went alone, and always without arms. 
 Expecting to go as usual this even- 
 ing, they had determined to seize me, 
 and Captain Clerke too, if he had 
 accompanied me. But I had, after 
 confining Oreo's family, thought it 
 prudent to avoid putting myself in 
 their power ; and had cautioned Cap- 
 tain Clerke and the officers not to go 
 far from the ships. In the course of 
 the afternoon the chief asked me three 
 several times if I would not go to the 
 bathing-place ; and when he found at 
 last that I could not be prevailed 
 upon, he went off with the rest of his 
 people, in spite of all I could do or 
 say to stop him. But as I bad no 
 suspicion at this time of their design, 
 I imagined that some sudden fright 
 had seized them, which would as 
 usual soon be over. Finding them- 
 selves disappointed as to me, they 
 fixed on those who were more in their 
 power. It was fortunate for all parties 
 that they did not succeed, and not 
 less fortunate that no mischief was 
 done on the occasion. For not a 
 musket was fired, except two or three 
 to stop the canoes. To that firing, 
 perhaps, Messrs Clerke and Gore owed 
 their safety; 1 for at that very instant 
 a party of the natives armed with 
 clubs were advancing toward them ; 
 and on hearing the report of the 
 muskets they dispersed. This con- 
 spiracy, as it may be called, was 
 first discovered by a girl whom one 
 of the officers had brought from Hua- 
 heine. She, overhearing some of the 
 Ulieteans say that they would seize 
 Captain Clerke and Mr Gore, ran to 
 acquaint the first of our people that 
 
 1 Perhaps they owed their safety 
 principally to Captain Clerke's walk- 
 ing with a pistol in his hand, which 
 he once fired. This circumstance is 
 omitted both in Captain Cook's and 
 in Mr Anderson's journal, but is here 
 mentioned on the authority of Cap- 
 tnin King. — Note in Original Edition. 
 
 [VoY.III.B.III.Cn.VIl. 
 
 she met with. Those who were 
 charged with the execution of the 
 design threatened to kill her, as soon 
 as we should leave the island, for dis- 
 appointing them. Being aware of 
 this, we contrived that her friends 
 should come some days after, and 
 take her out of the ship to convey 
 her to a place of safety, where she 
 might lie concealed till they should 
 have an opportunity of sending her 
 back to Huaheine. 
 
 On the 27th our observatories were 
 taken down, and everything we had 
 ashore carried on board ; the moor- 
 ings of the ships were cast off; and 
 we transported them a little way 
 down the harbour, where they came 
 to an anchor again. Toward the 
 afternoon the natives began to shake 
 off their fears, gathering round and 
 on board the ships as usual ; and the 
 awkward transaction of the day be- 
 fore seemed to be forgotten on both 
 sides. The following night the wind 
 blew in hard squalls from S. to E., 
 attended with heavy showers of rain. 
 In one of the squalls the cable by 
 which the Resolution was riding, 
 parted just without the hawse. We 
 tad another anchor ready to let go ; 
 so that the ship was presently brought 
 up again. In the afternoon the wind 
 became moderate, and we hooked the 
 end of the best small bower cable and 
 got it again into the hawse. 
 
 Oreo, the chief, being uneasy, as 
 well as myself, that no account had 
 been received from Bolabola, set out 
 this evening for that island, and de- 
 sired me to follow down the next day 
 with the ships. This was my inten- 
 tion, but the wind which kept us in 
 the harbour brought Oreo back from 
 Bolabola with the two deserters. 
 They had reached Otaha the same- 
 night they deserted ; but finding it 
 impossible to get to any of the islands 
 to the eastward (which was their in- 
 tention) for want of wind, they had 
 proceeded to Bolabola, and from 
 thence to the small island Toobaee, 
 where they were taken by the father 
 of Pootoe, in consequence of the first 
 message sent to Opoony. As soon as 
 they were on board, the three pri- 
 
Dec. 1777. OOROO, THE DETHRONED 
 
 soners were released. Thus ended an 
 affair which had given me much 
 trouble and vexation. Nor would I 
 have exerted myself so resolutely on 
 the occasion but for the reason before 
 mentioned, and to save the son of a 
 brother officer from being lost to his 
 country. The wind continued con- 
 stantly between the N. and W., and 
 confined us in theharbourtill 8 o'clock 
 in the morning of the 7th of Decem- 
 ber, when we took the advantage 
 of a light breeze which then sprung 
 up at NE., and with the assistance 
 of all the boats got out to sea, with 
 the Discovery in company. 
 
 During the last week we had been 
 visited by people from all parts of the 
 island, who furnished us with a large 
 stock of hogs and green plantains ; 
 so that the time we lay wind-bound in 
 the harbour was not entirely lost, 
 green plantains being an excellent 
 substitute for bread, as they will keep 
 good a fortnight or three weeks. Be- 
 sides this supply of provisions we 
 also completed our wood and water. 
 The inhabitants of Ulietea seemed in 
 general smaller and blacker than 
 those of the other neighbouring 
 islands, and appeared also less orderly, 
 which perhaps may be considered as 
 the consequence of their having be- 
 come subject to the natives of Bola- 
 bola. Oreo, their chief, is only a 
 sort of deputy of the Sovereign of 
 that island, and the conquest seems 
 to have lessened the number of sub- 
 ordinate chiefs resident among them ; 
 so that they are less immediately 
 under the inspection of those whose 
 interest it is to enforce due obedience 
 to authority. Ulietea, though now 
 reduced to this humiliating state, was 
 formerly, as we were told, the most 
 eminent of this cluster of islands, 
 and probably the first seat of govern- 
 ment ; for they say that the present 
 royal family of Otaheite i.3 descended 
 from that which reigned here before 
 the late revolution. Ooroo, the de- 
 throned monarch of Ulietea, was still 
 alive when we were at Huaheine, 
 where he resides, a royal wanderer, 
 furnishing in his person an instance 
 cf the instability of power, but what 
 
 KING OF ULIETEA.' 209 
 
 is more remarkable, of the respect 
 paid by these people to particnlai 
 families, and to the customs which 
 have once conferred sovereignty ; for 
 they suffer Ooroo to preserve all the 
 ensigns which they appropriate to 
 majesty, though he has lost his do- 
 minions. 
 
 We saw a similar instance of this 
 while we were at Ulietea. One of 
 the occasional visitors I now had was 
 my old friend Oree, the late chief of 
 Huaheine. He still preserved his 
 consequence, came always at the 
 head of a numerous body of attend- 
 ants, and was always provided with 
 such presents as were very acceptable. 
 This chief looked much better now 
 than I had ever seen him during 
 either of my former voyages. 1 I could 
 account for his improving in health 
 as he grew older only from his drink- 
 ing less copiously of the "ava" in 
 his present station as a private gentle- 
 man than he had been accustomed to 
 do when he was regent. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 As soon as we had got clear of the 
 harbour we took leave of Ulietea and 
 steered for Bolabola. The chief, if 
 not sole, object I had in view by 
 visiting that island was to procure 
 from its monarch, Opoony, one of the 
 anchors which M. de Bougainville 
 had lost at Otaheite. This having 
 afterwards been taken up by the 
 natives there, had as they informed 
 me been sent by them as a present to 
 that chief. My desire to get posses- 
 sion of it did not arise from our being 
 in want of anchors. But having ex- 
 pended all the hatchets and other 
 iron tools which we had brought from 
 England in purchasing refreshments, 
 we were now reduced to the necessity 
 of creating a fresh assortment of trad- 
 
 1 Captain Cook had seen Oreo in 
 1769, when he commanded the En- 
 deavour; also twice during his second 
 voyage in 1772. — Note in Original 
 Edition. 
 
 O 
 
210 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 anchor, 
 
 ing articles by fabricating them out 
 of the spare iron we had on board; 
 and in such conversions, and in the 
 occasional uses of the ships, great part 
 of that had been already expended. 
 I thought that M. de Bougainville's 
 anchor would supply our want of this 
 useful material, and I made no doubt 
 that I should be able to tempt Opoony 
 to part with it. 
 
 Oreo, and six or eight men more 
 from Ulietea, took a passage with us 
 to Bolabola. Indeed, most of the 
 natives in general, except the chief 
 himself, would have gladly taken a 
 passage with us to England. At sun- 
 set, being the length of the south 
 point of Bolabola, we shortened sail, 
 and spent the night making short 
 boards. At daybreak on the 8th we 
 made sail for the harbour, which is 
 on the west side of the island. The 
 wind was scant, so that we had to ply 
 up, and it was 9 o'clock before we 
 got near enough to send away a boat 
 to sound the entrance ; for I had 
 thoughts of running the ships in and 
 anchoring for a day or two. When 
 the boat returned, the master, who 
 was in her, reported that though at 
 the entrance of the harbour the bottom 
 was rocky, there was good ground 
 within, and the depth of water twenty- 
 seven and twenty-five fathoms, and 
 that there was room to turn the ships 
 in, the channel being one-third of a 
 mile broad. In consequence of this 
 report we attempted to work the ships 
 in ; but the tide as well as the wind 
 being against us, after making two or 
 three trips I found that it could not 
 be done till the tide should turn in 
 our favour. Upon this I gave up the 
 design of carrying the ships into the 
 harbour, and having ordered the boats 
 to be got ready, I embarked in one of 
 them, accompanied by Oreo and his 
 companions, and was rowed in for the 
 island. 
 
 We landed where the natives di- 
 rected us, and soon after I was intro- 
 duced to Opoony, in the midst of a 
 great concourse of people. Having 
 no time to lose, as soon as the neces- 
 sary formality of compliments was 
 over I asked the chief to give me the 
 
 [Voy.IILB. III. Ch. VIII. 
 
 and produced the present I 
 had prepared for him, consisting of a 
 linen night-gown, a shirt, some gauze 
 handkerchiefs, a looking-glass, some 
 beads and other toys, and six axes. 
 At the sight of these last there was a 
 general outcry. I could only guess 
 the cause by Opoony 's absolutely re- 
 fusing to receive my present till I 
 should get the anchor. He ordered 
 three men to go and deliver it to me, 
 and, as I understood, I was to send 
 by them what I thought proper in 
 return. With these messengers we 
 set out in our boats for an island 
 lying at the north side of the entrance 
 into the harbour, where the anchor 
 had been deposited. I found it to be 
 neither so large nor so perfect as I 
 expected. It had originally weighed 
 700 pounds, according to the mark 
 that was upon it ; but the ring, 
 with part of the shank, and the two 
 points, were now wanting. I was 
 no longer at a loss to guess the reason 
 of Opoony's refusing my present ; he 
 doubtless thought that it so much 
 exceeded the value of the anchor in 
 its present state that I should be dis- 
 pleased when I saw it. Be this as it 
 may, I took the anchor as I found it. 
 and sent him every article of the pre- 
 sent that I at first intended. Having 
 thus completed my negotiation, I re- 
 turned on board, and having hoisted 
 in the boats, made sail from the island 
 to the north. 
 
 While the boats were hoisting in, 
 some of the natives came off in three 
 or four canoes to see the ships, as 
 they said. They brought with them 
 a few cocoa-nuts and one pig, which 
 was the only one we got at the island. 
 I make no doubt, however, that if 
 we had stayed till the next day we 
 should have been plentifully supplied 
 with provisions ; and I think the 
 natives would feel themselves disap- 
 pointed when they found that we 
 were gone. But as we had already 
 a very good stock both of hogs and 
 of fruit on board, and very little of 
 anything left to purchase more, I 
 could have no inducement to defer 
 any longer the prosecution of our 
 i. [An account is here omitti.i 
 
Dec. 1777.] REPUTATION OF THE BOLABOLA 
 
 of the circumstances attending the 
 conquest of Ulietea and Otaha by the 
 people of Bolabola — those two islands 
 remaining under the sway of King 
 Opoony, while Huaheine, which had 
 also been conquered, thanks to the 
 aid of the Otaheiteans, regained and 
 retained their independence. The 
 reader will recall Omai's rancour 
 against the Bolabolans, through whose 
 predominance in the contest he lost 
 his patrimony in Ulietea.] 
 
 Ever since the conquest of Ulietea 
 and Otaha, the Bolabola men have 
 been considered by their neighbours 
 as invincible ; and such is the extent 
 of their fame, that even at Otaheite, 
 which is almost out of their reach, if 
 they are not dreaded, they are at least 
 respected for their valour. It is said 
 that they never fly in battle, and that 
 they always beat an equal number of 
 the other islanders. But, besides 
 these advantages, their neighbours 
 seem to ascribe a great deal to the 
 superiority of their god, who, they 
 believed, detained us at Ulietea by 
 contrary winds, as being unwilling 
 that we should visit an island under 
 his special protection. How high the 
 Bolabola men are now in estimation 
 at Otaheite may be inferred from M. 
 de Bougainville's anchor having been 
 conveyed to them. To the same cause 
 we must ascribe the intention of 
 transporting to their island the Span- 
 ish bull. And they had already got 
 possession of a third European curi- 
 osity, the male of another animal, 
 brought to Otaheite by the Spaniards. 
 We had been much puzzled by the 
 imperfect description of the natives to 
 guess what this could be ; but Captain 
 Gierke's deserters, when brought back 
 from Bolabola, told me that the ani- 
 mal had been there shown to them, 
 and that it was a ram. It seldom 
 happens but that some good arises 
 out of evil ; and if our two men had 
 not deserted I should not have known 
 this. In consequence of their inform- 
 ation, at the same time that I landed 
 to meet Opoony, I carried ashore a 
 ewe which we had brought from the 
 Cape of Good Hope ; and I hope that 
 by thk present I have laid the found- 
 
 MEN. 211 
 
 ation for a breed of sheep at Bola- 
 bola. I also left at Ulietea, under 
 the care of Oreo, an English boar and 
 sow and two goats ; so that not only 
 Otaheite, but all the neighbouring 
 islands will in a few years have their 
 race of hogs considerably improved, 
 and probably be stocked with all the 
 valuable animals which have been 
 transported hither by their European 
 visitors. 
 
 AVhen once this comes to pass, no 
 part of the world will equal these 
 islands in variety and abundance of 
 refreshments for navigators. Indeed, 
 even in their present state I know no 
 place that excels them. After repeated 
 trials in the course of several voyages, 
 we find when they are not disturbed 
 by intestine broils, but lire in amity 
 with one another, which has been the 
 case for some years past, that their 
 productions are in the greatest plenty, 
 and particularly the most valuable of 
 all their articles, their hogs. If wc 
 had had a larger assortment of goods 
 and a sufficient quantity of salt on 
 board, I make no doubt that we might 
 have salted as much pork as would 
 have served both ships near twelve 
 months. But ourvisiting the Friendly 
 Islands, and our long stay at Otaheite 
 and the neighbourhood, quite ex- 
 hausted our trading commodities, par- 
 ticularly our axes, with which alone 
 hogs in general were to be purchased ; 
 and we had hardly salt enough to 
 cure fifteen puncheons of meat. Of 
 these, five were added to our stock of 
 provisions at the Friendly Islands, 
 and the other ten at Otaheite. Cap- 
 tain Clerke also salted a proportion- 
 able quantity for his ship. 
 
 Perhaps the frequent visits Euro- 
 peans have lately made to these islaud- 
 ers may be one great inducem ent to their 
 keeping a large stock of hogs, as they 
 have had experience enough to know 
 that whenever we come they may be 
 sure of getting from us what they 
 esteem a valuable consideration for 
 them. At Otaheite they expect the 
 return of the Spaniards every day ; 
 and they will look for the English 
 two or three years hence not only 
 there, but at the other islands. It ir 
 
212 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 to no purpose to tell them that you 
 will not return. They think you 
 must, though not one of them knows 
 or will give himself the trouble to 
 inquire the reason of your coming. 
 I own I cannot avoid expressing it as 
 my real opinion, that it would have 
 been far better for these poor people 
 never to have known our superiority 
 in the accommodations and arts that 
 make life comfortable, than after once 
 knowing it to be again left and 
 abandoned to their original incapacity 
 , of improvement. Indeed, they can- 
 not be restored to that happy medi- 
 ocrity in which they lived before we 
 discovered them, if the intercourse 
 between us should be discontinued. 
 It seems to me that it has become 
 in a manner incumbent on the Euro- 
 peans to visit them once in three or 
 four years, in order to supply them 
 with those conveniences which we 
 have introduced among them and 
 have given them a predilection for. 
 The want of such occasional supplies 
 will probably be very heavily felt by 
 them, when it may be too late to go 
 back to their old, less perfect con- 
 trivances which they now despise and 
 have discontinued since the introduc- 
 tion of ours. For by the time that 
 the iron tools of which they are now 
 possessed are worn out, they will have 
 almost lost the knowledge of their 
 own. A stone hatchet is at present 
 as rare a thing amongst them as an 
 iron one was eight years ago, and a 
 chisel of bone or stone is not to be 
 seen. Spike-nails have supplied the 
 place of the last ; and they are weak 
 enough to fancy that they have got 
 an inexhaustible store of them, for 
 these were not now at all sought 
 after. Sometimes, however, nails 
 much smaller than a spike would 
 still be taken in exchange for fruit. 
 Knives happened at present to be in 
 great esteem at Ulietea, and axes and 
 hatchets remained unrivalled by any 
 other of our commodities at all the 
 islands. With respect to articles of 
 mere ornament, these people are as 
 changeable as any of the polished 
 nations of Europe ; so that what 
 pleases their fancy while a fashion is 
 
 [Voy.III.B.III.Ch.IX. 
 
 in vogue may be rejected when another 
 whim has supplanted it. But our 
 iron tools are so strikingly useful that 
 they will, we may confidently pro- 
 nounce, continue to prize them highly, 
 and be completely miserable if, neither 
 possessing the materials nor trained 
 up to the art of fabricating them, 
 they should cease to receive supplies 
 of what may now be considered as 
 having become necessary to their 
 comfortable existence. 1 
 
 CHAPTER IX.* 
 
 Perhaps there is scarcely a spot in 
 the universe that affords a more 
 luxuriant prospect than the south-east 
 part of Otaheite. The hills are high 
 and steep, and in many places craggy ; 
 but they are covered to the very sum- 
 mits with trees and shrubs, in such a 
 manner that the spectator can scarcely 
 help thinking that the very rocks 
 possess the property of producing and 
 supporting their verdant clothing. 
 The flat land which bounds those 
 hills toward the sea, and the inter- 
 jacent valleys, also teem with various 
 productions, that grow with the most 
 exuberant vigour, and at once fill the 
 mind of the beholder with the idea 
 that no place upon earth can outdo 
 this in the strength and beauty of 
 vegetation. Nature has been no less 
 liberal in distributing rivulets, which 
 are found in every valley, and, as 
 they approach the sea, often divide 
 into two or three branches, fertilising 
 the flat lands through which they 
 run. The habitations of the natives 
 are scattered without order upon the 
 flats, and many of them appearing 
 
 1 The rest of the Chapter, chiefly 
 consisting of the record of astrono- 
 mical and nautical observations, is 
 omitted. 
 
 2 This Chapter, contributed by Mr 
 Anderson's pen, has been consider- 
 ably curtailed by omission of the 
 more uninteresting technical, natu- 
 ralistic, linguistic, and professional 
 passages. 
 
Dec. 1777.] 
 
 toward the shore presented a delight- 
 ful scene viewed from our ships, espe- 
 cially as the sea, within the reef which 
 bounds the coast, is perfectly still, 
 and affords a safe navigation at all 
 times for the inhabitants, who are 
 often seen paddling their canoes indo- 
 lently along, in passing from place to 
 place, or in going to fish. On view- 
 ing these charming scenes, I have 
 often regretted my inability to trans- 
 mit to those who have had no oppor- 
 tunity of seeing them such a descrip- 
 tion as might in some measure con- 
 vey an impression similar to what 
 must be felt by every one who has 
 been fortunate enough to be upon the 
 spot. It is doubtless the natural 
 fertility of the country, combined 
 with the mildness and serenity of the 
 climate, that renders the natives so 
 careless in their cidtivation that in 
 many places, thougli overflowing with 
 the richest productions, the smallest 
 traces of it cannot be observed. 
 
 The products of the island are not 
 so remarkable for their variety as 
 great abundance ; and curiosities of 
 any kind are not numerous. Amongst 
 these we may reckon a pond or lake 
 of fresh water, at the top of one of the 
 highest mountains, to go to and to 
 return from which takes three or four 
 days. It is remarkable for its depth, 
 and has eels of an enormous size in it, 
 which are sometimes caught by the 
 natives, who go upon this water in 
 little floats of two or three wild plan- 
 tain trees fastened together. This is 
 esteemed one of the greatest natural 
 curiosities of the country, insomuch 
 that travellers who come from the 
 other islands are commonly asked, 
 amongst the first things, by their 
 friends at their return, if they have 
 seen it. There is also a sort of water, 
 of which there is only one small pond 
 upon the island, as far distant as the 
 lake, and to appearance very good, 
 with a yellow sediment at the bottom ; 
 but it has a bad taste, and proves 
 fatal to those who drink any quantity, 
 or makes them break out in blotches 
 if they bathe in it. 
 
 Nothing could make a stronger im- 
 pression at first sight, on our arrival 
 
 PRODUCTIONS OF OTAHEITE. 
 
 213 
 
 here, than the remarkable contrast 
 between the robust make and dark 
 colour of the people of Tongataboo, 
 and a sort of delicacy and whiteness 
 which distinguish the inhabitants of 
 Otaheite. It was even some time 
 before that difference could prepon- 
 derate in favour of the Otaheiteans ; 
 and then only, perhaps, because we 
 became accustomed to them, the 
 marks which had recommended the 
 others began to be forgotten. Their 
 women, however, struck us as supe- 
 rior in every respect, and as possess- 
 ing all those delicate characteristics 
 which distinguish them from the 
 other sex in many countries. The 
 beard, which the men here wear long, 
 and the hair, which is not cut so short 
 as is the fashion at Tongataboo, made 
 also a great difference ; and we could 
 not help thinking that on every 
 occasion they showed a greater de- 
 gree of timidity and fickleness. The 
 muscular appearance so common 
 amongst the Friendly Islanders, and 
 which seems a consequence of their 
 being accustomed to much action, is 
 lost here, where the superior fertility 
 of their country enables the inhabit- 
 ants to lead a more indolent life ; and 
 its place is supplied by a plumpness 
 and smoothness of the skin, which, 
 though perhaps more consonant with 
 our ideas of beauty, is no real advan- 
 tage, as it seems attended with a kind 
 of languor in all their motions, not 
 observable in the others. This ob- 
 servation is fully verified in their box- 
 ing and wrestling, which may be called 
 little better than the feeble efforts of 
 children, if compared to the vigour 
 with which these exercises are per- 
 formed at the Friendly Islands. 
 
 Personal endowments being in great 
 esteem amongst them, they have re- 
 course to several methods of improv- 
 ing them, according to their notions 
 of beauty. In particular, it is a 
 practice, especially amongst the 
 "Erreoes," or unmarried men of 
 some consequence, to undergo a kind 
 of physical operation to render them 
 fair. This is done by remaining a 
 month or two in the house, during 
 which time they wear a great quan- 
 
214 
 
 tity of clothes, and eat nothirig but 
 bread-fruit, to which they ascribe a 
 remarkable property in whitening 
 them. They also speak as if their 
 corpulence and colour at other times 
 depended upon their food, as they are 
 obliged, from the change of seasons, 
 to use different sorts at different times. 
 Their common diet is made up of at 
 least nine-tenths of vegetable food ; 
 and I believe more particularly the 
 "mahee," or fermented bread-fruit, 
 which enters almost every meal, has 
 a remarkable effect upon them, pre- 
 venting a costive habit, and producing 
 a very sensible coolness about them, 
 which could not be perceived in us 
 who fed on animal food. And it is 
 perhaps owing to this temperate 
 course of life that they have so few 
 diseases among them. They only 
 reckon five or six, which might be 
 called chronic or national disorders ; 
 amongst which are the dropsy, and 
 the "fefai," or indolent swellings be- 
 fore mentioned as frequent at Tonga- 
 taboo. But this was before the arri- 
 val of the Europeans ; for we have 
 added to this short catalogue a dis- 
 ease which abundantly supplies the 
 place of all the others, and is now 
 almost universal. For this they seem 
 to have no effectual remedy. 
 
 Their behaviour on all occasions 
 seems to indicate a great openness 
 and generosity of disposition. Omai, 
 indeed, who as their countryman 
 should be supposed rather willing to 
 conceal any of their defects, has often 
 said that they are sometimes cruel in 
 punishing their enemies. According 
 to his representation, they torment 
 them very deliberately, at one time 
 tearing out small pieces of flesh from 
 different parts, at another taking out 
 the eyes, then cutting of the nose, 
 and lastly killing them by opening 
 the belly. But this only happens on 
 particular occasions. If cheerfulness 
 argues a conscious innocence, one 
 would suppose that their life is sel- 
 dom sullied by crimes. This, how- 
 ever, I rather impute to their feelings, 
 which, though lively, seem in no case 
 permanent ; for I never saw them in 
 any misfortune labour under the ap- 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. (Toy III.B.III.Ch.IX. 
 
 pearance of anxiety after the critical 
 moment was past. Neither does care 
 ever seem to wrinkle their brow. On 
 the contrary, even the approach of 
 death does not appear to alter their 
 usual vivacity. I have seen them when 
 brought to the brink of the grave 
 by disease, and when preparing to go 
 to battle, but in neither case ever 
 observed their countenances over- 
 clouded with melancholy, or serious 
 reflection. Such a disposition leads 
 them to direct all their aims only to 
 what can give them pleasure and ease. 
 Their amusements all tend to excite 
 and continue their amorous passions ; 
 and their songs, of which they are im- 
 moderately fond, answer the same 
 purpose. But as a constant succes- 
 sion of sensual enjoyments must cloy, 
 we found that they frequently varied 
 them to more refined subjects, and 
 had much pleasure in chanting their 
 triumphs in war and their occupa- 
 tions in peace, their travels to other 
 islands and adventures there, and the 
 peculiar beauties and superior advan- 
 tages of their own island over the rest, 
 or of different parts of it over other 
 less favourable districts. This marks 
 that they receive great delight from 
 music ; and though they rather ex- 
 pressed a dislike to our complicated 
 compositions, yet were they always 
 delighted with the more melodious 
 sounds produced singly on our instru- 
 ments, as approaching nearer to the 
 simplicity of their own. 
 
 Neither are they strangers to the 
 soothing effects produced by particu- 
 lar sorts of motion, which in some 
 cases seem to allay any perturbation 
 of mind with as much success as 
 Of this I met with a remark- 
 
 music. 
 
 able instance. For on walking one 
 day about Matavai Point, where our 
 tents were erected, I saw a man pad- 
 dling in a small canoe so quickly, and 
 looking about him with such eagerness 
 on each side, as to command all my 
 attention. At first I imagined that 
 he had stolen something from one of 
 the ships, and was pursued ; but, on 
 waiting patiently, saw him repeat his 
 amusement. He went out from the 
 shore till he was near the place where 
 
LANGUAGE OF THE OTAHEITEANS. 
 
 Dec. 1777.] 
 the swell begins to take its rise ; and, 
 watching its first motion very atten- 
 tively, paddled before it with great 
 quickness, till he found that it over- 
 looked him, and had acquired suffi- 
 cient force to carry his canoe before it 
 without passing underneath. He 
 then sat motionless, and was carried 
 along at the same swift rate as the 
 wave, till it landed him upon the 
 beach. Then he started out, emptied 
 his canoe, and went in search of an- 
 other swell. I could not help con- 
 cluding that this man felt the most 
 supreme pleasure while he was driven 
 on so fast and so smoothly, by the sea; 
 especially as, though the tents and 
 ships were so near, he did not seem 
 in the least to envy or even to take 
 any notice of the crowds of his country- 
 men collected to view them as objects 
 which were rare and curious. During 
 my stay, two or three of the natives 
 came up, who seemed to share his 
 felicity, and always called out when 
 there was an appearance of a favour- 
 able swell, as he sometimes missed it 
 by his back being turned, and looking 
 about for it. By them I understood 
 that this exercise, which is called 
 "choroee," was frequent amongst 
 them ; and they have probably more 
 amusements of this sort which afford 
 them at least as much pleasure as 
 skating, which is the only one of ours 
 with whose effects I could compare 
 it. 
 
 The language of Otaheite abounds 
 with beautiful and figurative expres- 
 sions which, were it perfectly known, 
 would, I have no doubt, put it upon 
 a level with many of the languages 
 that are most in esteem for their 
 warmth and bold images. For in- 
 stance, the Otaheiteans express their 
 notions of death very emphatically by 
 saying "that the soul goes into dark- 
 ness, " or rather " into night." And 
 if you seem to entertain any doubt 
 in asking the question, "If such a 
 person is their mother?" they imme- 
 diately reply with surprise, 
 the mother that bore me." 
 have one expression, that corresponds 
 exactly with the phraseology of the 
 Scriptures, where we read of the 
 
 " Yes, 
 
 They 
 
 "yearning of the bowels. " They use 
 it on all occasions when the passions 
 give them uneasiness ; as they con- 
 stantly refer pain from grief, anxious 
 desire, and other affections, to the 
 bowels as its seat ; where they like- 
 wise suppose all operations of the 
 mind are performed. Their language 
 admits of that inverted arrangement 
 of words which so much distinguishes 
 the Latin and Greek from most of 
 our modern European tongues, whose 
 imperfections require a more orderly 
 construction, to prevent ambiguities. 
 It is so copious that for the bread- 
 fruit alone, in its different states, 
 they have above twenty names ; as 
 many for the " taro " root ; and about 
 ten for the cocoa-nut. Add to this, 
 that besides the common dialect they 
 often expostulate in a kind of stanza 
 or recitative, which is answered in 
 the same manner. 
 
 Their arts are few and simple ; yet, 
 if we may credit them, they perform 
 cures in surgery which our extensive 
 knowledge in that branch has not 
 as yet enabled us to imitate. In 
 simple fractures they bind them up 
 with splints ; but if part of the sub- 
 stance of the bone be lost, they insert 
 a piece of wood between the fractured 
 ends, made hollow like the deficient 
 part. In five or six days the ' ' rapaoo, " 
 or surgeon, inspects the wound, and 
 finds the wood partly covered with 
 the growing flesh . In as many more 
 days it is generally entirely covered ; 
 after which, when the patient has 
 acquired some strength, he bathes in 
 the water, and recovers. "We know 
 that wounds will heal over leaden 
 bullets; and sometimes, though rarely, 
 over other extraneous bodies. But 
 what makes me entertain some doubt 
 of the truth of so extraordinary skill 
 as in the above instance is, that in 
 other cases which fell under my own 
 observation they are far from being so 
 dexterous. I have seen the stump of 
 an arm, which was taken off after be- 
 ing shattered by a fall from a tree, 
 that bore no marks of skilful opera- 
 tion, though some allowance be made 
 for their defective instruments. And 
 
 I met a man 
 
 about with a dis- 
 
216 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B 
 
 located shoulder, some months after 
 the accident, from their heing ignor- 
 ant of a method to reduce it ; though 
 this be considered as one of the sim- 
 plest operations of our surgery. They 
 know that fractures or luxations of 
 the spine are mortal, hut not fractures 
 of the skull ; and they likewise know 
 from experience in what parts of the 
 body wounds prove fatal. They have 
 sometimes pointed out those inflicted 
 by spears, which, if made in the direc- 
 tion they mentioned, would certainly 
 have been pronounced deadly by us ; 
 and yet these people have recovered. 
 Their physical knowledge seems more 
 confined ; and that, probably, because 
 their diseases are fewer than their 
 accidents. 
 
 The times of eating at Otaheite are 
 very frequent. Their first meal, or 
 (as it may rather be called) their last, 
 as they go to sleep after it, is about 
 2 o'clock in the morning ; and the 
 next is at eight. At eleven they dine ; 
 and again, as Omai expressed it, at 
 two and at five ; and sup at eight. 
 In this article of domestic life they 
 have adopted some customs which are 
 exceedingly whimsical. The women, 
 for instance, have not only the mor- 
 tification of being obliged to eat by 
 themselves, and in a different part of 
 the house from the men ; but, by a 
 strange kind of policy, are excluded 
 from a share of most of the better 
 sorts of food. They dare not taste 
 turtle, nor fish of the tunny kind, 
 which is much esteemed, nor some 
 particular sorts of the best plantains ; 
 and it is very seldom that even those 
 of the first rank are suffered to eat 
 pork. The children of each sex also 
 eat apart, and the women generally 
 serve up their own victuals ; for they 
 would certainly starve before any 
 grown man would do them such an 
 office. In this, as well as in some 
 other customs relative to their eating, 
 there is a mysterious conduct which 
 we could never thoroughly compre- 
 hend. "When we inquired into the 
 reasons of it, we could get no other 
 answer but that it is right and neces- 
 sary it should be so. 
 
 la other customs respecting the 
 
 III.Cn.lX. 
 
 be no such 
 
 females there seems to 
 obscurity ; especially as to their con- 
 nections with the men. If a young 
 man and woman, from mutual choice, 
 cohabit, the man gives the father of 
 the girl such things as are necessary 
 in common life, as hogs, cloth, or 
 canoes, in proportion to the time they 
 are together ; and if he thinks that 
 he has not been sufficiently paid for 
 his daughter, he makes no scruple of 
 forcing her to leave her friend and to 
 cohabit with another person who may 
 be more liberal. The man, on hia 
 part, is always at liberty to make a 
 new choice ; but, should his consort 
 become pregnant, he may kill the 
 child, and after that either continue 
 his connection with the mother or 
 leave her. But if he should adopt 
 the child, and suffer it to live, the 
 parties are then considered as in the 
 married state, and they commonly 
 live together ever after. However, it 
 is thought no crime in the man to 
 join a more youthful partner to his 
 first wife, and to live with both. The 
 custom of changing their connections 
 is, however, much more general than 
 this last ; and it is a thing so common 
 that they speak of it with great indif- 
 ference. The "Erreoes," 1 are only 
 those of the better sort who from their 
 fickleness, and their possessing the 
 means of purchasing a succession of 
 fresh connections, are constantly roam- 
 ing about, and, from having no par- 
 ticular attachment, seldom adopt the 
 more settled method mentioned above. 
 And so agreeable is this licentious 
 plan of life to their disposition, that 
 the most beautiful of both sexes thus 
 
 1 Otherwise spelt "Arreoys." In 
 the Original Edition there is a long 
 and learned note at this point, the 
 only part of which really pertinent is 
 the citation of Father le Gobien's 
 "History of the Ladrone Islands," 
 where he describes a similar society 
 under the substantially identical de- 
 signation of " Urritoes. " His words 
 are: "Les Urritoes sont parmi eux 
 les jeunes gens qui vivent avec des 
 maitresses, sans vouloir s'engager dans 
 les liens du mariage. " 
 
Dec. 1777. J SYSTEM OF 
 
 commonly spend their youthful days, 
 habituated to the practice of enor- 
 mities which would disgrace the most 
 savage tribes, but are peculiarly shock- 
 ing amongst a people whose general 
 character, in other respects, has evi- 
 dent traces of the prevalence of humane 
 and tender feelings. When an " Er- 
 reoe " woman is delivered of a child, 
 a piece of cloth dipped in water is 
 applied to the mouth and nose, which 
 suffocates it. As in such a life their 
 women must contribute a very large 
 share of its happiness, it is rather 
 surprising, besides the humiliating 
 restraints they are laid under with 
 regard to food, to find them often 
 treated with a degree of harshness, or 
 rather brutality, which one would 
 scarcely suppose a man would bestow 
 on an object for whom ho had the 
 least affection. Nothing, however, 
 is more common than to see the men 
 beat them without mercy ; and unless 
 this treatment is the effect of jealousy, 
 which both sexes at least pretend to 
 be sometimes infected with, it will 
 be difficult to admit this as the motive, 
 as I have seen several instances where 
 the women have preferred personal 
 beauty to interest. Though I must 
 own, that even in these cases they 
 seem scarcely susceptible of those 
 delicate sentiments that are the result 
 of mutual affection ; and I believe 
 that there is less Platonic love in 
 Otaheite than in any other country. 
 
 Their religious system is extensive, 
 raid in many instances singular ; but 
 few of the common people have a per- 
 fect knowledge of it, that being con- 
 fined chiefly to their priests, who are 
 pretty numerous. They do not seem 
 to pay any respect to one god as pos- 
 sessing pre-eminence, but believe in 
 f plurality of divinities who are all 
 very powerful ; and in this case, as 
 different parts of the island, and the 
 other islands in the neighbourhood, 
 have different ones, the inhabitants 
 of each no doubt think that they have 
 chosen the most eminent, or at least 
 one who is invested with power suffi- 
 cient to protect them and to supply 
 all their wants. If he should not 
 answer their expectations, they think 
 
 RELIGION. 
 
 217 
 
 it no impiety to change ; as very lately 
 happened in Tiaraboo, where in the 
 room of the two divinities formerly 
 honoured there, Oraa, 1 god of Bola- 
 bola, has been adopted, I should sup- 
 pose because he is the protector of s 
 people who have been victorious in 
 war ; and as, since they have made 
 this change, they have been very su«3- 
 cessful themselves against the inhabJ* 
 tants of ' ' Otaheite-nooe, " they impuls 
 it entirely to "Oraa," who, as they 
 literally say, fights their battles. 
 
 Their assiduity in serving their 
 gods is remarkably conspicuous. Not 
 only the " whattas," or offering places 
 of the ' ' morais, " are commonly loaded 
 with fruit and animals ; but there are 
 few houses where you do not meet 
 with a small place of the same sort 
 near them. Many of them are so 
 rigidly scrupulous, that they will not 
 begin a meal without first laying aside 
 a morsel for the "Eatooa;" and we 
 had an opportunity during this voyage 
 of seeing their superstitious zeal car- 
 ried to a most pernicious height, ia 
 the instance of human sacrifices, the 
 occasions of offering which I doubt 
 are too frequent. Perhaps they have 
 recourse to them when misfortunes 
 occur ; for they asked if one of our 
 men who happened to be confined 
 when we were detained by a contrary 
 wind was "taboo." 2 Their prayers 
 are also very frequent, which they 
 chant much after the manner of the 
 songs in their festive entertainments. 
 And the women, as in other cases, are 
 also obliged to show their inferiority 
 in religious observances ; for it is re- 
 quired of them that they should partly 
 uncover themselves as they pass the 
 "morais," or take a considerable cir- 
 cuit to avoid them. Though they 
 have no notion that their god must 
 always be conferring benefits, without 
 sometimes forgetting them, or suffer- 
 
 1 We have here an instance of the 
 same word being differently pro- 
 nounced by the people. Captain 
 Cook speaks of Olla as the Bolabola 
 god. 
 
 2 That is, if he had been killed for 
 a sacrifice. 
 
218 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 ing evil to befall them, they seem to 
 regard this less than the attempts of 
 some more inauspicious being to hurt 
 them. They tell us that "Etee" is 
 an evil spirit, who sometimes does 
 them mischief, and to whom, as well 
 as to their god, they make offerings. 
 But the mischiefs they apprehend 
 from any superior invincible beings 
 are confined to things merely tem- 
 poral. 
 
 They believe the soul to be both 
 immaterial and immortal. They say 
 that it keeps fluttering about the lips 
 during the pangs of death ; and that 
 then it ascends and mixes with, or as 
 they express it, is eateu by the deity. 
 In this state it remains for some time, 
 after which it departs to a certain 
 place destined for the reception of 
 the souls of men, where it exists in 
 eternal night, or, as they sometimes 
 say, in twilight or dawn. They have 
 no idea of any permanent punishment 
 after death for crimes that they have 
 committed on earth ; for the souls of 
 good and bad men are eaten indiscri- 
 minately by God. But they certainly 
 consider this coalition with the Deity 
 as a kind of purification necessary to 
 be undergone before they enter a state 
 of bliss. For, according to their doc- 
 trine, if a man refrain from all con- 
 nection with women some months 
 before death, he passes immediately 
 into his eternal mansion without such 
 a previous union, as if already, by this 
 abstinence, he were pure enough to 
 be exempted from the general lot. 
 They are, however, far from enter- 
 taining those sublime conceptions of 
 happiness which our religion and, 
 indeed, reason give us room to expect 
 hereafter. The only great privilege 
 they seem to think they shall acquire 
 by death is immortality ; for they 
 speak of spirits being in some measure 
 not totally divested of those passions 
 which actuated them when combined 
 with material vehicles. Thus if souls 
 who were formerly enemies should 
 meet, they have many conflicts, 
 though, it should seem, to no pur- 
 pose, as they are accounted invulner- 
 able in this invisible state. There is 
 a similar reasoning with regard to the 
 
 [VoY.HI.B.III.Cn.IX. 
 
 meeting of man and wife. If the 
 husband dies first the soul of his wife 
 is known to him on its arrival in the 
 land of spirits. They resume their 
 former acquaintance in a spacious 
 house called "tourooa," where the 
 souls of the deceased assemble to re- 
 create themselves with the gods. She 
 then retires with him to his separate 
 habitation, where they remain for 
 ever, and have an offspring, which, 
 however, is entirely spiritual, as they 
 are neither married, nor are their em- 
 braces supposed to be the same as with 
 corporeal beings. 
 
 Some of their notions about the 
 Deity are extravagantly absurd. They 
 believe that he is subject to the power 
 of those very spirits to whom he has 
 given existence ; and that, in their 
 turn, they frequently eat or devour 
 him, though he possess the power of 
 re-creating himself. They, doubtless, 
 use this mode of expression, as they 
 seem incapable of conversing about 
 immaterial things without constantly 
 referring to material objects to convey 
 their meaning. And in this manner 
 they continue the account, by saying 
 that in the "tourooa" the deity in- 
 quires if they intend or not to destroy 
 him ; and that he is not able to alter 
 their determination. This is known 
 to the inhabitants on earth, as well as 
 to the spirits ; for when the moon is 
 in its wane it is said that they are 
 then devouring their " Eatooa ;" and 
 that, as it increases, he is renewing 
 himself. And to this accident not 
 only the inferior but the most eminent 
 gods are liable. They also believe 
 that there are other places for the re- 
 ception of souls at death. Thus those 
 who are drowned in the sea remain 
 there, where they think that there is 
 a fine country, houses, and everything 
 that can make them happy. But what 
 is more singular, they maintain that 
 not only all other animals, but trees, 
 fruit, and even stones, have souls, 
 which atdeath, oruponbeing consumed 
 or broken, ascend to the divinity, with 
 whom they first mix, and afterward 
 pass into the mansion allotted to each. 
 
 They imagine that their punctual 
 performance of religious offices pro- 
 
Dec. 1777.] TRADITIONS ABOUT THE CREATION. 
 
 cures for them every temporal blessing. 
 And as they believe that the animating 
 and powerful influence of the divine 
 spirit is everywhere diffused, it is no 
 wonder that they join to this many 
 superstitious opinions about its opera- 
 tions. Accordingly, they believe that 
 sudden deaths and all other accidents 
 are affected by the immediate action 
 of some divinity. If a man only 
 stumble against a stone and hurt his 
 toe, they impute it to an "Eutooa;" 
 so that they may be literally said, 
 agreeably to their system, to tread 
 enchanted ground. They are startled 
 in the night on approaching a "too- 
 papaoo," where the dead are exposed, 
 in the same manner that many of 
 our ignorant and superstitious people 
 are with the apprehensions of ghosts 
 and at the sight of a churchyard ; 
 and they have an equal confidence 
 in dreams, which they suppose to be 
 communications either from their god 
 or from the spirits of their departed 
 friends, enabling those favoured with 
 them to foretell future events ; but 
 this kind of knowledge is confined to 
 particular people. Omai pretended 
 to have this gift. He told us that 
 the soul of his father had intimated 
 to him in a dream, on the 26th of 
 July 1776, that he should go on shore 
 at some place within three days ; but 
 he was unfortunate in this first attempt 
 to persuade us that he was a prophet, 
 for it was the 1st of August before we 
 got into Teneriffe. Amongst them, 
 however, the dreamers possess a repu- 
 tation little inferior to that of their 
 inspired priests and priestesses, whose 
 predictions they implicitly believe, and 
 are determined by them in all under- 
 takings of consequence. They also 
 in some degree maintain our old doc- 
 trine of planetary influence ; at least 
 they are sometimes regulated in their 
 public counsels by certain appearances 
 of the moon ; particularly when lying 
 horizontally, or much inclined on the 
 convex part, on its first appearance 
 after the change, they are encouraged 
 to engage in war with confidence of 
 success. 
 
 They have traditions concerning 
 the creation, which, as might be ex- 
 
 219 
 
 pected, are complex and clodded with 
 obscurity. They say that a goddess 
 having a lump or mass of earth sus- 
 pended in a cord gave it a swing, and 
 scattered about pieces of land, thus 
 constituting Otaheite and the neigh- 
 bouring islands, which were all peopled 
 by a man and woman originally fixed 
 at Otaheite. This, however, only re- 
 speets their own immediate creation, 
 for they have notions of a universal 
 one before this, and of lands of which 
 they have now no other knowledge 
 than what is mentioned in the tradi- 
 tion. Their most remote account 
 reaches to Tatooma and Tapuppa, male 
 and female stones or rocks, who sup- 
 port the congeries of land and water, 
 or our globe, underneath. These pro- 
 duced Totorro, who was killed and 
 divided into land ; and after him Otaia 
 and Oroo were begotten, who were 
 afterward married, and produced first 
 land and then a race of gods. Otaia 
 is killed, and Oroo marries a god, her 
 son, called Teorraha, whom she orders 
 to create more land, the animals, and 
 all sorts of food upon the earth ; as 
 also the sky, which is supported by 
 men called Teeferei. The spots ob- 
 served in the moon are supposed to 
 be groves of a sort of trees which once 
 grew in Otaheite, and, being destroyed 
 by some accident, their seeds were 
 carried up thither by doves, where 
 they now flourish. 
 
 They have also many legends both 
 religious and historical, one of which 
 latter, relative to the practice of eating 
 human flesh, I shall give the sub- 
 stance of as a specimen of their 
 method. A long time since there 
 lived in Otaheite two men called 
 "Taheeai," the only name they yet 
 have for cannibals. None knew 
 whence they came, or in what manner 
 they arrived at the island. Their 
 habitation was in the mountains, 
 whence they used to issue and kill 
 many of the natives, whom they after- 
 ward devoured, and by that mean3 
 prevented the progress of population. 
 Two brothers, determined to rid their 
 country of such a formidable enemy, 
 used a stratagem for their destruction 
 with success. These still lived farther 
 
220 
 
 upward than the "Taheeai," and in 
 such a situation that they could speak 
 with them without greatly hazarding 
 their own safety. They invited them 
 to accept of an entertainment that 
 should be provided for them, to whicli 
 these readily consented. The brothers 
 then taking some stones, heated them 
 in a fire, and thrusting them into 
 pieces of " mahee," desired one of the 
 ' ' Taheeai " to open his mouth. On 
 which one of these pieces was dropped 
 in, and some water poured down, 
 which made a boiling or hissing noise 
 in quenching the stone, and killed 
 him. They entreated the other to do 
 the same, but he declined it, repre- 
 senting the consequences of his com- 
 panion's eating. However, they as- 
 sured him that the food was excellent, 
 and its effects only temporary, for 
 that the other would soon recover. 
 His credulity was such that he swal- 
 lowed the bait, and shared the fate of 
 the first. The natives then cut them 
 in pieces, which they buried ; and 
 conferred the government of the 
 island on the brothers as a reward for 
 delivering them from such monsters. 
 Their residence was in the district 
 called Whapaeenoo, and to this day 
 there remains a bread-fruit tree once 
 the property of the " Taheeai." They 
 had also a woman who lived with 
 them, and had two teeth of a prodigi- 
 ous size. After they were killed, she 
 lived at the Island Otaha, and when 
 dead was ranked amongst their deities. 
 She did not eat human flesh as the 
 men, but, from the size of her teeth, 
 the natives still call any animal that 
 has a fierce appearance, or is repre- 
 sented with large tusks, "Taheeai." 
 
 From some circumstances, I have 
 been led to think that the natives of 
 these isles were formerly cannibals. 
 Upon asking Omai he denied it 
 stoutly, yet mentioned a fact within 
 his own knowledge which almost 
 confirms such an opinion. When the 
 people of Bolabola one time defeated 
 those of Huaheine, a great number of 
 his kinsmen were slain. But one of 
 his relations had afterwards an oppor- 
 tunity of revenging himself, when the 
 Bolr.bola men were worsted in their 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B.III.Ch. 
 
 IX. 
 
 turn ; and, cutting a piece out of the 
 thigh of one of his enemies, he broiled 
 and ate it. I have also frequently 
 considered the offering of the person's 
 eye who is sacrificed, to the chief, as 
 a vestige of a custom which once really 
 existed to a greater extent, and is still 
 commemorated by this emblematical 
 ceremony. . . . 
 
 Besides the cluster of high islands 
 from Mataia to Mourooa inclusive, 
 the people of Otaheite are acquainted 
 with a low uninhabited island, which 
 they name Mopeeha, and seems to be- 
 Howe's Island, laid down to the west- 
 ward of Mourooa in our late charts of 
 this ocean. To this the inhabitant? 
 of the most leeward islands sometimes 
 go. There are also several low islands 
 to the north-eastward of Otaheite, 
 which they have sometimes visited, 
 but not constantly, and are said to be 
 only at the distance of two days' sail 
 with a fair wind. They were thus 
 named to me: Mataeeva, Oanaa, Ta- 
 boohoe, Awehee, Kaoora, Orootooa, 
 Otavaoo (where are large pearls). The 
 inhabitants of these isles come more 
 frequently to Otaheite and the other 
 neighbouring high islands, from whose 
 natives they differ in being of a 
 darker colour, with a fiercer aspect, 
 and differently punctured. I was in- 
 formed that at Mataeeva, and others 
 of them, it is a custom for the men to 
 give their daughters to strangers who 
 arrive amongst them ; but the pairs 
 must be five nights lying near each 
 other without presuming to proceed 
 further. On the sixth evening the 
 father of the young woman treats his 
 guest with food, and informs his 
 daughter that she must that night 
 receive him as her husband. The 
 stranger, however, must not offer to 
 express the least dislike, though the 
 bed-fellow allotted to him should be 
 ever so disagreeable ; for this is con- 
 sidered as an unpardonable affront, 
 and is punished with death. Forty 
 men of Bolabola who, incited by curi- 
 osity, had roamed as far as Mataeeva 
 in a canoe, were treated in this man- 
 ner, one of them having incautiously 
 mentioned his dislike of the woman 
 who fell to his lot in the hearing of fi 
 
Dec. 1777.] PROGRESS AFTER LEAVING SOCIETY ISLANDS. 221 
 
 boy, who informed her father. In 
 consequence of this, the Mataeevans 
 fell upon them ; but these warlike 
 people killed three times their own 
 number, though with the loss of all 
 their party, except five. These hid 
 themselves in the woods and took an 
 opportunity, when the others were 
 burying their dead, to enter some 
 houses, where, having provided them- 
 selves with victuals and water, they 
 carried them on board a canoe, in 
 which they made their escape ; and 
 after passing Mataia, at which they 
 would not touch, at last arrived safe 
 at Eimeo. The Bolabolans, however, 
 were sensible enough that their tra- 
 vellers had been to blame ; for a 
 canoe from Mataeeva arriving some- 
 time after at Bolabola, so far were 
 they from retaliating upon them for 
 the death of their countrymen that 
 they acknowledged that they had de- 
 served their fate, and treated their 
 visitors kindly. 
 
 These low isles are, doubtless, the 
 farthest navigation which those of 
 Otaheite and the Society Islands per- 
 form at present. It seems to be a 
 groundless supposition made by M. 
 de Bougainville that they made voy- 
 ages of the prodigious extent 1 he 
 mentions, for I found that it is reck- 
 oned a sort of prodigy that a canoe 
 once driven by a storm from Otaheite 
 should have fallen in with Mopeeha, 
 or Howe's Island, though so near and 
 directly to leeward. The knowledge 
 they have of other distant islands is 
 no doubt traditional, and has been 
 communicated to them by the natives 
 of those islands driven accidentally 
 upon their coasts, who, besides giving 
 them the names, could easily inform 
 them of the direction in which the 
 places lie from whence they came, 
 ind of the number of days they had 
 Deen upon the sea. In this manner 
 it may be supposed that the natives 
 of Wateeoo have increased their cata- 
 logue by the addition of Otaheite and 
 
 1 In Bougainville's " Voyage autour 
 du Monde" we are told that these 
 people sometimes navigate to the dis- 
 tance of more than 300 leagues. 
 
 its neighbouring isles from the people 
 we met with there, and also of the 
 other islands these had heard of. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 After leaving Bolabola I steered to 
 the northward, close hauled, with the 
 wind between NE. and E. Though 
 seventeen months had now elapsed 
 since our departure from England, 
 during which we had not upon the 
 whole been unprofitably employed, I 
 was sensible that, with regard to the 
 principal object of my instructions, 
 our voyage was at this time only be- 
 ginning, and therefore my attention 
 to every circumstance that might 
 contribute toward our safety and our 
 ultimate success was now to be called 
 forth anew. With this view I had 
 examined into the state of our pro- 
 visions at the last islands ; and as 
 soon as I had left them and got be- 
 yond the extent of my former dis- 
 coveries, I ordered a survey to be 
 taken of all the boatswain's and car- 
 penter's stores that were in the ships, 
 that I might be fully informed of 
 the quantity, state, and condition of 
 every article, and by that means 
 know how to use them to the greatest 
 advantage. 
 
 Before I sailed from the Society 
 Islands, I lost no opportunity of in- 
 quiring of the inhabitants if there 
 were any islands in a north or north- 
 west direction from them, but I did 
 not find that they knew of any. Nor 
 did we meet with anything that in- 
 dicated the vicinity of land till we 
 came to about the Latitude of 8° S. , 
 where we began to see birds, such as 
 boobies, tropic and man-of-war birds, 
 tern, and some other sorts. At this 
 time our longitude was 205° E. Men- 
 dana, in his first voyage in 1568, 
 discovered an island which he named 
 Isla de Jesus in Latitude 6° 45' S., 
 and 1450 leagues from Callao, which 
 is 200° E. Longitude from Greenwich. 
 We crossed this latitude near 100 
 leagues to the eastward of tlds longi- 
 tude, and saw there many of th* 
 
above-mentioned birds, which are sel- 
 dom known to go very far from land. 
 In the night between the 22d and 
 23d we crossed the Line, in the 
 Longitude of 203° 15' E. 
 
 On the 24th, about half-an-hour 
 after daybreak, land was discovered, 
 bearing NE. by E. half E. Upon a 
 nearer approach it was found to be 
 one of those low islands so common 
 in this ocean, that is, a narrow bank 
 of land enclosing the sea within. A 
 few cocoa-nut trees were seen in two 
 or three places, but in general the 
 land had a very barren appearance. 
 At noon it extended from NE. by E. 
 to S. by E. half E., about four miles 
 distant. The wind was at ESE., so 
 that we were under a necessity of 
 making a few boards to get up to the 
 lee or W. side, where we found from 
 forty to twenty and fourteen fathoms 
 water, over a bottom of fine sand — 
 the least depth about half-a-mile from 
 the breakers, and the greatest about 
 one mile. The meeting with sound- 
 ings determined me to anchor, with 
 a view to try to get some turtle; for 
 the island seemed to be a likely place 
 to meet with them, and to be without 
 inhabitants. Accordingly we dropped 
 anchor in thirty fathoms, and then 
 a boat was despatched to examine 
 whether it was practicable to land, of 
 which I had some doubt, as the sea 
 broke in a dreadful surf all along the 
 shore. When the boat returned, the 
 officer whom I had entrusted with 
 this examination reported to me that 
 he could see no place where a boat 
 could land, but that there was great 
 abundance of fish in the shoal water 
 without the breakers. 
 
 In the morning of the 27th the 
 pinnace and cutter, under the com- 
 mand of Mr King, were sent to the 
 south-east part of the island, within 
 the lagoon, and the small cutter to 
 the northward, where I had been the 
 day before— both parties being ordered 
 upon the same service, to catch turtle. 
 Captain Clerke having had some of 
 his people on shore all night, they 
 had been so fortunate as to turn be- 
 tween forty and fifty on the sand, 
 v>'hich were brought on hoard with 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. (Toy. 
 all expedition this 
 
 III.B.III.CH.2L 
 
 day; and in the 
 
 afternoon the party I had sent north- 
 ward returned with six. They were 
 sent back again, and remained there 
 till we left the island, having in 
 general pretty good success. On the 
 28th I landed, in company with Mr 
 Bayly, on the island which lies be- 
 tween the two channels into the 
 lagoon, to prepare the telescopes for 
 observing the approaching eclipse of 
 the sun, which was one great induce- 
 ment to my anchoring here. About 
 noon Mr King returned with one boat 
 and eight turtles, leaving seven be- 
 hind to be brought by the other boat, 
 whose people were employed in catch- 
 ing more ; and in the evening the 
 same boat was sent with water and 
 provisions for them. Mr Williamson 
 now went to superintend this duty in 
 the room of Mr King, who remained 
 on hoard to attend the observation of 
 the eclipse. The next day Mr Wil- 
 liamson despatched the two boats 
 back to the ship laden with turtle. 
 At the same time he sent me a mes- 
 sage desiring that the boats might be 
 ordered round by sea, as he had found 
 a landing-place on the south-east side 
 of the island, where most of the turtle 
 were caught ; so that by sending the 
 boats thither the trouble would be 
 saved of carrying them over the land 
 to the inside of the lagoon, as had 
 been hitherto done. The boats were 
 accordingly despatched to the place 
 which he pointed out. 
 
 On the morning of the 30th, th<» 
 day when the eclipse was to happen, 
 Mr King, Mr Bayly, and myself went 
 ashore on the small island above 
 mentioned, to attend the observation. 
 The sky was overcast till past 9 
 o'clock, when the clouds about the 
 sun dispersed long enough to take its 
 altitude, to rectify the time by the 
 watch we made use of. After this it 
 was again obscured till about thirty 
 minutes past nine, and then we found 
 that the eclipse was begun. We now 
 fixed the micrometers to the telescopes, 
 and observed or measured the un- 
 eclipsed part of the sun's disc. At 
 these observations I continued about 
 three-quarters of an hour before the 
 
Jan. 1778.] 
 end, when I 
 
 ECLIPSE OF THE SUN OBSERVED. 
 
 left off, being in fact 
 unable to continue them longer on 
 account of the great heat of the sun, 
 increased by the reflection from the 
 sand. The sun was clouded at times ; 
 but it was clear when the eclipse 
 ended, the time of which was observed 
 as follows : 
 
 
 no. 
 
 Min. 
 
 Sec. 
 
 Mr Bayly, at 
 
 . 
 
 26 
 
 3 
 
 Mr King, 
 
 . 
 
 26 
 
 1 
 
 Myself, 
 
 . 
 
 25 
 
 37 
 
 Apparent time p.m. 
 
 Mr Bayly and I observed with the 
 large achromatic telescopes, and Mr 
 King with a reflector. As Mr Bayly's 
 telescope and mine were of the same 
 magnifying power, I ought not to 
 have differed so much from him as I 
 did. Perhaps it was in part, if not 
 wholly, owing to a protuberance in 
 the moon which escaped my notice, 
 but was seen by both the other gentle- 
 men. . . 
 
 Having some cocoa-nuts and yams 
 on board in a state of vegetation, I 
 ordered them to be planted on the 
 little island where we had observed 
 the eclipse, and some melon-seeds 
 were sown in another place. I also 
 left on the little island a bottle con- 
 taining this inscription : 
 
 ' Gcorgius Tertius Rex, 31 Deceiiibris 
 
 1777. 
 , T t Resvlution, Jac. Cook, Pr. 
 j Discovery, Car. ClerJce, Pr." 
 
 On the 1st of January 1778, I sent 
 boats to bring on board all our parties 
 from the land, and the turtle they 
 had caught. Before this was com- 
 pleted it was late in the afternoon, so 
 that I did not think proper to sail 
 till next morning. We got at this 
 island, to both ships, about 300 turtle, 
 weighing one with another about 90 
 or 100 pounds. They were all of the 
 green kind, and perhaps as good as 
 any in the world. We also caught 
 with hook and line as much fish as 
 we could consume during our stay. 
 They consisted principally of cavaUies 
 of different sizes, large and small 
 snappers, and a few of two sorts of 
 rock-fish, one with numerous spots 
 
 223 
 with whitish 
 
 of blue, and the other 
 
 streaks scattered about. . . . 
 
 As we kept our Christmas here, I 
 called this discovery Christmas Island. 
 I judge it to be about fifteen or twenty 
 leagues in circumference. 1 It seemed 
 to be of a semicircular form, or like 
 the moon in the last quarter, the 
 two horns being the north and south 
 points. 
 
 Christmas Island, like most others 
 in this ocean, is bounded by a reef of 
 coral rocks, which extends but a little 
 way from the shore. Farther out 
 than this reef, on the west side, is a 
 bank of sand extending a mile into 
 the sea. On this bank is good an- 
 chorage in any depth between eighteen 
 and thirty fathoms. In less than the 
 first-mentioned depth the reef would 
 be too near; and in more than the 
 last the edge of the bank would not 
 be at a sufficient distance. During 
 the time we lay here, the wind blew 
 jjonstantly a fresh gale at E. or E. by 
 S., except one or two days. We had 
 always a great swell from the north- 
 ward, which broke upon the reef, in 
 a prodigious surf. We had found 
 this swell before we came to tha 
 island; and it continued for soma 
 days after we left it. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 On the 2d of January at daybreak we 
 weighed anchor and resumed our 
 course to the 1ST., having fine weather. 
 We continued to see birds every day, 
 of the sorts last mentioned, some- 
 times in greater numbers than others, 
 and between the latitude of 10° and 
 11° we saw several turtle. All these 
 
 are looked upon 
 vicinity of land, 
 covered none till 
 
 as signs of 
 However, we 
 daybreak in 
 
 the 
 dis- 
 
 the 
 
 morning of the 18th, when an island 
 made its appearance bearing NE. by 
 E., and soon after we saw more land 
 bearing N. and entirely detached 
 
 1 It lies, according to Cook's ob- 
 serrations, in 1° 59' 1ST. Latitude, and 
 202° 30' E. Longitude. 
 
f2l 
 from 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 had the ap- 
 land. We 
 
 the former. Both 
 pearance of being high 
 had now light airs and calms by 
 turns ; so that at sunset we were not 
 less than nine or ten leagues from the 
 nearest land. 
 
 On the 19th at sunrise the island 
 first seen bore E. several leagues dis- 
 tant. This being directly to wind- 
 ward, which prevented our getting 
 near it, I stood for the other, which 
 we could reach ; and not long after 
 discovered a third island in the direc- 
 tion of WNW., as far distant as land 
 could be seen. We had now a fine 
 breeze at E. by N. ; and I steered for 
 the east end of the second island. 
 At this time we were in some doubt 
 whether or no the land before us was 
 inhabited; but this doubt was soon 
 cleared up by seeing some canoes 
 coming off from the shore toward the 
 ships. I immediately brought to, to 
 give them time to join us. They had 
 from three to six men each, and on 
 their approach we were agreeably sur- 
 prised to find that they spoke the 
 language of Otaheite and of the other 
 islands we had lately visited. It re- 
 quired but very little address to get 
 them to come alongside ; but no en- 
 treaties could prevail upon any of 
 them to come on board. I tied some 
 brass medals to a rope and gave them 
 to those in one of the canoes, who in 
 return tied some small mackerel to 
 the rope as an equivalent. This was 
 repeated, and some small nails or bits 
 of iron, which they valued more than 
 any other article, were given them. 
 For these they exchanged more fish, 
 and a sweet potato ; a sure sign that 
 they had some notion of bartering, or 
 at least of returning one present for 
 another. They had nothing else in 
 their canoes except some large gourd 
 shells, and a kind of fishing-net; but 
 one of them offered for sale the piece 
 of stuff that he wore round his waist 
 after the manner of the other islands. 
 These people were of a brown colour, 
 and though of the common size, were 
 stoutly made. There was little differ- 
 ence in the cast of their colour, but a 
 ionsiderablc variation in their features; 
 mine of their visages not being very 
 
 [Voy.IILB.III.Ch.XI. 
 
 unlike those of Europeans. The hair 
 of most of them was cropped pretty 
 short ; others had it flowing loose ; 
 and with a few it was tied in a bunch 
 on the crown of the head. In all it 
 seemed to be naturally Hack; but 
 most of them had stained it, as is the 
 practice of the Friendly Islanders, 
 with some stuff which gave it a brown 
 or burnt colour. In general they 
 wore their beards. They had no or- 
 naments about their persons, nor did 
 we observe that their ears were per- 
 forated ; but some were punctured on 
 the hands, or near the groin, though 
 in a small degree; and the bits of 
 cloth which they wore were curiously 
 stained with red, black, and white 
 colours. They seemed very mild, 
 and had no arms of any kind, if we 
 except some small stones which they 
 had evidently brought for their own 
 defence ; and these they threw over- 
 board when they found that they were 
 not wanted. [Finding no proper 
 anchoring-place at the eastern extreme 
 of the island, they bore away to 
 the middle of the NW. side, where 
 they stood off in five fathoms, over 
 a sandy bottom. The natives who 
 afterwards came on board showed 
 great ignorance of everything Euro- 
 pean, and proved themselves to be 
 great thieves.] 
 
 While the boats were occupied in 
 examining the coast, we stood on and 
 off with the ships, waiting for their 
 return. About noon Mr William- 
 son came back and reported that he 
 had seen a large pond behind a beach 
 near one of the villages, which the 
 natives told him contained fresh 
 water, and that there was anchoring- 
 ground before it. He also reported 
 that he had attempted to land in 
 another place, but was prevented by 
 the natives, who, coming down to the 
 boats in great numbers, attempted to 
 take away the oars, muskets, and in 
 short everything that they could lay 
 hold of, and pressed so thick upon 
 him that he was obliged to fire, by 
 which one man was killed. But this 
 unhappy circumstance I did not know 
 till after we had left the island, so 
 that all my measures were directed as 
 
Jan. 1778.] 
 
 if nothing of the kind had happened. 
 Mr Williamson told me that after the 
 man fell, his countrymen took him up, 
 carried him off, and then retired from 
 the boat ; but still they made signals 
 for our people to land, which he de- 
 clined. It did not appear to Mr 
 "Williamson that the natives had any 
 design to kill or even to hurt any of 
 his party; but they seemed excited 
 by mere curiosity, to get from them 
 what they had, being at the same 
 time ready to give in return anything 
 of their own. After the boats were 
 on board, I despatched one of them 
 to lie in the best auchoring-ground ; 
 and as soon as she had got to this 
 etation, I bore down with the ships, 
 and anchored in twenty-five fathoms 
 water. The Discovery anchored to 
 the eastward of us, farther from the 
 land. The ships being thus stationed 
 between 3 and 4 o'clock, I went ashore 
 with three armed boats and twelve 
 marines, to examine the water, and 
 to try the disposition of the inhabit- 
 ants, several hundreds of whom were 
 assembled on a sandy beach before 
 the village; behind it was a narrow 
 valley, the bottom of which was occu- 
 pied by the piece of water. 
 
 The very instant I leaped on shore, 
 the collected body of the natives all 
 fell flat upon their faces, and remained 
 in that very humble posture till by 
 expressive signs I prevailed upon them 
 to rise. They then brought a great 
 many small pigs, which they pre- 
 sented to me, with plantain-trees, 
 using much the same ceremonies that 
 we had seen practised on such occa- 
 sions at the Society and other islands, 
 and a long prayer being spoken by a 
 single person, in which others of the 
 assembly sometimes joined. I ex- 
 pressed my acceptance of their prof- 
 fered friendship, by giving them in 
 return such presents as I had brought 
 with me from the ship for that pur- 
 pose. When this introductory busi- 
 ness was finished, I stationed a guard 
 upon the beach, and got some of the 
 natives to conduct me to the water; 
 which proved to be very good, and in 
 a proper situation for our purpose. 
 It was so considerable that it may be 
 
 A WATERING-PLACE FOUND. 
 
 called a lake, and it extended farther 
 up the country than we could see. 
 Having satisfied myself about this 
 very essential point, and about the 
 peaceable disposition of the natives, 
 I returned on board, and then gave 
 orders that everything should be in 
 readiness for landing and filling our 
 water-casks in the morning; when I 
 went ashore with the people employed 
 in that service, having a party of 
 marines with us for a guard, who 
 were stationed on the beach. 
 
 As soon as we landed, a trade was 
 set on foot for hogs and potatoes, 
 which the people of the island gave 
 us in exchange for nails and pieces 
 of iron formed into something like 
 chisels. We met with no obstruction 
 in watering ; on the contrary, the 
 natives assisted our men in rolling 
 the casks to and from the pool, and 
 readily performed whatever we requir- 
 ed. Everything thus going on to my 
 satisfaction, and considering my pre- 
 sence on the spot unnecessary, I left 
 the command to Mr Williamson, who 
 had landed with me, and made an 
 excursion into the country up the 
 valley, accompanied by Mr Anderson 
 and Mr Webber ; the former of whom 
 was as well qualified to describe with 
 the pen as the latter was to represent 
 with his pencil everything we might 
 meet with worthy of observation. A 
 numerous train of natives followed 
 us ;and one of them, whom I had 
 distinguished for his activity in keep- 
 ing the rest in order, I made choice 
 of as our guide. This man from time 
 to time proclaimed our approach ; and 
 every one whom we met fell prostrate 
 upon the ground and remained in 
 that position till we had passed. This, 
 as I afterward understood, is the mode 
 of paying their respect to their own 
 great chiefs. As we ranged down the 
 coast from the east in the ships, we 
 had observed at every village one or 
 more elevated white objects, like pyra- 
 mids or rather obelisks ; and one of 
 these, which I guessed to be at least 
 fifty feet high, was very conspicuous 
 from the ship's anchoring station, and 
 seemed to be at no great distance up 
 this valley. To have a nearer inspeo- 
 P 
 
226 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 tion of it was the principal object of 
 my walk. Our guide perfectly under- 
 stood that we wished to be conducted 
 to it ; but it happened to be so placed 
 that we could not get at it, being 
 separated from us by the pool of water. 
 However, there being ffnother of the 
 same kind within our reach, about 
 half-a-mile off upon our side of the 
 valley, we set out to visit that. The 
 moment we got to it we saw that 
 it stood in a burying-ground, or 
 ' ' morai, ' ' the resemblance of which in 
 manyrespects to those we were so well 
 acquainted with at other islands in 
 this ocean, and particularly Otaheite, 
 could not but strike us ; and we also 
 soon found that the several parts that 
 compose it were called by the same 
 names. It was an oblong space, of 
 considerable extent, surrounded by a 
 wall of stone about four feet high. 
 The space enclosed was loosely paved 
 with smaller stones ; and at one end 
 of it stood what I call the pyramid, 
 but in the language of the island is 
 named "henananoo ;" which appear- 
 ed evidently to be an exact model of 
 the larger one observed by us from the 
 ships. It was about four feet square 
 at the base, and about twenty feet 
 high. The four sides were composed 
 of small poles interwoven with twigs 
 and branches, thus forming an in- 
 different wicker-work, hollow or open 
 within from bottom to top. It seemed 
 to be rather in a ruinous state ; but 
 there were sufficient remaining marks 
 to show that it had originally been 
 covered with a thin, light, grey cloth, 
 which these people, it should seem, 
 consecrate to religious purposes ; as 
 we could see a good deal of it hanging 
 in different parts of the "morai," and 
 some of it had been forced upon me 
 when I first landed. On each side 
 of th<* pyramid were long pieces of 
 wicker-work called "hereanee," in 
 the same ruinous condition ; with two 
 slender poles, inclining to each other, 
 at one corner, where some plantains 
 were laid upon a board fixed at the 
 height of five or six feet. This they 
 called "herairemy," and informed us 
 that the fruit was an offering to their 
 {Cod, which makes it agree exactly 
 
 [Voy.III.B.III.Ch.XI. 
 
 with the "whatta" of Otaheite. Be- 
 fore the " henananoo " were a few 
 pieces of wood carved into something 
 like human figures, which, with a 
 stone near two feet high, covered with 
 pieces of cloth called ' ' hoho, " and con- 
 secrated to " Tongarooa," who is the 
 god of these people, still more and 
 more reminded us of what we used to 
 meet with in the "morais" of the 
 islands we had lately left. Adjoin- 
 ing to these, on the outside of the 
 "morai," was a small shed no bigger 
 than a dog-kennel, which they called 
 " hareepahoo ; " and before it was a 
 grave, where, as we were told, the 
 remains of a woman lay. 
 
 On the farther side of the area of 
 the "morai" stood a house or shed 
 about forty feet long, ten broad in 
 the middle, each end being narrower, 
 and about ten feet high. This, which 
 though much longer was lower than 
 their common dwelling-places, we 
 were informed was called "hemanaa." 
 The entrance into it was at the middle 
 of the side which was in the "morai." 
 On the farther side of this house, 
 opposite the entrance, stood two wood- 
 en images, cut out of one piece, with 
 pedestals, in all about three feet high; 
 neither very indifferently designed 
 nor executed. These were said to be 
 "Eatooa no Veheina," or representa- 
 tions of goddesses. On the head of 
 one of them was a carved helmet not 
 unlike those worn by the ancient 
 warriors, and on that of the other a 
 cylindrical cap, resembling the head- 
 dress at Otaheite, called "tomou;" 
 and both of them had pieces of cloth 
 tied about the loins, and hanging a 
 considerable way down. At the side 
 of each was also a piece of carved 
 wood, with bits of the cloth hung on 
 them in the same manner ; and be- 
 tween or before the pedestals lay a 
 quantity of fern in a heap. It was 
 obvious that this had been deposited 
 there piece by piece and at different 
 times ; for there was of it in all states, 
 from what was quite decayed to what 
 was still fresh and green. 
 
