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diff --git a/16471-8.txt b/16471-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ae675d7 --- /dev/null +++ b/16471-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,20894 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A General History and Collection of Voyages +and Travels, Volume 16, by Robert Kerr + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16 + +Author: Robert Kerr + +Release Date: August 7, 2005 [EBook #16471] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GENERAL HISTORY AND *** + + + + +Produced by Robert Connal, Alison Hadwin and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. +Produced from images generously made available by the +Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions. + + + + + + + + + +A + +GENERAL + +HISTORY AND COLLECTION + +OF + +VOYAGES AND TRAVELS, + +ARRANGED IN SYSTEMATIC ORDER: + +FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF NAVIGATION, +DISCOVERY, AND COMMERCE, BY SEA AND LAND, FROM THE EARLIEST AGES TO +THE PRESENT TIME. + + * * * * * + +BY + +ROBERT KERR, F.R.S. & F.A.S. EDIN. + + * * * * * + +ILLUSTRATED BY MAPS AND CHARTS. + +VOL. XVI. + +WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, EDINBURGH: + +AND T. CADELL, LONDON. + +MDCCCXXIV. + + +CONTENTS OF VOL. XVI. + + +CHAP. III. Transactions at Otaheite, and the Society Islands; and +prosecution of the Voyage to the Coast of North America, 1 + + SECT. + + I. An Eclipse of the Moon observed. The Island Toobouai + discovered. Its Situation, Extent, and Appearance. Intercourse + with its Inhabitants. Their Persons, Dresses, and Canoes + described. Arrival at Oheitepeha Bay, at Otaheite. Omai's + Reception and imprudent Conduct. Account of Spanish Ships + twice visiting the Island. Interview with the Chief of this + District. The Olla, or God, of Bolabola. A mad Prophet. + Arrival in Matavai Bay, 1 + + II. Interview with Otoo, King of the Island, Imprudent Conduct + of Omai. Employments on Shore. European Animals landed. + Particulars about a Native who had visited Lima. About + Oedidee. A Revolt in Eimeo. War with that Island determined + upon, in a Council of Chiefs. A human Sacrifice on that + Account. A particular Relation of the Ceremonies at the + great Morai, where the Sacrifice was offered. Other barbarous + Customs of this People, 16 + + III. Conference with Towha. Heevas described. Omai and Oedidee + give Dinners. Fireworks exhibited. A remarkable Present of + Cloth. Manner of preserving the Body of a dead Chief. Another + human Sacrifice. Riding on Horseback. Otoo's Attention to + supply Provisions, and prevent Thefts. Animals given to him. + Etary, and the Deputies of a Chief, have Audiences. A mock + Fight of two War Canoes. Naval Strength of these Islands. + Manner of conducting a War, 35 + + IV. The Day of Sailing fixed. Peace made with Eimeo. Debates + about it, and Otoo's Conduct blamed. A Solemnity at the Morai + on the Occasion, described by Mr King. Observations upon it. + Instance of Otoo's Art. Omai's War-Canoe, and Remarks upon his + Behaviour. Otoo's Present, and Message to the King of Great + Britain. Reflections on our Manner of Traffic, and on the good + Treatment we met with at Otaheite. Account of the Expedition + of the Spaniards. Their Fictions to depreciate the English. + Wishes expressed that no Settlement may be made. Omai's + Jealousy of another Traveller, 48 + + V. Arrival at Eimeo. Two Harbours there, and an Account of + them. Visit from Maheine, Chief of the Island. His Person + described. A Goat stolen, and sent back with the Thief. + Another Goat stolen, and secreted. Measures taken on the + Occasion. Expedition cross the Island. Houses and Canoes + burnt. The Goat delivered up, and Peace restored. Some Account + of the Island, &c. 62 + + VI. Arrival at Huaheine. Council of the Chiefs. Omai's + Offerings, and Speech to the Chiefs. His Establishment in this + Island agreed to. A House built, and Garden planted for him. + Singularity of his Situation. Measures taken to insure his + Safety. Damage done by Cock-roaches on board the Ships. A + Thief detected and punished. Fireworks exhibited. Animals left + with Omai. His Family. Weapons. Inscription on his House. His + Behaviour on the Ships leaving the Island. Summary View of his + Conduct and Character. Account of the two New Zealand Youths, + 71 + + VII. Arrival at Ulietea. Astronomical Observations. A + Marine deserts, and is delivered up. Intelligence from + Omai. Instructions to Captain Clerke. Another Desertion of + a Midshipman and a Seaman. Three of the chief Persons of the + Island confined on that Account. A Design to seize Captains + Cook and Clerke discovered. The two Deserters brought back, + and the Prisoners released. The Ships sail. Refreshments + received at Ulietea. Present and former State of that Island. + Account of its dethroned King, and of the late Regent of + Huaheine, 87 + + VIII. Arrival at Bolabola. Interview with Opoony. Reasons for + purchasing Monsieur de Bougainville's Anchor. Departure from + the Society Islands. Particulars about Bolabola. History of + the Conquest of Otaha and Ulietea. High Reputation of the + Bolabola Men. Animals left there and at Ulietea. Plentiful + Supply of Provisions, and Manner of salting Pork on Board. + Various Reflections relative to Otaheite and the Society + Islands. Astronomical and Nautical Observations made there, 99 + + IX. Accounts of Otaheite still imperfect. The prevailing + Winds. Beauty of the Country. Cultivation. Natural + Curiosities. The Persons of the Natives. Diseases. General + Character. Love of Pleasure. Language. Surgery and Physic. + Articles of Food. Effects of drinking Ava. Times and Manner of + Eating. Connexions with the Females. Circumcision. System of + Religion. Notions about the Soul and a future Life. Various + Superstitions. Traditions about the Creation. An historical + Legend. Honours paid to the King. Distinction of Ranks. + Punishment of Crimes. Peculiarities of the neighbouring + Islands. Names of their Gods. Names of Islands they visit. + Extent of their Navigation, 10 + + X. Progress of the Voyage, after leaving the Society Islands. + Christmas Island discovered, and Station of the Ships there. + Boats sent ashore. Great Success in catching Turtle. An + Eclipse of the Sun observed. Distress of two Seamen who had + lost their Way. Inscription left in a Bottle. Account of the + Island. Its Soil. Trees and Plants. Birds. Its Size. Form. + Situation. Anchoring Ground, 139 + + XI. Some Islands discovered. Account of the Natives of Atooi, + who came off to the Ships, and their Behaviour on going + on Board. One of them killed. Precautions used to prevent + Intercourse with the Females. A Watering-place found. + Reception upon landing. Excursion into the Country. A Morai + visited and described. Graves of the Chiefs, and of the human + Sacrifices, there buried. Another Island, called Oneeheow, + visited. Ceremonies performed by the Natives, who go off to + the Ships. Reasons for believing that they are Cannibals. + A Party sent ashore, who remain two Nights. Account of what + passed on landing. The Ships leave the Islands, and proceed to + the North, 148 + + XII. The Situation of the Islands now discovered. Their + Names. Called the Sandwich Islands. Atooi described. The Soil. + Climate. Vegetable Productions. Birds. Fish. Domestic + Animals. Persons of the Inhabitants. Their Disposition. + Dress. Ornaments. Habitations. Food. Cookery. Amusements. + Manufactures. Working-tools. Knowledge of Iron accounted for. + Canoes. Agriculture. Account of one of their Chiefs. Weapons. + Customs agreeing with those of Tongataboo and Otaheite. + Their Language the same. Extent of this Nation throughout + the Pacific Ocean. Reflections on the useful Situation of the + Sandwich Islands, 172 + + XIII. Observations made at the Sandwich Islands, on the + Longitude, Variation of the Compass and Tides. Prosecution of + the Voyage. Remarks on the Mildness of the Weather, as far as + the Latitude 44° North. Paucity of Sea Birds, in the Northern + Hemisphere. Small Sea Animals described. Arrival on the Coast + of America. Appearance of the Country. Unfavourable Winds and + boisterous Weather. Remarks on Martin de Aguilar's River, and + Juan de Fuca's pretended Strait. An Inlet discovered, where + the Ship's anchor. Behaviour of the Natives, 195 + +CHAP. IV. Transactions, amongst the Natives of North America; +Discoveries along that Coast and the Eastern Extremity of Asia, +Northward to Icy Cape; and return Southward to the Sandwich Islands, +207 + + SECT. + + I. The Ships enter the Sound, and moor in a Harbour. + Intercourse with the Natives. Articles brought to barter. + Thefts committed. The Observatories erected, and Carpenters + set to work. Jealousy of the Inhabitants of the Sound to + prevent other Tribes having Intercourse with the Ships. Stormy + and rainy Weather. Progress round the Sound. Behaviour of the + Natives at their Villages. Their Manner of drying Fish, &c. + Remarkable Visit from Strangers, and introductory Ceremonies. + A second Visit to one of the Villages. Leave to cut Grass, + purchased. The Ships sail. Presents given and received at + parting, 207 + + II. The Name of the Sound, and Directions for Sailing into + it. Account of the adjacent Country. Weather. Climate. Trees. + Other Vegetable Productions. Quadrupeds, whose Skins were + brought for Sale. Sea Animals. Description of a Sea-Otter. + Birds. Water Fowl. Fish. Shell-fish, &c. Reptiles. Insects. + Stones, &c. Persons of the Inhabitants. Their Colour. Common + Dress and Ornaments. Occasional Dresses, and monstrous + Decorations of wooden Masks. Their general Dispositions. + Songs. Musical Instruments. Their Eagerness to possess Iron + and other Metals, 221 + + III. Manner of Building the Houses in Nootka Sound. Inside + of them described. Furniture and Utensils. Wooden Images. + Employments of the Men. Of the Women. Food, Animal and + Vegetable. Manner of preparing it. Weapons. Manufactures and + Mechanic Arts. Carving and Painting. Canoes. Implements for + Fishing and Hunting. Iron Tools. Manner of procuring that + Metal. Remarks on their Language, and a Specimen of it. + Astronomical and Nautical Observations made in Nootka Sound, + 239 + + IV. A Storm, after sailing from Nootka Sound. Resolution + springs a Leak. Pretended Strait of Admiral de Fonte passed + unexamined. Progress along the Coast of America. Behring's + Bay. Kaye's Island. Account of it. The Ships come to an + Anchor. Visited by the Natives. Their Behaviour. Fondness for + Beads and Iron. Attempt to plunder the Discovery. Resolution's + Leak stopped; Progress up the Sound. Messrs Gore and Roberts + sent to examine its Extent. Reasons against a Passage to the + North through it. The Ships proceed down it to the open Sea + 260 + + V. The Inlet called Prince William's Sound. Its Extent. + Persons of the Inhabitants described. Their Dress. Incision of + the Under-lip. Various other Ornaments. Their Boats. Weapons. + Fishing and hunting Instruments. Utensils. Tools. Uses Iron + is applied to. Food. Language, and a Specimen of it. Animals. + Birds. Fish. Iron and Beads, whence received, 279 + + VI. Progress along the Coast. Cape Elizabeth. Cape St + Hermogenes. Accounts of Beering's Voyage very defective. Point + Banks. Cape Douglas. Cape Bede. Mount St Augustin. Hopes + of finding a Passage up an Inlet. The Ships proceed up it. + Indubitable Marks of its being a River. Named Cook's River. + The Ships return down it. Various Visits from the Natives. + Lieutenant King lands, and takes Possession of the Country. + His Report. The Resolution runs aground on a Shoal. + Reflections on the Discovery of Cook's River. The considerable + Tides in it accounted for, 291 + + VII. Discoveries after leaving Cook's River. Island of St + Hermogenes. Cape Whitsunday. Cape Greville. Cape Barnabas. + Two-headed Point. Trinity Island. Beering's Foggy Island. A + beautiful Bird described. Kodiak and the Schumagin Islands. A + Russian Letter brought on Board by a Native. Conjectures + about it. Rock Point. Halibut Island. A Volcano Mountain. + Providential Escape. Arrival of the Ships at Oonalaschka. + Intercourse with the Natives there. Another Russian Letter. + Samganoodha Harbour described, 306 + + VIII. Progress Northward, after leaving Oonalashka. The + Islands Oonella and Acootan. Ooneemak. Shallowness of the + Water along the Coast. Bristol Bay. Round Island. Calm Point. + Cape Newenham. Lieutenant Williamson lands, and his Report. + Bristol Bay, and its Extent. The Ships obliged to return on + account of Shoals. Natives come off to the Ships. Death of + Mr Anderson; his Character; and Island named after him. Point + Rodney. Sledge Island, and Remarks on landing there. King's + Island. Cape Prince of Wales, the Western Extreme of America. + Course Westward. Anchor in a Bay on the Coast of Asia, 323 + + IX. Behaviour of the Natives, the Tschutski, on seeing the + Ships. Interview with some of them. Their Weapons. Persons. + Ornaments Clothing. Winter and Summer Habitations. The Ships + cross the Strait, to the Coast of America. Progress Northward. + Cape Mulgrave. Appearance of Fields of Ice. Situation of Icy + Cape, the Sea blocked up with Ice. Sea-horses killed, and used + as Provisions. These Animals described. Dimensions of one of + them. Cape Lisburne. Fruitless Attempt to get through the Ice + at a Distance from the Coast. Observations on the Formation + of this Ice. Arrival on the Coast of Asia. Cape North. The + Prosecution of the Voyage deferred to the ensuing Year, 338 + + X. Return from Cape North, along the Coast of Asia. Views of + the Country. Burney's Island. Cape Serdze Kamen, the Northern + Limit of Beering's Voyage. Pass the East Cape of Asia. + Description and Situation of it. Observations on Muller. + The Tschutski. Bay of Saint Laurence. Two other Bays, and + Habitations of the Natives. Beering's Cape Tschukotskoi. + Beering's Position of this Coast accurate. Island of Saint + Laurence. Pass to the American Coast. Cape Derby. Bald Head. + Cape Denbigh, on a Peninsula. Besborough Island. Wood and + Water procured. Visits from the Natives. Their Persons and + Habitations. Produce of the Country. Marks that the Peninsula + had formerly been surrounded by the Sea. Lieutenant King's + Report. Norton Sound. Lunar Observations there. Stæhlin's Map + proved to be erroneous. Plan of future Operations, 353 + + XI. Discoveries after leaving Norton Sound. Stuart's Island. + Cape Stephens. Point Shallow-Water. Shoals on the American + Coast. Clerke's Island. Gore's Island. Pinnacle Island. + Arrival at Oonalashka. Intercourse with the Natives + and Russian Traders. Charts of the Russian Discoveries, + communicated by Mr Ismyloff. Their Errors pointed out. + Situation of the Islands visited by the Russians. Account of + their Settlement at Oonalashka. Of the Natives of the Island. + Their Persons. Dress. Ornaments. Food. Houses and domestic + Utensils. Manufactures. Manner of producing Fire. Canoes. + Fishing and Hunting Implements. Fishes, and Sea Animals. Sea + and Water Fowls, and Land Birds. Land Animals and Vegetables. + Manner of burying the Dead. Resemblance of the Natives on + this Side of America to the Greenlanders and Esquimaux. Tides. + Observations for determining the Longitude of Oonalashka. 