CELEBRATED'TRAVELS AND TRAVELLERS. ”I’ THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. LONDON: GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, ST. JOHN’S SQUARE. PUBLISHERS’ NOTE. THIS volume forms the second of three volumes under the general title of CELEBRATRD TRAVELS AND TRAVELLERS. The first volume, already published, is entitled THE EXPLORATION OF THE WORLD, and covers a period in the World’s History extending from 13.0. 505, to the close of the xviith century. The present volume extends over the xviiith century, and the third volume will give an account of the GREAT EXPLORERs AND TRAVELLERS or THE XIXTH CENTURY. ' maven CELEBRATED TRAVELS AND TRAVELLERS. THE GREAT NAVIGATO RS 0 F '1‘ H E EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. BY JULES VERNE. \VITH 96 ILLUSTRATIONS BY PHILIPPOTEAUX, BENE'I"I‘, AND MATTHIS, AND 20 MAPS BY MATTHIS AND MORIEU. 'I‘RANSLA TED FRO/W THE FRENCII. finn‘dou : SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET. I880. [.411 mgr/m m'emm 11 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE 18TH CENTURY. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS REPRODUCED IN FAC-SIMILE FROM THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS, GIVING THE SOURCES WHENCE THEY ARE DERIVED. PART THE FIRST. Hoisting the signals for triangulation Pierre Louis M01 eau de Maupertuis . Selki1k falling over the precipice with his prey. “ I plunged my pike into his b1'”east Fight between the Centumon and a Spanish galleon . “ The council chose the latter alte1nat1ve “ Most of them on horseback”. “ One of them tore the carrion with his teeth ” . “ They make a thousand g1imaces” The natives waving palm- leaves as a sign of welcome Head- dresses of natives of Otahiti “ Pursued by the arrows of the natives” A struggle between the Swallow and a Malay prah Portrait of Bougainville “ We made them sing” Lancers Island . Pirogue of the Marquesas Islands Mdlle. Barré’ 8 adventure Captain James Cook . “ They were pursued so closely " Otahitian flute-player. . . . . A Fa-toka, New Zealand . . . . Interior of a morai in Hawaii Tatooed head of a New Zealander An I-pah . A New Zealand family “ They were kangaroos’ ’ Otahitian fleet ofi' Oparee . “Three Indians emerged from the wood” Among the icebergs . New Zealand wa1 canoe New Zea‘ and utensils and weapons . “ Who passed his days 1n being fed by his wives’ RAGE Frontzspzece 7 15 16 22 28 34. 37, 416, 52 56 64 68 72 8O 83 88 . 91. . 107. . 111- . 112 . 119' . 121 . 121' . 121 . 122 . 130 ' . 130' . 133 . 139 . 14.0 . 147' . 148 LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED. ANSON (Geo., Lord). “ Voyage round the World in 1740-4141." BARROW (Sir John). “ Travels into the Interior of Southern Africa.” London, 1806. . _ BOUGAINVILLE (Com. de). “Voyage round the World, 1766-69.” Paris, 1771. ' BRUCE (James). “ Travels in Abyssinia between 176873” Edin. 1813. COOK (Captain James). “Second Voyage to the South Pole and Round the World, 1772-75.” London, 1777. COOK and KING (Captain James). “ Third Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, 1776-80.” London, 1784. GROSIER (L’Abbé). “China, General Description of the Empire.” Paris, 1735. HAWKESWORTH (Dr. J .). “Account of the Voyages of Discovery in the Southern Hemisphere by Commodore Byron, and Captains Wallis, Carteret, and Cook.” London, 1773. KENNEDY. “ New Zealand.” London, 1873. LABILLARDIERE (T.). “ Voyage in Search of La Pé‘rouse, 1791-93.” Paris, 1801. ‘ MASON. “ Costumes of China.” London, 1800. PARK (Mungo). “ Travels in Africa.” London, 1815-16. PABKINSON (S.). “ Voyage to the South Seas.” London, 1784. PERON (F.) and FREYCINET (Louis (1’), “Voyage to Australasia, 1800-4.” Paris, 1808. PEROUSE (J. Fr. G. de la). “Voyage round the World, 1785-88. Paris, 1798. ' “ TRANSACTIONS of the French Academy of Sciences,” Vol. 7. Paris. VAILLANT (Fr. 1e). “ Travels in the Interior of Africa.” Paris, 1790. VANCOUVER (Capt. G..) “Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the W'or,ld f1om 1790- 95 ” London, 1798. 1"}'1‘}1/J-_Y/’I‘('n4' “mun; [he 4gml~1hrIx'lJngnLui‘m. v‘ X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. O-Too, King of Otaheite Monuments in Easter Island Natives of Easter Island Natives of the Manuesas . Typical natives of the Sandwich Islands “ The natives had sufficient confidence ’ “ With the roof of considerable height ” View of Christmas Sound . Ke1guelen Islands . Fete 1n Cook 8 honou1 at Tonga Human sacrifice at Otahiti Tree, from beneath which Cook obse1ved the t1aiisit of Venus Cook’s reception by the natives . Prince William’s Sound “They gave him a little pig !, PART THE SECOND Pi1ogues of the Admiralty Islands “ Picking 11p the enemies’ weapons ’ “ A lighted bland was also presented to them’ “ The bonly one 1v ho had escaped ’ “ A man’s skull was Found ” . . . . . . Island discovered by M. Marion du Fresnes in 1772, called Edw ard's Island by Cook in 1776 . . . . Po1t111it of La Pérouse . Costumes of the inhabitants of Conception Inhabitants of Easter Island Typical natives of the Porlt (1.88 Francais Shipw1eck of' F1ench boats outside the Poxt des Francais ‘ An Indian with a statr s head ove1 his own ” He t1aced the coast of T111tary Typical Orotchys Pm trait of D’Ent1ecasteaux “ They came upon fou1 natives" , Fete 1n honour of D Entrecasteaux at the Friendly Isl ands Typical native of New Holland. Natives of New Caledonia . View of the Island of Bouron Native hut in Endracht Land King of the Island of Timor The S11 an Rive1. ‘ A sail 1111s seen on the l1o1izon ’ “ The sick 11 ere carried 011 sho1e View of Sydney . \Vater-carrier at Timur . “ He received a cordial welcome ” The Baobab D PAGE . 150 . 158 . 161 . 162 . 1641 . 169 . 172 . 174: . 180 . 187 . 188" . 190 . 193 . 196 . 198 \1 j . 214 . 215 . 225 . 227 . 229 Prince . 235 . 242 . 24141 . 2416 . 249 . 251 . 253 . 261 . 263 . 274. . 275 . 285 . 287 . 289 . 292 . 305 . 306 . 307 . 310 . 311 . 311 . 318 . 321 . 325 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. PAGE Portrait of Mungo Park . 329 Natives of Senegal . 330 A Hottentot . 343 A Bosjeman . . 344 “ Till Master Rees had given his ve1dict ” . 347 A Kaflir woman . . . . 349 Portrait of James B1 uce . 352 “ I found the monarch seated on his th1one” . 357 Chinese magic-lantern . 365 The Emperor of China . 368 The great wall of China . 369' Chinese Prime Minister . 370 “ The famous bird Leutzé ” . 372 Port Monterey. . 381 Mackenzie’ s first view of the Noith Pacific Ocean . 389 Portrait of Condamine . 390 Celebrated Narrows of Mansericlie . 391 Omagua Indians . . . . . 393 Portrait of Alex. de Humboldt. . . 395 Gigantic vegetation on the banks of the Temi . 400 MAPS. Map of France, corrected by order of the King, in accordance with the in- Xi structions of the Members of the Academy of Sciences 10 Map of the Eastern Hemisphere 36 Straits of Magellan, after Bougainville 36 Polynesia . . 54 Map of Queen Challotte Islands. 64 New Zealand . . . 79 Louisiade Archipelago . 101 Map of Aust1alia, after Perron s atlas . . 125 Map of the east coast of New Holland, after Cook . 126 Captain Cook’s cha1t of Otaheite . 197 Itinerary of the piincipal voyagers during the 18th centu1 y, aftei Cook . 202 Map of Surville s discoveries, after Fleurieu . .212 Map of the joulney of La Pérouse, after the atlas published by General Millet- Mureau . . . 241 Map of the coast of Asia, after the map of La P8101198 ’s voyage . 258 Map of part of North Africa . 320 Map of part of Western Africa . . 332 Map of the Empire of China . 362 Map of N01th- West America . 380 Map of the two Americas . . . 385 Itiner'aiy of Humboldt’ s 1oute in equinoctial Amerci a . , 399 TABLE OF CONTENTS. FIRST PART. CHAPTER I. I. ASTRONOMERS AND CARTOGRAPHERS. Cassini, Picald, and La Hire—.The Melidian line and the map of F1 ance— G. Delisle and D’Anville—The shape of the earth—Maupe1tuis in Lap- land—Condamine at the Equator . . . II. VOYAGES IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Expedition of Wood Rogers—Adventures of Alexander Selkirk—Gala- pagos Island—Puerto Seguro—Return to England—Expedition of George Anson—Staten Island—Juan Fernandez—Tinian—Macao. Taking of the vessel—Canton river—Results of the Cruise CHAPTER II. CAPTAIN COOK’S PREDECESSORS. I. Roggewein—Scanty information respecting him—The uncertainty of his discoveries—Easter Island—The Pernicious Islands—Bahama Islands— New Britain—Arrival at Batavia—Byron—Stay at Rio J aneiro and Port Desire—Enhance into Magellan’ s Strait—Falkland Islands and Port Egmont—The Fuegians—Mas- a- fuero—Disappointment Islands—Dange1 Islands—Tinian—Return to Europe . . . . II. \Vallis and Carteret—Preparations for the Expedition—Difficult Navigation of the Strait of Magellan—Separation of the Dauphin and Swallow— V‘Vhitsunday Island—Queen Charlotte's Island—Cumberland and Henry Islands—Otaheite—Howe, Boscawen, and Keppel Islands—Wallis Islands -—Batavia—The Cape—The Downs—Discovery of Pitcairn, Osnaburgh, and Gloucester Islands by Carteret—Santa Cruz Archipelago—Solomon Islands—St. George's Strait and New Ireland—Portland Island and the Admiralty Islands—Macassa1 and Batavia—Meeting with Bougainville in the Atlantic PAGE 13 241 4.4 TABLE OF CON TEN TS. FIRST PART. CHAPTER I. I. ASTRONOMERS AND CARTOGRAPHERS. Cassini, Pica1d, and La Him—The Meridian line and the map of France— G. Delisle and D ’Anville—The shape of the earth—Maupei tuis in Lap- land—Condamine at the Equator . . . II. VOYAGES IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Expedition of Wood Rogers—Adventures of Alexander Selkirk—Gala- pagos Island—Puerto Seguro—Return to England—Expedition of George Anson—Staten Island—Juan Fernandez—Tinian—Macao. Taking of the vessel—Canton river—Results of the Cruise CHAPTER II. CAPTAIN COOK’S PREDECESSORS. I. Roggewein— Scanty information respecting him—The uncertainty of his discoveries—Easter Island—The Pernicious Islands—Bahama Islands— New Britain—Arrival at Batavia—Byron—Stay at Rio J aneiro and Port Desire—Enhance into Magellan’ s Strait—Falkland Islands and P011: Egmont—The Fuegians—Mas- a- thew—Disappointment Ilslands—Dange1 Islands—TinianmRetuin to Eu1ope II. Wallis and Carteret—Preparations for the Expedition—Diflicult Navigation of the Strait of Magellan—Separation of the Dazoplzin and Swallow— Whitsunday Island—Queen Charlotte’s Island—Cumberland and Henry Islands-Otaheite—Howe, Boscawen, and Keppel Islands—Wallis Islands -—Batavia—The Cape—The Downs—Discovery of Pitcairn, Osnaburgh, and Gloucester Islands by Carteret—Santa Cruz Archipelago—Solomon Islands—St. George’s Strait and New Ireland—P01tland Island and the Admiralty Islands—Macassa1 and Batavia—Meeting with Bougainville in the Atlantic PAG E 13 24 44 xiv TABLE OF CONTENTS. III. PAGE Bougainville—Changes in the life of a Notary’s son—Colonization of the Falkland Islands—Buenos Ayres and Rio J aniero—Cession of the Falkland Islands to Spain—Hydrographical Survey of the Straits of Magellan— The Pecherais—The Four F acardins—Otaheite—Incidents of stay there— Productions of the country and manners of the people—Samoan Islands— Tierra del Santo Espirito or the New Hebrides—The Louisiade—Ancho- rite Islands—New Guinea—Buotan—From Batavia to St. Malo . . 71 CHAPTER III. COOK’S FIRST VOYAGE. I. The beginning of his maritime career—The command of the Adventure entrusted to him—Tierra del FuegO—Discovery of some islands in the Pomotou Archipelago—Arrival at Otaheite—Manners and Customs of the inhabitants—Discovery of other islands in the Society group— Arrival off New Zealand—Interview with the natives—Discovery of Cook’s Strait—Circumnavigation of two large islands—Manners of the people and productions of the country . . . . . . . 100 II. Survey of the Eastern Coast of Australia—Botany Bay—\Vrcck of the Endeavour—Crossing Torres Straits—Return to England . . . 125 CHAPTER IV. CAPTAIN COOK’S SECOND VOYAGE. Search for the Unknown—Second stay in New Zealand—Pomotou Archipe- lago—Second Stay at Otaheite—Survey of Tonga Islands—Third stay in New Zealand—Second crossing of the Pacific—Survey of Easter Island— Visit to the Marquesas . . . , . . . . . . . 135 II. Fresh visit to Otaheite and the Friendly ArchipelagO—Exploration of the New Hebrides—Discovery of New Caledonia and the Island of Pines— Stay in Queen Charlotte’s Strait—South Georgia—Accident to the Adven- ture . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 CHAPTER V. CAPTAIN COOK’S THIRD VOYAGE. I. Search for lands discovered by the F rench—Stay in Van Diemen’s land— Queen Charlotte’s Strait—Palmerston Island—Grand fétes at the Tonga Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 II. Discovery of the Sandwich Islands—Exploration of the \Vestern Coast 0t America—From thence to Behring Straits—Return to the Hawaian Archipelago—History of RonO—Cook's death—Return Of' the Expedition to England . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 TABLE OF CONTENTS. XV SECOND PART. CHAPTER I. FRENCH NAVIGATORS 1. PAGE Discoveries by Bouvet de Lozier in the Southern Seas—Surville—Land of the Arsacides—Incident during the stay at Port Praslin—Arrival off the Coast of New Ireland—Surville’s death—Marion’s discoveries in the Antartic Ocean—His massacre in New Zealand—Kerguelen in Iceland . and the Arctic Regions—The Contest of the Watches—Fleurien and Verdun de la Crenne . . . . . . . . . . 209 II. Expedition under command of La Perouse—St. Catherine’s Island—Con- ception Island—Sandwich Islands—Survey of the American Coast—Fort des Francais—Loss of two boats—Monterey and the Indians of California —Stay at Macao—Cavite and Manilla—En route for China and J apan— Formosa—Quelpaert Island—The Coast of Tartary—Ternay Bay—The Tartars of Saghalien—The Orotcbys—Straits of La Perouse—Ball at Kamtchatka—Navigator Archipelago—Massacre of M. de Langle and several of his companions——Botany Bay—Cessation of news of the expedi- tion—D’Entrecasteaux sent in search of La Perouse—False News—Strait ofD’Entrecasteaux—The Coast of New Caledonia—Land of the Arsacides —Natives of Bouka—Stay at Port Carteret—Admiralty Islands—Stay at Amboine—Lewin Land—Nuyts Land—Stay in Tasmania—Fete in the Friendly Islands—Details of La Perouse’s visit to Tonga. Tabou—Stay at Balado—Traces of La. Perouse’s Voyage to New Caledonia—Vanikoro —Sad end of the Expedition . . . . . . . . . 241 III. Voyage by Captain Marchand—The Marquesas—Discovery of Nouka-Hiva —Manners and Customs of the people—Revolution Islands—The Ameri- can Coast and Tchinkitané Port—Cox’s Straits—Stay in the Sandwich Islands—Macao—Deception—Return to France—Discoveries by Bass and Flinders upon the Australian coast—Expedition under Captain Baudin—Endracht and De Witt Lands—Stay at Timor—Survey of Van Diemen’s land—Separation of the Ge’ograpke and Naturaliste—Stay at Port J ackson—The Convicts—Pastoral riches of New South Wales— Return of the Naturaliste to France—Cruises by the Ge’ograp/ze and Casuarina to Nuyts, Edels, Endracht and De Witt Lands—Second Stay at Timor—Return to France . . . . . . . . . 294 CHAPTER II. AFRICAN EXPLORE RS. Shaw in Algeria and Tunis—Hornemann in the Fezzan—Adanson in Senegal xvi TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE ——Houghton in Senegambia—Mungo Park and his two journeys to the Djoliba or Niger—Sego and Timbuctoo—Sparmann and Le Vaillant at the Cape, at Natal, and in the interior—Lacerda at Mozambique and Cazembé —Bruce in Abyssinia—The Sources of the Blue Nile—Tzana Lake— Browne’s Voyage in Darfur . . . . . . . . . 320 CHAPTER III. ASIA AND ITS INHABITANTS. Tartary according to \Vitzen—China according to the Jesuits and Du Halde —Macartney in China—Stay at Chu-Sang—Arrival in Nankin—Nego- tiations—Reception of the Embassy by the Emperor—Fétes and cere- monies at Zhé Hol—Return to Pekin, and Europe—Volney—Choiseul— Gouffier—Le Chevalier in the Troade—Olivier in Persia—A semi-Asiatic country—Russia according to Pallas . . . . . . . 361 CHAPTER IV. TH E '1‘“'() AMERICAS. The \Vestern Coast of America—Juan de Fuca and De Fonte—The three voyages of Behring and Vancouver—The exploration of the Straits of De Fuca—Survey of the Archipelago of New Georgia and a portion of the American Coast—Exploration of the interior of America Samuel Hearn —Discovery of the Coppermine River—Mackenzie, and the river named after him—Fraser River —Journey of Humboldt and De Bonpland— Tenerifl'e—Guachero cavern—~The “ Llafios ”—The electric eels—T he Amazon, Negro, and Orinoco rivers—The earth-eaters—Results of' the journey—Humboldt’s second journey—The Volcanitos, or Little Volcanoes —The cascade at Tequendama—The bridges of Icononzo—Crossing the Quindiu on men’s backs—Quito and the Pinchincha—Ascent of Chimborazo --The Andes—Lima—The transit of Mercury—Exploration of Mexico— Mexico—Puebla and Cofre de Perote—Return to Europe . . . 380 PART I. CHAPTER I. ASTRONOMERS AND CARTOGRAPHERS. Cassini—Picard and La Hire—The arc of the Meridian and the Map of France —G. Delisle and D’Anville—The Shape of the Earth-Maupertuis in Lapland—Condamine at the Equator. BEFORE we enter upon a recital of the great expeditions of the eigh- teenth century, we shall do well to chronicle the immense progress made during that period by the sciences. They rectified a crowd of prejudices and established a solid basis for the labours of astrono— mers and geographers. If we refer them solely to the matter before us, they radically modified cartography, and ensured for navigation a security hitherto unknown. Although Galileo had observed the eclipses of Jupiter’s satellites as early as 1610, his important discovery had been rendered useless by ‘ the indifference of Governments, the inadequacy of instruments, and the mistakes committed by his followers. In 1660 Jean Dominique Cassini published his “ Tables of the Satellites of Jupiter,” which induced Colbert to send for him the following year, and which obtained for him the superintendence of the Paris Observatory. ' In the month of July, 1671, Philippe de la Hire went to Urani- borg in the Island of Huen, to take observations for the situation of Tycho Brahe’s Observatory. In that spot he calculated with the assistance of Cassini’s Tables, and with an exactitude never before obtained, the difference between the longitudes of Paris and Uraniborg. The Academy of Sciences sent the astronomer Jean Richter the same year to Cayenne, to study the parallaxes of the sun and moon, and to determine the distance of Mars and Venus from the earth. This voyage, which was entirely successful, was at- tended with unforeseen consequences, and resulted in inquiries shortly after entered into as to the shape of the earth. Richter noticed that the pendulum lost two minutes, twenty-eight B 2 4 THE GREAT NAVIGATOltS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. seconds at Cayenne, which proved that the momentum was less at this place than at Paris. From this fact, Newton and Huyghens de- duced the flatness of the Globe at the Poles. Shortly afterwards, how- ever, the computation of a terrestrial degree given by Abbé Picard, and the determination of the Meridional arc, arrived at by the Cas- sinis, father and son, led scientific men to an entirely different result, and induced them to consider the earth an elliptical figure, elon- gated towards the polar regions. Passionate discussions arose from this decision, and in them originated immense undertakings, from which astronomical and mathematical geography profited. Picard undertook to estimate the space contained between the parallels of Amiens and Malvoisine, which comprises a degree and a third. The Academy, however, decided that a more exact result could be obtained -by the calculation of a greater distance, and de- termined to portion out the entire length of France, from north to south, in degrees. For this purpose, they selected the meridian line which passes the Paris Observatory. This gigantic trigonometrical undertaking was commenced twenty years before the end of the seventeenth century, was interrupted, and recommenced, and finally finished towards 1720. At the same time Louis XIV., urged by Colbert, gave orders for the preparation of a map of France. Men of science undertook voyages from 1679 to 1682, and by astronomical observations found the position of the coasts on the Ocean and Mediterranean. But even these undertakings, Picard’s computation of the M eridional are, the calculations which determined the latitude and longitude of certain large cities in France, and a map which gave the environs of Paris in detail with geometrical exactitude, were still insufficient data for a map of France. As in the measurement of the Meridional arc, the only course to adopt was to cover the whole extent of the country with a network of triangles. Such was the basis of the large map of France which justly bears the name of Cassini. The result of the earlier observations of Cassini and La Hire was to restrict F rance within much narrower limits than had hitherto been assigned to her. Desborough Cooley in his “ History of Voyages,” says, “They deprived her (France) of several degrees of longitude in the length of her western coast, from Brittany to the Bay of Biscay. And in ASTRONOMERS AND CARTOGRAPHERS. 5 the same way retrenched about half a degree frOm Languedoc and La Provence. These alterations gave rise to a “ bon-mot.” Louis the XIV., in complimenting the Academicians upon their return, remarked, “I am sorry to see, gentlemen, that your journey has cost me a good part of my kingdom! ” So far, however, cartographers had ignored the corrections made by astronomers. In the middle of the seventeenth century, Peiresc and Gassendi had corrected upon the maps of the Mediterranean a difference of “ five hundred ” miles of distance between Marseilles and Alexandria. This important rectification was set aside as non- existent until the hydrographer, Jean Matthieu de Chazelles, who had assisted Cassini in his labours, was sent to the Levant to draw up a coast-chart for the Mediterranean. “ It was sufficiently clear,” say the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences, that the maps unduly extended the Continents of Europe, Africa, and America, and narrowed the Pacific Ocean between Asia and Europe. These errors had caused singular mistakes. During M. deChaumont’s voyage, when he went as Louis XIV.’s ambas- sador to Siam, the pilots, trusting to their charts, were mistaken in their calculations, and both in going and in returning went a good deal further than they imagined. In proceeding from the Cape of Good Hope to the island of Java they imagined themselves a long way from the Strait of Sunda, when in reality they were more than sixty leagues beyond it. And they were forced to put back for two days with a favourable wind to enter it. In the same way upon their return voyage from the Cape of Good Hope to France, they found themselves at the island of Flores, the most western of the Azores, when they conceived themselves to be at least a hundred and fifty leagues eastward of it. They were obliged to navigate for twelve days in an easterly direction in order to reach the French coast. As we have already said, the corrections made in the map of France were considerable. It was recognized that Perpignan and Collioures more especially were far more to the east than had been supposed. To gain a fair idea of the alteration, one has only to glance at the map of France published in the first part of the seventh volume of the memoirs of the Academy of Sciences. All the astronomical observations to which we have called attention are noted in it, and the original outline of the map, published by Sanson in 1679, makes the modification apparent. . 6 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS 0}.“ THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Cassini was right in saying that cartography was no longer at its height as a science. In reality, Sanson had blindly followed the longitudes of Ptolemy, without taking any note of astronomical observations. His sons and grandsons had simply re-edited his maps as they were completed, and other geographers followed the same course. William Delisle was the first to construct new maps, and to make use of modern discoveries. He arbitrarily rejected all that had been done before his time. His enthusiasm was so great that he had entirely carried out his project at the age of twenty-five. His brother, Joseph Nicolas, who taught astronomy in Russia, sent William materials for his maps. At the same time his younger brother, Delisle de la Ceyére, visited the coast of the Arctic Ocean, and astronomically fixed the position of the most important points. He embarked on board De Behring’s vessel and died at Kamtchatka. That was the work of the three Delisles, but to William belongs the glory of having revolutionized geography. “He succeeded,” says Cooley, “ in reconciling ancient and modern computations, and in collecting an immense mass of documents. Instead of limiting his corrections to any one quarter of the earth, he directed them to the entire globe. By this means he earned the right to be considered the founder of modern geography. Peter the Great, on his way to Paris, paid a tribute to his merit by visiting him, and placing at his disposal all the information he himself possessed of the geography of Russia. Could there be a more conclusive testimony to his worth than this from a stranger? and if French geographers are excelled in these days by those of Germany and England, is it not consolatory and encouraging to them to know, that they have excelled in a science, in which they are now struggling to regain their former superiority ? Delisle lived to witness the success of his pupil, J. B. d’Anville. If the latter is inferior to Adrian Valois in the matter of historical science, he deserved his high fame for the relative improvement of his outlines, and for the clear and artistic appear- ance of his maps. “ It is difficult,” says M. E. Desjardins, in his “ Geographie de la Gaule Romaine,” “ to understand the slight importance -which has been attributed to his works as a geographer, mathe- w \Iwuau ‘lu 319;? mm; -. ASTRONOMERS AND CARTOGRAPHERS. 7 matician, and draughtsman.” The latter more especially do justice to his great merit. D’Anville was the first to construct a map by scientific methods, and that of itself is sufficient glory. In the department of historical geography, D’Anville exhibited unusual good sense in discussion, and a marvellous topographical instinct for identifications, but it is well to remember that he was neither a man of science, nor even well versed in classic authorities. His most beautiful work is his map of Italy, the dimensions of which, hitherto exaggerated, extended from the east to the west in accord- ance with the ideas of the ancients. ' In 1735, Philip Buache, whose name as a geographer is justly celebrated, inaugurated a new method in his chart of the depths of the English Channel, by using contour levels to represent the variations of the soil. Ten years later d’Apr‘es De Mannevillette published his “Neptune Oriental,” in which he rectified the charts of the African, Chinese, and Indian coasts. He added to it a nautical guide, which was the more precious at this period, as it was the first of the kind. Up to' the close of his life he amended his manual, which served as a guide for all French naval officers during the latter part of the eighteenth century. Of English astronomers and physicists, Hally was the chief. He published a theory of “ Magnetic Variations,” and a History of the Monsoons, which gained for him the command of a vessel, that he might put his theory into practice. That which D’Aprés achieved for the French, Alexander Dalrymple accomplished for the English. His views, however, bordered on the hypothetical, and he believed in the existence of an Antarctic Continent. He was succeeded by Horsburgh, whose name is justly dear to navigators. We must now speak of two important expeditions, which ought to have settled the animated discussion as to the shape of the earth. The Academy of Sciences had despatched a mission to America, to compute the arc of the meridian at the Equator. It was composed of Godin, Bouguer, and La Condamine. It was decided to entrust a similar expedition to the North to Maupertuis. “ If,” said this scientific man, “ the flatness of the earth be not 8 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. greater then Huyghens supposed, the margin between the degrees of the meridian measured in France, and the first degrees of the meridian near the Equator, would not 'be too considerable to be attributed to possible errors of the observers, or to the imperfection of instruments. But, if the observation can be made at the Pole, the difference between the first degree of the meridian nearest the equatorial line, and, for example, the sixty-sixth degree, which crosses the polar circle, will be great enough, even by Huyghens’ hypothesis, to show itself irresistibly, and beyond the possibility of miscalculation, because the difference would be repeated just as many times as there are intermediate degrees. The problem thus neatly propounded ought to have obtained a ready solution both at the Pole and the Equator—a solution which would have settled the discussion, by proving Huyghens and Newton to be right. The expedition embarked in a vessel equipped at Dunkerque. In addition to Maupertuis, it comprised De Clairaut, Camus, and Lemonnier, Academicians, Albey Outhier, canon of Bayeux, a secretary named Sommereux, a draughtsman, Herbelot, and the scientific Swedish astronomer, Celsius. When the King of Sweden received the members of the mission at Stockholm, he said to them, “I have been in many bloody battles, but I should prefer finding myself in the midst of the most sanguinary, rather than join your expedition.” Certainly, it was not likely to prove a party of pleasure. The learned adventurers were to be tested by difficulties of every kind, by continued privation, by excessive cold. But what com- parison can be made between their sufferings, and the agonies, the trials and the dangers which were to be encountered by the Arctic explorers, Ross, Parry, Hall, Payer, and many others. Damiron in his Eulogy of Maupertuis, says, “The houses at Tornea, north of the Gulf of Bothnia, almost in the Arctic Circle, are hidden under the snow. \thn one goes out, the air seems to pierce the lungs, the increasing degrees of frost are proclaimed by the incessant crackling of the wood, of which most of the houses are built. From the solitude which reigns in the streets, one might fancy that the inhabitants of the town were dead. At every step one meets mutilated figures, people who have lost arms ASTRONOMERS AND CARTOGRAPHERS. 9 or legs from the terrible severity of the temperature. And yet, the travellers did not intend pausing at Tornea.” N ow-a-days these portions of the globe are better known, and the region of the Arctic climate thoroughly appreciated, which makes it easier to estimate the difficulties the inquirers encoun- tered. They commenced their operations in July, 1736. Beyond Tornea they found only uninhabited regions. They were obliged to rely upon their own resources for scaling the mountains, where they placed the signals intended to form the uninterrupted series of triangles. Divided into two parties in order thus to obtain two measure- ments instead of one, and thereby also to diminish the chance of mistakes, the adventurous savants, after inconceivable hairbreadth escapes, of which an account can be found in the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences for 1737, and after incredible efforts, decided that the length of the meridian circle, comprised between the paral- lels of Tornea and Kittis was 55,028 fathoms and a half. ThuS‘ below the Polar circle, the meridian degree comprised a thousand fathoms more than Cassini had imagined, and the terrestrial degree exceeded by 377 fathoms the length which Picard has reckoned it between Paris and Amiens. The result, therefore, of this discovery (a result long repudiated ' by the Cassinis, both father and son), was that the earth was con— siderably flattened at the poles. Voltaire somewhat maliciously said of it,— Courrier de la physique, argonaute nouveau, Qui, franchissant les monts, qui, traversant les eaux, Ramenez des climats soumis aux trois couronnes, Vos perches, vos secteurs et surtout deux Laponnes. Vous avez confirmé dans ces lieux pleins d’ennui Ce que Newton connut sans sortir de lui. In much the same vein he alludes to the two sisters who accom- panied Maupertuis upon his return, the attractions of one of whom proved irresistible,— Cette erreur est trop ordinaire Et c'est la seule que l’on fit En allant au cercle polaire. 10 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. M. A. Maury in his “ History of the Academy of Sciences,” re- marks,— “At the same time, the importance of the instruments and methods employed by the astronomers sent to the North, afforded a support to the defenders of the theory of the flattening of the globes, which was hardly theirs by right, and in the following century the Swedish astronomer, Svanburg, rectified their involun- tary exaggerations, in a fine work published by him in the French language.” Meantime the mission despatched by the Academy to Peru pro- ceeded with analogous operations. It consisted of La Condamine, Bonguer, and Godin,‘ three Academicians, Joseph de J ussieu, Governor of the Medical College, who undertook the botanical branch, Seniergues, a surgeon, Godin des Odonais, a clock-maker, and a draughtsman. They started from La Rochelle, on the 16th of May, 1635. Upon reaching St. Domingo, they took several astronomical observations, and continued by way of Porto Belle, and Carthagena. Crossing the Isthmus of Panama, they disembarked at Manta in Peru, upon the 9th of March, 1736. Arrived there, Bonguer and Condamine parted from their companions, studied the rapidity of the pendulum, and finally reached Quito by different routes. Condamine pursued his way along the coast, as far as Rio de las Esmeraldas, and drew the map of the entire country, which he traversed with such infinite toil. Bonguer went southwards towards Guayaquil, passing through marshy forests, and reaching Caracol at the foot of the Cordillera range of the Andes, which he was a week in crossing. This route had been previously taken by Alvarado, when seventy of his followers perished; amongst them, the three Spaniards who had attempted to penetrate to the interior. Bouguer reached Quito on the 10th of June. At that time this city contained between thirty and forty thousand inhabitants, and boasted of an episcopal president of the Assembly, and numbers of religious communities, besides two colleges, Living there was cheap, with the exception of foreign mer- chandises, which realized exorbitant prices, so much so indeed, that a glass goblet fetched from eighteen to twenty francs. The adventurers sealed the Piehincha, a mountain near Quito, .3 Mafia. A w£>Emco 3:6 mo 0:86-83 .moocflom mo VAEofiéoxw of .«0 $2252 05 “o 35:05me .2: iv: 0386.50an 5 $23 05 Ho SEC 3 1308.50 .moCdWA ho an: T. . a 4 O 1 _. 