 In the middle of the house, and 
 before the two images, was an obloii.jr 
 space enclosed byalew edging of stono, 
 
Jan. 1778.] BURIAL-PLACE OF THE HUMAN SACRIFICES. 227 
 
 r.nd covered with shreds of the cloth 
 so often mentioned. This on inquiry 
 we found was the grave of seven chiefs, 
 whose names were enumerated, and 
 the place was called Heneene. "We 
 had met already with so many strik- 
 ing instances of resemblance between 
 the burying-place we were now visiting 
 and those of islands we had lately 
 come from in the South Pacific, that 
 we had little doubt in our minds that 
 the resemblance existed also in the 
 ceremonies practised here, and partic- 
 ularly in the horrid one of offering 
 human sacrifices. Our suspicions were 
 too soon confirmed by direct evidence. 
 For on coming out of the house, just 
 on one side of the entrance, we saw a 
 small square place, and another still 
 less near it ; and on asking what these 
 were, our guide immediately informed 
 us that in the one was buried a man who 
 had been sacrificed; a "Taata ("Tan- 
 ata" or " Tangata, " in this country) 
 taboo" ( "tafoo, " as here pronounced) ; 
 and in the other a hog which had also 
 been made an offering to the divinity. 
 At a little distance from these, near 
 the middle of the "morai," were three 
 more of these square enclosed places, 
 with two pieces of carved wood at each, 
 'rind upon them a heap of fern. These 
 we were told were the graves of three 
 chiefs ; and before them was an oblong 
 enclosed space to which our conductor 
 also gave the name of "Tangata- 
 taboo ; " telling us, so explicitly that 
 we could not mistake his meaning, 
 that three human sacrifices had been 
 buried there, that is, one at the funeral 
 of each chief. It was with most sin- 
 cere concern that I could trace on such 
 undoubted evidence the prevalence of 
 these bloody rites throughout this im- 
 mense ocean, amongst peoj)le disjoined 
 by such a distance, and even ignorant 
 of each other's existence, though so 
 strongly marked as originally of the 
 same nation. It was no small addi- 
 tion to this concern to reflect that 
 every appearance led us to believe the 
 barbarous practice was very general 
 here. The island seemed to abound 
 with such places of sacrifice as this 
 which we were now visiting, and which 
 tppeared to be one of the most incon- 
 
 siderable of them ; being far less con- 
 spicuous than several others which we 
 had seen as we sailed along the coast, 
 and particularly than that on the op- 
 posite side of the water in this valley; 
 the white "henananao," or pyramid, 
 of which, we were now almost sure, 
 derived its colour only from pieces of 
 the consecrated cloth laid over it. In 
 several parts within the enclosure of 
 thisburying-ground were planted trees 
 of the Cordia sebestina, some of the 
 Morinda citrifolia, and several plants 
 of the "etee," or "jejee," of Tonga- 
 taboo, with the leaves of which the 
 " hemanaa was thatched ; " and as I 
 observed that this plant was not made 
 use of in thatching their dwelling- 
 houses, probably it is reserved entirely 
 for religious purposes. 
 
 Our road to and from the " morai " 
 which I have described lay through 
 the plantations. The greatest part of 
 the ground was quite flat, with ditches 
 full of water intersecting different 
 parts, and roads that seemed artifi- 
 cially raised to some height. The 
 interspaces were in general planted 
 with "taro," which grows here with 
 great strength, as the fields are sunk 
 below the common level so as to con- 
 tain the water necessary to nourish 
 the roots. This water probably comes 
 from the same source which supplies 
 the large pool from which we filled 
 our casks. On the drier spaces were 
 several spots where the cloth-mulberry 
 was planted in regular rows, also grow- 
 ing vigorously, and kept very clean. 
 The cocoa-trees were not in so thriving 
 a state, and were all low ; but the 
 plantain-trees made a better appear- 
 ance, though they were not large. In 
 general, the trees round this village, 
 and which were seen at many of those 
 which we passed before we anchored, 
 are the Cordia sebestina, but of a more 
 diminutive size than the product of 
 the southern isles. The greatest part 
 of the village stands neartbe beach, and 
 consists of above sixty houses there ; 
 but perhaps about forty more stand 
 scattered about farther up the country 
 towards the burying-place. . . . 
 
 At 7 o'clock on the 23d, a breezr 
 of wind springing up at NE. , I took 
 
2i8 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B.III.Ch. 
 
 up the anchors with a view of remov- 
 ing the ship farther out. Tlie moment 
 that the last anchor wis up. t he wind 
 veered to the E., which made it neces- 
 sary to set all the sail we could in order 
 to clear the. shore ; so that before we 
 had tolerable sea-room we were driven 
 some distance to leeward. We made 
 a stretch off with a view to regain the 
 road ; but having very little wind, 
 and a strong current against us, I 
 found that this was not to be effected. 
 I therefore despatched Messrs King 
 and Williamson ashore with three 
 boats for water, and to trade for re- 
 freshments. At the same time I sent 
 an order to Captain Gierke to put to 
 sea after me, if he should see that I 
 could not recover the road. Being in 
 hopes of finding one, or perhaps a 
 harbour, at the west end of the island, 
 1 was the less anxious about getting 
 back to my former station. But as I 
 had sent the boats thither, we kept 
 to windward as much as possible ; 
 notwithstanding which, at noon we 
 were three leagues to leeward. As 
 we drew near the west end of the 
 island, we found the coast to round 
 gradually to the north-east, without 
 forming a creek or cove to shelter a 
 vessel from the force of the swell which 
 rolled in from the north, and broke 
 upon the shore in a prodigious surf ; 
 so that all hopes of finding a harbour 
 here vanished. 
 
 Several canoes came off in the morn- 
 ing, and followed us as we stood out 
 to sea, bartering their roots and other 
 articles. Being very averse to believe 
 these people to be cannibals, notwith- 
 standing the suspicious circumstance 
 which had happened the day before, 
 we took occasion now to make some 
 more inquiries about this. A small 
 wooden instrument, beset with sharks' 
 teeth, had been purchased ; and from 
 its resemblance to the saw or knife 
 used by the New Zealanders to disect 
 the bodies of their enemies, it was 
 suspected to have the same use here. 
 One of the natives being asked about 
 this, immediately gave the name of 
 the instrument, and told us that it 
 was used to cut out the fleshy part of 
 the belly when any person was killed. 
 
 This explained and confirmed the cir- 
 cumstance above mentioned of the 
 person pointing to his belly. The 
 man. however, from whom we had 
 this information, being asked if his 
 countrymen eat the part thus cut out, 
 denied it strongly ; but, upon the 
 question being repeated, showed some 
 degree of fear and swam to his canoe. 
 Just before he reached it, he made 
 signs as he had done before, expres- 
 sive of the use of the instrument. 
 And an old man, who sat foremost in 
 the canoe, being then asked whether 
 they ate the flesh, answered in the 
 affirmative, and laughed, seemingly 
 at the simplicity of such a question. 
 He affirmed the fact on being asked 
 again ; and also said it was excellent 
 food, or, as he expressed it, "savoury 
 eating. " At 7 o'clock in the evening 
 the boats returned, with two tons of 
 water, a few hogs, a quantity of plan- 
 tains, and some roots. Mr King in- 
 formed me that a great number of the 
 inhabitants were at the watering or 
 landing-place. He supposed that 
 they had come from all parts of the 
 island. They had brought with them 
 a great many fine fat hogs to barter ; 
 but my people had not commodities 
 with them equal to the purchase. 
 This, however, was no great loss, for 
 we had already got as many on board 
 as we could well manage for imme- 
 diate use ; and wanting the materials 
 we could not have salted them. Mr 
 King also told me that a great deal 
 of rain had fallen ashore, whereas out 
 at sea we had only a few showers ; 
 and that the surf had run so high that 
 it was with great difficulty our men 
 landed and got back into the boats. 
 
 We had light airs and calms by 
 turns, with showers of rain, all night; 
 and at daybreak in the morning of 
 the 24th we found that the currents 
 had carried the ship to the NW. and 
 N. ; so that the west end of the island, 
 upon which we had been, called Atooi 
 by the natives, bore E. one league 
 distant ; another island, called Oree- 
 houa, W. by S. ; and the high land of 
 a third island, called Oneeheow, from 
 SW. by W. to WSW. Soon after, a 
 breeze sprang up at N. ; and as I 
 
Ja*. 1778.] THE NATIVES 
 
 expected that this would bring the 
 Discovery to sea, I steered for Onee- 
 heow, in order to take a nearer view 
 of it, and to anchor there if I should 
 find a convenient place. I continued 
 to steer for it till past 11 o'clock, at 
 which time we were about two leagues 
 from it. But not seeing the Discovery, 
 and being doubtful whether they could 
 see us, I was fearful lest some ill con- 
 sequence might attend our separating 
 so far. I therefore gave up the design 
 of visiting Oneeheow for the prestnt, 
 and stood back to Atooi, with an in- 
 tent to anchor again in the road to 
 complete our water. At 2 o'clock in 
 the afternoon the northerly wind died 
 away, and was succeeded by variable 
 light airs and calms that continued 
 till eleven at night, with which we 
 stretched to the SE. till daybreak in 
 the morning of the 25th, when we 
 tacked and stood in for Atooi road, 
 which bore about N. from us ; and 
 soon after we were joined by the Dis- 
 covery. We fetched in with the land 
 about two leagues to leeward of the 
 road, which, though so near, we never 
 could recover ; for what we gained at 
 one time we lost at another, so that 
 by the jnorning of the 29th the cur- 
 rents had carried us westward within 
 three leagues of Oneeheow. Being 
 tired with plying so unsuccessfully, I 
 gave up all thoughts of getting back 
 to Atooi, and came to the resolution 
 of trying whether we could not procure 
 what we wanted at the other island, 
 which was within our reach. With 
 this view I sent the master in a boat 
 to sound the coast, to look out for a 
 landing-place, and, if he should find 
 one, to examine if fresh water could be 
 conveniently got in itsneighbourhood. 
 To give him time to execute his com- 
 mission, Ave followed under an easy 
 sail with the ships. At 10 o'clock 
 the master returned, and reported 
 that he had landed in one place but 
 could find no fresh water ; and that; 
 there was anchorage all along the 
 coast. Seeing a village a little farther 
 to leeward, and some of the islanders 
 who had come off to the ships inform- 
 ing us that fresh water might be got 
 there, I ran down and came to an 
 
 OF ONEEHEOW. 
 
 229 
 
 anchor before it, in twenty -six fathoms 
 water, about three-quarters of a mile 
 from the shore. 
 
 Six or seven canoes had come off to 
 us before we anchored, bringing some 
 small pigs and potatoes, and a good 
 many yams and mats. The people 
 in them resembled those of Atooi, and 
 seemed to be equally well acquainted 
 with the use of iron, which they asked 
 for also by the names of " hamaite " 
 and "toe;" parting readily with all 
 their commodities for pieces of this 
 precious metal. Several more canoes 
 soon reached the ships after they had 
 anchored, but the natives in these 
 seemed to have no other object than 
 to pay us a formal visit. Many of 
 them came readily on board, crouch- 
 ing down upon the deck, and not 
 quitting that humble posture till they 
 were desired to get up. They had 
 brought several females with them, 
 who remained alongside in the canoes, 
 behaving with far less modesty than 
 their countrywomen of Atooi; and at 
 times all joining in a song not re- 
 markable for its melody, though per- 
 formed in very exact concert by 
 beating time upon their breasts with 
 their hands. The men who had come 
 on board did not stay long ; and be- 
 fore they departed some of them 
 requested our permission to lay clown 
 on the deck locks of their hair. 
 These visitors furnished us with an 
 opportunity of agitating again this 
 day the curious inquiry whether they 
 were cannibals, and the subject did 
 not take its rise from any questions of 
 ours, but from a circumstance that 
 seemed to remove all ambiguity. One 
 of the islanders who wanted to get in 
 at the gun-room port was refused, and 
 at the same time asked whether, if he 
 should come in, we would kill and 
 eat him, accompanying this question 
 with signs so expressive that there 
 could be no doubt about his meaning. 
 This gave a proper opening to retort 
 the question as to this practice ; and 
 a person behind the other in the canoe, 
 who paid great attention to what was 
 passing, immediately answered that 
 if we were killed on shore they would 
 certainly eat us. He spoke with so 
 
230 
 
 little emotion that it appeared plainly 
 to be his meaning that they would 
 not destroy us for that purpose, hut 
 that their eating us would he the con- 
 sequence of our being at enmity with 
 them. I have availed myself of Mr An- 
 derson's collections for the decision of 
 this matter, and I am sorry to say that 
 I cannot see the least reason to hesit- 
 ate in pronouncing it to be certain 
 that the horrid banquet of human 
 flesh is as much relished here amidst 
 plenty as it is in New Zealand. 
 
 In the afternoon I sent Lieutenant 
 Gore with three armed boats to look 
 for the most convenient landing-place, 
 and when on shore to search for fresh 
 water. In the evening he returned, 
 having landed at the village above 
 mentioned, and acquainted me that 
 he had been conducted to a well half- 
 a-mile up the country ; but by his 
 account, the quantity of water it con- 
 tained was too inconsiderable for our 
 purpose, and the road leading to it 
 exceedingly bad. On the 30th I sent 
 Mr Gore ashore again, with a guard 
 of marines and a party, to trade with 
 the natives for refreshments. I in- 
 tended to have followed soon after, 
 and went from the ship with that 
 design. But the surf had increased 
 ao much by this time that I was fear- 
 ful, if I got ashore, I should not be 
 able to get off again. This really 
 happened to our people who had 
 landed with Mr Gore, the communi- 
 cation between them and the ships 
 by our own boats being soon stopped. 
 I n the evening they made a signal for 
 the boats, which were sent accord- 
 ingly ; and not long after they returned 
 with a few yarns and some salt. A 
 tolerable quantity of both had been 
 procured in the course of the day, but 
 the surf was so great that the greatest 
 part of both these articles had been 
 lost in conveying them to the boats. 
 The officer and twenty men, ^deterred 
 by the danger of coming off, were left 
 ashore all night ; and by this unfor- 
 tunate circumstance the very thinghap- 
 pened which, as I have already men- 
 tioned, I wished so heartily to prevent, 
 and vainly imagined I had effectually 
 guarded against. The violence of the 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. III. Ch. XI. 
 
 surf, which our own boats could not 
 act against, did not hinder the natives 
 from coming off to the ships in their 
 canoes. They brought refreshments 
 with them, which were purchased in 
 exchange for nails and pieces of iron 
 hoops ; and I distributed a good many 
 pieces of ribbon and some buttons as 
 bracelets amongst the women in the 
 canoes. One of the men had the figure 
 of a lizard punctured upon his breast, 
 and upon those of others were the 
 figures of men badly imitated. These 
 visitors informed us that there was 
 no chief, or " Hairee," of this island, 
 but that it was subject to Teneooneoo, 
 a chief of Atooi ; which island, they 
 said, was not governed by a single 
 chief, but that there were many to 
 whom they paid the honour of "moe, " 
 or prostration ; and among others 
 they named Otaeaio and Terarotoa. 
 Amongst other things which these 
 people now brought off was a small 
 drum, almost like those of Otaheite. 
 
 About 10 or 11 o'clock at night the 
 wind veered to the south, and the sky 
 seemed to forebode a storm. "With 
 such appearances, thinking that we 
 were rather too near the shore, I 
 ordered the anchors to be taken up ; 
 and having carried the ships into 
 forty-two fathoms, came to again in 
 that safer station. The precaution, 
 however, proved to be unnecessary, 
 for the wind soon after veered toNNE. , 
 from which quarter it blew a fresh 
 gale, with squalls, attended with very 
 heavy showers of rain. This weather 
 continued all the next day, and the 
 sea ran so high that we had no man- 
 ner of communication with our party 
 on shore ; and even the natives them- 
 selves durst not venture out to the 
 ships in their canoes. In the evening 
 I sent the master in a boat up to the 
 south-east head or point of the island 
 to try if he could land under it. He 
 returned with a favourable report ; 
 but it was too late now to send for 
 our party till the next morning, and 
 thus they had another night to im- 
 prove their intercourse with th6 
 natives. Encouraged by the master's 
 report, I sent a boat to the south-east 
 point as soon as daylight returned 
 
Feb. 1778.] ACCOUNT OF WHAT 
 
 with an order to Mr Gore if he could 
 not embark his people from the spot 
 where they now were to march them 
 up to the point. As the boat could 
 not get to the beach, one of the crew 
 swam ashore and carried the order. 
 On the return of the boat, I went my- 
 self with the pinnace and launch up 
 to the point to bring the party on 
 board, taking with me a ram-goat 
 and two ewes, a boar and sow pig of 
 the English breed, and the seeds of 
 melons, pumpkins, and onions, being 
 very desirous of benefiting these poor 
 people by furnishing them with some 
 additional articles of food. I landed 
 with the greatest ease under the west 
 side of the point, and found my party 
 already there, with some of the 
 natives in company. To one of them 
 whom Mr Gore had observed assum- 
 ing some command over the rest, I 
 gave the goats, pigs, and seeds. I 
 should have left these well-intended 
 presents at Atooi had we not been so 
 unexpectedly driven from it. 
 
 The habitations of the natives were 
 thinly scattered about, and it was 
 supposed that there could not be 
 more than 500 people upon the island, 
 as the greatest part were seen at the 
 marketing-place of our party, and 
 few found about the houses by those 
 who walked up the country. They 
 had an opportunity of observing the 
 method of living amongst the natives, 
 and it appeared to be decent and 
 cleanly. They did not, however, see 
 any instance of the men and women 
 eating together ; and the latter seemed 
 generally associated in companies by 
 themselves. It was found that they 
 burned here the oily nuts of the 
 " dooe dooe " for lights in the night, 
 as at Otaheite ; and that they baked 
 their hogs in ovens, but, contrary to 
 the practice of the Society and Friendly 
 Islands, split their carcases through 
 their whole length. They met with 
 a positive proof of tile existence of the 
 f ' taboo " (or, as they pronounce it, 
 the " tafoo "), for one woman fed 
 another who was under that interdic- 
 tion. They also observed some other 
 mysterious ceremonies, one of which 
 was performed by a woman, who took 
 
 PASSED ON LANDING. 
 
 231 
 
 a small pig and threw it into the surf, 
 till it was drowned, and then tied up 
 a bundle of wood, which she also 
 disposed of in the same manner. The 
 same woman at another time beat 
 with a stick upon a man's shoulders, 
 who sat down for that purpose. A 
 particular veneration seemed to be 
 paid here to owls, which they have 
 very tame ; and it was observed to be 
 a pretty general practice amongst 
 them to pull out one of their teeth, 1 
 for which odd custom, when asked 
 the reason, the only answer that 
 could be got was, that it was " teeha," 
 which was also the reason assigned for 
 another of their practices, the giving 
 a lock of their hair. 
 
 After the water-casks had been 
 filled and conveyed into the boat, 
 and we had purchased from the 
 natives a few roots, a little salt, and 
 some salted fish, I returned on board 
 with all the people, intending to visit 
 the island the next day. But about 
 7 o'clock in the evening the anchor 
 of the Resolution started, and she 
 drove off the ban^. As we had a 
 whole cable out, it was some time 
 before the anchor was at the bows, 
 and then we had the launch to hoist 
 up alongside before we could make 
 sail. By this unlucky accident we 
 found ourselves at daybreak next 
 morning three leagues to the leeward 
 of our last station ; and foreseeing 
 that it would require more time to 
 recover it than I chose to spend, I 
 made the signal for the Discovery to 
 weigh and join us. This was done 
 
 1 It is very remarkable that in this 
 custom, which one would think is so 
 unnatural as not to be adopted by two 
 different tribes originally unconnected, 
 the people of this island, and Dam- 
 pier's natives on the west side of New 
 Holland, at such an immense distance 
 should be found to agree. — Note in 
 Original Edition. Dampier, in his 
 Sixteenth Chapter (ante, p. 254), says 
 of the New Hollanders: "The two 
 fore teeth of their upper jaw are want- 
 ing in all of them, men and women, 
 old and young ; whether they draw 
 them out, I know not. " 
 
232. COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 about noon, and we immediately stood 
 away to the northward in prosecution 
 of our voyage. Thus after spending 
 more time about these islands than 
 was necessary to have answered all 
 our purposes, we were obliged to leave 
 them before we had completed our 
 water and got from them such a quan- 
 tity of refreshments as their inhabitants 
 were both able and willing to have 
 supplied us with. But as it was, our 
 ship procured from them provisions 
 sufficient for three weeks at least ; and 
 Captain Clerke, more fortunate than us, 
 got of their vegetable productions a 
 supply that lasted his people upward of 
 two months. The observations I was 
 enabled to make, combined with those 
 of Mr Anderson, who was a very use- 
 ful assistant on all such occasions, 
 will furnish materials for the next 
 Chapter. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 It is worthy of observation that the 
 islands in the Pacific Ocean which 
 our late voyages have added to the 
 geography of the globe have been 
 generally found lying in groups or 
 clusters, the single intermediate is- 
 lands as yet discovered being few 
 in proportion to the others, though 
 probably there are many more of them 
 still unknown, which serve as steps 
 between the several clusters. Of what 
 number this newly discovered archi- 
 pelago consists must be left for future 
 investigation. "We saw five of them, 
 whose names, as given to us by the 
 natives, are Woahoo, Atooi, Onee- 
 heow, Oreehoua, and Tahoora. The 
 last is a small elevated island, lying 
 four or five leagues from the south- 
 east point of Oneeheow, in the direc- 
 tion of S. 69° W. We were told that 
 it abounds with birds, which are its 
 only inhabitants. "We also got some 
 information of the existence of a low 
 uninhabited island in the neighbour- 
 hood, whose name is Tammata-papa. 
 Besides these six, which we can dis- 
 tinguish by their names, it appeared 
 that the inhabitants of those with 
 
 [Voy.III.B.III.Ch.X»J. 
 
 whom we had intercourse were ac- 
 quainted with some other islands both 
 to the eastward and westward. I 
 named the whole group the Sandwich 
 Islands, in honour of the Earl of 
 Sandwich. Those that I saw are 
 situated between the Latitude of 21* 
 30' and 22° 15' N., and between the 
 Longitude of 199° 20' and 201° 30' E. 
 
 Of "Woahoo, the most easterly of 
 these islands seen by us, which lies 
 in the Latitude of 21° 36", we could 
 get no other intelligence but that it 
 is high land and is inhabited. 
 
 "We had opportunities of knowing 
 some particulars about Oneeheow, 
 which have been mentioned already. 
 It lies several leagues to the westward 
 of our anchoring-place at Atooi, and 
 is not above fifteen leagues in circuit. 
 Its chief vegetable produce is yams, if 
 we may judge from what was brought 
 to lis by the natives. They have salt, 
 which they call "patai," and is pro- 
 duced in salt-ponds. "With it they 
 cure both fish and pork, and some 
 salt fish which we got from them kept 
 very well and were found to be very 
 good. This island is mostly low land, 
 except the part facing Atooi, which 
 rises directly from the sea to a good 
 height, as does also the south-east 
 point of it, which terminates in a 
 round hill. It was on the west side 
 of this point where our ships an- 
 chored. 
 
 Of Oreehoua we know nothing more 
 than that it is a small elevated island 
 lying close to the north side of Onee- 
 heow. 
 
 Atooi, which is the largest, being 
 the principal scene of our operations, 
 I shall now proceed to lay before my 
 readers what information I was able 
 to collect about it, either from actual 
 observation while on shore, or from 
 conversation with its inhabitant?, who 
 were perpetually on board the ships 
 while we lay at anchor, and who in 
 general could be tolerably well under- 
 stood by those of us who had acquired 
 an acquaintance with the dialects of 
 the South Pacific islands. It is, how- 
 ever, to be regretted that we should 
 have been obliged so soon to leave a 
 place which, as far as our opportuni- 
 
Feb. 1778.] 
 
 ATOOI DESCRIBED. 
 
 233 
 
 ties of knowing reached, seemed to be 
 highly worthy of a more accurate exa- 
 mination. 
 
 Atooi, from what we saw of it, is 
 at least ten leagues in length from 
 east to west, from whence its circuit 
 may nearly be guessed, though it 
 appears to be much broader at the 
 east than at the west point, if we may 
 judge from the double range of hills 
 which appeared there. The road or 
 anchoring-place which we occupied 
 is on the south-west side of the island, 
 about six miles from the west end, 
 before a village which has the name 
 of Wymoa. 
 
 The land, as to its general appear- 
 ance, does not in the least resemble 
 any of the islands we have hitherto 
 visited within the tropic, on the 
 south side of the Equator, if we except 
 its hills near the centre, which are 
 high, but slope gently to the sea or 
 lower lands. Though it be destitute 
 of the delightful borders of Otaheite, 
 and of the luxuriant plains of Tonga- 
 taboo, covered with trees, which at 
 once afford a friendly shelter from the 
 scorching sun, and an enchanting 
 prospect to the eye, and food for the 
 natives, which may be truly said to 
 drop from the trees into their mouths, 
 without the laborious task of rearing; 
 though I say Atooi be destitute of 
 these advantages, its possessing a 
 greater quantity of gently - rising 
 land renders it in some measure su- 
 perior to the above favourite islands, 
 as being more capable of improve- 
 ment. The height of the land within, 
 the quantity of clouds which we saw, 
 during the whole time we stayed, 
 hanging over it, and frequently on 
 the other parts, seems to put it be- 
 yond all doubt that there is a suffici- 
 ent supply of water, and that there are 
 some running streams which we did 
 not see, especially in the deep valleys, 
 at the entrance of which the villages 
 commonly stand. From the wooded 
 part to the sea, the ground is covered 
 with an excellent sort of grass, about 
 two feet high, which grows sometimes 
 in tufts, and, though not very thick 
 at the place where we were, seemed 
 capable of being converted into plen- 
 
 tiful crops of fine hay. But not even 
 a shrub grows naturally on tlm exten- 
 sive space. 
 
 In the break, or narrow valley, 
 through which we had our road to 
 the " morai, " the soil is of a brownish 
 black colour, somewhat loose ; but as 
 we advanced upon the high ground it 
 changed to a reddish brown, more 
 stiff and clayey, though at this time 
 brittle from its dryness. It is most 
 probably the same all over the culti- 
 vated parts ; for what adhered to most 
 of the potatoes bought by us, which 
 no doubt came from veiy different 
 spots, was of this sort. Its quality, 
 however, may be better understood 
 from its products than from its ap- 
 pearance. For the vale, or moist 
 ground, produces "taro" of a much 
 larger size than any we had ever seen ; 
 and the higher ground furnishes sweet 
 potatoes, that often weigh ten, and 
 sometimes twelve or fourteen pounds, 
 very few being under two or three. 
 
 The temperature of the climate may 
 be easily guessed from the situation 
 of the island. "Were we to judge of 
 it from our experience, it might be 
 said to be very variable ; for, accord- 
 ing to the generally received opinion, 
 it was now the season of the year 
 when the weather is supposed to be 
 most settled, the sun being at his 
 greatest annual distance. The heat 
 was at this time very moderate ; and 
 few of those inconveniences which 
 many tropical countries are subject 
 to, either from heat or moisture, seem 
 to be experienced here, as the habita- 
 tions of the natives are quite close ; 
 and they salt both fish and pork, 
 which keep well, contrary to what 
 has usually been observed to be the 
 case when this operation is attempted 
 in hot countries. Neither did we find 
 any dews of consequence, which may 
 in some measure be accounted for by 
 the lower part of the country being 
 destitute of trees. . . . 
 
 The inhabitants are of a middling 
 stature, firmly made, with some ex- 
 ceptions neither remarkable for a 
 beautiful shape, nor for striking 
 features, which rather express an 
 openness and good - nature, than a 
 
234 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 keen, intelligent disposition. Their 
 visage, especially amongst the women, 
 is sometimes round, hut others have 
 it long ; nor can we say that they 
 are distinguished as a nation hy any 
 general cast of countenance. Their 
 colour is nearly of a nut brown ; and 
 it may be difficult to make a nearer 
 comparison, if we take in all the dif- 
 ferent hues of that colour ; but some 
 individuals are darker. The women 
 have been already mentioned as being 
 little more delicate than the men in 
 their formation ; and I may say that, 
 with a very few exceptions, they have 
 little claim to those peculiarities that 
 distinguish the sex in other countries. 
 There is, indeed, a more remarkable 
 equality in the size, colour, and figure 
 of both sexes than in most places I 
 have visited. However, upon the 
 whole, they are far from being ugly, 
 and appear to have few natural de- 
 formities of any kind. Their skin is 
 not very soft nor shining, perhaps for 
 want of oiling, which is practised at the 
 Southern Islands ; but their eyes and 
 teeth are in general very tolerable. The 
 hair, for the greatest part, is straight, 
 
 though in some frizzling ; and though 
 its natural colour be commonly black, 
 it is stained as at the Friendly and 
 other islands. We saw but few in- 
 stances of corpulence, and these 
 oftener among the women than the 
 men ; but it was chiefly amongst the 
 latter that personal defects were 
 observed, though, if any of them can 
 claim a share of beauty, it was most 
 conspicuous amongst the young men. 
 They are vigorous, active, and most 
 expert swimmers, leaving their canoes 
 upon the most trifling occasion, diving 
 under them, and swimming to others, 
 though at a great distance. It was 
 very common to see women, with 
 infants at the breast, when the surf 
 was so high that they could not land 
 in the canoes, leap overboard, and, 
 without endangering their little ones, 
 swim to the shore through a s*a that 
 looked dreadful. 
 
 They seem to be blest with a frank, 
 cheerful disposition ; and were I to 
 draw any comparisons, I should say 
 that they are equally free from the 
 
 [Toy. III. B. Til. Cm. XII. 
 
 fickle levity which distinguishes the 
 natives of Otaheite, and the sedate 
 cast observable amongst many of 
 those of Tongataboo. They seem to 
 live very sociably in their inter- 
 course with one another ; and except 
 the propensity to thieving, which 
 seems innate in most of the people 
 we have visited in this ocean, they 
 were exceedingly friendly to us. And 
 it does their sensibility no little 
 credit, without flattering ourselves, 
 that when they saw the various 
 articles of our European manufac- 
 ture, they could not help expressing 
 their surprise, by a mixture of joy 
 and concern that seemed to apply 
 the case as a lesson of humility to 
 themselves ; and on all occasions they 
 appeared deeply impressed with a 
 consciousness of their own inferiority, 
 a behaviour which equally exempts 
 their national character from the pre- 
 posterous pride of the more polished 
 Japanese, and of the ruder Green- 
 lander. It was a pleasure to observe 
 with how much affection the women 
 managed their infants, and how 
 readily the men lent their assistance 
 to such a tender office, thus suffici- 
 ently distinguishing themselves from 
 those savages, who esteem a wife and 
 child as things rather necessary than 
 desirable or worthy of their notice. 
 
 From the numbers which we saw 
 collected at every village as we sailed 
 past, it may be supposed that the 
 inhabitants of this island are pretty 
 numerous. Any computation that 
 we make can be only conjectural. 
 But, that some notion may be formed 
 which shall not greatly err on either 
 side, I should suppose that, including 
 the straggling houses there might be 
 upon the whole island, sixty such 
 villages as that before which we 
 anchored ; and that, allowing five 
 persons to each house, there would 
 be in every village 500, or 30,000 
 upon the island. This number is 
 certainly not exaggerated, for we had 
 sometimes 3000 persons at least upon 
 the beach, when it could not be sup- 
 posed that above a tenth part of the 
 inhabitants were present. 
 
 The common dress both of the 
 
Feb. 1778.] NATIVES OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
 
 ?/omen and of the men has been 
 already described. The first have 
 often much larger pieces of cloth wrap- 
 ped round them, reaching from just be- 
 low the breasts to the hams, or lower ; 
 and several were seen with pieces 
 thrown loosely about the shoulders, 
 which covered the greatest part of 
 the body; but the children, when 
 veiy young, are quite naked. They 
 wear nothing upon the head, but the 
 hair in both sexes is cut in different 
 forms ; and the general fashion, espe- 
 cially among the women, is to have it 
 long before, and short behind. The 
 men often had it cut or shaved on 
 each side, in such a manner that the 
 remaining part in some measure 
 resembles the crest of their caps or 
 helmets formerly described. Both 
 sexes, however, seem very careless 
 about their hair, and have nothing 
 like combs to dress it with. Instances 
 of wearing it in a singular manner 
 were sometimes met with among the 
 men, who twist it into a number of 
 separate parcels, like the tails of a 
 wig, each about the thickness of a 
 finger, though the greatest part of 
 these, which are so long that they 
 reach far down the back, we observed 
 were artificially fixed upon the head 
 over their own hair. 
 
 It is remarkable that, contrary to 
 the general practice of the islands we 
 had hitherto discovered in the Pacific 
 Ocean, the- people of the Sandwich 
 Islands have not their ears perforated, 
 nor have they the least idea of wear- 
 ing ornaments in them. Both sexes, 
 nevertheless, adorn themselves with 
 necklaces made of bunches of small 
 black cord, like our hat-string, often 
 above a hundred-fold, exactly like 
 those of Wateeoo, only that instead 
 of the two little balls, on the middle 
 before, they fix a small bit of wood, 
 stone, or shell, about two inches long, 
 with a broad hook, turning forward 
 at its lower part, well polished. They 
 have likewise necklaces of many strings 
 of very small shells, or of the dried 
 flowers of the Indian mallow ; and 
 sometimes a small human image of 
 bone, about three inches long, neatly 
 polished, is hung round the neck. 
 
 '235 
 
 The women also wear bracelets of a 
 single shell, pieces of black wood 
 with bits of ivory interspersed, and 
 well polished, fixed by a string drawn 
 very close through them ; or others 
 of hogs' teeth, laid parallel to each 
 other, with the concave part outward, 
 and the points cut off, fastened to- 
 gether as the former ; some of which, 
 made only of large boars' tusks, are 
 very elegant. The men sometimes 
 wear plumes of the tropic birds' 
 feathers stuck in their heads, or those 
 of cocks fastened round neat polished 
 sticks two feet long, commonly de- 
 corated at the lower part with " oora ;" 
 and, for the same purpose, the skin 
 of a white dog's tail is sewed over a 
 stick, with its tuft at the end. They 
 also _ frequently wear on the head 
 a kind of ornament of a finger's 
 thickness or more, covered with red 
 and yellow feathers, curiously varied, 
 and tied behind ; and on the arm, 
 above the elbow, a kind of broad 
 shell-work grounded upon net-work. 
 The men are frequently punctured, 
 though not in any particular part, as 
 the Otaheiteans and those of Tonga- 
 taboo. Sometimes there are a few 
 marks upon then- hands or arms, 
 and near the groin; but frequently 
 we could observe none at all, though 
 a few individuals had more of thii 
 sort of ornament than we had usually 
 seen at other places, and ingeniously 
 executed in a great variety of lines 
 and figures on the arms and. forepart 
 of the body, on which latter some of 
 them had the figure of the " taame," 
 or breastplate of Otaheite, though we 
 did not meet with the thing itself 
 amongst them. 
 
 Though they seem to have adopted 
 the mode of living in villages, there 
 is no appearance of defence or fortifi- 
 cation near any of them ; and the 
 houses are scattered about without 
 any order either with respect to their 
 distances from each other, or their 
 position in any particular direction. 
 Neither is there any proportion as to 
 their size ; some being large and com- 
 modious, from forty to fifty feet long 
 and twenty or thirty broad, while 
 others of them are mere hovels. Their 
 
236 
 
 figure is not unlike oblong corn or 
 hay stacks ; or perhaps a better idea 
 may be conceived of them if we sup- 
 pose the roof of a barn placed on the 
 ground in such a manner as to form 
 high, acute ridge, with two very 
 
 low sides hardly discernible at a dis- 
 tance. The gable at each end, cor- 
 responding to the sides, makes these 
 habitations perfectly close all round ; 
 and they are well thatched with long 
 grass, which is laid on slender poles, 
 disposed with some regularity. The 
 entrance is made indifferently in the 
 end or side, and is an oblong hole so 
 low that one must rather creep than 
 walk in, and is often shut up by a 
 board of planks fastened together, 
 which serves as a door, but having 
 no hinges, must be removed occa- 
 sionally. No light enters the house 
 but by this opening ; and though 
 such close habitations may afford a 
 comfortable retreat in bad weather, 
 they seem but ill-adapted to the 
 warmth of the climate. They are, 
 however, kept remarkably clean, and 
 their floors are covered with a large 
 quantity of dried grass, over which 
 they spread mats to sit and sleep 
 upon. At one end stands a kind of 
 bench about three feet high, on which 
 their household utensils are placed. 
 The catalogue is not long. It con- 
 sists of gourd-shells, which they con- 
 vert into vessels that serve as bottles 
 to hold water, and as baskets to con- 
 tain their victuals and other things, 
 with covers of the same ; and of a 
 few wooden bowls and trenchers of 
 different sizes. Judging from what 
 we saw growing, and from what was 
 brought to market, there can be no 
 doubt that the greatest part of their 
 vegetable food consists of sweet pota- 
 toes, " taro," and plantains, and that 
 bread-fruit and yams are rather to be 
 esteemed rarities. Of animal food 
 they can be in no want, as they have 
 abundance of hogs, which run without 
 restraint about the houses ; and if 
 they eat dogs, which is not improb- 
 able, their stock of these seemed to 
 be very considerable. The great 
 number of fishing-hooks found among 
 thori showed that they derive no in- 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vot.III.B.III.Ch.XII 
 
 considerable supply of animal food 
 from the sea. But it should seem, 
 from their practice of salting fish, 
 that the openness of their coast often 
 interrupts the business of catching 
 them ; as it may be naturally supposed 
 that no set of people would ever think 
 of preserving quantities of food arti- 
 ficially if they could depend upon a 
 daily regular supply of it in its fresh 
 state. This sort of reasoning, how- 
 ever, will not account for their custom 
 of salting their pork as well as their 
 fish, which are preserved in gourd- 
 shells. The salt, of which they use 
 a great quantity for thu purpose, is 
 of a red colour, not very coarse, and 
 seems to be much the same with what 
 
 our stragglers found at Christmas 
 Island. It has its colour, doubtless, 
 from a mixture of the mud at the 
 bottom of the part where it is formed ; 
 for some of it that had adhered in 
 lumps was of a sufficient whiteness 
 and purity. 
 
 They bake their vegetable food witli 
 heated stones as at the Southern Is- 
 lands ; and from the vast quantity 
 which we saw dressed at one time, we 
 suspected that the whole village, or 
 at least a considerable number of 
 people, joined in the use of a common 
 oven. We did not see them dress 
 any animal food at this island, but 
 Mr Gore's party, as already men- 
 tioned, had an opportunity of satis- 
 fying themselves that it was dressed 
 in Oneeheow in the same sort of 
 ovens, which leaves no doubt of this 
 being also the practice in Atooi, es- 
 pecially as we met with no utensil 
 there that could be applied to the 
 purpose of stewing or boiling. The 
 only artificial dish we met with was 
 a "taro" pudding, which, though a 
 disagreeable mess from its sourness, 
 was greedily devoured by the natives. 
 They eat off a kind of wooden plates 
 or trenchers ; and the women, as far 
 as we could judge from one instance, 
 if restrained from feeding at the same 
 dish with the men, as at Otaheite, 
 are at least permitted to eat in the 
 same place near them. 
 
 Their amusements seem pretty vari- 
 ous, for during our stay several wero 
 
Feb. 1778.] AMUSEMENTS OF THE NATIVES 
 
 discovered. The dances at which I in their diversions 
 
 237 
 
 they use the feathered cloaks and 
 caps were not seen ; but from the 
 motion3 which they made with their 
 hands on other occasions when they 
 sang, we could form some judgment 
 that they are in some degree at least 
 Bimilar to those we had met with at 
 the Southern Islands, though not 
 executed so skilfully. Neither had 
 they amongst them either flutes or 
 reeds ; and the only two musical in- 
 struments which we observed were of 
 an exceedingly rude kind. One of 
 them does not produce a melody ex- 
 ceeding that of a child's rattle. It 
 consists of what may be called a conic 
 cap inverted, but scarcely hollowed 
 at the base above a foot high, made 
 of a coarse sedge-like plant ; the upper 
 part of which and the edges are or- 
 namented with beautiful red feathers, 
 and to the point or lower part is fixed 
 a gourd-shell larger than the fist. Into 
 this is put something to rattle, which 
 is done by holding the instrument by 
 the small part, and shaking or rather 
 moving it from place to place briskly, 
 either to different sides, or backward 
 and forward just before the face, strik- 
 ing the breast with the other hand at 
 the same time. The other musical 
 instrument (if either of them deserve 
 that name) was a hollow vessel of 
 wood like a platter, combined with 
 the use of two sticks, on which one 
 of our gentlemen saw a man perform- 
 ing. He held one of the sticks, about 
 as we do a fiddle, with 
 hand, and struck it with the 
 other, which was smaller and re- 
 senibLd a drumstick, in a quicker or 
 slower measure ; at the same time 
 beating with his foot upon the hollow 
 vessel that lay inverted upon the 
 ground, and thus producing a tune 
 that was by no means disagreeable. 
 This music was accompanied by the 
 vocal performance of some women, 
 whose song had a pleasing and tender 
 effect. We observed great numbers 
 of small polished rods about four or 
 five feet long, somewhat thicker than 
 the rammer of a musket, with a tuft 
 ot* long white dogs' hair fixed on the 
 ■traaU end. Those are probably used 
 
 two feet long, 
 one 
 
 "We saw .i person 
 take one of them in his hand, and, 
 holding it up, give a smart stroke till 
 he brought it into a horizontal posi- 
 tion, striking with the foot on the 
 same side upon the ground, and with 
 his other hand beating his breast at the 
 same time. They play at bowls with 
 pieces of whetstone of about a pound 
 weight, shaped somewhat like a small 
 cheese, but rounded at the sides and 
 edges, which are very nicely polished ; 
 and they have other bowls of the 
 same sort, made of a heavy reddish 
 brown clay, neatly glazed over with a 
 composition of the same colour, or of 
 a coarse, dark grey slate. They also 
 use, in the manner that we throw 
 quoits, small, fiat, rounded pieces ot 
 the writing slate, of the diameter of 
 the bowls, but scarcely a quarter of 
 an inch thick, also well polished. 
 From these circumstances one would 
 be induced to think that their games 
 are rather trials of skill than of 
 strength. 
 
 Ineverythingmanufacturedbythese 
 people there appears to be an uncom- 
 mon degree of neatness and ingenuity. 
 Their cloth, which is the principal 
 manufacture, is made from the Moras 
 papyrifera, and doubtless in the same 
 manner as at Otaheite and Tongata- 
 boo ; for we bought some of the grooved 
 sticks with which it is beaten. Its 
 texture, however, though thicker, is 
 rather inferior to that of the cloth of 
 either of the other places ; but in 
 colouring or staining it the people of 
 Atooi display a superiority of taste, 
 by the endless variation of figures 
 which they execute. One would sup- 
 pose, on seeing a number of their 
 pieces, that they had borrowed their 
 patterns from some mercer's shop in 
 which the most elegant productions 
 of China and Europe are collected ; 
 besides some original patterns of their 
 own. Their colours, indeed, except 
 the red, are not very bright ; but the 
 regularity of the figures and stripes 
 is truly surprising, for, as far as W9 
 knew, they have nothing like stamps 
 or prints to make the impressions. 
 In what manner they produce their 
 colours we had not opportunities 
 
=5 
 
 238 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vot. III. B. III. Ch. XII. 
 
 of learning; but besides the party- 
 coloured sorts they have some pieces 
 of plain white cloth, and others of a 
 single colour, particularly dark brown 
 and light blue. In general, the pieces 
 which they brought to us were about 
 two feet broad, and four or five feet 
 long, being the form and quantity 
 that they use for their common dress 
 or "maro ;" and even these we some- 
 times found were composed of pieces 
 sewed together, an art which we did 
 not find to the southward, bxft is 
 strongly though not very neatly per- 
 formed here. There is also a particu- 
 lar sort that is thin, much resembling 
 oil-cloth ; and which is actually either 
 oiled or soaked in some kind of var- 
 nish, and seems to resist the action of 
 water pretty well. They fabricate a 
 great many white mats, which are 
 strong, with many red stripes, rhom- 
 buses, and other figures interwoven 
 on one side, and often pretty large. 
 These, probably, make a part of their 
 dress occasionally ; for they put them 
 on their backs when they offered them 
 for sale. But theymake others coarser, 
 plain and strong, which they spread 
 over their floors to sleep upon. 
 
 They stain their gourd-shells pret- 
 tily with undulated lines, triangles, 
 and other figures of a black colour, 
 instances of which we saw practised 
 at New Zealand. And they seem to 
 possess the art of varnishing ; for 
 some of these stained gourd-shells are 
 covered with a kind of lacquer ; and 
 on other occasions they use a strong 
 size, or gluey substance, to fasten 
 their things together. Their wooden 
 dishes and bowls, out of which they 
 drink their "ava,"areof the "etooa" 
 tree, or cordia, as neat as if made in 
 our turning-lathe, and perhaps better 
 polished. And amongst their articles 
 of handicraft may be reckoned small 
 .•quare fans of mat or wicker-work, 
 vith handles tapering from them of 
 Jhe same, or of wood, which are neatly 
 vrought with small cords of hair and 
 fibres of the cocoa-nut coir intermixed. 
 The great variety of fishing-hooks are 
 ingeniously made ; some of bone, 
 others of wood pointed with bone, 
 juid many of pearl shell. Of the last, 
 
 some are like a sort that we saw at Ton- 
 gataboo ; and others simply curved, as 
 the common sort at Otaheite, as well 
 as the wooden ones. The bones are 
 mostly small, and composed of two 
 pieces ; and all the different sorts hav6 
 a barb, either on the inside like ours, 
 or on the outside opposite the same 
 part ; but others have both, the outer 
 one being farthest from the point. 
 Of this last sort one was procured, 
 nine inches leng, of a single piece of 
 bone, which doubtless belonged to 
 some large fish. The elegant form 
 and polish of this could not certainly 
 be outdone by any European artist, 
 even if he should add all his know- 
 ledge in design to the number and 
 convenience of his tools. They polish 
 their stones by constant friction with 
 pumice-stone in water ; and such of 
 their working instruments or tools as 
 I saw resembled those of the Southern 
 Islands. Their hatchets, or rather 
 adzes, were exactly of the same pat- 
 tern, and either made of the same sort 
 of blackish stone or of a clay-coloured 
 one. They have also little instru- 
 ments made of a single shark's tooth, 
 some of which are fixed to the fore- 
 part of a dog's jaw-bone, and others 
 to a thin wooden handle of the same 
 shape ; and at the other end there is 
 a bit of string fastened through a small 
 perforation. These serve as knives 
 occasionally, and are perhaps used in 
 carving. 
 
 The only iron tools, or rather bits 
 of iron, seen amongst them, and which 
 they had before our arrival, were a 
 piece of iron hoop about two inches 
 long, fitted into a wooden handle ;* 
 and another edge-tool which our people 
 guessed to be made of the point of a 
 broad-sword. Their having the actual 
 possession of these, and their so gene- 
 rally knowing the use of this metal, 
 inclined some on board to think that 
 we had not been the first European 
 visitors of these islands. But it seems 
 to me that the very great surprise ex- 
 pressed by them on seeing our ships, 
 and their total ignorance of the use of 
 
 1 Captain King purchased this, and 
 brought it to England. 
 
Feb. 1778.] THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF IRON ACCOUNTED FOR. 239 
 
 fire-arms, cannot be reconciled with 
 such a notion. There are many ways 
 by which such people may get pieces 
 of iron, or acquire the knowledge of 
 the existence of such a metal, without 
 ever having had an immediate con- 
 nection with nations that use it. It 
 can hardly be doubted that it was 
 unknown to all the inhabitants of 
 this sea before Magellan led the way 
 into it ; for no discoverer, immediately 
 after his voyage, ever found any of 
 this metal in their possession, though 
 in the course of our late voyages it 
 has been observed that the use of it 
 was known at several islands to which 
 no former European ships had ever, as 
 far as we know, found their way. At 
 all the places where Mendana 1 touched 
 in his two voyages, it must have been 
 seen and left ; and this woidd extend 
 the knowledge of it, no doubt, to all 
 the various islands with which those 
 whom he had visited had any imme- 
 diate intercourse. It might even be 
 carried farther ; and where specimens 
 of this article could not be procured, 
 descriptions might in some measure 
 serve to make it known when after- 
 ward seen. The next voyage to the 
 southward of the Line in which any 
 intercourse was had with the natives 
 of this ocean was that of Quiros, who 
 landed at Sagittaria, the Island of 
 Handsome People, and Tierra del 
 Espiritu Santo, 2 at all which places, 
 and at those with whom they had 
 any communication, it must of cons^y 
 
 1 An enterprising Spanish naviga- 
 tor, who in the latter half of the six- 
 teenth centuryundertook two voyages, 
 in the first of which he discovered the 
 Salomon Islands, and in the second 
 the Marquesas and Queen Charlotte's 
 Islands, &c. 
 
 2 Quiros sailed from Callao at the 
 end of 1605, in command of four ships, 
 to plant a Spanish colony in Santa 
 Cruz, discovered by Mendana. Sagit- 
 taria is supposed to be Otaheite ; Tierra 
 del Espiritu Santo, which Quiros son- 
 guinely mistook for part of the long- 
 sought Southern Continent, is the 
 group now better known by the name 
 Cook gave it, that of New Hebrides. 
 
 quence have been made known. To 
 him succeeded in this navigation Le 
 Maire and Schouten, 3 whose connec- 
 tions with the natives commenced 
 much farther to the eastward, and 
 ended at Cocos and Horn Islands. It 
 was not surprising that when I visited 
 Tongataboo in 1773 I should find a 
 bit of iron there, as we knew that 
 Tasnian had visited it before me; 4 
 but let us suppose that he had never 
 discovered the Friendly Islands, our 
 finding iron amongst them would have 
 occasioned much speculation, though 
 we have mentioned before 5 the method 
 by which they had gained a renewal 
 of their knowledge of this metal, which 
 confirms my hypothesis. For Neeoo- 
 tabootaboo, or Boscawen's Island, 
 where Captain Wallis's ships left it, 
 and from whence Poulaho received it, 
 lies some degrees to the north-west of 
 Tongataboo. It is well known that 
 Roggewein lost one of his ships on the 
 Pernicious Islands, 6 which from their 
 situation are probably not unknown 
 to, though not frequently visited by, 
 the _ inhabitants of Otaheite and the 
 Society Islands. It is equally certain 
 that these last people had a know- 
 ledge of iron, and purchased it with 
 the greatest avidity, when Captain 
 "Wallis discovered Otaheite ; and thig 
 knowledge could only have been ac- 
 quired through the mediation of those 
 neighbouring islands where it had 
 been originally left. Indeed they 
 acknowledge that this was actually 
 the case ; and they have told us since 
 that they held it in such estimation 
 before Captain Wallis's arrival, that 
 a chief of Otaheite, who had got two 
 nails into his possession, received no 
 small emolument by letting out the 
 use of these to his neighbours for the 
 purpose of boring holes when their 
 own methods failed or were thought 
 too tedious. The men of the Society 
 
 3 1615-1617. 
 
 4 In 1643. 
 
 . 5 Ante, Book II., Chapter X., r 
 151. 
 
 6 Believed to be the Palliser's Isle^ 
 of English maps. The wreck happened 
 in 1722. 
 
240 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 Islands, whom we found at Wateeoo, 
 had been driven thither long after the 
 knowledge and use of iron had been 
 introduced amongst their country- 
 men ; and though probably they had 
 ao specimen of it with them, they 
 would naturally and with ease com- 
 municate at that island their know- 
 ledge of this valuable material by 
 description. From the people of 
 Wateeoo, again, those of Hervey's 
 Island might derive that desire to 
 possess some of it, of which we had 
 proofs during our short intercourse 
 with them. . . . 
 
 The very short and imperfect inter- 
 course which we had with the natives 
 put it out of our power to form any 
 accurate judgment of the mode of 
 government established amongst them, 
 but from the general resemblance of 
 customs, and particularly from what 
 we observed of the honours paid to 
 their chiefs, it seems reasonable to 
 believe that it is of the same nature 
 with that which prevails throughout 
 all the islands we had hitherto visited, 
 and probably their wars amongst 
 themselves are equally frequent. This 
 indeed, might be inferred from the 
 number of weapons which we found 
 them possessed of, and from the ex- 
 cellent order these were kept in. But 
 we had direct proof of the fact from 
 their own confession, and as we under- 
 stood these wars are between the differ- 
 ent districts of their own island, as well 
 as between it and their neighbours at 
 Oneeheow and Orrehoua. We need 
 scarcely assign any other cause besides 
 this to account for the appearance, 
 already mentioned, of theirpopulation 
 bearing no proportion to the extent 
 of their ground capable of cultivation. 
 
 Besides their spears or lances, made 
 of a fine chesnut-coloured wood beauti- 
 fully polished, some of which are 
 barbed at one end and flattened to a 
 point at the other, they have a sort 
 of weapon which we had never seen 
 before, and not mentioned by any 
 navigator as used by tho natives of 
 the South Sea. It is somewhat like 
 a dagger, in general about a foot and 
 si half long, sharpened at one or both 
 ands, and iecured to the hand by a 
 
 [Voy.III.B.III.Ch.XII. 
 
 string. Its use is to stab at close 
 fight, and it seems well adapted to 
 the purpose. Some of these may be 
 called double daggers, having a handle 
 in the middle, with which they are 
 better enabled to strike different 
 ways. They have also bows and 
 arrows; but both from their appar- 
 ent scarcity and their slender make 
 it may almost be presumed that they 
 never use them in battle. The knifo 
 or saw formerly mentioned, with 
 which they dissect the dead bodies, 
 may also be ranked amongst their 
 weapons, as they both strike and cut 
 with it when closely engaged. It ia 
 a small flat wooden instrument of an 
 oblong shape, about a foot long, 
 rounded at the corners, with a handle 
 almost like one sort of the "patoos" 
 of New Zealand; but its edges are 
 entirely surrounded with sharks' 
 teeth strongly fixed to it, and point- 
 ing outward, having commonly a hole 
 in the handle through which passes a 
 long string which is wrapped several 
 times round the wrist. We also sus- 
 pected that they use slings on some 
 occasions ; for we got some pieces of 
 the hcematites or blood-stone, artifici- 
 ally made of an oval shape, divided 
 longitudinally, with a narrow groove 
 in the middle of the convex part. To 
 this the person who had one of them 
 applied a cord of no great thickness, 
 but would not part with it, though 
 he had no objection to part with the 
 stone ; which must prove fatal when 
 thrown with any force as it weighed 
 a pound. We likewise saw some oval 
 pieces of whetstone well polished, but 
 somewhat pointed toward each end, 
 nearly resembling in shape some 
 stones which we had seen at New 
 Caledonia in 1774, and used there in 
 their slings. 
 
 What we could learn of their relig- 
 ious institutions, and the manner of 
 disposing of their dead, which may 
 properly be considered as closely con- 
 nected, has been already mentioned. 
 And as nothing more strongly points 
 out the affinity between the manners 
 of these people and of the Friendly 
 and Society Islands, I must just 
 mention some other circumstances to 
 
LANGUAGE OF TONGATABOO AND OTAHEITE. 
 
 Feb. 1778.] 
 
 place this in a strong point of view ; 
 and at the same time to show how a 
 few of the infinite modifications of 
 which a few leading principles are 
 capable, may distinguish any particu- 
 lar nation. The people of Tongata- 
 boo inter their dead in a very decent 
 manner, and they also inter their 
 human sacrifices; but they do not 
 oiler or expose any other animal or 
 even vegetable to their gods, as far as 
 we know. Those of Otaheite do not 
 inter their dead, but expose them to 
 waste by time and putrefaction though 
 the bones are afterward buried; and 
 as this is the case, it is very remark- 
 able that they should inter the entire 
 bodies of their human sacrifices. 
 Ihey also offer other animals and 
 vegetables to their gods, but are by 
 no means attentive to the state of the 
 sacred places where those solemn 
 ntes are ^performed; most of their 
 ' morais " being in a ruinous condi- 
 tion and bearing evident marks of 
 neglect. The people of Atooi, again, 
 inter both their common dead and 
 human sacrifices as at Tongataboo- 
 but they resemble those of Otaheite 
 in the slovenly state of their religi- 
 ous places, and in offering vegetabfes 
 and animals to their gods. The 
 ''taboo " also prevails in Atooi in its 
 lull extent, and seemingly with much 
 more rigour than even at Tongata- 
 boo. For the people here always 
 asked, with great eagerness and signs 
 of fear to offend, whether any particu- 
 lar thing which they desired to see 
 or we were unwilling to show, was 
 taboo, ' or, as they pronounced the 
 r°& r taf00 -" The " maia raa," or 
 lorbidden articles, at the Society 
 Islands, though doubtless the same 
 thing, did not seem to be so strictlv 
 observed by them, except with re- 
 spect to the dead, about whom we 
 thought them more superstitious than 
 any of the others were. But these 
 are circumstances with which we are 
 not as _ yet sufficiently acquainted to 
 be decisive about; and I shall only 
 just observe, to show the similitude 
 m other matters connected with re- 
 ligion, that the priests or "tahounas" 
 here, are as numerous as at the other 
 
 til 
 
 islands if we may judge from our 
 being able, during our stay, to dis- 
 tinguish several saying their "poore" 
 or prayer. 
 
 _ But whatever resemblance we might 
 discover, in the general manners of 
 the people of Atooi, to those of Ota- 
 heite, these of course were less strik- 
 ing than the coincidence of language 
 Indeed, the languages of both places 
 may be said to be almost word for 
 word the same. It is true that we 
 sometimes remarked particular words 
 to be pronounced exactly as we had 
 found at New Zealand and the 
 friendly Islands ; but though all the 
 tour dialects are indisputably the 
 same, these j people in general have 
 neither the strong guttural pronunci- 
 ation of the former, nor a less degree 
 ot it which also distinguishes the 
 latter ; and they have not only adopt- 
 ed the soft mode of the Otaheiteans 
 in avoiding harsh sounds, but t*e 
 whole idiom of their language, using 
 not only the same affixes and suffixes 
 to their words, but the same measure 
 and cadence in their songs, though 
 in a manner somewhat less agreeable, 
 there seems indeed, at first hearing 
 some disagreement to the ear of «, 
 stranger; but it ought to be con- 
 sidered that the people of Otaheite, 
 from their frequent connections with 
 the English, had learned in some 
 measure to adapt themselves to our 
 scanty knowledge of their language. 
 by using not only the most common 
 but even corrupted expressions in 
 conversation with us ; whereas when 
 they conversed among themselves, 
 and used the several parts necessary 
 to propriety of speech, they were 
 scarcely at all understood by those 
 amongst us who had made the greatest 
 proficiency in their vocabulary. 
 
 How shall we account for this 
 nation's having spread itself in s» 
 many detached islands so widely dis- 
 joined from each other in every 
 quarter of the Pacific Ocean t We 
 find it from New Zealand in the south 
 as far as the Sandwich Islands to the 
 north ; and, in another direction, frora 
 Easter Island to the Hebrides, that 
 is, over an extent of sixty degrees of 
 
242 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. III. Ch. XIII. 
 
 latitude or 1200 leagues north and 
 south, and eighty-three degrees of 
 longitude or 1660 leagues east and 
 west. How much farther in either 
 direction its colonies reach, is not 
 known; but what we know already, 
 in consequence of this and our former 
 voyage, warrants our pronouncing it 
 to be, though perhaps not the most 
 numerous, certainly by far the most 
 extensive nation upon earth. 
 
 Had the Sandwich Islands been dis- 
 covered at an early period by the 
 Spaniards, there is little doubt that 
 they would have taken advantage of 
 so excellent a situation, and have 
 made use of Atooi or some other of 
 the islands as a refreshing-place for 
 the ships that sail annually from 
 Acapulco for Manilla. They lie 
 almost midway between the first place 
 and Guam, one of the Ladrones, which 
 is at present their only port in tra- 
 versing this vast ocean ; and it would 
 not have been a week's sail out of 
 their common route to have touched 
 at them, which could have been done 
 without running the least hazard of 
 losing the passage, as they are suffi- 
 ciently within the verge of the easterly 
 trade-wind. An acquaintance with 
 the Sandwich Islands would have 
 been equally favourable to our Buc- 
 caneers, who used sometimes to pass 
 from the coast of America to the 
 Ladrones with a stock of food and 
 water scarcely sufficient to preserve 
 life. 1 Here they might always have 
 found plenty, and have been within 
 a month's sure sail of the very part 
 of California which the Manilla ship 
 is obliged to make, 2 or else have re- 
 turned to the coast of America, 
 thoroughly refitted, after an absence 
 of two months. How happy would 
 Lord Anson have been, and what 
 hardships woidd he have avoided, if 
 he had known that there was a group 
 of islands half way between America 
 and Tinian, where all his wants could 
 
 1 "Witness Dampier's description of 
 the weary and perilous passage, i 
 
 9 Cape San Lu&a«, the southernmost 
 point, 
 
 have been effectually supplied, and 
 in describing which the elegant his- 
 torian of that voyage would have pre- 
 sented his reader with a more agree- 
 able picture than I have been able to 
 draw in this Chapter? 3 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 After the Discovery had joined us, 
 we stood away to the northward, 
 close hauled, with a gentle gale from 
 the east. On the 7th, being in the 
 Latitude of 29° N., and in the Longi- 
 tude of 200° E., the wind veered to 
 SE. This enabled us to steer NE. 
 and E., which course we continued 
 till the 12th, when the wind had 
 veered round by the S. and W. to 
 NE. and ENE. I then tacked and 
 stood to the northward, our Latitude 
 being 30° N., and our Longitude 206° 
 15' E. Notwithstanding our advanced 
 latitude, and its being the winte" 
 season, we had only begun for a few 
 days past to feel a sensation of cold 
 in the mornings and evenings. This 
 is a sign of the equal and lasting in- 
 fluence of the sun's heat at all seasons 
 to 30* on each side the Line. The 
 disproportion is known to become 
 very great after that. This must be 
 attributed almost entirely to the direc- 
 tion of the rays of the sun, independ- 
 ent of the bare distance, which is by 
 no means equal to the effect. 
 
 On the 19th, being now in the 
 Latitude of 37° N., and in the Longi- 
 tude of 206° E., the wind veered to 
 SE. ; and I was enabled again to 
 steer to the E., inclining to the N. 
 
 3 With all deference to Mr "Walter, 
 the Narrator of Anson's voyage — or 
 to Captain Cook's self-humbling esti- 
 mate of his own performance, we 
 think most will prefer the plain un- 
 varnished tale, full of new and in- 
 teresting facts, told by the unlettered 
 sailor to the eloquent flourishes of the 
 Centurion's Chaplain, whose glowing 
 descriptions of Tinian were sadly dis- 
 credited by the subsequent experience 
 and report of practical, prosaic men. 
 
PROSECUTION OF VOYAGE NORTHWARD. 243 
 
 Mar. 1778.] 
 
 We had on the 25th reached the 
 Latitude of 42° 30' and the Longitude 
 of 219°, and then we began to meet 
 with the rock-weed mentioned by the 
 writer of Lord Anson's voyage, under 
 the name of sea-leek, which the Man- 
 illa ships generally fall in with. Now 
 and then a piece of wood also appeared ; 
 but if we had not known that the 
 Continent of Nortli America was not 
 far distant, we might, from the few 
 signs of the vicinity of land hitherto 
 met with, have concluded that there 
 was none within some thousand leagues 
 of us. We had hardly seen a bird or 
 any other oceanic animal since we left 
 the Sandwich Islands. 
 
 On the 1st of March, our Latitude 
 being now 44° 49' N., and our Longi- 
 tude 223° E., we had one calm day. 
 This was succeeded by a wind from 
 the north, with which I stood to the 
 east, close hauled, in order to make 
 the land. According to the charts, it 
 ought not to have been far from us. 
 It was remarkable that we should still 
 be attended with such moderate and 
 mild weather so far to the northward, 
 and so near the coast of an extensive 
 continent, at this time of the year. 
 The present season either must be un- 
 common for its mildness, or we can 
 assign no reason why Sir Francis 
 Drake should have met with such 
 severe cold about this latitude in the 
 month of June. 2 Viscaino, indeed, 
 who was near the same place in the 
 
 depth of winter, 3 says little of the 
 
 -Cook even understates the case 
 against his own experience, for it was 
 only in the Latitude of 38° 30' N. that 
 Drake found the "convenient and fit 
 harbour," where he continued from 
 the 17th of June till the 23d day of 
 July 1579, " during all which time we 
 were constantly visited with like nip- 
 ping colds as we had never felt before " 
 —more intense than some of his 
 people had felt at Wardhys, in 72° 
 not at the height of summer, but at 
 the end of it. See ante, pp. 73, 75. 
 
 3 Sent from Acapulco in May 1602 
 to search the Californian coast for a 
 secure harbour in which the galleons 
 
 cold, and speaks of a ridge of snowy 
 mountains somewhere on the coast as 
 a thing rather remarkable. Our see- 
 ing so few birds in comparison of 
 what we met with in the same lati- 
 tudes to the south of the Line, is 
 another singular circumstance, which 
 must either proceed from a scarcity of 
 the different sorts or from a deficiency 
 of places to rest upon. From hence 
 we may conclude that beyond 40° in 
 the southern hemisphere the species 
 are much more numerous, and the 
 isles where they inhabit also moro 
 plentifully scattered about than any- 
 where between the coast of California 
 and Japan in or near that latitude. 
 
 During a calm on the morning of 
 the 2d, some parts of the sea seemed 
 covered with a kind of slime, and 
 some small sea animals were swim- 
 ming about, the most conspicuous of 
 which were of the gelatinous or 
 Medusa kind, almost globular ; and 
 another sort smaller, that had a white 
 or shining appearance, and were very 
 numerous. Some of these last were 
 taken up and put into a glass cup 
 with some salt water, in which they 
 appeared like small scales or bits of 
 silver when at rest in a prone situa- 
 tion. When they began to swim 
 about, which they did with equal 
 ease upon their back, sides, or belly, 
 they emitted the brightest colours of 
 themost precious gems, according to 
 their position with respect to the 
 light. _ Sometimes they appeared quite 
 pellucid, at other times assuming 
 various tints of blue, from a pale 
 sapphirine to a deep violet colour, 
 which were frequently mixed with a 
 ruby or opaline redness, and glowed 
 with a strength sufficient to illuminate 
 the vessel and water. These colours 
 appeared most vivid when the glass 
 was held to a strong light, and mostly 
 vanished on the subsiding of the ani- 
 mals to the bottom, when they had a 
 brownish cast. But with candb light 
 the colour was chiefly a beautiful 
 pale green, tinged with a burnished 
 glass ; and in the dark it had a faint 
 
 might find refuge. The settlement and 
 fortification of Monterey was the result. 
 
244 
 
 appearance of glowing fire. Tiiey 
 proved to be a new species of Oniscus, 
 and from their properties were by Mr 
 Anderson (to whom we owe this ac- 
 count of them) called Oniscus fidgens, 
 being probably an animal which has 
 a share in producing some sorts of 
 that lucid appearance often observed 
 near ships at sea in the night. On 
 the same day two large birds settled 
 on the water near the ship. One of 
 these was the Procellaria maxima 
 (the "quebrantahuesos" 1 ), and the 
 other, which was little more than half 
 the size, seemed to be of the albatross 
 kind. The upper part of the wings 
 and tip of the tail were black, with 
 the rest white ; the bill yellowish ; 
 upon the whole not unlike the sea- 
 gull, though larger. 
 
 On the 6th at noon, being in the 
 Latitude of 44° 10' N. and the Longi- 
 tude of 234^° E., we saw two sails 
 and several whales ; and at daybreak 
 the next morning the long-looked-for 
 coast of New Albion 2 was seen, ex- 
 tending from NE. to SE., distant ten 
 or twelve leagues. At noon our Lati- 
 tude was 44° 33' N. and our Longi- 
 tude 235° 20' E.; and the land ex- 
 tended from NE. half N. to SE. by 
 S., about eight leagues distant. In 
 this situation we had seventy-three 
 fathoms water over a muddy bottom, 
 and about a league farther off found 
 ninety fathoms. The land appeared 
 to be of a moderate height, diversified 
 with hills and valleys, and almost 
 everywhere covered with wood. There 
 was, however, no very striking object 
 on any part of it except one hill, 
 whose elevated summit was flat. This 
 bore east from us at noon. At the 
 northern extreme the land formed a 
 point, which I called Cape Foul- 
 weather, from the very bad weather 
 that we soon after met with. I judge 
 
 1 The Spanish name for the sea- 
 eagle, or osprey ; literally, " the bone- 
 breaker; " Latin, " ossifrago," so 
 called from the great strength of its 
 beak. 
 
 2 This part of the west side of North 
 America was so named by Sir Francis 
 Drake in 1579. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III. B.III.Ch.XIIL 
 
 it to lie in the Latitude of 44° 55' N. 
 and in the Longitude of 235° 54' E. 
 
 We had variable light airs and 
 calms till 8 o'clock in the evening, 
 when a breeze sprung up at SW. 
 With it I stood to the NW. under 
 an easy sail, waiting for daylight to 
 range along the coast. But at four 
 next morning the wind shifted to 
 NW., and blew in squalls, with rain. 
 Our course was NE. till near 10 
 o'clock, when, finding that I could 
 make no progress on this tack, and 
 seeing nothing like a harbour, I tacked 
 and stood off SW. At this time 
 Cape Foul weather bore NE. by N., 
 about eight leagues distant. Towards 
 noon the wind veered more to the W., 
 and the weather became fair and clear, 
 so that we were enabled to make lunar 
 observations. Having reduced all 
 those that we had made since the 19th 
 of last month to the present ones, by 
 the time-keeper, amounting in the 
 whole to seventy-two sets, their mean 
 result determined the Longitude to 
 be 235° 15' 26" E., which was 14' 11" 
 less than what the time-keeper gava 
 This longitude is made use of foi 
 settling that of the coast, and I have 
 not a doubt of its being within a very 
 few miles of the truth. 
 
 Our difficulties now began to in- 
 crease. In the evening the wind 
 came to the NW., blowing in squalls, 
 with hail and sleet ; and the weather 
 being thick and hazy, I stood out to 
 sea till near noon the next day, when 
 
 I tacked and stood in again for the 
 land, which made its appearance at 
 two in the afternoon, bearing ENE. 
 The wind and weather continued the 
 same, but in the evening the former 
 veered more to the W. , and the latter 
 grew worse, which made it necessary 
 to tack and stand off till four the 
 next morning, when I ventured to 
 stand in again. At four in the after- 
 noon we saw the land, which at six 
 extended from NE. half E. to SE. by 
 S., about eight leagues distant. In 
 this situation we tacked and sounded, 
 but a line of 160 fathoms did not 
 reach the ground. I stood off till 
 midnight, then stood in again ; and 
 at half-past six we were within three 
 
Mar. 1773.] APPEARANCE OF 
 
 leagues of the land, which extended 
 from N. by E. half E. to S. half E., 
 each extreme about seven leagues dis- 
 tant. Seeing no signs of a harbour, 
 and the weather being still unsettled, 
 T tacked and stretched off SW., having 
 then fifty-five fathoms of water over a 
 muddy bottom. 
 
 That part of the land which we were 
 30 near when we tacked is of a moder- 
 ate height, though in some places it 
 rises higher within. It was diversified 
 with a great many rising grounds and 
 small hills, many of which were en- 
 tirely covered with tall straight trees, 
 and others, which were lower, and 
 grew in spots like coppices ; but the 
 interspaces and sides of many of the 
 rising grounds were clear. The whole, 
 though it might make an agreeable 
 summer prospect, had now an un- 
 comfortable appearance, as the bare 
 grounds toward the coast were all 
 covered with snow, which seemed to 
 be of a considerable depth between 
 the little hills and rising grounds, 
 rmd in several places towards the sea 
 might easily have been mistaken at a 
 distance for white cliffs. The snow 
 on the rising grounds was thinner 
 spread, and farther inland there was 
 no appearance of any; from whence 
 we might perhaps conclude that what 
 we saw towards the sea had fallen 
 during the night, which was colder 
 than any we had experienced since 
 our arrival on the coast, and we had 
 sometimes a kind of sleet. The coast 
 seemed everywhere almost straight, 
 without any opening or inlet ; and it 
 appeared to terminate in a kind of 
 white sandy beach, though some on 
 board thought that appearance was 
 owing to the snow. Each extreme of 
 the land that was now before us seemed 
 to shoot out into a point. The north- 
 ern one was the same which we had 
 first seen on the 7 th, and on that 
 account I called it Cape Perpetua. It 
 lies in the Latitude of 44° 6' N. and 
 in the Longitude of 235° 52' E. The 
 southern extreme before us I named 
 Cape Gregory. 1 Its Latitude is 43° 
 
 1 In the English calendar the 7th 
 »)f March is distinguished by the name 
 
 AMERICAN COAST. 
 