369 + + XII. Departure from Oonalashka, and future Views. The Island + Amoghta. Situation of a remarkable Rock. Strait between + Oonalashka and Oonella repassed. Progress to the South. + Melancholy Accident on board the Discovery. Mowee, one of the + Sandwich Islands, discovered. Intercourse with the Natives. + Visit from Terreeoboo. Another Island, called Owhyhee, + discovered. The Ships ply to Windward to get round it. + An Eclipse of the Moon observed. The Crew refuse to drink + Sugar-cane Beer. Cordage deficient in Strength. Commendation + of the Natives of Owhyhee. The Resolution gets to Windward of + the Island. Her Progress down the South-East Coast. Views of + the Country, and Visits from the Natives. The Discovery joins. + Slow Progress Westward. Karakakooa Bay examined by Mr Bligh. + Vast Concourse of the Natives. The Ships anchor in the Bay, + 402 + +CHAP. V. Captain King's Journal of the Transactions on Returning to +the Sandwich Islands, 421 + + SECT. + + I. Description of Karakakooa Bay. Vast Concourse of the + Natives. Power of the Chiefs over the Inferior People. + Visit from Koah, a Priest and Warrior. The Morai at Kakooa + described. Ceremonies at the Landing of Captain Cook. + Observatories erected. Powerful Operation of the Taboo. Method + of Salting Pork in Tropical Climates. Society of Priests + discovered. Their Hospitality and Munificence. Reception of + Captain Cook. Artifice of Koah. Arrival of Terreeoboo, King of + the Island. Returned by Captain Cook, 421 + + II. Farther Account of Transactions with the Natives. Their + Hospitality. Propensity to Theft. Description of a Boxing + Match. Death of one of our Seamen. Behaviour of the Priests at + his Funeral. The Wood Work and Images on the Morai purchased. + The Natives inquisitive about our Departure. Their Opinion + about the Design of our Voyage. Magnificent Presents of + Terreeoboo to Captain Cook. The Ships leave the Island. The + Resolution damaged in a Gale, and obliged to return, 434 + + III. Suspicious Behaviour of the Natives, on our Return + to Karakakooa Bay. Theft on Board the Discovery, and its + Consequences. The Pinnace attacked, and the Crew obliged to + quit her. Captain Cook's Observations on the Occasion. Attempt + at the Observatory. The Cutter of the Discovery stolen. + Measures taken by Captain Cook for its Recovery. Goes on Shore + to invite the King on Board. The King being stopped by his + Wife and the Chiefs, a Contest arises. News arrives of one of + the Chiefs being killed by one of our People. Ferment on this + Occasion. One of the Chiefs threatens Captain Cook, and is + shot by him. General Attack by the Natives. Death of Captain + Cook. Account of the Captain's Services, and a Sketch of his + Character, 446 + + IV. Transactions at Owhyhee subsequent to the Death of + Captain Cook. Gallant Behaviour of the Lieutenant of Marines. + Dangerous Situation of the Party at the Morai. Bravery of + one of the Natives. Consultation respecting future Measures. + Demand of the Body of Captain Cook. Evasive and insidious + Conduct of Koah and the Chiefs. Insolent Behaviour of the + Natives. Promotion of Officers. Arrival of two Priests with + Part of the Body. Extraordinary Behaviour of two Boys. Burning + of the Village of Kakooa. Unfortunate Destruction of the + Dwellings of the Priests. Recovery of the Bones of Captain + Cook. Departure from Karakakooa Bay, 460 + + V. Departure from Karakakooa in Search of a Harbour on the + South-East Side of Mowee. Driven to Leeward by the Easterly + Winds and Current. Pass the Island of Tahoorowha. Description + of the South-West Side of Mowee. Run along the Coasts of Ranai + and Morotoi to Woahoo. Description of the North-East Coast + of Woahoo. Unsuccessful Attempt to Water. Passage to Atooi. + Anchor in Wymoa Bay. Dangerous Situation of the Watering Party + on Shore. Civil Dissensions in the Islands. Visit from the + contending Chiefs. Anchor off Oneeheow. Final Departure from + the Sandwich Islands, 492 + + + + + +A + +GENERAL HISTORY, + +AND + +COLLECTION + +OF + +VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. + + * * * * * + +PART III. BOOK III. (CONTINUED.) + + * * * * * + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +TRANSACTIONS AT OTAHEITE, AND THE SOCIETY ISLANDS; AND PROSECUTION OF +THE VOYAGE TO THE COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. + + +SECTION I. + +_An Eclipse of the Moon observed.--The Island Toobouai +discovered.--Its Situation, Extent, and Appearance.--Intercourse +with its Inhabitants.--Their Persons, Dresses, and Canoes +described.--Arrival at Oheitepeha Bay, at Otaheite.--Omai's Reception +and imprudent Conduct.--Account of Spanish Ships twice visiting the +Island.--Interview with the Chief of this District.--The Olla, or God, +of Bolabola.--A mad Prophet.--Arrival in Matavai Bay._ + +Having, as before related,[1] taken our final leave of the Friendly +Islands, I now resume my narrative of the voyage. In the evening of +the 17th of July, at eight o'clock, the body of Eaoo bore N.E. by +N., distant three or four leagues. The wind was now at E., and blew +a fresh gale. With it I stood to the S., till half an hour past +six o'clock the next morning, when a sudden squall, from the same +direction, took our ship aback; and, before the sails could be trimmed +on the other tack, the main-sail and the top-gallant sails were much +torn. + +[Footnote 1: See the conclusion of Sect. IX. Chap. II.] + +The wind kept between the S.W. and S.E., on the 19th and 20th, +afterward, it veered to the E., N.E., and N. The night between the +20th and 21st, an eclipse of the moon was observed as follows, being +then in the latitude of 22° 57-1/2' S.: + + Apparent time, A.M. + H.M.S. + + Beginning, by Mr King, at 0 32 50 | + Mr Bligh, at 0 33 25 > Mean long. 186° 57-1/2'. + Myself, at 0 33 35 | + + End, by Mr King at 1 44 56 | Mean long. 186° 28-1/2'. + Mr Bligh at 1 44 6 > Time keep. 186° 58-1/2'. + Myself, at 1 44 56 | + +The latitude and longitude are those of the ship, at 8^h 56^m a.m., +being the time when the sun's altitude was taken for finding the +apparent time. At the beginning of the eclipse, the moon was in +the zenith, so that it was found most convenient to make use of the +sextants, and to make the observations by the reflected image, which +was brought down to a convenient altitude. The same was done at the +end, except by Mr King, who observed with a night telescope. Although +the greatest difference between our several observations is no +more than fifty seconds, it, nevertheless, appeared to me that +two observers might differ more than double that time, in both the +beginning and end. And, though the times are noted to seconds, no such +accuracy was pretended to. The odd seconds set down above, arose by +reducing the time, as given by the watch, to apparent time. + +I continued to stretch to the E.S.E., with the wind at N.E. and N., +without meeting with any thing worthy of note, till seven o'clock in +the evening of the 29th, when we had a sudden and very heavy squall +of wind from the N. At this time we were under single reefed topsails, +courses, and stay-sails. Two of the latter were blown to pieces, +and it was with difficulty that we saved the other sails. After +this squall, we observed several lights moving about on board the +Discovery, by which we concluded, that something had given way; and, +the next morning, we saw that her main-top-mast had been lost. Both +wind and weather continued very unsettled till noon, this day, when +the latter cleared up, and the former settled in the N.W. quarter. At +this time, we were in the latitude of 28° 6' S., and our longitude was +198° 23' E. Here we saw some pintado birds, being the first since we +left the land. + +On the 31st, at noon, Captain Clerke made a signal to speak with me. +By the return of the boat which I sent on board his ship, he informed +me, that the head of the main-mast had been just discovered to be +sprung, in such a manner as to render the rigging of another top-mast +very dangerous; and that, therefore, he must rig something lighter +in its place. He also informed me, that he had lost his +main-top-gallant-yard, and that he neither had another, nor a spar to +make one, on board. The Resolution's sprit-sail top-sail yard which I +sent him, supplied this want. The next day, he got up a jury top-mast, +on which he set a mizen-top-sail, and this enabled him to keep way +with the Resolution. + +The wind was fixed in the western board, that is, from the N., round +by the W. to S., and I steered E.N.E. and N.E., without meeting with +anything remarkable, till eleven o'clock in the morning of the 8th +of August, when land was seen, bearing N.N.E., nine or ten leagues +distant. At first, it appeared in detached hills, like so many +separate islands; but, as we drew nearer, we found that they were all +connected, and belonged to one and the same island. I steered directly +for it, with a fine gale at S.E. by S.; and at half-past six o'clock +in the afternoon, it extended from N. by E., to N.N.E. 3/4 E., distant +three or four leagues. + +The night was spent standing off and on; and at day-break the next +morning, I steered for the N.W., or lee-side of the island; and as we +stood round its S. or S.W. part, we saw it every where guarded by a +reef of coral rock, extending, in some places, a full mile from the +land, and a high surf breaking upon it. Some thought that they +saw land to the southward of this island; but, as that was to the +windward, it was left undetermined. As we drew near, we saw people on +different parts of the coast, walking, or running along the shore, and +in a little time after we had reached the lee-side of the island, +we saw them launch two canoes, into which above a dozen men got, and +paddled toward us. + +I now shortened sail, as well to give these canoes time to come up +with us, as to sound for anchorage. At the distance of about half a +mile from the reef, we found from forty to thirty-five fathoms water, +over a bottom of fine sand. Nearer in, the bottom was strewed with +coral rocks. The canoes having advanced to about the distance of a +pistol-shot from the ship, there stopped. Omai was employed, as +he usually had been on such occasions, to use all his eloquence to +prevail upon the men in them to come nearer; but no entreaties could +induce them to trust themselves within our reach. They kept eagerly +pointing to the shore with their paddles, and calling to us to go +thither; and several of their countrymen who stood upon the beach held +up something white, which we considered also as an invitation to land. +We could very well have done this, as there was good anchorage without +the reef, and a break or opening in it, from whence the canoes had +come out, which had no surf upon it, and where, if there was not water +for the ships, there was more than sufficient for the boats. But I did +not think proper to risk losing the advantage of a fair wind, for the +sake of examining an island that appeared to be of little consequence. +We stood in no need of refreshments, if I had been sure of meeting +with them there; and having already been so unexpectedly delayed in +my progress to the Society Islands, I was desirous of avoiding every +possibility of farther retardment. For this reason, after making +several unsuccessful attempts to induce these people to come +alongside, I made sail to the N., and left them, but not without +getting from them, during their vicinity to our ship, the name of +their island, which they called Toobouai. + +It is situated in the latitude of 23° 25' S., and in 210 37' E. +longitude. Its greatest extent, in any direction, exclusive of the +reef, is not above five or six miles. On the N.W. side, the reef +appears in detached pieces, between which the sea seems to break +upon the shore. Small as the island is, there are hills in it of a +considerable elevation. At the foot of the hills, is a narrow border +of flat land, running quite round it, edged with a white sand beach. +The hills are covered with grass, or some other herbage, except a few +steep rocky cliffs at one part, with patches of trees interspersed to +their summits. But the plantations are more numerous in some of the +vallies, and the flat border is quite covered with high, strong trees, +whose different kinds we could not discern, except some cocoa-palms, +and a few of the _etoa_. According to the information of the men in +the canoes, their island is stocked with hogs and fowls, and produces +the several fruits and roots that are found at the other islands in +this part of the Pacific Ocean. + +We had an opportunity, from the conversation we had with those who +came off to us, of satisfying ourselves, that the inhabitants of +Toobouai speak the Otaheite language, a circumstance that indubitably +proves them to be of the same nation. Those of them whom we saw in the +canoes were a stout copper-coloured people, with straight black hair, +which some of them wore tied in a bunch on the crown of the head, and +others flowing about the shoulders. Their faces were somewhat round +and full, but the features, upon the whole, rather flat, and their +countenances seemed to express some degree of natural ferocity. They +had no covering but a piece of narrow stuff wrapped about the waist, +and made to pass between the thighs, to cover the adjoining parts; +but some of those whom we saw upon the beach, where about a hundred +persons had assembled, were entirely clothed with a kind of white +garment. We could observe, that some of our visitors in the canoes +wore pearl shells hang about the neck as an ornament. One of them kept +blowing a large conch-shell, to which a reed near two feet long +was fixed; at first, with a continued tone of the same kind, but he +afterward converted it into a kind of musical instrument, perpetually +repeating two or three notes, with the same strength. What the blowing +the conch portended, I cannot say, but I never found it the messenger +of peace. + +Their canoes appeared to be about thirty feet long, and two feet above +the surface of the water, as they floated. The fore part projected a +little, and had a notch cut across, as if intended to represent the +mouth of some animal. The after part rose, with a gentle curve, to the +height of two or three feet, turning gradually smaller, and, as well +as the upper part of the sides, was carved all over. The rest of the +sides, which were perpendicular, were curiously incrustated with flat +white shells, disposed nearly in concentric semicircles, with the +curve upward. One of the canoes carried seven, and the other eight +men, and they were managed with small paddles, whose blades were +nearly round. Each of them had a pretty long outrigger; and they +sometimes paddled, with the two opposite sides together so close, that +they seemed to be one boat with two outriggers, the rowers turning +their faces occasionally to the stern, and pulling that way, without +paddling the canoes round. When they saw us determined to leave them, +they stood up in their canoes, and repeated something very loudly in +concert, but we could not tell whether this was meant as a mark of +their friendship or enmity. It is certain, however, that they had no +weapons with them, nor could we perceive with our glasses that those +on shore had any.[2] + +[Footnote 2: This is the island on which Fletcher Christian, chief +mutineer of the Bounty, attempted to form a settlement in 1789, as we +shall have occasion to notice when treating of another voyage.--E.] + +After leaving this island, from the discovery of which future +navigators may possibly derive some advantage, I steered to the N. +with a fresh gale at E. by S., and, at day-break in the morning of +the 12th, we saw the island of Maitea. Soon after, Otaheite made its +appearance; and at noon, it extended from S.W. by W. to W.N.W.; the +point of Oheitepeha bay bearing W., about four leagues distant. I +steered for this bay, intending to anchor there, in order to draw what +refreshments I could from the S.E. part of the island, before I went +down to Matavai, from the neighbourhood of which station I expected +my principal supply. We had a fresh gale easterly, till two o'clock +in the afternoon, when, being about a league from the bay, the wind +suddenly died away, and was succeeded by baffling light airs from +every direction, and calms by turns. This lasted about two hours. Then +we had sudden squalls, with rain, from the E. These carried us before +the bay, where we got a breeze from the land, and attempted in vain +to work in to gain the anchoring-place. So that at last about nine +o'clock, we were obliged to stand out, and to spend the night at sea. + +When we first drew near the island, several canoes came off to the +ship, each conducted by two or three men; but, as they were common +fellows, Omai took no particular notice of them, nor they of him. They +did not even seem to perceive that he was one of their countrymen, +although they conversed with him for some time. At length, a chief +whom I had known before, named Ootee, and Omai's brother-in-law, who +chanced to be now at this corner of the island, and three or four +more persons, all of whom knew Omai before he embarked with Captain +Furneaux, came on board. Yet there was nothing either tender or +striking in their meeting. On the contrary, there seemed to be a +perfect indifference on both sides, till Omai, having taken his +brother down into the cabin, opened the drawer where he kept his red +feathers, and gave him a few. This being presently known amongst +the rest of the natives upon deck, the face of affairs was entirely +turned, and Ootee, who would hardly speak to Omai before, now begged +that they might be _tayos_ (friends), and exchange names. Omai +accepted of the honour, and confirmed it with a present of red +feathers, and Ootee, by way of return, sent ashore for a hog. But +it was evident to every one of us, that it was not the man, but +his property, they were in love with. Had he not shewn to them +his treasure of red feathers, which is the commodity in greatest +estimation at the island, I question much whether they would have +bestowed even a cocoa-nut upon him. Such was Omai's first reception +amongst his countrymen. I own, I never expected it would be otherwise; +but still I was in hopes that the valuable cargo of presents with +which the liberality of his friends in England had loaded him, would +be the means of raising him into consequence, and of making him +respected, and even courted by the first persons throughout the extent +of the Society Islands. This could not but have happened, had he +conducted himself with any degree of prudence; but, instead of it, I +am sorry to say that he paid too little regard to the repeated advice +of those who wished him well, and suffered himself to be duped by +every designing knave. From the natives who came off to us, in +the course of this day, we learnt that two ships had twice been in +Oheitepeha Bay, since my last visit to this island in 1774, and that +they had left animals there such