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After having named a number of rocks, islets, and capes, Byron left Port Egmont on the 27th of January, and set sail for Port Desire, which he reached nine days later. There he found the Florida—a transport vessel, which had brought from England the provisions and necessary appliances for his long voyage. But this anchorage was too dangerous. The Florida and the Tamar were in too bad a condition to be equal to the long operation of transhipment. Byron therefore sent one of his petty officers, who had a thorough knowledge of the Strait of Magellan, on board the Florida, and with his two consorts set sail for Port Famine. He met with a French ship so many times in the straits, that it appeared as if she were bent upon the same course as himself. Upon returning to England, he ascertained that she was the Aigle, Captain M. de Bougainville, who was coasting Patagonia in search of the wood needed by the French colony in the Falkland Islands. During the various excursions in the (straits, the English expedition received several visits from the inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego. “ I have never seen such wretched beings,” says Byron; “they were entirely naked, with the exception of a skin thrown across . the shoulders. They offered me the bows and arrows With which they were armed in exchange for beads, necklaces, and other trifles. Their arrows, which were two feet long, were made of cane, and pointed with greenish stone; the bows were three feet long and were furnished with catgut for strings. “ Their nourishment consisted of certain fruits, mussels, and the remains of putrid fish thrown upon the beach during the storms. Pigs only could have relished their food. It consisted of large pieces of whale, already putrified, the odour of which impregnated the air for some distance. One of them tore the carriOn in pieces with his teeth, and handed the bits to his companions, who devoured them with the voracity of wild beasts. “Several of these miserable beings decided to come on board. Wishing to give them a pleasant reception, one of my petty officers played the violin and the sailors danced. This delighted them. Anxious to show their appreciation, one of their number hastened to his pirogue (small boat) and returned with a little bag of wolf-skin, 38 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. containing a red ointment, with which he rubbed the face of the violinist. He was anxious to pay me the same attention, but I drew back. He then tried every means of overcoming my delicacy, and I had great difficulty in avoiding the mark of esteem he was so anxious to give me.” It will not be out of place here to record the opinion held by Byron, an experienced seaman, upon the advantages and disadvan- tages offered to the passage through the Straits of Magellan. He does not agree with the majority of navigators who have visited these latitudes. He says,— “Our account of the difficulties and dangers we encountered may lead to the idea that it is not prudent to attempt this passage, and that ships leaving Europe for the southern seas, should prefer to double Cape Horn. I am by no means of this opinion, although I have twice doubled Cape Horn. There is one season in the year when not only one ship, but an entire fleet, might safely cross the straits, and to profit by this season one should enter them in the month of December. One inestimable advantage which should weigh with all navigators is that celery, scurvy—grass, fruits, and other anti-scorbutic vegetables abound. Such obstacles as we en- countered, and which delayed us from the 17th of February till the 8th of April in the straits, were mainly due to the equinoctial season, a season which is invariably stormy, and which, more than once, tried our patience.” Until the 26th of April, the day upon which they found Mas-a- Fuero, belonging to the Juan Fernandez group, Byron-had sailed to the N JV. He hastened to disembark several sailors, who after obtaining water and wood, chased wild goats, which they found better flavoured than venison in England. During their stay in this port, a singular fact occurred. A violent surf broke over the shore, and prevented the shore-boats from reaching the strand. Although he was provided with a life- belt, one of the sailors, who could not swim, refused to jump into the sea to reach the boat. Threatened with being left alone on the island, he still persistently refused to venture, when one of his companions cleverly encircled his waist with a cord, in which he had made a running knot, and one end of which was made fast to the heat. When he reached the vessel, Hawksworth’s narrative relates, that the unfortunate fellow had swallowed so much water CAPTAIN ooox’s PREDECESSORS. 39 that he appeared lifeless. He was accordingly hung up by the heels, whereupon he soon regained his senses, and the next day was completely restored. But in spite of this truly wonderful recovery, we can hardly venture to recommend this course of treat- ment to humane rescue societies. Leaving Mas-a-Fuero, Byron changed his route, with the inten- tion of seeking Davis Land, now known as Easter Island, which was placed by geographers in 27° 30’, a hundred leagues west- ward of the American coast. Eight days were devoted to this search. Having found nothing after this cruise, which he was unable to prolong, Byron, following his intention of visiting the Solomon 1 group, steered for the north-west. Upon the 22nd of May scurvy broke out on board the vessels, and quickly made alarming havoc. Fortunately land was perceived from the look-out on the 7th of June in 14° 58' west longitude. Next day, the fleet neared two islands, which presented an attractive appearance. Large bushy trees, shrubs and groves were seen, and a number of natives who hastened to the shore and lighted fires. Byron sent a boat in search of anchorage. It returned without ' having found the requisite depth at a cable’s length from shore. The unfortunate victims of scurvy who had crawled on to the forecastle, cast looks of sorrowful longing at the fertile islands, which held the remedy for their sufferings and which Nature placed beyond their reach I The narrative says,— “ They saw the cocoa-trees in abundance, laden with fruit, the milk of which is probably the most powerful anti-scorbutic in the world. They had reason for supposing that limes, bananas, and other tropical fruits abounded, and to add to their torments they saw the shells of tortoises floating on the shore.” All these delights, which would have restored them to vigour, were no more attainable than if they had been separated by half the globe, but the sight of them increased the misery of their priva- tions. Byron was anxious to curtail the tantalizing misery of his unfor- tunate crew, and giving the name of Disappointment Islands to the group, he set sail once more on the 8th of June. ' 40 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTII CENTURY. The very next day he found a new land, long, flat, covered with cocoa-nut trees. In its midst was a lake with a little islet. This feature alone was indicative of [the madreporic formation of the soil, simple deposit, which was not yet, but which in time would become, an island. The boat sent to sound met in every direction with a coast as steep as a wall. Meanwhile the natives made hostile demonstrations. Two men entered the boat. One stole a sailor’s waistcoat, another put out his hand for the quarter-master’s cocked hat, but not knowing how to deal with it, pulled it towards him, instead of lifting it up, which gave the quarter-master an opportunity of interfering with his intention. Two large pirogues, each manned by thirty paddlers, showed an intention of attacking the vessels, but the latter imme- diately chased them. Just as they were running ashore a struggle ensued, and the English, all but overwhelmed by numbers, were forced to use their arms. Three or four natives were killed. Next day, the sailors and such of the sick as could leave their hammocks landed. The natives, intimidated by the lesson they had received in the evening, remained in concealment, whilst the English picked cocoa-nuts, and gathered anti-scorbutic plants. These timely refreshments were so useful that in a few days there was not a sick man on board. Parrots, rarely beautiful, and tame doves, and several kinds of unknown birds composed the fauna of the island, which received the name of King George—that which was discovered afterwards was called Prince of Wales’ Island. All these lands belonged to the Pomotou group, which is also known. as the Low Islands, a very suitable name for this archipelago. On the 21st again a new chain of islands surrounded by breakers was sighted. Byron did not attempt a thorough investigation of these, as to do so he would have incurred risks out of proportion to the benefit to be gained. He called them the Dangerous Islands. Six days later, Duke of York Island was discovered. The Eng- lish found no inhabitants, but carried off two hundred cocoa-nuts, which appeared to them of inestimable value. A little farther, in latitude 1° 18' south longitude, 173°. 46' west, a desert island received the name of Byron ; it was situated eastward of the Gilbert group. CAPTAIN coox’s PREDECESSORS. 41 The heat was overwhelming, and the sailors, weakened, by their long voyage and want of proper food, in addition to the putrid water they had been forced to drink, were almost all attacked by dysentery. At length, on the 28th of July, Byron joyfully recognized Say- pan and Tinian Islands, which form part of the Marianne or Ladrone Islands, and he prepared to anchor in the very spot where Lord Anson had cast anchor with the Centurion. Tents were immediately prepared for the sufferers from scurvy. Almost all the sailors had been attacked by this terrible disease, many even had been at the point of death. The captain undertook to explore the dense wood which extended to the very edge of the shore, in search of the lovely country so enthusiastically described in the account written by Lord Anson’s chaplain. How far were these enchanting descriptions from the truth ! Impenetrable forests met him on every side, overgrown plants, briars, and tangled shrubs, at every step caught and tore his clot-hes. At the same time the explorers were attacked and stung by clouds of mosquitoes. Game was scarce and wild, the water detestable, the roadstead was never more dangerous than at this season. The halt was made, therefore, under unfortunate auspices. Still, in the end limes, bitter oranges, cocoa-nuts, bread-fruits, guavas, and others were found. But although these productions were bene- ficial to the invalids, who were shortly restored to vigour, the malarious atmosphere caused such violent fever that two sailors succumbed to it. In addition, the rain fell unceasingly and the heat was overpowering. Byron says that he nevcr experienced such terrific heat, even in his visits to the coast of Guinea, the East Indies, or St. Thomas Island, which is immediately below the equator. Fowls and wild pigs which weighed about 2 cwt. each, were easily procurable, but had to be eaten immediately, as in less than a hour decomposition took place. Lastly, the fish caught upon this shore was so unwholesome, that even those who ate it in moderation became dangerously ill, and risked their lives. After a stay of nine weeks, the two ships, amply provisioned, left the port of Tinian. Byron continued his route to the north, after having passed Anatacan Island, already discovered by‘Anson. He hoped to meet the NE. monsoon before reaching the Bashees, 42 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. which form the extreme north of the Philippines. Upon the 22nd he perceived Grafton Island, the most northerly of this group, and upon the 3rd of November he arrived at Timoan, which had been mentioned by Dampier as a favourable place for procuring pro- visions. The natives, however, who are of Malay descent, refused the offer of hatchets, knives, and iron instruments in exchange for fowls—they demanded rupees. Finally they accepted some hand- kerchiefs in payment of a dozen fowls, a goat and its kid. For- tunately fish was abundant, as it would have been impossible to procure fresh victuals. Byron set sail once more on the 7th November, passed Poulo Condor at a distance, stopped at Poulo Taya, where he encountered a'vessel bearing Dutch colours, but which was manned entirely by Malays. Reaching Sumatra, be explored the coast and cast anchor at Batavia, the principal seat of Dutch power in the East Indies, on the 20th November. At this time there were more than one hundred ships, large and small, in this roadstead, so flourishing was the trade of the East India Company at this epoch. The town was at the height of its- prosperity. Its large and open thoroughfares, its admirable canals, bordered by pine-trees, its regular buildings, singularly recalled the cities of the Netherlands. Portuguese, Chinese, English, Dutch, Persians, Moors, and Malays, mixed in the streets, and transacted business. Fétes, receptions, gaieties of every kind impressed new comers with a high idea of the prosperity of the town, and contributed to make their stay a pleasant one. The sole drawback, and it was a serious one to crews after so long a voyage, was the unhealthiness of the locality, where endemic fevers abound. Byron being aware of this, hurried the embarkation of his provisions, and set sail after an interval of twelve days. Short as their stay had been, it had been too long. The fleet had scarcely reached the strait of the sound, before a malignant fever broke out among the crew, disabling half their number, and end- ing in the death of three sailors. After forty-eight days’ navigation, Byron perceived the coast of Africa, and cast anchor three days later in Table Bay. Cape Town furnished all that he could require. Provisions, water, medicines, were all shipped with a rapidity which suf- CAPTAIN ooon’s PREDECESSORS. 43 ficiently indicated their anxiety to return, and once more the prow of the vessel was directed homewards. Two incidents occurred on the passage across the Atlantic, thus described by Byron. “ Off St. Helena, in fine weather, and with a favourable wind,'the vessel, then at a considerable distance from land, received a shock which was as severe as if she had struck on a rock. Its violence so alarmed us that we all ran to the bridge. Our fears were dissipated when we saw the sea tinged with blood to a great distance. We concluded that we had come in contact with a whale or a grampus, and that our ship had apparently received no damage, which was true.” A few days later, however, the Tamar was found to be in such a dilapidated state, such grave injuries were discovered in her rudder, that it was necessary to invent something to replace it, and to enable her to reach the Antilles, it being too great a risk to allow her to continue her voyage. Upon the 9th of May, 1766, the Dauphin anchored in the Downs, after a voyage round the world which had lasted for twenty-three months. This was the most fortunate of all the circumnavigation voyages undertaken by the English. Up to this date, no purely scientific voyage had been attempted. If it was less fruitful of results than had been anticipated, the fault lay not so much with the captain as with the Lords of the Admiralty. They were not sufficiently accurate in their instructions, and had not taken the trouble (as was done in later voyages) of sending special professors of the various branches of science with the expedition. Full justice, however, was paid to Byron. The title of Admiral was conferred on him, and an important command in the East Indies was entrusted to him. But we have no interest in the latter part of his life, which ended in 1786, and to that, therefore, we need not allude. 444: THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. U. Wallis and Carteret—Preparations for the Expedition—Difficult navigation of the Strait of Magellan—Separation of the Dauphin and the Swallow— Whitsunday Island—Queen Charlotte’s Island—Cumberland, Henry Islands, &c.—Tahiti——Howe, Boscawen, and Keppel Islands—Wallis Island—Batavia —The Cape—The Downs—Discovery of Pitcairn, Osnaburgh, and Gloucester Islands by Carteret—Santa Cruz Archipelago—Solomon Islands—St. George’s canal and New Ireland, Portland and Admiralty Islands—Batavia and Macassar—Meeting with Bougainville in the Atlantic. THE impulse once given, England inaugurated the series of scien- tific expeditions which were to prove so fruitful of results, and to raise her naval reputation to such a height. Admirable indeed is the training acquired in these voyages round the world. In them the crew, the officers, and sailors, are con- stantly brought face to face with unforeseen difficulties and dangers, which call forth the best qualities of the sailor, the soldier, and the man I If France succumbed to the naval superiority of Great Britain during the revolutionary and imperial wars, was it not fully as much owing to this stern training of the British seaman, as to the internal dissensions which deprived France of the services of the greater part of her naval staff ? Be this as it may, the English Admiralty, shortly after Byron’s return, organized a new expedition. Their preparations appear to have been far too hasty. The Dauphin only anchored in the Downs at the beginning of May, and six weeks later, on the 19th of June, Captain Samuel Wallis received the command. This officer, after attaining the highest rank in the military marine service, had been entrusted with an important command in Canada, and had assisted in the capture of Louisburgh. “7e cannot tell what qualities commended him to the Admiralty in preference to his companions in arms, but in any case, the noble lords had no reason to regret their decision. Wallis hastened the CAPTAIN ooox’s PREDECESSORS. 45 needful preparations on board the Dauphin, and on the 21st of August (less than a month after receiving his commission), he joined the sloop Swallow and the Prince Frederick in Plymouth Harbour. The latter was in charge of Lieutenant Brine, the former was commanded by Philip Carteret. Both were most- distinguished officers who had just returned from a voyage round the world with Commodore Byron, and whose reputation was destined to be in- creased by their second voyage. The Swallow, unfortunately, appears to have been quite unfit for the service demanded of her. Having already been thirty years in service, the sheathing was very much worn, and her keel was not studded with nails, which might have served instead of sheath- ing to protect her from parasites. Again the provisions and marketable commodities were so unequally divided, that the Swallow received much less than the Dauphin. Carteret begged (in vain for a rope yarn, a forge, and various thin gs which his experience told him would be indispensable. This rebuff confirmed Carteret in his notiOn that he should not get further than the Falkland Isles, but none the less he took every precaution which his experience dictated to him. As soon as the equipment was complete, on the 22nd of April 1766, the vessels set sail. It did not take Wallis long to find out that the Swallow was a bad sailer, and that he might anticipate much trouble during his voyage. However, no accident happened during the voyage to Madeira, where the vessels put in to revictual. Upon leaving the port, the commander supplied Carteret with a copy of his instructions, and selected Port Famine, in the Strait of Magellan, as a rendezvous, in case of separation. Their stay at Port Praya, in the Island of Santiago, was shortened on account of the ravages committed there by the small- pox, and \Vallis would not even allow his crew to land. Shortly after leaving the Equator, the Prince Frederick gave signs of distress, and it was necessary to send the carpenter on board to stop up a leak on the larboard side. This vessel, which was provided with inferior provisions, counted already a number of sick among her crew. Towards eight o’clock in the evening of the 19th of N ovem- ber, the crews perceived in the NE. a meteor of extraordinary 46 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. appearance, moving in a straight line towards the S.W. with marvellous ra.pidity It was visible for almost a minute, and left behind a trail of light, so bright that the deck was illuminated as if it were mid- day. On the 8th of December, the coast of Patagonia was at last visible. Wallis skirted it until he reached Cape Virgin, where he landed with the armed detachments of the Swallow and Prince Frederic/c. A crowd of natives awaited them upon the shore, and received with apparent satisfaction the knives, scissors, and other trifles which it was usual to distribute upon such occasions, but they would not part with guanacos, ostriches, or any other game which were seen in their possession for any consideration. Wallis says,— “ We took the measure of the largest of them, one was six feet six inches in height, several were five feet five inches, but the average was five foot six, or six feet.” It must be remembered that these were English feet, which are only 305 millemetres. If these natives were not quite so tall as the giants mentioned by previous navigators, they were very little less striking. “Each one,” continues the narrative, “ carried a strange kind of weapon, it consisted of two round stones, covered with copper, each of which weighed about a pound, and they were attached at both ends to a cord about eight feet long. They used them like slings, holding one of the stones in the hand, and whirling the other round the head until it attained sufficient velocity, when they threw it towards the object they wished to strike. They managed this weapon so adroitly that they could strike a butt no larger than a shilling with both stones, at a distance of fifteen roods. They did not, however, employ it in chasing guanacos or ostriches.” Wallis conducted eight of these Patagonians on board. They did not appear surprised, as one would have expected, at the 7 number of new and extraordinary things they met with. They advanced, retired, made a thousand grimaces before the mirrors, shouted with laughter, and conversed animatedly among themselves. Their attention was attracted by the pigs for a moment, but they were immensely amused with the guinea fowls and turkeys. It was difficulty to persuade them to leave the vessel. At last they returned to the shore, singing and making They made a thuuamd grimaccs. Page 46. CAPTAIN coou’s PREDECESSORS. 47 signs of delight to their countrymen who awaited them on the . bank. On the 17th of December, Wallis signalled the Swallow to head the squadron for the passage of the Straits of Magellan. At Port Famine the commander had two tents erected on shore for the sick, the wood-cutters, and the sailors. Fish in sufficient quantities for each day’s meal, abundance of celery, and acid fruits similar to cranberries and barberries, were to be found in this harbour, and in the course of about a fortnight these remedies completely restored the numerous sufferers from scurvy. The vessels were repaired and partially calked, the sails were mended, the rigging, which had been a good deal strained, was overhauled and repaired, and all was soon ready for sea again. But Wallis first ordered a large quantity of wood to be cut and conveyed on board the Prince Frederick, for transport to the Falkland Isles, where it is not obtainable. At the same time he had hundreds of young trees carefully dug up, and the roots covered in their native. soil to facilitate their transplantation in Port Egmont, that in taking root—as there was reason to hope they would—they might supply the barren archipelago with this precious commodity. Lastly, the provisions were divided between the Dauphin and the Suallow. The former taking sufficient for a year, the latter for ten months. We will not enlarge upon the different incidents which befell the two ships in the Straits of Magellan, such as sudden gales, tempests and snowstorms, irregular and rapid currents, heavy seas and fogs, which more than once brought the vessels within an inch of destruction. The Swallow especially, was in such a dilapi- dated condition, that Carteret besought Wallis to consider his vessel no longer of any use in the expedition, and to tell him what course should best be pursued for the public good. Wallis replied, “The orders of the Admiralty are concise, and you must conform to them, and accompany the Damp/7772 as long as possible. I am aware that the Swallow is a bad sailer 5 I will accommodate myself to her speed, and follow her movements, for it is most important that in case of accident to one of the ships, . the other should be within reach, to give all the assistance in her power.’ 48 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Carteret had nothing to urge in reply, but he augured badly for the result of the expedition. As the ships approached the opening of the straits on the Pacific side, the weather became abominable. A thick fog, falls of snow and rain, currents which sent the vessels on to the breakers, a chopping sea, contributed to detain the navigators in the straits until the 10th of April. On that day, the Dauphin and Swallow were separated off Cape Pilar, and could not find each other, \Vallis not having fixed a rendezvous in case of separa- tion. Before we follow Wallis on his voyage across the Pacific, we will give a short account of the wretched natives of Tierra del Fuego, and of the general appearance of their country. These wretches, who were as miserable and debased as possible, subsisted upon the raw flesh of seals and penguins. “ One of our men,” says Wallis, “ who fished with a line, be- stowed a live fish, which he had just caught, and which was about the size of a herring, upon one of these Americans. He took it with the eagerness of a dog snatching a bone. He commenced opera- tions by killing the fish with a bite near the gills, and proceeded to devour it, beginning at the head and finishing at the tail, without rejecting the bones, fins, scales, or entrails. In fact, these people swallowed everything that was offered to them, cooked or un- cooked, fresh or salt, but they refused all drink but water. Their sole covering was a miserable seal-skin reaching to the knees. Their weapons were javelins tipped with a fish-bone. They all suf- fered from bad eyes, which the English attributed to their custom of living in smoke to protect themselves from mosquitos. Lastly, they emitted a most offensive smell, only to be likened to that of foxes, which doubtless arose from their excessively filthy habits.” Although certainly not inviting, this picture is graphic, as all navigators testify. It would appear that progress is not possible to these savages, so nearly allied to brutes. Civilization is a dead letter to them, and they still vegetate like their forefathers, with no wish to improve, and with no ambition to attain a more com- fortable existence. \Vallis continues,— “Thus we quitted this savage and uninhabitable region, where for four months we had been in constant dange1 of shipwreck, where in the height of summer the weather is foggy, cold, and CAPTAIN coon’s PREDEOESSORS. 49 stormy, where almost all the valleys are without verdure, and the mountains without woods, in short where the land which one can see rather resembles the ruins of a world, than the abode of living creatures.” Wallis was scarcely free of the strait, when he set sail west- ward in spite of dense fogs, and with high wind and such a heavy sea, that for weeks together there was not a dry corner in the ship. The constant exposure to damp engendered cold and severe fevers, to which scurvy shortly succeeded. Upon reaching 32° south latitude, and 100° west longitude, the navigator steered due north. Upon the 6th of June, two islands were discovered amidst general rejoicings. The ships’ boats, well armed and equipped, reached the shore under command of Lieutenant Furneaux. A quantity of cocoa- nuts and anti-scorbutic plants Were obtained, but although the English fOund huts and sheds, they did not meet with a single inhabitant. This island was discovered on the eve of Whitsunday and hence received the name Whitsunday. It is situated in 19° 26’ south latitude, and 137° 56’ west longi- . tude. Like the following islands, it belongs to the Pomotou group. Next day, the English endeavoured to make overtures to the inhabitants of another island, but the natives appeared so ill- disposed and the coast was so steep, that it was impossible to land. After tacking about all night, Wallis despatched the boats, with orders not to use violence to the inhabitants if they could avoid it, or unless absolutely obliged. As Lieutenant Furneaux approached the land, he was astonished by the sight of two large pirogues with double masts, in which the natives were on the eve of embarking. As soon as they had done so, the English landed, and searched the island thoroughly. They discovered several pits full of good water. The soil was firm, sandy, covered with trees, more especially cocoanut-trees, palm-trees, and sprinkled with anti- scorbutic plants. The narrative says,— ' “ The natives of this island were of moderate stature. Their skin was brown, and they had long black hair, straggling over the shoulders. The men were finely formed, and the Women, ' VOL. II. E i 50 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. were beautiful. Some coarse material formed their garment, which was tied round the waist, and appeared to be intended to be raised round the shoulders. In the afternoon, Wallis sent the lieutenant to procure water and to take possession of the island in the name of King George III. It was called Queen Charlotte’s Island, in honour of the English queen.” After reconnoitring personally, Wallis determined to remain in this region for a week, in order to profit by the facilities it afforded for provisioning. In their walks the English met with working implements made of shells, and sharpened stones shaped like axes, scissors, and awls. They also noticed boats in course of construction, made of boards joined together. But they were most of all as- tonished at meeting with tombs upon which the dead bodies were exposed under a sort of awning, and where they putrified in the open air. _ When they quitted the island, they left hatchets, nails. bottles, and other things as reparation for any damage they might have committed. The 17th century teamed with philanthropic aspirations! And from the accounts of all navigators one is led to believe that the theory so much advocated was put into practice upon most occa- sions. Humanity had made great strides. Difference of colour no longer presented an insuperable barrier to a man’s being treated as a brother, and the convention which at the close of the century ordered the freedom of the black, set a seal to the con- victions of numbers. The Dauphin discovered new land, the same day that she left Queen Charlotte’s Island. It lay to the westward, but after cruis- ing along the coast, the vessel was unable to find anchorage. Lying low, it was covered with trees, neither cocoa-nuts nor inhabitants were to be found, and it evidently was merely a ren- dezvous for the hunters and fishers of the neighbouring islands. Wallis therefore decided not to stop. It received the name of Egmont, in honour of Earl Egmont, then chief Lord of the Admiralty. The following days brought new discoveries. Gloucester, Cumberland, William, Henry, and Osnaburgh Islands, were sighted in succession. Lieutenant Furneaux was able to procure provisions without landing at the last named. CAPTAIN COOK’S PREDEOESSORS. 51 Observing several large pirogues on the beach, he drew the conclusion that other and perhaps larger islands would be found at no great distance, where they would probably find abundant provisions, and to which access might be less difficult. His pre- vision was right. As the sun rose upon the 19th, the English sailors were astonished at finding themselves surrounded by pi- rogues of all sizes, having on board no less than eight hundred natives. After having consulted together at some distance, a few of the natives approached, holding in their hands banana branches. They were on the point of climbing up the vessels, when an absurd accident interrupted these cordial relations. One of them had climbed into the gangway- when a goat ran' at him. Turning be perceived the strange animal upon its hind legs preparing to attack him again. Overcome with terror, he jumped back into the sea, an example quickly followed by the others. It recalled the incident of the sheep of Panurge. Recovering from this alarm, they again climbed into the ship, and brought all their cunning to bear upon petty thefts. How- ever, only one officer had his hat stolen. The vessel all the time was following the coast in search of a fitting harbour, whilst the boats coasted the shore for soundings. The English had never found a more picturesque and attrac- tive country in any of their voyages. On the shore, the huts of the natives were sheltered by shady woods, in which flourished graceful clusters of cocoanut-trees. Graduated chains of hills, with wooded summits, and the silver sheen of rivers glistening amid the verdure as they found their way to the sea, added to the beauty of the interior. The boats sent to take soundings were suddenly surrounded at the entrance of a large bay by a crowd of pirogues. Wallis, to _ avoida collision, gave the order for the discharge from the swivel gun above the natives’ heads, but although the noise terrified them, . they still continued their approach. The captain accordingly ordered his boats to make for the shore, and the natives finding themselves disregarded, threw some sharp stones which wounded a few sailors. But the captains of the boats replied to this attack by a volley of bullets, which injured one of them, and was followed by the flight of the rest. The Dauphin anchored next day at the mouth of a large river E 2 52 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. in twenty fathoms of water. The sailors rejoiced universally. The natives immediately surrounded them with pirogues, bringing pigs, fowls, and various fruits, which were quickly exchanged for hardware and nails. One of the boats employed in taking sound- ings, however, was attacked by blows from paddles and sticks, and the sailors were forced to use their weapons. One native was killed, a second severely wounded, and the rest jumped into the water. Seeing that they were not pursued, and conscious that they themselves had been the aggressors, they returned to traffic with the Dauphin as if nothing had happened. Upon returning on board, the officers reported that the natives had invited them to land, more especially the women, with unequivocal gestures, and that moreover, there was excellent anchorage near the shore within reach of water. The only inconvenience arose from a considerable swell. The Dauphin accordingly weighed anchor and proceeded into the open sea to run with the wind, when all at once Wallis perceived a bay seven or eight miles distant, which he determined to reach. The captain was soon to experience the truth of the proverb which asserts that one had better leave well alone. Although soundings were taken by the boats as they advanced, the Dauphin struck _on a rock and damaged her forepart. The usual measures in such a case were taken immediately, but outside the chain of madreporic rocks no depth could be sounded. It was consequently impossible to cast anchor, or to use the capstan. What course had best be pursued in this critical situation ? The vessel beat violently against the rocks, and a host of pirogues waited in expectation of a shipwreck, eager to clutch their prey. Fortu- nately at the end of an hour a favourable breeze rising, disengaged the Dauphin, and wafted her into good anchorage. The damage done was not serious, and was as easily repaired as forgotten. \Vallis, rendered prudent by the constant efforts of the natives, divided his men into four parties, one of which was always to be armed. And he ordered guns to be fired. But after one or two rounds the number of pirogues increased, and no longer laden with poultry, they appeared to be filled with stones. The crews of the larger vessels also were augmented. I All at once upon a given signal a storm of pebbles fell upon the ship. ‘Valh's ordered a general discharge, and had two guns §‘\‘\\\\'\\\ \\\\\ '\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\i'\' * N— 'l‘hc naxiw» waving palm-loaves as a sign of “clcomc. CAPTAIN coox’s PREDECESSORS. - 53 loaded with fine shot. The natives, after some slight hesita- tion and disorder, returned to the attack with great bravery; and the captain, noticing the constantly increasing numbers of the assailants, was not without anxiety as to the result, when an unexpected event put an end to the contest. Among the pirogues which attacked the Dauphin most ener- getically, was one which appeared to contain a chief, as from it the signal of attack was given. A well-directed shot out this double pirogue in two. This was enough to decide the natives upon retreat. They set about it so precipitately that in less than half an hour not a single boat remained in sight. The vessel was then towed into port, and so placed as to protect the disembarkation. Lieutenant Furneaux landed at the head of a strong detachment of sailors and marines, and planting the English flag, took possession of the island in the name 0f the King of England, in whose honour it was named George the Third. The natives called it Tahiti. After prostrating themselves, and offering various marks of repentance, the natives appeared anxious to commence friendly and honest business with the English, but fortunately Wallis, who was detained on board by severe illness, perceived preparations for a simultaneous attack by land and sea upon the men sent to find water. The shorter the struggle the less the loss 1 Acting upon which principle, directly the natives came within gunshot range, a few discharges dispersed their fleet. To put a stop to these attempts, it was necessary to make an example. Wallis decided with regret that it was so. He accor- dingly sent a detachment on shore at once with his carpenters, ordering them to destroy every pirogue which was hauled up on the beach. More than fifty, many of them sixty feet long, were hacked to pieces. Upon this the Tahitians decided to give in They brought pigs, dogs, stuffs, and fruits to the shore, placed them. there, and then withdrew. The English left in exchange hatchets and toys which were carried off to the forest with many delighted gestures. Peace was eStablished, and from the morrow a regular and abundant traffic commenced, which supplied the ships with the fresh provisions needed by the crews. There was ground for hope that these amicable relations would continue during their 54 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. stay in the island, now that the natives had once realized the power and effect of the strangers’ weapons. Wallis, therefore, ordered a tent to be prepared near the water supply, and disem- barked all the sufferers from scurvy, Whilst the healthy members of his company were engaged in repairing the rigging, mending the sails, and calking and repainting the vessel, putting her, in short, in a condition fitted for the long journey which was to take her to England. At this juncture Wallis’s illness assumed an alarming character. The first lieutenant was in hardly better health. All the responsi- bility of the expedition fell upon Furneaux, who was quite equal to the task. After a rest of fifteen days, during which the peace had not been disturbed, Wallis found all his invalids restored to health. Provisions, however, became less plentiful. The natives, spoilt by the abundance of nails and hatchets, became more exacting. Upon the 15th of July, a tall woman, apparently some forty- five years of age, of majestic appearance, and who seemed to be much respected by the natives, came on board the Dauphin. Wallis at once perceived by the dignity of her deportment, and the freedom of her manner, peculiar to persons habituated to com- mand, that she was of high station. He presented her with a blue mantle, a looking-glass, and other gewgaws, which she i received with an expression of profound contentment. Upon leaving the vessel she invited the captain to land, and to pay her a visit. Wallis, although still very weak, did not fail to comply with this request next day. He was conducted to a large hut, which covered about 327 feet in length, and 42 in width. The roof was constructed of palm leaves and was supported by fifty- three pillars. A considerable crowd, collected together by the event, lined the approach, and received him respectfully. The visit was enlivened by a comical incident. The surgeon of the vessel, who perspired greatly from the effects of the walk, to relieve himself took off his wig. A sudden exclamation from one of the Indians . at this sight, drew general attention to the prodigy, and all fixed their eyes upon it. The Whole assemblage remained perfectly still for some moments, in the silence of astonishment, which could not have been greater if they had seen one of our company decapitated. gé‘fl 583$ng s a Q: 90h San QHN an ~ § N § = a. g Asawwfizrgafi M: E iii. 3 NR il ~ §- 3 §n~ 3.: Qhu Qb~ §h~ SQ“ CAPTAIN ooox’s PREDEGESSORS. 