 245 
 
 30' N. and its Longitude 235' 57' E., 
 It is a remarkable point, the land of 
 it rising almost directly from the sea 
 to a tolerable height, while that on 
 each side of it is low. 
 
 I continued standing off till one in 
 the afternoon. Then I tacked and 
 stood in, hoping to have the wind off 
 from the land in the night. But in 
 this I was mistaken ; for at 5 o'clock 
 it began to veer to the W. and SW., 
 which obliged me, once more, to stand 
 out to sea. At this time Cape Per- 
 petua bore NE. by N. ; and the far- 
 thest land we could see to the south of 
 Cape Gregory bore S. by E., perhaps 
 ten or twelve leagues distant. If I 
 am right in this estimation, its Lati- 
 tude will be 43° 10' N. and its Longi- 
 tude 235° 55' E., which is nearly the 
 situation of Cape Blanco discovered 
 or seen by Martin d'Aguilar on the 
 19th of January 1603. It is worth 
 observing that in the very latitude 
 where we now were geographers have 
 been pleased to place a large entrance 
 or strait, the discovery of which they 
 take upon them to ascribe to the same 
 navigator ; whereas nothing more is 
 mentioned in the account of his voy- 
 age than his having seen, in this situa- 
 tion, a large river which he would 
 have entered, but was prevented by 
 the currents. 
 
 The wind, as I have observed, had 
 veered to the SW. in the evening ; 
 but it was very unsettled, and blew 
 in squalls, with snow showers. In 
 one of these, at midnight, it shifted 
 at once to WNW., and soon increased 
 to a very hard gale, with heavy squalls, 
 attended with sleet or snow. There 
 was no choice now ; and we were 
 obliged to stretch to the southward in 
 order to get clear of the coast. This 
 was done under courses and two close- 
 reefed topsails, being rather more sail 
 than the ships could safely bear ; but 
 it was necessary to carry it to avoid the 
 more pressing danger of being forced 
 on shore. This gale continued till 
 8 o'clock in the morning of the 13th; 
 when it abated, and I stood in again 
 
 of Perpetua M., and the 12th by that 
 of Gregory B. 
 
246 
 
 for the land. We had been forced a 
 considerable way backward ; for at the 
 time of our tacking we were in the 
 Latitude of 42° 45' and in the Longi- 
 tude of 233° 3 0'. The wind continued 
 at W. and NW., storms, moderate 
 weather, and calms, succeeding each 
 other by turns till the morning of the 
 21st ; when, after a few hours' calm, 
 a breeze sprung up at SW. This 
 bringing with it fair weather, I steer- 
 ed NE. in order to fall in with the 
 land beyond that part of it where we 
 had already so unprofitablybeen tossed 
 about for the last fortnight. In the 
 evening the wind veered to the west- 
 ward ; and at 8 o'clock the next morn- 
 ing we saw the land, extending from 
 NE. to E. nine leagues distant. At 
 this time we were in the Latitude of 
 47° 5' N. and in the Longitude of 235" 
 10' E. 
 
 I continued to stand to the north 
 with a fine breeze at W. and WNW., 
 till near 7 o'clock in the evening, 
 when I tacked to wait for daylight. 
 At this time we were in forty-eight 
 fathoms water, and about four leagues 
 from the land, which extended from 
 N. to SE. half E., and a small round 
 hill, which had the appearance of 
 being an island, bore N. three-quar- 
 ters E., distant six or seven leagues, 
 as I guessed ; it appears to be of a 
 tolerable height, and was but just to 
 be seen from the deck. Between this 
 island or rock, and the northern ex- 
 treme of the land, there appeared to 
 be a small opening, which flattered 
 us with the hopes of finding a har- 
 bour. These hopes lessened as we 
 drew nearer, and at last we had some 
 reason to think that the opening was 
 closed by low land. On this account 
 I called the point of land to the north 
 of it Cape Flattery. It lies in the 
 Latitude of 48° 15' N., and in the 
 Longitude of 235° 3' E. There is a 
 round hill of a moderato height over 
 it, and all the laud upon this part of 
 the coast is of a moderate and pretty 
 equal height, well covered with wood, 
 and had a very pleasant and fertile 
 appearance. It is in this very latitude 
 where we now were, that geographers 
 hr»ve placed the pretended Strait of 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B.III.Ch.XIIL 
 
 Juan de Fuca. We saw nothing lika 
 it, nor is there the least probability 
 that ever any such thing existed. 1 I 
 stood off to the southward till night, 
 when I tacked and steered to the 
 NW. with a gentle breeze at SW., 
 intending to stand in for the laud as 
 soon as daylight should appear. But 
 by that time we were reduced to two 
 courses and close-reefed topsails, hav- 
 ing a very hard gale, with rain, right 
 on shore ; so that, instead of running 
 in for the land, I was glad to get an 
 offing, or to keep that which we had 
 already got. The SW. wind was, 
 however, but of short continuance, 
 for in the evening it veered again to 
 the W. Thus we had perpetually 
 strong W. and NW. winds to encoun- 
 ter. Sometimes in an evening the 
 wind would become moderate and 
 veer to the southward ; but this was 
 always a sure prelude to a storm, 
 which blew the hardest at SSE., and 
 was attended with rain and sleet. It 
 seldom lasted above four or six houra 
 before it was succeeded by another 
 gale from the NW., which generally 
 brought with it fair weather. It was 
 by the means of these southerly blasts 
 that we were enabled to get to the 
 NW. at all. 
 
 At length, at 9 o'clock in the 
 morning of the 29th, as we were 
 
 1 Cook here lent himself too readily 
 to the undiscriminating condemna- 
 tion of the romancing Cephalonian's 
 marvellous tales about a strait or 
 channel which he entered in this 
 latitude, emerging after a prolonged 
 navigation, into the Atlantic. There 
 is now little doubt that Juan de Fuca 
 really discovered, and partly explored 
 the Strait that bears his name, and 
 that Cook credulously, and with quite 
 unusual lack of enterprise passed 
 lightly by. At all events, the chan- 
 nel bears at this day the name of the 
 Greco-Spanish navigator ; and the 
 recent arbitration (1872) by the Ger- 
 man Emperor on the San Juan dis- 
 pute with America has rendered its 
 name not quite pleasantly familiar to 
 many English folk who never heaid 
 of it before. 
 
Mar. 1778.] 
 
 BEHAVIOUR OF THE NATIVES. 
 
 247 
 
 standing to the NE. , we again saw 
 the land, which, at noon, extended 
 from NW. by W. to ESE., the 
 nearest part about six leagues distant. 
 Our Latitude was now 49° 29' N., and 
 our Longitude 232° 29' E. The ap- 
 pearance of the country differed much 
 from that of the parts which we had 
 before seen, being full of high moun- 
 tains, whose summits were covered 
 with snow. But the valleys between 
 them, and the grounds on the sea 
 coast, high as well as low, were 
 covered to a considerable breadth 
 with high, straight trees, that formed 
 al beautiful prospect as of one vast 
 forest. The SE. extreme of the 
 land formed a low point, off which 
 are many breakers, occasioned by 
 sunken rocks. On this account it 
 was called Point Breakers. It lies in 
 the Latitude of 49° 15' N., and in the 
 Longitude of 233° 20' E., and the 
 other extreme in about the Latitude 
 of 50° and the Longitude of 232° I 
 named this last Woody Point. It 
 projects pretty much out to the SW., 
 and is high land. Between these two 
 points the shore forms a large bay, 
 which I called Hope Bay, hoping from 
 the appearance of the land to find in 
 it a good harbour. The event proved 
 that we were aot mistaken. 
 
 As we drew nearer the coast, we 
 perceived the appearance of two inlets; 
 one in the N W. , and the other in the 
 NE. corner of the bay. As I could 
 not fetch the former, I bore up to the 
 latter, and passed some breakers or 
 sunken rocks that lay a league or 
 more from the shore. We had nine- 
 teen and twenty fathomsjwater half- 
 a-league without them ; but as soon 
 as we had passed them, the depth 
 increased to thirty, forty, and fifty 
 fathoms, with a sandy bottom ; and 
 farther in we found no bottom with 
 the greatest length of line. Not- 
 withstanding appearances, we were 
 not yet sure that there were any 
 inlets ; but, as we were in a deep 
 bay, I resolved to anchor, with a 
 view to endeavour to get some water, 
 of which by this time we were in great 
 want. At length, as we advanced, 
 the existence of the inlet was no longer 
 
 doubtful. At 5 o'clock we reached 
 the west point of it, where we were 
 becalmed for some time. While in 
 this situation I ordered all the boats 
 to be hoisted out to tow the ships in. 
 But this was hardly done before a 
 fresh breeze sprung up again at N W. , 
 with which we were enabled to stretch 
 up into an arm of the inlet that was 
 observed by us to run in to the north- 
 east. There we were again becalmed, 
 and obliged to anchor in eighty-five 
 fathoms water, and so near the shore 
 as to reach it with a hawser. The 
 wind failed the Discovery before she 
 got within the arm, where she anchor- 
 ed, and found only seventy fathoms. 
 We no sooner drew near the inlet 
 than we found the coast to be in- 
 habited ; and at the place where we 
 were first becalmed three canoes came 
 off to the ship. In one of these were 
 two men, in another six, and in the 
 third ten. Having come pretty neai 
 us, a person in one of the two last 
 stood up and made a long harangue, 
 inviting us to land, as we guessed bj 
 his gestures. At the same time h< 
 kept strewing handfuls of feather; 
 towards us; 1 and some of his com 
 panions threw handfuls of red dust 
 or powder in the same manner. The 
 person who played the orator wore 
 the skin of some animal, and held 
 in each hand something which rattled 
 as he kept shaking it. After tiring 
 himself with his repeated exhorta- 
 tions, of which we did not under- 
 stand a word, he was quiet ; and then 
 others took it by turns to say some- 
 thing, though they acted their part 
 neither so long nor with so much 
 vehemence as the other. We observed 
 that two or three had their hair quite 
 strewed over with small white feathers, 
 and others had large ones stuck into 
 different parts of the head. After the 
 tumultuous noise had ceased, they 
 lay at a little distance from the ship, 
 and conversed with each other in a 
 very easy manner ; nor did they seem 
 
 1 The natives of this coast twelve 
 degrees farther south, also brought 
 feathers as presents to Sir Francis 
 Drake on his arrival. 
 
248 COOK'S 
 
 to show the least surprise or distrust. 
 Some of them now and then got up 
 and said something after the manner 
 of their first harangues ; and one sung 
 a very agreeable air, with a degree of 
 softness and melody which we could 
 not have expected, the word "haela" 
 being often repeated as the burden of 
 the song. The breeze which soon after 
 sprung up bringing us nearer to the 
 shore, the canoes began to come off in 
 greater numbers ; and we had at one 
 time thirty-two of them near the ship, 
 carrying from three to seven or eight 
 persons each, both men and women. 
 Several of these stood up in their canoes 
 haranguing and making gestures after 
 the manner of our first visitors. One 
 canoe was remarkable for a singular 
 head, which had a bird's eye and bill 
 of an enormous size painted on it ; 
 and a person who was in it, who 
 seemed to be a chief, was no less re- 
 markable for his uncommon appear- 
 ance, having many feathers hanging 
 from his head, and being painted in 
 an extraordinary manner. 1 He held 
 in his hand a carved bird of wood, as 
 
 large 
 
 as a pigeon, with which he 
 
 VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. 17. Ch. I. 
 
 rattled as the person first mentioned 
 had done ; and was no less vociferous 
 in his harangue, which was attended 
 with some expressive gestures. 
 
 Though our visitors behaved very 
 peaceably, and could not be suspected 
 of any hostile intention, we could not 
 prevail upon any of them to come on 
 board. They showed great readiness, 
 however, to part with anything they 
 had, and took from us whatever we 
 offered them in exchange ; but were 
 more desirous of iron than of any other 
 of our articles of commerce, appearing 
 to be perfectly acquainted with the use 
 of that metal. Many of the canoes fol- 
 lowed us to our anchoring-place ; and 
 a group of about ten or a dozen of 
 them remained alongside the Resolu- 
 tion most part of the night. 
 
 These circumstances gave us a rea- 
 sonable ground of hope that we should 
 find this a comfortable station to sup- 
 ply all our wants, and to make us 
 forget the hardships and delays ex- 
 perienced during a constant succes- 
 sion of adverse winds and boisterous 
 weather almost ever since our arrival 
 upon the coast of America. 
 
 BOOK IV. 
 
 TRANSACTIONS AMONGST THE NATIVES OF NORTH AMERICA; DIS- 
 COVERIES ALONG THAT COAST, AND THE EASTERN EXTREMITY 
 OF ASIA, NORTHWARD TO ICY CAPE ; AND RETURN SOUTHWARD 
 TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The ships having happily found so 
 excellent shelter in an inlet, the coasts 
 of which appeared to be inhabited by 
 a race of people whose inoffensive 
 
 1 Viscaino met with natives on the 
 coast of California, while he was in 
 the harbour of San Diego, who were 
 painted or besmeared with black and 
 white, and had their heads loaded 
 vitb feathers. 
 
 behaviour promised a friendly inter- 
 course, the next morning, after com- 
 ing to anchor, I lost no time in en- 
 deavouring to find a commodious 
 harbour where we might station our- 
 selves during our continuance in the 
 sound. Accordingly I sent three 
 armed boats under the command of 
 Mr King upon this service ; and soon 
 after, 1 went myself in a small boat 
 on the same search. I had very little 
 trouble in finding what we wanted. 
 On the north-west of the arm we we*-? 
 
Mar. 1778.] ARTICLES BROUGHT 
 
 uow in, and not far from the ships, I 
 met with a convenient snng cove well 
 suited to our purpose. Mr King was 
 equally successful ; for he returned 
 about noon with an account of a still 
 better harbour which he had seen and 
 examined, lying on the north-west 
 side of the land. But as it would 
 have required more time to cany the 
 ships thither than to the cove where 
 I had been, which was immediately 
 within our reach, this reason operated 
 to determine my choice in favour of 
 the latter situation. But being appre- 
 hensive that we should not be able to 
 transport our ships to it, and to moor 
 them properly, before night came on, 
 I thought it best to remain where we 
 were till next morning ; and that no 
 time might be lost, I employed the 
 remainder of the day to some useful 
 purposes, ordering the sails to be un- 
 bent, the top -masts to be struck, and 
 the fore-mast of the Resolution to be 
 unrigged, in order to fix a new bib, 
 one of the old ones being decayed. 
 
 A great many canoes filled with 
 the natives were about the ships all 
 day, and a trade commenced betwixt 
 us and them which was carried on 
 with the strictest honesty on both 
 sides. The articles which they offered 
 to sale were skins of various animals, 
 such as bears, wolves, foxes, deer, 
 racoons, polecats, martens, and in 
 particular of the sea otters, which are 
 found at the islands east of Kamts- 
 chatka. Besides the skins in their 
 native shape, they also brought gar- 
 ments made of them, and another 
 sort of clothing made of the bark of 
 a tree, or some plant like hemp ; 
 weapons, such as bows, arrows, and 
 spears ; fish-hooks, and instruments 
 of various kinds ; wooden visors of 
 many different monstrous figures ; a 
 sort of woollen stuff, or blanketing ; 
 bags filled with red ochre, pieces of 
 carved work, beads, and several other 
 little ornaments of thin brass and 
 shaped like a horse-shoe, which 
 
 iron, 
 
 they hang at their noses, and several 
 chisels or pieces of iron fixed to 
 handles ; from their possessing which 
 metals, we could infer that they had 
 either been visited before by some 
 
 TO BARTER. 249 
 
 civilised nation, or had connection 
 with tribes on their continent who had 
 communication with them. But the 
 most extraordinary of all the articles 
 which they brought to the ships for sale 
 were human skulls and hands, not yet 
 quite stripped of the flesh, which they 
 made our people plainly understand 
 they had eaten ; and indeed some of 
 them had evident marks that they had 
 been upon the fire. We had but too 
 much reason to suspect from this cir- 
 cumstance that the horrid practice of 
 feeding on their enemies is ,as pre- 
 valent here as we had found it to be 
 at New Zealand and other South Sea 
 Islands. For the various articles 
 which they brought they took in 
 exchange knives, chisels, pieces of 
 iron and tin, nails, looking-glasses, 
 buttons, or any kind of metal. Gl;iS3 
 beads they were not fond of, and cloth 
 of every sort they rejected. 
 
 We employed the next day in 
 hauling our ships into the cove, 
 where they were moored head and 
 stern, fastening our hawsers to the 
 trees on shore. On heaving up the 
 anchor of the Resolution we found, 
 notwithstanding the great depth of 
 water in which it was let go, that 
 there were rocks at the bottom. These 
 had done some considerable damage 
 to the cable, and the hawsers that 
 were carried out to warp the ship into 
 the cove also got foul of rocks, from 
 which it appeared that the whole 
 bottom was strewn with them. The 
 ship being again very leaky in her 
 upper works, I ordered the carpenters 
 to go to work to calk her, and to 
 repair such other defects as on ex- 
 amination we might discover. 
 
 The fame of our arrival brought r. 
 great concourse of the natives to our 
 ships in the course of this day. We 
 counted above 100 canoes at onetime, 
 which might be supposed to contain 
 at an average five persons each, for 
 few of them had less than three on 
 board, great numbers had seven, eight, 
 or nine, and one was manned with no 
 less than seventeen. Amongst these 
 visitors many now favoured us with 
 their company for the first time, which 
 we could guess from their approach- 
 
250 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 rVoY.lll.B.lV.CM.L 
 
 ing the ships with their orations and 
 other ceremonies. If they had any 
 distrust or fear of us at first, they 
 now appeared to have laid it aside, 
 for they carne on board the ships and 
 mixed with our people with the great- 
 est freedom. "We soon discovered by 
 this nearer intercourse that they were 
 as light-fingered as any of our friends 
 in the islands we had visited in the 
 course of the voyage. And they were 
 far more dangerous thieves, for pos- 
 sessing sharp iron instruments, they 
 could cut a hook from a tackle, or 
 any other piece of iron from a rope, 
 the instant that our backs were 
 turned. A large hook weighing be- 
 tween twenty and thirty pounds, 
 several smaller ones, and other articles 
 of iron, were lost in this manner ; and 
 as to our boats, they stripped them 
 of every bit of iron that was worth 
 carrying away, though we had always 
 men left in them as a guard. They 
 weredextrous enough in effectingtheir 
 purposes, for one fellow would con- 
 trive to amuse the boat-keeper at one 
 end of a boat, while another was 
 pulling out the iron-work at the other. 
 If we missed a thing immediately 
 after it had been stolen we found 
 little difficulty in detecting the thief, 
 as they were ready enough to impeach 
 one another. But the guilty person 
 generally relinquished his prize with 
 reluctance, and sometimes we found 
 it necessary to have recourse to force. 
 
 The ships being securely moored, 
 we began our other necessary business 
 the next day. The observatories were 
 carried ashore and placed upon an 
 elevated rock on one side of the cove 
 close to the Eesolution. A party of 
 men, with an officer, was sent to cut 
 wood and to clear a place for the con- 
 veniency of watering. Others were 
 employed to brew spruce-beer, as pine- 
 trees abounded here. The forge was 
 also set up to make the iron-work 
 wantiug for the repairs of the fore- 
 mast. But, besides one of the bibs 
 being defective, the larboard trestle- 
 tree and one of the cross-trees were 
 sprang. . . . 
 
 After a fortnight's bad weather, the 
 19th proving a fair day, wo availed 
 
 ourselves of it to get up the top-masts 
 and yards, and to get up the rigging. 
 And having now finished most of our 
 heavy work, I set out the next morn- 
 ing to take a view of the sound. I 
 first went to the west point, where I 
 found a large village, and before it a 
 very snug harbour, in which was from 
 nine to four fathoms water over a 
 bottom of fine sand. The people of 
 this village, who were numerous, and 
 to most of whom I was well known, 
 received me very courteously; every 
 one pressing me to go into his house, 
 or, rather, his apartment, for several 
 families live under the same roof. I 
 did not decline the invitations, and 
 my hospitable friends whom I visited 
 spread a mat for me to sit upon, and 
 showed meeveryothermark of civility. 
 In most of the houses were women at 
 work making dresses of the plant or 
 bark before mentioned, which they 
 executed exactly in the same manner 
 that the New Zealanders manufacture 
 their cloth. Others were occupied in 
 opening sardines. I had seen a large 
 quantity of them brought on shore 
 from canoes, and divided by measure 
 amongst several people, who carried 
 them up to their houses, where the 
 operation of curing them by smoke- 
 drying is performed. They hang 
 them on small rods at first about a 
 foot from the fire, afterward they 
 remove them higher and higher to 
 make room for others, till the rods on 
 which the fish hang reach the top of 
 the house. When they are completely 
 dried, they are taken down and packed 
 close in bales, which they cover with 
 mats. Thus they are kept till wanted, 
 and they are not a disagreeable article 
 of food. Cod and other large fish are 
 also cured in the same manner by 
 them, though they sometimes dry 
 these in the open air without fire. 
 
 From this village I proceeded up 
 the west side of the sound. For about 
 three miles I found the shore covered 
 with small islands, which are so situ- 
 ated as to form several convenient 
 harbours, having various depths of 
 water from thirty to seven fathoms, 
 with a good bottom. Two leagues 
 within the sound on this west side 
 
April 1778.] BEHAVIOUR OF NATIVES AT THEIR VILLAGES. 251 
 
 there runs in an arm in the direction 
 of NNW. ; and two miles farther is 
 another nearly in the same direction, 
 with a pretty large island before it. 
 I had no time to examine either of 
 these arms, but have reason to believe 
 that they do not extend far inland, 
 as the water was no more than brackish 
 at their entrances. A mile above the 
 second arm I found the remains of a 
 village. The logs or framings of the 
 houses were standing, but the boards 
 that had composed their sides and 
 roofs did not exist. Before this vil- 
 lage were some large fishing weirs, 
 but I saw nobody attending them. 
 These weirs were composed of pieces 
 of wicker-work made of small rods, 
 some closer than others, according to 
 the size of the fish intended to be 
 caught in them. These pieces of 
 wicker-work (some of whose superficies 
 are at least twenty feet by twelve) are 
 fixed up edgewise in shallow water by 
 strong poles or pickets that stand firm 
 in the ground. Behind this ruined 
 village is a plain of a few miles' ex- 
 tent, covered with the largest pine- 
 trees that I ever saw. This was the 
 more remarkable as the elevated 
 ground on most other parts of this 
 west side of the sound was rather 
 naked. 
 
 From this place I crossed over to 
 the other, or east side of the sound, 
 passing an arm of it that runs in 
 NNE., to appearance not far. I now 
 found, what I had before conjectured, 
 that the land under which the ships 
 lay was an island, and that there were 
 many smaller ones lying scattered in 
 the sound on the west side of it. 
 Opposite the north end of our large 
 island, upon the mainland, I ob- 
 served a village, and there I landed. 
 The inhabitants of it were not so 
 polite as those of the other I had 
 just visited. But this cold reception 
 seemed in a great measure, if not en- 
 tirely, owing to one surly chief, who 
 would not let me enter their houses, 
 following me wherever I went ; and 
 several times by expressive signs 
 marking his impatience that I should 
 be gone. I attempted in vain to 
 2X>lhti him by presents, but though 
 
 he did not refuse them, they did not 
 alter his behaviour. Some of the 
 young women, better pleased with us 
 than was their inhospitable chief, 
 dressed themselves expeditiously in 
 their best apparel ; and, assembling 
 in a body, welcomed us to their village 
 by joining in a song which was far 
 from harsh or disagreeable. The day 
 being now far spent, I proceeded for 
 the ships round the north end of the 
 large island, meeting in my way with 
 several canoes laden with sardines 
 which had been just caught some- 
 where in the east corner of the sound. 
 When I got on board, I was informed 
 that while I was absent the ships had 
 been visited by some strangers in two 
 or three large canoes, who by signs 
 made our people understand that 
 they had come from the south-east 
 beyond the bay. They brought seve- 
 ral skins, garments, and other articles, 
 which they bartered. But, what was 
 most singular, two silver table-spoons 
 were purchased from them, which, 
 from their pecidiar shape, we supposed 
 to be of Spanish manufacture. One 
 of these strangers wore them round 
 his neck by way of ornament. These 
 visitors also appeared to be more plen- 
 tifully supplied with iron than the 
 inhabitants of the sound. 
 
 The mizzen-mast being finished, it 
 was got in and rigged on the 21st; 
 and the carpenters were set to work 
 to make a new fore-topmast to re- 
 place the one that had been carried 
 away some time before. Next morn- 
 ing, about 8 o'clock, we were visited 
 by a number of strangers in twelve or 
 fourteen canoes. They came into the 
 cove from the southward, and as soon 
 as they had turned the point of it, 
 they stopped and lay drawn up in a 
 body above half-an-hour about 200 or 
 300 yards from the ships. At first we 
 thought that they were afraid to come 
 nearer, but we were mistaken in this, 
 and they were only preparing an in- 
 troductory ceremony. On advancing 
 toward the ships, they all stood up in 
 their canoes and began to sing. Some 
 of their songs, in which the whole 
 body joined, were in a slow and others 
 in quicker time: and they accom- 
 
262 
 
 i)anied their notes with the most regu- 
 ar motions of their hands, or heating 
 in concert with their paddles on the 
 sides of the canoes, and making other 
 very expressive gestures. At the end 
 of each song they remained silent a 
 few seconds, and then hegan again, 
 sometimes pronouncing the word 
 " hooee ! " forcihly, as a chorus. After 
 entertaining us with this specimen of 
 their music, which we listened to 
 with admiration for above half-an- 
 hour, they came alongside the ships 
 and bartered what they had to dispose 
 of. Some of our old friends of the 
 sound were now found to be amongst 
 them, and they took the whole man- 
 agement of the traffic between us and 
 the strangers, much to the advantage 
 of the latter. 
 
 Our attendance on these visitors 
 being finished, Captain Clerke and I 
 went in the forenoon with two boats 
 to the village at the west point of the 
 sound. When I was there the day be- 
 fore, I had observed thatplenty of grass 
 grew near it ; and it was necessary to 
 lay in a quantity of this as food for 
 the few goats and sheep which were 
 still left on board. The inhabitants 
 received us with the same demonstra- 
 tions of friendship which I had ex- 
 perienced before ; and the moment 
 we landed I ordered some of my 
 people to begin their operation of cut- 
 ting. I had not the least imagina- 
 tion that the natives could make any 
 objection to our furnishing ourselves 
 with what seemed to be of no use to 
 them, but was necessary for us. 
 However, I was mistaken ; for, the 
 moment that our men began to cut, 
 some of the inhabitants interposed, 
 and would not permit them to proceed, 
 saying they must "makook," that is, 
 must first buy it. I was now in one 
 of the houses, but as soon as I heard 
 of this I went to the field, where I 
 found about a dozen of the natives, 
 each of whom laid claim to some part 
 of the giass that grew in this place. 
 I bargained with them for it, and 
 having completed the purchase, 
 thought we were now at liberty to cut 
 wherever we pleased. But here again 
 it appeared that I was under a mis- 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. IV. Ch. I. 
 
 take, for the liberal manner in which 
 I had paid the first pretended pro- 
 prietors brought fresh demands upon 
 me from others ; so that there did 
 not seem to be a single blade of grass, 
 that had not a separate owner, and so 
 many of them were to be satisfied 
 that I very soon emptied my pockets. 
 When they found that I really had 
 nothing more to give, their impor- 
 tunities ceased, and we were permitted 
 to cut wherever we pleased, and as 
 much as we choose to carry away. 
 
 Here I must observe that I have no- 
 where in my several voyages met 
 with any uncivilised nation or tribe 
 who had such strict notions of their 
 having a right to the exclusive pro- 
 perty of everything that their country 
 produces, as the inhabitants of this 
 sound. At first they wanted our 
 people to pay for the wood and water 
 that they carried on board ; and had 
 I been upon the spot when these de- 
 mands were made, I should certainly 
 have complied with them. Our work- 
 men in my absence thought differ- 
 ently, for they took but little notice 
 of such claims ; and the natives, when 
 they found that we were determined 
 to pay nothing, at last ceased to 
 apply. But they made a merit of 
 necessity ; and frequently afterwards 
 took occasion to remind us that they 
 had given us wood and water out of 
 friendship. 1 
 
 When we had completed all our 
 operations at this village, the natives 
 and we parted very good friends, and 
 we got back to the ships in the after- 
 noon. 
 
 The three following days were em- 
 ployed in getting ready to put to sea ; 
 the sails were bent ; the observatories 
 and instruments, brewing vessels, and 
 other things were moved from the 
 shore ; some small spars for different 
 
 1 Similar to the 
 natives of Nootka 
 
 behaviour of the 
 on this occasion 
 was that of another tribe of Indians 
 farther north, in Latitude 57° 18', to 
 the Spaniards who had preceded Cap- 
 tain Cook only three years, in a voy- 
 age to explore the coast of America 
 northward of California, 
 
April 1778.] PRESENTS GIVEN AND RECEIVED AT PARTING. 253 
 
 uses, and pieces of timber which 
 might be occasionally sawn into boards 
 were prepared and put on board ; and 
 both ships were cleared and put into 
 a sailing condition. Everything being 
 now ready, in the morning of the 
 26th I intended to have put to sea ; 
 but both wind and tide being against 
 us, was obliged to wait till noon, 
 when the south-west wind was suc- 
 ceeded by a calm, and, the tide turn- 
 ing in our favour, we cast off the 
 moorings, and with our boats towed 
 the ships out of the cove. After this 
 we had variable light airs and calms 
 till four in the afternoon, when a 
 breeze sprung up northerly, with very 
 thick hazy weather. The mercury in 
 the barometer fell unusually low ; and 
 we had every other forerunner of an 
 approaching storm, which we had 
 reason to expect would be from the 
 southward. This made me hesitate 
 a little, as night was at hand, whether 
 I should venture to sail, or wait till 
 the next morning. But my anxious 
 impatience to proceed upon the voy- 
 age, and the fear of losing this oppor- 
 tunity of getting out of the sound, 
 making a greater impression on my 
 mind than any apprehension of im- 
 mediate danger, I determined to put 
 to sea at all events. 
 
 Our friends the natives attended us 
 till we were almost out of the sound ; 
 some on board the ships and others in 
 their canoes. One of their chiefs, 
 who had some time before attached 
 himself to me, was amongst the last 
 who left us. Having before he went 
 bestowed upon him a small present, 
 I received in return a beaver-skin of 
 much greater value. This called upon 
 me to make some addition to my 
 present, which pleased him so much 
 that he insisted upon my acceptance 
 of the beaver-skin cloak which he 
 then wore, and of which I knew he 
 was particularly fond. Struck with 
 this instance of generosity, and de- 
 sirous that he should be no sufferer 
 by his friendship to me, I presented 
 to him a new broadsword with a brass 
 hilt ; the possession of which made 
 him completely happy. He, and also 
 many others of his countrymen, im- 
 
 portuned us much to pay them an- 
 other visit ; and by way of encour- 
 agement promised to lay in a good 
 stock of skins. I make no doubt that 
 whoever comes after me to this place 
 will find the natives prepared ac- 
 cordingly, with no inconsiderable 
 supply of an article of trade which, 
 they could observe, we were eager to 
 possess, and which we found could be 
 purchased to great advantage. 
 
 Such particulars about the country 
 and its inhabitants as came to our 
 knowledge during our short stay, and 
 have not been mentioned in the 
 course of the narrative, will furnish 
 materials for the two following Chap- 
 ters. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 On my arrival in this inlet I had 
 honoured it with the name of King 
 George's Sound, but I afterwards found 
 that it is called Nootka by the natives. 
 The entrance is situated in the east 
 corner of Hope Bay, in the Latitude 
 of 49° 33' N. and in the Longitude of 
 233° 12' E. The east coast of that 
 bay, all the way from Breakers Point 
 to the entrance of the sound, is 
 covered by a chain of sunken rocks 
 that seemed to extend some distance 
 from the shore ; and near the sound 
 are some islands and rocks above 
 water. We enter this sound between 
 two rocky points that lie ESE. and 
 WNW. from each other, distant be- 
 tween three and four miles. "Within 
 these points the sound widens con- 
 siderably, and extends in to the north- 
 ward four leagues at least, exclusive 
 of the several branches towards its 
 bottom, the termination of which we 
 had not an opportunity to ascertain. 
 But from the circumstance of finding 
 that the water freshened where our 
 boats crossed their entrance, it is 
 probable that they had almost reached 
 its utmost limits. And this proba- 
 bility is increased by the hills that 
 bounded it toward the land, being 
 covered with thick snow, when those 
 toward the sea, or where we lay, had 
 
254 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 not a speck remaining on them, though 
 in general they were much higher. 
 In the middle of the sound are a num- 
 ber of islands of various sizes. The 
 depth of water in the middle of the 
 sound, and even close home to some 
 parts of its shore, is from forty-seven 
 to ninety fathoms, and perhaps more. 
 The harbours and anchoring-places 
 within its circuit are numerous, but 
 we had no time to survey them. The 
 cove in which our ships lay is on the 
 east side of the sound and on the east 
 side of the largest of the islands. It is 
 covered from the sea, but has little else 
 to recommend it, being exposed to 
 the south-east winds, which we found 
 to blow with great violence ; and the 
 devastation they make sometimes was 
 apparent in many places. 
 
 The land bordering upon the sea- 
 coast is of a middling height and 
 level, but within the sound it rises 
 almost everywhere into steep hills, 
 which agree in their general formation, 
 ending in round or blunted tops, with 
 some sharp though notvery prominent 
 ridges on their sides. Some of these 
 hills may be reckoned high, while 
 others of them are of a very moderate 
 height ; but even the highest are en- 
 tirely covered to their tops with the 
 thickest woods, as well as every flat 
 part toward the sea. There are some- 
 times spots upon the sides of some of 
 the hills which are bare, but they are 
 few in comparison of the whole, though 
 they sufficiently point out the general 
 rocky disposition of these hills. Pro- 
 perly speaking, they have no soil 
 upon them except a kind of compost 
 produced from rotten mosses and trees 
 of the depth of two feet or more. 
 Their foundations are therefore to be 
 considered as nothing more than stu- 
 pendous rocks of a whitish or grey 
 cast where they have been exposed to 
 the weather; but when broken they 
 appeared to be of a bluish-grey colour, 
 like that universal sort which were 
 found at Kerguelen's Land. The 
 rocky shores are a continued mass 
 of this, and the little coves in the 
 sound have beaches composed of frag- 
 ments of it, with a few other pebbles. 
 HU these coves are furnished with a 
 
 [Voy.III.B.IV.ChJI. 
 
 great quantity of fallen wood lying in 
 them, which is carried in by the tide, 
 and with rills of fresh water sufficient 
 for the use of a ship, which seem to 
 be supplied entirely from the rains 
 and fogs that hover about the tops of 
 the hills. For few springs can be ex- 
 pected in so rocky a country, and the 
 fresh water found farther up the 
 sound most probably arose from the 
 melting of the snow, there being no 
 room to suspect that any large river 
 falls into the sound, either from 
 strangers coming down it or from any 
 other circumstance. The water of 
 these rills is perfectly clear, and dis- 
 solves soap easily. 
 
 The weather during our stay corre- 
 sponded pretty nearly with that which 
 we had experienced off the coast. 
 That is, when the wind was anywhere 
 between N. and W. the weather was 
 fine and clear ; but if to the S. of "W. 
 hazy, with rain. The climate, as far 
 as we had any experience of it, is in- 
 finitely milder than that on the east 
 coast of America under the same 
 parallel of latitude. The mercury in 
 the thermometer never even in the 
 night fell lower than 42°, and very 
 often in the day it rose to 60°. No 
 such thing as frost was perceived in 
 any of the low ground, on the con- 
 trary, vegetation had made a consider- 
 able progress, for I met with grass 
 that was already above a foot long. 
 
 The trees which chiefly compose the 
 woods are the Canadian pine, white 
 cypress, Cyiwessus thyoides, the wild 
 pine, with two or three other sorts of 
 pine less common. The first two 
 make up almost two-thirds of the 
 whole, and at a distance might be 
 mistaken for the same tree, as they 
 both run up into pointed spire-like tops; 
 but they are easily distinguished on 
 coming nearer from their colour, the 
 cypress being of a much paler green, 
 or shade, than the other. The trees 
 in general grow with great vigour, and 
 are all of a large size. There is but 
 little variety of other vegetable pro- 
 ductions, though doubtless several 
 had not yet sprung up at the early 
 season when we visited the place ; and 
 many more might be hid from tlw 
 
April 1778.] 
 
 SKINS BROUGHT FOR SALS. 
 
 narrowsphere of our researches. About 
 the rocks and verge of the woods we 
 found strawberry plants, some rasp- 
 berry, currant, and gooseberry bushes, 
 which were all in a most flourishing 
 atate, with a few small black alder- 
 trees. There are likewise a species of 
 sow-thistle, goose-grass, some crow's- 
 foot, which has a very fine crimson 
 flower ; and two sorts of Anthcricum, 
 one with a large orange flower, and 
 the other with a blue one. "We also 
 found in these situations some wild 
 rose-bushes which were just budding ; 
 a great quantity of young leeks with 
 triangular leaves ; a small sort of 
 grass ; and some water-cresses, which 
 grow about the sides of the rills ; be- 
 sides great abundance of Andromeda. 
 Within the woods, besides two sorts 
 of underwood shrubs unknown to us, 
 are mosses and ferns. Of the first of 
 which are seven or eight different 
 sorts, of the last not above three or 
 four; and the species of both are 
 mostly such as are common to Europe 
 and America. 
 
 The account that we can give of the 
 quadrupeds is taken from the skins 
 which the natives brought to sell, and 
 these were often so mutilated with 
 respect to the distinguishing parts, 
 such as the_ paws, tails, and heads, 
 that it was -impossible even to guess 
 at the animals to which they belonged, 
 though others were so perfect, or at 
 least so well known, that they left no 
 room to doubt about them. 
 
 Of these the most common were 
 bears, deer, foxes, and wolves. The 
 bear-skins were in great numbers, few 
 of them very large, but in general of 
 a shining black colour. The deer- 
 skins were scarcer, and they seem to 
 belong to that sort called the fallow- 
 deer by the historians of Carolina, 
 though Mr Pennant 1 thinks it quite a 
 different species from ours, and distin- 
 
 1 The celebrated naturalist and an- 
 tiquary, whose "British Zoology," 
 "History of Quadrupeds," "Arctic 
 Zoology," &c., are less remembered 
 and relished at this day than his Tours 
 in Scotland and in "Wales, and his 
 "Account of London." 
 
 guishes it by the name of Virginian 
 deer. The foxes are in great plenty, 
 and of several varieties ; some of their 
 skins being quite yellow, with a black 
 tip to the tail ; others of a deep or 
 reddish yellow intermixed with black ; 
 and a third sort of a whitish grey o» 
 ash-colour, also intermixed with black. 
 Our people used to apply the name of 
 fox or wolf indiscriminately when the 
 skins were so mutilated as to leave 
 room for a doubt ; but we got at last 
 an entire wolf-skin with the head on, 
 and it was grey. Besides the common 
 sort of marten, the pine-marten is also 
 here, and another, whose skin is of a 
 lighter brown colour than either, with 
 coarser hair ; but is not so common, 
 and is perhaps only a mere variety 
 arising from age or some other acci- 
 dental circumstance. The ermine is 
 also found at this place, but is rare 
 and small ; nor is the hair remarkably 
 fine, though the animal appeared to 
 be perfectly white ; and squirrels are 
 of the common sort, but the latter is 
 rather smaller than ours, and has a 
 deeper rusty colour running along the 
 back. 
 
 We were clear as to the existence of 
 all the animals already mentioned, 
 but there are two others besides which 
 we could not distinguish with suffi- 
 cient certainty. Of the first of these 
 we saw none of the skins but what 
 were dressed or tanned like leather. 
 The natives wear them on some occa- 
 sions, and from the size as well as 
 thickness they were generally con- 
 cluded to belong to the elk or moose- 
 deer, though some of them perhaps 
 might belong to the buffalo. The other 
 animal, which seems by no means 
 rare, was guessed to be a species 
 of the wild cat or lynx. The length 
 of the skins without the head, which 
 none of them had, was about two feet 
 two inches. They are covered with a 
 very fine wool or fur of a very light 
 brown or whitish yellow colour, inter- 
 mixed with long hairs, which on the 
 back, where they are shortest, are 
 blackish ; on the sides, where they are 
 longer, of a silver white; ard on the 
 belly, where they are longest, of the 
 colour of the wool ; but the whitish o? 
 
256 
 
 silver hairs are often so predominant 
 that the whole animal acquires a cast 
 of that kind. The tail is only threo 
 inches long, and has a black tip. The 
 whole skin being by the natives called 
 "wanshee," that most probably is 
 their name for this animal. Hogs, 
 dogs, and goats have not as yet found 
 their way to this place. Nor do the 
 natives seem to have any knowledge 
 of our brown rats, to which, when 
 they saw one on board the ships, they 
 applied the name they give to squir- 
 rels. And though they called our 
 goats " eineetla," this most probably 
 is their name for a young deer or 
 fawn. 
 
 The sea-animals seen off the coast 
 were whales, porpoises, and seals. 
 The last of these seem only of the 
 common sort, judging from the skins 
 which we saw here ; their colour being 
 either silvery, yellowish, plain, or 
 spotted with black. The porpoise is 
 the Phocena. I have chosen to refer 
 to this class the sea-otter, as living 
 mostly in the water. It might have 
 been sufficient to have mentioned 
 that this animal abounds here, as it 
 is fully described in different books 
 taken from the accounts of the Rus- 
 sian adventurers in their expeditions 
 eastward from Kamtschatka, if there 
 had not been a small difference in 
 one that we saw. We for some time 
 entertained doubts whether the many 
 skins which the natives brought really 
 belonged to this animal, as our only 
 reason for being of that opinion was 
 founded on the size, colour, and fine- 
 ness of the fur ; till a short while be- 
 fore our departure, when a whole one 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vot.III. B.IY.Cii.II. 
 
 without at the base of the two middle 
 ones. In these circumstances it seems 
 to disagree with those found by the 
 Russians, and also in not having the 
 outer toes of the hind feet skirted 
 with a membrane. There seemed 
 also a greater variety in the colour of 
 the skins than is mentioned by the 
 describers of the Russian sea-otters. 
 These changes of colour certainly 
 take place at the different gradation.s 
 of life. The very young ones had 
 brown hair, which was coarse, with 
 very little fur underneath, but those 
 of the size of the entire animal which 
 came into our possession had a con- 
 siderable quantity of that substance ; 
 and both in that colour and state the 
 sea-otters seem to remain till they 
 have attained their full growth. After 
 that they lose their black colour, and 
 assume a deep brown or sooty colour ; 
 but have then a greater quantity of 
 very fine fur and scarcely any long 
 hairs. Others, which we suspected 
 to be still older, were of a chestnut 
 brown ; and a few skins were seen 
 that had even acquired a perfectly 
 yellow colour. The fur of these ani- 
 mals, as mentioned in the Russian 
 accounts, is certainly softer and finer 
 than that of any others we know of, 
 and therefore the discovery of this 
 part of the continent of North Ame- 
 rica, where so valuable an article of 
 commerce may be met with, cannot 
 be a matter of indifference. 
 
 Birds in general are not only rare 
 as to the different species, but very 
 scarce as to numbers, and these few 
 are so shy, that in all probability they 
 are continually harassed by the na- 
 
 that had been just killed was pur- < tives, perhaps to eat them as food, 
 chased from some strangers who came i certainly to get possession of their 
 to barter. It was rather young, ! feathers, which they use as ornaments, 
 weighing only twenty-five pounds ; of i Those which frequent the woods are 
 a shining or glossy black colour ; but ' crows and ravens, not at all different 
 
 many of the hairs being tipt with 
 white, gave it a greyish cast at first 
 sight. The face, throat, and breast 
 wore of a yellowish white or very light 
 brown colour, which in many of the 
 skins extended the whole length of 
 the bellj'. It had six cutting-teeth 
 in each jaw ; two of those of the lower 
 jaw being very minute, md placed 
 
 from our English ones ; a bluish jay 
 or magpie ; common wrens, which are 
 the only singing bird that we hear ; 
 the Canadian or migrating thrush; 
 and a considerable number of brown 
 eagles with white heads and tails, 
 which, though they seem principally 
 to frequent the coast, come into the 
 sound in bad weather and sometime. - . 
 
April 1778.] OF THF, BIRDS, WATERFOWL, AND FISH. 
 
 257 
 
 perch upon the trees. Amongst some 
 other birds of which the natives either 
 brought fragments or dried skins, we 
 could distinguish a small species of 
 hawk, a heron, and the Alcyon or 
 large-crested American kingfisher. 
 There are also some which, I believe, 
 are not mentioned, or at least vary 
 very considerably from the accounts 
 given of them by any writers who 
 have treated professedly on this part 
 of natural history. The first two of 
 these are species of woodpeckers ; 
 one less than a thrush, of a black 
 colour above, with white spots on the 
 wings, a crimson head, neck, and 
 breast, and a yellowish, olive-coloured 
 belly, from which last circumstance 
 it might perhaps not improperly be 
 called the yellow-bellied woodpecker. 
 The other is a larger and much more 
 elegant bird, of a dusky brown colour 
 on the upper part, richly waved with 
 black, except about the head, the 
 belly of a reddish cast, with round 
 black spots, a black spot on the 
 breast, and the under side of the wings 
 and tail of a plain scarlet colour, 
 though blackish above; with a crim- 
 son streak running; from the angle of 
 the mouth a little down the neck on 
 each side. The third and fourth are 
 a small bird of the finch kind, about 
 the size of a linnet, of a dark dusky 
 colour, whitish below, with a black 
 head and neck and white bill, and a 
 sand-piper of the size of a small 
 pigeon, of a dusky brown colour, and 
 white below except the throat and 
 breast, with a broad white band across 
 the wings. There are also humming- 
 birds ; which yet seem to dilfer from 
 the numerous sorts of this delicate 
 animal already known, unless they 
 be a mere variety of the Trochilus 
 colubris of Linnaeus. These perhaps 
 inhabit more to the southward, and 
 spread northward as the season ad- 
 vances, because we saw none at first, 
 though near the time of our depar- 
 ture the natives brought them to the 
 ships in great numbers. The birds 
 which frequent the waters and the 
 shores, are not more numerous than 
 the others. The " quebrantahuesos " 
 [or osnrevs], gulls, and shags, were 
 
 seen off the coast; and the last two 
 also frequent the sound. They are 
 of the common sorts, the shags being 
 our cormorant or water-crow. AVe 
 saw two sorts of wild ducks; one 
 black, with a white head, which 
 were in considerable flocks ; the other 
 white, with a red bill, but of a largei 
 size; and the greater "lumme, " or 
 diver, found in our northern coun' 
 tries. There were also seen, once ol 
 twice, some swans flying across the 
 sound to the northward, but we knew 
 nothing of their haunts. On the 
 shores, besides the sand-piper de- 
 scribed above, we found another about 
 the size of a lark, which bears a great 
 affinity to the " burre ;" and a plover 
 differing very little from our common 
 sea-lark. 
 
 Fish are more plentiful in quantity 
 than birds, though the variety is not 
 very great ; and yet from several cir- 
 cumstances it is probable that even 
 the variety is considerably increased 
 at certain seasons. The principal 
 sorts, which we found in great num- 
 bers, are the common herring, but 
 scarcely exceeding seven inches in 
 length ; a smaller sort, which is the 
 same with the anchovy or sardine, 
 though rather larger ; a white or sil- 
 ver-coloured bream, and another of a 
 gold-brown colour, with many narrow 
 longitudinal blue stripes. The her- 
 rings and sardines, doubtless, come 
 in large shoals, and only at stated 
 seasons, as is common with that sort 
 of fish. The bream of both sorts may 
 be reckoned the next to these in quan- 
 tity ; and the full-grown ones weighed 
 at least a pound. The other fish, which 
 are all scarce, are a small brown kind 
 of "sculpin," such as is found on the 
 coast of Norway ; another of a brown- 
 ish red cast ; frost fish ; a large one 
 somewhat resembling the bullhead, 
 with a tough skin destitute of scales ; 
 and now and then, towards the time 
 of our leaving the sound, the natives 
 brought a small brownish cod spotted 
 with white, and a red fish of the same 
 size, Avhich some of cur people said 
 they had seeu in the Straits of Magel- 
 lan ; besides another differing little 
 from the hake. There are also con- 
 
258 
 
 biderable numbers of those fish called 
 the Chimceroe, or little sea-wolves, by 
 3ome, which is akin to and about the 
 size of the "pezegallo" or elephant- 
 lish. Sharks likewise sometimes fre- 
 quent the sound, for the natives have 
 some of their teeth in their possession ; 
 and we saw some pieces of ray or 
 skate which seemed to have been 
 pretty large. The other marine ani- 
 mals that ought to be mentioned here 
 are a small cruciated Medusa or blub- 
 ber ; star-fish which differ somewhat 
 from the common ones ; two small 
 sorts of crabs, and two others which 
 the natives brought, one of them of a 
 thick, tough, gelatinous consistence, 
 and the other a sort of membranaceous 
 tube or pipe ; both which are probably 
 taken from the rocks. And we also 
 purchased from them once a very large 
 cuttle-fish. There is abundance of 
 large mussels about the rocks ; many 
 sea-ears ; and we often saw shells of 
 pretty large plain Chamce. The smaller 
 sorts are some Trochi of two species ; 
 a curious Murex, rugged wilks, and a 
 snail, all which are probably pecu- 
 liar to this place ; at least I do not 
 recollect to have seen them in any 
 country near the same latitude in 
 either hemisphere. There are besides 
 these come small plain cockles, lim- 
 pets ; and some strangers who came 
 into the sound, wore necklaces of a 
 small bluish volute, or Panama. 
 Many of the mussels are a span in 
 length, and some having pretty large 
 pearls, which, however, are both badly 
 shaped and coloured. "We may con- 
 clude that there is red coral in the 
 sound or somewhere upon the coast ; 
 some thick pieces or branches having 
 been seen in the canoes of the natives. 
 The only animals of the reptile kind 
 observed here, and found in the woods, 
 were brown snakes two feet long, with 
 whitish stripes on the back and sides, 
 which are harmless, as we often saw 
 the natives carry them alive in their 
 hands ; and brownish water-lizards, 
 with a tail exactly like that of an eel, 
 which frequented the small standing 
 pools about the rocks. The insect 
 tribe seem to be more num ons. For 
 though the season which is peculiarly I 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. (Toy. III. B. IV. Ck. II. 
 
 fitted to their appearing abroad was 
 only beginning, we saw four cr five 
 different sorts of butterflies, none of 
 which were uncommon ; a good many 
 humble bees ; some of our common 
 gooseberry moths ; two or three sorts 
 of flies ; a few beetles ; and some mos- 
 quitoes, which probably may be more 
 numerous and troublesome, in a coun- 
 try so full of wood, during the summer, 
 though at this time they did little 
 mischief. 
 
 As to the mineral substances in this 
 country, though we found both iron 
 and copper here, there is little reason 
 to believe that either of them belong 
 to the place. Neither were the ores of 
 any metal seen, if we except a coarse, 
 red, earthy or ochry substance used 
 by the natives in painting themselves, 
 which probably may contain a little 
 iron, with a white and black pigment 
 used for the same purpose, But we 
 did not procure specimens of them, 
 and therefore cannot positively deter- 
 mine what are their component parts. 
 Besides the stone or rock that consti- 
 tutes the mountains and shores, which 
 sometimes contains pieces of very 
 coarse quartz, we found amongst the 
 natives things made of a hard black 
 granite, though not remarkably com- 
 pact or fine grained ; a greyish whet- 
 stone ; the common oil-stone of our 
 carpenters, in coarser and finer pieces ; 
 and some black bits which are little 
 inferior to the hone-stone. The natives 
 also use the transparent leafy "glim- 
 mer, " or muscovy glass ; a brown leafy 
 or martial sort ; and the}' sometimes 
 brought to us pieces of rock crystal, 
 tolerably transparent. The first two 
 are probably found near the spot, as 
 they seemed to be in considerable 
 quantities ; but the latter seems to be 
 brought from a greater distance, or is 
 very scarce, for our visitors always 
 parted with it reluctantly. Some of 
 the pieces were octangular, and had 
 the appearance of being formed into 
 that shape by art. 
 
 The persons of the natives arc in 
 general under the common stature, but 
 not slender in proportion, being com- 
 monly pretty full or plump, though 
 net muscular. Neither doth the soft 
 
April 1773.] PERSONAL APPEARANCE 
 
 fleshiness seem ever to swell into cor- 
 pulence ; and many of the older people 
 are rather spare or lean. The visage 
 of most of them is round and full, 
 and sometimes also broad, with large 
 prominent cheeks ; and above these 
 the face is frequently much depressed, 
 or seems fallen in quite across between 
 the temples ; the nose also flattening 
 at its base, with pretty wide nostrils 
 and a rounded point. The forehead 
 rather low ; the eyes small, black, and 
 rather languishing than sparkling ; 
 the mouth round, with large rouud 
 thickish lips ; the teeth tolerably 
 equal and well set, but not remark- 
 ably white. They have either no 
 beards at all, which was most com- 
 monly the case, or a small thin one 
 upon the point of the chin, which 
 does not arise from any natural defect 
 of hair on that part, but from pluck- 
 ing it out more or less ; for some of 
 them, and particularly the old men, 
 have not on'.j considerable beards all 
 over the chin, but whiskers or mous- 
 taches both on the upper lip and 
 running from thence towards the lower 
 jaw obliquely downward. Their eye- 
 brows are also scanty, and always 
 narrow ; but the hair of the head is 
 in great abundance, very coarse and 
 strong, and without a single exception 
 black, straight, and lank, or hanging 
 down over the shoulders. The neck 
 is short ; the arms and body have no 
 particular mark of beauty or elegance 
 in their formation, but are rather 
 clumsy ; and the limbs in all are very 
 small in proportion to the other parts, 
 and crooked or ill made, with large 
 feet badly shaped, and projecting 
 ankles. This last defect seems in a 
 great measure to arise from their sit- 
 ting so much on their hams or knees, 
 both in their canoes and houses. 
 
 Their colour we could never posi- 
 tively determine, as their bodies were 
 incrusted with paint and dirt, though 
 in particular cases, when these were 
 well rubbed off, the whiteness of the 
 skin appeared almost to equal that of 
 Europeans, though rather of that pale 
 effete cast which distinguishes those 
 of our southern nations. Their chil- 
 dren, whose skins had never been 
 
 OF NATIVES. 259 
 
 stained with paiut, also equalled ours 
 in whiteness. During their youth 
 some of them have no disagreeable 
 look, if compared to the generality of 
 the people ; but this seems to be en- 
 tirely owing to the particular anima- 
 tion attending that period of life, for 
 after attaining a certain age there is 
 hardly any distinction. Upon the 
 whole, a very remarkable sameness 
 seems to characterise the counten- 
 ances of the whole nation ; a dull 
 phlegmatic want of expression, with 
 very little variation, being strongly 
 marked in all of them. The women 
 are nearly of the same size, colour, 
 and form with the men, from whom 
 it is not easy to distinguish them, as 
 they possess no natural delicacies suffi- 
 cient to render their persons agreeable ; 
 and hardly any one was seen, even 
 amongst those who were in the prime 
 of life, who had the least pretensions 
 to be called handsome. 
 
 Their common dress is a fiaxen gar- 
 ment, or mantle, ornamented on the 
 upper edge by a narrow strip of fur, 
 and at the lower edge by fringes or 
 tassels. It passes under the left arm, 
 and is tied over the right shoulder by 
 a string before and one behind, near 
 its middle, by which means both 
 arms are free ; and it hangs evenly, 
 covering the left side, but leaving the 
 right open, except from the loose part 
 of the edges falling upon it, unless 
 when the mantle is fastened by a 
 girdle (of coarse matting or woollen) 
 round the waist, which is often done. 
 Over this, which reaches below the 
 knees, is worn a small cloak of the 
 same substance, likewise fringed at the 
 lower part. In shape this resembles 
 a round dish-cover, being quite close 
 except in the middle, where there is 
 a hole just large enough to admit the 
 head ; and then, resting upon tho 
 shoulders, it covers the arms to the 
 elbows and the body as far as the 
 waist. Their head is covered with a 
 cap of the figure of a truncated cone, 
 or like a nower-pot, made of fine 
 matting, having the top frequently 
 ornamented with a round or pointed 
 knob or a bunch of leathern tassels ; 
 and there is a string that passes under 
 
260 COOK'S V 
 
 the chin to prevent its blowing off. 
 Besides the above dress, which is com- 
 mon to both sexes, the men frequently 
 throw over their other garments the 
 skin of a bear, wolf, or sea-otter, with 
 the hair outward, and tic it as a cloak 
 near the upper part, wearing it some- 
 times before and sometimes behind. 
 In rainy weather they throw a coarse 
 mat about their shoulders. They 
 have also woollen garments, which, 
 however, are little in use. The hair is 
 commonly worn hanging down loose ; 
 but some, when the}' have no cap, tie it 
 in a bunch on the crown of the head. 
 Their dress upon the whole is con- 
 venient, and would by no means be 
 inelegant were it kept clean. But as 
 they rub their bodies constantly over 
 with a red paint of a clayey or coarse 
 ochry substance mixed with oil, their 
 garments by this means contract a 
 rancid offensive smell and a greasy 
 nastiness. So that the)' make a very 
 wretched dirty appearance ; and what 
 is still worse, their heads and their 
 garments swarm with vermin, which, 
 so depraved is their taste for cleanli- 
 ness, we used to see them pick off with 
 great composure and eat. 
 
 Though their bodies are always 
 covered with red paint, their faces are 
 often stained with a black, a bright 
 red, or a white colour, by way of 
 ornament. Tho last of these gives 
 them a ghastly, disgusting aspect. 
 They also strew the brown martial 
 mica upon the paint, which makes it 
 glitter. The ears of many of them 
 are perforated in the lobe, where they 
 make a pretty large hole, and two 
 others higher up on the outer edge. 
 In these holes they hang bits of bone, 
 quills fixed upon a leathern thong, 
 small shells, bunches of woollen tas- 
 sels, or pieces of thin copper, which 
 our beads could never supplant. The 
 septum of the nose in many is also 
 perforated, through which they draw 
 a piece of soft cord ; and others wear 
 at the same place small thin pieces of 
 iron, brass, or copper, shaped almost 
 like a horseshoe, the narrow opening 
 of which receives the septum so as that 
 the two points may gently pinch it, 
 and the ornament thus hangs over the 
 
 OYAGES. [Voy.IIT.B.IV.Ch.II. 
 
 upper lip. The rings of our brass but- 
 tons, which they eagerly purchased, 
 were appropriated to this use. About 
 their wrists they wear bracelets or 
 bunches of white bugle beads, made 
 of a conic shelly substance ; bunches 
 of thongs with tassels ; or a broad, 
 black, shining, horny substance, of 
 one piece. And about their ankles 
 they also frequently wear many folds 
 of leathern thongs, or the sinews of 
 animals twisted to a considerable 
 thickness. 
 
 Thus far of their ordinary dress and 
 ornaments ; but they have some that 
 seem to be used only on extraordinary 
 occasions, either when they exhibit 
 themselves as strangers, in visits of 
 ceremony, or when they go to war. 
 Amongst the first may be considered 
 the skins of animals, such as wolves 
 or bears, tied on in the usual manner, 
 but ornamented at the edges with 
 broad borders of fur, or of the woollen 
 stuff manufactured by them, ingeni- 
 ously wrought with various figures. 
 These are worn either separately or 
 over their other common garments. 
 On such occasions the most common 
 headdress is a quantity of withe, or 
 half-beaten bark, wrapped about the 
 head, which at the same time has 
 various large feathers, particularly 
 those of eagles, stuck in it, or is en- 
 tirely covered, or we may say powdered, 
 with small white feathers. The face, 
 at the same time, is variously painted, 
 having its upper and lower parts of 
 different colours, the strokes appearing 
 like fresh gashes ; or it is besmeared 
 with a kind of tallow, mixed with 
 paint, which is afterward formed into 
 a great variety of regular figures, and 
 appears like carved work. Some- 
 times, again, the hair is separated into 
 small parcels, which are tied at inter- 
 vals of about two inches, to the end, 
 with thread ; and others tie it together 
 behind, after our manner, and stick 
 brandies of the Cypressus thyoides in 
 it. Thus dressed, they have a truly 
 savage and incongruous appearance ; 
 but this is much heightened when 
 they assume what may be called their 
 monstrous decorations. These consist 
 of an endless variety of carvo.^ wnnden 
 
Ipbil 1778.] OF THEIR ORNAMENTS AND WOODEN MASKS. 261 
 
 masks or visors applied on the face, 
 or to the upper part of the head or 
 forehead. Some of these resemble 
 human faces, furnished with hair, 
 beards, and eye-brows ; others, the 
 heads of birds, particularly of eagles 
 and " quebrantahuesos ;" and many, 
 the heads of land and sea animals, 
 such as wolves, deer, porpoises, and 
 others. But in general these repre- 
 sentations much exceed the natural 
 size ; and they are painted, and often 
 strewed with pieces of the foliaceous 
 mica, which makes them glitter, and 
 serves to augment their enormous de- 
 formity. They even exceed this some- 
 times, and fix on the same part of the 
 head large pieces of carved work, re- 
 sembling the prow of a canoe, painted 
 in the same manner, and projecting 
 to a considerable distance. So fond 
 are they of these disguises, that I have 
 seen one of them put his head into a 
 tin kettle he had got from us, for want 
 of another sort of mask. Whether 
 they use these extravagant masquerade 
 ornaments on any particular religious 
 occasion or diversion ; or whether they 
 be put on to intimidate their enemies 
 when they go to battle, by their mon- 
 strous appearance, or as decoys when 
 they go to hunt animals, is uncertain. 
 But it may be concluded that if tra- 
 vellers or voyagers in an ignorant and 
 credulous age, when many unnatural 
 or marvellous things were supposed to 
 exist, had seen a number of people 
 decorated in this manner, without 
 being able to approach so near as to 
 be undeceived, they would readily 
 have believed, and in their relations, 
 would have attempted to make others 
 believe, that there existed a race of 
 beings partaking of the nature of man 
 and beast ; more especially when, 
 besides the heads of animals on the 
 human shoulders, they might have 
 seen the whole bodies of their men- 
 monsters covered with quadrupeds' 
 skins. 
 
 The only dress amongst the people 
 of Nootka observed by us that seems 
 peculiarly adapted to war, is a thick 
 leathern mantle doubled, which from 
 its size appeara to be the skin of an 
 elk or buffalo tanned This they 
 
 fasten on in the common manner; and 
 it is so contrived that it may reach 
 up and cover the breast quite to the 
 throat, falling at the same time 
 almost to the heels. It is sometimes 
 ingeniously painted in different com- 
 partments, and is not only sufficiently 
 strong to resist arrows, but, as they 
 informed us by signs, even spears 
 cannot pierce it, so that it may be 
 considered as their coat of mail or 
 most complete defensive armour. 
 Upon the same occasion they some- 
 times wear a kind of leathern cloak, 
 covered with rows of dried hoofs of 
 deer disposed horizontally, appended 
 by leathern thongs covered with 
 quills; which when they move make 
 a loud rattling noise, almost equal to 
 that of many small bells. It seems 
 doubtful, however, whether this part 
 of their garb be intended to strike 
 terror in war, or only is to be con- 
 sidered as belonging to their eccentric 
 ornaments on ceremonious occasions, 
 for we saw one of their musical en- 
 tertainments conducted by a man 
 dressed in this sort of cloak, with his 
 mask on, and shaking his rattle. 
 
 Though these people cannot bo 
 viewed without a kind of horror when 
 equipped in such extravagant dresses, 
 yet when divested of them and beheld 
 in their common habit and actions, 
 they have not the least appearance of 
 ferocity in their countenances ; and 
 seem on the contrary, as observed 
 already, to be of a quiet, phlegmatic, 
 and inactive disposition, destitute in 
 some measure of that degree of ani- 
 mation and vivacity that would render 
 them agreeable as social beings. If 
 they are not reserved, they are far 
 from being loquacious; but their 
 gravity is perhaps rather a conse- 
 quence of the disposition just men- 
 tioned than of any conviction of its 
 propriety, or the effect of any parti- 
 cular mode of education. For even 
 in the greatest paroxysms of their 
 rage they seem unable to express it 
 sufficiently, either with warmth of 
 language or significancy of gestures. 
 Their orations, which are made either 
 when engaged in any altercation or 
 dispute, or to explain their sentiments 
 
262 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 publicly on other occasions, seem 
 little more than short sentences, or 
 rather single words, forcibly repeated 
 and constantly in one tone and degree 
 of strength, accompanied only with 
 a single gesture, which they use at 
 every sentence, jerking their whole 
 body a little forward by bending the 
 knees, their arms hanging down by 
 their sides at the same time. 
 
 Though there be but too much 
 reason, from their bringing to sale 
 human skulls and bones, to infer 
 that they treat their enemies with a 
 degree of brutal cruelty, this circum- 
 stance rather marks a general agree- 
 ment of character with that of almost 
 every tribe of uncivilised man in 
 every age and in every part of the 
 globe, than that they are to be re- 
 proached with any charge of peculiar 
 inhumanity. We had no reason to 
 judge unfavourably of their disposi- 
 tion in this respect. They seem to 
 be a docile, courteous, good-natured 
 people ; but, notwithstanding the pre- 
 dominant phlegm of their tempers, 
 quick in resenting what they look 
 upon as an injury, and, like most 
 other passionate people, as soon for- 
 getting it. I never found that these 
 fits of passion went further than the 
 parties immediately concerned ; the 
 spectators not troubling themselves 
 about the quarrel, whether it was 
 with any of us or amongst their own 
 body, and preserving as much indif- 
 ference as if they had not known any- 
 thing about it, I have often seen one 
 of them rave and scold, without any 
 of his countrymen paying the least 
 attention to his agitation, and when 
 none of us could trace the cause or 
 the object of his displeasure. In such 
 cases they never discover the least 
 symptom of timidity, but seem deter- 
 mined at all events to punish the 
 insult. For even with respect to us 
 they never appeared to be under the 
 least apprehension of our superiority ; 
 but, when any difference happened, 
 wero just as ready to avenge the 
 wrong as amongst themselves. 
 
 Their other passions, especially theil 
 curiosity, appear in some measure to 
 lie dormant. For few expressed any 
 
 [Voy.I1LB.1V.Cii.il 
 
 desire to see or examine things wholly 
 unknown to them, and which, to 
 those truly possessed of that passion, 
 would have appeared astonishing. 
 They were always contented to pro- 
 cure th9 articles they knew and 
 wanted, regarding everything else 
 with great indifference; nor did our 
 persons, apparel, and manners, so dif- 
 ferent from their own, or even the 
 extraordinary size and construction of 
 our ships, seem to excite admiration 
 or even engage attention. One cause 
 of this may be their indolence, which 
 seems considerable. But on the other 
 hand they are certainly not wholly 
 unsusceptible of the tender passions, 
 if we may judge from their being so 
 fond of music, which is mostly of the 
 grave or serious but truly pathetic 
 sort. They keep the exactest concert 
 in their songs, which are often sung 
 by great numbers together, as those 
 already mentioned with which they 
 used to entertain us in their canoes. 
 These are generally slow and solemn ; 
 but the music is not of that confined 
 sort found amongst many rude nations, 
 for the variations are very numerous 
 and expressive, and the cadence 01 
 melody powerfully soothing. Besides 
 their full concerts, sonnets of the 
 same grave cast were frequently sung 
 by single performers, who keep time 
 by striking the hand against the 
 thigh. However, the music was 
 sometimes varied from its predomi- 
 nant solemnity of air, and there were 
 instances of stanzas being sung in a 
 more gay and lively strain, and even 
 with a degree of humour. 
 
 The only instruments of music (if 
 such they may be called) which I saw 
 amongst them were a rattle, and a 
 small whistle, about an inch long, 
 incapable of any variation, from 
 having but one hole. They use the 
 rattle when they sing ; but upon 
 what occasions they use the whistle 
 I know not, unless it be when they 
 dress themselves like particular ani- 
 mals, and endeavour to imitate their 
 howl or cry. I once saw one of them 
 dressed in a wolf-skin, with the head 
 over his own, and imitating that 
 animal by making a -queaking noise 
 
April 1778.1 EAGERNESS TO POSSESS IKON AND BRASS. 
 
 ;< * 
 
 with one of these whistles, which he 
 had in his mouth. The rattles are 
 for the most part made in the shape 
 of a bird, with a few pebbles in the 
 belly ; and the tail is the handle. 
 They have others, however, that bear 
 rather more resemblance to a child's 
 rattle. 
 
 In trafficking with us, some of them 
 would betray a knavish disposition, 
 and carry off our goods without 
 making any return. But in general 
 it was otherwise ; and we had abun- 
 dant reason to commend the fairness 
 of their conduct. However, their 
 eagerness to possess iron and brass, 
 and indeed any kind of metal, was so 
 great, that few of them could resist 
 the temptation to steal it whenever an 
 opportunity offered. The inhabitants 
 of the South Sea Islands, as appears 
 from a variety of instances in the 
 course of this voyage, rather than be 
 idle, would steal anything that they 
 eould lay their hands upon, without 
 ever considering whether it could be 
 of use to them or no. The novelty 
 of the object with them was a suffici- 
 ent motive for endeavouring by any 
 indirect means to get possession of it ; 
 which marked that in such cases they 
 were rather actuated by a childish 
 curiosity than by a dishonest disposi- 
 tion, regardless of the modes of sup- 
 plying real wants. The inhabitants 
 of Nootka, who invaded our property, 
 cannot have such apology made for 
 them. They were thieves in the 
 strictest sense of the word ; for they 
 pilfered nothing from us but what 
 they knew could be converted to the 
 purposes of private utility, and had a 
 real value according to their estima- 
 tion of things. And it was lucky for 
 us that nothing was thought valu- 
 able by them but the single articles 
 of our metals. Linen and such like 
 things were perfectly secure from their 
 depredations ; and we could safely 
 leave them hanging out ashore all 
 night without watching. The same 
 principle which prompted our Nootka 
 friends to pilfer from us, it was na- 
 tural to suppose, would produce a 
 similar conduct in their intercourse 
 with each other. And accordingly we 
 
 had abundant reason to believe, that 
 stealing is much practised amongst 
 them, and that it chiefly gives rise to 
 their quarrels, of which we saw mora 
 than one instance. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The two towns or villages men- 
 tioned in the course of my Journal 
 seem to be the only inhabited parts 
 of the sound. The number of in- 
 habitants in both might be pretty 
 exactly computed from the canoes 
 that were about the ships the second 
 day after our arrival. They amounted 
 to about a hundred, which, at a very 
 moderate aUowance, must irpon an 
 average have held five persons each. 
 But as there were scarcely any women, 
 very old men, children, or youths 
 amongst them at that time, I think 
 it will rather be rating the number of 
 the inhabitants of the two towns too 
 low if we suppose they could be less 
 than four times the number of our 
 visitors, that is, 2000 in the whole. 
 
 The viUage at the entrance of the 
 sound stands on the side of a rising 
 ground, which has a pretty steep 
 ascent from the beach to the verge of 
 the wood, in which space it is situated. 
 The houses are disposed in three 
 ranges or rows, rising gradually be- 
 hind each other, the largest being 
 that in front, and the others less ; 
 besides a few straggling or single 
 ones at each end. These ranges are 
 interrupted or disjoined at irregular 
 distances by narrow paths or lanes 
 that pass upward ; but those which 
 run in the direction of the houses 
 between the rows are much broader. 
 Though there be some appearance of 
 regularity in tin's disposition, there is 
 none in the single houses ; for erfch 
 of the divisions made by the paths 
 may be considered either as one house 
 or as many, there being no regular or 
 complete separation either without or 
 within to distinguish them by. They 
 are built of very long and broad 
 planks, resting upon the edges of 
 each other, fastened or tied by with.es 
 
264 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 A pine-bark here and there, and have 
 only slander posts, or rather poles, at 
 considerable distances on the outside, 
 to which they are also tied ; but 
 within are some larger poles placed 
 aslant. The height of the sides and 
 ends of these habitations is seven or 
 eight feet ; but the back part is a 
 little higher, by which means the 
 planks that compose the roof slant 
 forward, and are laid on loose so as to 
 be moved about, either to be put close 
 to exclude the rain, or in fair weather 
 to be separated to let in the light and 
 carry out the smoke. They are, how- 
 ever, upon the whole, miserable 
 dwellings, and constructed with little 
 care or ingenuity. For though the 
 side planks be made to fit pretty 
 closely in some places, in others they 
 are quite open ; and there are no 
 regular doors into them, the only 
 way of entrance being either by a 
 hole, where the unequal length of the 
 planks has accidentally left an open- 
 ing ; or in some cases planks are 
 made to pass a little beyond each 
 other, or overlap, about two feet 
 asunder, and the entrance is in this 
 space. There are also holes or win- 
 dows in the sides of the houses to 
 look out at, but without any regu- 
 larity of shape or disposition ; and 
 these have bits of mat hung before 
 them to prevent the rain getting in. 
 