as we had on board. But, on farther +enquiry, we found they were only hogs, dogs, goats, one bull, and the +male of some other animal, which, from the imperfect description now +given us, we could not find out. They told us that these ships had +come from a place called _Reema_, by which we guessed that Lima, +the capital of Peru, was meant, and that these late visitors were +Spaniards. We were informed that the first time they came, they built +a house, and left four men behind them, viz. two priests, a boy or +servant, and a fourth person called Mateema, who was much spoken of +at this time, carrying away with them, when they sailed, four of +the natives; that, in about ten months, the same two ships returned, +bringing back two of the islanders, the other two having died at Lima, +and that, after a short stay, they took away their own people; but +that the house which they had built was left standing. + +The important news of red feathers being on board our ships, having +been conveyed on shore by Omai's friends, day had no sooner begun to +break, next morning, than we were surrounded by a multitude of canoes, +crowded with people, bringing hogs and fruits to market. At first, +a quantity of feathers, not greater than what might be got from a +tom-tit, would purchase a hog of forty or fifty pounds weight. But, as +almost every body in the ships was possessed of some of this precious +article of trade, it fell in its value above five hundred per cent. +before night. However, even then, the balance was much in our favour, +and red feathers continued to preserve their superiority over every +other commodity. Some of the natives would not part with a hog, unless +they received an axe in exchange; but nails and beads, and other +trinkets, which, during our former voyages, had so great a run at this +island, were now so much despised, that few would deign so much as to +look at them. + +There being but little wind all the morning, it was nine o'clock +before we could get to an anchor in the bay, where we moored with the +two bowers. Soon after we had anchored, Omai's sister came on board +to see him. I was happy to observe, that, much to the honour of them +both, their meeting was marked with expressions of the tenderest +affection, easier to be conceived than to be described. + +This moving scene having closed, and the ship being properly moored, +Omai and I went ashore. My first object was to pay a visit to a man +whom my friend represented as a very extraordinary personage indeed, +for he said that he was the god of Bolabola. We found him seated under +one of those small awnings which they usually carry in their larger +canoes. He was an elderly man, and had lost the use of his limbs, +so that he was carried from place to place upon a hand-barrow. +Some called him _Olla_, or _Orra_, which is the name of the god of +Bolabola, but his own proper name was Etary. From Omai's account of +this person, I expected to have seen some religious adoration paid to +him. But, excepting some young plantain trees that lay before him, and +upon the awning under which he sat, I could observe nothing by which +he might be distinguished from their other chiefs. Omai presented to +him a tuft of red feathers, tied to the end of a small stick; but, +after a little conversation on indifferent matters with this Bolabola +man, his attention was drawn to an old woman, the sister of his +mother. She was already at his feet, and had bedewed them plentifully +with tears of joy. + +I left him with the old lady, in the midst of a number of people who +had gathered round him, and went to take a view of the house said +to be built by the strangers who had lately been here. I found it +standing at a small distance from the beach. The wooden materials +of which it was composed seemed to have been brought hither, ready +prepared, to be set up occasionally; for all the planks were numbered. +It was divided into two small rooms; and in the inner one were a +bedstead, a table, a bench, some old hats, and other trifles, of which +the natives seemed to be very careful, as also of the house itself, +which had suffered no hurt from the weather, a shed having been built +over it. There were scuttles all around, which served as air holes; +and, perhaps, they were also meant to fire from with muskets, if ever +this should have been found necessary. At a little distance from the +front stood a wooden cross, on the transverse part of which was cut +the following inscription: + + _Christus vincit._ + +And on the perpendicular part (which confirmed our conjecture that the +two ships were Spanish), + + _Carolus_ III. _imperat._ 1774. + +On the other side of the post I preserved the memory of the prior +visits of the English, by inscribing, + + _Georgius Tertius Rex, + Annis_ 1767, + 1769, 1773, 1774, & 1777. + +The natives pointed out to us, near the foot of the cross, the grave +of the commodore of the two ships, who had died here while they lay in +the bay the first time. His name, as they pronounced it, was Oreede. +Whatever the intentions of the Spaniards in visiting this island might +be, they seemed to have taken great pains to ingratiate themselves +with the inhabitants, who, upon every occasion, mentioned them with +the strongest expressions of esteem, and veneration. + +I met with no chief of any considerable note on this occasion, +excepting the extraordinary personage above described. Waheiadooa, the +sovereign of Tiaraboo (as this part of the island is called), was now +absent; and I afterward found that he was not the same person, though +of the same name with the chief whom I had seen here during my last +voyage; but his brother, a boy of about ten years of age, who had +succeeded upon the death of the elder Waheiadooa, about twenty months +before our arrival. We also learned that the celebrated Oberea was +dead; but that Otoo and all our other friends were living. + +When I returned from viewing the house and cross erected by the +Spaniards, I found Omai holding forth to a large company; and it was +with some difficulty that he could be got away to accompany me on +board, where I had an important affair to settle. + +As I knew that Otaheite, and the neighbouring islands, could furnish +us with a plentiful supply of cocoa-nuts, the liquor of which is an +excellent _succedaneum_ for any artificial beverage, I was desirous of +prevailing upon my people to consent to be abridged, during our stay +here, of their stated allowance of spirits to mix with water. But as +this stoppage of a favourite article, without assigning some reason, +might have occasioned a general murmur, I thought it most prudent to +assemble the ship's company, and to make known to them the intent of +the voyage, and the extent of our future operations. To induce them to +undertake which with cheerfulness and perseverance, I took notice of +the rewards offered by parliament to such of his majesty's subjects as +shall first discover a communication between the Atlantic and Pacific +Oceans, in any direction whatever, in the northern hemisphere; and +also to such as shall first penetrate beyond the 39th degree of +northern latitude. I made no doubt, I told them, that I should find +them willing to co-operate with me in attempting, as far as might be +possible, to become entitled to one or both these rewards; but that, +to give us the best chance of succeeding, it would be necessary +to observe the utmost economy in the expenditure of our stores and +provisions, particularly the latter, as there was no probability +of getting a supply any where, after leaving these islands. I +strengthened my argument by reminding them that our voyage must last +at least a year longer than had been originally supposed, by our +having already lost the opportunity of getting to the north this +summer. I begged them to consider the various obstructions and +difficulties we might still meet with, and the aggravated hardships +they would labour under, if it should be found necessary to put them +to short allowance of any species of provisions, in a cold climate. +For these very substantial reasons, I submitted to them whether it +would not be better to be prudent in time, and rather than to run +the risk of having no spirits left, when such a cordial would be +most wanted, to consent to be without their grog now, when we had so +excellent a liquor as that of cocoa-nuts to substitute in its place; +but that, after all, I left the determination entirely to their own +choice. + +I had the satisfaction to find that this proposal did not remain +a single moment under consideration; being unanimously approved of +immediately, without any objection. I ordered Captain Clerk to +make the same proposal to his people, which they also agreed to. +Accordingly we stopped serving grog, except on Saturday nights, when +the companies of both ships had full allowance of it, that they might +drink the healths of their female friends in England, lest these, +amongst the pretty girls of Otaheite, should be wholly forgotten.[3] + +[Footnote 3: If it is to be judged of by its effects, certainly +the most suitable test of excellence, we must allow that in this +particular instance, Captain Cook displayed true eloquence. The merit, +indeed, is not inconsiderable, of inducing so great a sacrifice as his +crew now made; and, on the other hand, due commendation ought to be +allowed to their docility. This incident altogether is exceedingly +striking, and might, one should think, be very advantageously studied +by all who are in authority over vulgar minds.--E.] + +The next day, we began some necessary operations; to inspect the +provisions that were in the main and fore-hold; to get the casks of +beef and pork, and the coals out of the ground tier, and to put some +ballast in their place. The caulkers were set to work to caulk the +ship, which she stood in great need of, having at times made much +water on our passage from the Friendly Islands. I also put on shore +the bull, cows, horses, and sheep, and appointed two men to look after +them while grazing; for I did not intend to leave any of them at this +part of the island. + +During the two following days, it hardly ever ceased raining. The +natives, nevertheless, came to us from every quarter, the news of our +arrival having rapidly spread. Waheiadooa, though at a distance, had +been informed of it; and, in the afternoon of the 16th, a chief, named +Etorea, under whose tutorage he was, brought me two hogs as a present +from him, and acquainted me that he himself would be with us the day +after. And so it proved; for I received a message from him the next +morning, notifying his arrival, and desiring I would go ashore to meet +him. Accordingly, Omai and I prepared to pay him a formal visit. On +this occasion, Omai, assisted by some of his friends, dressed himself, +not after the English fashion, nor that of Otaheite, nor that of +Tongataboo, nor in the dress of any country upon earth, but in a +strange medley of all that he was possessed of. + +Thus equipped, on our landing, we first visited Etary, who, carried +on a hand-barrow, attended us to a large house, where he was set +down, and we seated ourselves on each side of him. I caused a piece +of Tongataboo cloth to be spread out before us, on which I laid the +presents I intended to make. Presently the young chief came, attended +by his mother, and several principal men, who all seated themselves at +the other end of the cloth, facing us. Then a man, who sat by me, made +a speech, consisting of short and separate sentences, part of which +was dictated by those about him. He was answered by one from the +opposite side, near the chief. Etary spoke next, then Omai, and both +of them were answered from the same quarter. These orations were +entirely about my arrival, and connexions with them. The person who +spoke last told me, among other things, that the men of _Reema_, that +is, the Spaniards, had desired them not to suffer me to come into +Oheitepeha Bay, if I should return any more to the island, for that it +belonged to them; but that they were so far from paying any regard to +this request, that he was authorised now to make a formal surrender of +the province of Tiaraboo to me, and of every thing in it; which marks +very plainly that these people are no strangers to the policy of +accommodating themselves to present circumstances. At length, the +young chief was directed by his attendants to come and embrace me, +and, by way of confirming this treaty of friendship, we exchanged +names. The ceremony being closed, he and his friends accompanied me on +board to dinner. + +Omai had prepared a _maro_, composed of red and yellow feathers, which +he intended for Otoo, the king of the whole island; and, considering +where we were, it was a present of very great value. I said all that I +could to persuade him not to produce it now, wishing him to keep it on +board till an opportunity should offer of presenting it to Otoo with +his own hands. But he had too good an opinion of the honesty and +fidelity of his countrymen to take my advice. Nothing would serve him +but to carry it ashore on this occasion, and to give it to Waheiadooa, +to be by him forwarded to Otoo, in order to its being added to the +royal _maro_. He thought by this management that he should oblige both +chiefs; whereas he highly disobliged the one, whose favour was of the +most consequence to him, without gaining any reward from the other. +What I had foreseen happened, for Waheiadooa kept the _maro_ for +himself, and only sent to Otoo a very small piece of feathers, not the +twentieth part of what belonged to the magnificent present. + +On the 19th, this young chief made me a present of ten or a dozen +hogs, a quantity of fruit, and some cloth. In the evening, we played +off some fire-works, which both astonished and entertained the +numerous spectators. + +This day, some of our gentlemen in their walks found what they were +pleased to call a Roman Catholic chapel. Indeed, from their account, +this was not to be doubted, for they described the altar, and every +other constituent part of such a place of worship. However, as they +mentioned, at the same time, that two men who had the care of it, +would not suffer them to go in, I thought that they might be mistaken, +and had the curiosity to pay a visit to it myself. The supposed +chapel proved to be a _toopapaoo_, in which the remains of the late +Waheiadooa lay, as it were, in state. It was in a pretty large +house, which was inclosed with a low pallisade. The _toopapaoo_ was +uncommonly neat, and resembled one of those little houses or awnings +belonging to their large canoes. Perhaps it had originally been +employed for that purpose. It was covered and hung round with cloth +and mats of different colours, so as to have a pretty effect. There +was one piece of scarlet broad-cloth, four or five yards in length, +conspicuous among the other ornaments, which, no doubt, had been a +present from the Spaniards. This cloth, and a few tassels of feathers, +which our gentlemen supposed to be silk, suggested to them the idea +of a chapel, for, whatever else was wanting to create a resemblance, +their imagination supplied; and, if they had not previously known that +there had been Spaniards lately here, they could not possibly have +made the mistake. Small offerings of fruit and roots seemed to be +daily made at this shrine, as some pieces were quite fresh. These +were deposited upon a _whatta_, or altar, which stood without the +pallisades; and within these we were not permitted to enter. Two men +constantly attended night and day, not only to watch over the place, +but also to dress and undress the _toopapaoo_. For when I first went +to survey it, the cloth and its appendages were all rolled up; but, +at my request, the two attendants hung it out in order, first dressing +themselves in clean white robes. They told me that the chief had been +dead twenty months. + +Having taken in a fresh supply of water, and finished all our other +necessary operations, on the 22d, I brought off the cattle and sheep +which had been put on shore here to graze, and made ready for sea. + +In the morning of the 23d, while the ships were unmooring, Omai and I +landed to take leave of the young chief. While we were with him, +one of those enthusiastic persons whom they call _Eatooas_, from a +persuasion that they are possessed with the spirit of the divinity, +came and stood before us. He had all the appearance of a man not in +his right senses; and his only dress was a large quantity of plantain +leaves, wrapped round his waist. He spoke in a low squeaking voice, so +as hardly to be understood, at least not by me. But Omai said that he +comprehended him perfectly, and that he was advising Waheiadooa not to +go with me to Matavai; an expedition which I had never heard that he +intended, nor had I ever made such a proposal to him. The _Eatooa_ +also foretold that the ships would not get to Matavai that day. But +in this he was mistaken; though appearances now rather favoured his +prediction, there not being a breath of wind in any direction. While +he was prophesying, there fell a very heavy shower of rain, which made +every one run for shelter but himself, who seemed not to regard it. He +remained squeaking by us about half an hour, and then retired. No one +paid any attention to what he uttered, though some laughed at him. I +asked the chief what he was, whether an _Earee_, or a _Toutou_? and +the answer I received was, that he was _taata eno_; that is, a bad +man. And yet, notwithstanding this, and the little notice any of the +natives seemed to take of the mad prophet, superstition has so far got +the better of their reason, that they firmly believe such persons to +be possessed with the spirit of the _Eatooa_. Omai seemed to be very +well instructed about them. He said that, during the fits that +come upon them, they know nobody, not even their most intimate +acquaintances; and that, if any one of them happens to be a man of +property, he will very often give away every moveable he is possessed +of, if his friends do not put them out of his reach; and, when he +recovers, will enquire what had become of those very things which +he had but just before distributed, not seeming to have the least +remembrance of what he had done while the fit was upon him.