55 Next day, a messenger, sent to convey a present to Queen Oberoa, in acknowledgment of her gracious reception, found her giving a feast to several hundred persons. Her servants carried the dishes to her already prepared, the meat in cocoa-nut shells, and the shell fish in a sort of wooden trough, similar to those used by our butchers. She herself dis- tributed them with her own hands to each of her guests, who were sitting and standing all round the house. When this was over, she seated herself upon a sort of raised dais, and two women beside her gave her her food. They offered the viands to her' in their fingers 3 and she had only to take the trouble to open her mouth. The consequences of this exchange of civilities were speedily felt. The market was once more fully supplied with provisions, although no longer at the same low price as upon the first arrival of the English. Lieutenant Furneaux reconnoitred the length of the coast west- ward, to gain an idea of the island, and to see what it was possible to obtain from it. The English were everywhere well received. They found a pleasant country, densely populated, whose inhabi- tants appeared in no hurry to sell their commodities. All their working implements were either of stone or of bone, which led Lieutenant F urneaux to infer that the Tahitians possess no metals. As they had no earthenware vessels, they had no idea that water could be heated. They discovered it one day when the queen dined on board. One of the principal members of her suite, having seen the surgeon pour water from the boiler into the tea- pot, turned the tap and received the scalding liquor upon his hand. ‘ Finding himself burnt, he uttered most frightful screams, and ran round the cabin making most extravagant gestures. His companions, unable to imagine what had happened to him, stared at him with mingled astonishment and fear. The surgeon hastened to interfere, but for a long time the poor Tahitian refused to be comforted. Some days later, Wallis discovered that his sailors stole nails to give them to the native women. They even went so far as to raise the planks of the ship to obtain screws, nails, bolts, and all the bits of iron which united them to the timbers. Wallis treated the offence rigorously, but nothing availed, and in spite 56 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. of the precaution he took, of allowing no one to leave the vessel without being searched, these robberies constantly occurred. An expedition, undertaken into the interior, discovered a large valley watered by a beautiful river. Everywhere the soil was carefully cultivated, and arrangements had been made for watering the gardens and the fruit plantations. Farther penetrations into the interior proved the capacious windings of the river; the valley narrowed, the hills were succeeded by mountains, at every step the way became more difficult. A peak, distant about six miles ' from the place of landing, was climbed, in the hope of thus dis- covering the entire island, even to its smallest recesses. But the view was intercepted by yet higher mountains. On the side to- wards the sea, however, nothing interfered with the magnificent view which stretched before their gaze, everywhere hills, covered with magnificent woods, upon whose verdant slopes the huts of the natives stood out clearly, and in the valleys with their num- berless cabins, and gardens surrounded by hedges, the scenes were still more enchanting. The sugar cane, ginger plant, tamarind . and tree ferns, with cocoanut-trees, furnished the principal resources of this fertile country. Wallis, wishing to enrich it still more with the productions of our own climate, caused peach, cherry, and plum stones to be planted, as well as lemon, orange and lime pips, and sowed quan- tities of vegetable seeds. At the same time he gave the queen a present of a cat about to kitten, of two cocks, fowls, geese, and other domestic animals, which he hoped might breed well. However, time pressed, and Wallis decided to leave. “Then he announced his intention to the queen, she threw herself upon a seat and cried for a long time, with so much grief that it was impossible to comfort her. She remained upon the vessel up to the last moment, and as it set sail “ embraced us,” says Wallis, “in the tenderest way, weeping plenteously, and our friends the Tahitians bade us farewell, with so much sorrow, and in so touching a manner, that I felt heavy-hearted, and my eyes filled with tears.” The uncourteous reception of the English, and the repeated attempts made by the natives to seize the vessel, would hardly have led to the idea of a painful separation ! However, as the proverb has it, All’s well that ends well I . Of Wallis’ observations of the manners and customs of the 52‘“ ,erfi ‘ llCJlI-LIH“"§\ ml “Mum ul' Tahiti. (flu «imilc uf un'ly cumming) / ’xlgc' 50. CAPTAIN ooox’s PREDECESSORS. 57 island, we shall only enumerate the few following, as we shall have occasion to return to them again in relating the voyages undertaken by Bougainville and Cook. Tall, well built, active, slightly dark in complexion, the natives were clothed in a species of White stuff made from the bark of trees. Two pieces of stuff completed their costume, one was square and looked like a blanket. The head was thrust through a hole in the centre, and it recalled the “ zarapo ” of the Mexicans, and the “poncho ” of the South American Indian. The second piece was rolled round the body, without being tightened. Almost all, men and women, tattoo their bodies with black lines close together, representing different figures. The operation was thus performed : the pattern was pricked in the skin, and the holes filled with a sort of paste composed of oil and grease, which left an indelible mark. Civilization has little advanced. We have already stated that the Tahitians did not understand earthenware vessels. Wallis, therefore, presented the queen with a saucepan, which everybody flocked to inspect with extreme curiosity. As to religion, the captain found no trace of that! He only noticed that upon entering certain places, which he took to be cemeteries, they maintained a respectful appearance, and wore mourning apparel. One of the natives, more disposed than his companions to adopt English manners, was presented with a complete suit of clothes, which became him very well. J onathan—so they had named him, was quite proud of his new outfit. To put the finishing touch to. his manners, he desired to learn the use of a fork. But habit was too strong for him ! his hands always went to his mouth I and the bit of meat at the end of the fork, found its way to his ear. _ It was the 27th of July, when Wallis left the George III. Island. After coasting Duke of York Island, he discovered several islands or islets in succession, upon which he did not touch. For example, Charles Saunders, Lord Howe, Scilly, Boscawen, and Keppel Islands, where the hostile character of the natives, and the difficulty of disembarkation prevented his landing. Winter was now to begin in the southern region. The vessel leaked in all directions, the stern especially was much strained by the rudder. Was it wise, under such circumstances, to sail 58 THE GREAT NAVIGATOR-S OF THE EIGBTEENTH CENTURY. for Cape Horn or the Straits of Magellan? Would it not be ‘ running the risk of certain shipwreck? Would it not be better to reach Tinian or Batavia, where repairs were possible, and to return to Europe by the Cape of Good Hope? Wallis decided upon the latter course. He steered for the north-west, and upon the 19th of September, after a voyage which was too fortunate to supply any incidents, he cast anchor in the Tinian harbour. The incidents which marked Byron’s stay in this place were repeated, with far too much regularity. Wallis could not rejoice over its facilities for provisioning, or the temperature of the country, any more than his predecessors. But the sufferers from scurvy recovered in a short time, the sails were mended, and the vessel calked and repaired, and the crew had the unexpected good for- tune of catching no fever. On the 16th October, 1769, the Dauphin returned to sea, but this time, she encountered a succession of frightful storms, which tore the sails, reopened the leakage, broke the rudder, and carried away the poop with all that was to be found on the forecastle. However, the Bashees were rounded, and Formosa Strait crossed, Sandy Isle, Small Key, Long Island, and New Island were re- cognized, as also, Condor, Timor, Aros, and Pisang, Pulo-Taya, Pulo-Toté, and Sumatra, before the arrival at Batavia, which took place upon the 30th of November. We have already had occasion to mention the localities which . witnessed the completion of the voyage. It is enough to state that from Batavia, where the crews took the fever, Wallis pro- ceeded by the Cape, thence to St. Helena, and finally arrived in the Downs, on the 20th of May, 1768, after six hundred and thirty-seven days’ voyage. It is to be regretted that Hawkesworth has not reproduced the instructions Wallis received from the Admiralty. Without know- ing what they were, we cannot decide whether this brave sailor carried out the orders he had received cm pied tie [a Zettre. We have seen that he followed with little variation the route traced by his predecessors, in the Pacific Ocean. In fact, nearly all had approached by the dangerous archipelago, leaving unexplored that portion of Oceania, where islands are most numerous, and where Cook was later to make such important discoveries. CAPTAIN coox’s PREDECESSORS. 59 Clever as a navigator, Wallis understood how to obtain from a hasty and incomplete equipment unexpected resources, which enabled him to bring an adventurous enterprise to a successful close. He is equally to be honoured for his humanity and the efforts he made to collect reliable information of the countries he visited. Had he only been accompanied by special men of science, there is no doubt that their scientific harvest would have been abundant. The fault lay with the Admiralty. We have related how, on the 10th of April, 1767, as the Dauphin and the Swallow entered the Pacific, the former, carried away by a strong breeze, had lost sight of the latter, and had been unable to follow her. This separation was most unfortunate for Captain Carteret. He knew better than any of his crew the dilapidated condition of his vessel and the insufficiency of his provisions. In short, he was well aware that he could only hope to meet the Dauphin in England, as no plan of operation had been ar— ranged, and no rendezvous had been named—a grave omission on ‘Vallis’ part, who was aware of the condition of his consort. Nevertheless, Carteret allowed none of his apprehensions to come to the knowledge of the crew. At first the detestable weather experienced by the Swallow upon the Pacific Ocean (most misleading name), allowed no time for reflection. The dangers of the passing moment, in which there was every prospect of their being engulfed, hid from them the perils of the future. Carteret steered for the north, by the coast of Chili. Upon investigating the quantity of soft water which he had on board, he found it quite insufficient for the voyage he had undertaken. He determined therefore, before setting sail for the west, to take in water at Juan Fernandez, or at Mas-a-Fuero. The' weather continued wretched. Upon the evening of the 27th a sudden squall was followed by a rising wind, which carried the vessel straight to the Cape. The violence of the storm failed to carry away the masts or to founder the ship. The tempest continued in all its fury, and the sails being extremely wet, clung round the masts and rigging so closely, that it was impossible to work them. Next day a sudden wave broke the mizen-mast, just where there was a flaw in the sail, and submerged the vessels for a few moments. The storm only abated sufficiently to allow the crew of the Swallow time to recover a little, and to repair the 60 THE GREAT NAVIGATOR-S OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. worst damage; then recommenced, and continued with violent squalls until the 7th of May. The wind then became favourable, and three days later Juan Fernandez was reached. Carteret was not aware that the Spaniards had fortified this island. He was, therefore, extremely surprised at seeing a large number of men upon the shore, and at perceiving a battery of four pieces on the beach, and a fort, pierced with twenty embrasures and surmounted by the Spanish flag, upon a hill. The rising wind prevented an entrance into Cumberland Bay, and after cruising about for an entire day, Carteret was obliged to content himself with reaching Mas-a-Fuero. But'he met the same obstacles, and the surge which broke upon the shore interfered with his operations, and it was only with the utmost difficulty that he succeeded in shipping a few casks of water. Some of the crew, who had been forced by the state of the sea to remain on land, killed guinea fowls enough to feed the entire crew. These, with the exception of some seals and plenty of fish, were the sole result of a stay, marked by a succession of squalls and storms, which constantly placed the ship in danger. Carteret, who, owing to unfavourable winds, had had several opportunities of noticing Mas-a-Fuero, corrected many of the errors in the account of Lord Anson’s voyage, and furnished many details of inestimable use to navigators. On leaving Mas-a-Fuero, Carteret steered northward in the hope of meeting the south-eastern trade wind. Carried farther than he had counted upon, he determined to seek St. Ambrose, and St. Felix Island, or the island of St. Paul. N ow that the Span- iards had taken possession of and fortified Juan Fernandez, those islands might be of great value to the English in the event of war. But Mr. Green’s charts and the “Elements of Navigation” by Robertson did not tally as to their situation. Carteret, having most confidence in the latter work, sought for them in the north, and failed to find them. In re—reading the description given by Waser, .Davis’ surgeon, he thought these two islands were identical with the land met with by that filibuster, in his route to the south of the Galapagos Islands, and that Davis’ Land did not 'exist. This caused a double error, that of identifying St. Felix Island with Davis’ Land, and of denying the existence of the latter, which is in reality Easter Island. CAPTAIN ooox’s PREDECESSORS. 61 “At this parallel,” says Carteret, that is in 18° west from his point of departure, “ we had fresh breezes, and a strong northerly current, and other reasons for conj ecturing that we were near Davis’ Land, which we were seeking so carefully. But a stiff breeze rising again, we steered quarter SWV. and reached 28%;" southern latitude, from which it follows that if this land or anything answering to it exists, I must infallibly have fallen in with it, or at least have seen it. I afterwards remained in 28° south lati- tude, and 40" west of my point of departure, and as far as I can conjecture 1210 west London. All the navigators combined in insisting upon the existence of a southern continent. Carteret could not conceive that Davis’ Land was but a small island, a spot lost in the immensity of the ocean. As he found no continent, he decided upon the non- existence of Davis’ Land. It was precisely in this way that he was misled. Carteret continued his search until the 7th of June. He was in 28° south. latitude and 112° west longitude, that is to say, he was in the immediate neighbourhood of Easter Island. It was still the depth of winter. The sea ran continually high, violent and variable winds, dull, foggy, and cold weather was accompanied by thunder, rain, and snow. N o doubt it was owing to the great darkness, and to the thick fog, which hid the sun for several days, that Carteret failed to perceive Easter Island, for many signs, such as the number of birds, floating seaweeds, &c., announced the neighbourhood of land. These atmospheric troubles again retarded the voyage, in addition to which the Swallow was as bad a sailer as possible, and one may guess at the weariness, the preoccupation, even the mental suffering of the captain, who saw his crew on the point of starvation. But in spite of all, the voyage was continued by day and night in a westerly direction until the 2nd of July. Upon this day land was discovered to the north, and on the morrow, Carteret was sufficiently close to recognize it. It was only a great rock five miles in circumference, covered with trees, which appeared uninhabited, but the swell, so prevalent at this time of year, pre- vented the vessel coming alongside. It was named Pitcairn, after the first discoverer. In these latitudes, the sailors, previously in good health, felt the first attacks of scurvy. 62 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Upon the 11th, a new land was seen in 229 southern latitude, and 145° 34’ longitude. It received the name of Osnaburghfin honour of the king’s second son. Next day Carteret sent an expedition to two more islands, where neither eatables nor water were found. The sailors caught many birds in their hands, as they were so tame that they did not fly at the approach of man. All these islands belonged to the Dangerous group, a long chain of low islands, clusters of which were the despair of' all navigators, for the few resources they offered. Carteret thought he recognized Quiros in the land discovered, but this place, which is called by the natives Tahiti, is situated more to the north. Sickness, however, increased daily. The adverse winds, but especially the damage the ship had sustained, made her progress very slow. Carteret thought it necessary to follow the route upon which he was most likely to obtain provisions and the needful rapairs. “My intention in the event of my ship being repaired,” says Cartaret, “ was to continue my voyage to the: south upon the return of a favourable season, with a view to new discoveries in that quarter of the world. In fact, I had settled in my own mind, if I could find a continent where sufficient provisions were procurable, to remain near its coast until the sun had passed the Equator, then to gain a distant southern latitude and to proceed westward towards the Cape of Good Hope, and to return eastward after touching at the Falkland Islands, should it be necessary, and thence to proceed quickly to Europe.” These laudable intentions show Carteret to have been a true ex- plorer, rather stimulated than intimidated by danger, but it proved impossible to carry them into execution. The trade wind was only met on the 16th, and the weather re- mained detestable. Above all, although Carteret navigated in the neighbourhood of Danger Island, discovered in 1765 by Byron, and by others, he saw no land. “ \Ve probably were close by land,” he says, “ which the fog prevented our seeing, for in these waters numbers of birds con- stantly flew round the ship. Commodore Byron 1n his last voyage had passed the northern limits of this portion of the ocean, in which the Solomon Islands are said to be situated, and as Ihave CAPTAIN COOK’S PREDECESSORS. 63 been myself beyond the southern limit without seeing them, I have ' . good reasons for thinking, that if these islands exist they have been badly marked on all the charts.” This last supposition is correct, but the Solomon Islands do exist, and Carteret stopped there a few days later without recognizing them. The victuals were now all but consumed or tainted, the rig- ging and the sails torn by the tempest, half the crew on the sick list, when a fresh alarm for the captain arose. A leak was reported, just below the load water-line; it was impossible to stop it, as long- as they were in the open sea. By unexpected good fortune land was seen on the morrow. Needless to say what cries of delight, what acclamations followed this discovery. To use Car- teret’s own comparison, the feelings of surprise and comfort ex- perienced by the crew can only be likened to those of a criminal, who at the last moment on the scaffold receives a reprieve! It was Nitendit Island, already discovered by Mendana. No sooner was the anchor cast than landing was hurried, in search of water supply. The natives were black, with woolly hair, and perfectly naked. They appeared upon the shore, but fled again before the boat could come up with them. The leader of the landing-party described the country as wild, bristling with mountains and impenetrable forests of trees and shrubs reaching to the shore itself, through which ran a fine current of fresh water. , The following day, the master was sent in search of an easier landing-place, with orders to propitiate the natives, if possible, by presents. He was expressly enjoined not to expose himself to danger, to return if several pirogues advanced against him, not to leave the boat himself, and not to allow more than two men to land at once, whilst the remainder held themselves on the defensive. p Carteret, at the same time, sent his ship’s boat on shore for water. Some natives attacked it with arrows, which fortunately hit no one. ' Meantime, the sloop regained the Swallow, the master had three arrows in his body, and half his crew were so dangerously wounded that three sailors and he himself died a few days later. . This is what had happened. Landing the fifth in succession, in a spot where he had noticed huts, he entered into friendly traffic with the natives. The latter soon increased in numbers, and 64: THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. several large pirogues advanced towards his sloop, and he was unable to rejoin it until the very moment when the attack commenced. Pursued by the arrows of the natives, who waded up to their shoulders into the water, chased by pirogues, he only succeeded in escaping after having killed several natives and foundered .one of their boats. This effort to find a more favourable spot where he might run the Swallow ashore, having ended so unfortunately, Carteret heaved his ship down where he was, and efforts were made to stop the leak. If the carpenter, the only healthy man on board, did not succeed in perfectly stopping it, he at least considerably diminished it. WVhilst a fresh landing for water was sought, the fire of the guns was directed upon the woods as well as volleys of musketry from the sloop. Still the sailors worked for a quarter of an hour, when they were attacked by a shower of arrows which grievously wounded one or two in the breast. The same measures were necessary each time they fetched water. At this juncture, thirty of the crew became incapable of perform- in g their duty. The master died of his wounds. Lieutenant Gower was very ill. Carteret himself, attacked by a bilious and inflam- matory illness, was forced to keep his bed. These three were the only officers capable of navigating the Swallow to England, and they were on the point of succumbing. To stay the ravages of disease, it was necessary to procure provisions at all costs, and this was utterly impossible in this spot. Carteret weighed anchor on the 17th of August, after calling the island Egmont, in honour of the Lord of the Admiralty, and the bay where he had anchored, Swallow. Although convinced that it was identical with the land named Santa Cruz by the Spaniards, the navigator nevertheless followed the prevailing mania of giving new appellations to all the places he visited. He then coasted the shore for a short distance, and ascertained that the population was large. He had many a crow to pick with the natives. These obstacles, and moreover the impossibility of procuring provisions, prevented Carteret’s reconnoitring the other islands of this group, upon which he bestowed the name of Queen Charlotte. “The inhabitants of Egmont Isle,” he says, “ are extremely agile, active, and vigorous. They appear to live as well in water as .- 1 Wlhxflmoqémw: .. l’m‘.~ucd by the arrows of the natives. 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O o v2»); 0 a 9 24¢ M mg «1.30 no.» 58 CAPTAIN COOK’S PREDECESSORS. 65 on land, for they are continually jumping from their pirogues into the sea. One of the arrows which they sent passed through the planks of the boat, and dangerously wounded the oflicer at the poop in the thigh.” Their arrows are tipped with stone, and we saw no metal of any kind in their possession. The country in general is covered with woods and mountains and interspersed with a great number of valleys. On the 18th of August, 1767, Oarteret left this group with the intention of regaining Great Britain. He fully expected to meet with an island on his passage, Where he might be more fortunate. And on the 20th, he actually did so, discovering a little low island, which he named Grower, where cocoa-nuts were procurable, Next day he encountered Simpson and Carteret Islands, and a group of new islands which he took to be the Ohang Java, dis- covered by Tasman; then successively Sir Charles Hardy and Winchelsea Islands, which he did :not consider as belonging to the Solomon Archipelago, the Island of St. John, so-called by Schouten, and finally that of New Britain, which he gained on the 28th of August. Carteret coasted this island, in search of a safe and convenient port, and stopped in various bays, where he obtained water, wood, cocoa, nutmegs, aloes, sugar-canes, bamboos, and palm-cabbages. “This cabbage,” he says, “is white, crisp, of a substance filled with sugar. Eaten raw, the flavour resembles that of a chestnut, and boiled it is superior to the best parsnip. We cut it into small. strips, and boiled it in the broth made from our cakes, and this broth, afterwards thickened with oatmeal furnished us with a good meal.” The wood was all alive with pigeons, turtle-doves, parroquets, and other unknown birds. The English visited several deserted huts. If an idea of the civilization of a people can be drawn from their dwellings, these islanders were on the lowest rung of the social ladder, for their huts were the most miserable Carteret had ever seen. The commander profited by his stay in this place, by once more overhauling the Swallow, and attending to the leak, which the carpenters doctored as well as they could. The sheathing was VOL. II. F 66 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. greatly worn, and the keel quite gnawed away by worms; they coated it with pitch and warm tar mixed together. On the 7th of September, Carteret accomplished the ridiculous ceremony of taking possession of the country in the name of George 111., he then despatched one of his boats upon a recon- noitring expedition, which returned with a quantity of cocoa and palm-cabbages, most precious provision for the sick on board. In spite of the fact that the monsoon would soon blow from the east for a long time, Carteret, alive to the dilapidated condition of his ship, determined to start for Batavia, where he hoped to make- up his crew, and to repair the Swallow. 0 Upon the 9th September, therefore, he left Carteret harbour, the best which he had met with since leaving the Straits of Magellan. He soon penetrated to a gulf to which Dampier had given the name of St. George Bay, and was not long in reconnoitring for a strait which separated New Britain and New Ireland. This passage he found and named St. George. He describes it in his narrative with a care which should certainly have earned for him the thanks of all his contemporary navigators. He then followed the coast of New Ireland to its southern extremity. Near a little island, which he named Sandwich, Carteret had some dealings with the natives. “ These natives,” he says “ are black, and have woolly hair like negroes, but they have not flat noses or large lips. IVe imagine them to be of the same race as the inhabitants of Egmont Island. Like them they are entirely naked, if we except some ornaments of shells which they attach to their arms and legs. At the same time, they have adopted a fashion, without which our fashionable men and women are not supposed to be perfectly dressed. They powder their hair or rather the wool on their heads white, from which it follows that the fashion of wearing powder is probably of greater antiquity and of more extended fashion than we would have generally sup- posed. They are armed with spears and large sticks in the shape of clubs, but we perceived neither bows nor arrows.” At the south-western extremity of New Ireland Carteret found another land, to which he gave the name of New Hanover, and shortly afterwards the group of the Duke of Portland. Although all this portion of the narrative of his voyage, in countries unknown before his time, abounds in precious CAPTAIN COOK’S PR-EDECESSORS. 67 details, Oarteret, a far more able and zealous navigator than his predecessors Byron and Wallis, makes excuses for not having col- lected more facts. “ The description of the country,” he says, “ and of its productions and inhabitants, would have been far more complete and de- tailed had I not been so weakened and overcome by the illness to which I had succumbed through the duties which devolved upon me from want of officers. When I could scarcely drag myself along, I was obliged to take watch after watch and to share in other labours with my lieutenant, who was also in a bad state of health.” After leaving St. George’s Strait, the route was westward. Oarteret discovered several other islands, but illness for several ' days prevented his'coming on deck, and therefore he could not determine their position. He named them Admiralty Islands, and after two attacks, found himself forced to employ fire-arms to repulse the natives. He afterwards reconnoitred Durour and Matty Islands and the Ouedes, whose inhabitants were quite delighted at receivng bits of an iron hoop. Oarteret affirms, that he might have bought all the productions of this country for a few iron instruments. Although they are the neighbours of New Guinea, and of the groups they had just explored, these natives were not black, but copper coloured. They had very long black hair, regular features, and brilliantly white teeth. Of medium height, strong and active, they were cheer- ful and friendly, and came on board fearlessly. One of themeven asked permission to accompany Oarteret upon his voyage, and in spite of all the representations of his countrymen and even of the captain, he refused to leave the Swallow. Carteret, meeting with so decided a will, consented, but the poor Indian, who had received the name of Joseph Freewill, soon faded away and died at Oelebes. On the 29th October, the English reached the north-eastern portion of Mindanao. Always on the look-out for fresh water and provisions, Carteret in vain looked for the bay which Dampier had spoken of as abounding in game. A little farther off he found a watering-place, but the hostile demonstrations of the inhabitants forced him to re-embark. After leaving Mindanao, the captain sailed for the Straits of Macassar, between the islands of Borneo and Oelebes. They entered it on the 14th of November. The vessel then proceeded F 2 68 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. with so much difficulty that she only accomplished twenty-eight leagues in fifteen days. “ 111,” he says, “ weakened, dying, tortured by the sight of lands which we could not reach, exposed to tempests which we found it impossible to overcome, we were attacked by a pirate! ” The la,tter hoping to find the English crew asleep, attacked the Swallow in the middle of the night. But far from allowing them- selves to be cowed by this new danger, the sailors defended them- selves with so much courage and skill, that they succeeded in founderln g the Malay prah. On the 12th of December Carteret sorrowfully perceived that the western monsoon had commenced. The Swallow was in no condition to struggle against this wind and current to reach Batavia by the west. He must then content himself with gaining Macassar, then the principal colony of the Dutch in the Celebes Islands. \Vhen the English arrived, it was thirty-five weeks since they left the Straits of Magellan. Anchor was scarcely cast, when a Dutchman, sent by the governor, came on board the Swallow. He appeared much alarmed on finding that the vessel belonged to the English marine service. In the morning, therefore, when Carteret sent his lieutenant, Mr. Gower, to ask for access to the port in order to secure provisions for his dying crew, and to repair his dilapidated ship, and await the return of the monsoon, not only could he not obtain permis- sion to land, but the Dutch hastened to collect their forces and arm their vessels. Finally, after five hours, the governor’s reply was brought on board. It was a refusal couched in terms as little polite as they were equivocal. The English were simultaneously for- bidden to land at any port under Dutch government. All Carteret’s representations, his remarks upon the inhumanity of the refusal, even his hostile demonstrations, had no other result than the sale of a few provisions, and permission to proceed to a small neighbouring bay. He would find there, he was told, certain shelter from the mon— soon, and might set up a hospital for his sick, that indeed he could procure more plentiful provisions there than in Macassar, from whence they would send him all that he could need. Fearing death by starvation and foundering, it was necessary to overlook these exactions, and Carteret proceeded to the roadstead of Bonthain. .