 On the inside o:\e may frequently 
 see from one end to the other of these 
 ranges of building without interrup- 
 tion. For though in general there 
 be the rudiments, or rather vestiges, 
 of separations on each side for the 
 accommodation of different families, 
 they are such as do not intercept the 
 sight ; and often consist of no more 
 than pieces of plank running from 
 the side toward the middle of the 
 house, so that, if they were com- 
 plete, the whole might be compared 
 to a long stable, with a double range 
 of stalls, and a broad passage in the 
 middle. Close to the sides, in each 
 of these parts, is a little bench of 
 boards, raised five or six inches higher 
 than the rest of the floor, and covered 
 with mats, on which the family sit and 
 |eep. These benches are commonly 
 
 [Voy.III.B.IV.Ch.111, 
 
 seven or eight feet long, and four 03 
 five broad. In the middle of the 
 floor, between them, is the fireplace, 
 which has neither hearth nor chimney. 
 In one house, which was in the end of 
 a middle range, almost quite separated 
 from the rest by a high close parti- 
 tion, and the most regular as to de- 
 sign of any that I saw, there were 
 four of these benches, each of which 
 held a single family at a corner, but 
 without any separation by boards ; 
 and the middle part of the house ap- 
 peared common to them all. 
 
 Their furniture consists chiefly of 
 a great number of chests and boxes of 
 all sizes, which are generally piled 
 upon each other close to the sides or 
 ends of the house, and contain then- 
 spare garments, skins, masks, and 
 other things which they set a value 
 upon. Some of these are double, or 
 one covers the other as a lid ; others 
 have a lid fastened with thongs ; and 
 some of the very large ones have a 
 square hole or scuttle cut in the upper 
 part, by which the things are put in 
 and taken out. They are often painted 
 black, studded with the teeth of differ- 
 ent animals, or carved with a kind of 
 frieze-work, and figures of birds or 
 animals, as decorations. Their other 
 domestic utensils are mostly square 
 and oblong pails or buckets to hold 
 water and other things ; round wooden 
 cups and bowls, and small shallow 
 wooden troughs about two feet long, 
 out of which they eat their food ; and 
 baskets of twigs, bags of matting, &c. 
 Their fishing implements and other 
 things also lie or hang up in different 
 parts of the house, but without the 
 least order, so that the whole is a 
 complete scene of confusion ; and the 
 only places that do not partake of this 
 confusion are the sleeping-benches, 
 that have nothing on them but the 
 mats, which are also cleaner or of a 
 finer sort than those they commonly 
 have to sit on in their boats. The 
 Hastiness and stench of their houses 
 are, however, at least equal to the 
 confusion. For as they dry their fish 
 withindoors, theyalsogut them there ; 
 which, with their bones and fragments 
 thrown <3own at meals, and the addi- 
 
April 1778.] WOODEN 
 
 tion of other sorts of filth, lie every- 
 vvhero in heaps, and are, I believe, 
 r.sver carried away till it becomes 
 troublesome from their size to walk 
 over them. In a word, their houses 
 are as filthy as hog-sties ; everything 
 in and about them stinking of fish, 
 train-oil, and smoke. 
 
 But amidst all the filth and confu- 
 sion that are found in the houses, 
 many of them are decorated with 
 images. These are nothing more 
 than the trunks of very large trees, 
 four or five feet high, set up singly 
 or by pairs at the upper end of the 
 apartment, with the front carved into 
 a human face, the arms and hands 
 cut out upon the sides, and variously 
 painted ; so that the whole is a truly 
 monstrous figure. The general name 
 of these images is "klumma;" and 
 the names of two particular ones, 
 which stood abreast of each other, 
 three or four feet asunder, in one of 
 the houses, were "Natchkoa" and 
 "Matseeta." A mat, by way of 
 curtain, for the most part hung before 
 them, which the natives were not 
 willing at all times to remove; and 
 when they did unveil them they 
 seemed to speak of them in a very 
 mysterious manner. It should seem 
 that they are at times accustomed to 
 make offerings to them; if we can 
 draw this inference from their desir- 
 ing us, as we interpreted their signs, 
 to give something to these images 
 when they drew aside the mats that 
 covered them. It was natural from 
 these circumstances for us to think 
 that they were representatives of their 
 gods, or symbols of some religious or 
 superstitious object ; and yet we had 
 proofs of the little real estimation 
 they were in, for with a small quantity 
 of iron or brass I could have purchased 
 all the gods (if their images were such) 
 in the place. I did not see one that 
 was not offered to me ; and I actually 
 got two or three of the very smallest 
 sort. 
 
 The chief employment of the men 
 seems to be that of fishing, and killing 
 land or sea animals, for the sustenance 
 of their families, for we saw few of 
 fcjiam doing anything in the houses ; 
 
 IMAGES. 265 
 
 whereas the women were occupied in 
 manufacturing their flaxen or woollen 
 garments, and in preparing the sar- 
 dines for drying, which they also cany 
 up from the beach in twig-baskets 
 after the men have brought them in 
 their canoes. The women are also 
 sent in the small canoes to gather 
 mussels and other shell-fish, and per- 
 haps on some other occasions ; for 
 they manage these with as much dex- 
 terity as the men, who, when in the 
 canoes with them, seem to pay little 
 attention to their sex by offering to 
 relieve them from the labour of the 
 paddle, nor indeed do they treat them 
 with any particular respect or tender- 
 ness in other situations. The young 
 men appeared to be the most indolent 
 or idle set in this community; for 
 they were either sitting about in scat- 
 tered companies to bask themselves 
 in the sun, or lay wallowing in the 
 sand upon the beach like a number of 
 hogs, for the same purpose, without 
 any covering. But this disregard of 
 decency was confined to the men. 
 The women were always properly 
 clothed, and behaved with the utmost 
 propriety, justly deserving all com- 
 mendation for a bashfulness and mo- 
 desty becoming their sex ; but more 
 meritorious in them as the men seem 
 to have no sense of shame. It is 
 impossible, however, that we should 
 have been able to observe the exact 
 mode of their domestic life and em- 
 ployments from a single visit (as the 
 first was quite transitory) of a few 
 hours. For it may be easily supposed 
 that on such an occasion most of the 
 labour of all the inhabitants of the 
 village would cease upon our arrival, 
 and an interruption be given even to 
 the usual manner of appearing in then- 
 houses during their more remiss or 
 sociable hours, when left to them- 
 selves. "We were much better enabled 
 to form some judgment of their dis- 
 position, and in some measure even 
 of their method of living, from the 
 frequent visits so many of them paid 
 us at our ships in their canoes ; in 
 which, it should seem, they spend a 
 great deal of time, at least in the 
 eummer season. For we observed 
 
266 COOK'S V 
 
 that they not only cat and sleep fre- 
 quently in them, but strip off their 
 clothes and lay themselves along to 
 bask in the sun, in the same manner 
 as we had seen practised at their 
 village. Their canoes of the larger 
 sort are, indeed, sufficiently spacious 
 lor that purpose, and perfectly dry; 
 so that, under shelter of a skin, they 
 are, except in rainy weather, much 
 more comfortable habitations than 
 their houses. 
 
 Though their food, strictly speak- 
 ing, may be said to consist of every- 
 thing animal or vegetable that they 
 can procure, the quantity of the latter 
 bears an exceedingly small proportion 
 to that of the former. Their greatest 
 reliance seems to be upon the sea as 
 affording fish, mussels, and smaller 
 shell-fish, and sea-animals. Of the 
 first the principal are herrings and sar- 
 dines, the two species of bream for- 
 merly mentioned, and small cod. But 
 the herrings and sardines are not only 
 eaten fresh in their season, but like- 
 wise serve as stores which, after being 
 dried and smoked, are preserved by 
 being sewed up in mats, so as to form 
 large bales three or four feet square. 
 It seems that the herrings also supply 
 them with another grand resource for 
 food, which is a vast quantity of roe, 
 very curiously prepared. It is strewed 
 upon, or, as it were, incrustated about 
 small branches of the Canadian pine. 
 They also prepare it upon a long nar- 
 row sea-grass which grows plentifully 
 upon the rocks under water. This 
 caviare, if it may be so called, is kept 
 in baskets or bags of mat, and used 
 occasionally, being first dipped in 
 water. It may be considered as the 
 winter bread of these people, and has 
 no disagreeable taste. They also eat 
 the roe of some other fish, which from 
 the size of its grains must be very 
 large, but it has a rancid taste and 
 smell. It does not appear that they 
 prepare any other fish in this manner 
 to preserve them for any length of 
 time. For though they split and dry 
 a few of the bream and Ckimccrcc, 
 T/hich arc pretty plentiful, they do not 
 emoke them as the herrings and sar- 
 dines. 
 
 OYAGES. [Voy.III.B.IV.Ch.III. 
 
 The next article on which they 
 seem to depend for a large proportion 
 of their food is the large mussel, great 
 abundance of which are found in the 
 sound. These are roasted in their 
 shells, then stuck upon long wooden 
 skewers and taken off occasionally as 
 wanted, being eaten without any 
 other preparation, though they often 
 dip them in oil as a sauce. The other 
 marine productions, such as the smal- 
 ler shell-fish, though they contribute 
 to increase the general stock, are by 
 no means to be looked upon as a 
 standing or material article of their 
 food when compared to those just 
 mentioned. Of the sea-animals the 
 most common that we saw in use 
 amongst them as food is the porpoise, 
 the fat or rind of which, as well as 
 the flesh, they cut in large pieces, 
 and having dried them as they do the 
 herrings, eat them without any fur- 
 ther preparation. They also prepare 
 a sort of broth from this animal in its 
 fresh state in a singular manner, put- 
 ting pieces of it in a square wooden 
 vessel or bucket with water, and then 
 throwing heated stones into it. This 
 operation they repeat till they think 
 the contents are sufficiently stewed or 
 seethed. They put in the fresh and 
 take out the other stones with a cleft 
 stick, which serves as tongs, the ves- 
 sel being always placed near the fire 
 for that purpose. This is a pretty 
 common dish amongst them, and 
 from its appearance seems to be 
 strong nourishing food. The oil which 
 they procure from these and other sea- 
 animals is also used by them in great 
 quantities, both supping it alone with 
 a large scoop or spoon made of horn, 
 or mixing it with other food as sauce. 
 It may also be presumed that they 
 feed upon other sea-animals, such as 
 seals, sea-otters, and whales ; not only 
 from the skins of the two first being 
 frequent amongst them, but from the 
 great number of implements of all 
 sorts intended to destroy these different 
 animals, which clearly points out their 
 dependence upon them. Though per- 
 haps they do not catch them in great 
 plenty at all seasons, which seemed 
 to be the case while we lay there, a3 
 
Aran, 1773.] 
 
 MANNER OF PEEPAEING FOOD. 
 
 267 
 
 no great number of fresh skins or 
 pieces of the flesh were seen. The 
 same might perhaps be said of the 
 land-animals, which, though doubt- 
 less the natives sometimes kill them, 
 eppeared to be scarce at this time, as 
 we did not see a single piece of the 
 flesh belonging to any of them ; and 
 though their skins be in tolerable 
 plenty, it is probable that many of 
 these are procured by traffic from other 
 tribes. Upon the whole, it seems 
 plain from a variety of circumstances 
 that these people procure almost all 
 their animal food from the sea, if we 
 except a few birds, of which the gulls 
 or sea-fowl, which they shoot with 
 their arrows, are the most material. 
 
 As the Canadian pine-branches and 
 sea-grass on which the fish-roe is 
 strewed may be considered as their 
 only winter vegetables, so as the 
 spring advances they make use of 
 several others as they come in season. 
 The most common of these which we 
 observed were two sorts of liliaceous 
 roots, one simply tunicated, the other 
 granulated upon its surface, called 
 " mahkatte " and " koohquoppa," 
 which have a mild sweetish taste, and 
 are mucilaginous and eaten raw. The 
 next which they have in great quan- 
 tities is a root called •" aheita," re- 
 sembling in taste our liquorice, and 
 another fern root whose leaves were 
 not yet disclosed. They also eat raw 
 another small, sweetish, insipid root 
 about the thickness of sarsaparilla, 
 but we were ignorant of the plant to 
 which it belongs ; and also of another 
 root, which is very large and palmated, 
 which we saw them dig up near the 
 village and afterward eat it. It is 
 also probable that as the season ad- 
 vances they have many others which 
 we did not see. For though there be 
 no appearance of cultivation amongst 
 them, there are great quantities of 
 alder, gooseberry, and currant-bushes, 
 whose fruit they may eat in their 
 natural state, as we have seen them eat 
 the leaves of the last, and of the lilies, 
 just as they were plucked from the 
 plant. It must, however, bo observed 
 that one of the conditions which they 
 scam to require in all food is, that it 
 
 should be of the bland or less acrid 
 kind ; for they would not eat the leek 
 or garlic, though they brought vast 
 quantities to sell when they under- 
 stood we were fond of it. Indeed 
 they seemed to have no relish for any 
 of our food ; and when offered spiritu- 
 ous liquors, they rejected them as 
 something unnatural and disgusting 
 to the palate. 
 
 Though they sometimes eat small 
 marine-animals, in their fresh state, 
 raw, it is their common practice to 
 roast or broil their food ; for they are 
 quite ignorant of our method of boil- 
 ing, unless we allow that of prepar- 
 ing their porpoise broth is such ; and 
 indeed their vessels, being all of wood, 
 are quite insufficient for this purpose. 
 Their manner of eating is exactly con- 
 sonant to the nastiness of their houses 
 and persons ; for the troughs and 
 platters in which they put their food 
 appear never to have been washed from 
 the time they were first made, and the 
 dirty remains of a former meal are 
 only swept away by the succeeding 
 one. They also tear everything solid 
 or tough to pieces with their hands 
 and teeth ; for though they make use 
 of their knives to cut off the larger 
 jiortions, they have not as yet thought 
 of reducing these to smaller pieces 
 and mouthfuls by the same means, 
 though obviously more convenient and 
 cleanly. But they seem to have no 
 idea of cleanliness ; for they eat the 
 roots which they dig from the ground 
 without so much as shaking off the 
 soil that adheres to them. We ara 
 uncertain if they have any set tima 
 for meals ; for we have seen them eat 
 at all hours in their canoes. And yet, 
 from seeing several messes of the por- 
 poise broth preparing towards noon, 
 when Ave visited the village, I should 
 suspect that they make a principal 
 meal about that time. 
 
 Their weapons are bows and arrows, 
 slings, spears, short truncheons of 
 bone somewhat like the "patoo patoo " 
 of New Zealand, and a small pick -axe 
 not unlike the common American 
 tomahawk. The spear has generally 
 a long point made of bone. Some uf 
 the arrows are pointed with iron; but 
 
26S 
 
 most commonly their points were of 
 indented bone. The tomahawk is a 
 stone, six or eight inches long, point- 
 ed at one end, and the other end fixed 
 into a handle of wood. This handle 
 resembles the head and neck of the 
 human figure ; and the stone is fixed 
 in the mouth, so as to represent an 
 enormously large tongue. To make 
 the resemblance still stronger, human 
 hair is also fixed to it. This weapon 
 they call "taaweesh" or "tsuskeeah." 
 They have another stone weapon wiled 
 "seeaik," nine inches or a foot long, 
 with a square point. From the num- 
 ber of stone weapons and others, we 
 might almost conclude that it is their 
 custom to engage in close fight ; and 
 we had too convincing proofs that 
 their wars are both frequent and 
 bloody, from the vast number of 
 human skulls which they brought to 
 sell. 
 
 Their manufactures and mechanic 
 arts are far more extensive and ingeni- 
 ous, whether we regard the design 
 or the execution, than could have 
 been expected from the natural dis- 
 position of the people and the little 
 progress that civilisation has made 
 amongst them in other respects. The 
 flaxen and woollen garments with 
 which they cover themselves must 
 necessarily engage their first care, and 
 are the most material of those that 
 can be ranked under the head of manu- 
 factures. The former of these are made 
 of the bark of a pine-tree, beat into a 
 hempen state. It is not spun, but 
 after being properly prepared is spread 
 upon a stick which is fastened across 
 to two others that stand upright. It 
 is disposed in such a manner that the 
 manufacturer, who sits on her hams 
 at this simple machine, knots it across 
 with small plaited threads at the dis- 
 tance of half-an-inch from each other. 
 Though by this method it be not so 
 close or firm as cloth that is woven, 
 the bunches between the knots make 
 it sufficiently impervious to the air, 
 by filling the interstices ; and it lias 
 the additional advantage of being 
 softer and more pliable. The woollen 
 garments, though probably manufac- 
 tured in the same manner, have the 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Toy. III. B. IV. Ch. III. 
 
 strongest resemblance to woven cloth* 
 But the various figures which are very 
 artificially inserted in them destroy 
 the supposition of their being wrought 
 in a loom ; it being extremely unlikely 
 that these people should lie so dex- 
 terous as to be able to finish such a 
 complex work unless immediately by 
 their hands. They are of different 
 degrees of fineness ; some resembling 
 our coarsest rugs or blankets, and 
 others almost equal to our finest sorts, 
 or even softer, and certainly warmer. 
 The wool of which they are made seems 
 to be taken from animals, as the fox 
 and brown lynx, the last of which is 
 by far the finest sort, and in its natural 
 state differs little from the colour of 
 our coarser wools ; but the hair with 
 which the animal is also covered 
 being intermixed, its appearance when 
 wrought is somewhat different. Tha 
 ornamental parts or figures in these, 
 garments, which are disposed with 
 great taste, are commonly of a differ* 
 ent colour, being dyed chiefly either of 
 a deep brown or of a yellow ; the last 
 of which, when it is new, equals the 
 best in our carpets as to brightness. 
 
 To their taste or design in working 
 figures upon their garments, corre- 
 sponds their fondness for carving in 
 everything they make of wood. No- 
 thing is without a kind of frieze- 
 work or the figure of some animal 
 upon it ; but the most general repre- 
 sentation is that of the human face, 
 which is often cut out upon birds, 
 and the other monstrous figures men- 
 tioned before, and even upon their 
 stone and their bone weapons. The 
 general design of all these things is 
 perfectly sufficient to convey a know- 
 ledge of the object they are intended 
 to represent ; but the carving is not 
 executed with the nicety that a dex- 
 terous artist would bestow even upon 
 an indifferent design. The same, 
 however, cannot be said of many of 
 the human masks and heads, where 
 they show themselves to be ingenious 
 sculptors. They not cidy preserve 
 with exactness the general character 
 of their own faces, but finish the more 
 minute parts with a degree of accuracy 
 in j voportion and neatness in execn- 
 
/iprsl 1778.] NATIVE 
 
 tion. The strong propensity of this 
 people to works of this sort is remark- 
 able, in a vast variety of particulars. 
 Small whole human figures ; repre- 
 sentations of birds, lish, and land and 
 6ea animals; models of their house- 
 hold utensils, and of their canoes, 
 were found amongst them in great 
 abundance. 
 
 The imitative arts being nearly 
 allied, no wonder that to their skill 
 in working figures in their garments 
 and carving them in wood, they 
 should add that of drawing them in 
 colours. "We have sometimes seen 
 the whole process of their whale- 
 fishery painted on the caps they wear. 
 This, though rudely executed, serves 
 at least to show that though there be 
 no appearance of the knowledge of 
 letters amongst them, they have some 
 notion of a method of commemorating 
 and representing actions in a lasting 
 way, independently of what may be 
 recorded iu their songs and traditions. 
 They have also other figures painted 
 on some of their things ; but it is 
 doubtful if they ought to be considered 
 as symbols that have certain establish- 
 ed significations, or only the mere 
 creation of fancy and caprice. 
 
 Their canoes are of a simple struc- 
 ture, but, to appearance, well calculated 
 for every useful purpose. Even the 
 largest, which carry twenty people or 
 more, are formed of one tree. Many 
 of them are forty feet long, seven 
 broad, and about three deep. From 
 the middle towards each end they 
 become gradually narrower, the after- 
 part or stern ending abruptly or per- 
 pendicularly, with a small knob on 
 the top ; but the forepart is lengthened 
 out, stretching forwards and upwards, 
 ending in a notched point, or prow, 
 considerably higher than the sides of 
 the canoe, which run nearly in a 
 etraight line. For the most part they 
 nre without any ornament, but some 
 li ive a little carving, and are decorated 
 by setting seals' teeth on the surface, 
 like studs; as is the practice on their 
 masks and weapons. A few have 
 likewise a kind of additional head or 
 prow, like a large cutwater, which is 
 painted with the figure of some ani» 
 
 CANOES. 
 
 269 
 
 mal. They ha ve no seats, car any other 
 supporters on the inside than several 
 round sticks, little thicker than a cane, 
 placed across at mid depth. They 
 are very light, and their breadth and 
 flatness enable them to swim firmly 
 without an outrigger, which none of 
 thern have ; a remarkable distinction 
 between the navigation of all the Ame- 
 rican nations, and that of the Southern 
 parts of the East Indies and the islands 
 in the Pacific Ocean. Their paddles 
 are small and light ; the shape in some 
 measure resembling that of a large 
 leaf pointed at the bottom, broadest in 
 the middle, and gradually losing itself 
 in the shaft, the whole being about five 
 feet long. They have acquired great 
 dexterity in managing these paddles 
 by constant use ; for sails are no part 
 of their art of navigation. 
 
 Their implements for fishing and 
 hunting, which are both ingeniously 
 contrived and well made, are nets, 
 hooks and lines, harpoons, gigs, and 
 an instrument like an oar. This last 
 is about twenty feet long, four or five 
 inches broad, and about half-an-inch 
 thick. Each edge, for about two- 
 thirds of its length (the other third 
 being its handle), is set with sharp 
 bone teeth about two inches long. 
 Herrings and sardines, and such other 
 small fish as come in shoals, are at- 
 tacked with this instrument, which is 
 struck into the shoal, and the fish are 
 caught either upon or between the 
 teeth. Their hooks are made of bone 
 and wood, and rather inartificially ; but 
 the harpoon with which they strike the 
 whales and lesser sea animals shows a 
 great reach of contrivance. It is com- 
 posed of a piece of bone, cut into two 
 barbs, in which is fixed the oval blade 
 of a large mussel shell, in which is the 
 point of the instrument. To this are 
 fastened about two or three fathoms of 
 rope ; and to throw this harpoon they 
 use a shaft of about twelve or fifteen 
 feet long, to which the line or rope is 
 made fast, and to one end of which 
 the harpoon is fixed, so as to separate 
 from the shaft, and leave it floating 
 upon the water as a buoy when th'j 
 animal darts away with the harpoon. 
 "We can say nothing as to the man- 
 
270 
 
 ner of their catching or killing land 
 animals, unless we may suppose that 
 they shoot the smaller sorts with their 
 arrows, and engage hears or wolves 
 and foxes with their spears. They 
 have, indeed, several nets, which are 
 probably applied to that purpose, as 
 they frequently threw them over their 
 heads, to show their use, when they 
 brought them to us for sale. They also 
 sometimes decoy animals by covering 
 themselves with a skin, and running 
 about upon all fours, which they do 
 very nimbly, as appeared from the 
 specimens of their skill which they 
 exhibited to us, making a kind of 
 noise or neighing at the same time ; 
 and on these occasions the masks, or 
 carved heads, as well as the real dried 
 heads, of the different animals are put 
 on. As to the materials of which 
 they make their various articles, it is 
 to be observed that everything of the 
 rope kind is formed either from thongs 
 of skins and sinews of animals, or from 
 the same flaxen substance of which 
 their mantles are manufactured. The 
 sinews often appeared to be of such a 
 length, that it might be presumed 
 they could be of no other animal than 
 the whale. And the same may be 
 said of the bones of which they make 
 their weapons already mentioned ; 
 such as their bark-beating instru- 
 ments, the points of their spears, and 
 the barbs of their harpoons. 
 
 Their great dexterity in works of 
 wood may in some measure be ascribed 
 to the assistance they receive from iron 
 tools. For as far as we know they 
 use no other ; at least we saw only 
 one chisel of hone. And though ori- 
 ginally their tools must have been of 
 different materials, it is not impro- 
 bable that many of their improve- 
 ments have been made since they 
 acquired a knowledge of that metal, 
 which is now universally used in their 
 various wooden works. The chisel 
 and the knife are the only forms, as far 
 as we saw, that iron assumes amongst 
 them. The chisel is a long flat piece 
 fitted into a handle of wood. A stone 
 serves for a mallet, and a piece of fish 
 skin for a polisher. I have seen 
 some of these chisels that were eight 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B. IV. Cii.IlI. 
 
 or ten inches long, and three or four 
 inches broad ; but in general they were 
 smaller. The knives are of various 
 sizes ; some very large ; and their 
 blades are crooked, somewhat like our 
 pruning-knife, but the edge is on the 
 back or convex part. Most of them 
 that we saw were about the breadth 
 and thickness of an iron hoop ; and 
 their singular form marks that they 
 are not of European make. Probably 
 they are imitations of their own ori- 
 ginal instruments used for the same 
 purposes. They sharpen these iron 
 tools upon a coarse slate whetstone, 
 and likewise keep the whole instru- 
 ment constantly bright. 
 
 Iron, which they call "seekemaile" 
 (which name they also give to tin and 
 all white metals), being familiar to 
 these people, it was very natural for 
 us to speculate about the mode of its 
 being conveyed to them. Upon our 
 arrival in the sound they immediately 
 discovered a knowledge of traffic and 
 an inclination for it, and we were con- 
 vinced afterwards that they had not 
 received this knowledge from a cursory 
 interview with any strangers; but, 
 from their method, it seemed to be 
 an established practice of which they 
 were fond, and in which they were 
 also well skilled. With whom they 
 carry on this traffic, may perhaps ad- 
 mit of some doubt. For though we 
 found amongst them things doubtless 
 of European manufacture, or at least 
 derived from some civilised nation, 
 such as iron and brass, it by no means 
 appears that they receive them imme- 
 diately from these nations. For wo 
 never observed the least sign of their 
 having seen ships like ours before, 
 nor of their having traded with such 
 people. Many circumstances serve 
 to prove this almost beyond a doubt. 
 They were earnest in their inquiries, 
 by signs, on our arrival, if we meant 
 to settle amongst them, and if we came 
 as friends ; signifying, at the same 
 time, that they gave the wood and 
 water freely, from friendship. This 
 not only proves that they considered 
 the place as entirely their property, 
 without fearing any superiority; but the 
 inquiry would have been an unnatural 
 
April 1778.] 
 
 one, on a supposition that any ships 
 had been here before, had trafficked 
 and supplied themselves with wood and 
 water, and had then departed ; for in 
 that case they might reasonably expect 
 we would do the same. They indeed 
 expressed no marks of surprise at see- 
 ing our ships. But this, as I observed 
 before, may be imputed to their natural 
 indolence of temper and want of curi- 
 osity. Nor were they even startled at 
 the report of a musket ; till one day, 
 upon their endeavouring to make us 
 sensible that their arrows and spears 
 could not penetrate the hide dresses, 
 one of our gentlemen shot a musket 
 ball through one of them folded six 
 times. At this they were so much 
 staggered that they plainly discovered 
 their ignorance of the effect of fire- 
 arms. This was very often confirmed 
 afterwards, when we used them at 
 their village and other places to shoot 
 birds, the manner of which plainly 
 confounded them ; and our explana- 
 tions of the use of shot and ball were 
 received with the most significant 
 marks of their having no previous 
 ideas on this matter. 
 
 Some accounts of a Spanish voyage 
 to this coast in 1774 or 1775 had 
 reached England before I sailed, but 
 the foregoing circumstances suffi- 
 ciently prove that these ships had not 
 been at Nootka. 1 Besides this, it 
 was evident that iron was too common 
 here, was in too many hands, and 
 the uses of it were too well known for 
 them to have had the first knowledge 
 of it so very lately, or indeed at any 
 earlier period, by an accidental supply 
 from a ship. Doubtless, from the 
 
 1 We now know that Captain Cook's 
 conjecture was well founded. It ap- 
 pears from the Journal of this Voyage, 
 already referred to, that the Spaniards 
 had intercourse with the natives of 
 this coast only in three places — in 
 Latitude 41° 7', in Latitude 47° 21', 
 and in Latitude 57° 18'. So that 
 they were not within two degrees of 
 Nootka ; and it is most probable that 
 the people there never heard of these 
 Spanish ships, — Note in Original Edi- 
 tion. 
 
 THEIR IRON TOOLS. 271 
 
 general use they make of this metal, 
 it may be supposed to come from some 
 constant source by way of traffic, and 
 that not of a very late date, for they 
 are as dexterous in using their tools 
 as the longest practice can make 
 them. The most probable way, there- 
 fore, by which wecan suppose that they 
 get their iron, is by trading for it with 
 other Indian tribes, who either have 
 immediate communication with Euro- 
 pean settlements upon the continent, 
 or receive it perhaps through several 
 intermediate nations. The same might 
 be said of the brass and copper found 
 amongst them. "Whether these things 
 be introduced by way of Hudson's 
 Bay and Canada from the Indians 
 who deal with our traders, and so 
 successively across from one tribe to 
 the other, or whether they be brought 
 from the north-western parts of Mexico 
 in the same manner, perhaps cannot 
 be easily determined. But it should 
 seem that not only the rude materials, 
 but some articles in their manufac- 
 tured state, find their way hither. 
 The brass ornaments for noses, in par- 
 ticular, are so neatly made that I am 
 doubtful whether the Indians are 
 capable of fabricating them. The 
 materials certainly are European, as 
 no American tribes have been found 
 who knew the method of making 
 brass; though copper has been com- 
 monly met with, and from its softness 
 might be fashioned into any shape, 
 and also polished. If our traders to 
 Hudson's Bay and Canada do not uso 
 such articles in their traffic with the 
 natives, they must have been intro- 
 duced at Nootka from the quarter of 
 Mexico, whence no doubt the two 
 silver table-spoons met with here were 
 originally derived. It is most prob- 
 able, however, that the Spaniards are 
 not such eager traders, nor have formed 
 such extensive connections with the 
 tribes north of Mexico as to supply 
 them with quantities of iron, from 
 which they can spare so much to the 
 people here. 2 
 
 2 Though the two silver table-spoons 
 found at Nootka Sound most probably 
 came from the Spaniards in the south, 
 
272 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 Of the political and religious insti- 
 tutions established amongst them, it 
 cannot be supposed that we should 
 learn much. This we could observe, 
 that there are such men as chiefs who 
 are distinguished by the name or title 
 of " acweek," and to whom the others 
 are in some measure subordinate. 
 Bur I should guess the authority of 
 each of these great men extends no 
 further than the family to which he 
 belongs, and who own him as their 
 head. These " acweeks " were not 
 always elderly men, from which I con- 
 cluded that this title came to them 
 by inheritance. I saw nothing that 
 could give the least insight into their 
 notions of religion besides the figures 
 before mentioned, called by them 
 "klumma." Most probably these 
 were idols; but as they frequently 
 mentioned the word " acweek " when 
 they spoke of them, we may perhaps 
 be authorised to suppose that they 
 are the images of some of their ances- 
 tors, whom they venerate as divini- 
 ties. But all this is mere conjecture, 
 for we saw no act of religious homage 
 paid to them, nor could we gain any 
 information, as we had learned little 
 more of the language than to ask the 
 names of things, without being able 
 to hold any conversation with the 
 natives that might instruct us as to 
 their institutions and traditions. 
 
 CHAPTER 17. 
 
 Having put to sea on the evening of 
 the 26th, as before related, with strong 
 signs of an approaching storm, these 
 signs did not deceive us. "We were 
 hardly out of the sound before the 
 wind in an instant shifted from NE. 
 
 there seem to be sufficient grounds for 
 believing that the regular supply of 
 iron comes from a different quarter. 
 It is remarkable that the Spaniards, 
 in 1775, found at Puerto de la Trini- 
 dad, in Latitude 41° 7', arrows pointed 
 with copper or iron, which they under- 
 stood were procured from the north. 
 —Note in Original Edition. 
 
 [7oy.IILB.IV.Ch.IV. 
 
 to SE. by E. and increased to a strong 
 gale, with squalls and rain, and so 
 dark a sky that we could not see the 
 length of the ship. Being apprehen- 
 sive, from the experience I had since 
 our arrival on this coast, of the wind 
 veering more to the S., which would 
 put us in danger of a lee-shore, we got 
 the tacks on board, and stretched off 
 to the S\V. under all the sail the ships 
 could bear. Fortunately the wind 
 veered no farther southerly than SE., 
 so that at daylight the next morning 
 we were quite clear of the coast. 
 
 Tire Discovery being at some dis- 
 tance astern, I brought to till she 
 came up, and then bore away, steer- 
 ing NW., in which direction I sup- 
 posed the coast to lie. The wind was 
 at SE., blew very hard and in squalls, 
 with thick hazy weather. At half- 
 past one in the afternoon it blew a 
 perfect hurricane, so that I judged it 
 highly dangerous to run any longer 
 before it, and therefore brought the 
 ships to with their heads to the S. 
 under the foresails and mizzen stay- 
 sails. At this time the Resolution 
 sprung a leak, which at first alarmed 
 us not a little. It was found to be 
 under the starboard buttock, where 
 from the bread-room we could both 
 hear and see the water rush in; and, 
 as we then thought, two feet under 
 water. But in this we were happily 
 mistaken, for it was afterwards found 
 to be even with the water-line, if not 
 above it, when the ship was upright. 
 It was no sooner discovered than the 
 fish-room was found to be full of 
 water, and the casks in it afloat ; but 
 this was in a great measure owing to 
 the water not finding its way to the 
 pumps through the coals that lay in 
 the bottom of the room. For after 
 the water was baled out, which em- 
 ployed us till midnight, and had 
 found its way directly from the leak to 
 the pumps, it appeared that one pump 
 kept it under, which gave us no small 
 satisfaction. In the evening the wind 
 veered to the S., and its fury in some 
 degree ceased. On this we set the 
 mainsail and two topsails close-reefed, 
 and stretched to the westward. But 
 at 11 o'clock the gale again increased, 
 
May 1778.] PROGRESS ALONG COAST 
 
 and obliged us to take in the topsails, 
 till 5 o'clock the next morning, when 
 the storm began to abate, so that we 
 could bear to set them again. 
 
 The weather now began to clear up, 
 and being able to see several leagues 
 round us, I steered more to the north- 
 ward. At noon the Latitude, by ob- 
 servation, was 50° 1', Longitude 229° 
 26'. 1 I now steered NW. by N. with 
 a fresh gale at SSE. and fair weather. 
 But at nine in the evening it began 
 again to blow hard, and in squalls, 
 with rain. With such weather, and 
 the wind between SSE. and SW., I 
 continued the same course till the 
 30th at four in the morning, when I 
 steered N. by W. in order to make 
 the land. I regretted very much in- 
 deed that I could not do it sooner, for 
 this obvious reason, that we were now 
 passing the place where geographers 
 have placed the pretended strait of 
 Admiral de Fonte. 2 For my own part 
 I give no credit to such vague and 
 improbable stories that carry their 
 own confutation along with them. 
 Nevertheless I was very desirous of 
 keeping the American coast aboard in 
 order to clear up this point beyond 
 dispute. But it would have been 
 highly imprudent in me to have en- 
 gaged with the land in weather so 
 exceedingly tempestuous, or to have 
 lost the advantage of a fair wind by 
 waiting for better weather. This 
 same day at noon we were in the 
 
 1 As in the remaining part of this 
 Book, the latitude and longitude are 
 very frequently set down, the for- 
 mer being invariably north and the 
 latter east, the constant repetition of 
 the two words north and east has 
 been omitted. 
 
 2 Cook was in fact at this time 
 passing the mouth of Dixon's Chan- 
 nel, between Queen Charlotte's Island 
 and the Prince of Wales's Archipelago, 
 a genuine examination of which, and 
 bi the numerous channels near, may 
 have given the foundation for the 
 ridiculous fables told in his name in 
 1708, nearly seventy years after the 
 alleged date of his voyage, by a " sen- 
 sational " literary hack in London. 
 
 OF AMERICA. 273 
 
 Latitude of 53° 22', and in the Longi- 
 tude of 225° 14'. 
 
 The next morning, being the 1st of 
 May, seeing nothing of the land, I 
 steered north-easterly, with a fresh 
 breeze at SSE. and S., with squalls 
 and showers of rain and hail. Our 
 Latitude at noon was 54° 43', and our 
 Longitude 224° 44'. At seven in the 
 evening, being in the Latitude of 55° 
 20', we got sight of the land, extend- 
 ing from NNE. to E. or E. by S, about 
 twelve or fourteen leagues distant. 
 An hour after, I steered N. by W. ; 
 and at four the next morning the 
 coast was seen from N. by W. to SE. , 
 the nearest part about six leagues 
 distant. At this time the northern 
 point of an inlet, or what appeared to 
 be one, bore E. by S. It lies in the 
 Latitude of 56°; and from it to the 
 northward the coast seemed to be 
 much broken, forming bays and har- 
 bours every two or three leagues, or 
 else appearances much deceived us. 
 At 6 o'clock, drawing nearer the land, 
 I steered N W. by N. , this being the 
 direction of the coast, having a fresh 
 gale at SE., with some showers of 
 hail, snow, and sleet. Between 11 and 
 12 o'clock we passed a group of small 
 islands lying under the mainland, in 
 the Latitude of 56° 48', and off, or 
 rather to the northward of, the south 
 point of a large bay. An arm of this 
 bay, in the northern part of it, seemed 
 to extend in towards the north, be- 
 hind a round elevated mountain that 
 lies between it and the sea. This 
 mountain I called Mount Edgcumbe ; 
 and the point of land that shoots out 
 from it Cape Edgcumbe. The latter 
 lies in the Latitude of 57° 3', and in 
 the Longitude of 224° 7' ; and at noon 
 it bore N. 20°, W. six leagues dis- 
 tant. The land, except in some 
 places cloje to the sea, is all of a con- 
 siderable height, and hilly ; but 
 Mount Edgcumbe far out-tops all the 
 other hills. It was wholly covered 
 with snow, as were also all the other 
 elevated hills ; but the lower ones, 
 and the natter spots bordering upon 
 the sea were free from it, and covered 
 with wood. 
 
 As we advanced to the north, we 
 
 
274 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 found the coast from Cape Edgcumbe 
 to trend to north and north-easterly 
 for six or seven leagues, and there 
 form a large bay. In the entrance 
 of that bay are some islands, for which 
 reason I named it the Bay of Islands. 
 It lies in the Latitude of 57° 20', 1 and 
 seemed to branch into several arms, 
 one of which turned to the south, and 
 may probably communicatfa with the 
 bay on the east side of Cape Edg- 
 cumbe, and make the land of that 
 cape an island. 
 
 At half-an-hour past four in the 
 morning on the 3d, Mount Edgcumbe 
 bore S. 54° E. ; a large inlet N. 50° 
 E. , distant six leagues ; and the most 
 advanced point of the land to the 
 NW., lying under a very high peaked 
 mountain, which obtained the name 
 of Mount Fairweather, bore N. 32° 
 W. The inlet was named Cross 
 Sound, as being first seen on that day 
 so marked in our Calendar. It ap- 
 peared to branch in several arms, the 
 largest of which turned to the north- 
 ward. The south-east point of this 
 sound is a high promontory, which 
 obtained the name of Cross Cape. It 
 lies in the Latitude of 57° 57', and its 
 Longitude is 223° 21'. At noon it 
 bore SE. ; and the point under the 
 peaked mountain, which was called 
 Capo Fairweather, N. by W. quarter 
 W., distant thirteen leagues. 
 
 Here the NE. wind left us, and 
 was succeeded by light breezes from 
 the NW., which lasted for several 
 days. I stood to the SW. and WSW. 
 till 8 o'clock the next morning, when 
 tacked and stood towards the 
 
 we 
 
 shore. At noon the Latitude was 
 58° 22', and the Longitude 220° 45'. 
 Mount Fairweather, the peaked moun- 
 tain over the cape of the same name, 
 bore N. 63° E. ; the shore under it 
 twelve leagues distant. This moun- 
 tain, which lies in the Latitude of 
 
 1 It should seem that in this very 
 bay the Spaniards in 1775 found their 
 port which they call Delos Remedios. 
 The Latitude is exactly the same ; 
 and their Journal mentions its being 
 protected by a long ridge of high 
 islands. — Note in Original Edition. 
 
 [Voy.IILB.I7.Ch.IV. 
 
 58° 52', and in the Longitude of 222°, 
 and five leagues inland, is the highest 
 of a chain, or rather a ridge, of moun- 
 tains that rise at the NW. entrance 
 of Cross Sound, and extend to the 
 NW. in a parallel direction with the 
 coast. These mountains were wholly 
 covered with snow, from the highest 
 summit down to the sea-coast, some 
 few places excepted, where we could 
 perceive trees rising, as it were, out 
 of the sea ; and which, therefore, we 
 supposed grew on low land, or on 
 islands bordering upon the shore of 
 the continent. At five in the after- 
 noon our Latitude being then 58° 53', 
 and our Longitude 220 52', the sum- 
 mit of an elevated mountain appeared 
 above the horizon, bearing N. 26° W., 
 and, as was afterward found, forty 
 leagues distant. We supposed it to 
 bo Behring's Mount St Elias ; and it 
 stands by that name in our chart. 
 This day we saw several whales, seals, 
 and porpoises ; many gulls, andseveral 
 flocks of birds, which had a black 
 ring about the head, the tip of the 
 tail, and upper part of the wings, 
 with a black band, and the rest 
 bluish above and white below. We 
 also saw a brownish duck, with a 
 black or deep blue head and neck, 
 sitting upon the water. 
 
 Having but light winds, with some 
 calms, we advanced slowly ; so that, 
 on the 6th, at noon, we were only in 
 the Latitude of 59° 8', and in the 
 Longitude of 220° 19'. Mount Fair- 
 weather bore S. 63° E., and Mount St 
 Elias N. 30° W. ; the nearest land about 
 eight leagues distant. In the direction 
 «f N. 47° E. from this station, there 
 was the appearance of a bay, and 
 an island olf the south point of it, 
 that was covered with wood. It is 
 here where I suppose Commodore 
 Behring to have anchored. Behind 
 the bay (which I shall distinguish by 
 the name of Behring's Bay, in honour 
 of its discoverer), or rather to the 
 south of it, the chain of mountains 
 before mentioned is interrupted by a 
 plain of a few leagues' extent, beyond 
 which the sight was unlimited ; so 
 that there is either a level country or 
 water behind it. In the afternoon, 
 
May 1778.] KAYE'S 
 
 having a few hours' calm, I took this 
 opportunity to sound, and found 
 twenty fathoms water over a muddy 
 bottom. The calm was succeeded by 
 a light breeze from the north, with 
 which we stood to the westward ; and 
 at noon the next day we were in the 
 Latitude of 59° 27', and the Longi- 
 tude of 219° 7'. 
 
 We now found the coast to trend 
 very much to the west, inclining 
 hardly anything to the north ; and 
 as we had the wind mostly from the 
 westward, and but little of it, our 
 progress was slow. On the 9th, at 
 noon, the Latitude was 59° 30', and 
 the Longitude 217°. In this situa- 
 tion the nearest land was nine leagues 
 distant, and Mount St Elias bore 
 N. 30° E., nineteen leagues distant. 
 This mountain lies twelve leagues 
 inland, in the Latitude of 60° 27', and 
 in the Longitude of 219°. It belongs 
 to a ridge of exceedingly high moun- 
 tains, that may be reckoned a con- 
 tinuation of the former, as they are 
 only divided from them by the plain 
 above mentioned. They extend as 
 far to the west as the Longitude of 
 217°, where, although they do not 
 end, they lose much of their height, 
 and become more broken and divided. 
 
 At noon on the 10th our Latitude 
 was 59° 51', and our Longitude 215° 
 56', being no more than three leagues 
 from the coast of the continent, which 
 extended from E. half N. to NW. 
 half W., as far as the eye could reach. 
 To the westward of this last direction 
 was an island that extended from N. 52° 
 W. to S. 85° W. , distant six leagues. 
 A point shoots out from the main 
 toward the NE. end of the island, 
 bearing at this time N. 30° W. , five 
 or six leagues distant. This point I 
 named Cape Suckling. The point of 
 the cape is low ; but within it is a 
 tolerably high hill, which is disjoined 
 from the mountains by low land, so 
 that at a distance the cape looks like 
 an island. On the north side of Cape 
 Suckling is a bay that appeared to be 
 of some extent, and to be covered 
 from most winds. To this bay 1 had 
 tome thoughts of goiug to stop our 
 leak, as all our endeavours to do it at 
 
 ISLAND. 
 
 275 
 
 sea had proved ineffectual. With this 
 view I steered for the Cape : but as 
 wo had only variable light breezes we 
 approached it slowly. However, be- 
 fore night we were near enough to 
 see some low land spitting out from 
 the cape to the NW., so as to cover 
 the east part of the bay from the 
 south wind. We also saw some small 
 islands in the bay, and elevated rocks 
 between the cape and the north-east 
 end of the island. But still there 
 appeared to be a passage on both sides 
 of these rocks ; and I continued steer- 
 ing for them all night, having from 
 forty-three to twenty-seven fathoms 
 water, over a muddy bottom. 
 
 At 4 o'clock next morning, the 
 wind, which had been mostly at NE., 
 shifted to N. This being against us, 
 I gave up the design of going within 
 the island or into the bay, as neither 
 could be done without loss of time. 
 I therefore bore up for the west end 
 of the island. The Avind blew faint, 
 and at 1 o'clock it fell calm. Being 
 not far from the island, I went in a 
 boat, and landed upon it with a view 
 of seeing what lay on the other side ; 
 but finding it farther to the hills than 
 I expected, and the way being steep 
 and woody, I was obliged to drop the 
 design. At the foot of a tree, on a 
 little eminence not far from the shore, 
 I left a bottle with a paper in it on 
 which were inscribed the names of 
 the ships and the date of our dis- 
 covery ; and along with it I enclosed 
 two silver twopenny pieces of his 
 Majesty's coin, of the date 1772. 
 These, with many others, were fur- 
 nished me by the Piev. Dr Kaye; 1 
 and as a mark of my esteem and re- 
 gard for that gentleman I named the 
 island, after him, Kaye's Island. It 
 is eleven or twelve leagues in length 
 in the direction of NE. and SW., but 
 its breadth is not above a league or a 
 league and a half in any part of it. 
 The SW. point, which lies in the 
 Latitude of 59° 49' and the Longitude 
 of 216° 58', is very remarkable, being 
 
 1 Then Sub-almoner and Chaplain 
 to his Majesty, afterwards Dean of 
 Lincoln, 
 
276 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 a naked rock elevated considerably- 
 above the land within it. There is 
 also an elevated rock lying off it, 
 which from some points of view ap- 
 pears like a ruined castle. Towards 
 the sea the island terminates in a kind 
 of bare sloping cliffs, with a beach, 
 only a few pacus across to their foot, 
 of large pebble stones, intermixed in 
 some places with a brownish clayey 
 sand which the sea seems to deposit 
 after rolling in, having been washed 
 down from the higher parts by the 
 rivulets or torrents. The cliffs are 
 composed of a bluish stone or rock, 
 in a soft or mouldering state, except 
 in a few places. There are parts of 
 the shore interrupted by small valleys 
 and gullies. In each of these a rivu- 
 let or torrent rushes down with con- 
 siderable impetuosity, though it may 
 be supposed that they are only fur- 
 nished from the snow, and last no 
 longer than till it is all melted. 
 These valleys are filled with pine- 
 trees, which grow down close to the 
 entrance, but only to about half-way 
 up the higher or middle part of the 
 island. The woody part also begins 
 everywhere immediately above the 
 cliffs, and is continued to the same 
 height with the former, so that the 
 island is covered as it were with a 
 broad girdle of wood spread upon its 
 side, included between the top of the 
 cliffy shore and the higher parts in 
 the centre. The trees, however, are 
 far from being of an uncommon 
 growth, few appearing to be larger 
 than one might grasp round with his 
 arms, and about forty or fifty feet 
 higli ; so that the only purpose they 
 could answer for shipping would be 
 to make top-gallant-masts and other 
 small things. How far we may judge 
 of the size of the trees which grow on 
 the neighbouring continent it may be 
 difficult to determine. But it was 
 observed that none larger than those 
 we saw growing lay upon the beach 
 amongst tho drift-wood. The pine- 
 trees seemed all of one sort, and there 
 was neither the Canadian pine nor 
 cypress to be seen. But there were a 
 few which appeared to be the alder, 
 that were but small, and had not yet 
 
 [Vov.III.B.IV.Ch.IV. 
 
 shot forth their leaves. Upon the 
 edges of the cliffs, and on some slop- 
 ing ground, the surface was covered 
 with a kind of turf about half-a-foot 
 thick, which seemed composed of the 
 common moss, and the top or upper 
 part of the island had almost the same 
 appearance as to colour, but whatever 
 covered it seemed to be thicker. I 
 found amongst the trees some currant 
 and hawberry bushes, a small yellow- 
 flowered violet, and the leaves of some 
 other plants not yet in flower, parti- 
 cularly one which Mr Anderson sup- 
 posed to be the Ileracleum of Lin- 
 naeus, the sweet herb which Steller, 
 who attended Behring, imagiued the 
 Americans here dress for food in the 
 same manner as the natives of Kamts- 
 chatka. 
 
 We saw flying about the wood a 
 crow, two or three of the white-headed 
 eagles mentioned at Nootka, and 
 another sort full as large, which ap- 
 peared also of the same colour, or 
 blacker, and had only a white breast. 
 In the passage from the ship to the 
 shore we saw a great many fowls sit- 
 ting upon the water, or flying about 
 in flocks or pairs ; the chief of which 
 were a few "quebrantahuesos," divers, 
 ducks or large petrels, gulls, shags, 
 and burres. The divers were of two 
 sorts : one very large, of a black col- 
 our, with a white breast and belly ; 
 the other smaller, and with a longer 
 and more pointed bill, which seemed 
 to be the common guillemot. The 
 ducks were also of two sorts, one 
 brownish, with a black or deep blue 
 head and neck, and perhaps the stone 
 duck described by Steller. The others 
 fly in larger flocks, but are smaller 
 than these, and are of a dirty black 
 colour. The gulls were of the common 
 sort, and those which fly in flocks. 
 The shags were large and black with 
 a white spot behind the wings as they 
 flew, but probably only the larger 
 water cormorant. There was also a 
 single bird seen flying about, to ap- 
 pearance of the gull kind, of a snowy 
 white colour with black along part of 
 the upper side of its wings. I owe all 
 these remarks to Mr Anderson. At 
 the place where we lauded, a fox came 
 
May 1778.] 
 
 from the verge of the wood, and eyed 
 us with very little emotion, walking 
 leisurely without any signs of fear. 
 Ho was of a reddish-yellow colour, 
 like some of the skins we bought at 
 Nootka, but not of a large size. We 
 also saw two or three little seals off 
 shore, but no other animals or birds, 
 nor the least signs of inhabitants hav- 
 ing ever been uuon the island. I re- 
 turned on board at half-past two in 
 the afternoon, and, with a light 
 breeze easterly, steered for the SW. 
 of the island, which we got round by 
 8 o'clock, and then stood for the 
 westernmost land now in sight, which 
 at this time bore NW. half N. On 
 the NW. side of the NE. end of 
 Kaye's Island lies another island, 
 stretching SE. and NW. about three 
 leagues, to within the same distance of 
 the NW. boundary of the bay above 
 mentioned, which is distinguished by 
 the name of Comptroller's Bay. 
 
 Next morning at 4 o'clock Kaye's 
 Island was still in sight, bearing E. 
 quarter S. At this time we were 
 about four or five leagues from the 
 main ; and the most western part in 
 sight bore NW. half N. We had 
 now a fresh gale at ESE; and as we 
 advanced to the NW., we raised land 
 more and more westerly, and at last 
 to the southward of west ; so that at 
 noon, when the Latitude was 61° 11' 
 and the Longitude 213° 28', the most 
 advanced land bore from us SW. by 
 W. half W. At the same time, the 
 E. point of a large inlet bore WN W., 
 three leagues distant. From Comp- 
 troller's Bay to this point, which I 
 name Cape Hinchingbroke, the direc- 
 tion of the coast is nearly E. and W. 
 Beyond this it seemed to incline to 
 the southward; a direction so con- 
 trary to the modern charts founded 
 upon the late Kussian discoveries, 
 that we had reason to expect that by 
 the inlet before us we should find a 
 passage to the N., and that the land 
 to the W. and SW. was nothing but 
 a group of islands. Add to this, that 
 the wind was now at SE., and we were 
 threatened with a fog and a storm ; 
 a id I wanted to get into some place 
 to stop the leak before we encountered 
 
 VISITED BY THE NATIVES. 277 
 
 another gale. These reasons induced 
 me to steer for the inlet, which we 
 had no sooner reached than the 
 weather became so foggy that we 
 could not see a mile before us, and 
 it became necessary to secure the 
 ships in some place to wait for a 
 clearer sky. With this view I hauled 
 close under Cape Hinchingbroke, and 
 anchored before a small cove a little 
 within the cape, in eight fathoms 
 water, a clayey bottom, and about 
 a quarter of a mile from the shore. 
 
 The boats were then hoisted out, 
 some to sound and others to fish. The 
 seine was drawn in the cove, but with- 
 out success, for it was torn. At some 
 short intervals the fog cleared away 
 and gave us a sight of the lands around 
 us. The cape bore S. by W. half W., 
 one league distant ; the W. point ot 
 the inlet SW. by W., distant five 
 leagues ; and the land on that side ex- 
 tended as far as W. by N. Between 
 this point and NW. by W. we could 
 see no land ; and what was in the last 
 direction seemed to be at a great dis- 
 tance. The westernmost point we 
 had in sight on the north shore bore 
 NNW. half W., two leagues distant. 
 Between this point and the shore 
 under which we were at anchor, is a 
 bay about three leagues deep ; on the 
 south-east side of which there are two 
 or three coves such as that before 
 which we had anchored, and in the 
 middle some rocky islands. To these 
 islands Mr Gore was sent in a boat, 
 in hopes of shooting some eatable 
 birds. But he had hardly got to 
 them before about twenty natives 
 made their appearance in two large 
 canoes ; on which he thought proper 
 to return to the ships, and they fol- 
 lowed him. They would not venture 
 alongside, but kept at some distance, 
 hallooing aloud, and alternately clasp- 
 ing and extending their arms ; and in 
 a short time began a kind of song, 
 exactly after the manner of those at 
 Nootka. Their heads were also pow- 
 dered with feathers. One man held 
 out a white garment, which we inter- 
 preted as a sign of friendship; and 
 another stood up in the canoe, quite 
 naked, for almost a quarter of an hour, 
 
COOK'S VOYAGES 
 like a 
 
 278 
 
 with his arms stretched out 
 cross and motionless. The canoes 
 were not constructed of wood as at 
 King George's or Nootka Sound. The 
 frame only, being slender laths, was 
 of that substance ; the outside con- 
 sisting of the skins of seals or of such 
 like animals. 1 Though we returned 
 all their signs of friendship, and by 
 every expressive gesture tried to en- 
 courage them to come alongside, we 
 could not prevail. Some of our peo- 
 ple repeated several of the common 
 words of the Nootka language, such 
 as ' ' seekemaile " and "mahook;" 2 
 but they did not seem to understand 
 them. After receiving some presents 
 which were thrown to them, they 
 retired toward that part of the shore 
 whence they came ; giving us to 
 understand by signs that they would 
 visit us again the next morning. Two 
 of them, however, each in a small 
 canoe, waited upon us in the night ; 
 probably with a design to pilfer some- 
 thing, thinking we should be all 
 asleep, for they retired as soon as 
 they found themselves discovered. 
 
 During the night the wind was at 
 SSE., blowing hard and in squalls, 
 with rain and very thick weather. 
 At 10 o'clock next morning the wind 
 became more moderate, and the 
 weather being somewhat clearer we 
 got under sail, in order to look out 
 for some snug place where we might 
 search for and stop the leak ; our 
 present station being too much ex- 
 posed for this purpose. At first I 
 proposed to have gone up the bay 
 before which we had anchored ; but 
 the clearness of the weather tempted 
 me to steer to the northward, farther 
 up the great inlet, as being all in our 
 way. As soon as we had passed the 
 north-west point of the bay above 
 mentioned, we found the coast on 
 that side to turn short to the east- 
 
 1 Like the "oomyaks,"or women's 
 canoes, of the Greenlanders ; as to 
 which Dr Kae, of Arctic renown, has 
 
 E'ven such a pleasant description of 
 s experiences, in "The Land of 
 Desolation." 
 8 " Iron " or metal; and "bailor." 
 
 [Voy.IILB.IV.Ch.IV. 
 
 ward. I did not follow it, but con- 
 tinued our course to the north, for a 
 point of land which we saw in that 
 direction. The natives who visited 
 us the preceding evening came off 
 again in the morning, in five or six 
 canoes, but not till we were under 
 sail ; and although they followed us 
 for some time they could not get up 
 with us. Before two in the afternoon 
 the bad weather returned again, with 
 so thick a haze that we could see no 
 other land besides the point just men- 
 tioned, which we reached at half-past 
 four, and found it to be a small island, 
 lying about two miles from the ad- 
 jacent coast, being a point of land on 
 the east side of which we discovered 
 a fine bay or rather harbour. To this 
 we plied up under reefed topsails and 
 courses. The wind blew strong at SE. , 
 and in excessively hard sqixalls, with 
 rain. At intervals we could see land 
 in every direction ; but in general the 
 weather was so foggy that we could 
 see none but the shores of the bay 
 into which we were plying. In pass- 
 ing the island the depth of water was 
 twenty-six fathoms, with a muddy 
 bottom. Soon after the depth in- 
 creased to sixty and seventy fathoms, 
 a rocky bottom ; but in the entrance 
 of the bay the depth was from thirty 
 to six fathoms, the last very near the 
 shore. At length, at 8 o'clock, the 
 violence of the squalls obliged us to 
 anchor in thirteen fathoms, before we 
 had got so far into the bay as I intend- 
 ed ; but we thought ourselves fortunate 
 that we had already sufficiently secured 
 ourselves at this hour, for the night 
 was exceedingly stormy. 
 
 The weather, bad as it was, did not 
 hinder three of the ziatives from pay- 
 ing us a visit. They came off in two 
 canoes ; two men in one, and one in 
 the other, being the number each 
 could carry. For they were built and 
 constructed in the same manner with 
 those of the Esquimaux ; only in the 
 one were two holes for two men to sit 
 in, and in the other but one. Each 
 of these men had a stick about three 
 feet long, with the largo feathers or 
 wing of birds tied to it. These they 
 frequently held up to us, with a view, 
 
May 1778.] ATTEMPT TO PLUNDER THE DISCOVERY. 
 
 as we guessed, to express their pacific 
 disposition. The treatment these men 
 met with induced many more to visit 
 us, between one and two the next 
 morning, in both great and small 
 canoes. Some ventured on board the 
 ship, but not till some of our people 
 had stepped into their boats. Amongst 
 those who came on board was a good- 
 looking middle-aged man, whom we 
 afterward found to be the chief. He 
 was clothed in a dress made of the 
 sea-otter's skin, and had on his head 
 such a cap as is worn by the people of 
 King George's Sound, ornam ented with 
 sky-blue glass beads about the size of 
 a large pea. He seemed to set a much 
 higher value upon these than upon 
 our white glass beads. Any sort of 
 beads, however, appeared to be in high 
 estimation with these people ; and 
 they readily gave whatever they had 
 in exchange for them, even their fine 
 sea-otter skins. But here I must ob- 
 serve that they set no more value upon 
 these than upon other skins, which 
 was also the case at King George's 
 Sound till our people set a higher 
 price upon tlicm ; and even after that 
 the natives of both places would sooner 
 part with a dress made of these than 
 with one made of the skins of wild- 
 cats or of martins. 
 
 These people were also desirous of 
 iron ; but they wanted pieces eight or 
 ten inches long at least, and of the 
 breadth of three or four fingers ; for 
 they absolutely rejected small pieces. 
 Consequently they got but little from 
 us, iron having by this time become 
 rather a scarce article. The points of 
 some of their spears or lances were of 
 that metal, others were of copper, and 
 a few of bone, of which the points of 
 their darts, arrows, &c, were com- 
 posed. I could not prevail upon the 
 chief to trust himself below the upper 
 deck ; nor did he and his companions 
 remain long on board. But while we 
 had their company it was necessary 
 to watch them narrowly, as they soon 
 betrayed a thievish disposition. At 
 length, after being about three or four 
 hours alongside the Resolution, they 
 all left her and went to the Discovery ; 
 none having been there before except 
 
 279 
 
 one man, who, at this time came from 
 her, and immediately retun v jd thither 
 in company with the rest. When I 
 observed this, I thought this man had 
 met witli something there which he 
 knew would please his countrymen 
 better than what they met with at 
 our ship. But in this I was mis- 
 taken, as will soon appear. 
 
 As soon as they were gone I sent a 
 boat to sound the head of the bay. 
 For as the wind was moderate I had 
 thoughts of laying the ship ashore, 
 if a convenient place could be found 
 where I might begin our operations 
 to stop the leak. It was not long 
 before all the Americans left the Dis- 
 covery, and, instead of returning to 
 us, made their way toward our boat 
 employed as above. The officer in 
 her, seeing this, returned to the ship, 
 and was followed by all the canoes. 
 The boat's crew had no sooner come 
 on board, leaving in her two of their 
 number by way of a guard, than some 
 of the Americans stepped into her. 
 Some presented their spears before 
 the two men ; others cast looso the 
 rope which fastened her to the ship ; 
 and the rest attempted to tow her 
 away. But the instant they saw us 
 preparing to oppose them they let her 
 go, stepped out of her into canoes, 
 and made signs to us to lay down our 
 arms, having the appearance of being 
 as perfectly unconcerned a3 if they had 
 done nothing amiss. This, though 
 rather a more daring attempt, was 
 hardly equal to what they had medi- 
 tated on board the Discovery. The 
 man who came and carried all his 
 countrymen from the Resolution to 
 the other ship had first been on board 
 of her ; where, after looking down all 
 the hatchways, and seeing nobody but 
 the officer of the watch and one or two 
 more, he no doubt thought they might 
 plunder her with ease ; especially as 
 she lay at some distance from us. It 
 was unquestionably with this view 
 that they all repaired to her. Several 
 of them, without any ceremony, went 
 on board, drew their knives, mado 
 signs to the officer and people on deck 
 to keep off, and began to look about, 
 them for plunder. The first thing 
 
280 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 the} 7 met with was the rudder of one 
 of the boats, which they threw over- 
 board to those of their party who had 
 remained in the canoes. Before they 
 had time to find another object that 
 pleased their fancy, the crew were 
 alarmed, and began to come upon 
 deck armed with cutlasses. On see- 
 ing this, the whole company of plun- 
 derers sneaked off into their canoes 
 with as much deliberation and indif- 
 ference as they had given up the boat ; 
 and they were observed describing, to 
 those who had not been on board, how 
 much longer the knives of the ship's 
 crew were than their own. It was at 
 this time that my boat was on the 
 sounding duty, which they must have 
 seen, for they proceeded directly for 
 her after their disappointment at the 
 Discovery. I have not the least doubt 
 that their visiting us so very early in 
 themorning was with a view to plunder, 
 on the supposition that they should 
 find everybody asleep. May we not 
 from these circumstances reasonably 
 infer that these people are unac- 
 quainted with fire-arms ? For cer- 
 tainly, if they had known anything 
 of their effect, they never would have 
 dared to attempt taking a boat from 
 under a ship's guns in the face of 
 above 100 men ; for most of my people 
 were looking at them at the very in- 
 stant they made the attempt. How- 
 ever, after all these tricks, we had the 
 good fortune to leave them as ignorant 
 in this respect as we found them ; for 
 they neither heard nor saw a musket 
 fired unless at birds. 
 
 Just as we were going to weigh the 
 anchor to proceed farther up the bay, 
 it began to blow and to rain as hard 
 as before, so that we were obliged to 
 veer away the cable again and lay fast. 
 Towards the evening, finding that the 
 gale did not moderate, and that it 
 might be some time before an oppor- 
 tunity offered to get higher up, I came 
 to a resolution to heel the ship where 
 we were ; and with this view moored 
 her with a kedge-anchor and hawser. 
 In heaving the anchor out of the boat, 
 one of the seamen, either through ignor- 
 ance or carelessness, or both, was car- 
 ried overboard by the buoy-rope, and 
 
 [Vov.III.B IV.Ch.IV. 
 
 followed the anchor to the bottom. 
 It is remarkable that in this very 
 critical situation ho had presence of 
 mind to disengage himself, and come 
 up to the surface of the water, where 
 he was taken up with one of his legs 
 fractured in a dangerous manner. Early 
 the next morning we gave the ship a 
 good heel to port, in order to come at 
 and stop the leak. On ripping off the 
 sheathing, it was found to be in the 
 seams, which were very open both in 
 and under the wale ; and in several 
 places not a bit of oakum in them. 
 While the carpenters were making 
 good these defects, we filled all our 
 empty water-casks at a stream hard by 
 the ship. The wind was now moder- 
 ate, but the weather was thick and 
 hazy, with rain. The natives, who 
 left us the preceding day, when the 
 bad weather came on, paid us another 
 visit this morning. Those who came 
 first were in small canoes ; others 
 afterwards arrived in large boats, in 
 one of which were twenty women and 
 one man, besides children. 
 
 In the evening of the 16th the 
 weather cleared up, and we then 
 found ourselves surrounded on every 
 side by land. Our station was on the 
 east side of the sound, in a place which 
 in the chart is distinguished by the 
 name of Snug Corner Bay. And a 
 very snug place it is. I went, accom- 
 panied by some of the officers, to view 
 the head of it ; and we found that it 
 was sheltered from all winds, with a 
 depth of water from seven to thrte 
 fathoms over a muddy bottom. The 
 land near the shore is low, part clear 
 and part wooded. The clear ground 
 was covered two or three feet thick 
 with snow, but very little lay in the 
 woods. The very summits of the 
 neighbouring hills were covered with 
 wood, but those farther inland seemed 
 to be naked rocks buried in snow. 
 
 The leak being stopped, and the 
 sheathing made good over it, nt 4 
 o'clock in the morning of tho 17th 
 we weighed and steered to the north- 
 westward, with a light breeze at ENE., 
 thinking if there should be any pass- 
 age to the north through this inlet 
 that it must be in that direction. At 
 
May 1773.] 
 
 length, about 1 o'clock, with the 
 assistance of our boats, we got to an 
 anchor under the eastern shore in 
 thirteen fathoms water, and about 
 four leagues to the north of our last 
 station. In the morning the weather 
 had been very hazy, but it afterwards 
 cleared up so as to give us a distinct 
 view of all the land round us, parti- 
 cularly to the northward, where it 
 seemed to close. This left us but 
 little hopes of finding a passage that 
 way, or indeed in any other direction, 
 without putting out again to sea. 
 
 To enable me to form a better judg- 
 ment, I despatched Mr Gore with two 
 armed boats to examine the northern 
 arm, and the master with two other 
 boats to examine another arm that 
 seemed to take an easterly direction. 
 Late in the evening they both returned. 
 The master reported that the arm he 
 had been sent to communicated with 
 that from which he had last come, 
 and that one side of it was only formed 
 by a group of islands. Mr Gore in- 
 f armed me that he had seen the en- 
 trance of an arm which, he was of 
 opinion, extended a long way to the 
 north-east, and that probably by it a 
 
 Eassage might be found. On the other 
 and, Mr Roberts, one of the mates 
 whom I had sent with Mr Gore to 
 sketch out the parts they had ex- 
 amined, was of opinion that they saw 
 the head of this arm. The disagree- 
 ment of these two opinions, and the 
 circumstance already mentioned of the 
 flood-tide entering the sound from the 
 south, rendered the existence of a 
 passage this way very doubtful. And 
 as the wind in the morning had be- 
 come favourable for getting out to 
 sea, I resolved to spend no more time 
 in searching for a passage in a place 
 that promised so little success. Besides 
 this, I considered that if the land on 
 the west should prove to be islands, 
 agreeably to the late Russian dis- 
 coveries, we could not fail of getting 
 far enough to the north, and that in 
 good time, provided we did not lose 
 the season in searching places where 
 r. passage was not only doubtful but 
 improbable. "We were now upwards 
 of 520 leagues to the westward of any 
 
 PRINCE WILLIAM'S SOUND. 
 
 281 
 
 part of Baffin's or of Hudson's Bay; 
 and whatever passage there may be, 
 it must be, or at least part of it must 
 lie, to the north of Latitude 72°. 
 Who could expect to find a passage 
 or strait of such extent ? l 
 
 " [To this wide inlet which he had 
 entered, Cook gave] the name of 
 Prince William's Sound, and here 
 was surprised to find that the natives, 
 in dress, language, and physical pecu- 
 liarities, were exactly like the Esqui- 
 maux of Hudson's Bay. Beautiful 
 skins were obtained in plenty from 
 these people for a very moderate price. 
 On proceeding to the north-west, a 
 wide inlet was discovered, which some 
 conjectured might be a strait com- 
 municating with the Northern Ocean. 
 It was deemed, therefore, advisable to 
 explore it ; but when the boats had 
 proceeded as high as Lat. 61" 34', or 
 about seventy leagues from the en- 
 trance, the inlet appeared to terminate 
 in a small river. The ships now 
 proceeded to the west, and doubled the 
 great promontory of Alashka ; and, on 
 the 9 th of August, they reached the 
 most westerly point of the American 
 continent, distantonly thirteen league3 
 from the opposite shores of Asia. To 
 this headland Cook gave the name 
 Cape Prince of "Wales. Crossing tho 
 strait to the western shores, he anchor- 
 ed near the coast of the Tshuktzki, 
 which he fouud to extend many de- 
 grees farther to the east than the 
 position assigned to them in the mape 
 of that day. He thus ascertained dis- 
 tinctly the width of the strait that 
 separates Asia from America ; for 
 though Behring had sailed through it 
 before, he had not descried the shores 
 of the latter continent, and, conse- 
 quently, remained ignorant of the 
 importance of his discoveries. Our 
 navigators now pushed forward into 
 the Northern Ocean, when they soon 
 
 1 The synopsis of remainder of 
 Chapter IV. to middle of Chapter 
 IX., Book IV., in Original Edition, is 
 given from "Maritime and Inland 
 Discovery," in Lardner's " Cabinet 
 Cyclopaedia," vol. iii., pp. 80, 81. 
 
282 
 
 fell in with ice, which gave them 
 reason to suspect the impossibility of 
 continuing their voyage much farther. 
 At length, on the 18th of August, 
 when after repeated struggles they had 
 attained the Latitude of 70° 44', they 
 saw the ice before them, extending as 
 far as the eye could reach, forming a 
 compact wall about six feet high : it 
 was covered with a multitude of wal- 
 ruses or sea-horses, which though 
 coarse food, were preferred by the sea- 
 men to salt provisions." 
 
 We now stood to the southward, 
 and after running six leagues shoaled 
 the water to seven fathoms ; but it 
 soon deepened to nine fathoms. At 
 this time tbe weather, which had been 
 hazy, clearing up a little; we saw land 
 extending from S. to SE. by E. about 
 three or four miles distant. The 
 eastern extreme forms a point which 
 was much encumbered with ice ; for 
 which reason it obtained the name of 
 Icy Cape. Its latitude is 70° 29' and 
 its longitude 198° 20'. The other 
 extreme of the land was lost in the 
 horizon, so that there can be no 
 doubt of its being a continuation 
 of the American continent. The 
 Discovery being about a mile astern 
 and to leeward, found less water 
 than we did ; and caching on that 
 account, I was obliged to tack also 
 to prevent separation. Our situa- 
 tion was now more and more critical. 
 We were in shoal water, upon a lee 
 shore, and the main body of the ice 
 to windward, driving down upon us. 
 It was evident that if we remained 
 much longer between it and the land, 
 it would force us ashore, unless it 
 should happen to take the ground 
 before us. It seemed nearly to join 
 the land to leeward, and the only di- 
 rection that was open was to the SW. 
 After making a short board to the 
 northward, I made the signal for the 
 Discovery to tack, and tacked myself 
 at the same time. The wind proved 
 rather favourable ; so that we lay up 
 SW. and SW. by W. 
 
 At eight in the morning of the 1 9th, 
 the wind veering back to W., I tacked 
 to the northward ; and at noon the 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.HI.B.IV.CiUV. 
 
 latitude was 70° 6' and the longitude 
 196° 42'. In this situation we had a 
 good deal of drift-ice about us, and 
 the main ice was about two leagues 
 to the north. At half-past one we 
 got in with the edge of it. It was 
 not so compact as that which we had 
 seen to the northward; but it was 
 too close, and in too large pieces, to 
 attempt forcing the ships through it. 
 On the ice lay a prodigious number 
 of sea-horses ; * and as we were in 
 want of fresh provisions, the boats 
 from each ship were sent to get some. 
 By 7 o'clock in the evening we had 
 received on board the Resolution nine 
 of these animals, which till now we 
 had supposed to be sea-cows ; so that 
 we were not a little disappointed, 
 especially some of the seamen, who 
 for the novelty of the thing had been 
 feasting their eyes for some days past. 
 Nor would they have been disap- 
 pointed now, nor have known the 
 difference, if we had not happened to 
 have one or two on board who had 
 been in Greenland, and declared what 
 animals these were, and that no one 
 ever ate of them. But notwithstand- 
 ing this we lived upon them as long 
 as they lasted; and there were few 
 on board who did not prefer them to 
 our salt meat. The fat at first is as 
 sweet as marrow, but in a few days it 
 grows rancid, unless it be salted ; in 
 which state it will keep much longer. 
 The lean flesh is coarse, black, and 
 has rather a strong taste ; and the 
 heart is nearly as well tasted as that 
 of a bullock. The fat, when melted, 
 yields a good deal of oil, which burns 
 very well in lamps ; and their hides, 
 which are very thick, were very use- 
 ful about our rigging. The teeth or 
 tusks of most of them were at this 
 time very small; even some of the 
 largest and oldest of these animals 
 had them not exceeding six inches in 
 length. From this we concluded that 
 they had lately shed their old teeth. 
 They lie in herds of many hundreds 
 upon the ice, huddling one over the 
 other like swine ; ami roar or bray 
 very loud, so that in the night or w 
 
 1 Walrus. 
 
Length of the fins, j tt- ! 
 Breadth of the fins, ] 
 
 Snout, 
 
 Hind, 
 Breadth, 
 Depth, , 
 Circumference of the neck 
 
 close to the ears, 
 Circumference of the body at 
 
 the shoulder, . 
 Circumference near the hind 
 fins, .... 
 