[4] + +[Footnote 4: What is the origin of that singular notion which is found +amongst the lower orders in most countries, that divine inspiration +is often consequent on temporary or continued derangement? Surely it +cannot be derived from any correct opinions respecting the Author of +truth and knowledge. We must ascribe it, then, to ignorance, and +some feeling of dread as to his power; or rather perhaps, we ought +to consider it as the hasty offspring of surprise, on the occasional +display of reason, even in a common degree, where the faculties are +understood to be disordered. Still it is singular, that the observers +should have recourse for explanation to so injurious and so improbable +a supposition, as that of supernatural agency. What has often, been +said of sol-lunar and astral influence on the human mind, the opinion +of which is pretty widely spread over the world, may be interpreted +so as perfectly to agree with the theoretical solution of the question +now proposed, the heavenly bodies being amongst the first and the most +generally established objects of religious apprehension and worship. +It is curious enough, that what may be called the converse of the +proposition, viz. that derangement follows or is accompanied with +inspiration, whether religious or common, should almost as extensively +have formed a part of the popular creed. The reason of this notion +again, is not altogether the same as that of the former; it has its +origin probably in the observation, that enthusiasm with respect to +any one subject, which, in the present case, is to be regarded as the +appearance or expression of inspiration, usually unfits a person +for the requisite attention to any other. The language of mankind +accordingly quite falls in with this observation, and nothing is more +general than to speak of a man being mad, who exhibits a more than +ordinary ardour in the pursuit of some isolated object. Still, +however, there seems a tacit acknowledgement amongst mankind, that the +human mind can profitably attend to only one thing at a time, and +that all excellence in any pursuit is the result of restricted +unintermitting application: And hence it is, that enthusiasm, though +perhaps admitted to be allied to one of the highest evils with +which our nature can be visited, is nevertheless imagined to be an +indication of superior strength of intellect. The weakest minds, +on the contrary, are the most apprehensive of ridicule, and in +consequence are most cautious, by a seeming indifference as to +objects, to avoid the dangerous imputation of a decided partiality. +Such persons, however, forming undoubtedly the greater portion +of every society, console themselves and one another under the +consciousness of debility, by the sense of their safety, and by the +fashionable custom of dealing out wise reflections on those more +enterprising minds, whose eccentricities or ardour, provoke their +admiration.--E.] + +As soon as I got on board, a light breeze springing up at east, we got +under sail, and steered for Matavai Bay, where the Resolution anchored +the same evening. But the Discovery did not get in till the next +morning; so that half of the man's prophecy was fulfilled. + + +SECTION II. + +_Interview with Otoo, King of the Island.--Imprudent Conduct of +Omai.--Employments on Shore.--European Animals landed.--Particulars +about a Native who had visited Lima.--About Oedidee--A Revolt +in Eimeo.--War with that Island determined upon, in a Council of +Chiefs.--A human Sacrifice on that Account.--A particular Relation +of the Ceremonies at the great Morai, where the Sacrifice was +offered.--Other barbarous Customs of this People._ + +About nine o'clock in the morning, Otoo, the king of the whole island, +attended by a great number of canoes full of people, came from Oparre, +his place of residence and having landed on Matavai Point, sent a +message on board, expressing his desire to see me there. Accordingly +I landed, accompanied by Omai, and some of the officers. We found a +prodigious number of people assembled on this occasion, and in the +midst of them was the king, attended by his father, his two brothers, +and three sisters. I went up first and saluted him, being followed by +Omai, who kneeled and embraced his legs. He had prepared himself for +this ceremony, by dressing himself in his very best suit of clothes, +and behaved with a great deal of respect and modesty. Nevertheless, +very little notice was taken of him. Perhaps envy had some share in +producing this cold reception. He made the chief a present of a large +piece of red feathers, and about two or three yards of gold cloth; and +I gave him a suit of fine linen, a gold-laced hat, some tools, and, +what was of more value than all the other articles, a quantity of red +feathers, and one of the bonnets in use at the Friendly Islands. + +After the hurry of this visit was over, the king and the whole royal +family accompanied me on board, followed by several canoes, laden with +all kinds of provisions, in quantity sufficient to have served the +companies of both ships for a week. Each of the family owned, or +pretended to own, a part; so that I had a present from every one of +them, and every one of them had a separate present in return from me, +which was the great object in view. Soon after, the king's mother, who +had not been present at the first interview, came on board, bringing +with her a quantity of provisions and cloth, which she divided between +me and Omai. For, although he was but little noticed at first by his +countrymen, they no sooner gained the knowledge of his riches, than +they began to court his friendship. I encouraged this as much as I +could, for it was my wish to fix him with Otoo. As I intended to leave +all my European animals at this island, I thought he would be able to +give some instruction about the management of them, and about their +use. Besides, I knew and saw, that the farther he was from his native +island, he would be the better respected. But, unfortunately, poor +Omai rejected my advice, and conducted himself in so imprudent a +manner, that he soon lost the friendship of Otoo, and of every other +person of note in Otaheite. He associated with none but vagabonds and +strangers, whose sole views were to plunder him. And, if I had not +interfered, they would not have left him a single article worth the +carrying from the island. This necessarily drew upon him the ill-will +of the principal chiefs, who found that they could not procure, from +any one in the ships, such valuable presents as Omai bestowed on the +lowest of the people, his companions. + +As soon as we had dined, a party of us accompanied Otoo to Oparre, +taking with us the poultry, with which we were to stock the island. +They consisted of a peacock and hen (which Lord Besborough was so kind +as to send me for this purpose, a few days before I left London); a +turkey-cock and hen; one gander, and three geese; a drake and four +ducks. All these I left at Oparre, in the possession of Otoo; and +the geese and ducks began to breed before we sailed. We found there +a gander, which the natives told us, was the same that Captain Wallis +had given to Oberea ten years before; several goats, and the Spanish +bull, whom they kept tied to a tree near Otoo's house. I never saw a +finer animal of his kind. He was now the property of Etary, and had +been brought from Oheitepeha to this place, in order to be shipped +for Bolabola. But it passes my comprehension, how they can contrive to +carry him in one of their canoes. If we had not arrived, it would have +been of little consequence who had the property of him, as, without +a cow, he could be of no use; and none had been left with him. Though +the natives told us, that there were cows on board the Spanish ships, +and that they took them away with them, I cannot believe this, and +should rather suppose, that they had died in the passage from Lima. +The next day, I sent the three cows, that I had on board, to this +bull; and the bull, which I had brought, the horse and mare, and +sheep, I put ashore at Matavai. + +Having thus disposed of these passengers, I found my self lightened +of a very heavy burthen. The trouble and vexation that attended the +bringing this living cargo thus far, is hardly to be conceived. But +the satisfaction that I felt, in having been so fortunate as to fulfil +his majesty's humane design, in sending such valuable animals, to +supply the wants of two worthy nations, sufficiently recompensed +me for the many anxious hours I had passed, before this subordinate +object of my voyage could be carried into execution. + +As I intended to make some stay here, we set up the two observatories +on Matavai Point. Adjoining to them, two tents were pitched for the +reception of a guard, and of such people as it might be necessary to +leave on shore, in different departments. At this station, I +entrusted the command to Mr King, who, at the same time, attended the +observations, for ascertaining the going of the time-keeper, and other +purposes. During our stay, various necessary operations employed the +crews of both ships. The Discovery's main-mast was carried ashore, +and made as good as ever. Our sails and water-casks were repaired, the +ships were caulked, and the rigging all overhauled. We also inspected +all the bread that we had on board in casks; and had the satisfaction +to find that but little of it was damaged. + +On the 26th, I had a piece of ground cleared for a garden, and planted +it with several articles, very few of which, I believe, the natives, +will ever look after. Some melons, potatoes, and two pine-apple +plants, were in a fair way of succeeding before we left the place. I +had brought from the Friendly Islands several shaddock trees. These I +also planted here; and they can hardly fail of success, unless their +growth should be checked by the same premature curiosity, which +destroyed a vine planted by the Spaniards at Oheitepeha. A number of +the natives got together to taste the first fruit it bore; but, as +the grapes were still sour, they considered it as little better than +poison, and it was unanimously determined to tread it under foot. +In that state, Omai found it by chance, and was overjoyed at the +discovery. For he had a full confidence, that, if he had but grapes, +he could easily make wine. Accordingly, he had several slips cut off +from the tree, to carry away with him; and we pruned and put in order +the remains of it. Probably, grown wise by Omai's instructions, they +may now suffer the fruit to grow to perfection, and not pass so hasty +a sentence upon it again. + +We had not been eight and forty hours at anchor in Matavai Bay, before +we were visited by all our old friends, whose names are recorded in +the account of my last voyage. Not one of them came empty-handed; so +that we had more provisions than we knew what to do with. What was +still more, we were under no apprehensions of exhausting the island, +which presented to our eyes every mark of the most exuberant plenty, +in every article of refreshment. + +Soon after our arrival here, one of the natives, whom the Spaniards +had carried with them to Lima, paid us a visit; but, in his +external appearance, he was not distinguishable from the rest of his +countrymen. However, he had not forgot some Spanish words which he +had acquired, though he pronounced them badly. Amongst them, the most +frequent were, _si Sennor_; and, when a stranger was introduced to +him, he did not fail to rise up and accost him, as well as he could. + +We also found here the young man whom we called Oedidee, but whose +real name is Heete-heete. I had carried him from Ulietea in 1773, and +brought him back in 1774; after he had visited the Friendly Islands, +New Zealand, Easter Island, and the Marqueses, and been on board my +ship, in that extensive navigation, about seven months. He was, at +least, as tenacious of his good breeding, as the man who had been +at Lima; and _yes, Sir_, or _if you please, Sir_, were as frequently +repeated by him, as _si Sennor_ was by the other. Heete-heete, who +is a native of Bolabola, had arrived in Otaheite about three months +before, with no other intention, that we could learn, than to gratify +his curiosity, or, perhaps, some other favourite passion; which +are very often the only objects of the pursuit of other travelling +gentlemen. It was evident, however, that he preferred the modes, and +even garb, of his countrymen, to ours. For, though I gave him some +clothes, which our Admiralty Board had been pleased to send for his +use (to which I added a chest of tools, and a few other articles, as a +present from myself), he declined wearing them, after a few days. This +instance, and that of the person who had been at Lima, may be urged +as a proof of the strong propensity natural to man, of returning to +habits acquired at an early age, and only interrupted by accident. +And, perhaps, it may be concluded, that even Omai, who had imbibed +almost the whole English manners, will, in a very short time after our +leaving him, like Oedidee, and the visiter of Lima, return to his own +native garments.[5] + +[Footnote 5: Captain Cook's remark has often been exemplified in other +instances. The tendency to revert to barbarism is so strong, as to +need to be continually checked by the despotism of refined manners, +and all the healthful emulations of civilized societies. Perhaps the +rather harsh observation of Dr Johnson, that there is always a great +deal of _scoundrelism_ in a low man, is more strictly applicable to +the cases of savages in general, than to even the meanest member of +any cultivated community. But in the case of a superiorly endowed +individual situate amongst a mass of ruder beings, to all of whom he +is attached by the strongest ties of affection and early acquaintance, +another powerfully deranging cause is at work in addition to the +natural tendency to degenerate, viz. the necessity of accommodating +himself to established customs and opinions. The former agent alone, +we know, has often degraded Europeans. Is it to be thought wonderful +then, that, where both principles operate, a man of Omai's character +should speedily relinquish foreign acquirements, and retrograde into +his original barbarity?