‘\ \trlgglc between the Aux/(”mu and a Malay pml]. I‘LIST ()5 CAPTAIN COOK’S PREDECESSORS. 69 There the sick, installed in a house, found themselves prohibited from going more than thirty roods from their hospital. They were kept under guard, and could not cOmmunicate with the natives. Lastly they were forbidden to buy anything except- ing through the agency of the Dutch soldiers, who strangely abused their power, often making more than a thousand per cent. profit. All the complaints of the English were useless. They were forced to submit during their stay, to a surveillance to the last degree humiliating. It was only on the 22nd of May, 1768, on the return of the monsoon, that Captain Carteret was able to leave Bonthain, after a long series of annoyances, vexations, and alarms, which it is impoSsible to give in detail and which had sorely tried his patience. “ Celebes,” he says, “is the key to the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, which are necessarily under the power of the people who are masters of this island. The town of Macassar is built upon a pro- montory, and is watered by one or two rivers which cross it or flow in its vicinity. The ground is even and beautiful in appearance. There are many plantations and cocoa-nut woods, interspersed with houses, which convey the idea that it is well populated. “ At Bonthain the beef is excellent, but it is difficult to procure enough of it to feed a fleet. F owls, and as much rice and fruits as can be wished, are procurable. The woods abound with wild pigs, which are to be had cheap, because the natives, being Mohamedans, do not eat them.” These details, however incomplete, had great interest at the time they were collected, and we go so far as to believe, that even now, some hundred years since they were first written, they yet contain a certain amount of truth. No incident marked the voyage to Batavia. After several delays, caused by the desire of the Dutch Company to make Carteret give them a testimonial as to the treat- ment he had met with from the government of Macassar, and which he steadily refused, Carteret at last obtained permission to repair his vessel. On the 15th of September, the Swallow, partially refitted, set sail. She was reinforced with a supplementary number of English sailors, without which it would have been impossible to regain Europe. Eighty of her original crew were dead, and eighty more were so re- duced that seven of their number died before they reached the Cape. 70 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. After a stay in this port, a most salutary one for the crew, which lasted until the 6th of January, 1769, Carteret set out once more, and a little beyond Ascension Island, at which he had touched, he met a French vessel. It was the frigate, La Boudeuse, with which Bougainville had just been round the world. On the 20th of March the Suwllow anchored in Spithead road- stead, after thirty-one months of a voyage as painful as it had been dangerous. All Carteret’s nautical ability, all his sang-float], all his enthu- siasm were needed to save so inefficient a vessel from destruction, and to make important discoveries, under such conditions. If the perils of the voyage, add lustre to his renown, the shame of such a miserable equipment falls upon the English Admiralty, who, de- spising the representations of an able captain, risked his life and the lives of his crew upon so long a voyage. 7.1 . CHAPTER III. Bougainville—A notary’s son metamorphoseduColonization of the Malouine Islands, Buenos Ayres, and Rio J aneiro—The Malouines relinquished to the Spaniards—Hydrography of the Strait of Magellan. The Pecherais—The Quatre Facardius—Tahiti—Incidents of the stay there—Productions of the country and manners of the inhabitants—Samoa Islands—The Land of the Holy Spirit, or the New Hebrides. The Louisiade—The Anchorite Isles—— New Guinea—Boutan—From Batavia to St. Malo. VVHILST Wallis completed his voyage round the world, and Car- teret continued his long and hazardous circumnavigation, a fresh expedition was organized for the purpose of prosecuting new dis- coveries in the Southern Seas. Under the old régime, when all was arbitrary, titles, rank, and places were obtained by interest. It was therefore not surprising that a military officer, who left the army scarcely four years before with the rank of colonel, to enter the navy as a captain, should obtain this important command. Strangely enough, this singular measure was amply justified, thanks to the talents possessed by the favoured recipient. Louis Antoine de Bougainville was born at Paris, on the 13th of November, 1729. The son of a notary, he was destined for the bar, and was already an advocate. But having no taste for his father’s profession, he devoted himself to the sciences, and published a Treatise on the Integral Calculus, whilst he obtained a commission in the Black Musqueteers. Of the three careers he thus entered upon, he entirely aban- doned the two first, slightly neglected the third, for the sake of a fourth—diplomacy, and finally left it entirely for a fifth—the naval service. He was destined to die a member of the senate after a sixth metamorphosis. First aide-de-camp to Chevret, then Secretary of the Embassy in 72 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. London, where he was made a member of the Royal Society, he left Brest in 1756, with the rank of captain of Dragoons, to rejoin Montcalm in Canada. Becoming aide-de-camp to this general, he distinguished himself on various occasions, and obtained the confidence of his chief, who sent ,him to France to ask for rein- forcements. That unhappy country was just then overwhelmed with re- verses in Europe, and had need of all her resources. Therefore, when young Bougainville entered upon the object of his mission to M. de Choiseul, the minister answered brusquely,— “ When the house is on fire, one does not worry oneself about the stables ! ” “ At least,” replied Bougainville, “ no one can say that you speak like a horse ! ” This sally was too witty and too stinging to conciliate the minister. Ultimately Madame de Pompadour, who appreciated witty people, introduced Bougainville to the king, and although he did not succeed in obtaining much for his general, be gained a colonelcy, and the order of St. Louis for himself, although he had only seen seven years’ service. Returning to Canada he was anxious to justify Louis XIV.’s confidence, and distinguished himself in various matters. After the loss of the colony he served in Germany under M. de Choiseul-Stainville. His military career was cut short by the peace of 1763. His active spirit and love of movement rebelled against a garrison life. He conceived the strange idea of colonizing the Falkland Islands in the extreme south of South America, and of conveying there free of expense the emigrants from Canada who had settled in France to escape the tyrannous yoke of England. Carried away by this idea, he addressed himself to certain privateers at St. M alo, who, from the commencement of the century, had been in the habit of visiting the group, and who had named them Malouine Islands. Having gained their confidence, Bougainville brought the ad- vantages (however problematical) of this colony to the minister’s notice, maintaining that the fortunate situation of the island, would secure a good resting-place for ships going to the Southern Seas. Having high interest, he obtained the authority he desired, and received his nomination as ship-captain. It was the year 1763. There is little reason to suppose, that ,, . gin/1”», ” LI ruin ILI (L ~|| Portrait uf liougalnvillc. L I‘Xwaimilc of curly uugruving, I’Hg’ 72. CAPTAIN ooon’s PREDECESSORS. 73 ' marine officers, who had passed all the grades of the service, looked with gratificatibn upon an appointment which no past event justified. But that mattered little to the Minister of Marine, M. de Choiseul-Stainville. Bougainville had served under him, and was far too grand a personage to trouble himself about the grumbling of the ship’s officers. Bougainville having brought his uncle and cousin, MM. de Nerville and d’Arboulin, to look favourably upon his venture, caused the Eagle of twenty guns, and the Sphinx of twelve, to be built at St. Malo, under the auspices of M. Guzot Duclos. Upon these he embarked several Canadian families. Leaving St. Malo on the 15th of September, 1763, he rested at St. Catherine’s Island, on the coast of Brazil, and at Montevideo, where he took horses and cattle, and landed at the Malouines in a large bay, which appeared to him wholly suited- to his purpose, but he was not long in discovering that what had been taken by preceding navigators for woods of moderate height, were only reeds. Not a tree, not a shrub grew in the islands. Fortunately an excellent turf did for fuel in their stead, whilst fish and game offered good resources. The colony consisted at first of only twenty-nine persons, for whom huts were built and also a provision warehouse. At the same time a fort, capable of holding fourteen guns, was planned and commenced. M. de N erville agreed to remain at the head of the establishment, whilst Bougainville returned to France on the 5th of April. There be recruited some more colonists, and took a considerable cargo of provisions of every kind, which he disem- barkcd on the 5th of January, 1765. He then went to the Strait of Magellan in search of a cargo of wood, and having, as we have already narrated, met Commodore Byron’s squadron, fol- lowed it to Port Famine. There he took in more than ten thousand saplings of difierent growths, which he intended to transport to the Malouines. When he left the group on the 27th of April following, the colony already numbered eighty persons, comprising a staff paid by the king. Towards the end of 1765, the same two vessels were sent back with provisions and new colonists. The colony was beginning to make a show, when the English settled themselves in Port Egmont, reconnoitred by Byron. 74 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. At the same time Captain Macbride attempted to obtain possession of the colony, on the ground that the land belonged to the English king, although Byron had not recognized the Malouines in 1765, and the French had then been settled there two years. In the meantime Spain laid claim to it in her turn, as a dependency of Southern America. England and France were equally adverse to a breach of the peace, for the sake of this archipelago, which was of so little commercial value, and Bou- gainville was forced to relinquish his undertaking on condition that the Spanish Government indemnified him for his expenses. In addition, he was ordered by the French Government to facili- tate the restoration of the Malouines to the Spanish Commis- .sioners. This foolish attempt at colonization was the origin and ground- work of Bougainville’s good fortune, for in order to make use of the last equipment, the minister ordered Bougainville to return by the South Sea, and to make discoveries. In the early days of November, 1766, Bougainville repaired to Nantes, where his second in command, M. Duclos-Guiyot, captain of the fire-ship, and an able and veteran sailor, who grew grey in the inferior rank because he was not noble, superintended the equipment of the frigate La Baudeuse, of twenty-six guns. Bougainville left the roadstead of Minden at the mouth of the Loire, on the 15th of November, for the La Plat-a river, where he hoped to find two Spanish vessels, the Esmeralda and the Liebre. But scarcely had the Boudeuse gained the open sea when a furious tempest arose. The frigate, the rigging of which was new, sus- tained such serious damages that it was necessary to put for repairs into Brest, which she entered on the 21st November. This experience sufficed to convince the captain that the Boucleuse was but little fitted for the voyage he had before him. He therefore had the masts shortened, and changed his artillery for less heavy pieces, but in spite of these modifications, the Boudeuse was not fit for the heavy seas and storms of Cape Horn. However, the rendezvous with the Spaniards was arranged, and Bougainville was obliged to put to sea. The staff of the frigate consisted of eleven officers and three volunteers, among whom was the Prince of Nassau-Sieghen. The crew comprised 203 sailors, boys, and servants. CAPTAIN COOK’S PRE DECE‘SSORS. ’75 As far as La Plata the sea was calm enough to allow of Bou- gainville’s making many observations on the currents, a frequent source of the errors made by navigators in their reckonings. On the 31st of January, La Bomleuse anchored in Montevideo Bay, where the two Spanish frigates had been awaiting her for a month, under the command of Don Philippe Pelicis Puente. The long stay Bougainville made in this part, and also at Buenos Ayres, enabled him to collect facts about the city, and the manners of the inhabitants, which are too curious to be passed over in silence. Buenos Ayres appeared to them too large for its population, which amounted only to 20,000, the reason being that the houses are of only one story, and have large courts or gardens. Not only has this town no fort, but it has not even a: jetty. Thus ships are forced to discharge their cargoes on to lighters, which convey them to the little river, where carts come to take the bales and convey them to the town. The number of religious communities, both male and female, in Buenos Ayres, adds to the originality of its character. Bougainville says, “ The year is full of Saint days, which are celebrated by processions and fireworks. Religious ceremonies supply the place of theatres. The Jesuits incite the women to greater austerity in their piety than any other order. Attached to their convent they have. an institution intitled, Oasa de 103 egerz'cios do [as mugeres, that is, ‘ house for the devotion of women.’ \Vomen and girls, without the permission of husbandsor fathers, enter the retreat for twelve days, to increase their sanctity.” They were lodged and boarded at the expense of the company. No man ever set foot in this sanctuary unless in the cowl of St. Ignatius. Servants even of the female sex were not allowed to accompany their mistresses. The devotional services consisted of. meditation, prayer, catechizings, confession, and flagellation. “We were shown the stains on the walls of the chapel, made by the blood which flowed under the hands of these Magdalens as they did penance.” The environs of the town were well cultivated and brightened by a large number of country houses named “ quentas,” but scarcely two or at most three leagues from Buenos Ayres were immense plains, with scarcely a single undulation, given up to bulls and horses, which are almost the only inhabitatants. Bougainville says,— 76 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. “These animals were so abundant, that travellers, when they needed food, would kill a bull, consume what they could eat, and leave the rest to be devoured by Wild dogs and tigers.” The Spaniards had not yet succeeded in subduing the Indian tribes on the two shores of the La Plata River. They were called “ Indios bravos.” ' “ They are of medium height, very ugly, and almost all infected with the itch. Their complexions are very dark, and the grease with which they perpetually rub themselves, makes them even blacker. Their sole garment is the skin of the roe-buck, which reaches to the heels, and in which they wrap themselves. “ These Indians pass their lives on horseback, at least near the Spanish settlement. They occasionally come there with their wives to buy eau de cologne, and they never cease drinking until drunkenness literally deprives them of the power to move. Some- times they assemble in droves of two or three hundred to carry off the cattle from the Spanish lands, or to attack the caravans of travellers. “ They pillaged, massacred, and carried off slaves. It was an evil without remedy. How was it possible to subdue a wandering nation in a vast and uncultivated country where it was difficult even to meet with them ? “ Commerce was far from flourishing, as no European mer- chandise was allowed to pass by land to Peru or Chili.” Nevertheless Bougainville saw a vessel leaving Buenos Ayres carrying a million piastres, “ And if,” adds he, “ all the inhabitants of this country had the traffic of their hides in Europe, that of itself would be enough to enrich them.” The anchorage of Montevideo was safe, although several times they were visited by “pamperos,” a scourge of the South-West, accompanied by violent tempests. The town offered nothing of interest. The environs are so uncultivated that it is necessary to import flour, biscuits, and everything necessary for the boats. But fruits, such as figs, peaches, apples, lemons, &c., are plentiful, as well as the same quantity of butcher’s meat as in the rest of the country. These documents, which are a hundred years old, are curious when compared with those furnished by contemporary navigators, especially by M. Emile Daireaux, in his work on La Plata. In CAPTAIN ooox’s PREDECESSORS. '77 many respects this picture is still correct, but there are other details (such for instance as regards instruction, of which Bougain- ville could not speak, as it did not exist) in which it has made immense progress. \Vhen the victuals, the provision of water, and the cattle were embarked, the three vessels set sail on the 28th of February, 1767, for the Malouines. The voyage was not fortunate. Variable winds, heavy weather, and a running sea, caused much damage to the Boudeuse. On the 23rd of March she cast anchor in French Bay, where she was joined on the morrow by the two Spanish vessels, which had been much tried by the tempest. Upon the 1st of April the restitution of the colony to the Spaniards was solemnized. Very few French profited by their king’s permission to remain in the Malouines ; almost all preferred to embark upon the Spanish frigates upon their leaving Montevideo. As for Bougainville, he was forced to await the provisions, which the fly-boat Etoz'le was to bring him, and which was to accom- pany him upon his voyage round the world. However, the months of March, April, and May passed, and no Etoile appeared. It was impossible to cross the Pacific with only six months’ provisions, which was all the Boudeuse carried. Bougainville decided at last, on the 2nd of June, to reach Rio J aneiro, which he had mentioned to M. de la Gerandais, the com- mander of the Etoile as a rendezvous, should unforeseen circum- stances prevent his reaching the Malouines. The crossing was made with such favourable weather, that only eighteen days were needed to reach the Portuguese Colony. The Emile, which had been awaiting her for four days, had left France later than was expected. She had been forced to seek shelter from the tempest at Montevideo, from whence, following her instructions she gained Rio. Well received by the Count of Acunha, Viceroy of Brazil, the French had opportunities of seeing the comedies of Metastasio given at the opera by a Mulatto troupe, and of hearing the works of the great Italian masters executed by a bad orchestra, conducted by a, deformed abbé in ecclesiastical dress. But the cordial relations with the Viceroy were not lasting. Bougainville, who with the viceroy’s permission had made some 78 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. purchase, found the delivery of it refused for no reason. He was forbidden to take wood he needed from the royal timber-yard, although he had concluded a contract for it, and lastly, he was prevented from lodging with his staff, during the repairs of the Boudcuse, in a house near the town, placed at his disposal by a friend. To avoid altercation, Bougainville hurried the prepara- tions for departure. Before leaving the capital of Brazil, the French commander entered into various details of the beauty of the port, and the picturesque nature of its surroundings, and finished by a very curious digression upon the prodigious riches of the country, of which the port was the emporium. “ The mines called ‘ general,’ ” he says, “ are the nearest to the town, although they are seventy-five leagues away from it. They yield the king a yearly revenue by his right to a fifth share of at least a hundred and twelve arobas of gold. In 1762, they brought him in a hundred and nineteen. Under the captaincy of the ‘ gene- ral’ mines, those of the ‘Rio des Morts,’ Sabara, and Sero Frio were included—the last named, in addition to all the gold it pro- duces, yields all the diamonds which come from the Brazils. N 0 precious stones, except diamonds, are contraband. They belonged to the speculators, who were obliged to keep an exactaccount of the diamonds they find and to restore them to the possession of an intendant named by the king for this purpose. He immediately places them in a casket bound with iron, and fastened with three locks. He retains one key, the king has another, and the ‘P-rove- dor de hacienda reale’ the third. This casket is enclosed in a second, stamped with the seals of the three persons named, and containing the three keys of the smaller One.” But in spite of all these precautions, and the severe punishment visited upon diamond robberies, an enormous contraband trade was carried on. It was, however, not the only source of revenue; and Bougainville calculated, that deducting the maintenance of troops, the pay of the civil officers, and all the expenses of the administration, the King of Portugal drew no less than ten million .francs from the Brazils. From Rio to Montevideo no incident occurred, but upon the Plata, during a storm, the Etoilc was run down by a Spanish vessel, which broke her bowsprit, her beak head, and much of her rigging. w agengamlp) K|lométre$ SO 10') 200 Page 73- CAPTAIN COOK’S PREDEOESSORS. 79 The damages and the shock increased the leak of the ship, and forced her to return to Encenada de Baragan, where repairs were more easily managed than at Montevideo. It was impossible therefore to leave the river until the 14th of November. Thirteen days later, both ships came in sight of Virgin Cape at the entrance to the Strait of Magellan, which they hastened to enter. Possession Bay, the first they met with, is a large space, open to all winds and offering very bad anchorage. From Virgin Cape to Orange Cape is about fifteen leagues, and the strait is through- out seven or eight leagues wide. The first narrow entrance was easily passed, and anchor cast in Boucault Bay, where half a score of officers and men landed. They soon made acquaintance with the Patagonians, and ex- changed a few trifles, precious to the natives, fora swansdown and gunaco skins. The inhabitants were tall, but none of them reached six feet. “ What struck me as gigantic in their proportions,” says Bougainville, “ was their enormous breadth of shoulder, the size of their heads, and the thickness of their limbs. They are robust and well-nourished, their muscles are sinewy, their flesh firm, and in fact they are men who, having lived in the open air and drawn their nourishment from juicy aliments, have reached their highest point of development.” The distance from the first to the second opening may have been six or seven leagues, and was passed without accident. This opening is only one and a half leagues in width, and four in length. In this part of the strait the ships easily reconnoitred St. Bartholomew and St. Elizabeth Islands. At the latter the French landed. They found neither wood nor water. It was an absolutely desert land. Leaving this place, the American side of the strait is amply furnished with wood. But although the first advances had been f,ortunate Bougainville was to find:3 plenty to try his patience, The distinctive character of the climate lies in the rapid atmos- pheric changes, which succeeded each other so quickly that it is quite impossible to fo1ecast thei1 sudden and dangerous variations. Hence the damages which it is impossible to fo1esee, which retard the passage of the ships, even if they do not force them to seek shelter for repairs. 80 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Guyot-Duclos Bay provides an excellent anchorage, with six or eight fathoms of water and sound bottom. Bougainville remained there long enough to fill several casks, and endeavoured to pro- cure fresh meat, but he only met with a few wild animals. St. Anne’s point was reached. At that place Sarmiento had founded the colony of Philippeville in 1581‘. In a preceding volume we have narrated the fearful catastrophe which procured the name of Port Famine for this spot. The French reconnoitred several bays, capes, and harbours at which they touched. They were Bougainville Bay, where the Etoile was repainted, Port Beau Bassin, Cormadiere Bay, off the coast of Tierra del Fuego, and Cape Forward, which forms the most southerly point of. the strait and of Patagonia, Cascade Bay in Tierra del F uego, the safety, easy anchorage, and facilities for procuring water and wood of which, render it a most desirable haven for navigators. The various ports which Bougainville discovered are particularly valuable, as they offer favourable points for doubling Cape Forward, one of the most difficult routes for sailors on account of the violent and contrary winds which prevail there. The year 1768 opened for the adventurers in Fortescue Bay, below which is Port Galant, the plan of which had been taken with great exactitude by M. de Gennes. Detestable weather, of which-the worst winter in Paris can give no idea, detained the French expedition for three weeks. It was visited by a band of Pecheians, the inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, who boarded the ship. “ We made them sing,” says the narrative, “ dance, listen to instruments, and above all eat. Everything was pleasant to them, bread, salt meat, tallow, they devoured everything that was given them. They showed no surprise either at the sight of the vessels or that of the various objects which were shown to them, no doubt because to feel surprise at works of art, one must have elementary ideas. These men, akin to brutes, treated c/zqf—d’aeuvres of human industry as they treated the laws and phenomena of nature. “These savages are small, ugly, thin, and smell abominably. They are all but naked, having only clothing of seal-skin too small to cover them. "'\\'(:111;11lu 1119111 ding." Pngu 51> CAPTAIN OOOK’s PRE DECESSORS. 81 “ These women are hideous, and the men appear to care little for them. They live all together, men and women and children, in one hut, in the centre of which a fire is lighted. . “ Their food is chiefly shell-fish. Still they have dogs and snares set with whalebone. On the Whole they appear to be a good sort of people, but so weak that one overlooks their faults. “ Of all the savages I have met with, the Pecherais are the most destitute.” A painful event occurred whilst the crew were in this port. A child of about twelve years of age came on board, and glass beads and bits of glass were given to it, with no suspicion of the use to which they would be put. It would appear that these savages are in the habit of stuffing pieces of talc down their throats as talismans. This boy no doubt meant to do the same with the glass, for when they landed they found him vomiting violently and spitting blood. His throat and gums were lacerated and bleeding. In Spite of the enchantments and violent rubbings of a juggler, or perhaps on account of this not too effective treatment, the poor child suffered dreadfully, and died shortly afterwards. This was the signal for a precipitate flight of the Pecherais. They 110' doubt entertained a fear that the French had cast a spell upon them, and that they would all die in a similar manner. On the 16th of January, in endeavouring to reach Rupert Isle, the Boat-dense was driven by the currents half a cable’s length from the shore. The anchor which was then heaved, gave way,'and with- out the least land—breeze the vessel stranded. It was necessary to regain Galant Harbour. It was just time, for next day a fearful storm was raging. “ After experiencing constantly adverse and variable winds for twenty-six days in Port Galant,.thirty-six hours favourable breeze, for which we had not dared to hope, sufficed to take us into the Pacific Ocean. This I believe to be a solitary instance of a voyage 'without anchorage from Port Galant to the narrow channel. I estimate the entire length of this strait, from Virgin Cape to Cape Peliers, at about 114 leagues. - “ We took fifty-two days to accomplish it. In spite of the diffie culties we met with in the passage of the Straits of Magellan” (and in this Bougainville entirely agrees with Byron), “ I should advise VOL. II. G 82 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTII CENTURY. this route, in preference to that by Cape Horn from September to the end of March. During the remaining months of the year I should prefer the open sea. “ Contrary winds and heavy seas are not dangerous, whilst it is not wise to grope one’s way between two coasts. One is sure to be detained for some time in the strait, but this delay is not time wholly lost. One meets with water in abundance, wood and shell- fish, and occasionally very good fish. And I am decidedly of opinion that a crew reaching the Pacific by doubling Cape Horn suffers more from the ravages of scurvy than that which proceeds by the Straits of Magellan.” Bougainville’s opinion has met with many opposers up to the present time, and the route which he lauds so highly has been almost abandoned by navigators. Onc strong reason for which is that steam has completely transformed maritime experience, and entirely changed nautical science. Scarcely had he entered the Southern Sea, when Bougainville, to his intense surprise, found the winds southerly. He was therefore obliged to relinquish his intention of reaching Juan Fernandez. Bougainville had agreed with M. de la Giraudais, captain of- the Etoz’le, that if a larger stretch of sea was discovered, the two vessels should separate, but not lose sight of each other, and that every evening the bugle should recall them within half a. league of each other, so that, in the event of the Boudeuse encountering danger, the Etoz'le might avoid it. Bougainville for some time sought Easter Island in vain. At last he fell in during the month of March with the lands and islands erroneously marked upon M. Bellin’s chart as Quiros Islands. On the 22nd of the same month he met with four islets, to which he gave the name of Quatre Facardins, which belonged to the Dangerous group, a set of madreporic islets, low and damp, which all navigators who have visited the Pacific Ocean by way of the Straits of Magellan appear to have noticed. A little further discovery was made, of a fertile island in- habited by entirely naked savages, who were armed with long spears, which they brandished with menacing gestures, and thus it obtained the name of Lancers Island. We need not refer to what we have already repeatedly said of the nature of these islands, the difficulty of access to them, their and, I .111L'«"I"\ L CAPTAIN coox’s PREDECESSORS. 83 wild and inhospitable inhabitants. Cook calls this very Lancers Island, Thrum Cape, and the island of La Harpe, which Bougain- ville found on the 24th, is identical with Cook’s Bow Island. The captain, knowing that Roggewein had nearly perished in these latitudes, and thinking the interest of their exploration not worth the risk to be run, proceeded southward and soon lost sight of this immense archipelago, which extends in length 500 leagues, aud contains at least sixty islands or groups. Upon the 2nd of April Bougainville perceived a high and steep mountain, to which he gave the name of La Boudeuse. It was _ Maitea Island, already called La Dezana by Quiros. On the 4th at sunrise the vessel reached Tahiti, a long island consistingof two peninsulas, united by a tongue of land no more than a mile in Width. More than 100 pirogues hastened to surround the two vessels. They were laden with cocoa- -nuts and many delicious fruits which were readily exchanged for all sorts of trifles. When night fell, the shore was illuminated by a thousand fires, to which the crew responded by throwing 1ockets. “ The appearance of this shore,” says Bougainville, “raised like an amphitheatre, offered a most attractive picture. Although the mountains are high, the land nowhere shows its nakedness, being covered with wood. We could scarcely credit our sight, when we perceived a peak, covered with trees, which rose above the level of the mountains in the southern portion of the island. It appeared only thirty fathoms in diameter, and decreased in size at its summit. At a distance it might have been taken for an immense pyramid, adorned with foliage by a clever decorator. The least elevated portions of the country are intersected by fields and groves. And the entire length of the coast, upon the shore below the higher level, is a stretch of low land, unbroken and covered by plantations. There, amid the bananas, cocoa-nut and other fruit-trees we saw the huts of the natives.” The whole of the morrow was spent in barter. The natives, in addition to fruits, offered fowls, pigeons, fishing instruments, working implements, stuffs, and shells, for which they asked nails and earrings. Upon the morning of the 6th, after three days devoted to tacking about and reconnoitring the coast in search of a roadstead, (:2 84 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Bougainville decided to cast anchor in the bay he had seen the first day of his arrival. “ The number of pirogues round our vessels,” he says, “ was so great, that we had immense trouble in making way through the crowd and noise. All approached crying, ‘Tayo,’ friend, and offering a thousand marks of friendship. The pirogues were full of women, who might vie with most Europeans in pleasant features, and who certainly excelled them in beauty of form.” Bougainville’s cook~ managed to escape, in spite of all prohibi- tions, and gained the shore. But he had no sooner landed, than he was surrounded by a vast crowd, who entirely undressed him to investigate his body. Not knowing what they were going to do with him, he thought himself lost, when the natives restored his clothes, and conducted him to the vessel more dead than alive. Bougainville wished to reprimand him, but the poor fellow assured him, that however he might threaten him, he could never equal the terrors of his visit on shore. As soon as the ship could heave to, Bougainville landed with some of his officers to reconnoitre the watering-place. An enormous crowd immediately surrounded him, and examined him with great curiosity, all the time crying “ Tayo ! Tayo I ” One of the natives received them in his house, and served them with fruits,'grilled fish, and water. As they regained the shore, a native of fine appearance, lying under a tree, offered them a share of the shade. “We accepted it,” says Bougainville, “and the man at once bent towards us, and in a gentle way, sung, to the sound of aflute which another Indian blew with his nose, a song which was no doubt anacreontic. It was a charming scene, worthy of the pencil of Boucher. Four natives came with great confidence to sup and sleep on board. ‘Ve had the flute, bassoon, and violin played for them, and treated them to fireworks composed of rockets and serpents. This display excited both surprise and fear.” . Before giving further extracts from Bougainville’s narrative, it appears apropos to warn the reader not to accept these descriptions (m pied ([6 la Zetz‘rc. The fertile imagination of the narrator embellished everything. Not content with the ravishing scenes under his eyes, the picturesque reality is not enough for CAPTAIN coox’s PREDECESSORS. 