 From the snout to the eyes, . 
 
 Weight of the carcase, without 
 
 the head, skin, or entrails, 
 Head, ..... 
 Skin, 
 
 4ug. 1778.] THE SEA-HORSE, OR WALRUS. 
 
 foggy weather they gave us notice of 
 the vicinity of the ice before we could 
 see it. We never found the whole 
 herd asleep, some being always upon 
 the watch. These, on the approach 
 of the boat, would wake those next 
 to them, and the alarm being thus 
 gradually communicated, the whole 
 herd would be awake presently. But 
 they were seldom in a hurry to get 
 away till after they had been once 
 fired at. Then they would tumble 
 one over the other into the sea in the 
 utmost confusion ; and if we did not 
 at the first discharge kill those we 
 fired at, we generally lost them, 
 though mortally wounded. They 
 did nut appear to us to be that dan- 
 gerous animal some authors have de- 
 scribed, not even when attacked. 
 They are rather more so to appear- 
 ance than in reality. Vast numbers 
 of them would follow and come close 
 up to the boats ; but the flash of a 
 musket in the pau, or even the bare 
 pointing of one at them, would send 
 them down in an instant. The 
 female will defend the young one to 
 the very last, and at the expense of her 
 own life, whether in the water or 
 upon the ice. Nor will the young 
 one quit the dam though she be dead ; 
 so that if you kill one you are sure of 
 the other. The dam, when in the 
 water, holds the young one between 
 her fore-fins. Why they should be 
 called sea-horses is hard to say, unless 
 the word be a corruption of the Rus- 
 sian name "morse," for they have 
 not the least resemblance of a horse. 
 This is without doubt the same ani- 
 mal that is found in the Gulf of St 
 Lawrence, and there called sea-cow. 
 It is certainly more like a cow than 
 a horse, but this likeness consists in 
 nothing but the snout. In short, it 
 is an animal like a seal, but incom- 
 parably larger. The dimensions and 
 weight of one, which was none of the 
 largest, were as follows : 
 
 2b3 
 
 Ft. In. 
 2 4 
 2 
 1 
 2 
 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 n 
 
 
 3 
 
 7 10 
 
 > 6 
 
 ) 7 
 
 Lb. 
 
 854 
 
 414 
 205 
 
 Ft. In. 
 Length from the snout to the 
 
 tail, 9 4 
 
 Length of the neck from the 
 
 snout to the shoulder -bone, 2 
 
 Height of the shoulder, . 5 
 
 I could not find out what these ani- 
 mals feed upon. There was nothing 
 in the maws of those we killed. 
 
 It is worth observing that for some 
 days before this date we had fre- 
 quently seen flocks of ducks flying to 
 the southward. They were of twe 
 sorts, the one much larger than the 
 other. The largest were of a brown 
 colour ; and of the small sort either 
 the duck or drake was black and 
 white, and the other brown. Some 
 said they saw geese also. Does not 
 this indicate that there must be land 
 to the north where these birds find 
 shelter in the proper season, to breed, 
 and whence they were now returning 
 to a warmer climate ? 
 
 By the time we had got our sea- 
 horses on board, we were in a manner 
 surrounded with the ice, and had no 
 way left to clear it but by standing to 
 the southward ; which was done till 
 3 o'clock next morning, with a gentle 
 breeze westerly, and for the most part 
 thick, foggy weather. The soundings 
 were from twelve to fifteen fathoms. 
 We then tacked and stood to the north 
 till 10 o'clock, when, the wind veer- 
 ing to the northward, we directed our 
 course to the WSW. and W. At two 
 in the afternoon we fell in with the 
 main ice, along the edge of which we 
 kept ; being partly directed by the 
 roaring of the sea-horses, for we had 
 a very thick fog. Thus we continued 
 
284 
 
 mailing till near midnight, when we got 
 in amongst the loose ice, and heard 
 the surge of the sea upon the main 
 ice. The fog being very thick, and 
 the wind easterly, I now hauled to 
 the southward; and at 10 o'clock the 
 next morning, the fog clearing away, 
 we saw the continent of America, ex- 
 tending from S. by E. to E. by S. ; 
 and at noon from SW. half S. to E., 
 the nearest part live leagues distant. 
 At this time we were in the Latitude 
 of 69° 32' and in the Longitude of 
 195° 48' ; and as the main ice was at 
 no great distance from us, it is evident 
 that it now covered a part of the sea 
 which but a few days before had been 
 clear, and that it extended farther to 
 the south than where we first fell in 
 with it. It must not be understood 
 that 1 supposed any part of this ice 
 which we had seen to be fixed ; on the 
 contrary, I am well assured that the 
 whole was a movable mass. 
 
 Having but little wind, in the 
 afternoon I sent the master in a boat 
 to try if there was any current ; but 
 he found none. I continued to steer 
 in for the American land until 8 
 o'clock, in order to get a nearer view of 
 it, and to look for a harbour ; but 
 seeing nothing like one, I stood again 
 to the north, with a light breeze 
 westerly. At this time the coast ex- 
 tended from SW. to E. ; the nearest 
 part four or five leagues distant. The 
 southern extreme seemed to form a 
 point, which was named Capo Lis- 
 burne. It lies in the Latitude of 69° 
 5' and in the Longitude of 194° 42', 
 and appeared to be pretty high land, 
 even down to the sea. But there may 
 be low land under it which we might 
 not see, being not less than ten leagues 
 from it. Everywhere else, as we ad- 
 vanced northward, we had found a 
 low coast from which the land rises 
 to a middle height. The coast now 
 before us was without snow, except in 
 one or two places, and had a greenish 
 hue ; but we could not perceive any 
 wood upon it. 
 
 On the 22d the wind was southerly, 
 and the weather mostly foggy, with 
 some intervals of sunshine. At eight 
 in the evening it fell calm, which con- 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Tot. III. B. IV. Ce. IV 
 
 tinued till midnight, when we heard 
 the surge of the sea against the ice, 
 and had several loose pieces about us. 
 A light breeze now sprang up at NE., 
 and as the fog was very thick, I 
 steered to the southward to clear the 
 ice. At 8 o'clock next morning the 
 fog dispersed, and I hauled to the 
 westward. For finding that I could 
 not get to the north near the coast 
 on account of the ice, I resolved to 
 try what could be done at a distance 
 from it; and as the wind seemed to 
 be settled at N. I thought it a good 
 opportunity. As we advanced to the 
 W. , the water deepened gradually to 
 twenty-eight fathoms, which was the 
 most we had. With the northerly 
 wind the air was raw, sharp, and 
 cold ; and we had fogs, sunshine, 
 showers of snow and sleet, by turns. 
 At ten in the morning of the 26th we 
 fell in with the ice. At noon, it ex- 
 tended from NW. to E. by N., and 
 appeared to be thick and compact. 
 At this time we were by observation 
 in the Latitude of 69° 36', and in the 
 Longitude of 184°, so that it now ap- 
 peared we had no better prospect of 
 getting to the north here than nearer 
 the shore. I continued to stand to 
 the westward till five in the afternoon, 
 when we were in a manner embayed 
 by the ice, which appeared high, and 
 very close in the NW. and NE. quar- 
 ters, with a great deal of loose ice- 
 about the edge of the main field. At 
 this time we had baffling light winds, 
 but it soon fixed at S., and increased 
 to a fresh gale, with showers of rain. 
 We got the tack aboard and stretched 
 to the eastward, this being the only 
 direction in which the sea was clear 
 of ice. 
 
 At four in the morning of the 27th 
 we tacked and stood to the W., and at 
 seven in the evening wo were close in 
 with the edge of the ice, which lay ENE. 
 and WSW., as far each way as the eye 
 could reach. Having but little wind, 
 I went with the boats to examine the 
 state of the ice. I found it consisting 
 of loose pieces of various extent, and 
 so close together that I could hardly 
 enter the outer edge with a boat ; and 
 it was as impossible for the ships to 
 
REMARKS ON THE FORMATION OF ICE. 
 
 i\uG. 1778.] 
 
 enter it as if it had been so many 
 rocks. I took particular notice that 
 it was all pure, transparent ice, except 
 the upper surface, which was a little 
 porous. It appeared to he entirely 
 composed of frozen snow, and to have 
 been all formed at sea. For setting 
 aside the improbability, or rather im- 
 possibility, of such huge masses float- 
 ing out of rivers in which there is 
 hardly water for a boat, none of the 
 productions of the land were found 
 incorporated or fixed in it, which 
 must have unavoidably been the case 
 had it been formed in rivers either 
 great or small. The pieces of ice that 
 formed the outer edge of the field were 
 from forty to fifty yards in extent to 
 four or five ; and I judged that the 
 larger pieces reached thirty feet or 
 more under the surface of the water. 
 It also appeared to me very improb- 
 able that this ice could have been the 
 production of the preceding winter 
 alone ; I should suppose it rather to 
 have been the production of a great 
 many winters. Nor was it less im- 
 probable, according to my judgment, 
 that the little that remained of the 
 summer could destroy the tenth part 
 of what now subsisted of this mass ; 
 for the sun had already exerted upon 
 it the full influence of its rays. Indeed 
 I am of opinion that the sun contri- 
 butes very little toward reducing these 
 great masses. For although that 
 luminary is a considerable while above 
 the horizon, it seldom shines out for 
 more than a few hours at a time, and 
 is not seen for several days in succes- 
 sion. It is the wind, or rather the 
 waves raised by the wind, that bring 
 down the bulk of these enormous 
 masses, by grinding one piece against 
 another, and by undermining and 
 washing away those parts that lie ex- 
 posed to the surge of the sea. This 
 was evident from our observing that 
 the upper surface of many pieces had 
 been partly washed away, while the 
 ba^e or under part remained firm for 
 several fathoms round that which ap- 
 peared above water, exactly like a 
 shoal round an elevated rock. We 
 measured the depth of water upon 
 cae. and found it to bw liiteen feet, so 
 
 '235 
 
 that the ships might have sailed over 
 it. If I had not measured this depth 
 I should not have believed that there 
 was a sufficient weight of ice above the 
 surface to have sunk the other so 
 much below it. Thus it may happen 
 that more ice is destroyed in one 
 stormy season than is formed in seve- 
 ral winters, and an endless accumula- 
 tion is prevented. But that there is 
 always a remaining store, every one 
 who has been upon the spot will con- 
 clude, and none but closet-studying 
 philosophers will dispute. A thick 
 fog which came on while I was thus 
 employed with the boats hastened me 
 aboard rather sooner than I could 
 have wished, with one sea-horse to 
 each ship. We had killed more, but 
 could not wait to bring them with us. 
 The number of these animals on all 
 the ice that we had seen is almost in- 
 credible. We spent the night stand- 
 ing off and on amongst the drift ice ; 
 and at 9 o'clock the next morning, 
 the fog having partly dispersed, boats 
 from each ship were sent for sea- 
 horses. For by this time our people 
 began to relish them, and those we 
 had procured before were all consumed. 
 At noon our Latitude was 69° 17', our 
 Longitude 183°. At 2 o'clock, having 
 got on board as much marine beef as 
 was thought necessary, and the wind 
 freshening at SSE. , we took on board 
 the boats and stretched to the SW. 
 But not being able to weather the ice 
 upon this tack, or to go through it, 
 we made aboard to the E. till 8 o'clock, 
 then resumed our course to the SW., 
 and before midnight were obliged to 
 tack again on account of the ice. 
 Soon after the wind shifted to the 
 NW., blowing a stiff gale, and we 
 stretched to the SW. close hauled. 
 
 In the morning of the 29th we saw 
 the main ice to the northward, and 
 not long after, land bearing SW. by 
 W. Presently after this more land, 
 showed itself, bearing W. It showed 
 itself in two hills like islands, but 
 afterwards the whole appeared con- 
 nected. As we approached the land, 
 the depth of water decreased very fast, 
 so that at noon, when we tacked, we 
 had only eight fathoms, being thre3 
 
COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 2S6 
 
 miles from the coast, which, extended 
 from S. 30° E. to N. 60° W. This 
 last extreme terminated in a hluff 
 point, being one of the hills above 
 mentioned. The weather at this time 
 was very hazy, with drizzling rain, 
 but soon after it cleared, especially to 
 the southward, westward, and north- 
 ward. This enabled us to have a 
 pretty good view of the coast, which 
 in every respect is like the opposite 
 one of America ; that is, low land 
 next the sea, with elevated land far- 
 ther back. It was perfectly destitute 
 of wood, and even snow, but was 
 probably covered with a mossy sub- 
 stance that gave it a brownish cast. 
 In the low ground lying between the 
 high land and the sea was a lake ex- 
 tending to the SE. farther than we 
 could see. As we stood off, the 
 westernmost of the two hills before 
 mentioned came open off the bluff 
 point in the direction of N¥. It 
 had the appearance of being an island ; 
 but it might be joined to the other 
 by low land, though we did not see 
 it ; and if so there is a two-fold point, 
 with a bay between them. This point, 
 which is steep and rocky, was named 
 Cape North. Its situation is nearly 
 in the Latitude of C8° 56', and in the 
 Longitude of 180° 51'. The coast 
 beyond it must take a very westerly 
 direction, for we could see no land to 
 the northward of it, though the hori- 
 zon was there pretty clear. Being 
 desirous of seeing more of the coast 
 to the westward, we tacked again at 
 2 o'clock in the afternoon, thinking 
 we could weather Cape North ; but 
 finding we could not, the wind fresh- 
 ening, a thick fog coming on with 
 much snow, and being fearful of the 
 ice coming down upon us, I gave up 
 the design I had formed of plying to the 
 westward, and stood off shore again. 
 
 The season was now so far advanced, 
 and the time when the frost is ex- 
 pected to set in so near at hand, that 
 I did not think it consistent with 
 prudence to make any further at- 
 tempts to find a passage into the 
 Atlantic this year in any direction, 
 so little was the prospect of succeed- 
 ing. My attention was now directed 
 
 [Voy.ITI.B.IV.Cii.V. 
 
 toward finding out some place where 
 we might supply ourselves with wood 
 and water; and the object uppermost 
 in my thoughts was how I should 
 spend the winter so as to make some 
 improvements in geography and navi- 
 gation , and at the same time be in a 
 condition to return to the north in 
 further search of a passage the ensuing 
 summer. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 1 
 
 After having stood off till we got 
 into eighteen fathoms water, I bore 
 up to the eastward along the coast, 
 which by this time it was pretty cer- 
 tain could only be the continent of 
 Asia. As the wind blew fresh, with 
 a very heavy fall of snow and a thick 
 mist, it was necessary to proceed with 
 great caution. I therefore brought to 
 for a few hours in the night. 
 
 At daybreak on the 30th we made 
 •sail, and steered such a course as I 
 thought would bring us in with the 
 land, being in a great measure guided 
 by the lead ; for the weather was as 
 thick as ever, and it snowed inces- 
 santly. At ten we got sight of the 
 coast, bearing SW. four miles distant, 
 and presently after, having shoaled 
 the water to seven fathoms, we hauled 
 off. At this time a very low point or 
 spit bore SSW. four miles distant, to 
 the E. of which there appeared to be 
 a narrow channel leading into some 
 water that we saw over the point. 
 Probably the lake before mentioned 
 communicates here with the sea. At 
 noon, the mist dispersing for a short 
 interval, we had a tolerably good view 
 of the coast, which extended from 
 SE. to NW. by W. 
 peared higher than 
 general it was very 
 land farther up the 
 whole was now covered with snow, 
 which had lately fallen, quite down 
 to the sea. I continued to range 
 along the coast at two leagues' dis- 
 tance till ten at nijdit, when 
 
 Some parts ap- 
 others, but in 
 low, with high 
 country. The 
 
 we 
 
 hauled oil'; but wo resumed our course 
 1 Chapter X. in Original Edition. 
 
Sr.n-.i773."! 
 
 RF.TTTRN ALONG COAST OF ASIA. 
 
 287 
 
 next morning soon after daybreak, 
 when we got sight of the coast agaiD, 
 extending from W. to SE. by S. At 
 eight the eastern part bore S., and 
 proved to be an island, which at noon 
 bore SW. half S. four or five miles 
 distant. It is about four or five miles 
 in circuit, of a middling height, with 
 a steep, rocky coast, situated about 
 three leagues from the main, in the 
 Latitude of 67° 45', and distinguished 
 in the chart by the name of Burney's 
 Island. The inland country here- 
 abouts is full of hills, some of which 
 are of a considerable height. The 
 land was covered with snow, excej)t a 
 few spots upon the sea-coast, which 
 still continued low, but less so than 
 farther westward. For the two pre- 
 ceding days the main height of the 
 mercury in the thermometer had been 
 very little above the freezing point, 
 and often below it ; so that the water 
 in the vessels upon the deck was fre- 
 quently covered with a sheet of ice. 
 
 I continued to steer SSE., nearly 
 in the direction of the coast, till five 
 in the afternoon, when land was seen 
 bearing S. 50° E. , which we presently 
 found to be a continuation of the 
 coast, and hauled up for it. Being 
 abreast of the eastern land at ten at 
 night, and in doubts of weathering it, 
 we tacked and made a board to the 
 westward till past one the next morn- 
 ing, when we stood again to the E. , 
 and found that it was as much as we 
 could do to keep our distance from 
 the coast ; the wind being exceedingly 
 unsettled, varying continually from 
 N. to NE. At half-an-hour past 
 eight, the eastern extreme above 
 mentioned bore S. by E. six or seven 
 miles distant. At the same time a 
 headland appeared in sight bearing 
 E. by S. half S., and soon after we 
 could trace the whole coast lying be- 
 tween them, and a small island at 
 some distance from it. The coast 
 seemed to form several rocky points, 
 connected by a low shore, without 
 the least appearance of a harbour. 
 At some distance from the sea the 
 low land appeared to swell into a 
 number of hills. The highest of these 
 were covered with snow, and in other 
 
 respects the whole country oeemel 
 naked. At seven in tho evening two 
 points of land, at some distance be- 
 yond the eastern head, opened off it 
 in the direction of S. 37° E. I was 
 now well assured of what I had be- 
 lieved before, that this was the coun- 
 try of the Tschutski, or the north-east 
 coast of Asia, and that thus far Beh- 
 ring proceeded in 1728 ; that is, to 
 this head, which Muller says i3 called 
 Serdze Kamen, on account of a rock 
 upon it shaped like a heart. But I 
 conceive that Mr Midler's knowledge 
 of the geography of these parts is very 
 imperfect. There are many elevated 
 rocks upon this cape, and possibly 
 some one or other of them may have 
 the shape of a heart. It is a pretty 
 lofty promontory, with a steep rocky 
 cliff facing the sea, and lies in the 
 Latitude of 67° 3', and in the Longi- 
 tude of 188° 11'. To the eastward of 
 it the coast is high and bold ; but to 
 the westward it is low, and trends 
 NNW. and NW. by W., which is 
 nearly its direction all the way to Cape 
 North. The soundings are everywhere 
 the same at the same distance from 
 the shore, which is also the case on 
 the opposite shore of America. The 
 greatest depth we found in ranging 
 along it was twenty-three fathoms. 
 And in the night, or in foggy weather, 
 the soundings are no bad guide in 
 sailing along either of these shores. 
 
 At 8 o'clock in the morning of the 
 2d the most advanced land to the SE. 
 bore S. 25° E., and from this point of 
 view had the appearance of being an 
 island. But the thick snow showers 
 which succeeded one another pretty 
 fast, and settled upon the land, hid. 
 great part of the coast at this time 
 from our sight. Soon after, the sun, 
 whose face we had not seen for near 
 five days, broke out at intervals be- 
 tween the showers, and in soma 
 measure freed the coast from the fog, 
 so that we had a sight of it, and 
 found the whole to be connected. 
 The wind still continued at N., tho 
 air was cold, and the mercury in the 
 thermometer never rose above 35° and 
 was sometimes as low as 3Cr\ At 
 noon, the observed Latitude was 66" 
 
288 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 37'. We had now fair weather and 
 sunshine ; and as we ranged along 
 the coast, at the distance of four miles, 
 wo saw several of the inhabitants, 
 and some of their habitations, which 
 looked like little hillocks of earth. 
 In the evening we passed the Eastern 
 Cape, or the point above mentioned, 
 from which the coast changes its 
 direction and trends SW. It is the 
 same point of land which we had 
 passed on the 11th of August. They 
 who believed implicitly in Mr Stoeh- 
 lin's map then thought it the east 
 point of his island Alashka ; but we 
 had by this time satisfied ourselves 
 that it is no other than the eastern 
 promontory of Asia, and probably the 
 proper Tschukotskoi Noss, though the 
 promontory to which Behring gave 
 that name is farther to the SW. It 
 is a peninsula of considerable height, 
 joined to the continent by a very low 
 and, to appearance, narrow neck of 
 land. It shows a steep rocky cliff 
 next the sea, and off the very point 
 are some rocks like spires. It is 
 situated in the Latitude of 66° 6', and 
 in the Longitude of 190° 22', and is 
 distant, from Cape Prince of Wales, on 
 the American coast, thirteen leagues, 
 in the direction of N. 53° W. Tbe 
 land about this promontory is com- 
 posed of hills and valleys. The former 
 terminate at the sea in steep rocky 
 points, and the latter in low shores. 
 The hills seemed to be naked rocks, 
 but the valleys had a greenish hue, 
 but destitute of tree or shrub. l 
 
 After passing the cape, I steered 
 SW. half W., for the northern point 
 of St Laurence Bay, in which we had 
 anchored on the 10th of last month. 
 We reached it by 8 o'clock next 
 morning, and saw some of the inha- 
 
 1 Deshniew's voyage in 1648, in 
 quest of the Anadir River, is consi- 
 dered the only one before Cook's in 
 which the north-eastern extremity of 
 Asia was doubled. The Cossack navi- 
 gator set out from the Kolima river 
 in northern Siberia, and passed south- 
 wauls through Behring's Straits — not 
 then, of course, so named, or named 
 at all — to the mouth of the Anadir. 
 
 [VOY.III.B.IV.CH.V. 
 
 bitants at the place where I had seen 
 them before, as well as several others 
 on the opposite side of the bay. None 
 of them, however, attempted to come 
 off to us ; which seemed a little extra- 
 ordinary, as the weather was favour- 
 able enough, and those whom we had 
 lately visited had no reason that I 
 know of to dislike our company. 
 These people must be the Tschutski ; 
 a nation that, at the time Mr Muller 
 wrote, the Prussians had not been able 
 to conquer. And from the whole of 
 their conduct with us it appears that 
 they have not as yet brought them 
 under subjection ; though it is obvious 
 that they must have a trade with the 
 Russians, either directly or by means 
 of some neighbouring nation, as we 
 cannot otherwise account for their 
 being in possession of the spontoons, 
 in particular, of which we took notice. 
 This Bay of St Laurence 2 is at least 
 five leagues broad at the entrance, 
 and four leagues deep, narrowing to- 
 ward the bottom, where it appeared 
 to be tolerably well sheltered from the 
 sea-winds, provided there be sufficient 
 depth of water for ships. I did not 
 wait to examine it, although I was 
 very desirous of finding an harbour in 
 those parts to which I might resort 
 next spring. But I wanted one where 
 wood might be got, and I knew that 
 none was to be found here. From the 
 south point of this bay, which lies in 
 the Latitude of 65° 30', the coast 
 trends W. by S. for about nine leagues, 
 and there forms a deep bay or river ; 
 or else the land there is so low that 
 we could not see it. At one in the 
 afternoon, in the direction of our 
 course, we saw what was first taken 
 for a rock ; but it proved to be a dead 
 whale, which some natives of the 
 Asiatic coast had killed and were tow- 
 
 2 Captain Cook gives it this name, 
 having anchored in it on St Laurence's 
 day, August 10. It is remarkable 
 that Behring sailed past this very 
 place on the 10th of August 1728 
 on which account 
 island was named 
 same saint, — Note 
 lion. 
 
 the neighbouring 
 by him after the 
 in Original ikli- 
 
REMARKS ON BEHPJNG'S VOYAGE. 289 
 
 Svpt. 1778.] 
 
 ing ashore. They seemed to conceal 
 themselves behind the fish to avoid 
 being seen by us. This was unneces- 
 sary ; for we pursued our course with- 
 out taking any notice of them. 
 
 At daybreak on the 4th I hauled to 
 the N¥., in order to get a nearer 
 view of the inlet seen the preceding 
 day ; but the wind soon after veering 
 to that direction I gave up the design, 
 and, steering to the southward along 
 the coast, passed two bays, each about 
 two leagues deep. The northernmost 
 lies before a hill which is remarkable 
 by being rounder than any other upon 
 the coast ; and there is an island 
 lying before the other. It may be 
 doubted whether there be a sufficient 
 depth for ships in either of these bays, 
 as we always met with shoal water 
 when we edged in for the shore. The 
 country here is exceedingly hilly and 
 naked. In several places on the low 
 ground next the sea were the dwell- 
 ings of the natives : and near all of 
 them were erected stages of bones, 
 such as before described. These may 
 be seen at a great distance on account 
 of their whiteness. At noon the Lati- 
 tude was 64° 88' and the Longitude 
 188° 15' ; the southernmost point of 
 the main in sight bore S. 48° W., and 
 the nearest shore about three or four 
 leagues distant. By this time the 
 ivind had veered again to the N., and 
 blew a gentle breeze. The weather 
 was clear, and the air cold. I did 
 not follow the direction of the coast, 
 as I found that it took [a westerly 
 direction toward the Gulf of Anadir, 
 into which I had no inducement to 
 go, but steered to the southward, in 
 order to get a sight of the Island of 
 St Laurence, discovered by Behring ; 
 which accordingly showed itself, and 
 at 8 o'clock in the evening it bore S. 
 20° E., by estimation, eleven leagues 
 distant. At the same time the south- 
 ernmost point of the mainland bore 
 S. 83° W., distant twelve leagues. 
 I take this point to be the point which 
 Behring calls the East Point of Su- 
 chotski, or Cape Tschukotskoi; a name 
 which he gave it, and with propriety, 
 because it was from this part of the 
 coast that the natives came off to him 
 
 who called themselves of the nation of 
 the Tschutski. I make its Latitude 
 to bo 64° 13' and its Longitude 1?0" 
 36'. 
 
 In justice to the memory of Beh- 
 ring, I must say that he has delineated 
 the coast very well, and fixed the 
 latitude and longitude of the points 
 better than could be expected from 
 the methods he had to go by. This 
 judgment is not formed from Mr 
 Midler's account of the voyage, or the 
 chart prefixed to his book ; but from 
 Dr Campbell's account of it in his 
 edition of Harris's Collection, and a 
 map thereto annexed, which is both 
 more circumstantial and accurate than 
 that of Mr Muller. The more I was 
 convinced of my being now upon the 
 coast of Asia, the more I was at a loss 
 to reconcile Mr Staehlin's map of the 
 New Northern Archipelago with my 
 observations ; and I had no way to 
 account for the great difference, but 
 by supposing that I had mistaken 
 some part of what he calls the Island 
 of Alashka for the American contin- 
 ent, and had missed the channel that 
 separates them. Admitting even this, 
 there would still have been a consider- 
 able difference. It was with me a 
 matter of some consequence to clear 
 up this point the present season, that 
 I might have but one object in view 
 the next. And, as these northern 
 isles are represented by him as abound- 
 ing with wood, I was hi hopes, if I 
 should find them, of getting a supply 
 of that article, which we now began to 
 be in great want of on board. With 
 these views I steered over for the 
 American coast, and at five in the 
 afternoon the next'day saw landbearing 
 three-quarters E. , which we took to be 
 Anderson's Island or some other land 
 near it, and therefore did not wait to 
 examine it. On the 6th, at four in the 
 morning, we got sight of the Ameri- 
 can coast near Sledge Island ; and at 
 six the same evening this island here 
 N. 6° E., ten leagues distant, and 1 he 
 easternmost land in sight N. 49° K. 
 If any part of what I had supposed to 
 be American coast could possibly be 
 the Island of Alashka, it was that i>ow 
 before us ; and in that case 1 must 
 T 
 
200 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 [Voy.III.B.IV.Ce.V. 
 
 have missed the channel between it 
 and the main, by steering to the west 
 instead of the east after we first fell 
 in with it. I was not, therefore, at a 
 loss where to go in order to clear up 
 these doubts. 
 
 At eight in the evening of the 7th 
 we had got close in with the land, 
 Sledge Island bearing N. 85° W., 
 eight or nine leagues distant ; and 
 the eastern part of the coast N. 70° 
 E., with high land in the direction 
 of E. by N., seemingly at a great dis- 
 tance beyond the point. At this time 
 we saw a light ashore, and two canoes 
 filled with people coming off toward 
 us. I brought to, that they might 
 have time to come up. But it was to 
 no purpose ; for, resisting all the signs 
 of friendship we could exhibit, they 
 kept at a distance of a quarter of a 
 mile, so that we left them and pur- 
 sued our course along the coast. At 
 one in the morning of the 8th, finding 
 the water shoal Tjretty fast, we dropped 
 anchor in ten fathoms, where we lay 
 until daylight, and then resumed our 
 course along the coast, which we found 
 to trend E. andE. half S. At seven in 
 the evening we were abreast of a point 
 lying in the Latitude of 64° 21', and in 
 the Longitude of 197° ; beyond which 
 the coast takes a more northerly direc- 
 tion. At eight this point, which 
 obtained the name of Cape Darby, 
 bore S. 62° W. ; the northernmost 
 land in sight, N. 32° E. ; and the 
 nearest shore three miles distant. In 
 this situation we anchored in thir- 
 teen fathoms M-ater, over a muddy 
 bottom. 
 
 Next morning at daybreak we weigh- 
 ed and sailed along the coast. Two 
 islands, as we supposed them to be, 
 were at this time seen ; the one bear- 
 ing S. 70° E. and the other E. Soon 
 after, we found ourselves upon a coast 
 covered with wood; an agreeable sight, 
 to which of late wo had not been 
 accustomed. As we advanced to tho 
 north, we raised land in the direction 
 of NE. half N., which proved to be a 
 continuation of the coast we were 
 upon. We also saw high land over 
 the islands, seemingly at a good dis- 
 tance beyond them. This was thought 
 
 to be the continent, and the other 
 land the Island of Alashka. But it 
 was already doubtful whether we 
 should find a passage between them ; 
 for the water shoaled insensibly as 
 we advanced farther to the north. In 
 this situation, two boats were sent to 
 sound before the ships ; and I ordered 
 the Discovery to lead, keeping nearly 
 in the mid-channel between the coast 
 on our larboard and the northernmost 
 island on our starboard. Thus wo 
 proceeded till three in the afternoon, 
 when, having passed the island, wo 
 had not more than three fathoms and 
 a half of water ; and the Besolution 
 at one time brought the mud up from 
 the bottom. More water was not to be 
 found in any part of the channel ; for, 
 with the ships and boats, we had tried 
 it from side to side. I therefore 
 thought it high time to return, espe- 
 cially as the wind was in such a 
 quarter that we must ply back. But 
 what I dreaded most was the wind 
 increasing, and raising the sea into 
 waves, so as to put the ships in dan- 
 ger of striking. At this time a head- 
 land on the west shore, which is 
 distinguished by the name of Bald 
 Head, bore N. by W., one league 
 distant. The coast beyond it extend- 
 ed as far as NE. by N., where it 
 seemed to end in a point, behind 
 which the coast of the high land, seen 
 over the islands, stretched itself ; and 
 some thought they could trace where 
 it joined. On the west side of Bald 
 Head the shore forms a bay, in the 
 bottom of which is a low beach, where 
 we saw a number of huts or habitations 
 of the natives. 
 
 Having continued to ply back all 
 night, by daybreak the next morning 
 we had got into six fathoms water. 
 At 9 o'clock, being about a league 
 from the west shore, I took two boats 
 and landed, attended by Mr King, to 
 seek wood and water. Wo landed 
 where the coast projects out into a 
 bluff head, composed of perpendicular 
 strata of a rock of a dark blue colour, 
 mixed with quartz and glimmer. 
 There joins to the beach a narrow 
 border of land, now covered with long 
 grass, where we met with some Angel- 
 
Sept. 1778.] 
 
 OFF CAPE DENBIGH. 
 
 291 
 
 ica. Beyond this the ground rises 
 abruptly. At the top of this elevation 
 ve found a heath abounding with a 
 variety of berries ; and farther on the 
 country was level, and thinly covered 
 with small spruce trees and birch and 
 willows no bigger than broom stuff. 
 We observed tracks of deer and foxes 
 on the beach, on which also lay a 
 great quantity of drift-wood ; and 
 there was no want of fresh water. I 
 returned on board with an intention 
 to bring the ships to an anchor here ; 
 but the wind then veering to NE., 
 which blew rather on this shore, I 
 stretched over to the opposite one in 
 the expectation of finding wood there 
 also, and anchored at 8 o'clock in the 
 evening under the south end of the 
 northernmost island. So we then 
 supposed it to be ; but next morning 
 wo found it to be a peninsula, united 
 to the continent by a low neck of land, 
 on each side of which the coast forms 
 £ bay. We plied into the southern- 
 most, and about noon anchored in 
 five fathoms water, over a bottom of 
 mud ; the point of the peninsula, 
 which obtained the name of Cape 
 Denbigh, bearing N. 68° W., three 
 miles distant. Several people were 
 seen upon the peninsula ; and one 
 man came off in a small canoe. I 
 gave him a knife and a few beads, 
 with which he seemed well pleased. 
 Having made signs to him to bring 
 us something to eat, he immediately 
 left us and paddled toward the shore. 
 But meeting another man coming off, 
 who happened to have two dried sal- 
 mon, he got them from him, and on 
 returning to the ship would give 
 them to nobody but me. Some of our 
 people thought that he asked for me 
 under the name of "Capitane ;" but 
 in this they were probably mistaken. 
 He knew who had given him the knife 
 and beads, but I do not see how he 
 could know that I was the captain. 
 Others of the natives soon after came 
 off, and exchanged a few dry fish for 
 such trifles as they could get or wo 
 had to give them. They were most 
 desirous of knives ; and they had no 
 didike to tobacco. 
 
 \fter dinner Lieutenant Gore was 
 
 sent to the peninsula, to esc if wood 
 and water were there to be got, or 
 rather water, for tho whole beach 
 round the bay seemed to be covered 
 with drift-wood. At the same time a 
 boat was sent from each ship to sound 
 round the bay ; and at three in the 
 afternoon, the wind freshening at 
 NE., we weighed in order to work 
 farther in. But it was soon found to 
 be impossible, on account of the shoals, 
 which extended quite round the bay 
 to the distance of two or three miles 
 from the shore, as the officers who had 
 been sent to sound reported. We 
 therefore kept standing off and on 
 with the ships, waiting for Mr Gore, 
 who returned about 8 o'clock with the 
 launch laden with wood. He reported 
 that there was but little fresh water ; 
 and that wood was difficult to be got 
 at, by reason of the boats grounding 
 at some distance from the beach. This 
 being the case, I stood back to the 
 other shore ; and at 8 o'clock the 
 next morning sent all the boats and 
 a party of men, with an officer, to 
 get wood from the place where I had 
 landed two days before. We con- 
 tinued for a while to stand on and off 
 with the ships, but at length came to 
 an anchor in one-fourth less than five 
 fathoms, half-a-league from the coast, 
 the south point of which bore S. 26° 
 W., and Bald Head N. C0° E., nine 
 leagues distant. Cape Denbigh bore S. 
 72° E., twenty-six miles distant ; and 
 the island under the east shore, to the 
 southward of Cape Denbigh, named 
 Bessborough Island, S. 52° E., fifteen 
 leagues distant. 
 
 As this was a very open road, and 
 consequently not a safe station, I re- 
 solved not to wait to complete water, 
 as that would require some time ; but 
 only to supply the ships with wood, 
 and then to go in search of a more 
 convenient place for the other article. 
 We took off the drift-wood that lay 
 upon the beach ; and as the wind blew 
 along shore the boats could sail both 
 ways, which enabled us to make great 
 despatch. In the afternoon I went 
 ashore and walked a little into the 
 country ; which, where there was no 
 wood, was covered with heath and 
 
292 
 
 other plants, some of which produce 
 berries in abundance. All the hemes 
 were ripe, the hurtle-berries 1 too much 
 so ; and hardly a single plant was in 
 flower. The underwood, such as birch, 
 willows, and alders, rendered it very 
 troublesome walking among the trees, 
 which were all spruce, and none of 
 them above six or eight inches in dia- 
 meter. But we found some lying 
 upon the beach more than twice this 
 size. All the drift-wood in these 
 northern parts was fir ; I saw not a 
 stick of any other sort. Next day a 
 family of the natives came near to the 
 
 flace where we were taking off wood, 
 know not how many there were at 
 first; but 1 saw only the husband, 
 the wife, and their child, and a fourth 
 person, who bore the human shape, 
 and that was all ; for he was the most 
 deformed cripple I had ever seen or 
 heard of. The other man was almost 
 blind, and neither he nor his wife 
 were such good-looking people as we 
 had sometimes seen amongst the na- 
 tives of this coast. The under lips of 
 both were bored ; and they had in 
 their possession some such glass beads 
 as I had met with before amongst 
 their neighbours. But iron was their 
 beloved article. For four knives, 
 which we had made out of an old 
 iron hoop, I got from them near 
 400 pounds weight of fish, which 
 they had caught on this or the pre- 
 ceding day. Some were trout, and 
 the rest were in size and taste some- 
 what between a mullet and a herring. 
 1 gave the child, who was a girl, a few 
 beads ; on which the mother burst 
 into tears, then the father, then the 
 cripple, and at last, to complete the 
 concert, the girl herself; but this 
 music continued not long. Before 
 night we had got the ships amply 
 supplied with wood, and had carried 
 on board about twelve tons of water 
 to each. 
 
 On the 14th a party of men were 
 sent on shore to cut brooms, which 
 we were in want of, and the branches 
 of spruce trees for brewing beer. To- 
 wards noon everybody was taken on 
 
 1 "Whortle-berries, bilberries. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. (Tot. III. 13. IV. Ch. V. 
 
 board ; for the wind freshening had 
 raised such a surf on the beach that 
 the boats could not continue to land 
 without great difficulty. Some doubts 
 being still entertained whether the 
 coast we were now upon belonged to 
 an island or the American continent, 
 and the shallowness of the water put- 
 ting it out of our power to determine 
 this with our ships, I sent Lieutenant 
 King with two boats under his com- 
 mand to make such searches as might 
 leave no room for a variety of opinions 
 on the subject. Next day the ships 
 removed over to the bay which is on 
 the south-east side of Cape Denbigh, 
 where we anchored in the afternoon. 
 Soon after, a few of the natives came 
 off in their small canoes, and bartered 
 some dried salmon for such trifles aa 
 our people had to give them. 
 
 At daybreak on the 16th, nine men, 
 each in his canoe, paid us a visit. 
 They approached the ship with som6 
 caution, and evidently came with no 
 other view than to gratify their curi- 
 osity. They drew up abreast of each 
 other under our stern, and gave us a 
 song ; while one of their number beat 
 upon a kind of drum, and another 
 made a thousand antic motions with 
 his hands and body. There was, how- 
 ever, nothing savage either in the 
 song or in the gestures that accom- 
 panied it. None of us could perceive 
 any difference between these people, 
 either as to their size or features, and 
 those whom we had met with on 
 every other part of the coast, King 
 George's Sound excepted. Their 
 clothing, which consisted principally 
 of deer-skins, was made after the 
 same fashion ; and they observed the 
 custom of boring their under lips, and 
 fixing ornaments to them. The 
 dwellings of these people were seated 
 close to the beach. They consist 
 simply of a sloping roof, without any 
 side walls, composed of logs and 
 covered with grass and earth. The 
 floor is also laid with logs ; the en- 
 trance is at one end, the fireplace just 
 within it, and a small hole is made 
 near the door to let out the smoke. 
 
 After breakfast a party of men Aveie 
 sent to the peninsula for brooms and 
 
Sept. 1778.] PRODUCE OF THE 
 
 spruce. At the same time half the 
 
 remainder of the people in each ship 
 had leave to go and pick berries. 
 These returned on board at noon, 
 when the other half went on the 
 same errand. The berries to be got 
 here were wild currant-berries, part- 
 ridge-berries, and heath-berries. I 
 also went ashore myself and walked 
 over part of the peninsula. In several 
 places there was very good grass, and 
 I hardly saw a spot on which some 
 vegetable was not growing. The low 
 land which connects this peninsula 
 with the continent is full of narrow 
 creeks, and abounds with ponds of 
 water, some of wbich were already 
 frozen over. There were a great many 
 geese and bustards, but so shy that it 
 was not possible to get within mas- 
 ket-shot of them. We also met with 
 some snipes, and on the high ground 
 were partridges of two sorts. Where 
 there was any wood, mosquitoes 
 were in plenty. Some of the olficers, 
 who travelled farther than I did, met 
 with a few of the natives of both 
 sexes, who treated them with civility. 
 It appeared to me that this peninsula 
 must have been an island in remote 
 times ; for there were marks of the sea 
 1 laving flowed over the isthmus ; and 
 even now it appeared to be kept out 
 by a bank of sand, stones, and wood, 
 thrown up by the waves. By this 
 bank it was evident that the land 
 was here encroaching upon the sea, 
 and it was easy to trace its gradual 
 formation. 
 
 About seven in the evening Mr 
 King returned from his expedition, 
 and reported that he proceeded with 
 the boats about three or fcur leagues 
 farther than the ships had been able 
 to go ; that he then landed on the 
 west side ; that, from the heights ho 
 could see the two coasts join, and the 
 inlet to terminate in a small river or 
 creek, before which were banks of 
 sand or mud, and everywhere shoal 
 water. The land, too, was low and 
 swampy for some distance to the 
 northward ; then it swelled into hills ; 
 and the complete junction of those on 
 each side of the inlet was easily 
 traced. From the elevated spot on 
 
 COUNTRY. 293 
 
 which Mr King surveyed the sound, 
 he could distinguish many extensive 
 valleys, with rivers running through 
 them, well wooded, and bounded by 
 hills of a gentle ascent and moderate 
 height. One of these rivers to tho 
 north-west appeared to be consider- 
 able ; and from its direction he was 
 inclined to think that it emptied 
 itself into the sea at the head of the 
 bay. Some of his people, who pene- 
 trated beyond this into the country, 
 found the trees larger the farther they 
 advanced. In honour of Sir Fletcher 
 Norton, 1 Speaker of the House of 
 Commons, and Mr King's near rela- 
 tion, I named this inlet Norton 
 Sound. It extends to the northward 
 as far as tho Latitude of 64° 55'. 
 The bay in which wo were now at 
 anchor lies on the south-east side of 
 it, and is called by the natives Chack- 
 toole. It is but an indifferent station, 
 being exposed to the south and south- 
 west winds ; nor is there a harbour in 
 all this sound. But we were so for- 
 tunate as to have the wind from the 
 north and north-east all the time, 
 with remarkably fine weather. 
 
 Having now fully satisfied myself 
 that Mr Stsehlin's map must be 
 erroneous, and, having restored the 
 American continent to that space 
 which he had occupied with his 
 imaginary island of Alashka, it wa>; 
 high time to think of leaving these 
 northern regions and to retire to some 
 place during the winter, where I 
 might procure refreshments for my 
 people, and a small supply of provi- 
 sions. Petropaulowska, or the har- 
 bour of St Peter and St Paul, in 
 Kamtschatka, did not appear likely 
 to furnish either tho one or the other 
 for so large a number of men. I had, 
 besides, other reasons for not repair- 
 ing thither at this time. The first, 
 on which all the others depended, 
 was the great dislike I had to lie in- 
 active for six or seven months, which 
 would have been the necessary conse- 
 quence of wintering in any of these- 
 northern parts. No place was wi 
 conveniently within our reach, whoj*-; 
 
 1 Afterwards Lord Grantley. 
 
294 
 
 we could expect to have our wants 
 supplied, as the Sandwich Islands ; to 
 tliem, therefore, I determined to pro- 
 ceed. But before this could be carried 
 into execution, a supply of water was 
 necessary. With this view I resolved 
 to search the American coast for a 
 harbour, by proceeding along it to the 
 southward, and thus endeavour to 
 connect the survey of this part of it 
 with that lying immediately to the 
 north of Cape Newenham. If I failed 
 in finding a harbour there, my plan 
 was then to proceed to Samganoodha, 
 which was fixed upon as our place of 
 rendezvous in case of separation. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Having weighed on the 17th in the 
 morning with a light breeze at E., 
 we steered to the southward and at- 
 tempted to pass within Bessborough 
 Island ; but though it lies six or seven 
 miles from the continent, were pre- 
 vented by meeting with shoal water. 
 As we had but little wind all the 
 day, it was dark before we passed the 
 island, and the night was spent under 
 an easy sail. We resumed our course 
 at daybreak on the 18th, along the 
 coast. At noon we had no more than 
 five fathoms water. At this time 
 the latitude was 63° 37'. Bessbor- 
 ough Island now bore N. 42° E. ; the 
 southernmost land in sight, which 
 proved also to be an island, S. 66° 
 W. ; the passage between it and the 
 main S. 40° W. ; and the nearest 
 land about two miles distant. I con- 
 tinued to steer for this passage until 
 the boats, which were ahead, made 
 the signal for having no more than 
 three fathoms water. On this we 
 hauled without the island, and made 
 the signal for the Resolution's boat 
 to keep between the ships and the 
 .more. 
 
 This island, which obtained the 
 name of Stuart's Island, lies in the 
 latitude of 63° 35', and seventeen 
 leagues from Cape Denbigh in the 
 direction of S. 27° W. It is six or 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III. B.IV.Ch.V1. 
 
 of it are of a middling height ; but in 
 general it is low, with some rocks 
 lying off the western part. The coast 
 of the continent is for the most part 
 low land, but we saw high land up 
 the country. It forms a point, oppo- 
 site the island, which was named 
 Cape Stephens, and lies in Latitude 
 63° 33' and in Longitude 197° 41'. 
 Some drift-wood was seen upon the 
 shores both of the island and of the 
 continent; but not a tree was per- 
 ceived growing upon either. One 
 might anchor upon occasion between 
 the north-east side of this island and 
 the continent, in a depth of five 
 fathoms, sheltered from westerly, 
 southerly, and easterly winds. But 
 this station would be wholly exposed 
 to the northerly winds, the land in 
 that direction being at too great a 
 distance to afford any security. Be- 
 fore we reached Stuart's Island, wo 
 passed two small islands lying between 
 us and the main ; and as we ranged 
 along the coast several people appeared 
 upon the shore, and by signs seemed 
 to invito us to approach them. As 
 soon as we were without the island, 
 we steered S. by W. for the southern- 
 most point of the continent in sight, 
 till 8 o'clock in the evening, when, 
 having shoaled the water from six 
 fathoms to less than four, I tacked 
 and stood to the northward into five 
 fathoms, and then spent the night 
 lying off and on. At the time we 
 tacked, the southernmost point of 
 land, the same which is mentioned 
 above, and was named Point Shallow 
 Water, bore S. half E. seven leagues 
 distant. 
 
 We resumed our course to the 
 southward at daybreak next morning, 
 but shoal water obliged us to haul 
 more to the westward. At length 
 we got so far advanced upon the 
 bank, that wo could not hold a 
 NNW. course, meeting sometimes 
 with only four fathoms. The wind 
 blowing fresh at ENE., it was high 
 time to look for deep water, and to 
 quit a coast upon which we could no 
 longer navigate with any degree of 
 safety. I therefore hauled the wind 
 
 ven leagues in circuit. Some parts to the northward, and gradually deep- 
 
Sept. 1778.] SHOALS ON THE 
 
 ened the water to eight fathoms. At 
 the time we hauled the wind we were 
 at least twelve leagues from the con- 
 tinent and nine to the westward of 
 Stuart's Island. No land was seen 
 to the southward of Point Shallow 
 "Water, which I judge to lie in the 
 Latitude of 63°; so that between this 
 latitude and Shoal Ness, in Latitude 
 60°, the coast is entirely unexplored. 
 Probably it is accessible only to boats 
 or very small vessels, or at least, if 
 thero be channels for larger vessels it 
 would require some time to find 
 them ; and I am of opinion that they 
 must be looked for near the coast. 
 From the mast-head, the sea within 
 us appeared to be chequered with 
 shoals ; the water was very much dis- 
 coloured and muddy, and consider- 
 ably fresher than at any of the places 
 where we had lately anchored. From 
 this I inferred that a considerable 
 river runs into the sea in this un- 
 known part. 1 
 
 As soon ap, we got into eight 
 fathoms water I steered to the west- 
 ward, and afterwards more southerly, 
 for the land discovered' on the 5th, 
 which at noon the next day bore 
 SW. by "W., ten or eleven leagues 
 distant. At this time we had a fresh 
 gale at N., with showers of hail and 
 snow at intervals, and a pretty high 
 sea ; so that we got clear of the shoals 
 but just in time. As I now found 
 that the land before us lay too far to 
 the westward to be Anderson's Island, 
 I named it Clerke's Island. It lies 
 in the Latitude, of 63° 15', and in' the 
 Longitude of 190° 30'. It seemed to 
 be a pretty large island, in which are 
 four or more hills, all connected by 
 low ground ; so that at a distance it 
 looks like a group of islands. Near 
 its east part lies a small island remark- 
 able by having upon it three elevated 
 rocks. Not only the greater island 
 
 1 1 In modern maps a large river 
 named the Kwichpak, taking its rise 
 far inland to the east and south-east, 
 and debouching by several mouths 
 into the sea north of Cape Romanzov, 
 is marked just where Cook conjectured 
 the existence of such a stream. 
 
 AMERICAN COAST. 
 
 295 
 
 but this small spot was inhabited. 
 We got up to the northern point of 
 Clerke's Island about 6 o'clock, and 
 having ranged along its coast till 
 dark, brought to during the night. 
 At daybreak next morning we stood 
 in again for the coast, and continued 
 to range along it in search of a har- 
 bour till noon, when, seeing no like- 
 lihood of succeeding, I left it and 
 steered SSW. for the land which we 
 had discovered on the 29th of July ; 
 having a fresh gale at N. with showers 
 of sleet and snow. I remarked that 
 as soon as we opened the channel 
 which separates the two continents, 
 cloudy weather with snow-showers 
 immediately commenced ; whereas all 
 the time that we were in Norton 
 Sound we had, with the same wind, 
 clear weather. Might not this be 
 occasioned by the mountains to the 
 north of that place attracting the 
 vapours and hindering them to pro- 
 ceed any farther ? 
 
 At daybreak in the morning of the 
 23d the land above mentioned ap- 
 peared in sight, bearing SW., six or 
 seven leagues distant. From this 
 point of view it resembled a group of 
 islands ; but it proved to be but one, 
 of thirty miles in extent in the direc- 
 tion of NW. and SE., the SE. end 
 being Cape Upright, already taken 
 notice of. The island, is but narrow, 
 especially at the low necks of land 
 that connect the hills. I afterward 
 found that it was wholly unknown 
 to the Russians ; and therefore, con- 
 sidering it as a discovery of our own, 
 I named it Gore's Island. It ap- 
 peared to be barren, and without in- 
 habitants ; at least we saw nono. Nor 
 did we see so many birds about it as 
 when we first discovered it. But we 
 saw some sea-otters, an animal which 
 we had not met with to the north ol 
 this latitude. Four leagues from 
 Cape Upright, in the direction of S. 
 72° "W., lies a small island whose 
 elevated summit terminates in severa.' 
 pinnacle rocks. On this account it 
 was named Pinnacle Island. At two 
 in the afternoon, after passing Cape 
 Upright, I steered SE. by S. for 
 Sarnganoodha, with a gentle br-jeu 
 
296 
 
 at NNW. 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 being resolved to spend 
 no more time in searching for a har- 
 bour amongst islands which I now 
 began to suspect had no existence, at 
 least not in the latitude and longi- 
 tude where modern map-makers have 
 thought proper to place them. In 
 the evening of the 24th the wind 
 veered to SW. and S., and increased 
 to a fresh gale. 
 
 "We continued to stretch to the east- 
 ward till 8 o'clock in the morning of 
 the 25th, when, in the Latitude of 58° 
 32', and in the Longitude of 191° 10', 
 we tacked and stood to the west ; and 
 soon after, the gale increasing, we were 
 reduced to two courses and close-reefed 
 maintop-sails. Not long after, the 
 Resolution sprang a leak under the 
 starboard buttock, which filled the 
 spirit-room with water before it was 
 discovered ; and it was so consider- 
 able as to keep one pump constantly 
 employed. We durst not put the 
 ship upon the other tack for fear of 
 getting upon the shoals that lie to 
 the NW. of Cape Newenham ; but 
 continued standing to the west till 
 six in the evening of the 26th, when 
 we wore and stood to the eastward, 
 and then the leak no longer troubled 
 us. This proved that it was above 
 the water line, which was no small 
 satisfaction. The gale was now over, 
 but the wind remained at S. and SW. 
 for some days longer. 
 
 At length, on the 2d of October at 
 daybreak, we saw the island of Oona- 
 lashka bearing SE. But as this was 
 to 'tis a new point of view, and the 
 land was obscured by a thick haze, 
 we were not sure of our situation till 
 noon, when the observed Ja&tude de- 
 termined it. As all the harbours were 
 alike to me provided they were equally 
 safe and convenient, I hauled into a 
 bay that lies ten miles to the west- 
 ward of Samganoodha, known by the 
 name of Egoochshac ; but we found 
 very deep water, so that we were glad 
 to get out again. The natives, many 
 of whom lived here, visited us at dif- 
 ferent times, bringing with them dried 
 salmcn and other fish, which they ex- 
 changed with the seamen for tobacco. 
 But a few days before, every ounce of 
 
 [Voy.III.B.IV.Ch.VI. 
 
 tobacco that was in the ship had been 
 distributed among them ; and the 
 quantity was not half sufficient to 
 answer their demands. Notwith- 
 standing this, so improvident a crea- 
 ture is an English sailor, that they 
 were as profuse in making their bar- 
 gains as if we had now arrived at a 
 port in Virginia; by which means, in 
 less than eight-and-forty hours the 
 value of this article of barter was 
 lowered above 1000 per cent. At 1 
 o'clock in the afternoon of the 3d we 
 anchored in Samganoodha harbour ; 
 and the next morning the carpenters of 
 both ships were set to work to rip off 
 the sheathing of and under the wale 
 on the starboard side abaft. Many of 
 the scams were found quite open, so 
 that it was no wonder that so much 
 water had found its way into the ship. 
 While we lay here we cleared the fish 
 and spirit rooms and the after-hold, 
 disposing things in such a manner, 
 that in case we should happen to have 
 any more leaks of the same nature 
 the water might find it way to the 
 pumps. And besides this work, and 
 completing our water, we cleared the 
 forehold to the very bottom, and took 
 in a quantity of ballast. 
 
 The vegetables which we had met 
 with when we were here before were 
 now mostly in a state of decay, so that 
 we were but little benefited by the 
 great quantities of berries everywhere 
 found ashore. In order to avail our- 
 selves as much as possible of this useful 
 refreshment, one-third of the people by 
 turns had leave to go and pick them. 
 Considerable quantities of them Avero 
 also procured from the natives. If 
 there were any seeds of the scurvy in 
 either ship, these berries, and the use 
 of spruce beer, which [the crews] had 
 to drink every other day, effectually 
 eradicated them. We also got plenty 
 of fish, at first mostly salmon, both 
 fresh and dried, which the natives 
 brought us. Some of the fresh salmon 
 was in high perfection ; but there was 
 one sort, which we called hook-nosed, 
 from the figure of its head, that was 
 but indifferent. Wo drew the seine 
 several times at the head of the bay, 
 and caught a good manj T salmon-trout, 
 
Oct. 1778.] INTERCOURSE WITH 
 
 and once a halibut that weighed 254 
 pounds. The fishery failing, we had 
 recourse to hooks and lines. A boat was 
 sent out every morning, and seldom 
 returned without eight or ten halibut, 
 which was more than sufficient to serve 
 all our people. The halibut were ex- 
 cellent, and there were few who did not 
 prefer them to salmon. Thus we not 
 only procured a supply of fish for 
 present consumption, but had some 
 to carry with us to sea. This enabled 
 us to make a considerable saving of 
 our provisions, which was an object 
 of no small importance. 
 
 On the 8th I received by the hands 
 of an Oonalashka man, named Derra- 
 moushk, a very singular present, con- 
 sidering the place. It was a rye loaf, 
 or rather a pie made in the form of 
 c loaf, for it enclosed some salmon 
 highly seasoned with pepper. This 
 man had the like present for Captain 
 Clerke, and a note for each of us 
 written in a character which none of 
 us could read. It was natural to sup- 
 pose that this present was from some 
 Russians now in our neighbourhood ; 
 and therefore we sent by the same 
 hand, to these our unknown friends, 
 a few bottles of rum, wine, and porter, 
 which we thought would be as accept- 
 able as anything we had beside ; and 
 wo soon knew that in this we had not 
 been mistaken. I also sent, along 
 with Dcrramoushk, Corporal Lediard 
 of the marines, an intelligent man, in 
 order to gain some further informa- 
 tion, with orders that if he met with 
 any Russians he should endeavour to 
 make them understand that we were 
 English, the friends and allies of their 
 nation. 
 
 On the 10th, Lediard returned with 
 three Russian seamen or furriers, who 
 with some others resided at Egooch- 
 shac, where they had a dwelling- 
 house, some store-houses, and a sloop 
 of about thirty tons burthen. One 
 of these men was either master or 
 mate of this vessel ; another of them 
 wrote a very good hand and under- 
 stood figures ; and they were all three 
 well-behaved, intelligent men, and 
 very ready to give me all the informa- 
 tion I could desire. But for want 
 
 NATIVES OF OONALASHKA. 2&7 
 
 of an interpreter we had some diffi- 
 culty to understand each other. They 
 appeared to have a thorough know- 
 ledge of the attempts that had been 
 made by their countrymen to navigate 
 the Frozen Ocean, and of the dis- 
 coveries which had been made from 
 Kamtschatka by Behring, Tscherikoff, 
 and Spanberg. But they seemed to 
 know no more of Lieutenant Syndo, 
 or Synd, than his name. Nor had 
 they the least idea what part of the 
 world Mr Staehlin's map referred to 
 when it was laid before them. When 
 I pointed out Kamtschatka and some 
 other known places upon that map, 
 they asked whether I had seen tho 
 islands there laid down ; and on my 
 answering in the negative, one of them 
 put his finger upon a part of this map 
 where a number of islands was repre- 
 sented, and said that be had cruised 
 there for land but never could find 
 any. 1 then laid before them my 
 own chart, and found that they were 
 i strangers to every part of the Ameri- 
 can coast except what lies opposite 
 this island. One of these men said 
 that he had been with Bohring in hia 
 American voyage, but he must then 
 have been very young, for he had not 
 now, at the distance cf thirty-seven 
 years, the appearance of being aged. 
 Never was there greater respect paid 
 to the memory of any distinguished 
 person than by these men to that of 
 Behring. The trade in which they 
 are engaged is very beneficial ; and 
 its being undertaken and extended to 
 the eastward of Kamtschatka was the 
 immediate consequence of the second 
 voyage of that able navigator, whose 
 misfortunes proved to be the source 
 of much private advantage to indi- 
 viduals and of public utility to the 
 Russian nation. And yet, if his dis- 
 tresses had not accidentally carried 
 him to die in the island which bears 
 his name, and whence the miserable 
 remnant of his ship's crew brought 
 back sufficient specimens of its valu- 
 able furs, probably the Russians never 
 would have undertaken any future 
 voyages which could lead them to 
 make discoveries in the sea towards 
 the coast of America. Indeed, after 
 
298 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Toy. III. B. IV. Ch. VI. 
 
 his time Government seems to have 
 paid less attention to this ; and we 
 owe what discoveries have been since 
 made principally to the enterprising 
 spirit of private traders, encouraged, 
 however, by the superintending care 
 of the Court of Petersburg. The three 
 Russians having remained with mc all 
 night, visited Captain Clerke next 
 morning, and then left us, very well 
 satisfied with the reception they had 
 met with, promising to return in a 
 few days and to bring with them a 
 chart of the islands tying between 
 Oonalashka and Kamtschatka. 
 
 On the 15th, in the evening, while 
 Mr Webber and I were at a village at 
 a small distance from Samganoodha, 
 a Russian landed there who, I found, 
 was the principal person amongst his 
 countrymen in this and the neigh- 
 bouring islands. His name was Era- 
 sim Gregorioff Sin Ismyloff. He 
 arrived in a canoe carrying three per- 
 sons, attended by twenty or thirty 
 other canoes, each conducted by one 
 man. I took notice that the first 
 thing they did after landing was to 
 make a small tent for Ismyloff of 
 materials which they brought with 
 them, and then they made others for 
 themselves of their canoes and paddles, 
 which they covered with grass, so 
 that the people of the village were at 
 no trouble to find them lodging. Is- 
 myloff, having invited us into his 
 tent, set before us some dried salmon 
 and berries, which, I was satisfied, was 
 the best cheer he had. He appeared 
 to be a sensible, intelligent man ; and 
 I felt no small mortification in not 
 being able to converse with him 
 unless by signs, assisted by figures 
 and other characters, which, however, 
 were a very great help. I desired to 
 see him on board the next day, and 
 accordingly he came, with all his at- 
 tendants. Indeed he had moved into 
 our neighbourhood for the express 
 purpose of waiting upon us. I was 
 in hopes to have had by him the chart 
 which his three countrymen had pro- 
 mised, but I was disappointed. How- 
 ever, he assured me I should have it, 
 and ho kept his word. I found that 
 h s wnti very well acquainted with the 
 
 geography of these parts, and with 
 all the discoveries that had been 
 made in them by the Russians. On 
 seeing the modern maps, he at once 
 pointed out their errors. He told 
 me he had accompanied Lieutenant 
 Syndo, or Synd, as he called him, 
 in his expedition to the north ; 
 and, according to his account, they 
 did not proceed farther than the 
 Tschukotskoi Eos, or rather than the 
 Bay of St Laurence, for he pointed 
 on our chart to the very place where 
 I landed. From thence, he said, 
 they went to an island in Latitude 
 63°, upon which they did not land, 
 nor could he tell me its name ; but I 
 should guess it to be the same to 
 which I gave the name of Clerke's 
 Island. To what place Synd went 
 after that, or in what manner ho spent 
 the two years during which, as Ismy- 
 loff said, his researches lasted, he 
 either could not, or would not, inform 
 us. Perhaps he did not comprehend 
 our inquiries about this ; and yet in 
 almost every other thing we could 
 make him understand us. This created 
 a suspicion that he had not really 
 been in that expedition, notwithstand- 
 ing Ids assertion. 
 
 Both Ismyloff and the others af- 
 firmed that they knew nothing of tho 
 continent of America to the north- 
 ward, and that neither Lieutenant 
 Synd nor any other Russian had ever 
 seen it of late. They call it by the 
 same name which Mr Stcehlin gives 
 to his great island, that is, Alashka, 
 Stachtan Nitada, as it is called in the 
 modern maps, is a name quite un- 
 known to these people, natives of tho 
 islands as well as Russians: but both 
 of them know it by the name of 
 America. From what we could gather 
 from Ismyloff and his countrymen, 
 the Russians have made several at- 
 tempts to get a footing upon that part 
 of this continent that lies contiguous 
 to Oonalashka and the adjoining 
 islands, but have always been repulsed 
 by the natives, whom they describs 
 as a very treacherous people. They 
 mentioned two or three captains, or 
 chief men, who had been murdered 
 by them ; and some of the Russians 
 
Oct. 1778.] CHARTS OF RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES. 
 
 299 
 
 showed us wounds whicb they said 
 they had received there. Some other 
 information which we got from Ismy- 
 loff is worth recording, whether true 
 - or false. He told us that in the year 
 1773 an expedition had been made 
 into the Frozen Sea in sledges over 
 the ice to three large islands that lie 
 opposite the mouth of the River Koli- 
 ma. We were in some doubt whether 
 he did not mean the same expedition 
 of which Muller gives an account ; 
 and yet he wrote down the year and 
 marked the islands on the chart. But 
 a voyage which he himself had per- 
 formed engaged our attention more 
 than any other. He said that on the 
 12th of May 1771 he sailed from Bol- 
 scheretzk, 1 in a Russian vessel, to one 
 of the Kurile Islands, named Maree- 
 kan, in the Latitude of 47°, where 
 there is a harbour and a Russian 
 settlement. From this island he pro- 
 ceeded to Japan, where he seems to 
 have made but a short stay. For 
 when the Japanese came to know that 
 he and his companions were Chris- 
 tians, they made signs for them to be 
 gone, but did not, so far as we could 
 understand him, offer any insult or 
 force. From Japan he got to Canton, 
 and thence to France in a French 
 ship. From France he travelled to 
 St Petersburg, and was afterwards 
 sent out again to Kamtschatka. What 
 became of the vessel in which he first 
 embarked, we could not learn, nor 
 what was the principal object of the 
 voyage. His not being able to speak 
 one word of French made this story a 
 little suspicious. He did not even 
 know the name of any one of the most 
 common things that must have been 
 in use every day while he was on 
 board the ship and in France. And 
 yet he seemed clear as to the times of 
 his arriving at the different places, 
 and of his leaving them, which he 
 put down in writing. 
 
 The next morning he would fain 
 have made me a present of a sea-otter 
 skin, which, he said, was worth eighty 
 
 1 On the south-west coast of Kamt- 
 cchatka, just across the peninsula from 
 Petropaulovski on the south-east side. 
 
 roubles at Kamtschatka. However, 
 I thought proper to decline it ; but I 
 accepted of some dried fish and several 
 baskets ; of the lily, or "faranne" 
 root. In the afternoon Mr Ismyloff, 
 after dining with Captain Clcrke, left 
 us with all his retinue, promising to 
 return in a few days. Accordingly 
 on the 19 th he made us another visit, 
 and brought with him the charts be- 
 fore mentioned, which he allowed mo 
 to copy, and the contents of which 
 furnish matter for the following ob- 
 servations. 2 There were two of them, 
 both manuscripts, and bearing every 
 mark of authenticity. The first com- 
 prehended the Penshinskian Sea, 3 the 
 coast of Tartary as low as the Latitude 
 of 41°, the Kurile Islands, and the 
 peninsula of Kamtschatka. Since 
 this map had been made, Wawsceleo 
 Irkeechoif, Captain of the Fleet, ex- 
 plored in 1758 the coast of Tartary, 
 from Okotsk and the River Amoor to 
 Japan, or 41° of Latitude. Mr Ismy- 
 loff also informed us that great part 
 of the sea-coast of the peninsula of 
 Kamtschatka had been corrected by 
 himself, and described the instrument 
 he made use of, which must havo 
 been a theodolite. He also informed 
 us that there were only two harbours 
 fit for shipping on all the east coast 
 of Kamtschatka, viz., the Bay of 
 Awatska, and the River Olutora, in 
 the bottom of the gulf of the same 
 name ; that there was not a single 
 harbour upon its west coast ; and 
 that Yamsk was the only one on all 
 the west side of the Penshinskian 
 Sea, except Okotsk, till we come to 
 the River Amoor. The Kurile Islands 
 afford only one harbour, and that is 
 on the north-east side of Mareekan, in 
 the Latitude of 474°, where, as I have 
 before observed, the Russians have a 
 settlement. The second chart was to 
 me the most interesting, for it com- 
 prehended all the discoveries made by 
 the Russians to the eastward of Kamt- 
 
 2 Considerably abridged, as now of 
 comparatively slight value, having 
 long ago been superseded by furtho; 
 research in those regions. 
 
 3 The Sea of Okotsk. 
 
COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 SCO 
 
 schatka towards America, which, if 
 we exclude the voyage of Bekring and 
 Tscherikoff, will amount to little or 
 nothing. . . . 
 
 It appeared by the chart, as well as 
 by the testimony of Ismyloff and the 
 other Russians, that this x is as far as 
 their countrymen have made any dis- 
 coveries, or have extended themselves, 
 since Behring's time. They all said 
 that no Russians had settled themselves 
 so far to the east as the place where 
 the natives gave the note to Captain 
 Gierke ; which Mr Ismyloff, to whom 
 I delivered it, on perusing it said had 
 been written at Oomanak. Itwas, how- 
 ever, from him that we got the name 
 of Kodiak, 2 the largest of Schumagin's 
 Islands ; for it had no name upon the 
 chart produced by him. The names 
 of all the other islands were taken 
 from it, and we wrote them down as 
 pronounced by him. He said they 
 were all such as the natives them- 
 selves called their islands by ; but, 
 if so, some of the names seem to have 
 been strangely altered. It is worth 
 observing, that no names were put to 
 the islands which Ismyloff told us were 
 to be struck out of the chart ; and I 
 considered this as some confirmation 
 that they were not in existence. I 
 have already observed that the Ameri- 
 can continent is here called by the 
 Russians, as well as by the islanders, 
 Alashka ; which name, though it pro- 
 perly belong only to the country ad- 
 joining to Ooneemak, is used by them 
 when speaking of the American con- 
 tinent in general, which they know 
 perfectly well to be a great land. This 
 is all tho information I got from these 
 people relating to the geography of 
 
 1 Tho Halibut Isles, and the Island 
 of Ooneemak, forming — the latter 
 especially— a westward continuation 
 of tho peninsula of Alashka ; from 
 which it is divided by a narrow and 
 uhallow channel, impracticable for 
 ships. 
 
 2 A Russian ship had been at Kodi- 
 f>ck, in 1776 ; it lies south of the 
 middle of the Alashkan peninsula, 
 nomo distance westward from tho 
 entrance to Cook's inlet. 
 
 [VoY.IlI.B.IV.Cn.VI. 
 
 this part of the world ; and I have 
 reason to believe that this was all th? 
 information they were able to give. 
 For they assured me over and over 
 again that they knew of no other 
 islands besides those which were laid 
 down upon this chart ; 3 and that no 
 Russian had ever seen any part of the 
 continent of America to the north- 
 ward, except that which lies opposite 
 the country of the Tschutskis. 
 
 Mr Ismyloff remained with us till 
 the 21st in the evening, when he took 
 his final leave. To his care I entrusted 
 a letter to the Lords Commissioners 
 of tho Admiralty, in which was en- 
 closed a chart of all the northern 
 coasts I had visited. He said there 
 would be an opportunity of sending 
 it to Kamtschatka or Okotsk the en- 
 suing spring ; and that it would be 
 at St Petersburg the following winter. 
 He gave me a letter to Major Behm, 
 Governor of Kamtschatka, who resides 
 at Bolscheretsk ; and another to the 
 commandin g officer at Petropaulo wska. 
 Mr Ismyloff seemed to have abilities 
 that might entitle him to a higher 
 station in life than that in which we 
 found him. He was tolerably well 
 versed in astronomy and in the most 
 useful branches of the mathematics. 
 I made him a present of a Hadley's 
 octant ; and though probably it was 
 the first he had ever seen, ho made 
 himself acquainted in a very short 
 time with most of the uses to which 
 that instrument can be applied. 
 
 In the morning of the 2 2d we made 
 an attempt to get to sea, with the 
 wind at SE., which miscarried. The 
 following afternoon we were visited 
 by one Jacob Ivanovitch Soposnicoff, 
 a Russian who commanded a boat or 
 small vessel at Oomanak. This man 
 had a great share of modesty, and 
 would drink no strong liquor, of which 
 the rest of his countrymen whom we 
 had met with here were immoderately 
 fond. He seemed to know more 
 
 3 They were Behring's Island, Cop- 
 per Island, and tho Aleutian chain, 
 as far as the channel between Oonee- 
 mak and the peninsula of Alaohka on 
 tho American mainland. 
 
THE RUSSIAN SETTLEMENTS, 
 
 Oct. 1778.] 
 
 accurately what supplies could be got 
 at the harbour of Pelropaulowska, 
 and the price of the different articles, 
 than Mr Ismyloff. But, by all ac- 
 counts, everything we should want at 
 that place was very scarce and bore a 
 high price. Flour, for instance, was 
 from three to five roubles the pood j 1 
 and deer from three to live roubles 
 each. This man told us that he was 
 to be at Petropaulowska in May next ; 
 and, as I understood, was to have the 
 charge of my letter. He seemed to be 
 exceedingly desirous of having some 
 token from me to carry to Major Behm; 
 and to gratify him I sent a small spy- 
 ing-glass. 
 