--E.] + +In the morning of the 27th, a man came from Oheitepeha, and told us, +that two Spanish ships had anchored in that bay the night before; and, +in confirmation of this intelligence, he produced a piece of coarse +blue cloth, which, he said, he got out of one of the ships, and which, +indeed, to appearance, was almost quite new. He added, that Mateema +was in one of the ships, and that they were to come down to Matavai +in a day or two. Some other circumstances which he mentioned, with +the foregoing ones, gave the story so much the air of truth, that I +dispatched Lieutenant Williamson in a boat, to look into Oheitepeha +bay; and, in the mean time, I put the ships into a proper posture +of defence. For, though England and Spain were in peace when I left +Europe, for aught I knew, a different scene might, by this time, have +opened. However, on farther enquiry, we had reason to think that the +fellow who brought the intelligence had imposed upon us; and this was +put beyond all doubt, when Mr Williamson returned next day, who made +his report to me, that he had been at Oheitepeha, and found that no +ships were there now, and that none had been there since we left it. +The people of this part of the island where we now were, indeed, told +us, from the beginning, that it was a fiction invented by those +of Tiaraboo. But what view they could have, we were at a loss to +conceive, unless they supposed that the report would have some effect +in making us quit the island, and, by that means, deprive the people +of Otaheite-nooe of the advantages they might reap from our ships +continuing there; the inhabitants of the two parts of the island being +inveterate enemies to each other. + +From the time of our arrival at Matavai, the weather had been very +unsettled, with more or less rain every day, till the 29th; before +which we were not able to get equal altitudes of the sun for +ascertaining the going of the time-keeper. The same cause also +retarded the caulking and other necessary repairs of the ships. + +In the evening of this day, the natives made a precipitate retreat, +both from on board the ships, and from our station on shore. For what +reason, we could not, at first, learn; though, in general, we guessed +it arose from their knowing that some theft had been committed, and +apprehending punishment on that account. At length, I understood what +had happened. One of the surgeon's mates had been in the country to +purchase curiosities, and had taken with him four hatchets for that +purpose. Having employed one of the natives to carry them for him, the +fellow took an opportunity to run off with so valuable a prize. This +was the cause of the sudden flight, in which Otoo himself, and his +whole family, had joined; and it was with difficulty that I stopped +them, after following them two or three miles. As I had resolved to +take no measures for the recovery of the hatchets, in order to put +my people upon their guard against such negligence for the future, +I found no difficulty in bringing the natives back, and in restoring +every thing to its usual tranquillity. + +Hitherto, the attention of Otoo and his people had been confined to +us; but, next morning, a new scene of business opened, by the arrival +of some messengers from Eimeo, or (as it is much oftener called by the +natives) Morea,[6] with intelligence, that the people in that island +were in arms; and that Otoo's partizans there had been worsted, and +obliged to retreat to the mountains. The quarrel between the two +islands, which commenced in 1774, as mentioned in the account of +my last voyage, had, it seems, partly subsisted ever since. The +formidable armament which I saw at that time, and described, had +sailed soon after I then left Otaheite; but the malcontents of Eimeo +had made so stout a resistance, that the fleet had returned without +effecting much; and now another expedition was necessary. + +[Footnote 6: Morea, according to Dr Forster, is a district in Eimeo. +See his _Observations_, p. 217.] + +On the arrival of these messengers, all the chiefs, who happened to +be at Matavai, assembled at Otoo's house, where I actually was at the +time, and had the honour to be admitted into their council. One of +the messengers opened the business of the assembly, in a speech +of considerable length. But I understood little of it, besides its +general purport, which was to explain the situation of affairs in +Eimeo; and to excite the assembled chiefs of Otaheite to arm on +the occasion. This opinion was combated by others who were against +commencing hostilities; and the debate was carried on with great +order, no more than one man speaking at a time. At last, they became +very noisy, and I expected that our meeting would have ended like a +Polish diet. But the contending great men cooled as fast as they +grew warm, and order was soon restored. At length, the party for war +prevailed; and it was determined, that a strong force should be sent +to assist their friends in Eimeo. But this resolution was far from +being unanimous. Otoo, during the whole debate, remained silent; +except that, now and then, he addressed a word or two to the speakers. +Those of the council, who were for prosecuting the war, applied to me +for my assistance; and all of them wanted to know what part I would +take. Omai was sent for to be my interpreter; but, as he could not be +found, I was obliged to speak for myself, and told them, as well as I +could, that as I was not thoroughly acquainted with the dispute, and +as the people of Eimeo had never offended me, I could not think +myself at liberty to engage in hostilities against them. With this +declaration they either were, or seemed, satisfied. The assembly then +broke up; but, before I left them, Otoo desired me to come to him in +the afternoon, and to bring Omai with me. + +Accordingly, a party of us waited upon him at the appointed time; and +we were conducted by him to his father, in whose presence the dispute +with Eimeo was again talked over. Being very desirous of devising some +method to bring about an accommodation, I sounded the old chief on +that head. But we found him deaf to any such proposal, and fully +determined to prosecute the war. He repeated the solicitations which +I had already resisted, about giving them my assistance. On our +enquiring into the cause of the war, we were told, that, some years +ago, a brother of Waheiadooa, of Tiaraboo, was sent to Eimeo, at the +request of Maheine, a popular chief of that island, to be their king; +but that he had not been there a week before Maheine, having caused +him to be killed, set up for himself, in opposition to Tierataboonooe, +his sister's son, who became the lawful heir; or else had been pitched +upon, by the people of Otaheite, to succeed to the government on the +death of the other. + +Towha, who was a relation of Otoo, and chief of the district of +Tettaha, a man of much weight in the island, and who had been +commander-in-chief of the armament fitted out against Eimeo in 1774, +happened not to be at Matavai at this time; and, consequently, was not +present at any of these consultations. It, however, appeared that he +was no stranger to what was transacted; and that he entered with more +spirit into the affair than any other chief. For, early in the morning +of the 1st of September, a messenger arrived from him to acquaint Otoo +that he had killed a man to be sacrificed to the _Eatooa_, to implore +the assistance of the god against Eimeo. This act of worship was to be +performed at the great _Morai_ at Attahooroo; and Otoo's presence, it +seems, was absolutely necessary on that solemn occasion. + +That the offering of human sacrifices is part of the religious +institutions of this island, had been mentioned by Mons. de +Bougainville, on the authority of the native whom he carried with +him to France. During my last visit to Otaheite, and while I had +opportunities of conversing with Omai on the subject, I had satisfied +myself that there was too much reason to admit that such a practice, +however inconsistent with the general humanity of the people, was here +adopted. But as this was one of those extraordinary facts, about which +many are apt to retain doubts, unless the relater himself has had +ocular proof to confirm what he had heard from others, I thought this +a good opportunity of obtaining the highest evidence of its certainty, +by being present myself at the solemnity; and, accordingly, proposed +to Otoo that I might be allowed to accompany him. To this he readily +consented; and we immediately set out in my boat, with my old friend +Potatou, Mr Anderson, and Mr Webber; Omai following in a canoe. + +In our way we landed upon a little island, which lies off Tettaha, +where we found Towha and his retinue. After some little conversation +between the two chiefs, on the subject of the war, Towha addressed +himself to me, asking my assistance. When I excused myself, he seemed +angry, thinking it strange, that I, who had always declared myself to +be the friend of their island, would not now go and fight against its +enemies. Before we parted, he gave to Otoo two or three red feathers, +tied up in a tuft, and a lean half-starved dog was put into a canoe +that was to accompany us. We then embarked again, taking on board a +priest who was to assist at the solemnity. + +As soon as we landed at Attahooroo, which was about two o'clock in the +afternoon, Otoo expressed his desire that the seamen might be ordered +to remain in the boat; and that Mr Anderson, Mr Webber, and myself, +might take off our hats as soon as we should come to the _morai_, to +which we immediately proceeded, attended by a great many men and some +boys, but not one woman. We found four priests, and their attendants, +or assistants, waiting for us. The dead body, or sacrifice, was in a +small canoe that lay on the beach, and partly in the wash of the +sea, fronting the _morai_. Two of the priests, with some of their +attendants, were sitting by the canoe, the others at the _morai_. Our +company stopped about twenty or thirty paces from the priests. Here +Otoo placed himself; we, and a few others, standing by him, while the +bulk of the people remained at a greater distance. + +The ceremonies now began. One of the priest's attendants brought a +young plantain-tree, and laid it down before Otoo. Another approached +with a small tuft of red feathers, twisted on some fibres of the +cocoa-nut husk, with which he touched one of the king's feet, and then +retired with it to his companions. One of the priests, seated at +the _morai_, facing those who were upon the beach, now began a long +prayer, and at certain times, sent down young plantain-trees, which +were laid upon the sacrifice. During this prayer, a man, who stood by +the officiating priest, held in his hands two bundles, seemingly of +cloth. In one of them, as we afterward found, was the royal _maro_; +and the other, if I may be allowed the expression, was the ark of the +_Eatooa_. As soon as the prayer was ended, the priests at the _morai_, +with their attendants, went and sat down by those upon the beach, +carrying with them the two bundles. Here they renewed their prayers; +during which the plantain-trees were taken, one by one, at different +times, from off the sacrifice, which was partly wrapped up in cocoa +leaves and small branches. It was now taken out of the canoe, and +laid upon the beach, with the feet to the sea. The priests placed +themselves around it, some sitting and others standing, and one or +more of them repeated sentences for about ten minutes. The dead body +was now uncovered, by removing the leaves and branches, and laid in +a parallel direction with the sea-shore. One of the priests then +standing at the feet of it, pronounced a long prayer, in which he was +at times joined by the others, each holding in his hand a tuft of red +feathers. In the course of this prayer, some hair was pulled off the +head of the sacrifice, and the left eye taken out, both which were +presented to Otoo, wrapped up in a green leaf. He did not however +touch it, but gave to the man who presented it, the tuft of feathers +which he had received from Towha. This, with the hair and eye, was +carried back to the priests. Soon after, Otoo sent to them another +piece of feathers, which he had given me in the morning to keep in my +pocket. During some part of this last ceremony, a kingfisher making a +noise in the trees, Otoo turned to me, saying, "That is the _Eatooa_" +and seemed to look upon it to be a good omen. + +The body was then carried a little way, with its head towards the +_morai_, and laid under a tree, near which were fixed three broad thin +pieces of wood, differently but rudely carved. The bundles of cloth +were laid on a part of the _morai_, and the tufts of red feathers +were placed at the feet of the sacrifice, round which the priests took +their stations, and we were now allowed to go as near as we pleased. +He who seemed to be the chief priest sat at a small distance, and +spoke for a quarter of an hour, but with different tones and gestures, +so that he seemed often to expostulate with the dead person, to +whom he constantly addressed himself; and sometimes asked several +questions, seemingly with respect to the propriety of his having been +killed. At other times, he made several demands, as if the deceased +either now had power himself, or interest with the divinity, to engage +him to comply with such requests. Amongst which, we understood, he +asked him to deliver Eimeo, Maheine its chief, the hogs, women, and +other things of the island, into their hands; which was, indeed, the +express intention of the sacrifice. He then chanted a prayer, which +lasted near half an hour, in a whining, melancholy tone, accompanied +by two other priests; and in which Potatou and some others joined. In +the course of this prayer, some more hair was plucked by a priest from +the head of the corpse, and put upon one of the bundles. After this, +the chief priest prayed alone, holding in his hand the feathers which +came from Towha. When he had finished, he gave them to another, who +prayed in like manner. Then all the tufts of feathers were laid upon +the bundles of cloth, which closed the ceremony at this place. + +The corpse was then carried up to the most conspicuous part of the +_morai_, with the feathers, the two bundles of cloth, and the drums; +the last of which beat slowly. The feathers and bundles were laid +against the pile of stones, and the corpse at the foot of them. +The priests having again seated themselves round it, renewed their +prayers, while some of their attendants dug a hole about two feet +deep, into which they threw the unhappy victim, and covered it over +with earth and stones. While they were putting him into the grave, +a boy squeaked aloud, and Omai said to me, that it was the _Eatooa_. +During this time, a fire having been made, the dog before-mentioned, +was produced, and killed, by twisting his neck and suffocating him. +The hair was singed off, and the entrails taken out, and thrown into +the fire, where they were left to consume. But the heart, liver, +and kidneys were only roasted, by being laid on hot stones for a +few minutes; and the body of the dog, after being besmeared with the +blood, which had been collected into a cocoa-nut shell, and dried over +the fire, was, with the liver, &c. carried and laid down before +the priests, who sat praying round the grave. They continued their +ejaculations over the dog for some time, while two men, at intervals, +beat on two drums very loud; and a boy screamed, as before, in a loud, +shrill voice, three different times. This, as we were told, was to +invite the _Eatooa_ to feast on the banquet that they had prepared for +him. As soon as the priests had ended their prayers, the carcass +of the dog, with what belonged to it, were laid on a _whatta_, or +scaffold, about six feet high, that stood close by, on which lay the +remains of two other dogs, and of two pigs, which had lately been +sacrificed, and, at this time, emitted an intolerable stench. This +kept us at a greater distance, than would otherwise have been required +of us. For after the victim was removed from the sea-side toward the +_morai_, we were allowed to approach as near as we pleased. Indeed, +after that, neither seriousness nor attention were much observed by +the spectators. When the dog was put upon the _whatta_, the priests +and attendants gave a kind of shout, which closed the ceremonies for +the present. The day being now also closed, we were conducted to a +house belonging to Potatou, where we were entertained, and lodged +for the night. We had been told that the religious rites were to be +renewed in the morning; and I would not leave the place, while any +thing remained to be seen. + +Being unwilling to lose any part of the solemnity, some of us repaired +to the scene of action pretty early, but found nothing going forward. +However, soon after a pig was sacrificed, and laid upon the same +_whatta_ with the others. About eight o'clock, Otoo took us again to +the _morai_, where the priests, and a great number of men, were by +this time assembled. The two bundles occupied the place in which we +had seen them deposited the preceding evening; the two drums stood in +the front of the _morai_, but somewhat nearer it than before, and the +priests were beyond them. Otoo placed himself between the two drums, +and desired me to stand by him. + +The ceremony began, as usual, with bringing a young plantain-tree, and +laying it down at the king's feet. After this a prayer was repeated +by the priests, who held in their hands several tufts of red feathers, +and also a plume of ostrich feathers, which I had given to Otoo on my +first arrival, and had been consecrated to this use. When the priests +had made an end of the prayer, they changed their station, placing +themselves between us and the _morai_; and one of them, the same +person who had acted the principal part the day before, began another +prayer, which lasted about half an hour. During the continuance of +this, the tufts of feathers were, one by one, carried and laid upon +the ark of the _Eatooa_. + +Some little time after, four pigs were produced, one of which was +immediately killed, and the others were taken to a sty hard by, +probably reserved for some future occasion of sacrifice. One of the +bundles was now untied; and it was found, as I have before observed, +to contain the _maro_, with which these people invest their kings, +and which seems to answer, in some degree, to the European ensigns +of royalty, it was carefully taken out of the cloth, in which, it had +been wrapped up, and spread at full length upon the ground before the +priests. It is a girdle, about five yards long; and fifteen inches +broad; and, from its name, seems to be put on in the same manner as +is the common _maro_, or piece of cloth, used by these people to wrap +round the waist. It was ornamented with red and yellow feathers, but +mostly with the latter, taken from a dove found upon the