85 him, and he adds new delights to the picture, which only overload it. He does this almost unconsciously. None the less, his de« scriptions should be received with great caution. We find a strange example of this tendency of the age, in the narrative of Cook’s second voyage. Mr. Hodges, the painter who was attached to the expedition, wishing to reproduce the disembarkation of the English on the island of Middleburgh, paints personages who have not the smallest resemblance to the dwellers in the ocean regions, and whose togas give them the appearance of being con- temporaries of Caesar or of Augustus. Yet he had the originals before his eyes, and nothing could have been easier to him than to depict the scene as it really was. ‘Ve know better how to respect truth in these days. N o additions, no embellishments are found in the narratives of our navigators. And if sometimes they prove but dry accounts, which give little pleasure to the general public, they are sure to contain the elements of earnest study for the scientific. man, and the basis of works for the advancement of science. With this preamble, let us follow the narrator. Bougainville established his sick and his water-casks upon the shore of a small river which ran at the bottom of the bay, under a guard for their security. These precautions were not taken without arousing the susceptibility and distrust of the natives. They had no objection to seeing the strangers walk about their island all day, but they expected them to return on board at night. Bougainville persisted, and at last he was obliged to fix the length of his stay. At this juncture, harmony was restored. A large shed was pre- pared for the sufferers from scurvy, in number thirty-four, and for their guard, which consisted of thirty men. The shed was closed on all sides and only one opening left, to which the natives crowded with the wares they wished to exchange. The only trouble they had was in keeping an eye upon everything that was brought on. shore, for “ there are no more adroit sharpers in Europe than these folks.” Following a laudable custom, now becoming general, Bougainville presented the chief of this settlement with a pair of turkeys, and ducks and drakes, and then cleared a piece of land, where he sowed corn, wheat, rice, maize, onions, &c. On the 10th, a native was killed by a gunshot. All Bougain- ville’s inquiries failed to find out the perpetrator of this abominable 86 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. assassination. Apparently the natives thought the victim. in the wrong, for they continued to frequent the market with their former confidence. The captain, however, knew that the harbour was not well- sheltered, and the bottom was entirely coral. On the 12th, during a storm of wind, the Boudeuse, whose anchor cable had been cut by the coral, caused great injuries to the Etoz'le, upon which she was driven. Whilst all on board were busily occupied in repairing these injuries, and a boat had been despatched in search of a second passage, by means of which the ships might have left with any wind, Bougainville learned that three natives had been killed or wounded in their cabins by bayonets, and that owing to the general alarm all the inhabitants had hurried to the interior. In spite of the risk run by his ships, the captain at once landed, and put the supposed perpetrators of this outrage (which might have brought the entire population upon the French) into irons. Thanks to these rigorous measures the natives calmed down, and the night passed Without incident. Still, Bougainville’s worst apprehensions were not upon this score. He returned on board as soon as possible. But for a breeze which opportunely sprang up, both vessels would have been driven on shore by a strong squall, accompanied by a swell and thunder. The anchor cables broke, and the vessels had a narrow escape of striking on the breakers, where they must speedily have been demolished. Fortunately the Etoile was able to gain the open, and was soon followed by the Boudeusc, leaving in this foreign road- stead six anchors, which might have been of great use during the rest of the voyage. So soon as they perceived the approaching departure of the French, the natives came in crowds with provisions of every variety. One of them, named Aotourou, asked, and finally obtained, per- mission to accompany Bougainville on his voyage. After his arrival in Europe, Aotourou lived eleven months in Paris, where he was received with cordiality and welcome in the highest society. In 1770, when he returned to his native land, the government took an opportunity of conveying him to the Isle of France. He was to return to Tahiti as soon as the weather permitted, but he died in the island without having been able to convey to his land the CAPTAIN COOK’S PREDECESSORS. 87 useful implements, grains, and cattle, which had been given to him by the French Government. Tahiti, which was named N ouvelle Cythére by Bougainville, on account of the beauty of the women, is the largest of the Society’s group. Although it was visited, as we have already narrated, by Wallis, we will give a little information which we owe to Bougainville. The principal productions were cocoas, bananas, bread fruits, yams, sugar cane, &c. M. de Commerson, naturalist, who was on board the Etoz'le, recognized the Indian flora. The only quadrupeds were pigs, dogs, and rats, who multiplied rapidly. Bougainville says, “ The climate is so healthy that in spite of our fatigues, although our people were perpetually in the water, and under a burning sun, sleeping on the naked soil under the stars, no one was ill. The sufferers from scurvy whom we dis- embarked, and who had not enjoyed a single night’s sleep, regained their strength, and were so soon restOred, that some of them were completely cured on board.” In addition to this, the health and strength of the natives, who live in cabins open to every wind, and who scarcely cover the ground, which serves them as a bed, with a few leaves, the happy old age to which they easily attain, the sharpness of all their senses, and the singular beauty of their teeth, which they preserve to the greatest age, all testify to the salubrity of the climate, and the efliciency of the rules followed by the inhabitants. In character the people seem gentle and good. It would not appear that they have civil wars among themselves, although the country is divided into little portions under independent chiefs. They are constantly at war with the inhabitants of the neighbour- ing islands. Not satisfied with massacring the men and male children taken in arms, they skin their chins with the beard, and keep this hideous trophy. Bougainville could only obtain very Vague information of their ceremonies and religion. But he could at least assert the reverence they pay their dead. They preserve the corpses for a long time in the open air, on a sort of scaffold sheltered by a shed. In spite of the odour of decomposi- tion, the women go every day to weep near the monuments, and bedew the sad relics of their beloved ones with their tears and with cocoa-nut oil. 88 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. The soil is so productive, and requires so little cultivation, that men and women live in a state of almost entire idleness. There- fore it is not astonishing that the sole care of the latter is to be pleasing. Dancing, singing, long conversations, teeming with gaiety, have developed a mobility of expression among the Tahitans, surprising even to the French, a people who themselves have not the reputation of being. serious, possibly because they are more lively than those who reproach them with levity. It is impossible to fix a native’s attention. A trifle strikes them, but nothing occupies them.' In spite of their want of reflection they were clever and industrious. Their pirogues were constructed after a fashion equally ingenious and solid. Their fish-hooks and all their fishing implements were of delicate workmanship. Their nets were like those of Europeans. Their stuffs manufactured of the bark of a tree, were generally woven and dyed of various colours. In fact Bougainville’s impression of the Tahitan people was that they were “ lazzaroni.” At eight o’ clock on the 16th of April, Bougainville was about ten leagues north of Tahiti, when he perceived land to windward. Although it had the appearance of three islands, it Was in reality but one. It was named Oumaita after Aotourou. The captain, not thinking it wise to stop there, steered so as to avoid the Pernicious Islands, of which Roggewein’s disaster had made him afraid. During the remainder of the month of April the weather ' was fine, with little wind. On the 3rd of May, Bougainville bore down towards a new land, which he had just discovered, and was not long. in finding others on the same day. The coasts of the largest one were steep; in point of fact, it was simply a mountain covered with trees to its summit, with neither valley nor sea coast. Some fires were seen there, cabins built under the shade of the cocoanut-trees, and some thirty men running on the shore. In the evening, several pirogues approached the vessels, and after a little natural hesitation, exchanges commenced. The natives demanded pieces. of red cloth in exchange for cocoa-nuts, yams, and far less beautiful stuffs than those of the Tahitans; they disdainfully refused ~iron, nails, and earrings, which had been so appreciated elsewhere in the Bourbon Archipelago, as Bougainville had named the Tahitan group. The \ \\ \ \\ Xx? \ \\ \\\\‘ \ , x .\ \) .‘ My \ [Hum ix’landcrs. I’iruguc Uflht‘ Man {/1343 SS. / CAPTAIN ooox’s PREDECESSORS. 89 natives had their breasts and thighs painted dark blue ; they wore no beards; their hair was drawn into tufts on the top of their heads. Next day, fresh islands belonging to the archipelago were seen. The natives, who appeared very savage, would not approach the vessels. “ The longitude of these islands,” says the narrative, “is pretty nearly similar to that which Abel Tasman reckoned it when he discovered Amsterdam and Rotterdam Islands, the Pilstaars, Prince William Island, and the low lands of F leemskerk. It is also approximate to that assigned for the Solomon Islands. Besides the pirogues which we have seen rowing in the open sea, and to the south, indicate other islands in this locality. Thus it appears likely that these lands form an extended chain in the same parallel. The islands comprising the Navigator Archipelago, lie below the fourteenth southern parallel, between 17° and 172° west longitude from Paris.” As fresh victuals diminished, scurvy again began to appear. It was necessary to think of putting into a port again. On the 22nd and the following days of the same month, Pentecost Island, Aurora and Leper Islands, which belong to the archipelago of New Hebrides, were reconnoitred. They had been discovered by Quiros in 1606. The landing appearing easy, the captain deter- mined to send an expedition on shore, which would bring back cocoa-nuts and other antiscorbutic fruits. Bougainville joined them during the day. The sailors cut wood, and the natives aided in shipping it. But in spite of this apparent good feeling, the natives were still distrustful, and carried their weapons in their hands. Those who possessed none, held large stones, all ready to throw. As soon as the boats were laden with fruit and wood, Bougain- ville re-embarked his men. The natives then approached in great numbers, and discharged a shower of arrows, lances, and javelins, some even entered the water, the better to aim at the French. Several gunshots, fired into the air, having no effect, a well-directed general volley soon put the natives to flight. A few days later, a boat seeking anchorage upon the coast of the Leper Islands, was in danger of attack. Two arrows aimed at them served as a pretext for the first discharge, which was speedily followed by a firn so well directed, that Bougainville 90 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. believed his crew in danger. The number of victims was very large, the natives uttered piercing cries as they fled to the woods. It was a regular massacre. The captain, uneasy at the prolonged firing, sent another boat to the help of the first, when he saw it doubling a point. He therefore signalled for their return. “I took measures,” he said, “that ‘we should never again be dis- honoured by such an abuse of our superior forces.” The easy abuse of their powers by captains is truly sad! The mania for destroying life needlessly, even without any object, raises one’s indignation ! To whatever nation explorers belong we find them guilty of the same acts. The reproach, therefore, belongs not to a particular nation, but to humanity at large. Having obtained the commodities he needed, Bougainville re- gained the sea. It would appear that the navigator aimed at making many discoveries, for he only reconnoitred the lands he found very superficially and hastily, and of all the charts which accompany the narrative, and there are many of them, not one gives an en- tire archipelago, or settles the various questions to which a new discovery gives rise. Captain Cook did not proceed in this way. His explorations, always conducted with care, and with rare per- severance, are for that very reason far superior in value to those of the French explorer. The lands which the French now encountered, were no other than St. Esprit, Mallicolo, and St. Bartholomew, and the islets belonging to the latter. Although he was perfectly aware that these islands were identical with the T [arm del Espz'ritu Santa of Quiros, Bougainville could not refrain from bestowing a new name upon them, and called them the Archipelago des “Grandes Cyclades,” to which however, the name of New Hebrides has been given in preference. “ I readily believed,” he says, “ that it was its extreme southern point which Roggewein saw under the eleventh parallel, and which he named T {en/town and Grom'ngue. But when we arrived there everything led us to believe that we were in the southern land of Espiritu Santo. Every appear- ance seemed to coincide with Quiros’s narrative, and the dis- coveries we made every day encouraged us in our search. It is singular that precisely in the same latitude and longitude as that which Quiros gives to his St. Philip and St. James’ Bays, upon a é: .. x x _ \ , . gag, ‘ 131,3“ 9:. Mdllc Barres adwmm‘c. CAPTAIN ooox’s PREDECESSORS. 91 shore which at first sight appeared like a continent, we found a passage equal in size to that which he gives to the opening of his bays. Did the Spanish navigator see badly, or did he wish to hide his discoveries? “Had geographers merely guessed in making the Tierra del Espiritu Santo identical with New Guinea ? To ascertain the truth, we must follow the same parallel for over 350 leagues. I resolved upon doing so, although the state and quantity of our provisions warned us to seek a European settlement as soon as possible. It will be seen that we narrowly escaped being the victims of our own persistance.” Whilst Bougainville was in these latitudes certain business matters required his presence on board the Etoile, and be there found out a singular fact, which had already been largely dis- cussed by his crew. M. de Commerson had a servant named Barré. Indefatigable, intelligent, and already an experienced botanist, Barré had been seen taking an active part in the herboris- ing excursions, carrying boxes, provisions, the weapons, and books of plants, with endurance which obtained from the botanist, the nickname of his beast of burden. For some time past Barré had been supposed to be a woman. His smooth face, the tone of his voice, his reserve, and certain other signs, appeared to justify the supposition, when on arriving at Tahiti suspicions were changed into certainty. M. de Commerson landed to botanize, and according to custom Barré followed him with the boxes, when he was sur- rounded by natives, who, exclaiming that it was a woman, were disposed to verify their opinion. A midshipman, M. Bommand, had the greatest trouble in rescuing her from the natives, and escort- ing her back to the ship. When Bougainville visited the Etoz'le, he received Barré’s confession. In tears, the assistant botanist confessed her sex, and excused herself for having deceived her master, by presenting herself in man’s clothes, at the very moment _ of embarkation. Having no family, and having been ruined by a law-suit, this girl had donned man’s clothes to insure respect. She was aware, before she embarked, that she was going on a v0yage round the world, and the prospect, far from frightening her, only confirmed her in her resolution. , “ She will be the first woman who has been round the world,” says Bougainville, “ and I must do her the justice to admit that 92 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. she has conducted herself with the most scrupulous discretion. She is neither ugly nor pretty, and at most is only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. It must be admitted that had the two vessels suffered shipwreck upon a desert island, it would have been a singular experience for Barré.” The expedition lost sight of land on the 29th of May. The route was directed westward. On the 4th of June, a very dan- gerous rock, so slightly above water that at two leagues’ distant it was not visible from the look-out, was discovered in latitude 15° 50', and 148° 10’ longitude. The constant recurrence of breakers, trunks of trees in large quantities, fruits and sea wrack, and the smoothness of the sea, all indicated the neighbourhood of extensive land to the south-east. It was New Holland. Bougainville determined to leave these dangerous latitudes, where he was likely to meet with nothing but barren lands, and a sea strewn with rocks and full of shallows. There were other urgent reasons for changing the route, provisions were getting low, the salt meat was so tainted, that the rats caught on board were eaten in preference. Bread enough for two months, and vegetables for forty days alone remained. All clamoured for a return to the north. Unfortunately the south winds had ceased, and. when they re- commenced, they brought the expedition within an inch of de- struction. ’ On the 10th of June land was seen to the north. It was the bottom of the Gulf of the Louisiade, which had received the name of Oul-de-sac de l’Orangerie. The country was magnificent. On the sea shore, a low land covered with trees and shrubs, the balmy odours of which reached the ships, rose like an amphitheatre towards the mountains, whose summits were lost in the skies. However, it was impossible to visit this rich and fertile country, but, on the other hand, desirable to find to the east a passage to the south of New Guinea, which, by way of the Gulf of Carpentaria, would have led direct to the Moluccas. Did such a passage exist? Nothing was more problematic, for the notion was that land had been seen extending far to the westward. It was needful to hurry as fast as possible from the gulf where the ships had so incautiously involved themselves. But there is a wide difference between a Wish and its fulfilment! CAPTAIN coon’s PREDECESSORS. 93 The two vessels strove in vain up to the ‘21st of June to transport themselves to the west, from this coast, which was so full of rocks and breakers, and upon which the Wind and currents bade fair to swallow them up. The fog and rain continued so closely with them, that the frigate could only proceed in company with the Etoz'le by a constant firing of guns. When the wind changed, they profited by it, and immediately proceeded to the open sea—but it soon veered again, and continued east-south— east, and thus they speedily lost the ground they had gained. During this terrible cruise, the rations of bread and vegetables were obliged to be reduced, consumption of old leather was threatened with severe punishment, and the last goat on board was sacrificed. It is difficult for the reader, tranquilly sitting in his chimney- corner, to imagine the anxiety of a voyage in these unknown seas, -—threatened with the unexpected appearance of rocks and breakers, with contrary winds, unknown currents, and a fog which concealed all dangers. Cape Deliverance was only rounded on the 26th. It was now possible to start for the north-north- east.- Two days later, when they had made about sixty leagues north- ward, some islands were perceived ahead. Bougainville imagined they were a part of the Louisiade group, but they are more generally accepted as belonging to the Solomon Archipelago, which Carteret, who saw them the preceding year, as little-imagined that he had reached, as the French nav-i gator. Several pirogues speedily surrounded the two ships. They were manned by natives, blacker than Africans, with long curling red hair. Armed with javelins, they uttered shrill cries, and showed dispositions far from peaceful. It was useless to attempt to reach them. The surge broke violently, and the coast was so narrow that it scarcely seemed as if there were one at all. Surrounded on all sides by islands, and in a thick fog, Bougainville steered by instinct in a passage only four or five leagues in width, and with a sea so rough that the Etoz'le was forced to close her hatchways. Upon the eastern coasta pretty bay was perceived, which promised good anchorage. Boats were told off to sound it. Whilst they 94 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. were thus engaged, ten or more pirogues, upon which some hundred and fifty men armed with bucklers, lances, and bows, were embarked, advanced against them. The pirogues divided into two parties to surround the French boats. As soon as they were within sufficient reach, the natives showered a storm of arrows and javelins upon the boats. The first discharge failed to stop them. A second was necessary to disperse them. Two pirogues, the crews of which had jumped into the sea, were captured. Of great length and well made, these boats were decorated in front with a man’s head carved, the eyes of which were formed of mother of pearl, the ears of tortoise-shell, and the lips painted red. The water in which this combat took place was called the Warrior River, and the island received the name of Choiseul, in honour of the French Minister of Marine. On leaving this strait a new land was discovered—Bougainville Island, the southern extremity of which, called Laverdy Cape, appears to join Bouka Island. The latter, which Carteret had seen the preceding year, and which he named \Vinchelsea, appeared densely populated—if the cabins which abounded were any criterion. The inhabitants, whom Bougainville classifies as Negroes, probably to distinguish them from the Polynesians and Malays, are Papuans, of the same race as the inhabitants of New Guinea. Their short curly hair was painted red, and the betel-nut, which they perpetually chewed, had communicated the same colour to their teeth. The coast with its cocoanut and other trees, promised plentiful refreshments, but contrary winds and currents quickly drew the ships away. On the 6th of July Bougainville cast anchor on the southern coast of New Ireland, which had been discovered by Schouten, in Port Praslin, at the very point where Carteret had stopped. “ We sent our casks on shore,” says the narrative, “ and began to collect water and wood, and commence washing, all of which was most necessary. The disembarkation was splendid—upon fine sand, with neither rock nor wave. “ Four streams flowed into the harbour in a space measuring four hundred paces. \Ve selected three, according to custom; one to supply water for La Baudeuse, one for the Etoile, and one for washing purposes. Wood was plentiful on the shore, and there CAPTAIN ooox’s PREDEOESSORS. 95 were various kinds of it, all good for burning, and several first- rate for carpentery, joinery, and even toy-making. “The two vessels were in hearing of each other and close to the shore. Again this part and its neighbourhood to a great distance were uninhabited—a fact which secured us precious peace and liberty. We could not have hoped for a surer anchorage, or a more convenient spot for water, wood, or the various repairs needed by the vessels. We were able to send the sufferers from scurvy to range the woods. But with all these advantages, the port had a few inconveniences. In spite of active search, neither cocoanut-trees nor bananas were to be found, nor any of the resources which either by consent or by force, could have been gained in an inhabited country. Fish was not abundant, and we could expect only safety and strictly necessary things. There was every fear that the sick would not re-establish their health. We had indeed no serious cases, but Several were infected, and no improvement took place, and their malady could not have increased more rapidly.” They had been only a few days in port, when a sailor found a leaden plate upon which was an inscription in English. It was easy to guess that they had found the very spot where Carteret had made a stay the preceding year. The resources offered by this country to sportsmen were mediocre in the extreme. They did indeed catch sight of a few boars or wild pigs, but it was impossible to hit them. To make up for this they shot most beautiful pigeons, the bodies and necks of grey-white, and of golden green plumage, turtle-doves, parroquets, crested birds, and a species of crew, whose cry was so like the baying of a dog, as to be mistaken for it. The trees were large and magnificent, amongst them the betel, the areca, and the pepper-tree. Malignant reptiles swarm in these marshy lands, and in the ancient forests, serpents, scorpions, and other venomous reptiles abounded. Unfortunately, they were not only to be found on land. A sailor in search of marteaux, a very rare kind of bivalve mussel, was stung by a serpent. The fearful suffering and violent convulsions which followed only subsided at the expiration of five or six hours, and at last, the theriac which was administered to him after the bite, effected a cure. This accident was a sad damper to conchological enthusiasm. Upon the 22nd, after a severe storm, the ships were sensible of several 96 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. slight earthquakes, the sea rose and fell several times in succes- sion, which greatly alarmed the sailors who were occupied in fishing. In spite of the rain and ceaseless storms which continued daily, a detachment started to search the interior for Bourbon palms, palm-trees, and turtle-doves. They expected to find wonders, but returned oftenest empty-handed and with the one result of being wet to the skin. A natural curiosity at some distance from the anchorage, a thousand times more beautiful than the wonders invented for the ornament of kingly palaces, attracted numberless visitors, who could never tire of admiring it. It was a waterfall, too beautiful for description! To form any idea of its beauty, it would be necessary to reproduce by the brush the sparkling gleam of the spray lit up by the rays of the sun, the vaporous shade of the. tropical trees which dipped their branches into the water, and the fantastic display of light over a magnificent country, not yet spoiled by the hand of man I As soon as the weather changed, the ships left Port Praslin, to follow the coast of New Guinea, until the 8rd of August. The Etoz'le was attacked by hundreds of pirogues, and forced to return the stones and arrows that assailed her by a few gunshots, which put the assailants to flight. On the 4th the islands named Matthias and Stormy by Dampier were sighted. Three days later Anchorite Island was recognized, so called because a number of pirogues occupied in fishing, took no notice of theEtoz'Ze andBoudeztse, disdaining to enter into relations with the strangers. After passing a series of islets half under water, upon which the vessels nearly struck, and which were named the Echiquiers by Bougainville, the coast of New Guinea appeared. Steep and mountainous, it ran west-north—west. On the 12th a large bay was discovered, but the currents, which so far had been unfavourable, were equally so in carrying the boats far from it. It was visible at a distance of twenty leagues from two gigantic mountains, Cyclops and Bougainville. The Arimoa Islands, the largest of which is only four miles in length, were next seen, but the bad weather and the currents forced the two vessels to remain in the open sea and relinquish all exploration. It was necessary, however, to maintain a close watch in order to avoid misssing the outlet into the CAPTAIN OOOK’s PREDEC-ESSORS. 97 Indian Ocean. Mispulu and Waigiou, the last at the extreme north of New Guinea, were passed in succession. The “ Canal des Francais,” the outlet for ships from this mass of little islands and rocks, was passed without mishap. From thence Bougainville penetrated to the Molucca Archipelago, where he reckoned upon finding the fresh provisions requisite for the forty- five sufferers from scurvy on board. In absolute ignorance of the events which had occurred in Europe since he left it, Bougainville would not run the risk of visiting a colony in which he was not the strongest power. The small Dutch establishment, Boeton or Bourou Island, suited him per- fectly, all the more that provisions were easily obtained there. The crew received orders to enter the Gulf of Cajeti with the greatest delight. N 0 one on board had escaped scurvy, and half the crew, Bougainville says, were quite unfit for duty. “ The victuals remaining to us were so tainted and ill-smelling, that the worst moments of our sad days were those when we were obliged to partake of such disgusting and unwholesome viands. “ The charms of Boeton Island were enhanced by our wretched situation. “ About midnight a delicious odour, emanating from the aromatic plants with which the Molucca Islands are covered, had been wafted several leagues out to sea, and was hailed by us as a fore- runner of the end of our woes. “The appearance of the moderately sized town, situated below the gulf, with vessels at anchor, and cattle grazing in the pastures that surrounded it, caused pleasure in which I participated, but which I cannot describe.” Scarcely had the Baudeuse and the Emile cast anchor, than the resident governor sent two soldiers to inquire of the French captain what reason he could assign for stopping at this place, when. he must be aware that entrance was permitted to the ships_ of the India Company only. Bougainville immediately sent an officer to explain that hunger and sickness forced him to enter the first port which presented itself in his route. Also, that he ' would leave Boeton as soon as he had received the aid of which he had urgent need. The resident at once sent him the order of the Governor of Amboyna, which expressly forbade his receiving any strange ship in his harbour, and begged Bougainville to make VOL. II. H 98 THE GREAT NAVIGATOIS or THE _EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. awritten declaration of the reason for his putting into port, in order that he might prove to his superior that he had not infringed his orders except under paramount necessity. As soon as Bougainville had signed a certificate to this effect, cordiality was established with the. Dutch. The resident entertained the officers at his own table, and a contract was concluded for provisions and fresh (meat. Bread gave place to rice, the usual food of the Dutch, and fresh vegetables which are not usually cultivated in the island, were provided for the crews by the resident, who obtained them from the Company’s gardens. It would have been desirable for the re-establishment of the health of the crew, that the stay at this port could have been prolonged, but the end of the monsoon warned Bougainville to set out for Batavia. The captain left Boeton on the 7th of September, convinced that navigation in the Molucca Archipelago was not so difficult as it suited the Dutch to affirm. As for trusting to French charts, they were of no use, being more qualified to mislead vessels than to guide them. Bougainville therefore directed his course through the Straits of Button and Saleyer; a route which, though commonly used by the Dutch, is but little known to other nations. The narrative therefore carefully describes, with mention of every cape, the course he took. ‘We will not dwell upon this part of the voyage, although it is very instructive, and on that account interesting to seafaring men. On the 28th of September, ten months and a half after leaving Montevideo, the Etoz'le and the Baudeuse arrived at Batavia, one of the finest colonies in the world. After touching at the Isle of France, the Cape of Good Hope, and Ascension Island, near which he met Carteret, Bougainville entered St. Malo on the 16th of February, 1769, having lost only seven men, in the two years and four months which had elapsed since he left Nantes. The remaining particulars of the career of this fortunate navi- gator do not concern our purpose, and may be dismissed briefly. He todk part in the American war, and in 1781 participated in an honourable combat before Port Royal off Martinique. Made Chief of the fleet in 1780, he, ten years later, received a com- mission to re-establish order in the mutinous fleet of M. d’Albert CAPTAIN COOK’S PREDECESSORS. 99 de Rions. Created vice-admiral in 1792, he did not think it right to accept a high rank, which was, to use his own words, “a title without duties.” Nominated first to the Bureau of Longitudes, and then to the Institute, raised to the rank of senator, created a count by Napo- leon 1., Bougainville died full of years and honours, on the 3lst of August, 1811. Bougainville acquired popularity as the first Frenchman who accomplished a voyage round the world. Though the merit of discovering and reconnoitring, if not of exploring, many groups of islands little known and quite neglected before his time, has been ascribed to him, he owes his reputation rather to the charm and easy animation of his narrative, than to his labours. If he is better known than many other French naval officers, his competitors, it is not so much because he accomplished more than they, as because his style of narrating his adventures charmed his con- temporaries. As for Guyot Duclos, his secondary share in the enterprise, and his plebeian rank, excluded him from reward. He was afterwards given the cross of St. Louis, but he earned the title by his rescue of the Belle Poule. Although he was born in 1722, and had been in the navy since the year 1734, he was still only lieutenant in 1791. A succession of ministers of new views was needed to obtain the rank of ship-captain for him : a tardy recompense of long and signal services. Guyot Duclos died at St. Servan on the 10th March, 1794. 