 After we became acquainted with 
 these Russians, some of our gentlemen 
 at different times visited their settle- 
 ment on the island ; where they always 
 met with a hearty welcome. This 
 settlement consisted of a dwelling- 
 house and two store-houses. And 
 besides the Russians there was a num- 
 ber of the Kamtschadales and of the 
 natives, as servants or slaves to the 
 former. Some others of the natives, 
 who seemed independent of the Rus- 
 sians, lived at the same place. Such 
 of them as belonged to the Russians 
 were all males ; and they are taken, 
 or perhaps purchased, from their par- 
 ents when young. There were at this 
 time about twenty of these, who could 
 be looked upon in no other light than 
 as children. They all live in the same 
 house, the Russians at the upper end, 
 the Kamtschadales in the middle, and 
 the natives at the lower end ; where 
 is fixed a largo boiler for preparing 
 their food, which consists chiefly of 
 what the sea produces, with the addi- 
 tion of wild roots and berries. There 
 is little difference between the first 
 and last table besides what is produced 
 bycookery, in which the Russians have 
 the art tc make indifferent things 
 palatable. I have eaten whale's flesh 
 of their dressing which I thought very 
 good ; and they made a kind of pan- 
 pudding of salmon roe, beaten up fine 
 and fried, that is no bad succedaneum 
 for bread. They may, now and then, 
 
 1 Thirty -six pounds. 
 
 SOI 
 
 taste real bread, or have a dish in 
 which flour is an ingredient ; but thw 
 can only bo an occasional luxury. LT 
 we except the juice of berries, which 
 they sip at their meals, they have bj 
 other liquor besides pure water ; ami 
 it seems to be very happy for them 
 that they have nothing stronger. Ac- 
 the island supplies them with food, so 
 it does in a great measure with cloth- 
 ing. This consists chiefly of skins, 
 and is perhaps the best they could 
 have. The upper garment is made 
 like our waggoner's frock, and reaches 
 as low as the knee. Besides this they 
 wear a waistcoat or two, a pair of 
 breeches, a fur cap, and a pair of boots, 
 the soles and upper leathers of which 
 are of Russian leather, but the legs are 
 made of some kind of strong gut. 
 Their two chiefs, Ismyloff and Ivano- 
 vitch, wore each a calico frock ; and 
 they, as well as some others, had 
 skirts, which were of silk. These, 
 perhaps, were the only part of their 
 dress not made amongst themselves. 
 
 There are Russians settled upon all 
 the principal islands between Oon- 
 alashka and Kamtschatka, for the sole 
 purpose of collecting furs. Their 
 great object is the sea-beaver or otter. 
 I never heard them inquire after any 
 other animal ; though those whose 
 skins are of inferior value are also 
 made part of their cargoes. I never 
 thought to ask how long they have 
 had a settlement upon Oonalashka 
 and the neighbouring isles ; but, to 
 judge from the great subjection the 
 natives are under, this cannot be of 
 a very late date. 2 All these furriers 
 are relieved from 
 others. Those we 
 here from Okotsk 
 to return in 17S1 ; 
 at the island will 
 least. 
 
 It is now time to give some account 
 of the native inhabitants. To all 
 appearance they are the most peace- 
 able, inoffensive people I ever met 
 with, and as to honesty they might 
 serve as a pattern to the most civilised 
 
 time to time by 
 met with arrived 
 in 1776, and are 
 so that their stay 
 be four years at 
 
 a The Russians 
 Oonalashka in 1762, 
 
 began 
 
 to frequenl 
 
S02 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. IV. Ch. VI. 
 
 nation upon earth. But, from what 
 }. saw of their neighbours, with whom 
 the Eussians have no connection, I 
 doubt whether this was their original 
 disposition, and rather think that it 
 has been the consequence of their 
 present state of subjection. Indeed, 
 if some of our gentlemen did not mis- 
 understand the Russians, they had 
 been obliged to make some severe 
 examples before they could bring the 
 islanders into any order. If there 
 were severities inilicted at first, the 
 best apology for them is that they 
 have produced the happiest conse- 
 quences ; and at present the greatest 
 harmony subsists between the two 
 nations. The natives have their own 
 chiefs in each island, and seem to 
 enjoy liberty and property unmolest- 
 ed. But whether or no they are 
 tributaries to the Russians, we could 
 never find out. There was some reason 
 to think that they are. 
 
 These people are rather low of sta- 
 ture, but plump and well shaped, 
 with rather short necks, swarthy 
 chubby faces, black eyes, small beards, 
 and long, straight, black hair ; which 
 the men wear loose behind and cut 
 before, but the women tie up in a 
 bunch. Their dress has been occa- 
 sionally mentioned. Both sexes wear 
 the same in fashion ; the only differ- 
 ence is in the materials. The women's 
 frock is made of sealskin, and that of 
 the men of the skins of birds ; both 
 reaching below the knee. This is the 
 whole dress of the women. But over 
 the frock the men wear another, made 
 of gut, which resists water, and has a 
 hood to it which draws over the head. 
 Some of them wear boots ; and all of 
 them have a kind of oval snouted cap, 
 made of wood, with a rim to admit 
 the head. The caps are dyed with 
 green and other colours ; and round 
 the upper part of the rim are stuck 
 the long bristles of some sea-animal 
 on which are strung glass beads, and 
 on the front is a small image or two 
 made of bone. They make use of no 
 paint ; but the women puncture their 
 faces slightly, and both men and 
 women bore the under lip, to which 
 thev fix nieces of bone. But it is as 
 
 uncommon at Oonalashka to see a man 
 with this ornament, as to see a woman 
 without it. Some fix beads to the 
 upper lip, under the nostrils ; and 
 all of them hang ornaments in their 
 ears. 
 
 Their food consists of fish, sea- 
 animals, birds, roots, and berries, and 
 even of sea- weed. They dry large quan- 
 tities of fish in summer, which they lay 
 up in small huts for winter use, and 
 probably they preserve roots and berri es 
 for the same time of scarcity. They 
 eat almost everything raw. Boiling 
 and broiling were the only methods 
 of cookery that I saw them make use 
 of; and the first was probably learned 
 from the Russians. Some have got 
 little brass kettles ; and those who 
 have not, make one of a flat stone, 
 with sides of clay, not unlike a stand- 
 ing pie. I was once present when the 
 chief of Oonalashka made his dinner 
 off the raw head of a large halibut, just 
 caught. Before any was given to the 
 chief, two of his servants ate the gills, 
 without any other dressing besides 
 squeezing out the slime. This done, 
 one of them cut off the head of the 
 fish, took it to the sea, and washed 
 it, then came with it, and sat down 
 by the chief ; first pulling up some 
 grass, upon a part of which the head 
 was laid, and the rest was strewed 
 before the chief. He then cut large 
 pieces off the cheeks, and laid these 
 within reach of the great man, who 
 swallowed them with as much satis- 
 faction as we should do raw oysters. 
 When he had done, the remains of 
 the head were cut in pieces and given 
 to the attendants, who tore off the 
 meat with their teeth, and gnawed 
 the bones like so many dogs. 
 
 As these people use no paint, they 
 are not so dirty in their persons as 
 the savages who thus besmear them- 
 selves ; but they are full as lousy 
 and filthy in their houses. Their 
 method of building is as follows : 
 They dig in the ground an oblong 
 square pit, the length of which sel- 
 dom exceeds fifty feet and the breadth 
 twenty, but in general the dimensions 
 are smaller. Over this excavation 
 they form the roof, of wood which 
 
Oct. 1773.] 
 
 HOME LIFE OF THE NATIVES. 
 
 S03 
 
 the sea throws ashore. This roof is 
 covered first with grass, and then 
 with earth, so that the outward ap- 
 pearance is like a dunghill. In the 
 middle of the roof, towards each end, 
 is left a square opening by which the 
 light is admitted ; one of these open- 
 ings being for this purpose only, and 
 the other being also used to go in 
 and out by, with the help of a ladder, 
 or rather a post with steps cut in it. 
 In some houses there is another en- 
 trance below, but this is not common. 
 Round the sides and ends of the huts 
 the families (for several are lodged 
 together) have their separate apart- 
 ments, where they sleep and sit at 
 work, not upon benches, but in a 
 kind of a concave trench, which is 
 dug all round the inside of the house, 
 and covered with mats, so that this 
 part is kept tolerably decent. But 
 the middle of the house, which is 
 common to all the families, is far 
 otherwise. For although it be cover- 
 ed Mith dry grass, it is a receptacle 
 for dirt of every kind, and the place 
 for the urine trough, the stench of 
 which is not mended by raw hides 
 or leather being almost continually 
 steeped in it. Behind and over the 
 trench are placed the few effects 
 they are possessed of, such as their 
 clothing, mats, and skins. Their 
 household furniture consists of bowls, 
 spoons, buckets, piggins, or cans, 
 matted baskets, and perhaps a Russian 
 kettle or pot. All these utensils are 
 very neatly made and well-formed ; 
 and yet we saw no other tools among 
 them but the knife and the hatchet, 
 that is, a small fiat piece of iron made 
 like an adze by fitting it into a crook- 
 ed wooden handle. These were the 
 only instruments we met with there 
 made of iron. For although the 
 Russians live amongst them, we 
 found much less of this metal in 
 their possession than we had met 
 with in the possession of other tribes 
 on the American continent who had 
 never seen, nor perhaps had any in- 
 tercourse with, the Russians. Pro- 
 bably a few beads, a little tobacco 
 and snuff, purchase all they have to 
 Fpare. There are few, if any of them, 
 
 that do not both smoka snd chew 
 tobacco, and tnke snuff; a luxury 
 that bids fair to keep them always 
 poor. 
 
 They did not seem to wish for 
 more iron, or to want any other in- 
 struments except sewing needles, 
 their own being made of bone. "With 
 these they not only sew their canoes 
 and make their clothes, but also 
 very curious embroidery. Instead of 
 thread they use the fibres of sinews, 
 which they split to the thickness 
 which each sort of work requires. 
 All sewing is performed by the 
 women. They are the tailors, shoe- 
 makers, and boat-builders or boat- 
 coverers, for the men most probably 
 construct the frame of wood over 
 which the skins are sewed. They 
 make mats and baskets of grass that 
 are both beautiful and strong. In- 
 deed, there is a neatness and perfec- 
 tion in most of their work that shows 
 they neither want ingenuity nor per- 
 severance. 
 
 I saw not a fireplace in any one of 
 their houses. They are lighted as 
 well as heated by lamps, which are 
 simple, and yet answer the purpose 
 very well. They are made of a fiat 
 s>one, hollowed on one side like a 
 plate, and about the same size, or 
 rather larger. In the hollow part 
 they put the oil, mixed with a little 
 dry grass, which serves the purpose 
 of a wick. Both men and women 
 frequently warm their bodies over 
 one of these lamps, by placing it 
 between their legs, under their gar- 
 ments, and sitting thus over it for a 
 few minutes. They produce fire both 
 by collision and by attrition ; the 
 former by striking two stones one 
 against another, on one of which a 
 good deal of brimstone is first rubbed. 
 The latter method is with two pieces 
 of wood, one of which is a stick of 
 about eighteen inches in length, and 
 the other a flat piece. The pointed 
 end of the stick they press upon the 
 other, whirling it nimbly round as a 
 drill, thus producing fire in a few 
 minutes. This method is common in 
 many parts of the world. It is prac- 
 tised by the Kamtschadales, by tber^c 
 
B04 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.I1LB.IV.Ch.VI. 
 
 people, by the Greenlanders, by the 
 Brazilians, by the Otaheiteans, by the 
 New Hollanders, and probably by 
 many other nations. Yet some 
 learned and ingenious men have 
 founded an argument on this custom 
 to prove that this and that nation 
 are of the same extraction. But 
 accidental agreements, in a few par- 
 ticular instances, will not authorise 
 such a conclusion ; nor will a dis- 
 agreement either in manners or cus- 
 toms between two different nations 
 of course prove that they are of 
 different extraction. I could support 
 this opinion by many instances be- 
 sides the one just mentioned. 
 
 No such thing as an offensive or 
 even defensive weapon was seen 
 amongst the natives of Oonalashka. 
 We cannot suppose that the Russians 
 found them in such a defenceless 
 state; it is more probable that, for 
 their own security, they have dis- 
 armed them. Political reasons, too, 
 may have induced the Russians not 
 to allow these islanders to have any 
 large canoes ; for it is difficult to 
 believe they had none such originally, 
 as we found them amongst all their 
 neighbours. However, we saw none 
 here but one or two belonging to the 
 Russians. The canoes made use of 
 by the natives are the smallest we 
 had anywhere seen upon the American 
 coast, though built after the same 
 manner, with some little difference 
 in the construction. The stern of 
 these terminates a little abruptly; the 
 head is forked, the upper point of the 
 fork projecting without the under one, 
 which is even with the surface of the 
 water. Why they should thus con- 
 struct them is difficult to conceive, 
 for the fork is apt to catch hold of 
 everything that come3 in the way, 
 to prevent which they fix a piece of 
 small stick from point to point. In 
 other respects their canoes are built 
 after the manner of those used by the 
 Greenlanders and Esquimaux, the 
 framing being of slender laths, and 
 the covering of seal-skins. They are 
 about twelve feet long, a foot and a 
 half broad in the middle, and twelve 
 or fourteen inches deep. Upon occa- 
 
 sion they can carry two persons ; one 
 jf whom is stretched at full length 
 in the canoe, and the other sits in the 
 seat, or round hole, which is nearly 
 in the middle. Round this hole is a 
 rim or hoop of wood, about which is 
 sewed gut skin, that can be drawn 
 together or opened like a purse, with 
 leathern thongs fitted to the outer 
 edge. The man seats himself in this 
 place, draws the skin tight round 
 his body over his gut frock, and 
 brings the ends of the thongs or 
 purse-string over the shoulder to keep 
 it in its place. The sleeves of his 
 frock are tied round his wrists ; and 
 it being close round his neck, and the 
 hood drawn over his head, where it is 
 confined by his cap, water can 
 scarcely penetrate either to his body 
 or into the canoe. If any should, 
 however, insinuate itself, the boat- 
 man carries a piece of sponge with 
 which he dries it up. He uses tli8 
 double-bladed paddle, which is held 
 with both hands in the middle, 
 striking the water with a quick re- 
 gular motion, first on one side and 
 then on the other. By this means 
 the canoe is impelled at a great rate, 
 and in a direction as straight as a 
 line can be drawn. In sailing from 
 Egoochshac to Samganoodha, two or 
 three canoes kept way with the ship, 
 though she was going at the rate of 
 seven miles an hour. Their fishing 
 and hunting implements lie ready 
 upon their canoes, under straps fixed 
 for the purpose. They are all made, 
 in great perfection, of wood and bone, 
 and differ very little from those used 
 by the Greenlanders, as they are 
 described by Crantz. The only dif- 
 ference is in the point of the missile 
 dart, which in some we saw here is 
 not above an inch long ; whereas 
 Crantz savs, that those of the Green- 
 landers are a foot and a half in length. 
 These people are very expert in strik- 
 ing fish, both in the sea and in rivers. 
 They also make use of hooks and 
 lines, nets and wears. The hooks are 
 composed cf bone, and the lines of 
 sinews. 
 
 The fishes which are common to 
 other northern seas are fouud here. 
 
Oct. 1778.] 
 
 such as whales, grampuses, por- 
 poises, sword-fish, halibut, cod, sal- 
 mon, trout, soles, flat-fish ; several 
 other sorts of small fish ; and there 
 may he many more that we had no 
 opportunity of seeing. Halibut and 
 salmon seem to be in the greatest 
 plenty, and on them the inhabitants 
 of these isles subsist chiefly, at least 
 they were the only sort of fish, ex- 
 cept a few cod, which we observed to 
 be laid up for their winter store. To 
 the north of 60° the sea is in a man- 
 ner destitute of small fish of every 
 kind, but then whales are more num- 
 erous. Seals, and that whole tribe of 
 sea-animals, are not so numerous as 
 in many other seas. Nor can this be 
 thought strange, since there is hardly 
 any part of the coast on either con- 
 tinent, nor any of the islands lying 
 between them, that is not inhabited, 
 and whose inhabitants hunt these 
 animals for their food and clothing. 
 Sea-horses are, indeed, in prodigious 
 numbers about the ice ; and the sea- 
 otter is, I believe, nowhere found but 
 in this sea. We sometimes saw an 
 animal with a head like a seal's, that 
 blew after • the manner of whales. 
 It was larger than a seal, and its 
 colour was white, with some dark 
 spots. Probably this was the sea-cow 
 or "manatee." 
 
 I think I may venture to assert, 
 that sea and water fowls are neither 
 in such numbers nor in such variety 
 as with us in the northern parts of 
 the Atlantic Ocean. There are some, 
 however, here that I do not remember 
 to have seen anywhere else, particularly 
 the Alca monochroa of Steller, and a 
 black and white duck, which I con- 
 ceive to be different from the stone- 
 duck described by Ivrasheninikoff. 1 
 All the other birds seen by us are 
 mentioned by this author, except 
 some that we met with near the ice ; 
 and most if not all of these are de- 
 scribed by Martin in his voyage to 
 Greenland. It is a little extraordin- 
 
 1 In his " Description of Kamts- 
 chatka," published iu French at Am- 
 sterdam in 1770, and afterwards trans- 
 lated into English. 
 
 ANIMALS SEEN ON THE COAST. 
 
 305 
 
 ary that penguins, which are common 
 in many parts of the world, should 
 not be found in this sea. Albatrosses, 
 too, are so very scarce that I cannot 
 help thinking that this is not their 
 proper climate. The few land-birds 
 that we met with are the same with 
 those in Europe; but there may be 
 many others which we had no oppor- 
 tunity of knowing. A very beautiful 
 bird was shot in the woods at Norton 
 Sound, which I am told is sometimes 
 found in England, and known by the 
 name of chatterer. Our people met 
 with other small birds there, hut in 
 no great variety and abundance ; such 
 as the woodpecker, the bullfinch, the 
 yellow finch, and a small bird called 
 a titmouse. 
 
 As our excursions and observations 
 were confined wholly to the sea-coast, 
 it is not to be expected that we could 
 know much of the animals or vege- 
 tables of the country. Except mos- 
 quitoes, there are few other insects, 
 nor reptiles that I saw, but lizards. 
 There are no deer upon Oonalashka 
 or upon any other of the islands. 
 Nor have they any domestic animals, 
 not even dogs. Foxes and weasels 
 were the only quadrupeds we saw ; 
 but they told us that they had hares 
 also and the "marmottas" 3 men- 
 tioned by Krasheninikoff. Hence it 
 is evident that the sea and rivers 
 supply the greatest share of food to 
 the inhabitants. They are also 
 obliged to the sea for all the wood 
 made use of for building and other 
 necessary purposes; for not a stick 
 grows upon any of the islands nor 
 upon the adjacent coast of the con- 
 tinent. 
 
 The learned tell us, that the seeds 
 of plants are by various means con- 
 veyed from one part of the world to 
 another ; even to islands in the midst 
 of great oceans and far remote from 
 any other land. How comes it to 
 pass that there are no trees growing 
 on this part of the continent of 
 America, nor any other of the islands 
 lying n::ar it? They are certainly as 
 well situated for receiving seeds, by 
 
 2 Marmots. 
 
 U 
 
30o 
 
 r il the various ways i have heard 
 ttt, as any of those coasts that ahound 
 in wood. May not Nature have 
 denied to some soil the power of rais- 
 ing treas without the assistance of 
 art ? As to the drift-wood upon the 
 shores of the islands I have no doubt 
 that it comes from America. For 
 although there may be none on the 
 neighbouring coast, enough may grow 
 farther up the country, which 'tor- 
 rents in the spring may break loose 
 and bring down to the sea. And not 
 a little may be conveyed from the 
 woody coasts, though they lie at a 
 greater distance. 
 
 There are a great variety of plants 
 at Oonalashka, and most of them 
 were in flower the latter end of June. 
 Several of them are such as we find 
 in Europe and in other parts of 
 America, particularly in Newfound- 
 land ; and others of them, which are 
 also met with in Kamtschatka, are 
 eaten by the natives both there and 
 here. The principal one is the 
 "faranne," or lily root, which is 
 about the size of a root of garlic, 
 round, made up of a number of small 
 cloves and grains like groats. When 
 boiled it is somewhat like saloop ; the 
 taste is not disagreeable, and we 
 found means to make some good 
 dishes with it. It does not seem to 
 be in great plenty, for we got none 
 but what Ismyloff gave us. We must 
 reckon amongst the food of the 
 natives some other wild roots; the 
 stalk of a plant resembling Angelica; 
 and berries of several different sorts, 
 such as bramble-berries, cran-berries, 
 hurtle-berries, heath-berries, a small 
 red berry which in Newfoundland is 
 called partridge-berry; and another 
 orown berry unknown to us. This has 
 somewhat of the taste of a sloe, but is 
 unlike it in every other respect. It is 
 very astringent if eaten in any quantity . 
 Brandy might be distilled from it. 
 Captain Clerke attempted to preserve 
 some, but they fermented and became 
 as strong as if they had been steeped 
 in spirits. There were a few other 
 plants which we found serviceable, 
 but are not made use of by either 
 Russians or natives; such as wild 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B.IV.Ch. VI. 
 
 purslain, peatops, a kind of /'.curvy- 
 grass, cresses, and some others. All 
 these we found very palatable dressed 
 either in soups or in salads. On the 
 low ground and in the valleys is 
 plenty of grass, which grows very 
 thick and to a great length. I am 
 of opinion that cattle might subsist 
 at Oonalashka all the year round 
 without being housed. And the soil 
 in many places seemed capable of 
 producing grain, roots, and vege- 
 tables. But at present the Russian 
 traders and the natives seem satisfied 
 with what Nature brings forth. 
 
 Native sulphur was seen amongst 
 the inhabitants of the island, but I 
 had no opportunity of learning where 
 they got it. We found also ochre, 
 a stone that gives a purple colour, 
 and another that gives a very good 
 green. It may be doubted whether 
 this last is known. In its natural 
 state, it is of a greyish green colour, 
 coarse and heavy. It easily dissolves 
 in oil; but when put into water it 
 entirely loses its properties. It 
 seemed to be scarce in Oonalashka ; 
 but we were told that it was in 
 greater plenty on the Island Oone- 
 mak. As to the stones about the 
 shore and hills I saw nothing in them 
 that was uncommon. 
 
 The people of Oonalashka bury 
 their dead on the summits of hills, 
 and raise a little hillock over the 
 grave. In a walk into the country 
 one of the natives who attended me 
 pointed out several of these recep- 
 tacles of the dead. There was one of 
 them by the side of the road leading 
 from the harbour to the village, over 
 which was raised a heap of stones. 
 It was observed that every one who 
 passed it added one to it. 1 I saw in 
 the country several stone hillocks 
 that seemed to have been raised by 
 art. Many of them were apparently 
 of great antiquity. What their 
 notions are of the Deity and of a 
 
 1 It is almost superfluous to recall 
 here the ancient Celtic practice, and 
 modern Scottish proverb of " adding 
 a stone to the cairn " of any ono tin 
 whose memory honour was intended, 
 
Oct. 1778.] 
 
 future state, I know not. I am 
 equally unacquainted with their di- 
 versions; nothing having been seen 
 that could give us an insight into 
 either. 
 
 They are remarkably cheerful and 
 friendly amongst each other ; and 
 always behaved with great civility to 
 us. The Russians told us that they 
 never had any connections with their 
 women, because they were not Chris- 
 tians. Our people were not so scrupu- 
 lous ; and some of them had reason to 
 repent that the females of Oonalashka 
 encouraged their addresses without 
 any reserve, for their health suffered 
 by a distemper that is not unknown 
 here. The natives of this island are 
 also subject to the cancer, or a com- 
 plaint like it, which thoso whom it 
 attacks are very careful to conceal. 
 They do not seem to be long-lived. 
 I nowhere saw a person, man or 
 woman, whom I could suppose to be 
 sixty years of age ; and but very 
 few who appeared to be above fifty. 
 Probably their hard way of living 
 may be the means of shortening their 
 days. 
 
 I have frequently had occasion to 
 mention, from the time of our arrival 
 in Prince William's Sound, how re- 
 markably the natives on this north- 
 west side of America resemble the 
 Grecnlanders and Esquimaux, in 
 various particulars of person, dress, 
 weapons, canoes, and the like. How- 
 ever, I was much less struck with 
 this than with the affinity which we 
 found subsisting between the dialects 
 of the Greenlanders and Esquimaux 
 and those of Norton Sound and Oon- 
 alashka. This appears from a table 
 of corresponding words which I put 
 together. Enough is certain to war- 
 rant this judgment, that there is 
 great reason to believe that all these 
 nations are of the same extraction ; 
 and if so, there can be little doubt 
 of there being a northern communi- 
 cation of some sort by sea between 
 this west side of America and the 
 east side through Baffin's Bay, which 
 communication, however, may be 
 effectually shut up against ships by 
 ice and other impediments. Such 
 
 LEAVE SAMGANOODHA. 
 
 at least was my opiniou eA 
 
 307 
 this 
 
 time. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 In the morning of Monday the 2Gth 
 we put to sea from Samganoodha har- 
 bour, and, as the wind was southerly, 
 stood away to the westward. My 
 intention was now to proceed to Sand- 
 wich Islands, there to spend a few oi 
 the winter months, in case we should 
 meet with the necessary refreshments, 
 and then to direct our course to Kamts- 
 chatka, so as to endeavour to be there 
 by the middle of May the ensuing 
 summer. In consequence of this re- 
 solution, I gave Captain Clerke orders 
 how to proceed in case of separation ; 
 appointing Sandwich Islands for the 
 first place of rendezvous, aud the har- 
 bour of Petropaulowska in Karats - 
 chatka for the second. Soon after wo 
 were out of the harbour, the wind 
 veered to the SE. and ESE., which 
 by the evening carried us as far as the 
 western part of Oonalashka, where we 
 got the wind at S. With this wo 
 stretched to the westward till 7 o'clock 
 the next morning, when we wore and 
 stood to the E. The wind by this 
 time had increased in such a manner 
 as to reduce us to our three courses. 
 It blew in very heavy squalls, attend- 
 ed with rain, hail, and snow. 
 
 At 9 o'clock in the morning of the 
 28th, the Island of Oonalashka bore 
 SE., four leagues distant. We then 
 wore and stood to the westward. Tho 
 strength of the gale was now over, and 
 towards evening the little wind that 
 blew insensibly veered round to the 
 E., where it continued but a short 
 time before it got to NE. and in- 
 creased to a very hard gale with rain. 
 I steered first to tho southward ; and 
 as the wind inclined to the N. and 
 NW., I steered more westerly. On 
 
 1 The justice of Captain Cook'fc 
 inference has been amply demon- 
 strated since his time by tho success 
 of those expeditions, the history of 
 which is familiar to all. 
 
SOS 
 
 the 29th, at half -past six in the morn- 
 ing, we saw land extending from E. 
 byS. toS. byW., supposed to be the 
 Island Amoghta. At eight, finding 
 mat we coma not weatner tne island, 
 as the wind had now veered to the 
 westward, I gave over plying, and 
 bore away for Oonalashka, with a view 
 of going to the northward and east- 
 ward of that island, not daring to 
 attempt a passage to the SE. of it in 
 so hard a gale of wind. At the time 
 we bore away, the land extended from 
 E. by S. half S. to SSW., four leagues 
 distant. The Longitude by the time- 
 keeper was 191° 17' and the Latitude 
 53° 38'. At 11 o'clock, as we were 
 steering to the NE., we discovered an 
 elevated rock, like a tower, bearing 
 NNE. half E. , four leagues distant. It 
 lies in the Latitudeof 53° 57'andinthe 
 Longitude of 191° 2'. We must have 
 passed very near it in the night. "We 
 could judge of its steepness from this 
 circumstance, that the sea, which now 
 ran very high, broke nowhere but 
 against it. At three in the afternoon, 
 after getting a sight of Oonalashka, 
 we shortened sail and hauled the wind, 
 not having time to get through the 
 passage before night. At daybreak 
 the next morning we bore away under 
 courses and close-reefed topsails, hav- 
 ing a very hard gale at WNW., with 
 heavy squalls attended with snow. 
 At noon we were in the middle of the 
 strait between Oonalashka and Oon- 
 ella, the harbour of Samganoodha 
 bearing SSE., one league distant. At 
 three in the afternoon, being through 
 the strait and clear of the isles, Cape 
 Providence bearing WSW., two or 
 three leagues distant, we steered to 
 the southward under double-reefed 
 topsails and courses, with the wind 
 at "WNW., a strong gale and fair 
 weather. 
 
 On Monday the 2d of November, 
 the wind veered to the southward, 
 and before night blew a violent storm, 
 which obliged us to bring to. The 
 Discovery fired several guns, which 
 we answered, but without knowing on 
 what occasion they were fired. At 8 
 o'clock wo lost sight of her and did 
 not see her again till eight the next 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. HI. B. IV. Cu. VII. 
 
 morning. At ten she joined us ; and 
 as the height of the gale was now 
 over, and the wind had veered back 
 to WNW. , we made sail and resumed 
 our course to tne southward. The 
 6th in the evening, being in the Lati- 
 tude of 42° 12' and in the Longitude 
 of 201° 26', the variation was 17° 15' 
 E. The next morning, our Latitude 
 being 41° 20' and our Longitude 202°, 
 a shag or cormorant flew several times 
 round the ship. As these birds are 
 seldom if ever known to fly far out 
 of sight of land, I judged that some 
 was not far distant. However, we 
 could see none. In the afternoon, 
 there being but little wind, Captain 
 Clerke came on board and informed 
 me of a melancholy accident that 
 happened on board his ship the second 
 night after we left Samganoodha. 
 The main-tack gave way, killed one 
 man, and wounded the boatswain and 
 two or three more. In addition to 
 this misfortune, I now learned that 
 on the evening of the 3d his sails and 
 rigging received considerable damage;' 
 and that the guns which he fired were 
 the signal to bring to. 
 
 On the 8th the wind was at N., a 
 gentle breeze, with clear weather. On 
 the 9th, in the Latitude of 39 ! 2 °, we 
 had eight hours' calm. This was 
 succeeded by the wind from the S. 
 attended with fair weather. Availing 
 ourselves of this, as many of our people 
 as could handle a needle were set to 
 work to repair the sails ; and the 
 carpenters were employed to put the 
 boats in order. On the 12th at noon, 
 being then in the Latitude of 38 Q 14' 
 and in the Longitude of 206° 17', the 
 wind returned back to the northward ; 
 and on the 15th, in the Latitude of 
 33° 30', it veered to the E. At thi* 
 time we saw a tropic-bird and a dol- 
 phin ; the first that we had observed 
 during the passage. On the 17th the 
 wind veered to the southward, where 
 it continued till the afternoon of the 
 19th, when a squall of wind and rain 
 brought it at once round by the W. 
 to the N. This was in the Latitude 
 of 32° 26', and in the Longitude of 
 207° 30'. The wind presently in- 
 creased to a very strong gale, attended 
 
Nov. 1778. J 
 
 LAND IN SIGHT. 
 
 309 
 
 with rain, so as to bring us under 
 double-reefed top-sails. In lowering 
 down the main-topsail to reef it, the 
 wind tore it quite out of the foot- 
 rope ; and it was split in several 
 other parts. This sail had only been 
 brought to the yard the day before, 
 after having had a repair. The next 
 morning we got another topsail to 
 the yard. This gale proved to be the 
 forerunner of the trade-wind, which 
 in Latitude 25° veered to the E. and 
 ESE. I continued to steer to the 
 southward till daylight in the morn- 
 ing of the 25th, at which time we were 
 in the Latitude of 20° 25 . I now 
 spread the ships 1 and steered to the 
 west. In the evening we joined, and 
 at midnight brought to. At daybreak 
 next morning land was seen extending 
 from SSE. to W. "We made sail and 
 stood for it. At eight it extended 
 from SE. half S. to W., the nearest 
 part two leagues distant. It was sup- 
 posed that we saw the extent of the 
 land to the E., but not to the W. 
 We were now satisfied that the group 
 of the Sandwich Islands had been only 
 imperfectly discovered ; as those of 
 them which we had visited in our 
 progress northward all lie to ce lee- 
 ward of our present station. 
 
 In the country was an elevated 
 saddle hill, whose summit appeared 
 above the clouds. From thiw hill the 
 land fell in a gentle slope, and ter- 
 minated in a steep rocky coast, against 
 which the sea broke in a dreadful surf. 
 Finding that we could not weather 
 the island, I bore up and ranged along 
 the coast to the westward. It was 
 not long before we saw people on 
 several parts of the shore, and some 
 houses and plantations. The country 
 seemed to be both well woojed and 
 watered, and running streai is were 
 seen falling into the sea in various 
 places. As it was of the las* import- 
 ance to procure a supply of p/o visions 
 at these islands, and experience hav- 
 ing taught me that I could have no 
 chance to succeed in this if a free trade 
 
 1 To give the better chanc*» of dis- 
 covering the land, near which he knew 
 that he had arrived. 
 
 with the natives were to be allowed, 
 that is, if it were left to every man's 
 discretion to trade forwhathepleased 
 and in the manner he pleased ; for 
 this substantial reason I now pub- 
 lished an orderprohibitingallpersons 
 from trading except such as should be 
 appointed by me and Captain Clerke, 
 and even these were enjoined to trade 
 onlyfor provisions and refreshments. 
 Women were also forbidden to be 
 admitted into the ships, except under 
 certain restrictions. But the evil I 
 meantto prevent by this regulation, 
 I soon found had alread y got amongst 
 them. 
 
 At noon the coast extended from 
 S. 81° E. to N. 56° W. ; a low flat, 
 like an isthmus, bore S. 42° W. ; the 
 nearest shore three or four miles dis- 
 tant ; the Latitude was 20° 59', and 
 the Longitude 203" 50'. Seeing some 
 canoes coining off to us, I brought to. 
 As soon as they got alongside, many 
 of the people who conducted them 
 came into the ship without the least 
 hesitation. AVe found them to be of the 
 same nation with the inhabitants of 
 the islands more to leeward which we 
 had already visited ; and, if we did not 
 mistake them, they knew of our hav- 
 ing been there. Indeed, it rather 
 appeared too evident, for these people 
 had got amongst them the venereal 
 distemper, and as yet I knew of no 
 other way of its reaching them but by 
 an intercourse with their neighbours 
 since our leaving them. We got from 
 our visitors a quantity of cuttle-fish 
 for nails and pieces of iron. They 
 brought very little fruit and roots, 
 but told us that they had plenty of 
 them on their island, as also hogs and 
 fowls. In the evening, the horizon 
 being clear to the westward, we judged 
 the westernmost land in sight to be an 
 island separated from that off which 
 we now were. Having no doubt that 
 the people would return to the ships 
 next day with the produce of their 
 country, I kept plying off all night, 
 and in the morning stood close in 
 shore. At first only a few of the 
 natives visited us ; but towards noon 
 we had the company of a good many, 
 who brought with them bread-fruit, 
 
310 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 potatoes, "taro " or eddy roots, a few 
 plantains, and small pigs, all of wliicli 
 they exchanged for nails and iron 
 tools. Indeed, we had nothing else 
 to give them. We continued trading 
 with them till 4 o'clock in the after- 
 noon, when, having disposed of all 
 their cargoes, and not seeming in- 
 clined to fetch more, we made sail 
 and stood off shore. "While we were 
 lying to, though the wind blew fresh, 
 I observed that the ships drifted to 
 the east ; consequently there must 
 have been a current setting in that 
 direction. This encouraged me to 
 ply to windward, with a view to get 
 round the east end of the island, and 
 so have the whole leeside before us. 
 In the afternoon of the 30th, being 
 off the NE. end of the island, several 
 canoes came off to the ships. Most 
 cf these belonged to a chief named 
 Terreeoboo, who came in one of them. 
 He made me a present of two or three 
 small pigs, and we got by barter from 
 the other people a little fruit. After 
 a stay of about two hours they all left 
 us, except six or eight of their company 
 who chose to remain on board. A 
 double sailing canoe came soon after 
 to attend upon them, which we towed 
 astern all night. In the evening we 
 discovered another island to wind- 
 ward, which the natives call Owhy- 
 hee. 1 The name of that off which we 
 had been for some days, we were also 
 told, is Mowee. 
 
 On the 1st of December, at eight in 
 the morning, Owhyhee extended from 
 S. 22° E. to S. 12° W. ; and Mowee 
 from N. 41° to N. 83° W. Finding 
 that we could fetch Owhyhee, I stood 
 for it ; and our visitors from Mowee, 
 not choosing to accompany us, em- 
 barked in their canoe and went ashore. 
 At seven in the evening we were close 
 up with the north side of Owhyhee, 
 
 1 Better knovni as Hawaii ; it is 
 the largest of the group. Mowee is 
 marked in the later maps as Maue 
 Honolulu, the seat of government, is 
 on the Island of Oahu, which in his 
 former notice of the Sandwich Islands 
 Cook merely mentions under the name 
 of Woahoo (Book III., Chapter XII.). 
 
 [Voy.III.B.IV.Ch.VII. 
 
 where we spent the night standing off 
 and on. In the morning of the 2d 
 we were surprised to see the summits 
 of the mountains on Owhyhee covered 
 with snow. They did not appear to 
 be of any extraordinary height ; and 
 yet in some places the snow seemed 
 to be of a considerable depth, and to 
 have lain there some time. As we 
 drew near the shore some of the natives 
 came off to us. They were a little shy 
 at first ; but we soon enticed some of 
 them on board, and at last prevailed 
 upon them to return to the island and 
 bring off what we wanted. Soon after 
 these reached the shore, we had com- 
 pany enough, and few coming empty- 
 handed, we got a tolerable supply of 
 small pigs, fruit, and roots. We con- 
 tinued trading with them till six in 
 the evening, when we made sail and 
 stood off, with aview of plying to wind- 
 ward round the island. The currenl 
 which I have mentioned as setting to 
 the eastward had now ceased ; for we 
 gained but little by plying. On the 
 6th, in the evening, being about five 
 leagues farther irp the coast, and near 
 the shore, we had some traffic with 
 the natives. But as it had furnished 
 only a trifling supply, I stood in again 
 the next morning, when we had a 
 considerable number of visitors ; and 
 we lay to, trading with them till two 
 in the afternoon. By that time we had 
 procured pork, fruit, and roots suffi- 
 cient for four or five days. We then 
 made sail and continued to ply to 
 windward. 
 
 Having procured a quantity of 
 sugar-cane, and having upon a trial 
 made but a few days before found 
 that a strong decoction of it produced 
 a very palatable beer, I ordered some 
 more to be brewed for our general use. 
 But when the cask was now broached 
 not one of my crew would even so 
 much as taste it. As I had no motive 
 in preparing this beverage but to save 
 our spirit for a colder climate, I gave 
 myself no trouble, either by exerting 
 authority or by having recourse to 
 persuasion, to prevail upon them to 
 drink it, knowing that there was no 
 danger of the scurvy so long as wo 
 could get a plentiful supply of other 
 
Dec. 1778.] 
 vegetables. 
 
 EFFORTS TO PRESERVE HEALTH OF CREWS. 
 
 311 
 
 But that I might not 
 
 be disappointed in my views, I gave 
 orders that no grog should be served 
 in either ship. I myself and the 
 officers continued to make use of this 
 sugar-cane beer whenever we could 
 get materials for brewing it. A few 
 hops, of which we had some on board, 
 improved it much. It has the taste 
 of new malt beer, and I believe no 
 one will doubt of its being very whole- 
 some. And yet my inconsiderate crew 
 alleged that it was injurious to their 
 health. They had no better reason to 
 support a resolution which they took 
 on our first arrival in King George's 
 [Nootka] Sound, not to drink the 
 spruce-beer made there. But whether 
 from a consideration that it was not 
 the first time of their being required 
 to use that liquor, or from some other 
 reason, they did not attempt to carry 
 their purpose into actual execution ; 
 and I had never heard of it till now, 
 when they renewed their ignorant op- 
 position to my best endeavours to serve 
 them. Every innovation whatever on 
 board a ship, though ever so much to 
 the advantage of seamen, is sure to 
 meet with their highest disapproba- 
 tion. Both portable soup and sour 
 krout 1 were at first condemned as 
 stuff unfit for human beings. Few 
 commanders have introduced into 
 their ships more novelties, as useful 
 varieties of food and drink, than I have 
 done. Indeed few commanders have 
 had the same opportunities of trying 
 such experiments, or been driven to 
 the same necessity of trying them. It 
 has, however, been in a great measure 
 owing to various little deviations from 
 established practice that I have been 
 able to preserve my people, generaUy 
 speaking, from that dreadful dis- 
 temper the scurvy, which has perhaps 
 
 1 Cook on his second voyage took 
 a quantity of this with him. He de- 
 scribes it as cabbage cut small, to which 
 is put a little salt, juniper-berries, 
 and aniseed ; it is then fermented, 
 and close packed in casks, where it 
 will keep a long time, retaining its 
 virtues as a wholesome vegetable food 
 ,md a great anti-scorbutic. 
 
 destroyed more of our sailors in their 
 peaceful voyages than have fallen by 
 the enemy in military expeditions. 
 
 I kept at some distance from the 
 coast till the 13th, when I stood in 
 again six leagues farther to windward 
 than we had as yet reached ; and after 
 having some trade with the nativerj 
 who visited us, returned to sea. I 
 should have got near the shore again 
 on the 15th for a supply of fruit or 
 roots, but the wind happening to V. 
 at SE. by S. and SSE., I thought this 
 a good time to stretch to the eastward, 
 in order to get round, or at least to 
 get a sight of the south-east end of 
 the island. The wind continued at 
 SE. by S. most part of the 16th. It 
 was variable between S. and E. on 
 the 17th, and on the 18th it was con- 
 tinually veering from one quarter to 
 another, blowing sometimes in hard 
 squalls, and at other times calm, with 
 thunder, lightning, and rain. In the 
 afternoon we had the wind westerly 
 for a few hours, but in the evening it 
 shifted to E. by S., and we stood to 
 the southward close-hauled, under an 
 easy sail, as the Discovery was at some 
 distance astern. At this time the 
 south-east point of the island bore 
 SW. by S., about five leagues dis- 
 tant ; and I made no doubt that I 
 should be able to weather it. But at 
 1 o'clock next morning it fell calm, 
 and we were left to the mercy of a 
 north-easterly swell which impelled 
 us fast toward the land ; so that long 
 before daybreak we saw lights upon 
 the shore, which was not more than a 
 league distant. The night was dark, 
 with thunder, lightning, and rain. 
 
 At 3 o'clock the calm was succeeded 
 by a breeze from E. blowing in squalls, 
 with rain. We stood to the NE., 
 thinking it the best tack to clear the 
 coast ; but if it had been daylight, 
 we should have chosen the other. At 
 daybreak the coast was seen extend- 
 ing from K by W. to SW. by W., a 
 dreadful surf breaking upon the shore, 
 which was not more than half-a-leagua 
 distant. It was evident that we had 
 been in the most imminent danger. 
 Nor were we yet in safety, the wind 
 veering more easterly, so that for some 
 
312 
 
 time we did but just keep our distance 
 from the coast. What made our situ- 
 ation more alarming was the leach- 
 rope of the main-topsail giving way, 
 which was the occasion of the sail's 
 being rent in two ; and the two top- 
 gallant-sails gave way in the same 
 manner, though not half worn out. 
 By taking a favourable opportunity, 
 we soon got others to the yards, and 
 then we left the land astern. The 
 Discovery, by being at some distance 
 to the north, was never near the land, 
 nor did we see her till 8 o'clock. 
 
 As soon as daylight appeared trie 
 natives ashore displayed a white flag, 
 which we conceived to be a signal of 
 peace and friendship. Some of them 
 ventured out after us, but the wind 
 freshening, and it not being safe to 
 wait, they were soon left astern. In 
 the afternoon, after making another 
 attempt to weather the eastern ex- 
 treme, which failed, I gave it up and 
 ran down to the Discovery. Indeed 
 it was of no consequence to get round 
 the island, for we had seen its extent 
 to the south-east, which was the thing 
 I aimed at ; and according to the in- 
 formation which we had got from the 
 natives, there is no other island to the 
 windward of this. However, as we 
 were so near the south end of it, and 
 as the least shift of wind in our favour 
 would serve to cany us round, I did 
 not wholly give up the idea of weather- 
 ing it, and therefore continued to ply. 
 On the 20th at noon this south-east 
 point bore S. three leagues distant, 
 the snowy hills WNW., and we were 
 about four miles from the nearest 
 shore. In the afternoon some of the 
 natives came in their canoes, bring- 
 ing with them a few pigs and plan- 
 tains. The latter were very acceptable, 
 having had no vegetables for some 
 days ; but the supply we now received 
 was so inconsiderable, being barely 
 sufficient for one day, that I stood in 
 again the next morning till within 
 three or four miles of the land, where 
 we were met by a number of canoes 
 laden with provisions. "We brought 
 to and continued trading with the 
 people in them till four in the after- 
 noon, when, having got a pretty good 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [VoY.III.B.IV.Cfl. VII. 
 
 supply, we made sail and stretched oil 
 to the northward. 
 
 I had never met with a behaviour 
 so free from reserve and suspicion in 
 my intercourse with any tribes of 
 savages as we experienced in the 
 people of this island. It was very 
 common for them to send up into the 
 ship the several articles they brought 
 off for barter ; afterwards they would 
 come in themselves and make their 
 bargains on tho quarter-deck. The 
 people of Otaheite, even after our 
 repeated visits, do not care to put so 
 much confidence in us. I infer from 
 this that those of Owhyhee must be 
 more faithful in their dealings with 
 one another than the inhabitants of 
 Otaheite are. For if little faith were 
 observed amongst themselves they 
 would not be so ready to trust stran- 
 gers. It is also to be observed, to 
 their honour, that they had never 
 once attempted to cheat us in ex- 
 changes, nor, to commit a theft. They 
 understand trading as well as most 
 people, and seemed to comprehend 
 clearly the reason of our plying upon 
 the coast. For though they brought 
 off provisions in great plenty, particu- 
 larly pigs, yet they kept up their 
 price ; and rather than dispose of them 
 for less than they thought they were 
 worth, would take them ashore again. 
 
 On the 22d, at eight in the morn- 
 ing, we tacked to the southward, with 
 a fresh breeze at £. by N. At noon 
 the Latitude was 20° 28' 30", and the 
 snowy peak bore SW. half S. We 
 had a good view of it the preceding 
 day, and the quantity of snow seemed 
 to have increased and to extend lower 
 down the hill. I stood to the SE. 
 till midnight, then tacked to the N. 
 till four in the morning, when we re- 
 turned to the SE. tack ; and as the 
 wind was at NE. by E., we had hopes 
 of weathering the island. We should 
 have succeeded if the wind had not 
 died away and left us to the mercy of 
 a great swell, which carried us fast 
 toward the land, which was not two 
 leagues distant. At length we got 
 our head off, and some light puffs of 
 wind, which came with showers of 
 rain, put us out of danger. While 
 
Dec. 177$.] RESOLUTION GETS TO 
 
 we lay, ay it were, becalmed, several 
 «f the islanders came off with hogs. 
 fowls, fruit, and roots. Out of one 
 canoe we got a goose, which was about 
 the size of a Muscovy duck ; its plum- 
 Bge va.s (h k Riey, nnsi the bill find 
 legs black. 
 
 At four ill the afternoon, after pur- 
 chasing everything that the natives 
 had brought off, which was full as 
 much as we had occasion for, we made 
 sail and stretched to the N., with the 
 wind at ENE. At midnight we tacked 
 and stood to the SE. Upon a suppo- 
 sition that the Discovery would see 
 us tack, the signal was omitted ; but 
 she did not see us, as we afterwards 
 found, and continued standing to the 
 N., for at daylight next morning she 
 was not in sight. At this time, the 
 weather being hazy, we could not see 
 far, so that it was possible the Dis- 
 covery might be following us; and 
 being past the north-east part of the 
 island 1 was tempted to stand on till, 
 by the wind veering to NE., we could 
 not weather the land upon the other 
 tack. Consequently we could not 
 stand to the N. to join or look for the 
 Discovery. At noon we were Dy ob- 
 servation in the Latitude of 1ST 55' 
 and in the Longitude of 205° 3' ; the 
 south-east point of the island b^re S. 
 by E. quarter E. , six leagues distant ; 
 the other extreme bore N. 60° W., 
 and we were two leagues from the 
 nearest shore. At six in the evening 
 the southernmost extreme of the island 
 bore SW., the nearest shore seven or 
 eight miles distant, so that we had 
 now succeeded in getting to the wind- 
 ward of the island, which we had 
 aimed at with so much perseverance. 
 The Discovery, however, was not yet 
 to be seen ; but the wind, as we had 
 it, being very favourable for her to 
 follow us, I concluded that it would 
 not be long before she joined us. I 
 therefore kept cruising off this south- 
 east point of the island, which lies in 
 the Latitude of 19° 34' and in the 
 Longitude of 205° C, till I was satis- 
 fied that Captain Clerke could not 
 {"oin me here. I now conjectured that 
 te had not been able to weather the 
 north-east part of the island, and had 
 
 WINDWARD OF OWIIYHEE. 313 
 
 gone to leeward in order to meet me 
 that w,ny. 
 
 As I generally kept from five to ten 
 leagues from the land, no canoes ex- 
 cept one came off to us till the 28th, 
 when v/e were visited bv a doznn or 
 fourteen. The people who conducted 
 them brought, as usual, the produce 
 of the island. I was very sorry that 
 they had taken the trouble to come 
 so far. Eor we could not trade with 
 them, our old stock not being as yet 
 consumed ; and we had found by late 
 experience that the hogs could net be 
 kept alive, nor the roots preserved 
 from putrefaction many days. How- 
 ever, I intended not to leave this part 
 of the island before I got a supply, as 
 it would not be easy to return to it 
 again in case it should be found neces- 
 sary. We began to be in want on the 
 30th, and I would have stood in near 
 the shore but was prevented by a 
 calm; but a breeze springing up at 
 midnight from S. and SW., we were 
 enabled to stand in for the land at 
 daybreak. At 1 o'clock in the morn- 
 ing we were met by the islanders with 
 fruit and roots, but in all the canoes 
 were only three small pigs. Our not 
 having bought those which had been 
 lately brought off may be supposed to 
 be the reason of this very scanty 
 supply. We brought to for the pur- 
 poses of trade, but soon after our 
 marketing was interrupted by a very 
 hard rain, and besides we were rather 
 too far from the shore. Nor durst I 
 go nearer, for I could not depend upon 
 the wind's remaining where it was for 
 a moment ; the swell also being high, 
 and setting obliquely upon the shore, 
 against which it broke in a frightful 
 surf. In the evening the weather 
 mended, the night was clear, and it 
 was spent in making short boards. 
 
 Before daybreak the atmosphere 
 was again loaded with heavy clouds, 
 and the New Year was ushered in 
 with very hard rain, which continued 
 at intervals till past 10 o'clock. The 
 wind was southerly, a light breeze 
 with some calms. When the rain 
 ceased, the sky cleared and the breeze 
 freshened. Being at this time about 
 five miles from the land, several 
 
^ i4 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 canoes -sirived with fruit and roots, 
 and at last some hogs were brought 
 off. We lay to, trading with them, 
 till 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when, 
 having a tolerable supply, we made 
 sail with a view of proceeding to the 
 north-west or leeside of the island, 
 to look for the Discovery. It was 
 necessary, however, the wind being 
 at S. , to stretch first to the eastward, 
 till midnight, when the wind came 
 more favourable, and we went upon 
 the other tack. For several days past 
 both wind and weather had been ex- 
 ceedingly unsettled, and there fell a 
 great deal of rain. The three follow- 
 ing days were spent in running down 
 the south-east side of the island. For 
 during the nights we stood off and on, 
 and part of each day was employed 
 in lying to, in order to furnish an 
 opportunity to the natives of trading 
 with us. They sometimes came on 
 board while we were five leagues from 
 the shore ; but whether from a fear 
 of losing their goods in the sea, or 
 from the uncertainty of the market, 
 they never brought much with them. 
 The principal article procured was 
 salt, which was extremely good. 
 
 On the 5th, in the morning, we 
 passed the south point of the island, 
 which lies in the Latitude of 1S° 54', 
 and beyond it we found the coast to 
 trend N. 60° W. On this point 
 stands a pretty large v llage, the in- 
 habitants of which thronged off to 
 the ship with hogs and women. It 
 was not possible to keep the latter 
 from coming on board ; and no women 
 I ever met with were less reserved. 
 Indeed it appeared to me that they 
 visited us with no other view than to 
 make a surrender of their persons. 
 As I had now got a quantity of salt, 
 I purchased no hogs but such as were 
 fit for salting, refusing all that were 
 under size. However we could seldom 
 get any above fifty or sixty pounds 
 weight. It was happy for us that we 
 still had some vegetables on board, 
 for we now received few such produc- 
 tions. Indeed this part of the country, 
 from its appearance, did not seem 
 capable of affording them. Marks of 
 its having been laid waste by the 
 
 [VoY.IIl.B.IV.Cn.VIL, 
 
 explosion of a volcano every when 
 presented themselves ; and though 
 we had as yet seen nothing like on«j 
 upon the island, the devastation that 
 it had made in this neighbourhood 
 was visible to the naked eye. 1 This 
 part of the coast is sheltered from 
 the reigning winds ; but we could 
 find no bottom to anchor upon, a line 
 of 160 fathoms not reaching it, within 
 the distance of half-a-mile from the 
 shore. The islanders having all left 
 us towards the evening, we ran a few 
 miles down the coast, and then spent 
 the night standing off and on. 
 
 The next morning the natives visited 
 us again, bringing with them the same 
 articles of commerce as before. Being 
 now near the shore, I sent Mr Bligh, 
 the master, in a boat to sound tho 
 coast, with orders to land and to look 
 for fresh water. Upon his return he 
 reported that at two cables' length 
 from the shore he had found no sound- 
 ings with a lino of 160 fathoms ; that 
 when he landed he found no stream 
 or spring, but only rain water de- 
 posited in holes upon the rocks, and 
 even that was brackish from the spray 
 of the sea ; and that the surface of 
 the country was entirely composed of 
 slags and ashes, with a few plants 
 here and there interspersed. Between 
 ten and eleven we saw with pleasure 
 the Discovery coming round the south 
 point of the island ; and at one in the 
 afternoon she joined us. Captain 
 Clerke then coming on board, in- 
 formed me that he had cruised four 
 or five days where we were separated, 
 and then plied round the east side of 
 the island ; but that, meeting with 
 unfavourable winds, he had been car- 
 ried to some distance from the coast. 
 He had one of the islanders on board 
 all this time, who had remained there 
 from choice, and had refused to quit 
 the ship though opportunities had 
 offered. Having spent the night 
 standing off and on, we stood in again 
 
 1 Several volcanoes are still active 
 in the islands ; and two of them, 
 Morena Loa and Morena Kea, rise to 
 the very respectable altitude of somrj 
 15,000 feet. 
 
Jan. 1779.] VAST CONCOURSE 
 
 the next morning, and when we were 
 about a league from the shore many 
 of the natives visited us. 
 
 At daybreak on the 8th we found 
 that the currents during the night, 
 which we spent in plying, had carried 
 ua back considerably to windward ; 
 so that we were now off the south- 
 west point of the island. There we 
 brought to, in order to give the na- 
 tives an opportunity of trading with 
 us. We spent the night as usual, 
 standing off and on. It happened 
 that four men and ten women who 
 had come on board the preceding day 
 still remained with us. As I did not 
 like the company of the latter, I 
 stood inshore towards noon, princi- 
 pally with a view to get them out of 
 the ship, and some canoes coming off 
 I took that opportunity of sending 
 away our guests. We had light airs 
 from NW. and SW., and calms, till 
 eleven in the morning of the 10th, 
 when the wind freshened at WNW., 
 which, with a strong current setting 
 to the SE., so much retarded us that 
 in the evening between 7 and 8 o'clock 
 the south point of the island bore 
 N. 104" W., four leagues distant. 
 The south snowy hill now bore N. 
 H°E. 
 
 At four in the morning of the 11th, 
 the wind having fixed at W., I stood 
 in for the land in order to get some 
 refreshments. As we drew near the 
 shore the natives began to come off. 
 "We lay to, or stood on and off, trad- 
 ing with them all the day, but got a 
 very scanty supply at last. Many 
 canoes visited us whose people had 
 not a single thing to barter, which 
 convinced us that this part of the 
 island must be very poor, and that 
 we had already got all that they 
 coidd spare. We spent the 12th ply- 
 ing off and on, with a fresh gale at 
 W. A mile from the shore, and to the 
 NE. of the south point of the island, 
 having tried soundings, we found 
 ground at fifty-five fathoms depth, 
 the bottom a fine sand. At five in 
 the evening we stood to the SW., 
 with the wind at WNW., and soon 
 after midnight we had a calm. At 
 3 o'clock next morning, having got a 
 
 OF THE NATIVES. 
 
 315 
 
 small breeze at SSE., w* steered to 
 the NNW. in for the land. Soon 
 after, a few canoes came alongside 
 with some hogs, but without any 
 vegetables, which articles we most 
 wanted. We had xiow made some 
 progress ; for at noon the south point 
 of the island bore S. 86^° E., the 
 south-west point N. 13° W., the 
 nearest shore two leagues distant, 
 Latitude by observation 18° 56', and 
 our Longitude by the timekeeper 
 203° 40'. We had got the length of 
 the south-west point of the island in 
 the evening ; but the wind now veer- 
 ing to the westward and northward, 
 during the night we lost all that we 
 had gained. Next morning, being 
 still off the south-west point of the 
 island, some canoes came off, but they 
 brought nothing that we were in want 
 of. We had now neither fruit nor 
 roots, and were under a necessity of 
 making use of some of our sea provi- 
 sions. At length some canoes from 
 the northward brought us a small 
 supply of hogs and roots. 
 
 We had variable light airs, next to 
 a calm, the following day, till five in 
 the afternoon, when a small breeze 
 at ENE. springing up, we weve at 
 last enabled to steer along shore to 
 the northward. The weather being 
 fine, we had plenty of company this 
 day, and abundance of everything. 
 Many of our visitors remained with 
 us on board all night, and we towed 
 their canoes astern. At daybreak on 
 the 16th, seeing the appearance of a 
 bay, I sent Mr Bligh, with a boat 
 from each ship, to examine it, being 
 at this time three leagues off. Canoes 
 now began to arrive from all parts, so 
 that before 10 o'clock, there were not 
 fewer than a thousand about the two 
 ships, most of them crowded with 
 people, and well laden with hogs and 
 other productions of the island. We 
 had the most satisfying proof of their 
 friendly intentions, for we did not see 
 a single person who had with him a 
 weapon of any sort. Trade and 
 curiosity alone had brought them off. 
 Among such numbers as we had at 
 times on board, it is no wonder that 
 some should betray a thievish dvv 
 
316 COOK'S VOYAGES. 
 
 position. One of our visitors took out 
 of the ship a boat's rudder. He was 
 discovered, Lut too late to recover it. 
 I thought this a good opportunity to 
 ehow these people the use of fire-arms ; 
 and two or tlcRO muskets, and as 
 many four-pounders were fired over 
 the canoe which carried off the rudder. 
 As it was not intended that any of 
 the shot should take effect, the sur- 
 rounding multitude of natives seemed 
 rather more surprised than frightened. 
 In the evening, Mr Bligh returned 
 and reported that he had found a bay 
 in which was good anchorage and 
 fresh water, in a situation tolerably 
 easy to be come 'at. Into this bay I 
 resolved to carry the ships, there to 
 refit and supply ourselves with every 
 refreshment that the place could 
 afford. As night approached, the 
 greater part of our visitors retired to 
 the shore ; but numbers of them re- 
 quested our permission to sleep on 
 board. Curiosity was not the only 
 motive, at least with some ; for the 
 next morning several things were 
 missing, which determined me not to 
 entertain so many another night. 
 
 At 11 o'clock in the forenoon we 
 anchored in the bay (which is called 
 by the natives Karakakooa), 1 in thir- 
 teen fathoms water, over a sandy 
 bottom, and about a quarter of a 
 mile from the north-east shore. In 
 this situation the south point of the 
 bay bore S. by W., and the north point 
 W. half N. We moored with the 
 stream anchor and cable to the north- 
 ward, unbent the sails, and struck 
 the yards and topmasts. The ships 
 continued to be much crowded with 
 natives, and were surrounded by a 
 multitude of canoes. I had nowhere 
 in the course of my voyages, seen so 
 numerous a body of* people assembled 
 in one place. For besides those who 
 
 1 It lies on the west side of Owhy- 
 hee or Hawaii, near the southern 
 extremity of the inland. 
 
 [Voy.III.B.IV.Ch.VII. 
 
 had come off to us in canoes, all the 
 shore of the bay was covered with 
 spectators, and many hundreds wero 
 swimming round the ships like shoals 
 of fish. We could not but be struck 
 with the singularity of this scene ; 
 and perhaps there were few on board 
 who now lamented our having failed 
 in our endeavours to find a northern 
 passage homeward last summer. To 
 this disappointment we owed our hav- 
 ing it in our power to revisit the 
 Sandwich Islands, and to enrich our 
 voyage with a discovery which, though 
 the last, seemed in many respects to 
 be the most important that had 
 hitherto been made by Europeans 
 throughout the extent of the Pacific 
 Ocean. 2 
 
 2 With these ardently confident ex- 
 pressions of hopefulness, and of most 
 justifiable satisfaction in the past and 
 prospective achievements of the voy- 
 age — so vividly in contrast with the 
 calamity that imminently impended 
 — Captain Cook's journal closes. The 
 third volume of the Original Edition, 
 written by Captain King, and consist- 
 ing, with appendices, of between 500 
 and 600 pages (equal to at least 250 
 pages of the present edition), recounts 
 in two books, V. and VI., the trans- 
 actions on returning to the Sandwich 
 Islands," and the " transactions dur- 
 ing the second expedition to the north 
 by the way of Kamtschatka ; and on 
 the return home by the way of Can- 
 ton and the Cape of Good Hope." 
 As the death of Captain Cook dimin- 
 ishes notably the interest of the voyage 
 in its sequel, despite the elaborate 
 and curious descriptions of Kamts- 
 chatka and the Kamtschadales — and 
 as there is little or nothing in the 
 homeward route, that has not been 
 perhaps more vividly described in the 
 narratives of the older navigators, — 
 only that part of Captain King's vol- 
 ume is here given, which relates to the 
 mournful events in Karakakooa Bay. 
 
*A2<. 1779.] DESCRIPTION OF KARAKAKOOA BAY. 
 
 317 
 
 BOOK V. 
 
 CAPTAIN KING'3 JOURNAL OF THE TRANSACTIONS ON RETURNING 
 TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Karakakooa Bay is situated on the 
 west side of the Island of Owhyhee, 
 in a district called Akona. It is 
 about a mile in depth, and bounded 
 by two low points of land at the dis- 
 tance of half-a-league, and bearing 
 SSE. and NNW. from each other. 
 On the north point, which is flat and 
 barren, stands the village of Kow- 
 rowa, and in the bottom of the bay, 
 near a grove of tall cocoa-nut trees, 
 there is another village of a more 
 considerable size 'called Kakooa : be- 
 tween them runs a high rocky cliff, 
 inaccessible from the sea shore. On 
 the south side, the coast, for about a 
 mile inland, has a rugged appearance ; 
 beyond which the country rises with 
 a gradual ascent, and is over pread 
 with cultivated enclosures and groves 
 of cocoa-nut trees, where the habita- 
 tions of the natives are scattered in 
 great numbers. The shore all around 
 the bay is covered with a black coral 
 rock, which makes the landing very 
 dangerous in rough weather ; except 
 at the village of Kakooa, where there 
 is a fine sandy beach, with a " morai," 
 or burying-place, at one extremity, 
 and a small well of fresh water at the 
 other. This bay appearing to Cap- 
 tain Cook a proper place to refit the 
 ships, and lay in an additional supply 
 of water and provisions, we moored on 
 the north side, about a quarter of a 
 mile from the shore, Kowrowa bear- 
 ing NW. 
 
 As soon as the inhabitants perceived 
 our intention of anchoring in the bay, 
 they came oif from the shore in aston- 
 ishing numbers, and expressed their 
 joy by singing and shouting and 
 exhibiting a variety of wild and ex- 
 travagant gestures. The sides, the 
 decks, and rigging of both ships were 
 soon completely covered with them j 
 
 and a multitude of women and boys, 
 who had not been able to get canoes, 
 came swimming round us in shoals, 
 many of whom, not finding room on 
 board, remained the whole day play- 
 ing in the water. Among the chiefs 
 who came on board the Resolution 
 was a young man called Fareea, whom 
 we soon perceived to be a person of 
 great authority. On presenting him- 
 self to Captain Cook, he told him 
 that he was Jakanee 1 to the King of 
 the island, who was at that time 
 engaged on a military expedition at 
 Mowee, and was expected to return 
 within three or four days. A few 
 presents from Captain Cook attached 
 him entirely to our interests, and he 
 became exceedingly useful to us in 
 the management of his countrymen, 
 as we had soon occasion to experience. 
 For we had not been long at anchor 
 when it was observed that the Dis- 
 covery had such a number of people 
 hanging on one side, as occasioned 
 her to heel considerably ; and that 
 the men were unable to keep off the 
 crowds which continued pressing into 
 her. Captain Cook, being apprehen- 
 sive that she might suffer some injury, 
 pointed out the danger to Pareea, who 
 immediately went to their assistance, 
 cleared the ship of its incumbrances, 
 and drove away the canoes that sur- 
 rounded her. 
 
 The authority of the chiefs over the 
 inferior people appeared from this 
 incident to be of the most despotic 
 kind. A similar instance of it hap- 
 pened the same day on board the Re- 
 solution, where the crowd being so 
 
 1 We afterward met with several 
 others of the same denomination ; but 
 whether it be an office, or some de- 
 gree of affinity, we could never learn 
 with certainty. — Note in Original Edi- 
 tion. 
 
S18 
 
 great as to impede the necessary busi- 
 ness of the ship, we were obliged to 
 have recourse to the assistance of 
 Kaneena, another of their chiefs, who 
 had likewise attached himself to Cap- 
 tain Cook. The inconvenience we 
 laboured under being made known, 
 he immediately ordered his country- 
 men to quit the vessel ; and we were 
 not a little surprised to see them 
 jump overboard without a moment's 
 hesitation, all except one man, who 
 loitering behind and showing some 
 unwillingness to obey, Kaneena took 
 him up in his arms and threw him 
 into the sea. Both these chiefs were 
 men of strong and well-proportioned 
 bodies, and of countenances remark- 
 ably pleasing. Kaneena especially 
 was one of the finest men I ever saw. 
 He was about six feet high, had 
 regular and expressive features, with 
 lively, dark eyes ; his carriage was 
 easy, firm, and graceful. 
 
 It has been already mentioned that 
 during our long cruise off this island 
 the inhabitants had always behaved 
 with great fairness and honesty in 
 their dealings, and had not shown 
 the slightest propensity to theft ; 
 which _ appeared to us the more ex- 
 traordinary, because those with whom 
 we had hitherto held any intercourse 
 were of the lowest rank, either ser- 
 vants or fisherman. "We now found 
 the case exceedingly altered. The 
 immense crowd of islanders which 
 blocked up every part of the ships, 
 not only afforded frequent opportunity 
 of pilfering without risk of discovery, 
 but our inferiority in number held 
 forth a prospect of escaping with im- 
 punity in case of detection. Another 
 circumstance to which we attributed 
 this alteration in their behaviour, 
 was the presenco and encouragement 
 of their chiefs ; for, generalty tracing 
 the booty into the possession of some 
 men of consequence, we had the 
 strongest reason to suspect that these 
 depredations were committed at their 
 instigation. 
 
 Soon after the Resolution had got 
 into her station, our two friends, 
 Pareea and Kaneena, brought on board 
 r. third chief named Koah, who, we 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. * [Toy. III. B. V. Cxi. 
 
 were told, was a priest, and had been 
 in his youth a distinguished warrior. 
 He was a little old man, of an emaci- 
 ated figure ; his eyes exceedingly 
 sore and red, and his body covered 
 with a white leprous scurf, the effects 
 of an immoderate use of the " ava." 
 Being led into the cabin, he ap- 
 proached Captain Cook with great 
 veneration, and threw over his shoul- 
 ders a piece of red cloth which he had 
 brought along with him. Then step- 
 ping a few paces back, he made an 
 offering of a small pig which he held 
 in his hand, whilst he pronounced a 
 discourse that lasted for a consider- 
 able time. This ceremony was fre- 
 quently repeated during our stay at 
 Owhyhee, and appeared to us from 
 many circumstances to be a sort of 
 religious adoration. Their idols we 
 found always arrayed with red cloth 
 in the same manner as was done to 
 Captain Cook ; and a small pig was 
 their usual offering to the " Eatooas." 
 Their speeches, or prayers, were 
 uttered, too, with a readiness and 
 volubility that indicated them to be 
 according to some formulary. When 
 this ceremony was over, Koah dined 
 with Captain Cook, eating plentifully 
 of what was set before him ; but, like 
 the rest of the inhabitants of the 
 islands in these seas, could scarcely 
 be prevailed on to taste a second time 
 our wine or spirits. In the evening, 
 Captain Cook, attended by Mr Bayly 
 and myself, accompanied him on 
 shore. We landed at the beach, and 
 were received by four men who carried 
 wands tipped with dog's hair, and 
 marched before us, pronouncing with 
 a loud voice a short sentence, in 
 which we could only distinguish tha 
 word "Orono." 1 The crowd which 
 
 1 CaptainCookgenerallywentbythis 
 name amongst the natives of Owhyhee ; 
 but we could never learn its precise 
 meaning. Sometimes they applied it 
 to an invisible being, who, they said, 
 lived in the heavens. We also found 
 that it was a title belonging to a per- 
 sonage of great rank and power in 
 the island, who resembles pretty 
 ranch the Dclai Lama of the Tartars. 
 
;Un. 1779.] CEXEMONIES AT 
 had been collected on the shore re- 
 tired at our approach, and not a per- 
 son was to be seen, except a few lying 
 prostrate on the ground near the huts 
 of the adjoining village. 
 
 Before I proceed to relate the 
 adoration that was paid to Captain 
 Cook, and the peculiar ceremonies 
 with which he was received on this 
 fatal island, it will be necessary to 
 describe the "morai," situated, as I 
 have already mentioned, at the south 
 side of the beach at Kakooa. It was 
 a square, solid pile of stones, about 
 forty yards long, twenty broad, and 
 fourteen in height. The top was flat 
 and well-paved, and surrounded by a 
 wooden rail, on which were fixed the 
 sculls of the captives sacrificed on the 
 death of their chiefs. In the centre 
 of the area stood a ruinous old build- 
 ing of wood, connected with the rail 
 on each side by a stone wall which 
 divided the whole space into two 
 parts. On the side next the country 
 were five poles, upward of twenty feet 
 high, supporting an irregular kind of 
 scaffold ; on the opposite side, towards 
 the sea, stood two small houses with 
 a covered communication. 
 
 "We were conducted by Koah to the 
 top of this pile by an easy ascent 
 leading from the beach to the north- 
 west corner of the area. At the en- 
 trance we saw two large wooden 
 images, with features violently dis- 
 torted, and a long piece of carved 
 wood, of a conical form inverted, 
 rising from the top of their heads ; 
 the rest was without form, and wrap- 
 ped round with red cloth. We were 
 here met by a tall young man with a 
 long beard, who presented Captain 
 Cook to the images, and after chant- 
 ing a kind of hymn, in which he was 
 joined by Koah, they led us to that 
 end of the "morai" where the five 
 poles were fixed. At the foot of them 
 were twelve images ranged in a semi- 
 circular form, and before the middlo 
 figure stood a high stand or table, 
 exactly resembling the "whatta" of 
 Otaheite, on which lay a putrid hog, 
 
 COOK'S LANDING. 319 
 
 and under it pieces of sugar-cane, 
 cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, plantains, and 
 sweet potatoes. Koah having placed 
 the Captain under this stand, took 
 down the hog and held it toward 
 him ; and after having a second time 
 addressed him in a long speech, pro- 
 nounced with much vehemence and 
 rapidity, he let it fall on the ground, 
 and led him to the scaffolding, which 
 
 and the Ecclesiastical Emperor 
 Japan. — Note iv Original Edition, 
 
 of 
 
 they began to climb together, not 
 without great risk of falling. At this 
 time wo saw, coming in solemn pro- 
 cession, at the entrance of the top of 
 the "morai," ten men carrying a 
 live hog and a large piece of red cloth. 
 Being advanced a few paces, they 
 stopped and prostrated themselves ; 
 and Kaireekeea, the young man 
 above mentioned, went to them, and 
 receiving the cloth, carried it to Koah, 
 who wrapped it round the Captain, 
 and afterwards offered him the hog, 
 which was brought by Kaireekeea, 
 with the same ceremony. 
 
 Whilst Captain Cook was aloft in 
 this awkward situation, swathed round 
 with red cloth, and with difficulty 
 keeping his hold amongst the pieces 
 of rotten scaffolding, Kaireekeea and 
 Koah began their office, chanting 
 sometimes in concert, and sometimes 
 alternately. This lasted a consider- 
 able time ; at length Koah let the 
 hog drop, when he and the Captain 
 descended together. He then led hin. 
 to the images before mentioned, and 
 having said something to each in a 
 sneering tone, snapping his fingers at 
 them as he passed, he brought him 
 to that in the centre, which, from its 
 being covered with red cloth, appeared 
 to be in greater estimation than the 
 rest. Before this figure he prostrated 
 himself, and kissed it, desiring 
 Captain Cook to do the same, who 
 suffered himself to be directed by 
 Koah throughout the whole of thi? 
 ceremony. We were now led back 
 into the other division of the "morai," 
 where there was a space ten or twelve 
 feet square, sunk about three feet 
 below the level of the area. Into 
 this we descended, and Captain Cook 
 was seated between two wooden idoln, 
 Koah supporting one of his aiffifj 
 
320 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES, 
 
 fVoY.III.B.V.Cif.J>. 
 
 whilst 1 was desired to support the 
 other. At this time arrived a second 
 procession of natives, carrying a 
 taked hog and a pudding, some 
 bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and other 
 vegetables. When they approached 
 us, Kaireekeea put himself at their 
 head, and presenting the pig to Cap- 
 tain Cook in the usual manner, began 
 the same kind of chant as before, his 
 companions making regular responses. 
 We observed that after every response 
 their parts became gradually shorter, 
 till towards the close Kaireekeea's 
 consisted of only two or three words, 
 which the rest answered by the word 
 "Orono." 
 