island. The +one end was bordered with eight pieces, each about the size and shape +of a horse-shoe, having their edges fringed with black feathers. The +other end was forked, and the points were of different lengths. +The feathers were in square compartments, ranged in two rows, and +otherwise so disposed, as to produce a pleasing effect. They had been +first pasted or fixed upon some of their own country cloth, and +then sewed to the upper end of the pendant which Captain Wallis had +displayed, and left flying ashore, the first time that he landed at +Matavai. This was what they told us; and we had no reason to doubt it, +as we could easily trace the remains of an English pendant. About six +or eight inches square of the _maro_ was unornamented, there being +no feathers upon that space, except a few that had been sent by +Waheiadooa, as already mentioned. The priests made a long prayer, +relative to this part of the ceremony; and, if I mistook not, they +called it the prayer of the _maro_. When it was finished, the badge +of royalty was carefully folded up, put into the cloth, and deposited +again upon the _morai_. + +The other bundle, which I have distinguished by the name of the ark, +was next opened at one end. But we were not allowed to go near enough +to examine its mysterious contents. The information we received was, +that the _Eatooa_, to whom they had been sacrificing, and whose +name is _Ooro_, was concealed in it, or rather what is supposed to +represent him. This sacred repository is made of the twisted fibres +of the husk of the cocoa-nut, shaped somewhat like a large fig, or +sugar-loaf, that is, roundish, with one end much thicker than the +other. We had very often got small ones from different people, but +never knew their use before. + +By this time, the pig that had been killed, was cleaned, and the +entrails taken out. These happened to have a considerable share of +those convulsive motions, which often appear, in different parts, +after an animal is killed; and this was considered by the spectators +as a very favourable omen to the expedition on account of which the +sacrifices had been offered. After being exposed for some time, that +those who chose might examine their appearances, the entrails were +carried to the priests, and laid down before them. While one of their +number prayed, another inspected the entrails more narrowly, and kept +turning them gently with a stick. When they had been sufficiently +examined, they were thrown into the fire, and left to consume. The +sacrificed pig and its liver, &c. were now put upon the _whatta_, +where the dog had been deposited the day before; and then all the +feathers, except the ostrich plume, were enclosed with the _Eatooa_ in +the ark, and the solemnity finally closed. + +Four double canoes lay upon the beach, before the place of sacrifice, +all the morning. On the fore part of each of these was fixed a small +platform, covered with palm-leaves, tied in mysterious knots; and +this also is called a _morai_. Some cocoa-nuts, plantains, pieces +of bread-fruit, fish, and other things, lay upon each of these naval +_morais_. We were told that they belonged to the _Eatooa_, and that +they were to attend the fleet designed to go against Eimeo. + +The unhappy victim, offered to the object of their worship upon this +occasion, seemed to be a middle-aged man; and, as we were told, was a +_toutou_, that is, one of the lowest class of the people. But, after +all my enquiries, I could not learn that he had been pitched upon on +account of any particular crime committed by him meriting death. It +is certain, however, that they generally make choice of such guilty +persons for their sacrifices, or else of common, low fellows who +stroll about, from place to place, and from island to island, without +having any fixed abode, or any visible way of getting an honest +livelihood; of which description of men, enough are to be met with at +these islands. Having had an opportunity of examining the appearance +of the body of the poor sufferer now offered up, I could observe, that +it was bloody about the head and face, and a good deal bruised upon +the right temple, which marked the manner of his being killed. And +we were told, that he had been privately knocked on the head with a +stone. + +Those who are devoted to suffer, in order to perform this bloody act +of worship, are never apprised of their fate, till the blow is given +that puts an end to their existence. Whenever any one of the +great chiefs thinks a human sacrifice necessary, on any particular +emergency, he pitches upon the victim. Some of his trusty servants +are then sent, who fall upon him suddenly, and put him to death with +a club, or by stoning him. The king is next acquainted with it, +whose presence, at the solemn rites that follow, is, as I was told, +absolutely necessary; and indeed on the present occasion, we could +observe, that Otoo bore a principal part. The solemnity itself is +called _Poore Eree_, or chief's prayer; and the victim, who is offered +up, _Taata-taboo_, or consecrated man. This is the only instance where +we have heard the word _taboo_ used at this island, where it seems to +have the same mysterious signification as at Tonga, though it is +there applied to all cases where things are not to be touched. But +at Otaheite, the word _raa_ serves the same purpose, and is full as +extensive in its meaning. + +The _morai_, (which undoubtedly is a place of worship, sacrifice, and +burial, at the same time,) where the sacrifice was now offered, is +that where the supreme chief of the whole island is always buried, and +is appropriated to his family, and some of the principal people. It +differs little from the common ones, except in extent. Its principal +part is a large oblong pile of stones, lying loosely upon each; other, +about twelve or fourteen feet high; contracted toward the top, with +a square area on each side, loosely paved with pebble stones, under +which the bones of the chiefs are buried. At a little distance from +the end nearest the sea is the place where the sacrifices are offered, +which, for a considerable extent, is also loosely paved. There is here +a very large scaffold, or _whatta_, on which the offerings of fruits +and other vegetables are laid. But the animals are deposited on a +smaller one, already mentioned, and the human sacrifices are buried +under different parts of the pavement. There are several other +reliques which ignorant superstition had scattered about this place; +such as small stones, raised in different parts of the pavement, some +with bits of cloth tied round them, others covered with it; and upon +the side of the large pile, which fronts the area, are placed a great +many pieces of carved wood, which are supposed to be sometimes the +residence of their divinities, and consequently held sacred. But one +place more particular than the rest, is a heap of stones at one end +of the large _whatta_, before which the sacrifice was offered, with a +kind of platform at one side. On this are laid the sculls of all the +human sacrifices, which are taken up after they have been several +months under ground. Just above them are placed a great number of the +pieces of wood; and it was also here, where the _maro_, and the other +bundle supposed to contain the god Ooro (and which I call the ark), +were laid during the ceremony, a circumstance which denotes its +agreement with the altar of other nations. + +It is much to be regretted, that a practice so horrid in its +own nature, and so destructive of that inviolable right of +self-preservation which every one is born with, should be found still +existing; and (such is the power of superstition to counteract the +first principles of humanity!) existing amongst a people, in many +other respects, emerged from the brutal manners of savage life. What +is still worse, it is probable that these bloody rites of worship +are prevalent throughout all the wide-extended islands of the Pacific +Ocean. The similarity of customs and language, which our late voyages +have enabled us to trace, between the most distant of these islands, +makes it not unlikely that some of the more important articles of +their religious institutions should agree. And indeed we had the most +authentic information, that human sacrifices continue to be offered at +the Friendly Islands. When I described the _Natche_ at Tongataboo, I +mentioned that on the approaching sequel of that festival, we had been +told that ten men were to be sacrificed. This may give us an idea of +the extent of this religious massacre in that island. And though we +should suppose that never more than one person is sacrificed on any +single occasion at Otaheite, it is more than probable that these +occasions happen so frequently, as to make a shocking waste of the +human race, for I counted no less than forty-nine sculls of former +victims, lying before the _morai_, where we saw one more added to +the number. And as none of those sculls had as yet suffered any +considerable change from the weather, it may hence be inferred, +that no great length of time had elapsed, since, at least, this +considerable number of unhappy wretches had been offered upon this +altar of blood. + +The custom, though no consideration can make it cease to be +abominable, might be thought less detrimental in some respects, if it +served to impress any awe for the divinity or reverence for religion +upon the minds of the multitude. But this is so far from being the +case, that though a great number of people had assembled at the +_morai_ on this occasion, they did not seem to shew any proper +reverence for what was doing or saying during the celebration of the +rites. And Omai happening to arrive, after they had begun, many of the +spectators flocked round him, and were engaged the remainder of the +time in making him relate some of his adventures, which they listened +to with great attention, regardless of the solemn offices performing +by their priests. Indeed, the priests themselves, except the one who +chiefly repeated the prayers, either from their being familiarized +to such objects, or from want of confidence in the efficacy of +their institutions, observed very little of that solemnity which is +necessary to give to religious performances their due weight. Their +dress was only an ordinary one, they conversed together without +scruple, and the only attempt made by them to preserve any appearance +of decency, was by exerting their authority to prevent the people from +coming upon the very spot where the ceremonies were performed, and +to suffer us as strangers to advance a little forward. They were, +however, very candid in their answers to any questions that were put +to them concerning the institution. And particularly on being asked +what the intention of it was, they said that it was an old custom, and +was agreeable to their god, who delighted in, or in other words, came +and fed upon the sacrifices; in consequence of which, he complied with +their petitions. Upon its being objected that he could not feed on +these, as he was neither seen to do it, nor were the bodies of the +animals quickly consumed, and that as to the human victim, they +prevented his feeding on him by burying him. But to all this they +answered, that he came in the night, but invisibly, and fed only on +the soul, or immaterial part, which, according to their doctrine, +remains about the place of sacrifice, until the body of the victim be +entirely wasted by putrefaction. + +It were much to be wished, that this deluded people may learn to +entertain the same horror of murdering their fellow-creatures, in +order to furnish such an invisible banquet to their god, as they now +have of feeding corporeally on human flesh themselves. And yet we +have great reason to believe, that there was a time when they were +cannibals. We were told (and indeed partly saw it) that it is a +necessary ceremony when a poor wretch is sacrificed, for the priest to +take out the left eye. This he presents to the king, holding it to +his mouth, which he desires him to open; but instead of putting it in, +immediately withdraws it. This they call "eating the man," or "food +for the chief;" and perhaps we may observe here some traces of former +times, when the dead body was really feasted upon. + +But not to insist upon this, it is certain, that human sacrifices are +not the only barbarous custom we find still prevailing amongst this +benevolent humane people. For besides cutting out the jaw-bones of +their enemies slain in battle, which they carry about as trophies, +they, in some measure, offer their bodies as a sacrifice to the +_Eatooa_. Soon after a battle, in which they have been victors, they +collect all the dead that have fallen into their hands and bring them +to the _morai_, where, with a great deal of ceremony, they dig a hole, +and bury them all in it, as so many offerings to the gods; but their +sculls are never after taken up. + +Their own great chiefs that fall in battle are treated in a +different manner. We were informed, that their late king Tootaha, +Tubourai-tamaide, and another chief, who fell with them in the +battle fought with those of Tiaraboo, were brought to this _morai_ at +Attahooroo. There their bowels were cut out by the priests before +the great altar, and the bodies afterward buried in three different +places, which were pointed out to us, in the great pile of stones that +compose the most conspicuous part of this _morai_. And their common +men who also fell in this battle, were all buried in one hole at the +foot of the pile. This, Omai, who was present, told me, was done the +day after the battle, with much pomp and ceremony, and in the midst +of a great concourse of people, as a thanksgiving-offering to the +_Eatooa_, for the victory they had obtained; while the vanquished had +taken refuge in the mountains. There they remained a week or ten days, +till the fury of the victors was over, and a treaty set on foot, by +which it was agreed, that Otoo should be declared king of the whole +island, and the solemnity of investing him with the _maro_ was +performed at the same _morai_ with great pomp, in the presence of all +the principal men of the country.[7] + +[Footnote 7: We must trespass a little on the reader's patience as +was formerly threatened. But on so curious, and indeed so exceedingly +important a subject as human sacrifices, it is allowable to claim the +serious attention of every intelligent being. Who can withhold anxiety +from an enquiry into the reality of the fact, as a fundamental part +of religion in every nation at some period of its history--or dare to +affect indifference as to the origin and meaning of so portentous and +horrible a rite? It will be our study to be as brief as possible in +conveying the information respecting both, which every man ought to +possess, who values correct opinions respecting the moral condition of +our nature. First, then, as to the universality of the practice. +This is of course to be ascertained from testimony. And perhaps on no +subject in the history of mankind, is there a more decided agreement +in the assertions of different witnesses. We shall run over the +various nations of the earth, of whom we have any thing like +satisfactory evidence. Here we avail ourselves of the labours of +several authors, as Dr Jenkin, De Paauw, Mr Bryant, Mr Parkhurst, Dr +Magee, and others. We commence with the Egyptians, of whom alone, we +believe, any doubt as to their being implicated in the practice has +been entertained. Thus Dr Forster, in his Observations on Cook's +Second Voyage, excepts them from his remark that all the ancient +nations sacrificed men, saying that where-ever it is affirmed in old +writers that these people were addicted to it, we are to understand +them as alluding to the Arabian shepherds, who at one time subdued +Egypt. Such _was_ the opinion of the writer of this note, but more +attentive enquiry has induced him, in this instance, to disregard +the distinction. Diodorus Siculus and Plutarch, quoted by Dr Magee, +mention their sacrificing red-haired men at the tomb of Osiris; and +from other sources, it appears that they had a custom of sacrificing +a virgin to the river Nile, by flinging her into its stream. The +Phoenicians, Canaanites, Moabites, Ammonites, and other neighbouring +people, were in the habit of sacrificing their children to their +idols, especially Moloch, on certain, calamities, and for various +reasons. See on this head some of the commentators on Scripture, as +Ainsworth on Levit. 18th, and still more particularly, consult Selecta +Sacra Braunii, a work formerly referred to. The Ethiopians, according +to the Romance of Heliodorus, admitted to be good authority as to +manners, &c. sacrificed their children to the sun and moon. The +Scythians, as related in the curious description given of them by +Herodotus, in Melpom. 62, particularly honoured the god Mars, by +sacrificing to him every hundredth captive. This they did, he says, by +cutting their throats, &c. The same author informs us of the Persians, +that they had a custom of burying persons alive, generally young ones +it would seem, in honour of the river Strymon, considered by them as a +deity. Polym. 