100 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. CHAPTER Iv. CAPTAIN COOK’S FIRST VOYAGE. The beginning of his maritime career—The command of the Adventure entrusted to him—Tierradel Fuego—Discovery of some islands in the Pomotou Archipe- lago—Arrival at Tahiti—Manners and customs of the inhabitants—Discovery of other islands in the Society group—Arrival at New Zealand—Intcrview with the natives—Discovery of Cook’s Strait—-Circumnavigation of two large islands—Manners and productions of the country. IN narrating the career of a distinguished man, it is well to neglect none of those details which may appear of but slight impor- tance. They acquire significance as indications of a vocation unknown even to its subject, and throw a light upon the character under consideration. For these reasons we shall dwell a little upon the humble beginning of the career of one of the most illustrious navigators whom England boasts. James Cook was born at Marton, in Yorkshire, on the 27th of October, 1728. He was the ninth child of a farm servant, and a peasant woman named Grace. 'When scarcely eight years of age little James assisted his father in the rough toil of the farm of Airy Holme, near Ayton. His amiability, and love of work, - attracted the interest of the farmer, who had him taught to read. When he was thirteen years of age, he was apprenticed to William Sanderson, a linendraper at Snaith, a fishing-hamlet of some importance. But young Cook found little pleasure in an employment which kept him behind a counter, and he spent every leisure moment in chatting with the sailors who visited the port. Gaining his father’s consent, James soon left the linen- draper’s, to engage himself as ship-boy, to Messrs. \Valker, whose boats carried coal from England to Ireland. , 4 ————-1 I—-I Iv—d “—1 "—" "_— -‘"" L‘“' 47/ 37/ 6’7/ ' of! m g l g (‘ Q < ,x 0A“ 2; l 3- ‘ /0.7Lun Q1??? . 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L 3’83“" ; ‘.°':34_7u.u: ' ’I C u 1' I’ll all", \ . .f . +~ .' \ I ,' 55 7.7uon/ .' 1 T ' 5 G (7le AND ISL/1A Db’ ,2‘ I; . , OF THE Kw ’ LDUISMDB ' 1‘ _‘--';:-.’:I 1% ‘\ Gjuun/ __ sjwp/V-__-_-d’.‘ lrx--O-----'"'""‘ " ..-3v"/'. -------°"""" .‘I 43,10,2/ -.- I ____________ . -""""-°-~~-- --~--o -------- 1 , 0 (Mn: TN?“ d“ :sza 2:13:12: mats ° Baturg deDza/zc ‘ n u ‘ ' Vué a‘I/lzpure; du 501i '3: L I Q 4 IL? [1,8 ”.9 I10 I,” ’ ——.-—- L ~I 1 —~<1 y—-—-I 1——.--I 1———-1 I -—-——» h r I .v r .- Louisiade Archipelago. (Fac-simile of early engraving.) Page 101. CAPTAIN coox’s FIRST VOYAGE. 101 Successively ship-lad, sailor, and master, Cook rapidly learned all the details of his profession. In the spring of 1755, as the first hostilities between England and France broke out, the boat upon which Cook served was anchored in the Thames. The navy was recruited in those days by means of pressgangs. At first Cook hid himself, but after- wards, urged no doubt by a presentiment, he engaged himself on board the Eagle, a vessel of sixty guns, to the command of which Sir Hugh Palliser was soon appointed. Intelligent, active, thoroughly at home in all the details of the service, Cook was noticed by the officers, and attracted the attention of his captain, who in a short time received a letter of warm recom- mendation from the member for Scarborough, sent in accordance with the pressing solicitations of all the inhabitants of Ayton, for young Cook, who shortly afterwards received a warrant as boat- swain. He embarked upon the Mercury, bound for Canada, upon the 15th of May, 1759, and joined the fleet of Sir Charles Saunders, who, in conjunction with General Wolfe, conducted the siege of Quebec. In that campaign Cook found the first opportunity of distinguish- ing himself. Ordered off to sound the St. Lawrence between! Orleans Island and the northern shore of the river, he executed his task with much skill, and drew up a chart of the channel in spite of the difficulties and dangers of the enterprise. His hydro- graphical sketch was acknowledged to be so exact and complete that he received orders to examine the channels of the river below Quebec. This duty he performed so well that his chart of the St. Lawrence was published by the English Admiralty. After _ the capture of Quebec, Cook passed on to the Northzamberland, under command of Lord Colville, and profited by his stay on the shores of Newfoundland to devote himself to astronomy. Important operations were now entrusted to him. He drew up the plan of Placentia, and took the bearings of St. Peter and. » Miquelon. In 1764 he was made naval engineer for Newfoundland and Labrador, and was employed for three consecutive years in hydro- graphical tasks, which obtained for him the notice of the ministry, and helped to correct innumerable errors in; the maps of America. 102 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or TEE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. At the same time he addressed a treatise to the Royal Society of London, upon an eclipse of the sun, which he had observed in Newfoundland in 1766. This document appeared in the “Philosophical Transactions.” Cook was not long in receiving a due reward for so much, and such successful labour, and for his patient studies, the more meritorious, as he had had few opportunities, and was self-taught. A scientific question of the highest importance, viz., the transit of Venus across the sun’s disc, which had been announced for 1769, was eagerly discussed by all the scientists of the day. The English Government, confident that this observation could only be efi'ectually made in the Pacific Sea, resolved to send a scientific expedition thither. . The command was offered to the famous hydrographer A. Dal- rymple, equally celebrated for his astronomical investigations, and his geographical discoveries in the southern seas. But he was so exacting in his demands, and so persevering in his request for a commission as ship’s captain, which Sir Edward Hawker as ob- stinately refused, that the Secretary of the Admiralty proposed another commander for the projected enterprise. His choice fell upon James Cook, who was cordially recom- mended by Sir Hugh Palliser, and to him therefore the command of the Endeavour was given, whilst he was at the same time raised to the rank of ship’s lieutenant. Cook was now forty years of age. This was his first appointment in the Royal Navy. The mission entrusted to him called for varied qualifications, rarely to be met with in a sailor. For, although the observation of the transit of Venus was the principal object of the voyage, it was by no means the only one. Cook was also to make a voyage of discovery in the Pacific Ocean. But the humbly born Yorkshire lad was destined to prove himself equal to his task. ' Whilst the" Endeavour was being equipped, her crew of eighty—four men chosen, her store of eighteen months’ pro- vision embarked, her ten guns and twelve swivel guns, with the needful ammunition, shipped, Captain ‘Vallis arrived in England. He had accomplished his voyage round the world. He was consulted as to the best spot for the observation of the transit of' Venus, and he selected an island which he had discovered, CAPTAIN cOOK’s FIRST VOYAGE. 103 and which was named by him after George III. It was later known by its native name of Tahiti. From this spot therefore Cook was to take observations. Charles Green, assistant to Dr. Bradley, of Greenwich Obser- vatory, embarked with him. To Green was entrusted the astro- nomical department, Doctor Solander, a Swedish doctor of medi- cine, a disciple of Linnaeus, and professor at the British Museum, undertook the botanical part. Finally, Sir Joseph Banks joined the expedition, out of simple interest, anxious to employ his energy and fortune. After leaving Oxford, Sir Joseph Banks had visited the Newfoundland coast and Labrador, and had there acquired a taste for botany. Two painters accompanied the expedition, one a landscape and portrait painter, the other a scientific draughtsman. In addition to these persons, the com- pany comprised a secretary and four servants, two of whom were negroes. . The Endeavour left Plymouth upon the 26th of August, 1768, and put into port at F unchal, in the island of Madeira, on the 18th of September, to obtain fresh fruit and make discoveries. The expedition met with a cordial reception. During their visit to a convent, the staff of the Endeavour were entreated by the poor immured recluses to let them know when it would thunder, and to find a spring of fresh water for them, which they sorely needed, in the interior of the convent. With all their learning, Banks, Solander, and Cook found it impossible to satisfy these demands. From Madeira to Rio de J aneiro, where the expedition arrived on the 13th of November, no incident interrupted the voyage, but Cook’s reception by the Portuguese was hardly what he expected. The whole time of his stay in port was spent in disputes with the viceroy, a man of little knowledge, and quite incapable of under- standing the scientific aspect of the expedition. However, he could not well refuse to supply the English with fresh provisions, of which they had absolutely none left. As, however, Cook was passing Fort Santa Cruz on leaving the bay, two shots were fired after him, whereupon he immediately cast anchor, and demanded the meaning of the insult. The viceroy replied that the com- mandant of the Fort had orders to allow no vessel to leave the bay without his having received notice, and although Captain 104 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTII CENTURY. Cook had notified his intention to the Viceroy, it had, by pure neglect, not been communicated to the Commandant of the Fort. Was this an intentional act of discourtesy on the part of the Viceroy ? or was it simple heedlessness ? If the Viceroy was equally negligent in all the details of his administration, the Portuguese colony must have been well re- gulated! . Cook entered the Straits of Lemaire on the 14th of January, 1769. Kippis, in his Life of Captain Cook, gives the following account :— ' “ The sea ran so high, that the water was above Cape San Diego, and the vessel was so driven by the wind that her bowsprit was constantly under water. Next day anchor was cast in a small harbour, which was recognized as Port Maurice, and soon after- wards they anchored in the Bay of Good Success. Whilst the Endcaz‘om' remained of? this spot a strange and untoward adventure befell Banks, Solander, Dr. Green, and Monkhouse, the surgeon of the vessel, and their attendants. They were proceeding to- wards a mountain in search of plants, and as they climbed it they were surprised by cold, so penetrating and sudden, that they were all in danger of perishing. Dr. Solander was seized with vertigo, two negro servants died on the spot, finally the gentlemen were only able to regain the vessel after a lapse of two days. They rejoiced in their deliverance, with a joy which can only be estimated by those who have escaped similar dangers, whilst Cook showed a lively pleasure in the cessation of the anxiety their absence had caused him. This event gave them a proof of the severity of the climate.” It was the middle of summer in this part of the world, and the day, when the cold surprised them, had begun as warmly as an ordinary May morning in England. James Cook was enabled to make some curious observations upon the savage inhabitants of those desolate regions. Destitute of the necessaries of life, without clothes, without efficient shelter from the almost perpetual severity of this glacial latitude, unarmed, and unlearned in any industrial art which would enable them to construct the more necessary utensils, they passed a miserable life, and could only exist with difficulty. In spite of these facts, of all the articles offered in exchange they invariably chose the least CAPTAIN coox’s FIRST VOYAGE. 105 useful. They joyfully accepted bracelets and necklaces, and rejected hatchets, knives, and fish-hooks. Careless of what we consider valuables, our superfluities were their neccessaries. Cook had reason to congratulate himself upon the selection of this route. He took thirty days to double Tierra del Fuego, from the date of his entrance into the Straits of Lemaire to his arrival, three degrees north of Magellan. N o doubt a much longer time would have been needed, if he had followed the winding course of the Strait of Magellan. His very exact as- tronomical observations, in which Green joined him, and the directions he gave for this dangerous navigation, smoothed the difficulties of his successors, and rectified the charts of L’Hermite, Lemaire, and Schouten. Cook noticed no current of any importance from the 21st January, the day upon which he doubled Cape Horn, to the 1st of March, in a distance of one hundred and sixty leagues of sea. He discovered a good many islands in the Dangerous Archipelago, which he respectively named, Lagoon, Arch, Groups, Birds, and Chain Islands. The greater number were inhabited and were covered with vegetation, which to sailors who for three months had seen only seaand sky, and the frozen rocks of Tierra del F uego, ap- peared luxuriant. Soon they found Martea Island, which Wallis had named Osnaburgh, and on the next day, 11th of June, the island of Tahiti was reached. Two days later, the Endeavom' cast anchor in Port Matavai, called Port Royal by Wallis, and where that captain had had a struggle with the natives, over whom, however, he had triumphed without much difficulty. Cook, aware of the incidents of his pre- decessor’s stay in this port, wished above all to avoid similar scenes. Moreover, it was essential to the success of his observa- tions that no interruption or distraction should occur. His first care was to read out standing orders to his crew, which they were forbidden under heavy penalties to infringe. He first declared 7 that he intended in every possible way to cultivate friendly relations with the natives, then he selected those who were to buy the needed provisions, and forbade all others to attempt any sort of traffic without special permission. Finally, the men who landed were on no pretext to leave their posts, and if any soldier or workman parted with his arms or implements, not only would the price be deducted 106 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. from his wages, but he would be punished in proportion to the exigency of the case. In addition to this, to guard the observers from attack, Cook decided on constructing a sort of fort, in which they might be sheltered within gun range of the Endeavour. He then landed with Messrs. Banks, Solander, and Green, soon found a favourable spot, and in presence of the natives immediately traced out the extent of land he intended to occupy. One of them, named Owhaw, who had had friendly intercourse with Wallis, was par- ticularly profuse in his protestations of friendship. As soon as the plan of the fort was fixed, Cook left thirteen men and an officer in charge of the tents, and accompanied his associates into the interior of the island. But he was speedily recalled by the sound of firing. A very painful incident, the consequences of which might have been serious, had occasioned this. One of the natives had surprised a sentinel near the tents, and had possessed himself of his gun. A general discharge was im— mediately directed upon the inoffensive crowd, but fortunately no one was injured. The robber meantime was pursued and killed. A great commotion ensued, and Cook was profuse in his pro- testations, to pacify the natives. He promised payment for all that he required for the construction of his fort, and would not allow a tree to be felled without their sanction. Finally, he had the butcher of the Endeavour mast-headed and flogged, for threaten- ing the wife of one of the chiefs with death. This proceeding effaced the recollection of the painful ante- cedents, and with the exception of some thieving by the natives, the friendly relations remained undisturbed. And now the moment for the execution of the primary object of the voyage approached. Cook accordingly took steps for putting the instructions he had received into effect. ‘Vith this view, be despatched observers with Sir Joseph Banks to Eimeo, one of the neighbouring isles. Four others proceeded to a favourable distance from the fort, where Cook himself proposed to await the transit of the planet. Hence the point of observation was called Point Venus. The night preceding the observation passed with many fears ‘11\>l‘11nu~(1u»l\. (‘11, “7‘ 11.»; ‘ ‘) ‘f mrlv cuglxum -\,. w -:i1:1 (5‘ CAPTAIN cock’s FIRST VOYAGE. 107 of unfavourable weather, but on the 3rd of June, the sun rose in all its glory, and not a cloud troubled the observers throughout the day. The observations, according to W. de Tonnelle’s article in “ Nature,” for the 28th of March, 1874, were most fatiguing for the astronomers, for they began at twenty-one minutes after nine in the morning, and only terminated at ten minutes after three in the after noon, at which moment the heat was stifling. The thermometer registered 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook assures us, and we can readily believe it, that he himself was not certain of the end of his observation. In such thermetrical conditions, the human organism, admirable instrument as it is, loses its powers. On passing the sun, the rim of Venus was elongated as though attracted. A black point or dark ligament, a little less dark than the body of the star, was formed ; the same phenomenon occurred upon the second interior contact. “The observation,” says Cook, “ was made with equal success at the fort, and by those I had sent to the east of the island. From the rising to the setting of the sun, not a single cloud obscured the sky, and Mr. Green, Dr. Solander, and myself, observed - the entire transit of Venus with the greatest ease. Mr. Green’s tele- scope and mine were of equal power, and that of Dr. Solander still stronger. ‘Ve noted a luminous atmosphere or fog surrounding the planet, which rendered the actual moment of contact and especially of interior contacts somewhat indistinct. To this fact it is owing that our observations varied somewhat one from the other.” Whilst the officers and srwants were engaged in this important observation, some of the crew, forcing an entrance into the. store- room, stole a hundredweight of nails. This was a grave offence, and one which might have had disastrous results for the expedition. The market was at once glutted with that one article of traffic, and as the natives testified an immoderate desire to possess it, there was every, reason to anticipate an increase in their demands. One of the thieves was detected, but only seventy nails were found in his possession, and the application of eighty lashes failed to make him betray his accomplices. Other incidents of this kind constantly occurred, but friendly 108 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. relations were not seriously disturbed. The officers were free to make incursions into the interior of the island to prosecute scientific investigations, and to inquire into the manners of the inhabitants. In one of these excursions, Sir Joseph Banks met a band of itinerant musicians and z'mprom'sator'i. They were somewhat sur- prised to find that the arrival of the English, and the various inci- dents of their stay formed the subjects of native songs. Banks followed the river which flows into the sea at Matavai, some distance into the interior, and found traces of a long extinct volcano. He planted, and also distributed among the population a large number of kitchen-garden seeds, such as water-melons, oranges, lemons, &c., and planned a garden near the fort, where he sowed many of the seeds he had selected at Rio J aneiro. - Cook, and his principal assistants, wished to accomplish the cir- cumnavigation of the island, which they estimated at thirty nautical leagues. During this voyage they entered into amicable relations with the chiefs of different districts, and collected a mass of information as to the manners and customs of the natives. A curious custom was that of allowing the dead to decompose in the open air, and of burying the bones only. The corpse was placed in a but about fifteen feet in length, and eleven in height, and of proportionate width. One end was closed up, and the three other sides shut in by trellis-work of twigs. The board upon which the corpse rested was five feet above the earth. There the dead body was laid, covered in stuffs, with its club and stone hatchet. Cocoa-nuts, wreathed together, were hung at the open end of the tent ; half a cocoa-nut, filled with soft water, was placed outside, and a bag containing some bits of toasted bread, was attached to a post. This species of monument is called Toupapow. Whence could that singular method of raising the dead above the ground until the flesh was decayed by putrefaction have been derived! It is quite impossible to find out. Cook could only ascertain that the cemeteries called Morai, are places where the natives observe certain religious customs, and that they always betrayed some uneasiness when the English approached. One of their most delicate dishes was dog. Those intended for the table never ate meat, but were fed upon bread-fruits, cocoa-nuts, CAPTAIN COOK’S FIRST VOYAGE. 109 yams, and other vegetables. The flesh' placed in a hole upon hot stones covered with green leaves, was stewed down in four hours. Cook, who partook of it, says it has a delicious flavour. On the 7th of July, preparations for departure began. In a short time the doors and palings were removed, and the walls demolished. At this moment, one of the natives, who had received the English with cordiality, came on board with a young lad of about thirteen years of age, who acted as his servant. He was named Tupia.. Formerly first minister to Queen Oberea, he was afterwards one of the principal priests of Tahiti. He asked to be allowed to go to England. Many reasons combined to decide Cook upon permitting this. Thoroughly acquainted (as a necessary con- sequence of his high functions) with all the particulars concerning Tahiti, this native would be able to give the most circum- stantial details of his compatriots, and at the same time to initiate them into the civilized customs of the Europeans. Finally, he had visited the neighbouring islands and perfectly understood the navigation of those latitudes. On the 18th of July there was a crowd on board the Endemrour. The natives came to bid farewell to their English friends, and to their countryman Tupia. Some overcome with silent sorrow shed tears, others on the contrary, uttered piercing cries, with less of true grief than of affectation 1n their demonstrations. In the immediate neighbourhood of Tahiti were to be found, according to Tupia, four islands, Huaheine, Ulieta, Otaha, and Bolabola. He asserted that wild pigs, fowls, and other needful provisions could easily be obtained there. These commodities had become scarce in the latter part of the stay at Matavai. Cook, however, preferred visiting a small island called Tethuroa, about eight miles north of Tahiti, but the natives had no regular settle- ment, and he therefore considered it useless to wait there. When they came in sight of Huah eine, several pirogues approached the Endeavour, and it was only after they had recognized Tupia that the natives consented to come on board. King Orea, who was among the passengers, was greatly surprised at all the vessel contained. Soon reassured by the welcome of the English, he became so familiar as to wish to exchange names with Cook. During the entire stay in port, he always called himself “ Cookee,” 110 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. and gave his own name to the captain. Anchor was caSt in a convenient harbour, and the officers of this vessel on landing found the manners, the language, and the productions of this island identical with those of Tahiti. Seven or eight leagues south-west lay Ulietea. Cook landed there also, and solemnly took possession of this and the three neighbouring isles. He also profited by his stay to make hydro- graphical surveys of the shores, Whilst a leak which had been found in the gun-room of the Endeavour, was attended to. After reconnoitring various other small islands, Cook gave the entire group the name of Society Isles. Cook sailed on the 7th of August; six days later he recon- noitred the island of Oteroah. The hostile demonstrations of the . natives prevented the Endemour from remaining. She set sail for the south. On the 25th of August, the anniversary of their departure from England was celebrated by the crew. On the 1st of September, in 40° 22’ S. Lat., 174:0 29' E. Long., the sea, agitated by a west wind, became very rough. The Endeavour was obliged to put her head to the north, and to run before the storm. Up to the 8rd the weather continued the same, then it abated and it was possible to resume the westward route. In a few days, sundry indications of an island or a continent appeared, such as floating weeds, land-birds, &c. On the 5th of October the colour of the sea changed, and on the morning of the 6th, a coast running west by north-west was perceived. Nearer approach showed it to be of great extent. Unanimous opinion decided that the famous continent, so long looked for, so necessary for the equipoise of the world, known to cosmographers, as the “Unknown land of the South,” was at last discovered! _ This land was the eastern shore of the most northerly of the two islands which have received the name of New Zealand. ’ Smoke was perceived at different points, and the details of the shore were soon mastered. The hills were covered with verdure, and large trees were distinguishable in the valleys. Then houses were perceived, then pirogues, then the natives assembled on the strand. And lastly, a pallisade, high and regularly built, surrounded the summit of the hill. Opinions varied as to CAPTAIN COOK’S FIRST VOYAGE. 111 the nature of this object; some declaring it to be a deer park, others a cattle enclosure, not to speak of many equally ingenious surmises, which were all proved false, when later it turned out to be a “ pah.” Towards four o’clock .on the afternoon of the 8th of October, anchor was cast in a bay at the mouth of a little river. On either side were White rocks; in the middle a brownish plain, rising by degrees, and joining by successive levels a chain of mountains, which appeared far in the interior. Such was the aspect of this portion of the shore. Cook, Banks, and Solander entered two small boats, accom- panied by a part of the crew. As they approached the spot Where the natives were assembled, the latter fled; this, however, did not prevent the English from landing, leaving four lads to guard one of the boats, whilst the other remained at sea. They had proceeded only a short distance from the boat, when four men, armed with long spears, emerged from the wood, and threw themselves upon it to take possession of it. They would have succeeded with ease, had not the crew of the boat out at sea perceived them, and cried out to the lads to let it drift with the current. They were pursued so closely by the enemy, that the master of the pinnace discharged his gun over the heads of the natives. After a moment’s hesitation, the natives continued their pursuit, when a second discharge stretched one of them dead on the spot. His companions made an effort to carry him away with them, but were obliged to abandon the attempt, as it retarded their flight. Hearing the firing, the officers who had landed went back to the vessel, whence they soon heard the natives returning to the shore, eagerly discussing the event. Still Cook desired to have friendly intercourse with them. He ordered three boats to be manned, and landed with Banks, Solander, and Tupia. Fifty or more natives seated on the shore awaited them. They were armed with lon g lances, and an instrument made of green talc, and highly polished, a foot long, which perhaps weighed four or five pounds. This-was the “patou-patou,” or toki, a kind of battle-axe, in talc or bone, with a very sharp edge. All rose at once and signed to the English to keep their distance. ' ' As soon as the marines landed, Cook and his companions 112 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. advanced to the natives, Whom Tupia told that the English had come with peaceful intentions, that they only wished for water and provisions, that they would pay for all that was brought them with iron, of which he explained the use. They saw, with pleasure, that the people, whose language was only a dialect of that spoken by the Tahitans, perfectly understood them. After some parleying, about thirty of the natives crossed the river. The strangers gave them iron and glass wares, on which they set no store; but one of them, having succeeded in possessing himself secretly of Mr. Green’s cutlass, the others recommenced their hostile demonstrations, and it was necessary to fire at the robber, who was hit, when they all threw themselves into the river to gain the opposite shore. The various attempts at commercial intercourse with the people ended too unfortunately for Cook to persevere in them any longer. He therefore decided to find a watering-place elsewhere. Mean- while, two pirogues, which were trying to regain the shore, were perceived. Cook took measures to intercept them ; one escaped by rapid paddling, the other was caught, and although Tupea assured the natives that the English came as friends, they seized their weapons, and commenced attacking them. A discharge killed four, and three others, who threw themselves into the sea, were seized after a fierce resistance. The reflections which this sad incident suggested to Captain Cook, are much to his honour. They are in strong contradistinction to the ordinary method of proceeding then in vogue, and deserve to be repeated verbatim. “ I cannot disguise from myself,” he says, “ that all humane and sensible people will blame me for having fired upon these unfor- tunate Indians, and I should be forced to blame myself for such an act of violence if I thought of it in cold blood. They cer- tainly did not deserve death for refusing to trust to my promises, and to come on board, even if they suspected no danger; but my commission by its nature obliged me to take observations of their country, and I could only do so by penetrating into the interior, either by open force or by gaining the confidence and good will of the natives. I had tried unsuccessfully by means of presents and my anxiety to avoid new hostilities led me to attempt having some of them on board, as the sole method of persuading fly: 1‘. 11] l-‘.w->ix11ilc of early u! 'I :1hilinn flute 54-) gnmn Rwy H2. CAPTAIN COOK’S FIRST VOYAGE. 113 them that far from wishing to hurt them, we were disposed to be of use to them. So far, my intentions were certainly not criminal. It is true that during the struggle, which was unexpected by me, our victory might have been equally complete without taking the lives of four of these Indians, but it must also be remembered that in such a situation, the command to fire having once been given, one is no longer in a position to proscribe it, or to lighten its effect. ” The natives were welcomed on board, with every possible demon- stration, if not to make them forget, at least to make them less sensi- ble of the pain of remembering their capture, they were loaded with presents, adorned with bracelets and necklaces, but when they were told to land, they all declared, as the boats were directed to the mouth of the river, that it was an enemy’s country, and that they would be killed and eaten. However, they were put on shore, and there is no reason to suppose that anything painful came of their adventure. Next day, the 11th of October, Cook left this miserable settle- ment. He named it Poverty Bay, because of all that he needed he had been able to procure but one thing—wood. Poverty Bay, in 38° 42’ S. Lat. ., and 181° 36’ W. Long. ., is of horse— shoe shape, and afi'ords good anchorage, although it is open to the winds between south and east. Oook continued along the coast in a southerly direction, naming the most remarkable points, and bestowing the name of Portland upon an island which resembled that of the same name in the English Channel. His relations with the natives were everywhere inimical ; if they did not break out into open outrage, it was owing to the English patience under every provocation. One day several pirogues surrounded the ship, and nails and glassware were exchanged for fish 3 when the natives seized Tayeto, Tupia’s servant, and quickly paddled off. As it was necessary to fire at the robbers, the little Tahitan profited by the confusion, and jumping into the sea was soon picked up by the pinnace of the Endeavour. On the 17th of October, Cook, not having been able to find a suitable harbour, and considering himself, as the sea became more and more rough, to be losing time which might be better employed in reconnoitrin g the northern coast, tacked round and returned the way he had come. VOL. 11. ' I 114.4 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. On the 23rd of October, the Endeavour reached a bay called Tedago, where no swell was perceptible. The water was excellent, and it was easy to procure provisions, the more so as the natives appeared friendly. After having arranged everything for the safety of the workers, Messrs. Banks and Solander landed and collected plants, and in their walk they found many things worthy of note. Below the valley, surrounded by steep mountains, arose a rock so perforated, that from one side the sea could be seen through it, and from the other the long range of hills. Returning on board, the excursionists were stopped by an old man, who insisted upon their taking part in the military exercises of the country with the lance and the patou-patou. In the course of ,another walk, Dr. Solander bought a top exactly resembling European tops, and the natives made signs to show him that he must whip it to make it go. Upon an island to the left of the bay, the English saw the largest pirogue they had yet met with. It was no less than sixty- eight feet long, five Wide, and three feet six inches high. It had in front a sculpture in relief, of grotesque taste, in which the lines were spiral and the figures strangely contorted. On the 80th of October, as soon as he was supplied with wood and water, Cook set sail and continued along the coast towards the north. Near an island, to which Cook had given the name of Mayor, the natives behaved most insolently, and were greater thieves" than any previously encountered. It was, however, necessary to make a stay of five or six days in this district, to observe the transit of Mercury. \Vith a view to impressing upon the natives that the English were not to be illused with impunity, a robber who had taken a piece of cloth was fired upon with grape shot, but although he received the discharge in the back, it had no more effect upon him than a violent blow with a rattan. But a bullet which struck the water and returning to the surface passed several times over the pirogues, struck such terror into the hearts of the natives, that they hastily paddled to the shore. On the 9th of November, Cook and Green landed to observe the transit of Mercury. Green only observed the passing, while Cook took the altitude of the sun. CAPTAIN ooox’s FIRST VOYAGE. 