 When this offering was concluded, 
 which lasted a quarter of an hour, the 
 natives sat down fronting us, and 
 began to cut up the baked hog, to 
 peel the vegetables, and break the 
 cocoa - nuts ; whilst others employed 
 themselves in brewing the "ava," 
 which is done by chewing it in the 
 same manner as at the Friendly 
 Islands. Kaireekeea then took part 
 of the kernel of a cocoa-nut, which 
 he chewed, and wrapping it in a piece 
 of cloth, rubbed with it the Captain's 
 face, head, hands, arms, and shoul- 
 ders. The "ava" was then handed 
 round, and after we had tasted it, 
 Koah and Pareea began to pull the 
 flesh of the hog in pieces, and to put it 
 into our mouths. I had no great objec- 
 tion to being fed by Pareea, who was 
 very cleanly in his person ; but Cap- 
 tain Cook, who was served by Koah, 
 recollecting the putrid hog, could not 
 swallow a morsel ; and his reluctance, 
 as may be supposed, was not dimin- 
 ished, when the old man, according 
 to his own mode of civility, had 
 chewed it for him. When this last 
 ceremony was finished, which Cap- 
 tain Cook put an end to as soon as 
 he decently could, we quitted the 
 " morai, " after distributing amongst 
 the people some pieces of iron and 
 other trifles, with which they seemed 
 highly gratified. The men with 
 wands conducted us to the boats, 
 repeating the same words as before. 
 The people again retired, and the few 
 that remained prostrated themselves 
 
 as we passed along the shore. Ws 
 immediately went on board, our minds 
 full of what we had seen, and ex- 
 tremely well satisfied with the good 
 dispositions of our new friends. The 
 meaning of the various ceremonies 
 with which we had been received, and 
 which, on account of their novelty 
 and singularity, have been related at 
 length, can only be the subject of 
 conjectures, and those uncertain and 
 partial ; they were, however, without 
 doubt, expressive of high respect on 
 the part of the natives, and as far aa 
 related to the person of Captain Cook 
 they seemed approaching to adora- 
 tion. 
 
 The next morning I went on show 
 with a guard of eight marines, includ- 
 ing the corporal and lieutenant, 
 having orders to erect the observatory 
 in such a situation as might best 
 enable me to superintend and protect 
 the waterers and the other working 
 parties that were to be on shore. As 
 we were viewing a spot conveniently 
 situated for this purpose in the middle 
 of the village, Pareea, who was always 
 ready to show both his power and his 
 goodwill, offered to pull down some 
 houses that would have obstructed our 
 observations. However, we thought 
 it proper to decline this offer, and 
 fixed on a field of sweet potatoes ad- 
 joining to the "morai," which was 
 readily granted us ; and the priests, to 
 prevent the intrusion of the natives, 
 immediately consecrated the place by 
 fixing their wands round the wall by 
 which it was enclosed. This sort cf 
 religious interdiction they call "ta- 
 boo^" a word we heard often repeated 
 during our stay amongst these island- 
 ers, and found to be of very powerful 
 and extensive operation. It procured 
 us even more privacy than we desired. 
 No canoes ever presumed to land 
 near us; the natives sat on the wall, 
 but none offered to come within the 
 tabooed space till he had obtained our 
 permission. But though the men, at 
 our request, would come across the 
 field with provisions, yet not all our 
 endeavours could prevad on the women 
 to approach us. Presents were tried, 
 but without effect ; Pareea and Koah 
 
Jan. 1779.] 
 
 were tempted to bring them, but in 
 vain; we were invariably answered 
 that the " Eatooa " and Terreeoboo 
 (which was the name of their King) 
 would kill them. This circumstance 
 afforded no small matter of amuse- 
 ment to our friends on board, where 
 the crowds of people, and particularly 
 of women, that continued to flock 
 thither, obliged them almost every 
 hour to clear the vessel in order to 
 have room to do the necessary duties 
 of the ship. On these occasions 200 
 or 300 women were frequently made 
 to jump into the water at once, where 
 they continued swimming and play- 
 ing about till they could agaiu pro- 
 cure admittance. 
 
 From the 19th to the 21th, when 
 Pareea and Koah left us to attend 
 Terreeoboo, who had landed on some 
 other part of the island, nothing very 
 material happened on board. The 
 calkers were set to work on the sides 
 of the ships, and the rigging was care- 
 fully overhauled and repaired. The 
 salting of hogs for sea-store was also 
 h constant and one of the principal 
 objects of Captain Cook's attentions. 
 It has generally been thought imprac- 
 ticable to cure the flesh of animals by 
 salting in tropical climates, the pro- 
 gress of putrefaction being so rapid as 
 not to allow time for the salt to take 
 (as they express it) before the meat 
 gets a taint, which prevents the effect 
 of the pickle. We do not find that 
 experiments relative to this subject 
 have been made by the navigators of 
 any nation before Captain Cook. In 
 his first trials, which were made in 
 1774 during his second voyage to the 
 Pacific Ocean, the success he met with, 
 though veiy imperfect, was yet suffi- 
 cient to convince him of the error of 
 the received opinion. As the voyage 
 in which he was now engaged was 
 likely to be protracted a year beyond 
 the time for which the ships had 
 been victualled, he was under the 
 necessity of providing by some such 
 means for the subsistenco of the 
 crews, or of relinquishing the fur- 
 ther prosecution of his discoveries. 
 He therefore lost no opportunity of 
 renewing his attempts, and the 
 
 A SOCIETY OF PRIESTS. 
 
 321 
 
 event answered his most sanguine 
 expectations. 1 
 
 I shall now return to our transac- 
 tions on shore at the observatory, 
 where we had not been long settled 
 before we discovered in our neighbour- 
 hood the habitations of a society of 
 priests, whose regular attendance at 
 the "morai" had excited our curiosity. 
 Their huts stood round a pond of 
 water, and were surrounded by a 
 grove of cocoa-nut trees, which separ- 
 ated them from the beach and the 
 rest of the village, and gave the place 
 an air of religious retirement. On 
 my acquainting Captain Cook with 
 these circumstances, he resolved to 
 pay them a visit. On his arrival at 
 the beach he was conducted to a 
 sacred building called Harre-no-Orono 
 or the house of Orono, and seated 
 before the entrance, at the foot of a 
 wooden idol of the same kind with 
 those on the "morai." I was here 
 again made to support one of his 
 arms, and after wrapping him in red 
 cloth, Kaireekeea, accompanied by 
 twelve priests, made an offering of a 
 pig with the usual solemnities. The 
 pig was then strangled, and a fire 
 being kindled, it was thrown into the 
 embers ; and after the hair was siuged 
 off it was again presented, with a 
 repetition of the chanting in the man- 
 ner before described. The dead pig 
 was then held for a short time under 
 the Captain's nose, after which it was 
 laid, with a cocoa-nut, at his feet, 
 and the performers sat down. The 
 "ava" was then brewed and handed 
 round, a fat hog ready dressed was 
 brought in, and we were fed as be- 
 fore. 
 
 During the rest of the time wo 
 remained in the bay, whenever Cap- 
 tain Cook came on shore he was at- 
 tended by one of these priests, who 
 went before him giving notice that 
 
 1 After describing the process, King 
 says : "I brought home with me 
 some ban-els of this pork which was 
 pickled at Owhyhee in January 1779, 
 and was tasted by several persons in 
 England about Christmas 1780, and 
 found perfectly sound and wholesome. " 
 
COOK'S VOYAGES, 
 to their 
 
 322 
 
 the " Orono " had landed, and order- 
 ing the people to prostrate themselves. 
 The same person also constantly ac- 
 companied him on the water, stand- 
 ing in the bow of the boat with a 
 wand in his hand, and giving notice 
 of his approach to the natives who 
 were in canoes, on which they imme- 
 diately left off paddling and lay down 
 on their faces till he had passed. 
 "Whenever he stopped at the observa- 
 tory, Kaireekeea and his brethren im- 
 mediately made their appearance with 
 hogs, cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, &c, and 
 presented them with the usual solem- 
 nities. It was on these occasions that 
 some of the inferior chiefs frequently 
 requested to be permitted to make an 
 offering to the ' ' Orono. " When this 
 was granted, they presented the hog 
 themselves, generally with evident 
 marks of fear in their countenances, 
 whilst Kaireekeea and the priests 
 chanted their accustomed hymns. 
 The civilities of this society were not, 
 however, confined to mere ceremony 
 and parade. Our party on shore re- 
 ceived from them every day a constant 
 supply of hogs and vegetables more 
 than sufficient for our subsistence, 
 and several canoes loaded with pro- 
 visions were sent to the ships with 
 the same punctuality. No return 
 was ever demanded or even hinted at 
 iu the most distant manner. Their 
 presents were made with a regularity 
 more like the discharge of a religious 
 duty than the effect of mere liberality ; 
 and when we inquired at whose charge 
 all this munificence was displayed, we 
 were told it was at the expense of a 
 great man called Kaoo, the chief of 
 the priests and grandfather to Kairee- 
 keea, who was at that time absent 
 attending the King of the island. 
 
 As everything relating to the char- 
 acter and behaviour of this people 
 must be interesting to the reader on 
 account of the tragedy that was after- 
 wards acted here, it will bo proper to 
 acquaint him that wo had not always 
 W much reason to be satisfied with 
 the conduct of the warrior chiefs, or 
 " Eareos," as with that of the priests. 
 In all our dealings with the former 
 We found them sufficiently attentive 
 
 [Vot.III.B.Y.Cr.1. 
 
 own interests ; and besides 
 their habit of stealing, which may ad- 
 mit of some excuse from the univer- 
 sality of the practice amongst the 
 islanders of these seas, they made uso 
 of other artifices equally dishonour- 
 able. I shall only mention one in- 
 stance, in which we discovered with 
 regret our friend Koah to be a party 
 principally concerned. As the chiefs 
 who brought us presents of hogs were 
 always sent back handsomely reward- 
 ed, we had generally a greater supply 
 than we could make use of. On these 
 occasions Koah, who never failed in 
 his attendance 0:1 us, used to beg such 
 as we did not want, and they were 
 always given to him. It one day 
 happened that a pig was presented us 
 by a man whom Koah himself intro- 
 duced as a chief who was desirous of 
 paying his respects ; and we recollected 
 the pig to be the same that had been 
 given to Koah just before. This lead- 
 ing us to suspect some trick, we found, 
 on further inquiry, the pretended 
 chief to be an ordinary person; and 
 on connecting this with other circum- 
 stances, we had reason to suspect 
 that it was not the first time we had 
 been the dupes of the like imposition. 
 Things continued in this state till 
 the 24th, when we were a good deal 
 surprised to find that no canoes were 
 suffered to put off from the shore, 
 and that the natives kept close to 
 their houses. After several hours' 
 suspense, we learned that the bay was 
 tabooed, and all intercourse with us 
 interdicted, on account of the arrival 
 of Terreeoboo. As we had not fore- 
 seen an accident of this sort, the crews 
 of both ships were obliged to pass the 
 day without their usual supply of 
 vegetables. The next morning, there- 
 fore, they endeavoured both by threats 
 and promises to induce the natives to 
 come alongside ; and as some of theta 
 were at last venturing to put off, a 
 chief was observed attempting to drive 
 them away. A musket was immedi- 
 ately fired over his head to make him 
 desist, which had the desired effect, 
 and refreshments were soon after pur- 
 chased as usual. In the afternoon 
 Terreeoboo arrived, and visited the 
 
Jan. 1779J TERREEOBOO, 
 
 ships in a private manner, attended 
 only by one canoe in which were his 
 wife and children. He stayed on 
 hoard till near 10 o'clock, when he 
 returned to the village of Kowrowa. 
 
 The next day about noon the King, 
 in a large canoe attended by two 
 others, set out from the village and 
 paddled toward the ships in great 
 state. Their appearance was grand 
 and magnificent. In the first canoe 
 were Terreeoboo and his chiefs, dress- 
 ed in their rich feathered cloaks and 
 helmets, and armed with long spears 
 and daggers ; in the second came the 
 venerable Kaoo, the chief of the 
 priests, and his brethren, with their 
 idols displayed on red cloth. These 
 idols were busts of a gigantic size, 
 
 made of wicker-work, and curiously 
 covered with small feathers of various 
 colours wrought in the same manner 
 with their cloaks. Their eyes were 
 made of large pearl oysters, with a 
 black nut fixed in the centre ; their 
 mouths were set with a double row of 
 the fangs of dogs, and, together with 
 the rest of their features, were strangely 
 distorted. The third canoe was filled 
 with hogs and various sorts of vege- 
 tables. As they went along the priests 
 in the centre canoe sung their hymns 
 with great solemnity ; and after pad- 
 dling round the ships, instead of 
 going on board as was expected, they 
 made toward the shore at the beach 
 where we were stationed. As soon as 
 I saw them approaching I ordered out 
 our little guard to receive the King ; 
 and Captain Cook, perceiving that he 
 was going on shore, followed him and 
 arrived nearly at the same time. We 
 conducted them into the tent, where 
 they had scarcely been seated when 
 the King rose up and in a very grace- 
 ful manner threw over the Captain's 
 shoulders the cloak he himself wore, 
 put a feathered helmet on his head, 
 and a curious fan into his hand. He 
 also spread at his feet five or six other 
 cloaks, all exceedingly beautiful and 
 of the greatest value. His attendants 
 then brought four very large hogs, 
 with sugar-canes, cocoa-nuts, and 
 bread-fruit ; and this part of the 
 ceremony was concluded by the King's 
 
 KING OF THE ISLAND. 323 
 
 exchanging names with Captain Cook, 
 which amongst all the islanders of 
 the Pacific Ocean is esteemed the 
 strongest pledge of friendship. A 
 procession of priests, with a venerable 
 old personage at their head, now ap- 
 peared, followed by a long train of 
 men leading large hogs, and others 
 carrying plantains, sweet p*tatoes, 
 &c. By the looks and gestures of 
 Kaireekeea I immediately knew the 
 old man to be the chief of the priests 
 before mentioned, on whose bounty 
 we had so long subsisted. He had a 
 piece of red cloth in his hands, which 
 te wrapped round Captain Cook's 
 shoulders, and afterward presented 
 him with a small pig in the usual 
 form. A seat was then made for him 
 next to the King, after which Kairee- 
 keea and his followers began their cere- 
 monies, Kaoo and the chiefs joining 
 in the responses. 
 
 I was surprised to see in the person 
 of this King the same infirm and 
 emaciated old man that came on board 
 the Resolution when we were off the 
 north-east side of the Island of Mowee ; 
 and we soon discovered amongst his 
 attendants most of the persons who at 
 that time had remained with us all 
 Of this number were the two 
 
 night. 
 
 younger sons of the King, the eldest 
 of whom was sixteen years of age, and 
 his nephew Mailia-Maiha, whom at 
 first we had some difficulty in recol- 
 lecting, his hair being plastered over 
 with a dirty brown paste and powder 
 which was no mean heightening to 
 the most savage face I ever beheld. 
 As soon as the formalities of the 
 meeting were over, Captain Cook car- 
 ried Terreeoboo, and as many chiefs 
 as the pinnace could hold, on board 
 the Resolution. They were received 
 with every mark of respect that could 
 be shown them; and Captain Cook, 
 in return for the feathered cloak, put 
 a linen shirt on the King, and girt 
 his own hanger round him. The 
 ancient Kaoo, and about half-a-dozen 
 more old chiefs, remained on shore 
 and took up their abode at the priests' 
 houses. During all this time not a 
 canoe was seen in the bay, and the 
 natives either kept within their hute 
 
324 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 or lay prostrate on the ground. Be- 
 fore the King left the Resolution, 
 Captain Cook obtained leave for the 
 natives to come and trade with the 
 ehips as usual ; but the women, for 
 what reason we could not learn, still 
 continued under the effects of the 
 "tal 100," that is, were forbidden to 
 stir from home or to have any com- 
 munication with us. 
 
 CHAPTER H. 
 
 Tun quiet and inoffensive behaviour 
 of the natives having taken away every 
 apprehension of danger, we did not 
 hesitate to trust ourselves amongst 
 them at all times and in all situa- 
 tions. The officers of both ships went 
 daily up the country in small parties, 
 or even singly, andfrequentlyremained 
 out the whole night. It would be 
 endless to recount all the instances of 
 kindness and civility which we re- 
 ceived upon those occasions. Wher- 
 ever we went the people flocked about 
 us, eager to offer every assistance in 
 their power, and highly gratified if 
 their services were accepted. Various 
 little arte were practised to attract 
 our notice or to delay our departure. 
 The boys and girls ran before as we 
 walked through their villages, and 
 stopped us at every opening where 
 there was room to form a group for 
 dancing. At one time we were invited 
 to accept a draught of cocoa-nut milk 
 or some other refreshment, under the 
 shade of their huts ; at another we 
 were seated within a circle of young 
 women, who exerted all their skill and 
 agility to amuse us with songs and 
 dances. The satisfaction we derived 
 from their gentleness and hospitality 
 was, however, frequently interrupted 
 by that propensity to stealing which 
 they have in common with all the 
 other islnnders of these seas. This 
 circumstance was the more distressing 
 as it sometimes obliged us to have 
 recourse to acts of severity which we 
 should willingly have avoided if the 
 necessity of the case had not absolutely 
 called for them. Some of their most 
 
 [Voy.IIj.B.V.Ch.II. 
 
 expert swimmers wore one day dis- 
 covered under the ships drawing out 
 the filling-nails of the sheathing, 
 which they performed very dexter- 
 ously by means of a short stick with 
 a flint stone fixed in the end of it. 
 To put a stop to this practice, which 
 endangered the very existence of the 
 vessels, we at first fired small shot 
 at the offenders ; but they easily got 
 out of our reach by diving under 
 the ship's bottom. It was therefore 
 found necessary to make an example 
 by flogging one of them on board the 
 Discovery. 
 
 About this time a large party of 
 gentlemen from both ships set out 
 on an excursion into the interior parts 
 of the country, with a view of examin- 
 ing its natural productions. [This] 
 afforded Kaoo a fresh opportunity 01 
 showing his attention and generosity. 
 For as coon as he was informed of 
 their departure, he sent a large sujqily 
 of provisions after them, together with 
 orders that the inhabitants of the 
 country through which they were to 
 pass should give them every assistance 
 in their power. And to complete the 
 delicacy and disinterestedness of his 
 conduct, even the people he employed 
 could not be prevailed on to accept 
 the smallest present. After remain- 
 ing out six days our officers returned 
 without having being able to penetrate 
 above twenty miles into the island ; 
 partly from want of proper guides, and 
 partly from the impracticability of the 
 country. 
 
 The head of the Resolution's rudder 
 being found exceedingly shaken, and 
 most of the pintles either loose or 
 broken, it was unhung and sent on 
 shore, on the 27th in the morning, to 
 undergo a thorough repair. At the 
 same time the carpenters were sent 
 into the country, under conduct of 
 some of Kaoo's people, to cut planks 
 for the head rail-work, which was also 
 entirely decayed and rotten. On the 
 28th Captain Clerke, whose ill health 
 confined him for the most part on 
 board, paid Terrceoboo his first visit 
 at his hut on shore. He was received 
 with the same formalities as were ob- 
 served with Captain Cook ; aud on 
 
Jan. 1779.] A BOXING 
 
 his coming away, though the visit 
 was quite unexpected, he received a 
 present of thirty large hogs and as 
 much fruit and roots as his crew could 
 consume in a week. 
 
 As we had not yet seen anything of 
 their sports or athletic exercises, the 
 natives, at the request of some of our 
 oflicers, entertained us this evening 
 with a boxing-match. Though these 
 games were much inferior, as well in 
 point of solemnity and magnificence, 
 as in the skill and powers of the com- 
 batants, to what we had seen exhibited 
 at the Friendly Islands, yet as they 
 differed in some particulars, it may 
 not be improper to give a short account 
 of them. We found a vast concourse 
 cf people assembled on a level spot of 
 ground at a little distance from our 
 tents. A long space was left vacant 
 in the midst of them, at the upper 
 end of which sat the judges, uuder 
 three standards, from which hung 
 slips of cloth of various colours, the 
 skins of two wild geese, a few small 
 birds, and bunches of feathers. When 
 the sports were ready to begin, the 
 signal was given by the judges, and 
 immediately two combatants appeared. 
 They came forward slowly, lifting up 
 their feet very high behind, and draw- 
 ing their hands along the soles. As 
 they approached, they frequently eyed 
 each other from head to foot in a con- 
 temptuous manner, casting several 
 arch looks at the spectators, straining 
 their muscles, and using a variety of 
 affected gestures. Being advanced 
 within reach of each other, they stood 
 with both arms held out straight be- 
 fore their faces, at which part all their 
 blows were aimed. They struck in 
 what appeared to our eyes an awkward 
 ^manner, with a full swing of the arm ; 
 'made no attempt to parry, but eluded 
 their adversary's attack by an inclina- 
 tion of the body or by retreating. The 
 battlewasquickly decided ; for if either 
 of them was knocked down, or even 
 fell by accident, he was considered as 
 vanquished, and the victor expressed 
 his triumph by a variety of gestures, 
 which usually excited, as was in- 
 tended, a loud laugh among the spec- 
 tators. He then waited for a second 
 
 -MATCH. 
 
 325 
 
 antagonist ; and if again victorious, 
 for a third, till he was at last in his 
 turn defeated. A singular rule ob- 
 served in these combats is, that whilst 
 any two are preparing to fight, a third 
 person may step in and choose either 
 of them for his antagonist, when the 
 other is obliged to withdraw. Some- 
 times three or four followed each other 
 in this manner before the match was 
 settled. When the combat proved 
 longer than usual, or appeared too 
 unequal, one of the chiefs generally 
 stepped in and ended it by putting a 
 stick between the combatants. The 
 same good humour was preserved 
 throughout which we before so much 
 admired in the Friendly Islanders. 
 As these games were given at our 
 desire, we found it was universally 
 expected that we should have borne 
 our part in them ; but our people, 
 though much pressed by the natives, 
 turned a deaf ear to their challenge, 
 remembering full well the blows they 
 got at the Friendly Islands. 
 
 This day died William Watman, a 
 seaman of the gunner's crew ; an event 
 which I mention the more particularly 
 as death had hitherto been very rare 
 amongst us. He was an old man, and 
 much respected on account of his at- 
 tachment to Captain Cook. He had 
 formerly served as a marine twenty- 
 one years ; after which he entered as 
 a seaman on board the Resolution in 
 1772, and served with Captain Cook 
 in his voyage towards the South Pole. 
 At their return he was admitted into 
 Greenwich Hospital, through the Cap- 
 tain's interest, at the same time with 
 himself ; and being resolved to follow 
 throughout the fortunes of his bene- 
 factor, he also quitted it along with 
 him on his being appointed to the 
 command of the present expedition. 
 During the voyage he had freqiiently 
 been subject to slight fevers, and was 
 a convalescent when we came into the 
 bay, where being sent on shore for ^ 
 few days he conceived himself per- 
 fectly recovered, and at his own desira 
 returned on board ; but the day fol- 
 lowing he had a paralytic stroke, which 
 in two days more carried him olf. At 
 the request of the King of the island 
 
326 
 
 he was buried on the " morai, " and 
 the ceremony was performed with as 
 much solemnity as our situation per- 
 mitted. Old Kaoo and his brethren 
 were spectators, and preserved the 
 most profound silence and attention 
 whilst the service was reading. AVhen 
 we began to fill up the grave, they 
 approached it with great reverence, 
 threw in a dead pig, some cocoa-nuts, 
 and plantains ; and for three nights 
 afterwards they surrounded it, sacri- 
 ficing hogs and performing their usual 
 ceremonies of hymns and prayers, 
 which continued till daybreak. At the 
 head of the grave we erected a post, 
 and nailed upon it a square piece of 
 board, on which was inscribed the 
 name of the deceased, his age, and the 
 day of his death. This they promised 
 not to remove ; and we have no doubt 
 ljut that it will be suffered to remain, 
 as long as the frail materials of which 
 it is made will permit. 
 
 The ships being in great want of 
 fuel, the Captain desired me on the 
 2d of February to treat with the priests 
 for the purchase of the rail that sur- 
 rounded the top of the "niorai." I 
 must confess I had at first some doubt 
 about the decency of this proposal, 
 and was apprehensive that even the 
 bare mention of it might be considered 
 by them ae a piece of shocking im- 
 piety. In this, however, I found my- 
 self mistaken. Not the smallest sur- 
 prise was expressed at the application, 
 and the wood was readily given, even 
 without stipulating for anything in 
 return. Whilst the sailors were tak- 
 ing it away, I observed one of them 
 carrying off a carved image ; and on 
 further inquiry I found that they had 
 conveyed to the boats the whole semi- 
 circle. ' Though this was done in the 
 presence of the natives, who had not 
 shown any mark of resentment at it 
 but had even assisted them in the 
 removal, I thought it proper to speak 
 to Kaoo on the subject, who appeared 
 very indifferent about the matter, and 
 only desired that we would restore 
 the centre image I have mentioned 
 
 1 Of twelve images, described in 
 the preceding Chapu-i . 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vow III. B. V. Ch. II. 
 
 before, which he carried into one of 
 
 the priest's houses. 
 
 Terreeoboo and his chiefs had for 
 some days past been very inquisitive 
 about the time of our departure. This 
 circumstance had excited in me a great 
 curiosity to know what opinion this 
 people had formed of us, and what 
 were their ideas respecting the cause 
 and objects of our voyage. I took 
 some pains to satisfy myself on these 
 points, but could never learn anything 
 further than that they imagined we 
 came from some country where pro- 
 visions had failed, and that our visit 
 to them was merely for the purpose of 
 filling our bellies. Indeed, the meagre 
 appearance of some of our crew, the 
 hearty appetites with which we sat 
 down to their fresh provisions, and 
 our great anxiety to purchase and 
 carry off as much as we were able, led 
 them naturally enough to such a con- 
 clusion. To these may be added a 
 circumstance which puzzled them ex- 
 ceedingly — our having no women with 
 us, together with our quiet conduct 
 and unwarlike appearance. It was 
 ridiculous enough to see them strok- 
 ing the sides and patting the bellies 
 of the sailors (who were certainly 
 much improved in the sleekness of 
 their looks during our short stay in 
 the island), and telling them, partly 
 by signs and partly by words, that it 
 was time for them to go ; but if they 
 would come again the next bread-fruit 
 season they should be better able to 
 supply their wants. We had now 
 been sixteen days in the bay, and if 
 our enormous consumption of hogs 
 and vegetables be considered, it need 
 not be wondered that they should 
 wish to see us take our leave. 2 It is 
 
 2 It is shrewdly enough suggested, 
 in a note in Kerr's Collection (vol. 
 xvi., page 439), that the subsequent 
 unexpected return of the ships to 
 Karakakooa Bay may have alarmed 
 the natives for the security of their 
 own sustenance until the next season 
 of plenty, and in a certain measure 
 predisposed them to deal with the 
 strangers in a less friendly, trustful, 
 and respectful way. 
 
Fke. 1779.] PRESENTS FROM TERKEEOBOO TO COOK. 
 
 327 
 
 very probable, however, that Terreeo- 
 boo had no other view in his inquiries 
 at present than a desire of making 
 sufficient preparation for dismissing 
 us with presents suitable to the respect 
 and kindness with which he had re- 
 ceived us. For on our telling him 
 we should leave the island on the next 
 day but one, we observed that a sort 
 of proclamation was immediately made 
 through the villages to require the 
 people to bring in their hogs and 
 vegetables for the King to present to 
 the " Orouo " on his departure. 
 
 We wero this day much diverted at 
 the beach by the buffooneries of one 
 of tho natives. He held in his hand 
 an instrument of the sort described [in 
 Book III., Chapter XII. 1 ]; some bits 
 of sea-weed were tied round his neck ; 
 and round each leg a piece of strong 
 netting about nine inches deep, on 
 which a great number of dogs' teeth 
 were loosely fastened in rows. His 
 style of dancing was entirely bur- 
 lesque, and accompanied with strange 
 grimaces and pantomimical distor- 
 tions of the face, which, though at 
 times inexpressibly ridiculous, yet on 
 the whole were without much mean- 
 ing or expression. In the evening we 
 were again entertained with wrestling 
 and boxing-matches, and we displayed 
 in return the few fireworks we had 
 left. Nothing could be better cal- 
 culated to excite the admiration of 
 these islanders, and to impress them 
 with an idea of our great superiority, 
 than an exhibition of this kind. Cap- 
 tain Cook has already described the 
 extraordinary effects of that which was 
 made at Hapaee; and though the 
 present was in eveiy respect infinitely 
 inferior, yet the astonishment of the 
 natives was not less. 
 
 I have before mentioned that the 
 carpenters from both ships had been 
 sent up the country to cut planks for 
 the head-rail work of the Resolution. 
 This was the third day since their 
 departure, and having received no in- 
 telligence from them, we began to 
 be very anxious for their safety. We 
 were communicating our apprehen- 
 
 Ank, page 240. 
 
 sions to old Kaoo, who appeared as 
 much concerned as ourselves, and 
 were concerting measures with him 
 for sending after them, when they 
 arrived all safe. They had been ob- 
 liged to go farther into the country 
 than was expected before they met 
 with trees fit for their purpose, and 
 it was this circumstance, together 
 with the badness of the roads, and 
 the difficulty of bringing back tho 
 timber, which had detained them so 
 long. They spoke in high terms of 
 their guides, who both supplied them 
 with provisions, and guarded their 
 tools with tho utmost fidelity. 
 
 The next day being fixed for our 
 departure, Terreeoboo invited Captain 
 Cook and myself to attend him on the 
 3d to the place where Kaoo resided. 
 On our arrival we found the ground 
 covered with parcels of cloth, a vast 
 quantity of red and yellow feathers 
 tied to the fibres of cocoa-nut husks, 
 and a great number of hatchets, and 
 other pieces of iron-ware that had 
 been got in barter from us. At a little 
 distance from these lay an immense 
 quantity of vegetables of every kind, 
 and near them was a large herd of 
 hogs. At first we imagined the whole 
 to be intended as a present for us, till 
 Kaireekeea informed me that it was 
 a gift or tribute from the people of 
 that district to the King, aud accord- 
 ingly, as soon as we were seated, they 
 brought all the bundles and laid them 
 severally at Terreeoboo 's feet, spread- 
 ing out the cloth and displaying the 
 feathers and iron-ware before him. 
 Tho King seemed much pleased with 
 this mark of their dut} r , and having 
 selected about a third part of the 
 iron -ware, the same proportion of 
 feathers, and a few pieces of cloth, 
 these were set aside by themselves ; 
 and the remainder of the cloth, to- 
 gether with all the hogs and. vege- 
 tables, were afterwards presented to 
 Captain Cook and myself. We were 
 astonished at the value and magnitude 
 of this present, which far exceeded 
 everything of the kind we had seen 
 either at the Friendly or Society 
 Islands. Boats were immediately sent 
 to carry them on board, the Lugo hoi;d 
 
328 COOK'S V 
 
 were picked out to be salted for sea- 
 store, and upwards of thirty smaller 
 pigs and the vegetables were divided 
 between the two crews. 
 
 The same day we quitted the 
 " morai " and got the tents and astro- 
 nomical instruments on board. The 
 charm of the taboo was now removed ; 
 and we had no sooner left the place 
 than the natives rushed in and search- 
 ed eagerly about in expectation of 
 finding something of value that we 
 might have left behind. As I hap- 
 pened to remain the last on shore, and 
 waited for the return of the boat, 
 several came crowding about me ; and 
 having made me sit down by them, 
 began to lament our separation. It 
 was, indeed, not without difficulty I 
 was able to quit them. And here I 
 hope I may be permitted to relate a 
 trifling occurrence in which I was 
 principally concerned. Having had 
 the command of the party on shore 
 during the whole time we were in the 
 bay, I had an opportunity of becom- 
 ing better acquainted with the natives, 
 and of being better known to them, 
 than those whose duty required them 
 to be generally on board. As I had 
 every reason to be satisfied with their 
 kindness in general, so I cannot too 
 often nor too particularly mention 
 the unbounded and constant friend- 
 ship of their priests. On my part, I 
 spared no endeavours to conciliate 
 their affections and gain their esteem ; 
 and I had the good fortune to succeed 
 so far, that when the time of our 
 departure was made known I was 
 strongly solicited to remain behind, 
 not without offers of the most flatter- 
 ing kind. "When I excused myself by 
 saying that Captain Cook would not 
 give his consent, they proposed that 
 I should retire into the mountains, 
 where, they said, they would conceal 
 me till after the departure of the 
 ships; and on my further assuring 
 them that the Captain would not 
 leave the bay without me, Terreeoboo 
 and Kaoo waited upon Captain Cook, 
 whose son they supposed I was, with 
 a formal request that I might be left 
 behind. The Captain, to avoid giv- 
 ing a positive refusal to an oiler t.o 
 
 OYAGES. [Voy. III. B.V. Cd.IL 
 
 kindly intended, told them that he 
 could not part with me at that time, 
 but that he should return to the island 
 next year, and would then endeavour 
 to settle the matter to their satisfac- 
 tion. 
 
 Early in the morning of the 4th we 
 unmoored and sailed out of the bay, 
 with the Discovery in company, and 
 were followed by a great number of 
 canoes. Captain Cook's design was 
 to finish the survey of Owhyhee before 
 he visited the other islands, in hopes 
 of meeting with a road better sheltered 
 than the bay we had just left ; and in 
 case of not succeeding here, he pur- 
 posed to take a view of the south-east 
 part of Mowee, where the natives in- 
 formed us we should find an excellent 
 harbour. "We had calm weather all 
 this and the following day, which 
 made our progress to the northward 
 veiy slow. "We were accompanied by 
 a great number of the natives in their 
 canoes, and Terreeoboo gave a fresh 
 proof of his friendship to Captain 
 Cook by a large present of hogs and 
 vegetables that was sent after him. 
 
 In the night of the 5th, having a 
 light breeze off the land, we made 
 some way to the northward ; and in 
 the morning of the 6th, having passed 
 the westernmost point of the island, 
 we found ourselves abreast of a deep 
 bay called by the natives Toe-yah- 
 yah. "We had great hopes that this 
 bay would furnish us with a safe and 
 commodious harbour, as we saw to 
 the north-east several fine streams of 
 water, and the whole had the appear- 
 ance of being well sheltered. These 
 observations agreeing with the ac- 
 counts given us by Koah, who accom- 
 panied Captain Cook, and had changed 
 his name, out of compliment to us, 
 into " Britannee," the pinnace was 
 hoisted out, and the master, with 
 " Britannee " for his guide, was sent 
 to examine the bay, whilst the ship3 
 worked up after them. In the after- 
 noon the weather became gloomy, and 
 the gusts of wind that blew off the 
 land, were so violent as to make it 
 necessary to take in all the sails, and 
 bring to under the niizzeii-staysail. 
 All the canoes left us at the begin- 
 
Feb. 1770.1 RESOLUTION DAM 
 
 ning of the gale , and Mr Bligh, on 
 his return, had the satisfaction of 
 saving an old woman and two men, 
 whose canoe had been overset by the 
 violence of the wind as they were 
 endeavouring to gain the shore. Be- 
 sides these distressed people, we had 
 A great many women on board whom 
 the natives had left behind in their 
 hurry to shift for themselves. The 
 master reported to Captain Cook that 
 he had landed at the only village, he 
 saw, on the north side of the bay, 
 where he was directed to some wells 
 of water, but found they would by no 
 means answer our purpose ; that he 
 afterward proceeded farther into the 
 bay, which runs inland to a great 
 depth, and stretches toward the foot 
 of a very conspicuous high mountain, 
 situated on the north-west end of the 
 island; but that instead of meeting 
 with safe anchorage, as "Britannee" 
 had taught him to expect, he found 
 the shores low aud rocky, and a flat 
 bed of coral rocks running along the 
 coast and extending upwards of a mile 
 from the land, on the outside of which 
 the depth of water was twenty fathoms 
 over a sandy bottom; and that, in 
 the meantime " Britannee" had con- 
 trived to slip away, being afraid of 
 returning, as we imagined, because 
 his information had not proved true 
 and successful. 
 
 In the evening, the weather being 
 more moderate, we again mado sail ; 
 but about midnight it blew so vio- 
 lently as to split both the fore and 
 main topsails. On the morning of 
 the 7th we bent fresh sails, and had 
 fair weather and a light breeze. At 
 noon the latitude by observation was 
 20° 1' K, the W. point of the island 
 bearing S. 7° E., and the NW. point 
 N. 38° E. As we were at this time 
 four or five leagues from the shore, 
 .and the weather very unsettled, none 
 of the canoes would venture out, so 
 that our guests were obliged to remain 
 with us, much indeed to their dis- 
 satisfaction, for they were all sea-sick, 
 and many of them had left young 
 children behind them. In the after- 
 noon, though the weather was still 
 scjually, we stood iu for the land, and 
 
 AGED IN A GALE. 329 
 
 being about three leagues from it we 
 saw a canoe with two men paddling 
 toward us, which we immediately 
 conjectured had been driven off the 
 shore by the late boisterous weather, 
 and therefore stopped the ship's way 
 in order to take them in. These 
 poor wretches were so entirely ex- 
 hausted with fatigue, that had not 
 one of the natives on board, observ- 
 ing their weakness, jumped into the 
 canoe to their assistance, they would 
 scarcely have been able to fasten it to 
 the rope we had thrown out for that 
 purpose. It was with difficulty we 
 got them up the ship's side, together 
 with a child about four years old, 
 which they had lashed under the 
 thwarts of the canoe, where it had 
 lain with only its head above water. 
 They told us they had left the shore 
 the morning before, and had been 
 from that time without food or 
 water. The usual precautions were 
 taken in giving them victuals, and 
 the child being committed to the care 
 of one of the women, we found them 
 all next morning perfectly recovered. 
 At midnight a gale of wind came 
 on which obliged us to double reef 
 the top-sails and get down the top- 
 gallant yards. On the 8th at day- 
 break, we found that the fore-mast 
 had again given way, the fishes which 
 were put on the head in King George's 
 or Nootka Sound, on the coast of 
 America, being sprung, and the parts 
 so very defective as to make it absol- 
 utely necessary to replace them, and 
 of course to unstep the mast. In this 
 diffici\lty, Captain Cook was for some 
 time in doubt whether he should run 
 the chance of meeting with a harbour 
 in the islands to leeward, or return 
 to Karakakooa. That bay was not so 
 remarkably commodious in any re- 
 spect but that a better might pro- 
 bably be expected, both for the 
 purpose of repairing the masts and 
 for procuring refreshments, of which 
 it was imagined that the neighbour- 
 hood of Karakakooa had been already 
 pretty well drained. On the other 
 hand, it was considered as too great 
 a risk to leave a place that was 
 tolerably sheltered, and which, onca 
 
330 
 
 left could 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 not be regained, for the 
 
 mere hopes of meeting with a better, 
 the failure of which might perhaps 
 have left us without resource. We 
 therefore continued standing on to- 
 wards the land, in order to give the 
 natives an opportunity of releasing 
 their friends on board from their con- 
 finement ; and at noon, being within 
 a mile of the shore, a few canoes 
 came off to us, but so crowded with 
 people that there was not room in 
 them for any of our guests. "We 
 therefore hoisted out the pinnace to 
 cany them on shore ; and the master 
 who went with them, had directions 
 to examine the south coasts of the 
 bay for water, but returned without 
 finding any. 
 
 The winds being variable, and a 
 current setting strong to the north- 
 ward, we made but little progress in 
 our return; and at 8 o'clock in the 
 evening of the 9th it began to blow 
 very hard from the SE. , which ob- 
 liged us to close reef the tcp-sails; 
 and at two in the morning of the 
 10th, in a heavy squall, we found 
 mrselves close in with the breakers 
 that lie to the northward of the west 
 point of Owhyhee. We had just room 
 to haul off and avoid them, and fired 
 several guns to apprise the Discovery 
 of the danger. In the forenoon, the 
 weather was more moderate, and a 
 few canoes came off to us, from which 
 we learned that the late storms had 
 done much mischief, and that several 
 lnrge canoes had been lost. During 
 the remainder of the day we kept 
 beating to windward, and before 
 night we were within a mile of the 
 bay; but not choosing to run on 
 while it was dark, we stood off and 
 on till daylight next morning, when 
 we dropped anchor nearly in the same 
 place as before. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 W'f. were employed the whole of the 
 11 tli and part of the 12th in getting 
 out tlic fore-mast and sending it with 
 the carpenters on shore. Besides the 
 
 IYoy.III.B.V.Cii.III. 
 
 damage which the head of the mast 
 had sustained, we found the heel ex- 
 ceedingly rotten, having a large hole 
 up the middle of it capable of holding 
 four or five cocoa-nuts. It was not 
 however, thought necessary to shorten 
 it, and fortunately the logs of red 
 toa-wood which had been cut at 
 Eimeo for anchor-stocks were found 
 fit to replace the sprang part of the 
 fishes. As these repairs were likely 
 to take up several days, Mr Bayly 
 and myself got the astronomical ap- 
 paratus on shore, and pitched our 
 tents on the "morai;" having with 
 us a guard of a corporal and sis 
 marines. We renewed our friendly 
 correspondence with the priests, who, 
 for the greater security of the work- 
 men and their tools, tabooed the place 
 where the mast lay, sticking their 
 wands round it as before. The sail- 
 makers were also sent on shore to re- 
 pair the damages which had taken 
 place in their department during the 
 late gales. They were lodged in a 
 house adjoining to the "morai," that 
 was lent us by the priests. Such 
 were our arrangements on shore. I 
 shall now proceed to the account of 
 those other transactions with the 
 natives which led by degrees to the 
 fatal catastrophe of the 14th. 
 
 Upou coming to anchor we were 
 surprised to find cur reception very 
 different from what it had been on our 
 first arrival ; no shouts, no bustle, no 
 confusion, but a solitary bay, with 
 only here and there a canoe stealing 
 close along the shore. The impulse of 
 curiosity, which had before operated 
 to so great a degree, might now in- 
 deed be supposed to have ceased ; but 
 the hospitable treatment we had in- 
 variably met with, and the friendly 
 footing on which we parted, gave us 
 some reason to expect that they would 
 again have flocked about us with 
 great joy on our return. We were 
 forming various conjectures upon the 
 occasion of this extraordinary appear- 
 ance, when our anxiety was at length 
 relieved by the return of a boat which 
 had been sent on shore, and brought 
 us word that Terrceoboo was absent 
 and had left the bav under the taboo. 
 
Feb. 1779.] 
 
 Though this account appeared very 
 satisfactory to most of us, yet others 
 were of opinion, or rather perhaps 
 have been led by subsequent events 
 to imagine, that there was something 
 at this time, very suspicious in the 
 behaviour of the natives; and that 
 the interdiction of all intercourse with 
 on pretence of the King's absence, 
 
 SUSriClOUS CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES. 1 
 
 steer their course amidst so much un- 
 certainty, where u trifling error may 
 be attended with even the most fatal 
 consequences. However true or false 
 our conjectures may be, things went 
 on in their usual quiet course till the 
 afternoon of the 13th. 
 
 Towards the evening of that day, 
 the officer who commanded the water- 
 ing party of the Discovery, came to 
 inform me that several chiefs had as 
 sembled at the well near the beach, 
 driving away the natives whom he 
 had hired to assist the sailors in roll 
 ing down the casks to the shore. He 
 told me, at the same time, that he 
 thought their behaviour extremely 
 suspicious, and that they meant to 
 give him some further disturbance. 
 At his request therefore, I sent a 
 marine along with him, but suffered 
 him to take only his side arms. In 
 a short time the officer returned, and 
 on his acquainting me that the 
 islanders had. armed themselves with 
 stones, and were growing very tumul- 
 tuous, I went myself to the spot, 
 attended by a marine with his mus- 
 ket. Seeing us approach, they threw 
 away their stones, and on my speak- 
 ing to some of the chiefs, the mob 
 were driven away, and those who 
 chose it were suffered to assist in fill- 
 ing the casks. Having left things 
 quiet here, I went to meet Captain 
 Cook, whom I saw coming on shore 
 in the pinnace. I related to him 
 what had just passed ; and he ordered 
 me, in case of their beginning to throw 
 stones or behave insolently, immedi- 
 ately to fire a ball at the offenders. 
 I accordingly gave orders to the cor- 
 poral to have the pieces of the sen- 
 tinels loaded with ball instead of 
 small shot. Soon after our return to 
 the tents, we were alarmed by a con- 
 tinued fire of muskets from the Dis- 
 covery, which we observed to be 
 directed at a canoe that we saw pad- 
 dling towards the shore in great 
 haste, pursued by one of our small 
 boats. We immediately concluded 
 that the firing was in consequence of 
 some theft, and Captain Cook ordered 
 me to follow him with a marine armed, 
 have to I aud to endeavour to seize the people 
 
 us- 
 was only to give him time to consult 
 with his chiefs in what manner it 
 might be proper to treat us. Whether 
 these suspicions were well founded, 
 or the account given by the natives 
 was the truth, we were never able to 
 ascertain. For though it is not im- 
 probable that our sudden return, for 
 which they could see no apparent 
 cause, and the necessity of which we 
 afterward found it very difficult to 
 make them comprehend, might occa- 
 sion some alarm ; yet the unsuspicious 
 conduct of Terreeoboo, who on his 
 supposed arrival the next morning 
 came immediately to visit Captain 
 Cook, and the consequent return of 
 the natives to their former friendly 
 intercourse with us, are strong proofs 
 that they neither meant nor appre- 
 hended any change of conduct. 
 
 In support of this opinion I may 
 add tho account of another accident, 
 precis-sly of the same kind, which 
 happened to us on our first visit, the 
 day before the arrival of the King. 
 A native had sold a hog on board the 
 Resolution, and taken the price agreed 
 on, when Pareea, passing by, advised 
 the man not to part with the hog 
 without an advanced price. For this 
 he was sharply spoken to and pushed 
 away ; and the taboo being soon after 
 laid on the bay, we had at first no 
 doubt but that it was in consequence 
 of the offence given to the chief. 
 Both these accidents serve to show 
 how very difficult it -is to draw any 
 certain conclusion from the actions of 
 
 Eeople with whose customs as well as 
 inguage we are so imperfectly ac- 
 quainted ; at the same time, some 
 idea may be formed from them of the 
 difficulties, at the first view, perhaps, 
 not very apparent, which those have 
 to encounter who, in all their trans- 
 actions with tliQ»e 
 
 strangers 
 
332 COOK'S VOYAGES, 
 
 as they came on shore. Accordingly 
 we ran towards the place where we 
 supposed the canoe would land, but 
 were too late, the people having quit- 
 ted it and made their escape into the 
 country before our arrival. We were 
 at this time ignorant that the goods 
 had been already restored; and as we 
 thought it probable, from the circum- 
 stances we had at first observed, that 
 they might be of importance, were 
 unwilling to relinquish our hopes of 
 recovering them. Having therefore 
 inquired of the natives which way the 
 people had fled, we followed them till 
 it was near dark, when, judging our- 
 selves to be about three miles from the 
 tents, and suspecting that the natives 
 who frequently encouraged us in the 
 pursuit were amusing us with false 
 information, we thought it in vain to 
 continue our search any longer, and 
 returned to the beach. 
 
 During our absence, a difference of 
 a more serious and unpleasant nature 
 had happened. The officer who had 
 been sent in the small boat, and was 
 returning on board with the goods 
 which had been restored, observing 
 Captain Cook and me engaged in the 
 pursuit of the offenders, thought it 
 his duty to seize the canoe, which 
 was left drawn up on the shore. Un- 
 fortunately this canoe belonged to 
 Pareea, who, arriving at the same 
 moment from on board the Discovery, 
 claimed his property with many pro- 
 testations of his innocence. The 
 officer refusing to give it up, and 
 being joined by the crew of the pin- 
 nace, which was waiting for Captain 
 Cook, a scuffle ensued, in which Pa- 
 reea was knocked down by a violent 
 blow on the head with an oar. The 
 natives who were collected about the 
 spot, and had hitherto been peaceable 
 spectators, immediately attacked our 
 people with such a shower of stones, 
 us forced them to retreat with great 
 precipitation, and swim off to a rock 
 at some distance from the shore. The 
 pinnace was immediately ransacked 
 by the islanders ; and but for the 
 timely interposition of Pareea, who 
 seemed to have recovered from the 
 blow, and forgotten it at the sume 
 
 [Voy.III.B.V.Cn.in. 
 
 instant, would soon have been entirely 
 demolished. Having driven away 
 the crowd, he made signs to our 
 people that they might come and take 
 possession of the pinnace, and that 
 he would endeavour to get back the 
 things which had been taken out of 
 it. After their departure, he followed 
 them in his canoe with a midship- 
 man's cap, and some other trifling 
 articles of the plunder, and, with 
 much apparent concern at what had 
 happened, asked if the " Orono " 
 would kill him, and whether he 
 would permit him to come on board 
 the next day ? On being assured that 
 he should be well received, he joined 
 noses (as their custom is) with' the 
 officers in token of friendship, and pad- 
 dled over to the village of Kowrowa. 
 
 When Captain Cook was informed 
 of what had passed, he expressed 
 much uneasiness at it, and as we 
 were returning on board — "I am 
 afraid," said he, "that these people, 
 will oblige me to use some violent 
 measures; fcr," he added, "they 
 must not be left to imagine that they 
 have gained an advantage over us." 
 However, as it was too late to take 
 any steps this evening, he contented 
 himself with giving orders that every 
 man and woman on board should be 
 immediately turned out of the ship. 
 As soon as this order was executed, I 
 returned on shore ; and our former 
 confidence in the natives being now 
 much abated by the events of the day, 
 I posted a double guard on the 
 "morai," with orders to call me if 
 they saw any men lurking about the 
 beach. At about 11 o'clock five 
 islanders were observed creeping round 
 the bottom of the "morai;" they 
 seemed very cautious in approaching 
 us, and at last, finding themselves 
 discovered, retired outof sight. About 
 
 midnight, one of them venturing up 
 
 close to the observatory, the sentinel 
 fired ov<:r him, on which the man lied 
 and we passed the remainder of the 
 night without further disturbance. 
 
 Next morning, at daylight, I went 
 on board the Resolution for the time- 
 keeper, and in my way was hailed by 
 the Discovery, and informed Vbftt 
 
1HE CUTTER OF THE DISCOVERY STOLEN". 
 Lad been stolen during cutter's being stolen, and 
 
 Feb. 1779.] 
 
 their cutter 
 the night from the buoy where it was 
 moored. When I arrived on board I 
 found the marines arming, and Cap- 
 tain Cook loading his double-barrelled 
 gun. Whilst I was relating to him 
 what had happened to us in the night, 
 he interrupted me with some eager- 
 ness, and acquainted me with the 
 loss of the Discovery's cutter, and 
 with the preparations he was making 
 for its recovery. It had been his 
 usual practice, whenever anything 
 of consequence was lost at any of the 
 islands in this ocean, to get the king 
 or some of the principal " Erees," on 
 board, and to keep them as hostages 
 till it was restored. This method, 
 which had been always attended with 
 success, he meant to pursue on the 
 present occasion ; and, at the same 
 time, had given orders to stop all the 
 canoes that should attempt to leave 
 the bay, with an intention of seizing 
 and destroying them if he could not 
 recover the cutter by peaceable means. 
 Accordingly, the boats of both ships, 
 well manned and armed, were sta- 
 tioned across the bay ; and before I 
 left the ship some great guns had 
 been fired at two large canoes that 
 were attempting to make their escape. 
 It was between 7 and 8 o'clock 
 when we quitted the ship together ; 
 Captain Cook in the pinnace, having 
 Mr Phillips and nine marines with 
 him, and myself in the small boat. 
 The last orders I received from him 
 were to quiet the minds of the natives 
 on our side of the bay, by assuring them 
 they should not be hurt ; to keep my 
 people together ; and to be ot my 
 guard. We then parted; the Cap- 
 tain went toward Kowrowa, where 
 the King resided, and I proceeded to 
 the beach. My first care on going 
 ashore was to give strict orders to the 
 marines to remain within their tent, 
 to load their pieces with ball, and not 
 to quit their arms. Afterward I took 
 a walk to the huts of old Kaoo and 
 the priests, and explained to them 
 as well as I could the object of the 
 hostile preparations, which had ex- 
 ceedingly alarmed them. I found 
 that they had already heard of the 
 
 <J9Q 
 
 I assured 
 them, that though Captain Cook was 
 resolved to recover it, and to punish 
 the authors of the theft, yet that they 
 and the people of the village on our 
 side need not be under the smallest 
 apprehension of suffering any evil 
 from us. I desired the priests to ex- 
 plain this to the people, and to tell 
 them not to be alarmed, but to con- 
 tinue peaceable and quiet. Kaoo 
 asked mo with great earnestness if 
 Terreeoboo was to be hurt. I assured 
 him he was not ; and both he and 
 the rest of his brethren seemed much 
 satisfied with this assurance. 
 
 In the meantime, Captain Cook 
 having called off the launch, which 
 was stationed at the north point of the 
 bay, and taken it along with him, 
 proceeded to Kowrowa, and landed 
 with the lieutenant and nine mar- 
 ines. He immediately marched into 
 the village, where he was received 
 with the usual marks of respect, the 
 people prostrating themselves before 
 him, and bringing their accustomed 
 offerings of small hogs. Finding 
 that there was no suspicion of his 
 design, his next step was to inquire 
 for Terreeoboo, and the two boys, his 
 sons, who had been his constantguests 
 on board the Resolution. In a short 
 time the boys returned along with the 
 natives who had been sent in search 
 of them, and immediately led Captain 
 Cook to the house where the King 
 had slept. They found the old man 
 just awoke from sleep ; and after a 
 short conversation about the loss of 
 the cr.tter, from which Captain Cook 
 was convinced that he was in nowise 
 privy to it, he invited him to return 
 in the boat and spend the day on 
 board the Resolution. To this pro- 
 posal the King readily consented, and 
 immediately got up to accompany 
 him. 
 
 Things were in this prosperous 
 train, the two boys being already in 
 the pinnace, and the rest af the party 
 having advanced near the water-side, 
 when an elderly woman called Kanee- 
 kabareea, the mother of the boys, and 
 one of the King's favourite wives, 
 came after him, and with many tears 
 
334 COOK'S 
 
 and entreaties, besought him not to 
 go on board. At the same time, two 
 chiefs, who came along with her, laid 
 hold of him, and insisting that be 
 should go no farther, forced him to 
 sit down. The natives, who were 
 collecting in prodigious numbers 
 along the shore, and had probably- 
 been alarmed by the firing of the 
 great guns, and the appearances of 
 hostility in the bay, began to throng 
 round Capain Cook and their King. 
 In this situation the lieutenant of 
 marines, observing that his men were 
 huddled close together in the crowd, 
 and thus incapable of using their 
 arms if any occasion should require it, 
 proposed to the Captain to draw them 
 up along the rocks close to the water's 
 edge ; and the crowd readily making 
 way for them to pass, they were drawn 
 up in a line at the distance of about 
 thirty yards from the place where the 
 King was sitting. All this time, the 
 old King remained on the ground, 
 with the strongest marks of terror 
 and dejection in his countenance : 
 Captain Cook, not willing to abandon 
 the object for which he had come on 
 shore, continuing to urge him in the 
 most pressing manner to proceed ; 
 whilst, on the other band, whenever 
 the King appeared inclined to follow 
 him, the chiefs, who stood round him 
 interposed, at first with prayers and 
 entreaties, but afterwards, having 
 recourse to force and violence, insisted 
 on his staying where he was. Captain 
 Cook, therefore, finding that the 
 alarm had spread too generally, and 
 that it was in vain to think any 
 longer of getting him off without 
 bloodshed, at last gave up the point, 
 observing to Mr Phillips that it 
 would be impossible to compel him 
 to go on board without the risk of 
 killing a great number of the inhabit- 
 ants. 
 
 Though tbe enterprise which had 
 carried Captain Cook on shore had 
 now failed and was abandoned, yet his 
 person did not appear to have been in 
 the least danger till an accident hap- 
 pened which gave a fatal turn to the 
 affair. The boats which had been 
 Tintioned across the bay having fired 
 
 VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B.V.Ch.IIL 
 
 at some canoes that were attempting 
 to get out, unfortunately had killed a 
 chief of the first rank. The news of 
 his death arrived at the village where 
 Captain Cook was, just as he had left 
 the King, and was walking slowly 
 toward the shore. The ferment it 
 occasioned was very conspicuous, the 
 women and children were immediately 
 sent off, and the men put on their 
 war-mats and armed themselves with 
 spears and stones. One of the natives, 
 having in his hands a stone and a long 
 iron spike (which they call a "pa- 
 hooa "), came up to the Captain, 
 flourishing his weapon by way of de- 
 fiance, and threatening to throw the 
 stone. The Captain desired him to 
 desist ; but the man persisting in hia 
 insolence, he was at length provoked 
 to fire a load of small shot. The man 
 having his mat on, which the shot 
 was not able to penetrate, this had no 
 other effect than to irritate and en- 
 courage them. Several stones were 
 thrown at the marines ; and one of 
 the "Erees" attempted to stab Mr 
 Phillips with his " pahooa," but failed 
 in the attempt, and received from him 
 a blow with the butt end of his mus- 
 ket. Captain Cook now fired his 
 second barrel, loaded with ball, and 
 killed one of the foremost of the na- 
 tives. A general attack with stones 
 immediately followed, which was an- 
 swered by a discharge of musketry 
 from the marines and the people in 
 the boats. The islanders, contrary 
 to the expectations of every one, stood 
 the fire with great firmness ; and be- 
 fore the marines had time to reload 
 they broke in upon them with dreadful 
 shouts and yells. What followed was 
 a scene of the utmost horror and con- 
 fusion. Four of the marines were cut 
 off amongst the rocks in their retreat, 
 and fell a sacrifice to the fury of the 
 enemy ; three more were dangerously 
 wounded ; and the lieutenant, who had 
 received a stab between the shoulders 
 with a "pahooa," having fortunately 
 reserved his fire, shot the man who 
 had wounded him just as he was going 
 to repeat his blow. Our unfortunate 
 commander, the last time he was seen 
 distinctly, was standing at the water's 
 
Beb. 1779.] 
 
 DEATH OF CAPTAIN COOK. 
 
 335 
 
 edge and calling out to the boats to 
 cease firing and to pull in. If it be 
 true, as some of those who were pre- 
 sent have imagined, that the marines 
 and boatmen had fired without his 
 orders, and that he was desirous of 
 preventing any further bloodshed, it 
 is not improbable that his humanity 
 on this occasion proved fatal to him. 
 For it was remarked that whilst he 
 faced the natives none of them had 
 offered him any violence, but that hav- 
 ing turned about to give his orders to 
 the boats, he was stabbed in the back, 
 and fell with his face into the water. 
 On seeing him fall, the islanders set 
 up a great shout, and his body was 
 immediately dragged on shore and sur- 
 rounded by the enemy, who, snatching 
 the dagger out of each other's hands, 
 showed a savage eagerness to have a 
 share in his destruction. 
 
 Thus fell our great and excellent 
 commander ! After a life of so much 
 distinguished and successful enter- 
 prise, his death, as far as regards 
 himself, cannot be reckoned prema- 
 ture, since he lived to finish the great 
 work for which he seems to have been 
 designed, and was rather removed from 
 the enjoyment than cut off from the 
 acquisition of glory. How sincerely 
 his loss was felt and lamented by those 
 who had so long found their general 
 security in his skill and conduct, and 
 every consolation under their hard- 
 ships in his tenderness and humanity, 
 it is neither necessary nor possible for 
 me to describe ; much less shall I 
 attempt to paint the horror with which 
 we were struck, and the universal de- 
 jection and dismay which followed so 
 dreadful and unexpected a calamity. 1 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 It has been already related that four 
 
 1 Captain King occupies the rest of 
 the Chapter with a sketch of his great 
 chief's career and an eulogium on his 
 abilities, achievements, and character, 
 that is stamped with the eloquence of 
 heartfelt affection and esteem. 
 
 of the marines who attended Captain 
 Cook were killed by the islanders on 
 the spot. The rest, with Mr Phillips, 
 their lieutenant, threw themselves into 
 the water, and escaped under cover of 
 a smart fire from the boats. On this 
 occasion a remarkable instance of gal- 
 lant behaviour and of affection for his 
 men was shown by that officer ; for 
 he had scarcely got into the boat, 
 when seeing one of the marines, who 
 was a bad swimmer, straggling in the 
 water, and in danger of being taken 
 by the enemy, ho immediately jumped 
 into the sea to his assistance, though 
 much wounded himself ; and after 
 receiving a blow on the head from a 
 stone, which had nearly sent him to 
 the bottom, he caught the man by 
 the hair and brought him safe off. 
 Our people continued for some time to 
 keep up a constant fire from the boats 
 (which during the whole transaction 
 were not more than twenty yards from 
 the land), in order to afford their un- 
 fortunate companions, if any of them 
 should still remain alive, an oppor- 
 tunity of escaping. These efforts, 
 seconded by a few guns that were 
 fired at the same time from the Resolu- 
 tion, having forced the natives at last 
 to retire, a small boat manned by five 
 of our young midshipmen pulled to- 
 wards the shore, where they saw the 
 bodies, without any signs of life, lying 
 on the ground ; but judging it dan- 
 gerous to attempt to bring them oiF 
 with so small a force, and their am- 
 munition being nearly expended, they 
 returned to the ships, leaving them 
 in possession of the islanders, together 
 with ten stands of arms. 
 
 As soon as the general consternation 
 which the news of this calamity occa- 
 sioned throughout both crews had a 
 little subsided, their attention was 
 called to our party at the "morai," 
 where the mast and sails were on shore 
 with a guard of only six marines. It 
 is impossible for me to describe the 
 emotions of my own mind during the 
 time these transactions had been car- 
 rying on at the other side of the bay. 
 Being at the distance only of a short 
 mile from the village of Kowrowa, wo 
 could see distinctly an immense crowd 
 
336 
 
 collected on the spot where Captain 
 Cook had just before landed. We 
 heard the firing of the musketry, and 
 could perceive some extraordinary 
 bustle and agitation in the multitude. 
 We afterward saw the natives flying, 
 the boats retire from the shore, and 
 passing and repassing in great stillness 
 between the ships. I must confess that 
 my heart soon misgave me. Where 
 a life so dear and valuable was con- 
 cerned, it was impossible not to be 
 alarmed by appearances both new and 
 threatening. But besides this, 1 knew 
 that a long and uninterrupted course 
 of success in his transactions with the 
 natives of these seas had given the 
 Captain a degree of confidence that I 
 was always fearful might, at some un- 
 lucky moment, put him too much off 
 his guard ; and I now saw all the dan- 
 gers to which that confidence might 
 lead, without receiving much conso- 
 lation from considering the experience 
 that bad given rise to it. My first 
 care, on hearing the muskets fired, 
 was to assure the people who were 
 assembled in considerable numbers 
 round the wall of our consecrated 
 field, and seemed equally at a loss 
 with ourselves how to account for 
 what they had seen and heard, that 
 ihey should not be molested ; and that 
 at all events I was desirous of con- 
 tinuing on peaceable terms with them. 
 We remained in this posture till the 
 noats had returned on board, when 
 Captain Clerke observing through his 
 telescope that we were surrounded by 
 the natives, and apprehending they 
 meant to attack us, ordered two_ four- 
 pounders to be fired at them: 'For- 
 tunately these guns, though well 
 aimed, did no mischief, and yet gave 
 the natives a convincing proof of their 
 power. One of the balls broke & cocoa- 
 nut tree in the middle under which a 
 party of them were sitting ; and the 
 other shivered a rock that stood in an 
 exact line with them. As I had just 
 before given them the strongest assur- 
 ances of their safety, I was exceedingly 
 mortified at tbis act of hostility ; and, 
 to prevent a repetition of it, imme- 
 diately despatched a boat to acquaint 
 Captain Clerke that at present I was 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy.III.B. V.Ch.IY. 
 
 on the most friendly terms with the 
 natives ; and that, if occasion should 
 hereafter arise for altering my conduct 
 toward them, I would hoist a jack f.,s 
 a signal for him to afford us all the 
 assistance in his power. 
 
 We expected the return of the boat 
 with the utmost impatience ; and after 
 remaining a quarter of an hour under 
 the most torturing anxiety and sus- 
 pense, our fears were at length con- 
 finned by the arrival of Mr Bligh, 
 with orders to strike the tents as 
 quickly as possible and to send the 
 sails that were repairing on board. 
 Just at the same moment our friend 
 Kaircekeea, having also received in- 
 telligence of the death of Captain 
 Cook from a native who had arrived 
 from the other side of the bay, came 
 to me with great sorrow and dejection 
 in his countenance, to inquire if it 
 was true. Our situation was at this 
 time extremely critical and import- 
 ant ; not only our own lives, but the 
 event of the expedition and the return 
 of at least one of the ships being in- 
 volved in the same common danger. 
 We had the mast of the Kesolution, 
 and the greatest part of our sails, on 
 shore, under the protection of only 
 six marines; their loss would havo 
 been irreparable; and though tho 
 natives had not as yet shown the 
 smallest disposition to molest us, yet 
 it was impossible to answer for the 
 alteration which the news of the trans- 
 action at Kowrowa might produce. 
 I therefore thought it prudent to dis- 
 semble my belief of the death of Cap- 
 tain Cook, and to desire Kaireekees. 
 to discourage the report lest either 
 the fear of our resentment, or the 
 successful example of their country- 
 men, might lead them to seize tho 
 favourable opportunity which at thic 
 time offered itself of giving us a 
 second blow. At the same time, I 
 advised him to bring old Ivaoo and tho 
 rest of the priests into a large house, 
 that was close to the " morai," partly 
 out of regard to their safety in case it 
 should have been found necessary to 
 proceed to extremities, and partly to 
 have him near us in order to make 
 use of his authority with the people 
 
Feb. 1779.] WAP.L1KE ATTITUDE 
 
 if it co?il(l - be instrumental in preserv- 
 ing peace. 
 
 Having placed the marines on the 
 top of the "morai," which formed a 
 strong and advantageous post, and 
 left the command with Mr Bligh, 
 giving him the most positive direc- 
 tions to act entirely on the defensive, 
 I went on board the Discovery in 
 order to represent to Captain Clerke 
 the dangerous situation of our affairs. 
 As soon as I quitted the spot the 
 natives began to annoy our people 
 with stones, and I had scarcely reached 
 the ship before I heard the firing of 
 the marines. I therefore returned 
 instantly on shore, where I found 
 tilings growing every moment more 
 alarming. The natives were arming 
 and putting on their mats, and their 
 numbers increased very fast. 1 could 
 also perceive several large bodies 
 marching towards us along the cliff 
 which separates the village of Kakooa 
 from the north side of the bay, where 
 the village of Kowrowa is situated. 
 They began at first to attack us with 
 stones from behind the walls of their 
 enclosures, and finding no resistance on 
 our part, they soon grew more daring. 
 A few resolute fellows, having crept 
 along the beach under cover of the 
 rocks, suddenly made their appearance 
 at the foot of the "morai," with a 
 design, as it seemed, of storming it 
 on the side next the sea, which was 
 its only accessible part ; and were not 
 dislodged till after they had stood a 
 considerable number of shot and seen 
 one of their party fall. The bravery of 
 one of these assailants well deserves 
 to be particularly mentioned. For 
 having returned to carry off his com- 
 panion amidst the fire of our whole 
 party, a wound which he received 
 made him quit the body and retire ; 
 but in a few minutes he again ap- 
 peared, and being again wounded, 
 he was obliged a second time to re- 
 treat. At this moment I arrived at 
 the "morai," and saw him return 
 the third time, bleeding and faint ; 
 and being informed of what had 
 happened, I forbade the soldiers to 
 fire, and he was suffered to carry off 
 his friend, which he was just able 
 
 OF THE NATIVES. 
 
 337 
 
 to perform, and then fell down him- 
 self and expired. 
 
 About this time, a strong reinforce- 
 ment from both ships having landed, 
 thenatives retreated behind their walls, 
 which giving me access to our friendly 
 priests, I sent one of them to endea- 
 vour to bring their countrymen to 
 some terms, and to propose to them 
 that if they would desist from throw- 
 ing stones I would not permit our 
 men to fire. This truce was agreed 
 to, and we were suffered to launch the 
 mast and carry off the sails and our 
 astronomical apparatus unmolested. 
 As soon as we had quitted the "morai," 
 they took possession of it, and some 
 of them threw a few stones, but with- 
 out doing us any mischief. It was 
 half-an-hour past 11 o'clock when I got 
 on board the Discovery, where I found 
 no decisive plan had been adopted for 
 our future proceedings. The restitu- 
 tion of the boat, and the recovery of 
 the body of Captain Cook, were the 
 objects which on all hands wo agreed 
 to insist on ; and it was my opinion 
 that some vigorous steps should bo 
 taken in case the demand of them was 
 not immediately complied with. 
 
 Though my feelings on the death 
 of a beloved and honoured friend may 
 be suspected to have had some share 
 in this opinion, yet there were cer- 
 tainly other reasons, and those of 
 the most serious kind, that had con- 
 siderable weight with me. The con- 
 fidence which their success in killing 
 our chief and forcing us to quit the 
 shore must naturally have inspired, 
 and the advantage, however trifling, 
 which they had obtained over us the 
 preceding day, would, I had no doubt, 
 encourage them to m^Ve gome furtter 
 dangerous attempts; and the mora 
 especially as they had little reason, 
 from what they had hitherto seen, to 
 dread the effects of our fire-arms. In- 
 deed, contrary to the expectations of 
 every one, this sort of weapon had 
 produced no signs of terror in them. 
 On our side, such was the condition 
 of the ships, and the state of discipline 
 amongst us, that had a vigorous 
 attack been made on us in the night 
 it would have been impossible to 
 
 Y 
 
338 
 
 answer for the consequences. In these 
 apprehensions I was supported by the 
 opinion of most of the officers on 
 hoard, and nothing seemed to me 
 so likely to encourage the natives to 
 make the attempt as the appearance 
 of our being inclined to an accommo- 
 dation which they could only attri- 
 bute to weakness or fear. 
 
 In favour of more conciliatory mea- 
 sures, it was justly urged that the 
 mischief was done, and irreparable ; 
 that the natives had a strong claim to 
 our regard on account of their former 
 fnendship aud kindness, and the 
 more especially as the late melancholy 
 accident did not appear to have 
 arisen from any premeditated design ; 
 that, on the part of Terreeoboo, his 
 ignorance of the theft, his readiness 
 to accompany Captain Cook on board, 
 and his having actually sent his two 
 sons into the boat, must free him 
 from the smallest degree of suspicion ; 
 that the conduct of his women and 
 the " Erees " might easily be ac- 
 counted for, from the apprehensions 
 occasioned by the armed force with 
 which Captain Cook came on shore, 
 and the hostile preparations in the 
 bay, appearances so different from the 
 terms of friendship and confidence in 
 which both parties had hitherto lived, 
 that the arming of the natives was 
 evidently with a design to resist the 
 attempt, which they had some reason 
 to imagine would be made, to carry off 
 their King by force, and was naturally 
 to be expected from a people full of af- 
 fection and attachment to their chiefs. 
 To these motives of humanity others 
 of a prudential nature were added; 
 that we were in want of water and 
 other refreshments ; that our fore-mast 
 would require six or eight days' work 
 before it could be stepped ; that the 
 spring was advancing apace, and that 
 the speedy prosecution of our next 
 northern expedition ought now to be 
 our sole object; that therefore to en- 
 gage in a vindictive contest with the 
 inhabitants might not only lay us 
 under the imputation of unnecessary 
 cruelty, but would occasion an un- 
 avoidable delay in the equipment of 
 the ships. In this latts "opinion Cap- 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. V. Ch. IV. 
 
 tain Gierke concurred, and though I 
 was convinced that an early display of 
 vigorous resentment would more effec- 
 tually have answered every object 
 both of prudence and humanity, I 
 was not sorry that the measures I 
 had recommended were rejected. For 
 though the contemptuous behaviour 
 of the natives, and their subsequen t 
 opposition to our necessary operations 
 on shore, arising I have no doubt 
 from misconstruction of our lenity, 
 compelled us at last to have recourse 
 to violence in our own defence ; yet I 
 am not so sure that the circumstances 
 of the case would, in the opinion of 
 the world, have justified the use of 
 force on our part in the first instance. 
 Cautionary rigour is at all times in- 
 vidious, and has this additional ob- 
 jection to it, that the severity of a 
 preventive course, when it best suc- 
 ceeds, leaves its expediency the least 
 apparent. 
 