114. In this he is confirmed by Plutarch. Other writers, +also, charge the Persians with using human sacrifices, as is shewn by +Dr Magee. The same may be said of the Chinese and Indians, according +to works mentioned by that gentleman. The case of the latter people +has been made notorious by Dr Buchanan. With respect to the Grecian +states in general, we have the most indubitable evidence of the +prevalence of supplicating their gods by human sacrifices, when going +against their enemies, as we see done by the Otaheitans, and on other +occasions. The Roman history, in its early state especially, abounds +in like examples, as every reader will be prepared to prove. The +practice was shockingly prevalent amongst the Carthaginians and other +inhabitants of Africa. The writer above quoted, specifies the works +which mention it, and has enumerated the authorities for asserting the +same of a great many other ancient people, as the Getae, Leucadians, +Goths, Gauls, Heruli, Britons, Germans; besides the Arabians, Cretans, +Cyprians, Rhodians, Phocians, and the inhabitants of Chios, Lesbos, +Tenedos, and Pella. The northern nations, without exception, are +chargeable with the same enormity. Of this, satisfactory evidence has +been adduced by Dr Magee from various authors, as Mr Thorkelin in his +Essay on the Slave Trade, Mallet, in his work on Northern Antiquities, +&c. And it is well known that the evil existed amongst the Mexicans, +Peruvians, and other people of America, in a degree surpassing its +magnitude in any other country. The perusal of the present narrative, +and of other accounts of voyages, will evince the continuance of the +practice throughout more recent people. On the whole then, we assert, +that the fact of the universality of human sacrifice amongst the +various nations of the world is perfectly well authenticated. Let +us next say a word or two respecting its origin and meaning. Here +we shall find it necessary to consider the origin and meaning of +sacrifice in general, as it is self-evident that the notion of +sacrifice is previous to the selection of the subjects for it, that +of human beings differing only in degree of worth or excellence from +those of any other kind. What then could induce mankind universally to +imagine, that sacrifices of animals could be agreeable to those beings +whom they judged superior to themselves, and the proper objects of +religious adoration? Reason gives no sanction to the practice; on the +contrary, most positively condemns it, as unnecessary, unjust, cruel, +and therefore more likely to incur displeasure than to obtain favour. +Besides, it must always have been expensive, and very often dangerous, +so that we must entirely discard the notion of a sense of interest +having given occasion to it, unless we can prove, that some valuable +consequence was to result from it. This however cannot be done without +first shewing its acceptableness to the Being whose regard is thereby +solicited. There remain, perhaps, only two other motives which we can +conceive to have given origin to the custom, viz. some instinctive +principle of our nature by which we are led to it, independent of +either reason or a sense of interest, as in the case of our appetites, +and a positive injunction or command to that effect by some being +who has the requisite authority over our conduct. The author so often +alluded to, Dr Magee, who has so profoundly considered this subject in +his work on Atonement, &c. rejects the former supposition, affirming +that we have no natural instinct to gratify, in spilling the blood +of an innocent creature; and, as he has also set aside the other +two notions, of course, he adopts the latter as sufficient for the +solution of the question. The writer concurs in this opinion, but at +the same time, he thinks it of the utmost importance to observe, that +as the original injunction or command was assuredly subsequent to the +sense of moral delinquency, and was directed in the view of a +relief to the conscience of man, so the continuance of the practice, +according to any perversion of the primitive and consequently proper +institution, is always connected with, and in fact implies, the +existence of a feeling of personal demerit and danger. In other words, +he conceives there is a suitableness betwixt the operation of man's +conscience and that effectual remedy for its uneasiness to which the +original institution of animal sacrifices pointed. But it does not +follow from this, that man's conscience or reason, or any thing else +within him, could ever have made the discovery of the remedy. A sense +of his need of it, would undoubtedly set him on various efforts +to relieve himself, but this, it is probable, would be as blind a +principle as the appetite of hunger, and as much would require aid +from an external power. Among the devices to which it might have +recourse, very possibly, the notion of giving up a darling object, +ought to be included; so it would appear, thought a king of Moab, +spoken of by Micah the prophet, chap. 6th, "Shall I give my first-born +for my transgression," &c. But even admitting this, we still see the +primary difficulty remaining, viz. what reason is there for imagining +that the gift in any shape, and more especially when slaughtered, will +be accepted? We are driven then to contemplate the revelation of the +divine will as the only adequate explanation; and this, it is evident, +we must consider as having been handed down by a corrupt process of +tradition, among the various nations of the earth. It would be easy to +urge arguments in behalf of this opinion. But already the matter has +gone beyond common bounds, and the writer dare not hazard another +remark. All he shall do then, is to commend this interesting topic to +the reader's attention, and to request, that due allowances be made +for the omission of certain qualifications which are requisite for +some of the remarks now made, but which the limits of the note could +not allow to be inserted.--E.] + + +SECTION III. + +_Conference with Towha.--Heevas described.--Omai and Oedidee give +Dinners.--Fireworks exhibited.--A remarkable Present of +Cloth.--Manner of preserving the Body of a dead Chief.--Another +human Sacrifice.--Riding on Horseback.--Otoo's Attention to supply +Provisions, and prevent Thefts.--Animals given to him.--Etary, and +the Deputies of a Chief, have Audiences.--A mock Fight of two War +Canoes.--Naval Strength of these Islands.--Manner of conducting a +War._ + +The close of the very singular scene exhibited at the _morai_, which +I have faithfully described in the last chapter, leaving us no other +business in Attahooroo, we embarked about noon, in order to return +to Matavai; and, in our way, visited Towha, who had remained on the +little island where we met him the day before. Some conversation +passed between Otoo and him, on the present posture of public affairs; +and then the latter solicited me once more to join them in their war +against Eimeo. By my positive refusal I entirely lost the good graces +of this chief. + +Before we parted, he asked us if the solemnity at which we had +been present answered our expectations; what opinion we had of its +efficacy; and whether we performed such acts of worship in our +own country? During the celebration of the horrid ceremony, we had +preserved a profound silence; but as soon as it was closed, had made +no scruple in expressing our sentiments very freely about it to Otoo, +and those who attended him; of course, therefore, I did not conceal my +detestation of it in this conversation with Towha. Besides the cruelty +of the bloody custom, I strongly urged the unreasonableness of it; +telling the chief, that such a sacrifice, far from making the _Eatooa_ +propitious to their nation, as they ignorantly believed, would be +the means of drawing down his vengeance; and that, from this very +circumstance, I took upon me to judge, that their intended expedition +against Maheine would be unsuccessful. This was venturing pretty far +upon conjecture; but still, I thought, that there was little danger +of being mistaken. For I found, that there were three parties in the +island, with regard to this war; one extremely violent for it; another +perfectly indifferent about the matter; and the third openly +declaring themselves friends to Maheine and his cause. Under these +circumstances, of disunion distracting their councils, it was not +likely that such a plan of military operations would be settled +as could insure even a probability of success. In conveying our +sentiments to Towha, on the subject of the late sacrifice, Omai was +made use of as our interpreter; and he entered into our arguments with +so much spirit, that the chief seemed to be in great wrath; especially +when he was told, that if he had put a man to death in England, as he +had done here, his rank would not have protected him from being hanged +for it. Upon this, he exclaimed, _maeno_! _maeno_! [vile! vile!] and +would not hear another word. During this debate, many of the natives +were present, chiefly the attendants and servants of Towha himself; +and when Omai began to explain the punishment that would be inflicted +in England, upon the greatest man, if he killed the meanest servant, +they seemed to listen with great attention; and were probably of a +different opinion from that of their master on this subject. + +After leaving Towha, we proceeded to Oparre, where Otoo pressed us +to spend the night. We landed in the evening; and, on our road to his +house, had an opportunity of observing in what manner these people +amuse themselves in their private _heevas_. About an hundred of them +were found sitting in a house; and in the midst of them were two +women, with an old man behind each of them beating very gently upon +a drum; and the women at intervals singing in a softer manner than I +ever heard at their other diversions. The assembly listened with great +attention; and were seemingly almost absorbed in the pleasure the +music gave them; for few took any notice of us, and the performers +never once stopped. It was almost dark before we reached Otoo's house, +where we were entertained with one of their public _heevas_, or plays, +in which his three sisters appeared as the principal characters. This +was what they call a _heeva raä_, which is of such a nature, that +nobody is to enter the house or area where it is exhibited. When +the royal sisters are the performers, this is always the case. Their +dress, on this occasion, was truly picturesque and elegant; and they +acquitted themselves, in their parts, in a very distinguished manner; +though some comic interludes, performed by four men seemed to yield +greater pleasure to the audience, which was numerous. The next morning +we proceeded to Matavai, leaving Otoo at Oparre; but his mother, +sisters, and several other women attended me on board, and Otoo +himself followed soon after. + +While Otoo and I were absent from the ships, they had been but +sparingly supplied with fruit, and had few visitors. After our return, +we again overflowed with provisions and with company. + +On the 4th, a party of us dined ashore with Omai, who gave excellent +fare, consisting of fish, fowls, pork, and puddings. After dinner, I +attended Otoo, who had been one of the party, back to his house, where +I found all his servants very busy getting a quantity of provisions +ready for me. Amongst other articles, there was a large hog, which +they killed in my presence. The entrails were divided into eleven +portions, in such a manner that each of them contained a bit of every +thing. These portions were distributed to the servants, and some +dressed theirs in the same oven with the hog, while others carried +off, undressed, what had come to their share. There was also a large +pudding, the whole process in making which, I saw. It was composed +of bread-fruit, ripe plantains, taro, and palm or pandanus nuts, each +rasped, scraped, or beat up fine, and baked by itself. A quantity of +juice, expressed from cocoa-nut kernels, was put into a large tray or +wooden vessel. The other articles, hot from the oven, were deposited +in this vessel; and a few hot stones were also put in to make the +contents simmer. Three or four men made use of sticks to stir the +several ingredients, till they were incorporated one with another, and +the juice of the cocoa-nut was turned to oil; so that the whole mass, +at last, became of the consistency of a hasty-pudding. Some of these +puddings are excellent; and few that we make in England equal them. I +seldom or never dined without one when I could get it, which was not +always the case. Otoo's hog being baked, and the pudding, which I +have described, being made, they, together with two living hogs, and +a quantity of bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts, were put into a canoe, and +sent on board my ship, followed by myself, and all the royal family. + +The following evening, a young ram, of the Cape breed, that had been +lambed, and with great care brought up on board the ship, was killed +by a dog. Incidents are of more or less consequence, as connected with +situation. In our present situation, desirous as I was to propagate +this useful race amongst these islands, the loss of the ram was a +serious misfortune; as it was the only one I had of that breed; and I +had only one of the English breed left. + +In the evening of the 7th, we played off some fireworks before a great +concourse of people. Some were highly entertained with the exhibition; +but by far the greater number of spectators were terribly frightened; +insomuch, that it was with difficulty we could prevail upon them to +keep together to see the end of the shew. A table-rocket was the last. +It flew off the table, and dispersed the whole crowd in a moment; even +the most resolute among them fled with precipitation. + +The next day, a party of us dined with our former ship-mate, Oedidee, +on fish and pork. The hog weighed about thirty pounds; and it may be +worth mentioning, that it was alive, dressed, and brought upon the +table within the hour. We had but just dined, when Otoo came and asked +me if my belly was full. On my answering in the affirmative, he +said, "Then, come along with me." I accordingly went with him to his +father's, where I found some people employed in dressing two girls +with a prodigious quantity of fine cloth, after a very singular +fashion: The one end of each piece of cloth, of which there were +a good many, was held up over the heads of the girls, while the +remainder was wrapped round their bodies, under the arm-pits; then the +upper ends were let fall, and hung down in folds to the ground, +over the other, so as to bear some resemblance to a circular +hoop-petticoat. Afterward, round the outside of all, were wrapped +several pieces of differently-coloured cloth, which considerably +increased the size; so that it was not less than five or six yards +in circuit, and the weight of this singular attire was as much as +the poor girls could support. To each were hang two _taames_, +or breast-plates, by way of enriching the whole, and giving it a +picturesque appearance. Thus equipped, they were conducted on board +the ship, together with several hogs, and a quantity of fruit, which, +with the cloth, was a present to me from Otoo's father. Persons of +either sex, dressed in this manner, are called _atee_; but, I believe, +it is never practised, except when large presents of cloth are to be +made. At least, I never saw it practised upon any other occasion; nor, +indeed, had I ever such a present before; but both Captain Clerke and +I had cloth given to us afterward, thus wrapped round the bearers. The +next day, I had a present of five hogs and some fruit from Otoo; +and one hog and some fruit from each of his sisters. Nor were other +provisions wanting. For two or three days, great quantities of +mackerel had been caught by the natives, within the reef, in seines; +some of which they brought to the ships and tents and sold. + +Otoo was not more attentive to supply our wants, by a succession of +presents, than he was to contribute to our amusement, by a succession +of diversions. A party of us having gone down to Oparre on the 10th, +he treated us with what may be called a play. His three sisters were +the actresses; and the dresses that they appeared in were new and +elegant; that is, more so than we had usually met with at any of these +islands. But the principal object I had in view, this day, in going +to Oparre, was to take a view of an embalmed corpse, which some of our +gentlemen had happened to meet with at that place, near the residence +of Otoo. On enquiry, I found it to be the remains of Tee, a chief well +known to me when I was at this island during my last voyage. It was +lying in a _toopapaoo_, more elegantly constructed than their common +ones, and in all respects similar to that lately seen by us at +Oheitepeha, in which the remains of Waheiadooa are deposited, embalmed +in the same manner. When we arrived at the place, the body was under +cover, and wrapped up in cloth within the _toopapaoo_; but, at my +desire, the man who had the care of it, brought it out, and laid it +upon a kind of bier, in such a manner, that we had as full a view of +it as we could wish; but we were not allowed to go within the pales +that enclosed the _toopapaoo_. After he had thus exhibited the corpse, +he hung the place with mats and cloth, so disposed as to produce a +very pretty effect. We found the body not only entire in every part; +but, what surprised us much more, was, that putrefaction seemed +scarcely to be begun, as there was not the least disagreeable smell +proceeding from it; though the climate is one of the hottest, and Tee +had been dead above four months. The only remarkable alteration that +had happened, was a shrinking of the muscular parts and eyes; but the +hair and nails were in their original state, and still adhered firmly; +and the several joints were quite pliable, or in that kind of relaxed +state which happens to persons who faint suddenly. Such were Mr +Anderson's remarks to me, who also told me, that on his enquiring into +the method of effecting this preservation of their dead bodies, he had +been informed, that, soon after their death, they are disembowlled, +by drawing the intestines, and other _viscera_, out at the _anus_; +and the whole cavity is then filled or stuffed with cloth, introduced +through the same part; that when any moisture appeared on the skin, it +was carefully dried up, and the bodies afterward rubbed all over with +a large quantity of perfumed cocoa-nut oil; which, being frequently +repeated, preserved them a great many months; but that, at last, they +gradually moulder away. This was the information Mr Anderson received; +for my own part, I could not learn any more about their mode of +operation than what Omai told me, who said, that they made use of the +juice of a plant which grows amongst the mountains, of cocoa-nut oil, +and of frequent washing with sea-water. I was also told, that the +bodies of all their great men, who die a natural death, are preserved +in this manner; and that they expose them to public view for a very +considerable time after. At first, they are laid out every day, when +it does not rain; afterward, the intervals become greater and greater; +and, at last, they are seldom to be seen.