115 It is not our intention to follow the navigators in their thorough exploration of New Zealand. The same incidents were endlessly repeated, and the recital of the similar struggles with the natives, with descriptions of natural beauty, however attractive in themselves, could not but pall upon the reader. It is better, therefore, to pass rapidly over the hydrographic portion of the voyage, in order to devote ourselves to our picture of the manners of the natives, now so widely modified. Mercury Bay is situated at the foot of the long divided peninsula which, running from the east to the north-east, forms the northern extremity of New Zealand. On the 15th of November, as the Endeavour left the bay, several boats advanced towards her. “ Two of their number,” says the narrative, “ which carried about sixty armed men, approached within hearing, and the natives began their war-song, but seeing that this attracted little attention, they began throwing stones at the English, and paddled along the shore. Soon they returned to the charge, evidently determined to fight the navigators, and encouraging themselves with their war cry.” Without being incited to it, Tupia addressed them reproachfully, and told them that the English had arms, and were in a position to overpower them instantly. But they valiantly replied,— “ Come to land, and we Will kill you all! ” “Directly,” replied Tupia, “but why insult us as long as we are at sea? We have no wish to fight, and we will not accept your challenge, because there is no quarrel between us. The sea does notbelong to you any more than to our ship.” Tupia had not been credited with so much simple and true eloquence, and it surprised Cook and the other English. thilst he was in the bay of the islands, the captain reconnoitred a considerable river, which he named after the Thames. It was shaded with trees, of the same species as those on Poverty Island. One of them measured nineteen feet in circumference at the height of six feet above the ground, another was not less than ninety feet long from the root to the lowest branches. Although quarrels with the natives were frequent, the latter were not invariably 1n the wrong. Kippis relates as follows: ~— “ Some of the men on board, who, after the Indians had once I 2 116 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. been found in fault, did not fail to exhibit a severity worthy of Lycurgus, thought fit to enter a New Zealand plantation, and to carry off a quantity of potatoes. Captain Cook condemned them to a dozen stripes each. Two of them received them peaceably, but the third persisted that it was no crime for an Englishman to pillage Indian plantations. Cook’s method of dealing with this casuist was to send him to the bottom of the hold until he agreed to receive six additional stripes.” On the 30th of December the English doubled a cape which they took to be that of Maria Van Diemen, discovered by Tasman, but they were so assailed by threatening winds, that Cook only accomplished ten leagues in three weeks. Fortunately they kept at a uniform distance from shore all the time, otherwise we should probably have been spared the recital of their further adventures. On the 16th of January, 1770, after naming various portions of the eastern shore, Cook arrived in sight of an imposing peak, which was covered with snow, and which he named Mount Egmont in honour of the earl of that name. Scarcely had he doubled the peak, when he found that the coast described the arc of a circle. It was split up into numberless roadsteads, which Cook determined to enter, in order to allow of his ship being repaired and keeled. He landed at the bottom of a creek where he found a fine river and plenty of trees, for the f01 est only ceased at the sea for want of soil. The amicable relations with the natives at this point enabled him to inquire if they had ever seen a vessel like the Endeavour. But he found that even the traditions of Tasman’s visit were for- gotten, although he was only fifteen miles south of Assassin Bay. In one of the provision baskets of the Zealanders ten half gnawed bones were found. They did not look like a dog’s bones, and on nearer inspection they turned out to be human remains. The natives in reply to the questions put to them, asserted that ‘ they were in the habit of eating their enemies. A few days later, they brought on board the Endeavour seven human heads, to which hair and flesh still adhered, but the brains as being delicate morsels, were already picked. The flesh was soft, and no doubt was preserved from decay by some ingredient, for it had no CAPTAIN ooox’s FIRST VOYAGE. 117 unpleasant odour. Banks bought one of these heads after some difficulty, but he could not induce the old man who brought it to part with a second, probably because the New Zealanders considered them as trophies, and testimonies to their bravery. The succeeding days were devoted to a visit to the environs, and to some walks in the neighbourhood. During one of these excursions Cook, having climbed a high hill, distinctly perceived the whole of the strait to which he had given the name of Queen Charlotte, and the opposite shore, which appeared to him about four leagues distant. A fog made it impossible for him to see further to the south- east, but he had discerned enough to assure him that it was the final extent of the large island of which he had followed all the windings. He had now only to finish his discoveries in the south, which he proposed to do as soon as he had satisfied himself that Queen Charlotte’s Sound was really a strait. Cook visited a pah in the neighbourhood. Built upon a little island or inaccessible rock, the pah was merely a fortified village. The natives most frequently add to the natural defences by forti- fications, which render the approach still more perilous. Many were defended by a double ditch, the inner one having ' a parapet and double palisade. The second ditch was at least eighty feet in depth. On the inside of the palisade, at the height of twenty feet, was a raised platform forty feet long by six wide. Supported on two large poles, it was intended to hold the defenders of the place, who from thence could easily over- whelm the attacking party with darts and stones, of which an enormous supply was always ready in case of need. These strongholds cannot be forced, unless by means of a long blockade the inmates should be compelled to surrender. “ It is surprising,” as Cook remarks, “that the industryand care employed by them in building places so well adapted for defence, almost without the use of instruments, should not by the same means, have led them to invent a single weapon of any importance, with the sole exception of the spear they throw with the hand. They do not understand the use of a bow to throw a dart, or of a sling to fling a stone, which is the more astonishing, as the invention of slings, and bows and arrows is far more simple than the construction of these works by the people, and moreover these two weapons 118 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. are met with in almost all parts of the world, in the most savage countries.” On the 6th of February, Cook left the bay, and set sail for the east, in the hope of discovering the entrance to the strait before the ebb of the tide. At seven in the evening, the vessel was driven by the violence of the current to the close neighbourhood of a small island, outside Cape Koamaroo. Sharply pointed rocks rose from the sea. The danger increased momentarily, one only 'hope of saving the ship remained. “It was attempted and suc- ceeded. A cable’s length was the distance between the Endeavour and the rock when anchor was cast, in seventy-five fathoms of water. Fortunately the anchor found a hold, and the current changing its direction after touching the island, carried the vessel past the rock. But she was not yet in safety, for she was still in the midst of rocks, and the current made five miles an hour. However, the current decreased, the vessel righted herself, and the wind becoming favourable, she was speedily carried to the nar- rowest part of the strait, which she crossed without difficulty. The most northerly island of New Zealand, which is named Eaheinomauwe, was, however, as yet only partially known, there still remained some fifteen leagues unexplored. A few officers affirmed from this that it was a continent, and not an island, which was contrary to Cook’s view. But although his own mind was made up, the captain directed his navigation with a view to clear up any doubt which might remain in the minds of his officers. After two days’ vogage, in which Cape Palliser was passed, he called them up on the quarter deck and asked if they were satisfied. As they replied in the affirmative, Cook gave up his idea of returning to the most southerly point he had reached on the eastern coast of Eaheinomauwe, and determined to prolong his cruise the entire length of the land which he had found, and which was named Tawai-Pounamow. The coast was more sterile, and appeared uninhabited. It was necessary to keep four or five leagues from the shore. On the night of the 9th of March the Ended-tour passed over several rocks, and in the morning the crew discovered what dangers they had escaped. They named these reefs the Snares, as they appeared placed there to surprise unsuspecting navigators. 1‘ m. a. U , \ \- ‘xx ‘ .' ~ \\\ \\\ N§§§E§ . CAPTAIN coox’s FIRST VOYAGE. 119 Next day, Cook reconnoitred what appeared to him to be the extreme south of New Zealand, and called it South Cape. It was the point of Steward Island. Great waves from the south-west burst over the vessel as it doubled this cape, which convinced Captain Cook that there was no land in that quarter. He there- fore returned to the northern route, to complete the circumnavi- gation of New Zealand by the eastern coast. Almost at the southern extremity of this coast, a bay was dis- covered, which received the name of Dusky. This region was sterile, steep, covered with snow. Dusky Bay was three or four miles in width at its entrance, and appeared as deep as it was wide. Several islands were contained in it, behind which a vessel would have excellent shelter ; but Cook thought it prudent not to remain there, as he knew that the wind, which would enable him to leave the bay, blew only once a month in these latitudes. He difiered upon this point with several of his officers, who thinking only of the present advantage, did not reflect upon the inconveniences of a stay in port, the duration of which would be uncertain. N o incident occurred during the navigation of the eastern coast of Tawai-Pounamow. From Dusky Bay, according to Cook, to 44° 20’ latitude, there is a straight chain of hills which rise directly from the sea, and are covered with forests. Behind and close to these hills, are mountains which form another chain of prodigious height, composed of barren and jagged rocks, excepting in the parts- where they are covered with snow, mostly in large masses. It is impossible to conceive a wilder prospect, or a more savage and frightful. one than this country from the sea, because from every point of view nothing is visible but the summits of rocks; so close to each other that in lieu of valleys there are only fissures between them. From 44° 20’ to' 42° 81' the aspect varies, the mountains are in the interior, hills and fruitful valleys border the coast. From 42° 8’ to the 41° 30' the coast inclines vertically to the sea, and is covered with dark forests. The Endeavour, moreover, . _ was too far from the shore, and the weather was too dark for it to be possible to distinguish minor details. After achieving the circumnavigation of the country, the vessel regained the entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound. 120 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Cook took in water and wood; then he decided on returning to England, following the route which permitted him best to fulfil the object of his voyage. To his keen regret, for he had greatly wished to decide whether or no the southern continent existed, it was as impossible for him to return to Europe by Cape Horn as by the Cape of Good Hope. In the middle of winter, in an extreme southerly latitude his vessel was in no condition to bring the enterprise to a successful issue. He had no choice, therefore, but to take the route for the East Indies, and to this end to steer westward to the eastern shores of New Holland. But before proceeding to the narration of the incidents of the second part of the campaign, it will be better to glance backward and to summarize the information upon the situation, productions, and inhabitants of New Zealand which the navigators had accumulated. We have already seen that this land had been discovered by Abel Tasman, and we have noted those incidents which were marked with traces of bloodshed when it was reconnoitred by the Dutch captain. With the exception of Tasman, in 1642, no European captain had ever visited its shores. It was so far unknown, that it was not even decided whether it formed a part of the southern continent, as Tasman supposed, when he named it Staten Island. To Cook belongs the credit of determining its position and of tracing the coasts of these two large islands, situated between 84° and 48° S. Lat. 180° and 194° W. Long. Tawai-Pounamow was mountainous, sterile, and apparently very sparsely populated. Eaheinomauwe presented an attractive appearance, in its hills, mountains, and valleys covered with wood, and watered by bright flowing streams. Cook formed an opinion of the climate upon the remarks made by Banks and Solander, that,— “If the English settled in this country, it would cost them but little care and work to cultivate all that they needed in great abundance.” ' As for quadrupeds, New Zealand afforded an asylum for dogs and rats only, the former reserved for food. But if the fauna was poor, the flora was rich. Among the vegetable products which attracted the English most, was one of which the narrative says,— lmcrlnn' 0! a mum! m H‘nmi. Page I 2 I . 2 2/) 22 lead of a New Zealnndcr. 1 (Facsimile of early engraving ) Taioncd Page 12!. _\n 173m“; CAPTAIN OOOK’s FIRST VOYAGE. 12.1 “The natives used as hemp and flax, a. plant which surpasses all those used for the same purposes in other countries. The ordinary dress of the New Zealanders is composed Of leaves of this plant, with very little preparation. They fabricate their cords, lines, and ropes from it, and they are much stronger than those made with hemp, and to which they can be compared. From the same plant, prepared in another way, they draw long thin fibres, lustrous as silk and white as snow. Their best stuffs are manufactured from these fibres, and are of extraordinary strength. Their nets, of an enormous size, are composed Of these leaves, the work simply consists in cutting them into suitable lengths and fastening them together.” This wonderful plant, which was so enthusiastically described, in the lyrical account just quoted, and in the hardly less exuberant one which La Billadiére ' afterwards gave of it, is known in our day as phornmm tenam. It was really necessary to subdue the expectations that these narratives excited! According to the eminent chemist Ducharte, the prolonged action Of the damp heat, and above all bleaching, disintegrates the cellular particles of this plant, and after one or two washings, the tissues which are fabricated from it, are reduced to tow. Still it forms a considerable article of commerce. Mr. Alfred Kennedy, in his very curious work on New Zealand, tells us that in 1685, only fifteen bales ofp/zorm'um were exported, that four years later the export amounted to the almost incredible number of 12,162 bales, and in 1870 to 82,820 bales, valued at 132,5781. The inhabitants were tall and well proportioned, alert, vigorous, and intelligent. The women had not the delicate organization, and grace of fOrm, which distinguish them in other countries; dressed like the men, they were recognizable only by their sweetness of voice and liveliness of expression. Although the natives of the same tribe were affectionate in their relations to each other, they were implacable to their enemies, and they gave no quarter; the dead bodies of their enemies afforded horrible festivities, which the want of other animal food explains, but can hardly excuse. “Perhaps,” says Cook,“it appears strange that there were frequent wars in a country where so few advantages follow victory.” But besides the need of procuring meat, which led to the frequency of 122 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. these wars, another cause for them, unknown to Cook, existed in the fact that the pOpulation consisted of two distinct races, natu- rally enemies of each other. Ancient tradition has it that the Maories came in the first 1n- stance, some thirteen hundred years ago, from the Sandwich Islands. There is reaSon for believing this to be correct, when one reflects that the beautiful Polynesian race peopled all the archipe- lago sprinkled throughout the Pacific Ocean.. Leaving Haouaikai, which must be identical with Hawai, of the Sandwich Islands, or Sana’i of theNavigator Archipelago, the Maories had repelled or possibly driven back the aboriginal population. In'truth, the earliest colonists noticed two distinctly separate types in the New Zealanders. The one, and most im- portant, unmistakably recalled the natives of Hawaii, the Mar- quisas, and Tonga Islands, whilst the other offered many resem- blances to the Melanesian races. These particulars, collected by Freycinet, and recently confirmed by Hochsetten, are in perfect accord with the singular fact, recorded by Cook, that Tupia, a native of Tahiti, made himself readily understood by the New Zealanders. The migrations of the Polynesian tribes are thoroughly under- stood in these days, thanks to the wider knowledge of languages and anthropology, but they were scarcely suspected in the time of Cook, who, indeed, was one of the first to collect legends. on the subject. ' “ Every one of these tribes,” he says, “traditionally believes that his forefathers came years ago from another country, and they all assert from the same tradition, that the country was called Heawise.” The country at this time produced only one quadruped, the dog, and that was an alien. Thus the New Zealanders had no means of subsistence, but vegetables and a few fowls unknown to the English. Fortunately the inhabitants were saved from death by starvation by the abundance of fish. Accustomed to war, and looking upon all strangers as enemies, possibly seeing in them merely an edible commodity, the natives naturally attacked the English. Once convinced, however, of the utter inadequacy of their wea- pons, and of the powers of their adversaries, once convinced that the new comers avoided using those instruments which 7 y famil New chland A m w. \L 1..., Pa “W1; I ,./; , . . ,4.” ,7/ . ./ ; CAPTAIN coox’s FIRST VOYAGE. 123 produced such terrific effects, they treated ‘the navigators as friends, and conducted themselves towards them with surprising loyalty. If the natives usually met with by the navigators had little idea of decency or modesty, the same was not true of the New Zealanders, and Cook gives a curious example of this fact. Al- though not so clean as the natives of Tahiti, whose climate is much warmer, and although they bathed less often, they took a pride in their persons, and showed a certain coquetry. For instance, they greased their hair with an oil or fat obtained from fishes or birds, which becoming rank after awhile, made them as disagreeable to a refined sense of smell as the Hottentots. They were in the habit of tatooing themselves, and some of their tatoo designs demonstrated wonderful skill, and taste certainly not to be expected among this primitive race. The English were greatly surprised to find that the women devoted less attention to their attire than the men. Their hair was cut short and without ornament, and they wore clothes similar to those of their husbands. ' Their sole attempt at coquetry consisted in fastening the most extraordinary things to their ears, stuffs, feathers, fish-bones, bits of wood, not to mention green talc needles, the nails and teeth of their deceased parents, and generally everything they could lay hands on, which they suspended by means of thread. This recalls an adventure related by Cook, which happened to a Tahitan woman. This woman, envious of all she- saw, wanted to have a padlock attached to her ear. She was allowed to take it, and then the key was thrown into the sea before her. After a certain time, either because the weight of this singular ornament worried her, or because she wished to replace it by another, she begged to have it removed. The request was refused, upon the 1 ground that her demand was foolish, and that as she had wished for this singular ear- -ring, it was fair that she should put up with its inconveniences. The clothing of the New Zealanders consisted of one piece of stuff, something between reed or cloth, attached to the shoulders and falling to the knees, and of a second rolled round the waist, which reached to the ground. But the latter was not an invariable part of their dress. Thus, when they had on only the upper part 124* THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. of their costume, and they squatted, they presented the appear- ance of thatched roofs. Their coverings were sometimes trimmed in a most elegant manner, by means of various coloured fringes, and more rarely with dogskin cut into strips. But the industry of these people was especially shown in the construction of their pirogues. Their war-vessels contained from forty to fifty armed men, and one of them, measured at Ulaga, was no less than sixty-eight feet long. It was beautifully ornamented with open work and decorated with fringes of black feathers. The smaller ones generally had poles. Occasionally two pirogues were joined together. The fishing-boats were ornamented at the prow and the poop by the face of a grinning man with hideous features, lolling tongue and eyes made of white shells. Two pirogues were often coupled, and the very smallest carried only the poles needed to preserve their equilibrium. “ The usual cause of illnesses,” remarks Cook, “ being intempe- rance and want of exercise, it is not surprising that these people rejoice in perfect health. Each time that we went to their settle- ments, men, women, and children surrounded us, excited by the same curiosity which caused us to look at them. We never saw one who appeared affected by illness, and amongst all that we saw naked we never remarked the smallest eruption on the skin, nor any trace of spots or sores.” 92.8 «totem 36¢ a 3 g E P w a a - ho Q 9>Ww§mw HHMWM MMMHW w...“ oz<440, <_._¢m .--.c.L.o.&..mmo -w \\ 1...».-- \i.\\ l.\ Wes \. ~ &. F \x. 8 45 Ann n: u... filltf “w. “\ 5g.» . . u . um I‘ L “I \ . H \\ ‘ IJ m...v Lb] ..... r uu E L. v w” Id -u V .1.— UN Sn V111 rub“ :rnrl H L...) . a x. K n LN ash a... 125 11. CAPTAIN COOK’S FIRST VOYAGE. Reconnoitring the Eastern Coast of Australia—Remarks on the natives and productions of the country—The Endeavour stranded—Perpetual dangers of navigation—Crossing Torres Straits—The natives of New Guinea—— Return to England. ON the 3lst of March, Cook left Cape FareWell and New Zealand, steering westward. On the 19th of April, be perceived land which extended from north-east to west, in 37° 58’ S. Lat. and 210° 39’ W. Long. In his Opinion, judging by Tasman’s chart, this was the country called Van Diemen’s Land. In any case, he was unable to ascertain whether the portion of the coast before him belonged to Tasmania. He named all the points on his northern voyage, Hick’s Point, Ram Head, Cape Howe, Dromedary Mount, Upright Point, Pigeon House, &c. This part of Australia is mountainous, and covered with various kinds of trees. Smoke announced it to be inhabited, but the sparse population ran away as soon as the English prepared to land. The first natives seen were armed with long lances and a piece of wood shaped like a scimitar. This was the famous “ boomerang,” so effective a weapon in the hands of the natives, so useless in that of Europeans. ~ The faces of the natives were covered with white powder, their bodies were striped with lines of the same colour, which, passing obliquely across the chest, resembled the shoulder-belts of soldiers. On their thighs and legs they had circles of the same kind, which would have appeared like gaiters had not the natives been entirely naked. ’ A little further on the English once more attempted to land. But 126 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. two natives whom they had previously endeavoured to propitiate by throwing them nails, glassware, and other trifles, made such menacing demonstrations, that they were obliged to fire over their heads. At first they seemed stunned by the detonation, but as they found that they were not wounded, they commenced hostilities by throwing stones and javelins. A volley of bullets struck the oldest in his legs. The unfortunate native rushed at once to one of the cabins, but returned with a shield to continue the fight, which was shortly ended, when he was convinced of his power- lessness. | * The English seized the opportunity to land, and reach the houses, where they found several spears. In the same bay, they landed some casks for water, but communication with the natives was hope- less; they fied immediately on the advance of the English. During an excursion on land, Cook, Banks, and Solander found traces of various animals. The birds were plentiful, and re- markably beautiful. The great number of plants discovered by the naturalists in this part, induced Cook to give it the name of Botany Bay. “ This bay is,” he says, “ large, safe, and convenient ; it is situated in 34° W. Lat., and 208° 37' W. Long.” Wood and water were easily procurable there. “The trees,” according to Cook, “ were at least as large as the oaks of England, and I saw one which somewhat resembled them. It is that one which distils a red gum like ‘ Dragon’s blood.”’ No doubt this was a species of Eucalyptus. Among the various kinds of fishes which abound in these latitudes is the thorn-back skate, one of which, even after cleaning, weighed three hundred and thirty-six pounds. On the 6th of May, Cook left Botany Bay, and continued to coast to the north at two or three miles distance from the shore. The navigation along this coast was sufficiently monotonous. The only incidents which imparted a slight animation, were the sudden and unexpected differences in the depth of the sea, caused by the line of breakers which it was necessary to avoid. Landing a little further on, the ’ navigators ascertained that the country was inferior to that surrounding Botany Bay. The soil was dry and sandy, the sides of the hills were sparsely covered with isolated trees and free from brush-wood. The sailors . MAP 0’? the east coast. of NEW 'fiJQE-JIEAUNJD after Cook. db u\3"‘°“ < C. Grafton B 911a! lz'faa; B.” 70 0‘9 3w l'duzarde/ / Be 0 u 09 6:) Bale-Ia, B? P'f‘du D ‘r want 0‘) u) Cap delaF Cap ,1 < 3 .7: k D 0 co Part flop luuw § PORT J ACKSON CMCDE LA SOTAHIQUL 3 Cap 8': C serge Bf‘lfatcman 911i 5;} Cap Dr°m3dalreff5f17 _ .- Cap} '5‘ Pm” icks [I 5i“: :: _ if“ } 1 :7.” we: par E. 1710er CAPTAIN ooox’s FIRST VOYAGE. 127 killed a bustard, which was pronounced to be the best game eaten since leaving England. Hence, this point Was named Bustard Bay. Numbers of bivales were found there, especially small pearl oysters. On the 25th of May, the Endeavour being a mile from land, was opposite a point which exactly crossed the Tropic of Capricorn. The following day, it was ascertained that the sea rose and fell seven feet. The flow was westward, and the ebb eastwar,d just the reverse of the case in Botany Bay. In this spot islands were nume1ous, the channel narrow and very shallow. On the 29th, Cook landed with Banks and Solander in a large bay, in search of a spot where he could have the keel and bottom of his vessel repaired, but they were scarcely on terra firma, when they found their progress impeded by a thick shrub, prickly and studded with sharp seeds, no doubt a species of “ spz'm'fex,” which clung to the clothes, pierced them, and penetrated the flesh. At the same time, myriads of gnats and mosquitoes attacked them, and covered them with painful bites. A suitable spot for repairs was found, but a watering- place was sought in vain. Gum-trees growing here and there were covered with enormous ants’ nests, and soon deprived of gum by those insects. Numerous brilliantly-coloured butterflies hovered over the explorers. These were curious facts, interesting from more than one point of View, but they failed to satisfy the captain, who was eager to replenish his water supply. From the first, the great defect of this country was apparent. It consists in the absence of streams, springs, and rivers ! A second excursion made during the evening of the same day was , equally barren of good results. Cook ascertained that the ' bay was very deep, and decided on making the circuit of it in the mornlng. He soon discovered that the width of the channel by which he entered increased rapidly, and that it ultimately formed a vast lake communicating with the sea to the north-west. Another arm stretched eastwards, and it was conceivable that the lake had a second outlet into the sea at the bottom of the bay. Cook named this part of Australia New South Wales. Sterile, sandy, dry, it lacked all that was most necessary for the establishment 128 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. of a colony. And the English could not ascertain from their cursory inspection or hydrographical examination that, mineralogically speaking, it was one of the richest countries of the New World. The navigation was monotonously continued from the 31st of May to the 10th of June. On this latter date the Endeavour, after passing safely along an unknown coast, in the midst of shallows and breakers, for a space of 22° or 1300 miles, was all at once exposed to a greater danger than any which had been appre- hended. They were in 16° S. Lat. and 214° 39' W. Long. when Cook, seeing two islets lying low and covered with trees, gave orders to keep well out to sea’during the night, so as to look for the islands discovered by Quiros in these latitudes, an archi- pelago which some geographers had maintained was united to the mainland. Shortly after nine in the evening the soundings taken every quarter of an hour showed constantly decreasing depth. All crowded to the deck. The water became deeper. It was con- cluded that the vessel had passed over the extremity of the sand- banks seen at sunset, and all rejoiced at escape from danger. When the depth increased, Cook and all but the officers of the watch retired to their berths, but at eleven o’clock the sounding-line, after indicating twenty fathoms, suddenly recorded seventeen, and before it was possible to cast anchor, the Endearour had touched, and beaten by the waves, struck upon a rock. The situation was a serious one. The Endearour, raised by a wave over the ridge of a reef, had fallen again into a hollow in the rock, and by the moonlight, portions of the false keel and the sheathing could be seen floating. Unfortunately the accident happened at high water. It was useless therefore to count upon the assistance of the tide to release the ship. Without loss of time the guns, barrels, casks, ballast, and all that could lighten the vessel, were thrown overboard. The vessel still struck against the rock. The sloop was put to sea, the sails and topsails were lowered, the tow-lines were thrown to the starboard, and the captain was about to order the anchor to be cast on the same side, when it was discovered that the water was deeper at the stern. But although the capstan was vigorously worked, it was impossible to move the vessel. CAPTAIN COOK’S rmsr VOYAGE. 129 Daybreak disclosed the position in all its horrors. Land was eight leagues distant, not a single isle was Visible between the ship and land where refuge might be found if, as was to be feared, the vessel broke up. Although she had been lightened Of fifty tons weight, the sea only gained a foot and a half. Fortunately the wind fell, otherwise the Endeavour must soon have been a wreck. However, the leak increased rapidly, although the pumps were worked incessantly. A third was put into action. The alternative was dreadful! If the vessel were freed, it must sink when no longer sustained by the rock, while if it remained fixed, it must be demolished by the waves which rent its planks asunder; The boats were too small to carry all the crew to land at one time. Under such circumstances was there not danger that discipline would be thrOwn to the winds? Who could tell whether a fratricidal struggle might not ensue? And even should some Of the sailors reach land, what fate could be in store for them upon an in- hospitable shO-re, where nets and fire-arms would scarcely procure them nourishment ? What would become Of those who were obliged tO remain on board? Every one shared these fears, but so strong a sense Of duty prevailed, so much was the captain beloved by his crew, that the terrors of the situation evoked no single cry, no disorder Of any kind. The strength Of the men not employed at the pumps was wisely harboured for the moment when their fate should be decided. Measures were so skilfully taken, that when the sea rose to its height, all the Officers and crew worked the capstan, and as the’ vessel was disengaged from the rock, it was ascertained that she drew no more water than when on the reef. But the sailors were exhausted after twenty-four hours Of such terrible anxiety. It was necessary tO change the hands at the pumps every five minutes. i . A new disaster was now added. The man Whose duty it was to measure the water in the hold, announced that it had increased to eighteen inches in a few moments. Fortunately the mistake of the measure taken was immediately ascertained, and the crew were so overjoyed that they fancied all danger over. ' VOL. 11. K 130 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. An officer named Monkhouse conceived an excellent idea. He applied a sort of cap to the stern, which he filled in with wool, rope- yarn, and the intestines of the animals slaughtered on board, and so effected a stoppage of the leak. From this time the men, who spoke of driving the vessel on a coast to reconstruct another from its ruins, which might take them to the East Indies, thought only of finding a suitable harbour for the purpose. 'The desirable harbour was reached on the 17th of June, at the mouth of a current which Cook called Endeavour River. The necessary labours for the careening of the vessel were at once begun and carried on with the utmost rapidity. The sick were landed, and the stafi visited the land several times, in the hope of killing some game, and procuring fresh meat for the sufferers from scurvy. Tupia saw an animal which Banks, from his description, imagined to have been a wolf. But a few days later several others were seen, who jumped upon their fore feet, and took enormous leaps. They were kangaroos, marsupial animals, only met with in Australia, and which had never before seen a European. The natives in this spot appeared far less savage than on other parts of the coast. They not only allowed the English to approach, but treated them cordially, and remained several days with them. The narrative says,— “ They were usually of medium height, but their limbs were remarkably small. Their skin was the colour of soot, or rather, it might be described as of deep chocolate colour. Their hair was black and not woolly, and was cut short; some wore it plaited, 'some curled. Various portions of their bodies were painted red, and one of them had white stripes on his lips and breast which he called ‘ carbanda.’ Their features were far from disagreeable; they had very bright eyes, white and even teeth, and their voices were sweet and musical. Some among them wore a nose-ornament which Cook had not met with in New Zealand. It was a bone, as large as a finger, passed through the cartilage. “ A little later a quarrel arose. The crew had taken possession of some tortoises which the natives claimed, without having in the least assisted in capturing them. When they found that their demand was not acceded to, they retired in fury, and set fire to the shrubs in the midst of which the English encampment was y . "1 a “n .M A d ‘ V." ‘ ANS fi‘; V‘Ifm‘“; ‘ “I “:9®%RPQW } fi (/I‘ As \ ’ {flw \ l/ ‘ ASE 4 W4 Xi: «“- \ / '1 hey wen;- kangaroos. . a, A O( H .vt~‘a\ Am:u>:\r.:o 3:0.«0 odEmméc: 522$ ts Soc anti—fir V CAPTAIN coox’s masr VOYAGE. 