 During the time we were thus en- 
 gaged in concerting some plan for our 
 future conduct, a prodigious concourse 
 of natives still kept possession of the 
 shore ; and some of them came off in 
 canoes, and had the boldness to ap- 
 proach within pistol-shot of the ships 
 and to insult us by various marks of 
 contempt and defiance. It was with 
 great difficulty we could restrain the 
 sailors from the use of their arms on 
 these occasions; but as pacific mea- 
 sures had been resolved on, the canoes 
 were suffered to return unmolested. 
 In pursuance of this plan, it was de- 
 termined that I should proceed to- 
 wards the shore with the boats of both 
 ships, well manned and armed, with 
 a view to bring the natives to a 
 parley, and if possible to obtain a 
 conference with some of the chiefs. 
 If this attempt succeeded, I was to 
 demand the dead bodies, and particu- 
 larly that of Captain Cook ; to threaten 
 them with our vengeance in case of a 
 refusal ; but by no means to fire un- 
 less attacked, and not to land on any 
 account whatever. These orders were 
 delivered to me before the whole party 
 and in the most positive manner. 
 
 I left the ships about 4 o'clock in 
 ti»n afternoon, and as we approached 
 
Feb. 1779.] PERFIDY OF KOAH AND THE CHIEFS. 
 
 the shore I perceived every indication 
 of a hostile reception. The whole 
 crowd of natives was in motion, the 
 women and children retiring, the men 
 
 3S9 
 
 putting on their war-mats and arm- 
 ing themselves with long spears and 
 daggers. We also observed that since 
 the morning they had thrown up stone 
 breastworks along the beach where 
 Captain Cook had landed, probably 
 in expectation of an attack at that 
 place ; and as soon as we were within 
 reach they began to throw stones at 
 us with slings, but without doing 
 any mischief. Concluding, therefore, 
 that all attempts to bring them to a 
 parley would be in vain unless I first 
 gave them some ground for mutual 
 confidence, I ordered the armed boats 
 to stop and went on in the small 
 boat alone, with a white flag in my 
 hand, which, by a general cry of joy 
 from the natives, I had the satisfac- 
 tion to find was instantly understood. 
 The women immediately returned from 
 the side of the hill whither they had 
 retired ; the men threw off their mats ; 
 jind all sat down together by the 
 water-side, extending their arms and 
 inviting me to come on shore. 
 
 Though this behaviour was very 
 expressive of a friendly disposition, 
 yet I could not help entertaining 
 some suspicions of its sincerity. But 
 when I saw Koah, with a boldness 
 and assurance altogether unaccount- 
 able, swimming off towards the boat 
 with a white flag in his hand, I 
 thought it necessaiy to return this 
 mark of confidence, and therefore re- 
 ceived him into the boat, though 
 armed, a circumstance which did not 
 tend to lessen my suspicions. I must 
 confess I had long harboured an un- 
 favourable opinion of this man. The 
 priests had always told us that he 
 was of a malicious disposition, and no 
 friend of ours ; and the repeated detec- 
 tions of his fraud and treachery had 
 convinced us of the truth of their re- 
 presentations. Add to all this, the 
 shocking transaction of the morning, 
 in which he was seen acting a princi- 
 pal part, made me feel the utmost 
 horror at finding myself so near him ; 
 and as he came up to me with feigned 
 
 tears and embraced me, I was so dis- 
 trustful of his intentions that I could 
 not help taking hold of the point of 
 the "pahooah " which he held in his 
 hand and turning it from me. I told 
 him that I had come to demand the 
 body of Captain Cook, and to declare 
 war against them unless it was in- 
 stantly restored. He assured me 
 this should be done as soon as pos- 
 sible, and that he would go himself 
 for that purpose ; and, after begging 
 of me a piece of iron with much atr 
 surance, as if nothing extraordinary 
 had happened, he leaped into the .sea 
 and swam ashore, calling out to his 
 countrymen that we were all friends 
 again. 
 
 We waited near an hour with great 
 anxiety for his return, during which 
 time the rest of the boats had ap- 
 proached so near the shore as to enter 
 into conversation with a party of the 
 natives at some distance from us, by 
 whom they were plainly given to 
 understand that the body had been 
 cut to pieces and carried up the 
 country ; but of this circumstance I 
 was not informed till our return to 
 the ships. I began now to express 
 some impatience at Koah's delay, 
 upon which the chiefs pressed me 
 exceedingly to come on shore, assur- 
 ing me that if I would go myself to 
 Terreeoboo the body would certainly 
 be restored to me. When they found 
 they could not prevail on me to land, 
 they attempted, under a pretence of 
 wishing to converse with more ease, 
 to decoy our boat among some rocks 
 where they would have had it in their 
 power to cut us off from the rest. It 
 was no difficult matter to see through 
 these artifices, and I was therefore 
 strongly inclined to break off all 
 further communication with them, 
 when a chief came to us who was the 
 particular friend of Captain Gierke 
 and of the officers of the Discovery, 
 on board which ship he had sailed 
 when we last left the bay, intending 
 to take his passage to Mowee. He 
 told us he came from Terreeoboo to 
 acquaint us, that the body was car- 
 ried up the country, but that it should 
 be brought to us the next morning, 
 
240 COOK'S V 
 
 There appeared a great deal of sin- 
 cerity in his manner, and heing asked 
 if he told a falsehood, he hooked his 
 two fore-fingers together, which is 
 understood amongst these islanders 
 as the sign of truth, in the use of 
 which they are very scrupulous. 
 
 As I was now at a loss in what 
 manner to proceed, I sent Mr Van- 
 couver to acquaint Captain Clerke 
 with all that had passed; that my 
 opinion was, they meant not to keep 
 their word with us, and were so far 
 from heing sorry at what had hap- 
 pened, that on the contrary they were 
 full of spirits and confidence on ac- 
 count of their late success, and sought 
 only to gain time till they could con- 
 trive some scheme for getting us into 
 their power. Mr Vancouver came 
 back with orders for me to return on 
 board ; having first given the natives 
 to understand that if the body was 
 not brought the next morning the 
 town should be destroyed. When 
 they saw that we were going off they 
 endeavoured to provoke us by the 
 most insulting and contemptuous ges- 
 tures. Some of our people said they 
 could distinguish several of the na- 
 tives parading about in the clothes of 
 our unfortunate comrades ; and among 
 them a chief brandishing Captain 
 Cook's hanger, and a woman holding 
 the scabbard. Indeed, there can be 
 no doubt but that our .behaviour had 
 given them a mean opinion of our cour- 
 age ; for they could have but little no- 
 tion of the motives of humanity that 
 directed it. 
 
 In consequence of the report I made 
 to Captain Clerke of what I conceived 
 to be the present temper and disposi- 
 tion of the islanders, the most effect- 
 ual measures were taken to guard 
 against any attack they might make 
 in the night. The boats were moored 
 with top-chains ; additional sentinels 
 were posted on both ships ; andguaid 
 boats were stationed to row round 
 them, in order to prevent the natives 
 from cutting the cables. During the 
 night we observed a prodigious num- 
 ber of lights on the hills, which made 
 some of us imagine they were remov- 
 ing their effect back into the country 
 
 OYAGES. [Vot.III.B.V.ChJV. 
 
 in consequence of our threats. Bui 
 I rather believed them to have been 
 the sacrifices that were performing on 
 account of the war in which they 
 imagined themselves about to be en- 
 gaged ; and most probably the bodies 
 of our slain countrymen were at that 
 time burning. We afterward saw 
 fires of the same kind as we passed 
 the Island of Morotoi, and which, we 
 were told by some natives then on 
 board, were made on account of the 
 war they had declared against a neigh- 
 bouring island. And this agrees with 
 what we learned amongst the Friendly 
 and Society Isles, that previous to 
 any expedition against an enemy, the 
 chiefs always endeavoured to animate 
 and inflame the courage of the people 
 by feasts and rejoicings in the night. 
 We remained the whole night un- 
 disturbed except by the bowlings and 
 lamentations which were heard on 
 shore ; and early the next morning, 
 Koah came alongside the Resolution 
 with a present of cloth and a small 
 pig, which he desired leave to present 
 to mo. 1 have mentioned before that 
 I was supposed by the natives to be the 
 son of Captain Cook ; and as he in his 
 lifetime had always suffered them to 
 believe it, I was probably considered a^ 
 the chief after his death. As soon as I 
 came on deck I questioned him about 
 the body ; and, on his returning me 
 nothing but evasive answers, I refused 
 to accept his presents, and was going 
 to dismiss him with some expressions 
 of anger and resentment, had not 
 Captain Clerke, judging it best at all 
 events to keep up the appearance of 
 friendship, thought it more proper 
 that he should be treated with the 
 usual respect. This treacherous fel- 
 low came frequently to us during the 
 course of the forenoon with some 
 trifling present or other , and as I 
 always observed him eyeing eveiy 
 part of the ship with great attention, 
 I took care he should see we were 
 well prepared for our defence. lie 
 was exceedingly urgent both with 
 Captain Clerke and myself to go on 
 shore, laying all the blame of the 
 detention of the bodies on the other 
 chief's, and assuring a* that every- 
 
Feb. 1773.J 
 
 thing might 
 faction by a 
 Terreeoboo. 
 
 RECOVERY OF PART OF COOK'S BODY. 
 
 341 
 
 be settled to our satis- 
 personal interview with 
 However, his conduct 
 was too suspicious to make it prudent 
 to comply with this request ; and, 
 indeed, a fact came afterward to our 
 knowledge which proved the entire 
 falsehood of his pretensions. For we 
 were told that immediately after the 
 action in which Captain Cook was 
 killed, the old King had retired to a 
 cave in the steep part of the moun- 
 tain that hangs over the bay, which 
 was accessible only by the help of 
 ropes, and where he remained for 
 many days, having his victuals let 
 down to him by cords. 
 
 "When Koah returned from the 
 ships, we could perceive that his 
 countrymen, who had been collected 
 by break of day in vast crowds on the 
 shore, thronged about him with great 
 eagerness, as if to learn the intelli- 
 gence he had acquired, and what was to 
 be done in consequence of it. It is very 
 probable that they expected we should 
 attempt to put our thieats in execu- 
 tion ; and they seemed fully resolved 
 to stand their ground. During the 
 whole morning we heard conches 
 blowing in different parts of the 
 coast ; large parties were seen march- 
 ing over the hills ; and, in short, ap- 
 pearances were so alarming that we 
 carried out a stream anchor, to enable 
 us to haul the ship abreast of the 
 town in case of an attack, and sta- 
 tioned boats off the north point of the 
 bay to prevent a surprise from that 
 quarter. The breach of their engage- 
 ment to restore the bodies of the 
 slain, and the warlike posture in 
 which they at this time appeared, 
 occasioned fresh debates amongst us 
 concerning the measures next to be 
 pursued. It was at last determined 
 that nothing should be suffered to 
 interfere with the repair of the mast, 
 and the preparations for our depart- 
 ure ; but that we should nevertheless 
 continue our negotiations for the re- 
 covery of the bodies. The greatest part 
 of the day was taken up in getting 
 the fore-mast into a proper situation 
 on deck for the carpenters to work 
 upon it, and in making the necessary 
 
 alterations in the commissions of the 
 officers. The command of the expe- 
 dition having devolved upon Captain 
 Clerke, he removed on board the Re- 
 solution, appointed Lieutenant Gore 
 to be captain of the Discovery, ard 
 promoted Mr Harvey, a midshipman 
 who had been with Captain Cook in 
 his two last voyages, to the vacant 
 lieutenancy. During the whole day 
 we met with no interruption from the 
 natives ; and at night the launch was 
 again moored with a top-chain, and 
 guard boats stationed round both 
 ships as before. 
 
 About 8 o'clock, it being very dark, 
 a canoe was heard paddling toward 
 the ship, and as soon as it was seen 
 both the sentinels on deck fired into 
 it. There were two persons in the 
 canoe, and they immediately roared 
 out "Tinnee" (which was the way 
 in which they pronounced my name), 
 and said they were friends, and had 
 something for me belonging to Cap- 
 tain Cook. YvTien they came on board, 
 they threw themselves at our feet, 
 and appeared exceedingly frightened. 
 Luckily neither of them was hurt, 
 notwithstanding the balls of both 
 pieces had gone through the canoe. 
 One of them was the person whom I 
 have before mentioned under the name 
 of the taboo man, who constantly 
 attended Captain Cook, with the cir- 
 cumstances of ceremony I have already 
 described, and who, though a man of 
 rank in the island, could scarcely be 
 hindered from performing the lowest 
 offices of a menial servant. After 
 lamenting with abundance of tears 
 the loss of the "Orono," he told us 
 that he had brought us a part of his 
 body. He then presented to us a 
 small bundle wrapped up in cloth, 
 which he brought under his arm ; and 
 it is impossible to describe the horror 
 which seized us on finding in it a 
 piece of human flesh about nine or 
 ten pounds weight. This, he said, 
 was all that remained of the body ; 
 that the rest was cut to pieces and 
 burnt, but that the head and all the 
 bones, except what belonged to the 
 trunk, were in the possession of Ter- 
 reeoboo and the other " Frees;" that 
 
342 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Vjy. III. B. V. Ch. IV. 
 
 >/ 
 
 
 what wc saw had been allotted to 
 Kaoo, the chief of the priests, to be 
 made use of in some religious cere- 
 mony ; and that he had sent it as a 
 proof of his innocence and attachment 
 to us. 
 
 This afforded an opportunity of in- 
 forming ourselves whether they were 
 cannibals, and we did not neglect it. 
 We first tried by many indirect 
 questions, put to each of them apart, 
 to learn in what manner the rest of 
 the bodies had been disposed of ; and 
 finding them very constant in one 
 story, that after the flesh had been 
 cut off it was all burnt, we at last put 
 the direct question, whether they had 
 not eat some of it. They immedi- 
 ately showed as much horror at the 
 idea as any European would have 
 done ; and asked very naturally if 
 that was the custom amongst us. 
 They afterward asked us with great 
 earnestness and apparent apprehen- 
 sion, "When the 'Orono' would 
 come again ? and what he would do to 
 them on his return?" The same in- 
 quiry was frequently made afterward 
 by others ; and this idea agrees with 
 the general tenor of their conduct to- 
 ward him, which showed that they 
 considered him as a being of a supe- 
 rior nature. We pressed our two 
 friendly visitors to remain on board 
 till morning, but in vain. They told 
 us that if this transaction should 
 come to the knowledge of the King 
 or chiefs, it might be attended with 
 the most fatal consequences to their 
 whole society, in order to prevent 
 which they had been obliged to come 
 off to us in the dark ; and that the 
 same precaution would be necessary 
 in returning on shore. They informed 
 us further, that the chiefs were eager 
 to revenge the death of their country- 
 men ; and particularly cautioned us 
 against trusting Koah, who, they 
 said, was our mortal and implacable 
 enemy, and desired nothing more 
 ardently than an opportunity of fight- 
 ing us, to which the blowing of the 
 conches we had heard in the morning 
 was meant as a challenge. We 
 learned from these men that sevon- 
 is«'.'i of their countrymen were killed I 
 
 in the first actic'Ji at Kowrowa, of whom 
 five were chiefs ; and that Kaneena 
 and his brother, our very particular 
 friends, were unfortunately of that 
 number. Eight, they said, were killed 
 at the observatory, three of whom 
 were also of the first rank. About 
 11 o'clock our two friends left us, 
 and took the precaution to desire that 
 our guard boat might attend them till 
 they had passed the Discovery, lest 
 they should again be fired upon, 
 which might alarm their countrymen 
 on shore, and expose them to the 
 danger of being discovered. This 
 request was complied with, and we 
 had the satisfaction to find that 
 they got safe and undiscovered to 
 land. 
 
 During the remainder of this night 
 we heard the same loud howling and 
 lamentations as in the preceding one. 
 Early in the morning we received an- 
 other visit from Koah. I must confess 
 I was a little piqued to find that, not- 
 withstanding the most evident marks 
 of treachery in his conduct, and the 
 positive testimony of our friends the 
 priests, he should still be permitted 
 to carry on the same farce, and to 
 make us at least appear to bo the 
 dupes of his hypocrisy. Indeed, oui 
 situation was become extremely awk- 
 ward and unpromising ; none of the 
 purposes for which this pacific course 
 of proceeding had been adopted having 
 hitherto been in the least forwarded 
 by it. No satisfactory answer what- 
 ever had been given to our demands ; 
 we did not seem to be at all ad- 
 vanced toward a reconciliation with 
 the islanders ; they still kept in force 
 on the shore, as if determined to resist 
 any attempts we might make to land ; 
 and yet the attempt was become ab» 
 solutely necessary, as the completing 
 our supply of water would not admit 
 of any longer delay. 
 
 However, it must be observed, in 
 justice to the conduct of Captain 
 Clerke, that it was very probable, 
 from the great numbers of tho natives 
 and from the resolution with which 
 they seemed to expect us, an attack 
 could not have been made without 
 some danger ; and that the*%>ss of a 
 
STRANGE BEHAVIOUR OF TWO BOYS. 343 
 
 Fes. 1779.] 
 
 very few men might have been severely 
 felt by us during the remaining course 
 of our voyage. Whereas the delaying 
 the execution of our threats, though 
 on the one hand it lessened their 
 opinion of our prowess, had the effect 
 of causing them to disperse on the 
 other. For this day, about noon, 
 finding us persist in our inactivity, 
 great bodies of them, after blowing 
 their conches and using every mode of 
 defiance, marched off over the hills, 
 and never appeared afterward. Those, 
 however, who remained were not the 
 less daring and insolent. One man 
 had the audacity to come within mus- 
 ket shot, ahead of the ship ; and after 
 slinging several stones at us, he waved 
 Captain Cook's hat over his head, 
 whilst his countrymen on shore were 
 exulting and encouraging his bold- 
 ness. Our people were all in a flame 
 at this insult, and coming in a body 
 on the quarter-deck, begged theymight 
 no longer be obliged to put up with 
 these repeated provocations, and re- 
 quested me to obtain permission for 
 them from Captain Clerke to avail 
 themselves of the first fair occasion 
 of revenging the death of their com- 
 mander. On my acquainting him with 
 what was passing, he gave orders for 
 some great guns to be fired at the 
 natives on shore, and promised the 
 crew that if they should meet with 
 any molestation at the watering-place 
 the next day they should then be left 
 at liberty to chastise them. 
 
 It is somewhat remarkable that be- 
 ibre we could bring our guns to bear 
 the islanders had suspected our inten- 
 tions, from the stir they saw in the 
 ship, and had retired behind their 
 houses and walls. We were therefore 
 obliged to fire, in some measure, at 
 random ; notwithstanding which our 
 shot produced all the effects that could 
 have been desired. For soon after we 
 saw Koah paddling toward us with 
 extreme haste, and on his arrival we 
 learned that some people had been 
 killed, and amongst the rest Maiha- 
 maiha, a principal chief and a near 
 relation of the King. 1 Soon after the 
 
 1 The word ' ' matee " is commonly 
 
 arrival of Koah, two boys swam off 
 from the "morai" toward the ships, 
 having each a long spear in his hand ; 
 and after they had approached pretty 
 near they began to chant a song in a 
 very solemn manner, the subject of 
 which, from their often mentioning 
 the word "Orono" and pointing to 
 the village where Captain Cook was 
 killed, we concluded to be the late 
 calamitous disaster. Having sung in 
 a plaintive strain for about twelve or 
 fifteen minutes, during the whole of 
 which time they remained in the 
 water, they went on board the Dis- 
 covery and delivered their spears ; and 
 after making a short stay returned on 
 shore. Who sent them, or what was 
 the object of this ceremony, we were 
 never able to learn. 
 
 At night, the usual precautions were 
 taken for the security of the ships ; 
 and as soon as it was dark our two 
 friends who had visited us the night 
 before came off again. They assured 
 us that though the effects of our great 
 guns this afternoon, had terrified the 
 chiefs exceedingly, they had by no 
 means laid aside their hostile inten- 
 tions, and advised us to be on our 
 guard. The next morning the boats 
 of both ships were sent ashore for 
 water ; and the Discovery was warpea 
 close to the beach in order to cover 
 that service. We soon found that 
 the intelligence which the priests had 
 sent us was not without foundation ; 
 and that the natives were resolved to 
 take every opportunity of annoying us 
 when it could be done without much 
 risk. Throughout all this group of 
 islands, the villages for the most part 
 are situated near the sea, and the ad- 
 jacent ground is enclosed with stone 
 walls about three feet high. These 
 we at first imagined were intended for 
 the division of property ; but we now 
 discovered that they served, and pro- 
 used, in the language of these islands, 
 to express either killing or wounding ; 
 and we were afterward told that this 
 chief had only received a slight blow 
 on the face from a stone which hal 
 been struck by one of the balls. — 
 Note in Original Edition. 
 
344 COOK'S VOYAGES 
 
 bably were principally designed, for a 
 defence against invasion. ■ They con- 
 sist of loose stones, and the inhabitants 
 are very dexterous in shifting them 
 with great cpiickness to such situations 
 as the direction of the attack may re- 
 quire. In the sides of the mountain 
 which hangs over the bay they have 
 also little holes or caves of consider- 
 able depth, the entrance of which is 
 secured by a fence of the same kind. 
 From behind both these defences the 
 natives kept perpetually harassing our 
 waterers with stones ; nor could the 
 small force we had on shore, with the 
 advantage of muskets, compel them 
 to retreat. 
 
 In this exposed situation our people 
 were so taken up in attending to their 
 own safety, that they employed the 
 whole forenoon in filling only one ton of 
 water. As it was therefore impossible 
 to perform this service till their assail- 
 ants were driven to a greater distance, 
 the Discovery was ordered to dislodge 
 them with her great guns ; which 
 being effected by a few discharges, 
 the men landed without molestation. 
 However, the natives soon after made 
 their appearance again in their usual 
 mode of attack ; and it was now found 
 absolutely necessary to burn down 
 some straggling houses near the wall 
 behind which they had taken shelter. 
 In executing these orders I am sorry 
 to add that our people were hurried 
 into acts of unnecessary cruelty and 
 devastation. Something ought cer- 
 tainly to be allowed to their resentment 
 of the repeated insults and contempt- 
 uous behaviour of the islanders, and 
 to the natural desire of revenging the 
 loss of their commander. But at 
 the same time their conduct served 
 strongly to convince me that the 
 utmost precaution is necessary in 
 trusting, though but for a moment, 
 the discretionary use of arms in the 
 hands of private seamen or soldiers on 
 bucIi occasions. The rigour of disci- 
 pline and the habits of obedience by 
 which their force is kept directed to 
 its proper objects lead them naturally 
 enough to conceive that whatever they 
 have the power they have also the 
 ruvbt to do. Actual disobedience bein? 
 
 rVoY.III.B.V.Cn.IV. 
 
 almost the only crime for which they 
 are accustomed to expect punishment, 
 they learn to consider it as the only 
 measure of right and wrong ; and hence 
 are apt to conclude that what they can 
 do with impunity they may do with 
 justice and honour. So that the feel- 
 ings of humanity which are insepar- 
 able from us all, and that generosity 
 toward an unresisting enemy which 
 at other times is the distinguishing 
 mark of brave men, become but weak 
 restraints to the exercise of violence 
 when opposed to the desire they natur- 
 ally have of showing their own inde- 
 pendence and power. 
 
 I have already mentioned that 
 orders had been given to burn only 
 a few straggling huts which afforded 
 shelter to the natives. "We were 
 therefore a good deal surprised to see 
 the whole village on fire ; and before 
 a boat that was sent to stop the pro- 
 gress of the mischief could reach the 
 shore, the houses of our old and con- 
 stant friends the priests were all in 
 flames. I cannot enough lament the 
 illness that confined me on board this 
 da}'. The priests had always been 
 under n.y protection ; and unluckily 
 the ofheers who were then on duty, 
 having been seldom on shore at the 
 "movai," were not much acquainted 
 with the circumstances of the place. 
 Had I been present myself, I might 
 probably have been the means of sav- 
 ing their little society from destruc- 
 tion. Several of the natives were 
 shot in making their escape from the 
 flames ; and our people cut off the 
 heads of two of them and brought 
 them on board. The fate of one poor 
 islander was much lamented by us all. 
 As he was coming to the well for water 
 he was shot at by one of the marines. 
 The ball struck his calibash, which 
 he immediately threw from him and 
 fled. He was pursued into one of the 
 caves I have before described, and no 
 lion could have defended his den with 
 greater courage and fierceness ; till at 
 last, after having kept two of our 
 people at bay for a considerable time, 
 lie expired, covered with wounds. It 
 was this accident that first brought 
 us acquainted with the use of these 
 
RETURN OF KAIREEKE 
 
 Fiib. 1770.] 
 
 caverns. At this time, an elderly 
 man was taken prisoner, bound, and 
 sent on board in the same boat with 
 the heads of his two countrymen. I 
 never saw horror so strongly pictured 
 as in the face of this man, nor so 
 violent a transition to extravagant joy 
 as when he was untied and told, he 
 might go away in safety. He showed 
 us he did not want gratitude, as he 
 frequently afterward returned with 
 presents of provisions, and also did us 
 other services. 
 
 Soon after the village was destroyed 
 we saw coming down the hill a man 
 attended by fifteen or twenty boys 
 holding pieces of white cloth, green 
 boughs, plantains, &c, in their hands. 
 I knew not how it happened that this 
 peaceful embassy, as soon as they 
 were within reach, received the fire 
 of a party of our men. This, how- 
 ever, did not stop them. They con- 
 tinued their procession, and the officer 
 on duty came up in time to prevent a 
 second discharge. As they approached 
 nearer, it was found to be our much- 
 esteemed friend Kaireekeea, who had 
 fled on our first setting fire to the 
 village, and had now returned and 
 desired to be sent on board the Re- 
 solution. When he arrived, Ave found 
 him exceedingly grave and thought- 
 ful We endeavoured to make him 
 understand the necessity we were 
 under of setting fire to the village, by 
 which his house and those of his 
 brethren were unintentionally con- 
 sum ed. He expostulated a little with 
 us on our want of friendship and on 
 our ingratitude. And indeed it was 
 not till now that we learned the whole 
 extent of the injury we had done them. 
 He told us that, relying on the pro- 
 mises I had made them, and on the 
 assurances they had afterward receiv- 
 ed from the men who had brought 
 us the remains of Captain Cook, they 
 had not removed their effects back 
 into the country with the rest of the 
 inhabitants, but had put everything 
 that was valuable of their own, as 
 well as what they had collected from 
 us, into a house close to the " morai," 
 where they had the mortification to 
 <w*e it all set on firo by ourselves. On 
 
 A. 345 
 
 coming on board he had seen the 
 heads of his countrymen lying on the 
 deck, at which he was exceedingly 
 shocked, and desired with great ear- 
 nestness that they might be thrown 
 overboard. This request Captain 
 Clerke instantly ordered to be com- 
 plied with. 
 
 In the evening the watering party 
 returned on board, having met with 
 no further interruption. We passed 
 a gloomy night, the cries and lament- 
 ations we heard on shore being far 
 more dreadful than ever. Our only 
 consolation was the hope that we 
 should have no occasion in future for 
 a repetition of such severities. It is 
 very extraordinary that amidst all 
 these disturbances the women of the 
 island who were on board never offered 
 to leave us, nor discovered the smallest 
 apprehensions either for themselves 
 or their friends ashore. So entirely 
 unconcerned did they appear, that 
 some of them who were on deck when 
 the town was in flames seemed to 
 admire the sight, and frequently cried 
 cut that it was "maitai, " or very 
 fiiie. 
 
 The next morning Koah came off aa 
 usual to the ships. As there existed 
 no longer any necessity for keeping 
 terms with him, I was allowed to 
 have my own way. When he ap- 
 proached towards the side of the ship, 
 singing his song, and offering me a 
 hog and some plantains, I ordered 
 him to keep off, cautioning him never 
 to appear again without Captain 
 Cook's bones, lest his life should pay 
 the forfeit of his frequent breach of 
 promise. He did not appear much 
 mortified with this reception, but 
 went immediately onahore and joined 
 a party of his countrymen who were 
 pelting the waterers with stones. The 
 body of the young man who had been 
 killed the day before was found this 
 morning lying at the entrance of the 
 cave, and some of our people went and 
 threw a mat over it. Soon after which 
 they saw some men carrying him off 
 on their shoulders, and could hear 
 them singing, as they marched, a 
 mournful song. 
 
 The natives being at last convinced 
 
346 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. B. V. Cm. IV. 
 
 that it was not the want of ability to 
 punish them which had hitherto made 
 us tolerate their provocations, desisted 
 from giving us any further molesta- 
 tion ; and in the evening a chief called 
 Eappo, who had seldom visited us, 
 but whom we knew to be a man of 
 the very first consequence, came with 
 presents from Terreeoboo to sue for 
 peace. These presents were received, 
 and he was dismissed with the same 
 answer which had before been given, 
 that until the remains of Captain 
 Cook should be restored no peace would 
 be granted. We learned from this 
 person that the flesh of all the bodies 
 of our people, together with the bones 
 of the trunks, had been burned; that 
 1/ the limb bones of the marines had 
 been divided amongst the inferior 
 chiefs ; and that those of Captain Cook 
 had been disposed of in the following 
 manner : the head, to a great chief 
 called Kahoo-opeon ; the hair, to Maia- 
 maia ; and the legs, thighs, and arms, 
 to Terreeoboo. After it was dark, 
 many of the inhabitants came off 
 with roots and other vegetables, and 
 we also received two large presents of 
 the same articles from Kaireekeea. 
 
 The 19th was chiefly taken up in 
 sending and receiving the messages 
 which passed between Captain Clerke 
 and Terreeoboo. Eappo was very 
 pressing that one of our officers should 
 go on shore, and in the meantime 
 offered to remain as a hostage on 
 board. This request, however, it was 
 not thought proper to comply with ; 
 and he left us with a promise of 
 bringing the bones the next day. At 
 the beach the waterers did not meet 
 with the least opposition from the 
 natives, who, notwithstanding our 
 cautious behaviour, came amongst us 
 again without the smallest appearance 
 of diffidence or apprehension. Early 
 in tho morning of the 20th we had 
 the satisfaction of getting the fore- 
 mast stepped. It was an operation 
 attended with great difficulty and 
 some danger, our ropes being so ex- 
 ceedingly rotten that the purchase 
 gave way several times. 
 
 Between 10 and 11 o'clock wo saw 
 .» great number of people descending 
 
 the hill which is over the beach in a 
 kind of procession, each man carrying 
 a sugar-cane or two on his shoulders, 
 and bread-fruit, "taro," and plan- 
 tains in his hand. They were pre- 
 ceded by two drummers, who, when 
 they came to the water-side, sat down 
 by a white flag, and began to beat 
 their drums, while those who had fol- 
 lowed them advanced one by one; 
 and, having deposited the presents 
 they had brought, retired in the same 
 order. Soon after, Eappo came in 
 sight in his long feathered cloak, 
 bearing something with great solem- 
 nity in his hands ; and having placed 
 himself on a rock, he made signs for 
 a boat to be sent him. Captain Clerke 
 conjecturing that he had brought the 
 bones of Captain Cook, which proved 
 to be the fact, went himself in the 
 pinnace to receive him, and ordered 
 me to attend him in the cutter. "When 
 we arrived at the beach, Eappo came 
 into the pinnace and delivered to the 
 Captain the bones, wrapped up in a 
 large quantity of fine new cloth, and 
 covered with a spotted cloak of black 
 and white feathers. He afterward 
 attended us to the Resolution, but 
 could not be prevailed upon to go on 
 board ; probably not choosing, from 
 a sense of decency, to be present at 
 the opening of the bundle. We found / 
 in it both the hands of Captain Cook % 
 entire, which were well known from 
 a remarkable scar on one of them that 
 divided the thumb from the forefinger 
 the whole length of the metacarpal 
 bone ; the skull, but with the scalp 
 separated from it, and the bones that 
 form the face wanting ; the scalp, 
 with the hair upon it cut short, and 
 the ears adhering to it ; the bones of 
 both arms, with the skin of the fore- 
 arms hanging to them ; the thigh and 
 leg bones joined together, but with- 
 out the feet. The ligaments of the 
 joints were entire, and the whole bore 
 evident marks of having been in the 
 fire, except the hands, which had the 
 flesh left upon them, and were cut in 
 several places and crammed with salt, 
 apparently with an intention of pre- 
 serving them. The scalp had a cut 
 in the back part of it, but the skull 
 
Feb. 1779.] iaJOK'S REMAINS COMMITTED TO THE DEEP. 34; 
 
 was free from any fracture. The lower 
 jaw and feet, which were wanting, 
 Eappo told us had been seized by dif- 
 ferent chiefs, and that Terreeoboo was 
 using every means to recover them. 
 
 The next morning Eappo and the 
 King's son came on board, and 
 brought with them the remaining 
 *■" bones of Captain Cock, the barrels of 
 his gun, his shoes, and some other 
 trifles that belonged to him. Eappo 
 took great pains to convince us that 
 Terreeoboo, Maiha-maiha, and him- 
 self were most heartily desirous of 
 peace ; that they had given us the 
 most convincing proof of it in their 
 power ; and that they had been pre- 
 vented from giving it sooner by the 
 other chiefs, many of whom were still 
 our enemies. He lamented with the 
 greatest sorrow the death of six chiefs 
 we had killed, some of whom, he said, 
 were amongst our best friends. The 
 cutter, he told us, was taken away 
 by Pareea's people, very probably in 
 revenge for the blow that had been 
 given him, and it had been broken up 
 thenextday. The arms of themarines, 
 which we had also demanded, he as- 
 sured us had been carried off by the 
 common people, and were irrecover- 
 able ; the bones of the chief alone 
 having been preserved as belonging 
 to Terreeoboo and the " Erees." 
 Nothing now remained but to per- 
 form the last offices to our great and 
 unfortunate commander. Eappo was 
 dismissed with orders to taboo all the 
 bay ; and in the afternoon, the bones 
 having been put into a coffin and the 
 service read over them, they were 
 committed to the deep with the usual 
 military honours. What our feelings 
 were on this occasion, I leave the 
 world to conceive; those who were 
 present know that it is not in my 
 power to express them. 
 
 During the forenoon of the 22d not 
 a canoe was seen paddling in the bay, 
 the taboo which Eappo had laid on it 
 the day before at our request not being 
 yet taken off. At length Eappo came 
 off to us. We assured him that we 
 were now entirely satisfied, and that, 
 as the "Orono" was buried, all re- 
 membrance of what had passed was 
 
 buried with him. We afterward de ■ 
 sired him to take off the taboo, and 
 to make it known that the people 
 might bring their provisions as usual. 
 The ships were soon surrounded with 
 canoes, and many of the chiefs came 
 on board expressing great sorrow at 
 what happened and their satisfac- 
 tion at our reconciliation. Several of 
 our friends who did not visit us sent 
 presents of large hogs and other pro- 
 visions. Amongst the rest came the 
 old treacherous Koah, but was refused 
 admittance. 
 
 As we had now everything ready 
 for sea, Captain Clerke, imagining 
 that if the news of our proceedings 
 should reach the islands to leeward 
 before us it might have a bad effect, 
 gave orders to unmoor. About eight 
 in the evening we dismissed all the 
 natives, and Eappo and the friendly 
 Kaireekeea took an affectionate leave 
 of us. We immediately weighed and 
 stood out of the bay. The natives 
 were collected on the shore in great 
 numbers, and as we passed along, 
 received our last farewells with every 
 mark of affection and goodwill. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 [Nothing now remains but to give 
 an outline of the last twenty-one 
 months' voyage of the Resolution and 
 Discovery, until their arrival in Eng- 
 land in October 1780 ; and, as before, 
 the synopsis has been taken from the 
 Cabinet Cyclopaedia, ' ' Maritime and 
 Inland Discovery," vol. iii., pp. 86- 
 92.] 
 
 "After leaving Owhyhee, the ships 
 touched at the Island of Atooe, which 
 was found desolated by a war origi- 
 nating in the claims of different chiefs 
 to the goats which Captain Cook had 
 put on shore. These animals had in- 
 creased to six when the war broke 
 out on their account, in the course of 
 which they were all destroyed. The 
 history of the introduction of useful 
 animals into the South Sea Islands 
 affords many parallel instances of 
 human blindness, and of that tartar- 
 
348 COOK'S 
 
 ous degree of envy and rapacity which 
 destroys a treasure rather than leave 
 it in the possession of a rival. 
 
 "Captain Clerke proceeded now 
 to execute the intentions of his late 
 commander, by repeating the attempt 
 to find a passage through the Northern 
 Ocean. He touched at the harbour 
 of St Peter and St Paul in Awatska 
 Bay, where he was treated by the Rus- 
 sians with unbounded hospitality ; 
 and then passing Behring's Strait a 
 second time, penetrated as far as 70° 
 33' N., where the same obstacle which 
 had prevented the progress of the 
 ships the preceding year forbade him 
 to advance any farther. He met here 
 with a firm barrier of ice, seven 
 leagues farther to the south than that 
 which had stopped the progress of 
 Captain Cook. The impossibility of 
 a passage by the north was now 
 thought to be sufficiently proved, 
 and it was resolved to proceed home- 
 wards; the chief purpose of the ex- 
 pedition having been thus answered. 
 This resolution of the officers diffused 
 among the crews, who were now 
 heartily tired of the length of the 
 voyage, as lively a joy as if the ships, 
 instead of having nearly the whole 
 earth to compass, were already ar- 
 rived in the British Channel. When 
 the ships had just reached Kamts- 
 chatka, Captain Clerke died of a de- 
 cline; he had already circumnavi- 
 gated the globe three times, having 
 sailed first with Commodore Byron, 
 and afterwards with Captain Cook. 
 Captain Gore now succeeded to the 
 command of the expedition, and Lieu- 
 tenant King took the command of the 
 Discovery. Their voyage to China 
 was not productive of any important 
 geographical results. In navigating 
 these stormy seas they found it ne- 
 cessary to keep at a distance from 
 land, and were thus baffled by con- 
 stant tempestuous weather in their 
 attempt to survey the coasts of Japan. 
 
 " On the 3d of December our navi- 
 gators arrived at Macao, where they 
 first became acquainted with the 
 events which had taken place in 
 Europe since their departure, and of 
 the war which had broken out l*- 
 
 VOYAGES. [Toy. III. conclusion. 
 
 tween Great Britain and France. A 
 of the generous conduct of 
 
 rumour 
 
 the latter Government at the same 
 time reached them; an order had 
 been issued in March 1779, by the 
 Minister of the Marine at Paris, to 
 all the commanders of French ships, 
 acquainting them with the expedition 
 and destination of Captain Cook, and 
 instructing them to treat that cele- 
 brated navigator wherever they should 
 meet him, as a commander of a neutral 
 and allied power. This measure, so 
 honourable to the nation which adopt- 
 ed it, is said to have originated in the 
 enlightened mind of the celebrated 
 Turgot. Dr Franklin, who at that time 
 resided at Paris as Ambassador from 
 the United States, had a short time 
 before issued a requisition, in which 
 he earnestly recommended the com- 
 manders of American armed vessels 
 not to consider Captain Cook as an 
 enemy ; but he had no authority to 
 enforce his recommendation, and the 
 Government of the United States had 
 not the magnanimity to adopt it. 
 
 " While the ships lay in the River 
 of Canton, the sailors carried on a 
 brisk trade with the Chinese for the 
 sea-otter skins which they had brought 
 with them from the north-west coast 
 of America, and which were every day 
 rising in their value. ' One of our 
 seamen,' says Lieutenant King, 'sold 
 his stock alone for 800 dollars ; and 
 a few prime skins, which were clean 
 and had been well preserved, were 
 sold for 120 each. The whole amount 
 of the value, in specie and goods, that 
 was got for the furs in both ships, I 
 am confident, did not fall short of 
 £2000 sterling ; and it was generally 
 supposed that at least two-thirds of 
 the quantity we had originally got 
 from the Americans were spoiled and 
 worn out, or had been given away, or 
 otherwise disposed of in Kamtschatka. 
 When, in addition to these facts, it 
 is remembered that the furs were at 
 first collected without our having any 
 idea of their real value ; that the 
 greatest part had been worn by the 
 Indians from whom we purchased 
 them ; that they were afterwards pre- 
 served with little care, and frequently 
 
COOK'S MERITS AS A 
 
 1779.] 
 
 used for bedclothes and other pur- 
 poses ; and that probably we had not 
 got the full value for them in China ; 
 the advantages that might be derived 
 from a voyage to that part of the 
 American coast, undertaken with 
 commercial views, appeared to me of 
 a degree of importance sufficient to 
 call for the attention of the public. ' 
 These observations of Lieutenant King 
 point to that which eventually proved 
 to be the most important result of 
 this expedition. A great branch of 
 trade in the Pacific Ocean, which had 
 hitherto escaped the notice of the 
 nations most interested in its devel- 
 opment, and possessing establish- 
 ments most conveniently situated for 
 carrying it on, was suddenly dis- 
 covered, and soon after vigorously 
 prosecuted by a maritime people from 
 the opposite side of the globe. The 
 crews of both ships were astonished, 
 as well as overjoyed, at the price paid 
 them for their furs by the Chinese; 
 and their rage to return to Cook's 
 River, in order to procure a cargo of 
 skins, -proceeded at one time almost 
 to mutiny. A few, indeed, contrived 
 to desert, and were among the first 
 adventurers who crossed the Pacific 
 Ocean in the newly discovered fur 
 trade. The seamen thus unexpect- 
 edly enriched soon underwent a total 
 metamorphosis; they arrived at Macao 
 in rags, many of them having incon- 
 siderately sold their clothing in the 
 South Sea Islands; but, before they 
 left that harbour, they were decked 
 out in gaudy silks and other Chinese 
 finery. Nothing of importance oc- 
 curred during the remainder of their 
 voyage home; and on the 4th of 
 October, the ships arrived safe at the 
 Nore, after an absence of four years, 
 two months, and twenty-two days. 
 In the whole course of the voyage 
 the Resolution lost but five men by 
 sickness, of whom three were in a 
 precarious state of health when the 
 expedition left England ; the Dis- 
 covery did not lose a man 
 
 " In order to estimate the merits of 
 Captain Cook, it will be only neces- 
 vary to survey generally the extent 
 
 DISCOVERER. 349 
 
 and nature of his discoveries, and to 
 examine what influence they exerted 
 immediately on the commercial en- 
 terprise of nations. In the extent of 
 the coasts which he surveyed or dis- 
 covered, he far surpasses every other 
 navigator. The eastern coast of New 
 Holland, 2000 miles in extent, was 
 totally unknown till he traced it ; 
 escaping from the dangers of that in- 
 tricate navigation solely by his cool 
 intrepidity and the resources of his 
 skill. He also circumnavigated New 
 Zealand, the eastern and southern 
 parts of which were quite unknown, 
 and supposed by many to be united to 
 the Terra Australis Incognita. New 
 Caledonia and Norfolk Island were 
 both discovered by him ; and the New 
 Hebrides, from his labours, first as- 
 sumed a definite shape in our maps. 
 He rendered an essential service to 
 geography also by his circumnavigat- 
 ing the globe in a high southern lati- 
 tude ; for, though the exertions and 
 dangers of that difficult navigation 
 were not repaid by any brilliant dis- 
 coveries, it set at rest a question which 
 had for ages divided the opinions of 
 speculative geographers. Sandwich 
 Land, or Southern Thule, may be num- 
 bered among his discoveries, although 
 it is probably the land which Gerritz 
 had descried a century before. 
 
 " His discoveries on the north-west 
 coast of America were still more im- 
 portant and more extensive. In ono 
 voyage, he effected more than the 
 Spanish navigators had been able to 
 accomplish in the course of two cen- 
 turies. In sailing through Behring's 
 Strait, he determined the proximity 
 of Asia and America, which Behring 
 himself had failed to perceive ; and he 
 assigned the coast of 'the Tshuktzki to 
 its true place, which, in many maps 
 of his time, was placed some degrees 
 too far to the westward. 
 
 " It is needless to recapitulate here 
 the large additions which he made to 
 our knowledge of the groups of islands 
 scattered through the Pacific Ocean. 
 Some of the Society and Friendly 
 Islands were known before his time ; 
 but he carefully surveyed those archi- 
 pelagoes, and fixed the positions of tho 
 
f50 
 
 chief islands, such as Otaheite and 
 Tongataboo, with an accuracy equal 
 to that of a European observatory. 
 He prided himself especially on hav- 
 ing discovered the Sandwich Islands, 
 and there is no good reason to refuse 
 him that honour ; for even if it be 
 true that a Spanish navigator, named 
 Gali, discovered those islands in 1576, 
 and that he gave to Owhyhee the name 
 of Mesa or Table Mountain, which is 
 marked in old Spanish charts twenty- 
 two degrees to the west of the Sand- 
 wich Islands, but in the same latitude 
 with them ; yet no stress can be laid 
 on a discovery from which mankind 
 derived no knowledge. The Spaniards 
 seem soon to have totally forgotten the 
 Sandwich Islands, if they ever knew 
 them, notwithstanding the advan- 
 tages which they might have derived 
 from those islands in their frequent 
 voyages from New Spain to Manilla. 
 Anson and many other navigators 
 might have been spared infinite dis- 
 tress and suffering in their voyages 
 across the Pacific had anything cer- 
 tain been known of the existence and 
 situation of the Sandwich Islands. 
 
 ' ' But Cook's merit is not more 
 conspicuous in the extent of his dis- 
 coveries, than in the correctness with 
 which he laid down the position of every 
 coast of which he caught a glimpse. 
 His surveys afford the materials of 
 accurate geography. He adopted in 
 ratface every improvement suggested 
 y the progress of science ; and instead 
 of committing errors amounting to two 
 or three degrees of longitude, like most 
 of his predecessors, his determinations 
 were such as to be considered accurate 
 even at the present day. Nor was 
 this the merit of the astronomers who 
 accompanied him on his expeditions. 
 He was himself a skilful observer, 
 and at the same time so vigilant and 
 indefatigable, that no opportunity 
 ever escaped him of ascertaining his 
 true place. He possessed in an emi- 
 nent degree the sagacity peculiar to 
 seamen ; and in his conjectures re- 
 specting the configurations of coasts 
 he very rarely erred. La Perouse, 
 who was a highly accomplished sea- 
 man, always mentions the name of 
 
 COOK'S VOYAGES. [Voy. III. Conclusion. 
 Cook with the warmest admiration, 
 
 and frequently alludes to the re- 
 markable correctness of his surveys. 
 Crozet, also, who wrote the narrative 
 of Marion's voyage, speaking of Cook's 
 survey of the shores of New Zealand, 
 says — ' That its exactness and minute- 
 ness of detail astonished him beyond 
 expression ; ' but Cook's skill as a 
 marine surveyor may be still better 
 estimated from the chart which, at 
 the commencement of his career, he 
 constructed of the coasts of Newfound- 
 land ; and of that chart, Captain 
 Frederick Bullock, the able officer who 
 has recently 1 completed the survey of 
 Newfoundland, speaks in those terms 
 of warm commendation which a mau 
 of ability naturally bestows on what- 
 ever is excellent. 
 
 " From the second expedition of 
 Cook may be dated the art of preserv- 
 ing the health of the seamen in long 
 voyages. Before that time, navigators 
 who crossed the Pacific hurried preci- 
 pitately by the shortest course to the 
 Ladrones or the Philippine Islands ; 
 and yet they rarely reached home 
 without the loss of a large proportion 
 of their crew. Cook, on the other 
 hand, felt himself perfectly at home 
 on the ocean; he did not care to limit 
 his voyages either in space of time or 
 of distance ; he sailed through every 
 climate, crossing both the arctic and 
 antarctic circles ; and proved that a 
 voyage of four years' duration does 
 not necessarily affect the health of 
 seamen. This was a discovery of far 
 greater importance than that of a new 
 continent could have been. By his 
 banishing the terror that arose from 
 the frightful mortality that previously 
 attended on long voyages, he has 
 mainly contributed to the boldness 
 of navigation which distinguishes the 
 present day. 
 
 "Among the immediate effects of 
 Captain Cook's voyages, the most im- 
 portant was the establishment of a 
 colony at Botany Bay. That great 
 navigator seems to have contracted 
 a partiality towards the New Zea- 
 landers ; he admired their generosity, 
 
 This was published in 1831. 
 
1779.] 
 
 THE END. 
 
 351 
 
 their manly carnage, and their intelli- 
 gence. Their country appeared to him 
 fertile; abounding in commodities 
 which might become valuable in com- 
 merce ; and ho hints, thougli with 
 diffidence, at the possibility of a trade 
 being carried on between Europe and 
 New Zealand. His observations on 
 this subject had influence, no doubt, 
 on the minds of the English ministers, 
 ard they resolved on establishing a 
 colony at New Holland ; and the re- 
 sult has justified Cook's sanguine an- 
 ticipations. x The fur trade also, which 
 soon caused such a concourse of Euro- 
 pean shipping in the Pacific Ocean, 
 
 1 Infinitely more so, in this third 
 quarter of the lineteenth century. 
 
 originated with this third voyage ; but 
 his familiarity with the South Sea 
 Islanders, the trado which he estab- 
 lished with them, and the practice 
 which he commenced of purchasing 
 sea stores from them, have had, per- 
 haps, a still stronger influence on 
 navigation in the Pacific. 
 
 "Finally, to complete the eulogiura 
 on this great navigator, it will ba 
 sufficient to enumerate some of the dis- 
 tinguished seamen who served under 
 him, such as Vancouver, Broughton, 
 Bligh, Burney, Colnett, Portlock, 
 Dixon, &c. ; these men learned under 
 Cook the arduous duties of their pro- 
 fession, and they always spoke of 
 him with unqualified admiration an4 
 respect." 
 
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 8. The Kind Governess; or, 
 
 How to make Home Happy. 
 
 9. Percy and Ida. By Katha- 
 rine E. Mat. 
 
 10. Three Wet Sundays with the 
 
 Book of Joshua. By 
 Ellen Palmer, Author of 
 ' Christmas at the Beacon,' 
 etc. etc. 
 
 11. The Fishermen of Galilee ; 
 
 or, Sunday Talks with 
 Papa. By Ellen Palmer. 
 
 12. From Cottage to Castle; 
 
 or, Faithful in Little. A 
 Tale founded on Fact. By 
 M. H., Author of ' The Red 
 Velvet Bible,' etc. 
 
 13. The Story of a Moss Rose ; 
 
 or, Ruth and the Orphan 
 Family. By Chas. Bruce. 
 
 14. The Children's Hour : Talks 
 
 to Young People. By 
 Charles Bruce, Author 
 of 'Noble Mottoes,' 'The 
 Book of Noble English- 
 women,' etc. With a Pre- 
 face by Rev. E. Paxton 
 Hood. 
 
 works of the 
 REV. RICHARD NEWTON, D.D. 
 
 In small croton 8vo, cloth extra, in an entirely new and elegant 
 binding, price Is. 6d. each volume, Illustrated. 
 
 Bible Blessings. 
 
 The Best Things. 
 Bible Wonders. 
 Bible Jewels. 
 
 Rills from the Fountain of 
 Life. 
 
 6. Leaves from the Tree of Life. 
 
 7. Pebbles from the Brook. 
 
 8. The Giants, and How to Fight 
 
 Them; and Wonderful Things. 
 
 9. The Safe Compass, and How 
 it Points. 
 
 By the same Author. Price 2s. each. 
 The King's Highway ; or, Illustrations of the Commandments. 
 Nature's Wonders. 
 
10 
 
 Selections from 
 
 NIMMO'S 
 
 SUNDAY AND WEEK-DAY REWARD BOOKS. 
 
 Small crown 8vo, cloth extra, new bindings, Illustrated, price \s. 6c?. each. 
 
 1. The Sculptor of Bruges. By 
 
 Mrs. W. G. Hall. 
 
 2. Christmas at the Beacon : A 
 
 Tale for the Young. By 
 Ellen Palmer. 
 
 3. The Sea and the Savages : 
 
 A Story of Adventure. 
 By Harold Lincoln. 
 
 4. The Swedish Singer; or, 
 
 The Story of Vanda Kosen- 
 dahl. By Mrs. W. G. 
 Hall. 
 
 5. My Beautiful Home; or, 
 
 Lily's Search. By Chas. 
 Bruce. 
 
 6. Summer Holidays at Silver- 
 
 sea. By E. Rosalie 
 Salmon. 
 
 7. Fred Graham's Resolve. By 
 
 the Author of 'Mat and 
 Sofie,' etc. etc. 
 
 8. Wilton School ; or, Harry 
 
 Campbell's Revenge. A 
 Tale. ByF.E.WEATHERLY. 
 
 9. Grace Harvey and her 
 
 Cousins. 
 
 10. Blind Mercy; and other 
 Tales for the Young. By 
 Gertrude Orockford. 
 
 11. Evan Lindsay. By Margaret 
 
 Eraser Tytler, Author 
 of 'Tales of Good and Great 
 Kings,' etc. 
 
 12. Harvey Sinclair; or, ALesson 
 
 for Life. By the Author of 
 ' Fred Graham's Resolve,' 
 etc. 
 
 13. The Boys of Willoughby 
 
 School: A Tale. By 
 Robert Richardson, B. A. 
 
 14. Ruth Seyton ; or, The Cross 
 
 and the Crown. By Edith 
 Awsby. 
 
 15. The Choristers of Ravens- 
 
 wood. By Alice Jackson, 
 Author of ' Mattie's Mis- 
 take.' 
 
 16. A Goat-boy Baronet; or, 
 
 Cyril the Landless Laird. 
 By Jennie Chappell, 
 Author of 'Crossed with 
 Silver,' etc. 
 
 17. Bob's Heroine : A Story 
 
 containing a Small Hero 
 as well as a Heroine. By 
 Maude M. Butler, Author 
 of 'The Story of Little 
 Hal and the Golden Gate,' 
 etc. 
 
 NIMMO'S EIGHTEENPENHY BOYS' FAVOURITES. 
 
 New Editions, in small crmon 8vo, cloth extra, elegant and 
 characteristic binding. 
 
 1. THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 2. THE HISTORY OF SANDFORD AND MERTON. 
 
 3. THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD. Poems and Essays. By Oliver 
 
 Goldsmith. 
 
 4. THE FABLES OF JESOP AND OTHERS. Translated Into English ; 
 
 with Instructive Applications, by Samuel Croxall, D.D. 
 
 5. BUNYAN'S PILGRIM'S PROGRESS." 
 
W. P. Nimmo, Hay, & Mitchell's Catalogue. 11 
 
 NIMMO'S 
 
 ONE SHILLING ILLUSTRATED JUVENILE BOOKS. 
 
 Small crown 8vo, Coloured Frontispieces, handsomely bound in cloth, 
 Illuminated, price Is. each. 
 
 1. Four Little People and their Friends. 
 
 2. Elizabeth; or, The Exile3 of Siberia. A Tale from the French of 
 
 Madame Cottin. 
 
 3. Paul and Virginia. From the French of Bernardin Saint-Pierre. 
 
 4. Little Threads : Tangle Thread, Golden Thread, and Silver Thread. 
 6. Benjamin Franklin, the Printer Boy. 
 
 6. Barton Todd, and the Young Lawyer. 
 
 7. The Perils of Greatness : The Story of Alexander MenzlkofT. 
 
 8. Little Crowns, and How to Win Them. By Rev. Joseph A. Collier. 
 
 9. Great Riche3 : Nelly Rivers' Story. By Aunt Fanny. 
 
 10. The Right Way, and the Contrast. 
 
 11. The Daisy's First Winter. And other Stories. By H. Beecher Stowe. 
 
 12. The Old Farmhouse; or, Alice Morton's Home. And other Stories. 
 
 By M.M. Pollard. 
 
 13. Twyford Hall; or, Rosa's Christmas Dinner, and what she did with It. 
 
 By Charles Brcce. 
 
 14. The Discontented Weathercock. And other Stories for Children. By 
 
 M. Jones. 
 
 15. Out at Sea. And other Stories. By Two Authors. 
 
 16. The Story of Waterloo ; or, The Fall of Napoleon. 
 
 17. Sister Jane's Little Stories. Edited by Louisa Loughborough. 
 
 18. Uncle John's First Shipwreck; or, The Loss of the Brig 'Nellie.' By 
 
 Charles Bruce, Author of 'Ncble Mottoes,' etc. 
 
 19. The History of a Lifeboat. By Richard Rowe, Author of ' The Tower 
 
 on the Tor,' etc. 
 
 NEW SHILLING BOOKS BY POPULAR AUTHORS. 
 
 In attractive Bindings, each with Frontispiece. 
 
 -s. -\. -^. ^w ^- -^- -\. ^- "V -v -s. -s. -\. -. 
 
 1. The Vulture's Nest. And other Stories, By Ascott R. Hope. 
 
 2. 'Dumps.' And other Stories. By the same Author. 
 
 3. A Night in a Snowstorm. And other Stories. By Charles Bruce. 
 
 4. Dick's Dog. And other Stories of Country Boys. By Ascott R. Hope. 
 
 5. Crossed with Silver. By Jennie Chappell. 
 
 6. Three School Friends. A Tale for Girls. By Edith Awsby. 
 
 7. The Maltese Cross. And other Tales for Girls. By Jennie Chappell. 
 
 8. Fred Leicester ; or, The Southern Cross, and Charles's Wain. And 
 
 other Stories. By Richard Rowe. 
 
 9. Our Sailmaker'3 Yarn. By Mrs. George Cupple3. And other Stories 
 
 of the Sea, by Popular Authors. 
 
 10. Hero's Story. The Autobiography of a Newfoundland Dog. By 
 
 Harriett Bot/ltwood, Author of 'Acting on the Square,' etc. 
 
 11. Fairy Tales and True. By Alice F. Jackson. 
 
 12. Parables from Flowers By Gertrude P. Dyer. 
 
 13. Bertie Linton ; or, Lost in Japan. By Percy Ainslie. 
 
 14. All for Himself. A Story for Boys. By Harriett D. Boultwood. 
 
 15. Animal Adventures. By Ascott R. Hope. 
 
12 Selections from 
 
 NIMMO'S 
 
 NINEPENNY SERIES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS. 
 
 Square foolscap 8vo, with Illustrations, elegantly bound in cloth, 
 price 9d. each. 
 
 This Series of Books will be found unequalled for genuine interest and 
 value, and it is believed they will be eagerly welcomed by thoughtful 
 ohildren of both sexes. Parents may rest assured that each Volume 
 teaches some noble lesson, or enforces some valuable truth. 
 
 1. In the Brave Days of Old; or, The Story of the Spanish 
 
 Armada. For Boys and Girls. 
 
 2. The Lost Euby. By the Author of ' The Basket of Flowers.' 
 
 etc. 
 
 3. Leslie Boss ; or, Fond of a Lark. By Charles Bruce, 
 
 4. My First and Last Voyage. By Benjamin Clarke. 
 6. Little Eatie : A Fairy Story. By Charles Bruce. 
 
 6. Being Afraid. And other Stories for the Young. By Charles 
 
 Stuart. 
 
 7. The Toll-Keepers. And other Stories for the Young. By 
 
 Benjamiu Clarke. 
 
 8. Dick Barford : A Boy who would go down Hill. By Charles 
 
 Bruce. 
 
 9. Joan of Arc ; or, The Story of a Noble Life. Written for 
 
 Girls. 
 
 10. Helen Siddal : A Story for Children. By Ellen Palmer. 
 
 11. Mat and Sofie : A Story for Boys and Girls. 
 
 12. Peace and War. By the Author of ' The Basket of Flowers,' 
 
 etc. 
 
 13. Perilous Adventures of a French Soldier in Algeria. 
 
 14. The Magic Glass ; or, The Secret of Happiness. 
 
 15. Hawks' Dene : A Tale for Children. By Katharine £. May. 
 
 16. Little Maggie. And other Stories. By the Author of ' The 
 
 Joy of Weil-Doing,' etc. etc. 
 
 17. The Brother's Legacy ; or, Better than Gold. By M. M. 
 
 Pollard. 
 
 18. The Little Sisters ; or, Jealousy. And other Stories for the 
 
 Young. By the Author of ' Little Tales for Tiny Tots,' otc. 
 
 19. Eate's New Home. By Cecil Scott, Author of 'Chryssie 
 
 Lyle,' etc. 
 
Ipmmo's 3i#pmng Jttfoml* gcohs. 
 
 Foolscap Svo, Illustrated, handsomely bound in cloth, 
 price 6d. each. 
 
 1. Pearls for Little People. 
 
 2. Great Lessons for Little 
 
 People. 
 
 3. Reason in Rhyme: A Poetry 
 
 Book for the Young. 
 
 4. jEsop's Little Fable Rook, 
 
 5. Grapes from the Great Vine. 
 
 6. The Pot of Gold. 
 
 7. Story Pictures from the Rible. 
 
 8. The Fables of Stone: Illustra- 
 
 tions of the Commandments. 
 
 9. Ways of Doing Good. 
 
 10. Stories about our Dogs. By 
 
 Habbiet Beeoheb Stowe. 
 
 11. The Red-Winged Goose. 
 
 12. The Hermit of the Hills. 
 
 13. Effie's Christmas, and other 
 
 Stories. By Adelaide Austen. 
 
 14. A Visit to Grandmother, and 
 
 other Stories for the Young. 
 
 15. Bible Stories for Young 
 
 People. By Adelaide Austen. 
 
 16. The Little Woodman and his 
 
 DogCsasar. By Mrs. Shebwood. 
 
 17. Among the Mountains : Tales 
 
 for the Young. By Adelaide 
 Austen. 
 
 18. Little Gems for Little Readers. 
 
 19. Do your Duty, come what will ; 
 
 and other Stories for the Young. 
 
 20. Noble Joe: A Tale for Ghil- 
 
 dren. By Adelaide Austen. 
 
 21. Lucy Vernon, and other Stories 
 
 for the Young. 
 
 22. Anecdotes of Favourite Ani- 
 
 mals told for Children. By 
 Adelaide Austen. 
 
 23. 
 24. 
 
 25. 
 26. 
 27. 
 28. 
 29. 
 30. 
 31. 
 32. 
 
 33. 
 
 34. 
 35. 
 36. 
 
 37. 
 38. 
 
 Little Henry and his Bearer. 
 By Mrs. Shebwood. 
 
 The Holidays at Wilton, and 
 other Stories. By Adelaide 
 Austen. 
 
 Chryssie Lyle: A Tale for the 
 Young. By Cecil Soott. 
 
 Little Elsie among the Quarry- 
 men. By Ellen Palmeb. 
 
 The Lesson of Obedience. By 
 the Rev. Riohabd Newton, D.D. 
 
 The Lesson of Diligence. By 
 the Rev.RicHABD Newton, D.D. 
 
 Fergus: A Tale. By Jacob 
 Abbott. 
 
 Gilbert and his Mother. By 
 Jacob Abbott. 
 
 The Shepherd of Salisbury 
 Plain. By Hannah Mobb. 
 
 Emily Barton, and otfur 
 
 Stories. ByCHABLEsand Mab 
 Lamb. 
 
 Elizabeth Villiers, and other 
 Stories. By Chables and Haby 
 Lamb. 
 
 The Grateful Negro. 
 Maria Edqewobth. 
 
 Forgive and Forget. 
 
 Maria Edgewobth. 
 Waste not, Want not. By 
 
 Mabia Edqewobth. 
 The False Key. By Maria. 
 
 Edgewobth. 
 The Bracelets. By Maria 
 
 Edgewobth. 
 
 By 
 By 
 
 pmnur's Jfourpmng gnbmxh §aak%* 
 
 The above Series of Books is also kept in embossed and illuminated 
 paper cover, beautifully printed in gold from entirely new designs, 
 prire 4d. each. 
 
14 
 
 Selections from 
 
 NIMMO'S FOURPENNY JUVENILE BOOKS. 
 
 SHORT STORIES FOR CHILDREN, by Mrs. Sherwood, 
 Jane Taylor, Richard Rowe, etc. 
 
 Demy 18mo, cloth, Illustrated. 
 
 1. George and his Penny, by Mrs. Sherwood; and other Taloe. 
 
 2. Lucy and Her Mother, by Jane Taylor ; and other Tales. 
 
 3. Getting on in Life, and other Tales. 
 
 4. Bessie Blake the Farmer's Daughter, by Richard Rowe ; and 
 
 other Tales. 
 B. The Busy Bee, by Mrs. Sherwood; and other Tales. 
 
 6. Try to toe Happy, and other Tales. 
 
 7. The Story of the Rose, by Mrs. Sherwood; and other Tales. 
 
 8. Brave and True, and other Tales. 
 
 9. The Young Apprentice, by Jank Taylor; and other Tales. 
 
 10. Regie's Pony, and other Tales. 
 
 11. Emily's Temptation, by Mrs. Sherwood , and other Tales. 
 
 12. Philip's Day Dream, and other Tales. 
 
 13. The Orphan Boy, by Mrs. Sherwood; and other Tales. 
 
 14. The One Thing Needful, and other Tales. 
 
 15. Little Sins, by Mrs. Sherwood ; and other Tales. 
 
 16. The Indian Chief, and other Tales. 
 
 17. The Little Dog Trusty, and other Tales. 
 
 18. The Kind Bear, and other Tales. 
 
 NEW SERIES OF PEHHY REWARD BOOKS. 
 
 In beautiful Coloured Covers, done in Chromo-Lithography. Six 
 different Designs, very pretty and attractive. Demy 18mo, 
 16 pp. Each with a Frontispiece. 
 
 1. Try to toe Happy. 
 
 2. Eyes and Ears. 
 
 3'. My Little Teachers. 
 
 4. The Fourth Commandment. 
 
 5. A Talk about Fighting. 
 
 6. Moffat's Lion Adventures 
 
 7. The Little Factory Girl. 
 
 8. George and His Penny. 
 
 9. The Little Dog Trusty. 
 
 10. Faithful unto Death. 
 
 11. Abraham's Sacrifice. 
 
 12. Getting on in Life. 
 
 13. I can do without it. 
 
 14. The Little Busy Bee, 
 
 IB. TheStoryofaDay'sPleasure. 
 
 16. The Lonely Lighthouse. 
 
 17. Little Sins. 
 
 18. It doesn't Matter. 
 
 These may be had either separately, or in three Packets at &d. each. 
 
W. P. Nimmo, Hay, & Mitchell's Catalogue. 15 
 
 NIMMO'S BIRTH-DAY BOOKS. 
 
 In Foolscap 16mo. 
 
 Oloth extra, red edges, Is. ; gilt edges, Is. 6d.; padded cloth, in boxes, 
 Is. 6d. ; paste grain, round corners, 2s. ; paste grain, padded, 
 2s. 6d.; armadillo grain, 3s.; and German calf, padded, 4s. 
 
 1. Bible Words for Birth-Days ; Consisting of a Text of Scripture 
 
 and Verse of Hymn for Every Day in the Year. 
 
 2. Birth-Day Greetings; Consisting of Poetical Extracts and 
 
 Mottoes for Every Day in the Year. 
 
 3. The Birth-Day Book of Wit and Humour ; Consisting of Witty 
 
 and Humorous Extracts for Every Day in the Year. 
 
 4. The Birth-Day Oracle ; or, Whom shall I Marry ? Guesses at 
 
 the Character and Appearance of your future Husband or Wife. 
 
 5. The Little Folk's Birth-Day Book ; or, Something Good about 
 
 Children, Child-life, Flowers, etc., for Every Day in the Year. 
 Selected and Arranged by C. B., Compiler of the * Birth-Day 
 Book of Proverbs.' 
 
 6. A Cup of Blessing for Every Day in the Year. Being a Birth- 
 
 Day Book of Cheering and Consolatory Texts selected from 
 Scripture and other Sources. By C. B. 
 
 7. The Lyric Birth-Day Book. Snatches of Song gathered from the 
 
 Lyric Poets, and arranged for Every Day in the Year. By D. H. 
 
 8. Mrs. Hemans' Birth-Day Book. A Selection of Beautiful 
 
 Passages from the Poems of Felicia Hemans, arranged as a 
 Daily Text Book. By R. G. B. 
 
 9. Birth-Day Chimes from LongfeUow. Six Hundred Quotations 
 
 from his Poems, arranged as a Daily Text Book. By S. P. L. 
 
 10. Birth-Day Chimes from Shakespeare. A Text Book of Choice 
 
 Extracts from his Works. 
 
 11. Birth-Day Chimes from Burns. Selections from the Poems, 
 
 Songs, and Ballads of Robert Burns. 
 
 12. What saith the Master? A Daily Text Book in the very Words 
 
 of our Lord. Selected by Mat Cochrane. 
 
 13. Birth-Day Texts from Wordsworth. Passages for Every Day in 
 
 the Year, from the Poems of William Wordsworth. 
 
 14. Birth-Day Chimes from Scott. Selected from the Poems and 
 
 Tales of Sir Walter Scott. 
 
 15. Birth-Day Chimes from Whittier. Selections from the Poems of 
 
 John Greenleaf Whittier. Arranged for Every Day in the Year. 
 By J. R. E. P. 
 
 In Crown 16mo. 
 Limp cloth, Is. 6d. ; cloth, gilt edges, 2s. ; paste grain, round corners. 
 3s. ; paste grain, padded, 3s. 6d. ; German calf, padded, 6s. ; 
 and imitation ivory, 3s. 6d. 
 
 1. The Birth-Day Book of Proverbs; Consisting of a Serious, 
 
 Satirical, or Humorous Sentence, Proverb, and Verse of Poetry 
 for Every Day in the Year. By C. B. 
 
 2. Auld Acquaintance : A Birth-Day Book of the Wise and Tender 
 
 Words of Robert Burns. Compiled by James B. Begg, a Grand- 
 nephew of the Poet. 
 
 3. The Household Birth-Day Book and Marriage and Obituary 
 
 Register. With the Dates of Births, Marriages, and Deaths of 
 over One Thousand Eminent Men and Women 
 
16 W. P. Nimmo, Hay, & Mitchell's Catalogue, 
 N/MMO'S SIXPENNY BIRTH -DAY BOOKS. 
 
 In crown 16mo, cloth extra, red edges, price Gd.; and in Persian 
 calf, gilt edges, Is. 
 
 1. HEAVENLY LIGHT. Cheering Texts from Scripture. A Birth- 
 
 Day Book for Every Day in the Year. 
 
 2. BIRTH-DAY ECHOES FROM THE POETS. A Selection of Choice 
 
 Quotations, arranged for Every Day in the Year. 
 
 3. DAILY MAXIMS. A Birth-Day Text Book of Proverbs and Wise 
 
 Sayings. Selected from Various Sources. 
 
 4. THORN BLOSSOM. Quotations Grave and Gay, arranged as a 
 
 Birth-Day Text Book. 
 6. SCRIPTURE SUNBEAMS. Helpful Texts for Every Day in the 
 Year. 
 
 6. THE BIRTH-DAY GARLAND AND LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
 
 Snatches from the Poets in Praise of Flowers. 
 
 7. BIRTH-DAY WISHES FROM BURNS. 
 
 8. THE JEWEL BIRTH-DAY BOOK Compiled by Mary Donald. 
 
 9. THE BIRTH-DAY BOOK OF RIDDLES AND GUESSES. Compiled 
 
 by Mary Donald. 
 
 New Edition, Forty-first Thousand, in small 8vo, cloth extra, gilt 
 edges, new and elegant binding in colours, price Is. 6d. 
 
 ACROSS THE EIVER. Twelve Views of Heaven. By Norman 
 Macleod, D.IX; R. W. Hamilton, D.D.; Robert S. Candlish, 
 D.D. ; James Hamilton, D.D. ; etc. 
 
 N/MMO'S THREEPENNY JUVENILE BOOKS. 
 
 illustrated. 
 Short Stories for Children, by well-known Authors. 
 
 In neat cloth binding. 
 
 1. The Pet Polyanthus. 
 
 2. Amy and Her Doves. 
 
 3. The Negro Servant. 
 
 4. Wat's Christmas at Home. 
 6. Blind Barty. 
 
 6. The Basket Woman. 
 
 7. Good for Evil. 
 
 8. The Orange Girl. 
 
 9. A Sunday in Jerusalem. 
 
 10. Daddy Goodluck. 
 
 11. Parley the Porter. 
 
 12. The Fortunate Young Lady. 
 
 13. The Orange Grove. 
 
 14. The Wreck of the Prospero. 
 
 15. The Fortune Teller. 
 
 16. The French Philanthropist. 
 
 17. Jim Brown. 
 
 18. Little Nat. 
 
 19. Annies Fall. 
 
 20. The Fisherman's Son. 
 
 21. The Cherry Orchard. 
 
 22. Ernest ; or, The Great Stone 
 
 23. Story of a Coward. [Face. 
 
 24. Value of Little Things. 
 
 25. Story of the Apples. 
 
 26. The Benevolent Schoolmaster. 
 
 27. Learning by Experience. 
 
 28. Lady Grizell Baillie. 
 
 29. Talks with Mr. Fairchild. 
 
 30. The Troublesome Friend. 
 
 31. Mrs. Fairchild's Story. 
 
 32. Sarah Martin. 
 
 33. Honour thy Parents. 
 
 34. The Poor Children's Friend. 
 
 35. Story about Envy. 
 
 36. The Orphan's Friend. 
 
.£. i 
 
 i OAf USE 
 
 iiSK FRO I WHIG. BCRT WEE 
 
 LOAN DEPT. 
 
 This book is due on the last date stamped below, or 
 on the date to which renewed. 
 
 Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. 
 
 REC'D UD 
 
 JAN 3 19S8 
 
 ,v ; 
 
 ° C '-6'97f. 
 
 REC'D Lb S EP 3 ( La 
 
 JkjL 
 
 LD 21-100m-6,'56 
 (B9311sl0)476 
 
 General Library 
 
 University of California 
 
 Berkeley 
 

 M318374 
 
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