181 situated. The latter lost all their combustible commodities in the conflagration, and the fire, leaping from hill to hill, afforded a magnificent spectacle during the night.” Meantime Messrs. Banks, Solander, and others, enjoyed many successful hunts. They killed kangaroos, opossums, a species of pole-cat, wolves, and various kinds of serpents, some of which were venomous. They also saw numbers of birds, kites, hawks, cockatoos, orioles, paroquets, pigeons, and other unknown birds. ‘ After leaving Endeavour River, Cook had good opportunities of testing the difficulties of navigation in these latitudes. Rocks and shallows abounded. It was necessary to cast anchor in the evening, for it was impossible to proceed at night through this labyrinth of rocks without striking. The sea, as far as the eye could reach, appeared to dash upon one line of rocks more violently than upon the others ; this appeared to be the last. Upon arriving there, after five days’ struggle with a contrary wind, Cook discovered three islands stretching four or five leagues to the north. But his difficulties were not over. The vessel was once more surrounded by reefs and chains of low islets, amongst which it was impossible to venture. Cook was inclined to think it would be more prudent to return and seek another passage. But such a détour would have con- sumed too much time, and have retarded his arrival in the East Indies. Moreover there was an insurmountable obstacle to this course. Three months’ provisions were all that remained. The situation appeared desperate, and Cook decided to steer as far as possible from the coast, and to try and pass the exterior line of rocks. He soon found a channel, which shortly brought them to the open sea. “So happy a change in the situation,” says Kippis, “was received with delight. The English were full of it, and openly expressed their joy. For nearly three months they had been in perpetual danger. When at night they rested at anchor, the sound of an angry sea forced them to remember that they were surrounded by rocks, and that, should the cable break, shipwreck was inevitable. They had travelled over 360 miles, and were forced to keep a man incessantly throwing the line and sounding the rocks through which they navigated. Possibly no other vessel could furnish an example of such continued effort.” K 2 132 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Had they not just escaped so terrible a danger, the English would have had cause for uneasiness in reflecting upon the length of way that remained to them across a sea but little known, upon a vessel which let in nine inches of water in an hour. With pumps out of repair and provisions almost consumed, the navigators only escaped these terrible dangers to be exposed on the 16th of April to a peril of equal magnitude. Carried by the waves to a line of rocks above which the sea spray washed to a prodigious height, making it impossible to cast anchor ; without a breath of wind, they had but one resource, to lower boats to tow the vessel off. In spite of the sailors’ efforts the Endeae'om' was still only 100 paces from the reef, when a light breeze, so slight that under better circumstances no one would have noticed it, arose and disengaged the vessel. But ten minutes later it fell, the currents strongly returned, and the Endeavour was once more carried within 200 feet of the breakers. After many unsuccessful attempts, a narrow opening was perceived. “ The danger it offered was less imminent than that of remaining in so terrible a situation,” says the narrative. “A light breeze which fortunately sprang up, the efi'orts of the boats, and the tide, conveyed the ship to the opening, across which she passed with frightful rapidity. The strength of the current prevented the Endeavour from touching either shore of the channel, which, however, was but a mile in width, and extremely unequal in depth, giving now thirty fathoms, now only seven of foul bottom.” If we have lingered somewhat over the incidents of this voyage, it is because it was accomplished in unknown seas, in the midst of breakers and currents, which, sufficiently dangerous for a sailor when they are marked on a map, become much more so when, as was the case with Cook, since leaving the coast of New Helland, the voyage is made in the face of unknown obstacles, which all the instinct and keen vision of the sailor cannot always successfully surmount. One last question remained to be solved,— \Vere New Holland and New Guinea portions of one country? Were they divided by an arm of the sea, or by a strait? In spite of the dangers of such a course, Cook approached the shore, and followed the coast of Australia towards the north. 'l‘hrcc Indians emerged from the “owl; Page 133, OAPrAIN OOOK’s FIRST VOYAGE. 138 On the 21st he doubled the most northerly cape of New Holland, to which he gave the name of Cape York, and entered a channel sprinkled with islands near the mainland, which inspired him with the hope of finding a passage to the Indian Ocean. Once more he landed, and planting the English flag, solemnly took possession in the name of King George, of the entire Eastern Coast from the eighteenth degree of latitude to this spot, situated in 107° south. He gave the name of New South Wales to this territory, and to fitly conclude the ceremony, he caused three salutes to be fired. Cook next penetrated Torres Strait, which he called Endeavour Strait, discovered and named the \Vallis Islands, situated in the middle of the south-west entrance to Booby Island, and Prince of ‘Vales Island, and steered for the southern coast of New Guinea, which he followed until the 3rd of September without being able to land. . Upon that day Cook landed with about eleven well-armed men, amongst them Solander, Banks, and his servants. They were scarcely a quarter of a mile from their ship, when three Indians emerged from the wood, uttering piercing cries, and rushed at the English. “ The one who came nearest,” says the narrative, “ threw some- thing which he carried at his side, with his hand, and it burned like gunpowder, but we heard no report.” Cook and his companions were obliged to fire upon the natives in order to regain their ship, from whence they could examine them at their leisure. They resembled the Australians entirely, and like them, wore their hair short, and were perfectly naked—only their skin was less dark; no doubt because they were less dirty. “ Meantime the natives struck their fire at intervals, four or five at a time. We could not imagine what this fire could be, nor their object in throwing it. “ They held in the hand a short stick, perhaps a hollow cane, which they flourished from side to side, and at the same instant we saw the fire and smoke exactly as it flashes from a gun, and it lasted no longer. We observed this astonishing phenomenon from the vessel, and the illusion was so great that those on board believcd the Indians had fire-arms, and we ourselves should have imagined they fired guns, but that our ship was so close that in such a case we must have heard the explosion.” 134 THE GREA'I‘ NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. This fact remains unexplained, in spite of the many commen- taries it has occasioned, and which bear out the testimony of the great navigator. Many of the English officers demanded immediate permission to land in search of cocoa-nuts and other fruits, but the captain was unwilling to risk his sailors’ lives in so futile an attempt ; he was, besides, anxious to reach Batavia, to obtain repairs for his vessel. He thought it useless, moreover, to remain a longer time in these latitudes. They had been so often visited by the Spanish and Dutch, that there were no further discoveries to make. In passing Arrow and Wesel Islands be rectified their positions, and reaching Timor, put- into port in Savu Island, where the Dutch had been settled for some time. There Cook revictualled, and by accurate observations settled its position at 10° 35’ southern latitude, and 237° 80’ west longitude. After a short interval the Endeavour arrived at Batavia, where she was repaired. But the stay in that unhealthy country was fatal after such severe fatigue. Endemic fevers raged there ; and Banks, Solander, and Cook, as well as the greater part of the crew, fell ill. Many died, amongst them Monkhouse, the surgeon, Tupia, and little Tayeto. Ten men only escaped the fever. The Endeaz‘our set sail on the 27th of December, and on the 15th of January, 1771, put 'into Prince of \Vales Island for victuals. From that moment, sickness increased among the crew. Twenty- three men died, amongst them Green, the astronomer, who was much regretted. After a stay at the Cape of Good Hope, where he met with the welcome he so sorely needed, Cook re-embarked, touched at St. Helena, and anchored in the Downs on the 11th of June, 1772, after an absence of nearly four years. “Thus,” says Kippis, “ended Cook’s first voyage, a voyage in. which he had experienced such dangers, discovered so many countries, and so often evinced his superiority of character. He was well worthy of the dangerous enterprise and of the courageous efforts to which he had been called.” 135 CHAPTER V. CAPTAIN COOK’S SECOND VOYAGE. I. Search for the Southern Continent—Second stay at New Zealand—Pomontou Archipelago—Second stay at Tahiti—Reconnoitring Tonga Isles—Third stay at New Zealand—Second crossing of the Southern Ocean—Easter Island reconnoitred—Visit to the Marquesas Islands. HAD the government not been desirous of rewarding James Cook for the way in which he had fulfilled the mission entrusted to him, the unanimous voice of the public would have constrained them. On the 29th of August he received the rank of commander in the Royal Navy. But the great navigator, proud of the services he had rendered to England and to science, thought the reward less than his achievements merited. He would have delighted in an appointment as ship’s captain ,‘but Lord Sandwich, who was then at the head of the Admiralty, pointed out to him, that it was not possible to gratify him without upsetting all established customs, and injuring the discipline of the Royal Navy. However, Cook busied himself in putting together the necessary materials for the narration of his experiences; but, being soon occupied with still more important matters, he placed them in the hands of Dr. Hawkesworth,who was to superintend their publication, At the same time, the Observations he had taken on the transit of Mercury in concert with Mr. Green, his calculations and astro- nomical solutions, were submitted to the consideration of the Royal Society, and that learned body at once recognized his merit. In one respect, however, the important results obtained by Cook were incomplete. He had not perfectly proved the impossibility of an antarctic continent. This chimera Was still dear to the hearts of scientific men. Although obliged to admit that neither New Zealand nor Australia made part of such a continent, and that thc Endeavour had navigated in latitudes in which it 136 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. might have been found, they still affirmed that it would be found still more south, and reiterated all those advantages which its discovery would entail. The government determined to settle a question which had been discussed for so many years, and to despatch an expedition for the purpose. Its commander was easily selected. The nature of the voyage demanded vessels of peculiar construction. As the Endeaeour had been sent to the Falkland Islands, the Admiralty gave orders for the purchase of the two suitable vessels for the purpose. Cook was consulted, and insisted that the ships should be solidly built, draw little water, and possess capacity for carrying provisions and ammunition in proportion to the number of the crew and the length of the voyage. The Admiralty accordingly bought two vessels, constructed at Whitby, by the same ship-builder as the Encleaoour. The larger was of 462 tons burden, and was named the Resolution, the second was only of 336 tons, and was called the Adventure. Cook received command of the Resolution, and Captain Tobias F urneaux, second lieutenant of the Wallis, was raised to the command of the Adt‘entm‘e. The second and third officers, and several of the crew had already served in the Endeavour. It may readily be imagined that every possible care was taken in the equipment of these ships. Lord Sandwich and Captain Palliser themselves superintended every detail. Each of the ships was stocked with provisions of every kind for two years and a half. Very extraordinary articles were provided at the instance of Captain Cook, who claimed them as anti-scorbutics, for instance, malt, sour krout, salted cabbages, soup-slabs, mustard and saloop, as well as carrot marmalade, and thickened and unfermented beer, which was tried at the suggestion of Baron Storch of Berlin, and Mr. Pelham, secretary to the Commissariat department. Equal care was taken to ship two small boats, each of twenty tons, intended to carry the crew in case of shipwreck. William Hodges, a landscape painter, two naturalists, John Reinhold Forster and his son George; two astronomers, W. \Vales and W. Bayley, accompanied the expedition, provided with the best instruments for observation. CAPTAIN oooK’s SECOND VOYAGE. , 137 Nothing that could conduce to the success of the adventure was neglected. It was to return with an immense amount of collected information, which was to contribute to the progress of the natural and physical sciences, and to the ethnology of navi- gation and geography. Cook says, “ I received my instructions at Plymouth dated 25th June. They enjoined my immediate departure for the island of Madeira. To ship wine there, and thence to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope, Where I was to let the crew have a spree on shore, and obtain the provisions and other stores I needed. To advance southwards and endeavour to find Circumcision Cape, which was said to have been discovered by M. Bouvet, in the 54° southern parallel, and about 11° 20' east longitude, reckoning from Greenwich. If I found this cape, to ascertain whether it was part of the continent or an island. Should it prove the former, to neglect no opportunity of investigating its possible extent. To collect facts of every kind which might be useful to navigation and commerce, or would tend to the progress of the natural sciences. I was desired to observe the spirit, tempera- ment, character, and means of the inhabitants, should there be any, and to use every fair means of forming friendly alliances with them. “My instructions proceeded to enjoin me to seek discoveries in the east or west, according to the position in which I might find myself, and advised my nearing the south pole as much as possible, and as long as the condition of the ships, the health of the crew, and the provisions allowed of my doing so. To be careful in any case to reserve sufficient provisions to reach some known port, where I might refit for my return to England. “In addition, I was ordered, if I found Circumcision Cape to be an island, or if I did not succeed in finding it, in the first case to take the necessary. bearings, and in both to sail south- ward as long as I still hoped to find the continent. Then to proceed eastward, to look for this continent, and to discover the islands which might be situated in this part of the southern hemi- sphere. To remain in high latitudes and to prosecute my dis- coveries, as had been already said, as near the pole as possible, until I had completed the navigation of the world, and finally to repair to the Cape of Good Hope, and from thence to Spithead.” 138 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Cook left Plymouth harbour on the 13th of July, and on the 29th of the same month he arrived at F unchal, in Madeira. Here he took in provisions, and continued his route southwards. But being shortly convinced that his supply of water would not hold out until he reached the Cape of Good Hope, he determined to break the voyage by putting in at Cape Verd Islands, and on the 10th of August be anchored in Praya Port, which he left four days later. Cook availed himself of his stay in this port, as he usually did, to collect every fact which might be useful to navigators. His description is the more valuable now, as these parts have com- pletely changed in character, and the conditions of a stay in port have been greatly modified by the improvements accomplished there. On the 23rd of the same month, after violent squalls which had driven every one on deck, Cook, aware of the pernicious effect of the damp of warm climates, and always on the alert to keep his crew in good health, gave orders to aerate (renew the air) in the between decks. He even had a fire lighted in order to smoke it, and dry it quickly, and not only took the precautions advocated by Lord Sandwich, and Sir Hugh Palliser, but also those which the experience of his last voyage suggested to him. Thanks to all these efforts at prevention there was not a single sick case on board the Resolution when she arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on the 30th of October. Cook, in company with Captain F urneaux, and Messrs. Foster, went to pay a visit to the Dutch governor, Baron de Plettemberg, who placed all the resources of the colony at his disposal. There he found that two French. ships, which had left the island of Mauritius in March, had touched at the Cape before proceeding to the southern seas where they were to prosecute discoveries, under command of Captain Marion. During this stay in port, which was longer than they ex- pected, Forster met the Swedish botanist Sparman, a pupil of Linnwus, and engaged him to accompany him, by promising him large pay. It is difficult to praise F orster’s disinterestedness under these circumstances too highly. He had no hesitation in admitting a rival, and even paid his expenses, in order to add completeness to the studies in natural history which he wished to make in the countries he was about to visit. Amung the ichergs. 1’11 1;. «5s CAPTAIN coox’s SECOND VOYAGE. 139 Anchor was weighed on the 22nd of December, and the two ships resumed their course southwards, in. search of Cape Circum- cision, discovered by Captain Bouvet, on the 1st ‘of January, 1739. As the temperature would rapidly become ‘colder, Cook distributed the warm clothes, furnished by the Admiralty, to his sailors. From the 29th of November till the 6th of December a frightful tempest prevailed. The ships, driven out of their course, were carried to the east, to such a degree that they were forced to resume the search for Circumcision Cape. Another consequence of the bad weather, and of the sudden change from heat to ex- treme cold was the death of all the animals embarked at the Cape. And lastly, the sailors suffered so much from the damp, that it was necessary to increase the rations of brandy to stimulate them to work. On the 10th of December, in 500 40’ southern latitude the first ice was met with. Rain and-snow succeeded each other uninter- ruptedly. The fog soon became so dense, that the crews did not perceive a floating iceberg, until they were a mile past it. “ One of these,” says the narrative, “was not less than 200 feet high, 400 wide, and 2000 long. “ Taking it as probable, that this piece was of absolutely equal size, its depth beneath the water, would have been 1800 feet, and its height about 2000 feet, and from the dimensions just given its entire bulk must have contained .1600 million cubic feet of ice.” As they proceeded further south the icebergs increased. The sea was so rough, that the waves climbed these glacial blocks, and fell on the other side in fine impalpable dust. The scene filled the observers with admiration. But this was soon succeeded by terror, upon the reflection that if the vessel struck one of these enormous masses, she must be dashed to pieces. The presence of danger soon, however, produced indiife1ence, and more thought was bestowed upon the sublime beauty, than upon the strife with this te1rible element. Upon the 14th of December, an enormous iceberg, which closed in the horizon, prevented the two vessels from proceeding south- wards, and it became absolutely necessary to skirt it. It did not present an unbroken surface, for hillocks were visible on it, similar to those met on the previous days. Some thought they distinguished land under the ice, even Cook for the moment 14.0 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. was deceived, but as the fog lifted the mistake was easily recti- fied. Next day the vessels were driven before a strong current. The elder Forster and Wales, the astronomer, embarked in a small boat to ascertain its swiftness. Whilst thus engaged, the fog became so dense, that they completely lost sight of the ship. In this miserable boat, without instruments or provisions, in the midst of the wide ocean, far from any coast, surrounded by ice, their situation was dreadful. They left off rowing, lest they should get farther from the ship. They were losing all hope when the sound of a distant bell fell upon their ears. They rowed swiftly in the direction of the sound. The Adventure replied to their shouts and picked them up after several hours of terrible suspense. The generally received opinion was, that the ice floats collected in the bays or mouths of rivers. The explorers, therefore, imagined themselves near land, which would prove to be situated in the south behind the vast iceberg. They were thirty leagues to the west of it, before they found an opening in the ice which might lead to the south. The cap- tain then determined to steer an equal distance to the east. Should he not find land, he at least hoped to double the iceberg, and penetrate in advance of it to the pole, and thereby settle the doubts of all the physicists. But although it was the middle of summer in this part of the world, the cold became daily more intense. The sailors com- plainedof it, and symptoms of scurvy appeared on board. Warmer clothes were distributed, and recourse was had to the remedies usual in such cases, malt and lemon-juice, which soon over- came the malady, and enabled the crews to bear the severity of the temperature. On the 29th of December, Cook ascertained positively that the iceberg was joined to no land. He therefore decided to proceed eastward as far as the parallel of Cape Circumcision, that is, if no obstacle prevented him. He had scarcely put this resolve into execution when the wind became so violent, and the sea so rough, that navigation, in the midst of floating ice, which crashed with a fearful noise, became most perilous. .I .7 22 I (I , hn‘p’ 5 Mummy 5.x - W_ / / . _ '2 ‘ ‘ yfiumummfimumm {I‘m '5 N; "x I ‘v ' W 1‘9 3 viii ‘0 . _’ M ,. ~\ I “m... ‘ r‘ :3; rm ‘1 ‘ H‘ MW)“ «Mini ' . W , . (1‘ , HIM—J "m ‘ ‘1 ‘ I ' ' ‘ ‘ w I m \c-w Zulhllil \mr mnor. ([‘melmllc of CJI‘I)’ engraving.) Page 140. CAPTAIN COOK’s SECOND VOYAGE. 141 The danger increased, when a field of ice extending beyond the range of vision was seen to the north. There seemed every pro- spect of the ships being imprisoned for many- Weeks, “hemmed in,” to use the expression of Whalers, if indeed they did not run the risk of being crushed at once. Cook neither tried to run to the west or east, he steered straight for the south. He was now in the latitude attributed to Cape Circumcision, and seventy leagues south of the position assigned to it. Hence he concluded that if land existed as stated by Bouvet (which is now known to be a fact) it could only be an inconsiderable island, and not a large continent. The captain had no further reason for remaining in these lati- tudes. In 67° 15' southern latitude a new ice barrier, running from east to west closed the passage for him, and he could find no opening in it. Prudence enjoined his remaining no longer in this region, for two-thirds of the summer were already passed. He therefore determined to seek, with no further delay, the land recently discovered by the French. On the 1st of February, 1773, the vessels were in 48° 80' south latitude, and 38° 7' west longitude, very nearly the parallel at- tributed to St. Maurice Island. After a fruitless cruise, productive of no results, they were forced to conclude, that if there really were land in these latitudes it could only be a small island, otherwise it could not have escaped their search. On the 8th of February, the captain found to his dismay that the Adrent-We was no longer sailing with him. He waited in vain for two days, firing at close intervals and keeping great fires upon the deck all night. The Resolution had to continue her voyage alone. . On the morning of the 17th of February, between twelve and three O’clock, the crew witnessed a magnificent spectacle, then first seen by European eyes. It was an aurora borealis. “ The Officer of the watch,” says the narrative, “noticed that from time to time rays left it in spiral and circular forms, and that then its bril- liancy increased, which gave it an extremely beautiful appear- ance. It appeared to have no particular bearing, but remained motionless in the heavens, which it filled entirely from time to time, by throwing its light to all parts.” 1422 THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. After another attempt to pass the arctic circle, an attempt, which the fogs, the rain, the snow, and the ice-blocks forced him to relinquish, Cook resumed his course to the north, convinced . that he left no large land behind him, and regained New Zealand, which he had agreed upon with the Adventure as a rendezvous in the event of separation. On the 25th of March he cast anchor in Dusky Bay, after one hundred and seventy consecutive days of sea, in which he had not made less than three thousand six hundred and sixty leagues, without one sight of land. As soon as he could find suitable anchorage, the captain has- tened to avail himself of the resources for feeding his crew, which the country furnished in fowls, fish, and vegetables, whilst he himself, generally with the plumb-line in his hand, traversed the environs of the bay. He met only a few natives, with whom he had little intercourse. But one family becoming somewhat familiarized, established itself a hundred yards from the landing- place. Cook gave a concert for them, in which the fife and cornet were lavished on them in vain, the New Zealanders awarded the palm to the drum ! On the 18th of April, a chief came on board with his daughter. But before entering the ship he rapped her sides with a green wand he held in his hand, and addressed an harangue or invoca- tion in modulated accents, to the strangers, a very general custom with the islanders of the southern sea. Scarcely was his foot' 011 deck, when he offered the captain a bit of cloth, and a green talc hatchet, an unprecedented act of generosity for a New Zealander. The chief visited every part of the ship. In order to testify his gratitude to the captain he plunged his fingers into a bag at his waist, and offered to anoint his hair with the tainted oil it con- tained. Cook had much difficulty in escaping from this proof of affection, which had not been very pleasing to Byron in the Strait of Magellan, but the painter Hodges was forced to submit to the operation, to the amusement of the entire crew. The chief then departed, to return no more, taking with him nine hatchets, and thirty pairs of carpenter’s scissors, which the officers had given him. Richer than all the New Zealanders put together, he no doubt hastened to stow away his treasures, in the fear that some one would deprive him of them. CAPTAIN COOK’s SECOND VOYAGE. 143 Before leaving Cook landed five geese, the last of those he had brought from the Cape, thinking that they would multiply in this little inhabited spot, and he had a plot of land cleared in which he planted kitchen garden seeds. Thus he worked at the same time for the natives and for the future navigators who should find precious resources here. When Cook had completed the hydrographical survey of Dusky Bay, he started for Queen Charlotte’s Sound, the rendezvous assigned to Captain Furneaux. On the 17th of May the crew witnessed a magnificent spec- tacle. Six water-spouts, one of them sixty feet wide at its base, were visible a hundred feet from the ship in succession, drawing the clouds and sea into communication by their powerful suction. This phenomenon lasted three quarters of an hour, and the first feeling of fear which it awakened in the breasts of the crew was soon merged in one of admiration, the greater as at this time such marvels were little known. Next day, just as the Resolution entered Queen Charlotte’s Sound, the Adventure was seen, and proved to have been waiting for six weeks. Furneaux, after reaching Van Diemen’s Land on the 1st of March, had coasted it for seventeen days, but he was forced to desist before ascertaining whether it was, as he sup- posed, a part of New Holland. The refutation of this error was reserved for the surgeon, Bass. On the 9th of April after reaching Queen’s Charlotte’s Sound, the captain of the Adventure had profited by his leisure to lay out a garden and to open Ielations with the natives, who had furnished him with irresistible proofs of their cannibalism. Before he continued his voyage of discovery, Cock followed the same line of conduct as at Dusky Bay. He landed a ram and a sheep, a goat and a she-goat, a pig and a sow. He also planted potatoes, which only existed upon the more southerly of the two islands which form New Zealand. The natives resembled those of Dusky Bay, but they appeared more thoughtless, ran from room to room during supper, and de- voured everything that was offered to them. It was impossible to induce them to taste Wine or brandy, but they were very partial to sugar and water. Cook says,— “They laid hands on all they saw, but they gave up anything 144 THE GREAT NAVIGAToRs or THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. so soon as we made them understand by signs that we could not, or would not give it to them. They particularly admired glass bottles, which they called TawhaW, but when the durability and use of iron was explained to them they preferred it to glass-ware, ribbons, or white paper. Amongst them were several women, whose lips were covered with little holes, painted a blueish black, Whilst vivid red formed of chalk and oil, covered their cheeks. Like the natives of Dusky Bay, they had small legs and bodies, but thick knees, which proves that they take little exercise and sit cross-legged. The almost perpetual squatting in their pirogues no doubt also adds to these peculiarities. “ The colour of their skin is clear brown, their hair is very black, their faces are round, their nose and lips are somewhat thick but not flat, their eyes are black and bright enough, and tolerably expressive. “ Placed in a row, the natives took off their outer garments, and one of them sang a rough sort of song, the others accompanying him with gestures. They stretched out their hands, and alternately struck their feet against the ground with frantic contortions. The last words they repeated in chorus, and we easily distinguished a sort of metre, but I am not sure that there was any rhyme; the music was wild and monotonous.” Some of the New Zealanders begged for news of Tupia, and when they heard of his death, they expressed their grief by a kind of lamentation plainly artificial. Cook did not recognize a single native whom he had met on his first voyage. He naturally concluded that the natives who in 1770 inhabited the Sound had been chased out, or had gone elsewhere of their free will. The number of inhabitants, too, was reduced by a third, the “pah” was deserted, as well as a number of cabins along the coast. The two ships being ready to return to sea, Cook gave instruc- tions to Captain Furneaux. He wished to advance southward between 41° to 46° S. lat. up to 140° west longitude, and if he found no land, to steer towards Tahiti, which was appointed as the place of rendezvous. He then proposed to return to New Zealand and survey all the unknown parts of the sea between that island and Cape Horn. Towards the end of July, after a few days’ hot weather, scurvy again broke out on board the Adz‘em‘urc. The Resolution escaped CAPTAIN OOOK’s SECOND VOYAGE. 145 the scourge, owing to the precautions from which Cook never departed for a single day, and the example which he himself set of constantly eating celery and scurvy grass. _ On the 1st of July, the two vessels were in ‘8. lat. 25° 1’, and 134° 6' W. long., the situation which Carteret attributed to Pitcairn Island. Cook endeavoured to find it, but, to his great regret, the illness on board the Adventure shortened his cruise. He was anxious to verify or rectify the longitude of this island, and by so doing, that of all the surrounding lands discovered by Carteret, which had not been confirmed by astronomical obser- vations. But having no longer any hope of finding an Antarctic continent, he set sail for the north-west, and soon reconnoitred several of the islands seen by Bougainville. “The outlying islands with which the Pacific Ocean abounds between the tropics,” he says, “are on a level with the waves in the low parts, and raised only a rood or two above them in the others. Their shape is often circular. In the centre they contain a basin of sea water, and the depth of water all round is not to be sounded. They produce little; cocoa-nuts appear to be the best of their productions; yet in spite of this sterility, and of their small extent, most of them are inhabited. It is not easy to con- ceive how these little settlements were peopled, and it is not less difficult to determine from whence the highest islands of the Southern Sea drew their inhabitants.” On the 15th of April, Cook reconnoitred Osnaburgh or Mairea Islands, discovered by Wallis, and set off for Otaiti-Piha, where he intended to embark as many provisions as possible before reaching Matavai. “At daybreak,” says Forster, “we rejoiced in one of those beautiful mornings which poets of every country have tried to paint. A light breeze brought a delicious perfume from the land, and ruffled the surface of the water. The forest-capped mountains elevated their majestic heads, over which the rising sun shed his beams. Close to us we saw a ridge of hills, of gentler ascent, but wooded like the first, and pleasantly intermixed with green and brown tints; below, a plain adorned with breadfruit—trees, and a quantity of palms in the background, overshadowing the delightful groves. All seemed still asleep. Dawn was but just breaking, and the country was wrapped in peaceful darkness. Yet. we VOL. II. L 146 THE GREAT NAVIGATOR-S OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. could perceive the houses amid the trees, and the pirogues on the shore. Half a mile from the beach, the waves broke over a reach of rocks level with the sea, and nothing could equal the tranquillity of the interior flow of the harbour. The day-star shed its lustre on the plain; the natives rose, and by degrees added life to this charming scene. At the sight of our vessels, several launched their pirogues in haste, and paddled towards us, as we were happily watching them. \Ve little thought that we were going to run into great danger, and that destruction would soon threaten the vessels and their crews on this fortunate coast.” Skilful the writer, happy the painter, who knew how to find such fresh and varied colours! This enchanting picture is con- veyed in a few words. One regrets not having accompanied this bold sailor, this scientist who so well understood Dame Nature! Unfortunately we could not visit these innocent and peaceable inhabitants in that age of gold to which our own century offers a painful comparison. The vessels were half a league from a reef, when the wind fell. In spite of every efibrt, the ships were driven upon the rocks, in the very sight of the much-coveted land, when a clever manoeuvre of the captain’s, ably seconded by the tide and the land breeze, came to their rescue. They had, however, received some injuries, and the Adventure lost three anchors. The ships were surrounded by a crowd of pirogues, and every variety of fruit was exchanged for glass beads. Still the natives offered neither fowls nor pigs. Those that were seen near the cabins belonged to the king, and they had no right to sell them. Several of the Tahitans begged for news of Banks and the companions of Cook’s earlier voyage. 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