[1] + +[Footnote 1: The method of embalming, above described, is very +different from that practised among the Egyptians and other ancient +people. For an account of the latter, the reader may turn to Beloe's +Herodotus, vol. i. where observations are collected from several +authors.--E.] + +In the evening we returned from Oparre, where we left Otoo, and all +the royal family; and I saw none of them till the 12th; when all, but +the chief himself, paid me a visit. He, as they told me, was gone to +Attahooroo, to assist, this day, at another human sacrifice, which the +chief of Tiaraboo had sent thither to be offered up at the _morai_. +This second instance, within the course of a few days, was +too melancholy a proof how numerous the victims of this bloody +superstition are amongst this humane people. I would have been present +at this sacrifice too, had I known of it in time; for now it was too +late. From the very same cause, I missed being present at a public +transaction, which had passed at Oparre the preceding day, when Otoo, +with all the solemnities observed on such occasions, restored to +the friends and followers of the late king Tootaha, the lands and +possessions which had been withheld from them, ever since his death. +Probably, the new sacrifice was the concluding ceremony of what may be +called the reversal of attainder. + +The following evening, Otoo returned from exercising this most +disagreeable of all his duties as sovereign; and the next day, being +now honoured with his company, Captain Clerke and I, mounted on +horseback, took a ride round the plain of Matavai, to the very great +surprise of a great train of people who attended on the occasion, +gazing upon us with as much astonishment as if we had been centaurs. +Omai, indeed, had once or twice before this, attempted to get on +horseback; but he had as often been thrown off, before he could +contrive to seat himself; so that this was the first time they had +seen any body ride a horse. What Captain Clerke and I began, was, +after this, repeated every day, while we staid, by one or another +of our people. And yet the curiosity of the natives continued still +unabated. They were exceedingly delighted with these animals, after +they had seen the use that was made of them; and, as far as I could +judge, they conveyed to them a better idea of the greatness of other +nations, than all the other novelties put together that their European +visitors had carried amongst them. Both the horse and mare were in +good case, and looked extremely well. + +The next day, Etary, or Olla, the god of Bolabola, who had, for +several days past, been in the neighbourhood of Matavai, removed to +Oparre, attended by several sailing canoes. We were told that Otoo did +not approve of his being so near our station, where his people could +more easily invade our property. I must do Otoo the justice to say, +that he took every method prudence could suggest to prevent thefts and +robberies; and it was more owing to his regulations, than to our own +circumspection, that so few were committed. He had taken care to erect +a little house or two, on the other side of the river, behind our +post; and two others, close to our tents, on the bank between +the river and the sea. In all these places some of his own people +constantly kept watch; and his father generally resided on Matavai +point; so that we were, in a manner, surrounded by them. Thus +stationed, they not only guarded us in the night from thieves, but +could observe every thing that passed in the day; and were ready to +collect contributions from such girls as had private connections +with our people; which was generally done every morning. So that the +measures adopted by him to secure our safety, at the same time served +the more essential purpose of enlarging his own profits. + +Otoo informing me that his presence was necessary at Oparre, where he +was to give audience to the great personage from Bolabola; and asking +me to accompany him, I readily consented, in hopes of meeting with +something worth our notice. Accordingly I went with him, in the +morning of the 16th, attended by Mr Anderson. Nothing, however, +occurred on this occasion that was either interesting or curious. +We saw Etary and his followers present some coarse cloth and hogs to +Otoo; and each article was delivered with some ceremony, and a set +speech. After this, they, and some other chiefs, held a consultation +about the expedition to Eimeo. Etary, at first, seemed to disapprove +of it; but, at last, his objections were over-ruled. Indeed, it +appeared next day, that it was too late to deliberate about this +measure; and that Towha, Potatou, and another chief, had already gone +upon the expedition with the fleet of Attahooroo. For a messenger +arrived in the evening, with intelligence that they had reached +Eimeo, and that there had been some skirmishes, without much loss or +advantage on either side. + +In the morning of the 18th, Mr Anderson, myself, and Omai, went again +with Otoo to Oparre, and took with us the sheep which I intended to +leave upon the island, consisting of an English ram and ewe, and three +Cape ewes, all of which I gave to Otoo. As all the three cows had +taken the bull, I thought I might venture to divide them, and carry +some to Ulieta. With this view, I had them brought before us; and +proposed to Etary, that if he would leave his bull with Otoo, he +should have mine, and one of the three cows; adding, that I would +carry them for him to Ulieta; for I was afraid to remove the Spanish +bull, lest some accident should happen to him, as he was a bulky, +spirited beast. To this proposal of mine, Etary, at first, made some +objections; but, at last, agreed to it; partly through the persuasion +of Omai. However, just as the cattle were putting into the boat, one +of Etary's followers valiantly opposed any exchange whatever being +made. Finding this, and suspecting that Etary had only consented to +the proposed arrangement, for the present moment, to please me; and +that, after I was gone, he might take away his bull, and then Otoo +would not have one, I thought it best to drop the idea of an exchange, +as it could not be made with the mutual consent of both parties; and +finally determined to leave them all with Otoo, strictly enjoining him +never to suffer them to be removed from Oparre, not even the Spanish +bull, nor any of the sheep, till he should get a stock of young +ones; which he might then dispose of to his friends, and send to the +neighbouring islands. + +This being settled, we left Etary and his party to ruminate upon their +folly, and attended Otoo to another place hard by, where we found the +servants of a chief, whose name I forgot to ask, waiting with a hog, a +pig, and a dog, as a present from their master to the sovereign. These +were delivered with the usual ceremonies, and with an harangue in +form, in which the speaker, in his master's name, enquired after +the health of Otoo, and of all the principal people about him. +This compliment was echoed back in the name of Otoo, by one of his +ministers; and then the dispute with Eimeo was discussed, with many +arguments for and against it. The deputies of this chief were for +prosecuting the war with vigour, and advised Otoo to offer a human +sacrifice. On the other hand, a chief, who was in constant attendance +on Otoo's person, opposed it, seemingly with great strength of +argument. This confirmed me in the opinion, that Otoo himself never +entered heartily into the spirit of this war. He now received +repeated messages from Towha, strongly soliciting him to hasten to his +assistance. We were told, that his fleet was, in a manner, surrounded +by that of Maheine; but that neither the one nor the other durst +hazard an engagement. + +After dining with Otoo, we returned to Matavai, leaving him at Oparre. +This day, and also the 19th, we were very sparingly supplied with +fruit. Otoo hearing of this, he and his brother, who had attached +himself to Captain Clerke, came from Oparre, between nine and ten +o'clock in the evening, with a large supply for both ships. This +marked his humane attention more strongly than any thing he had +hitherto done for us. The next day, all the royal family came with +presents; so that our wants were not only relieved, but we had more +provisions than we could consume. + +Having got all our water on board, the ships being caulked, the +rigging overhauled, and everything put in order, I began to think of +leaving the island, that I might have sufficient time to spare for +visiting the others in this neighbourhood. With this view, we removed +from the shore our observatories and instruments, and bent the sails. +Early the next morning, Otoo came on board to acquaint me, that all +the war canoes of Matavai, and of three other districts adjoining, +were going to Oparre to join those belonging to that part of the +island; and that there would be a general review there. Soon after, +the squadron of Matavai was all in motion; and, after parading awhile +about the bay, assembled ashore, near the middle of it. I now went in +my boat to take a view of them. + +Of those with stages, on which they fight, or what they call their +war-canoes, there were about sixty, with near as many more of a +smaller size. I was ready to have attended them to Oparre; but, soon +after, a resolution was taken by the chiefs, that they should not move +till the next day. I looked upon this to be a fortunate delay, as it +afforded me a good opportunity to get some insight into their manner +of fighting. With this view, I expressed my wish to Otoo, that he +would order some of them to go through the necessary manoeuvres. Two +were accordingly ordered out into the bay; in one of which, Otoo, Mr +King, and myself, embarked; and Omai went on board the other. When we +had got sufficient sea-room, we faced, and advanced upon each other, +and retreated by turns, as quick as our rowers could paddle. During +this, the warriors on the stages flourished their weapons, and +played a hundred antic tricks, which could answer no other end, in +my judgment, than to work up their passions, and prepare them for +fighting. Otoo stood by the side of our stage, and gave the necessary +orders, when to advance, and when to retreat. In this, great judgment +and a quick eye, combined together seemed requisite, to seize every +advantage that might offer, and to avoid giving any advantage to the +adversary. At last, after advancing and retreating to and from each +other, at least a dozen of times, the two canoes closed, head to head, +or stage to stage; and, after a short conflict, the troops on our +stage were supposed to be all killed, and we were boarded by Omai +and his associates. At that very instant, Otoo, and all our paddlers +leaped over-board, as if reduced to the necessity of endeavouring to +save their lives by swimming. + +If Omai's information is to be depended upon, their naval engagements +are not always conducted in this manner. He told me, that they +sometimes begin with lashing the two vessels together, head to head, +and then fight till all the warriors are killed, on one side or the +other. But this close combat, I apprehend, is never practised, but +when they are determined to conquer or die. Indeed, one or the other +must happen; for all agree that they never give quarter, unless it be +to reserve their prisoners for a more cruel death the next day. + +The power and strength of these islands lie entirely in their navies. +I never heard of a general engagement on land; and all their decisive +battles are fought on the water. If the time and place of conflict are +fixed upon by both parties, the preceding day and night are spent in +diversions and feasting. Toward morning, they launch the canoes, put +every thing in order, and, with the day, begin the battle; the fate of +which generally decides the dispute. The vanquished save themselves +by a precipitate flight; and such as reach the shore, fly with their +friends to the mountains; for the victors, while their fury lasts, +spare neither the aged, nor women, nor children. The next day, they +assemble at the _morai_, to return thanks to the _Eatooa_ for the +victory, and to offer up the slain as sacrifices, and the prisoners +also, if they have any. After this a treaty is set on foot; and the +conquerors, for the most part, obtain their own terms; by which, +particular districts of land, and sometimes whole islands, change +their owners. Omai told us, that he was once taken a prisoner by the +men of Bolabola, and carried to that island, where he and some others +would have been put to death the next day, if they had not found means +to escape in the night. + +As soon as this mock-fight was over, Omai put on his suit of armour, +mounted a stage in one of the canoes, and was paddled all along the +shore of the bay; so that every one had a full view of him. His coat +of mail did not draw the attention of his countrymen so much as +might have been expected. Some of them, indeed, had seen a part of it +before; and there were others, again, who had taken such a dislike to +Omai, from his imprudent conduct at this place, that they would hardly +look at any thing, however singular, that was exhibited by him. + + +SECTION IV. + +_The Day of Sailing fixed.--Peace made with Eimeo.--Debates about it, +and Otoo's Conduct blamed.--A Solemnity at the Morai on the Occasion, +described by Mr King.--Observations upon it.--Instance of Otoo's +Art.--Omai's War-Canoe, and Remarks upon his Behaviour.--Otoo's +Present, and Message to the King of Great Britain.--Reflections on +our Manner of Traffic, and on the good Treatment we met with at +Otaheite.--Account of the Expedition of the Spaniards.--Their Fictions +to depreciate the English.--Wishes expressed that no Settlement may be +made.--Omai's Jealousy of another Traveller._ + +Early in the morning of the 22d, Otoo and his father came on board, to +know when I proposed sailing. For, having been informed that there +was a good harbour at Eimeo, I had told them that I should visit +that island on my way to Huaheine; and they were desirous of taking a +passage with me, and of their fleet sailing, at the time, to reinforce +Towha. As I was ready to take my departure, I left it to them to name +the day; and the Wednesday following was fixed upon, when I was to +take on board Otoo, his father, mother, and, in short, the whole +family. These points being settled, I proposed setting out immediately +for Oparre, where all the fleet, fitted out for the expedition, was to +assemble this day, and to be reviewed. + +I had but just time to get into my boat, when news was brought, that +Towha had concluded a treaty with Maheine, and had returned with +his fleet to Attahooroo. This unexpected event made all further +proceedings, in the military way, quite unnecessary; and the +war-canoes, instead of rendezvousing at Oparre, were ordered home to +their respective districts. This alteration, however, did not hinder +me from following Otoo to Oparre, accompanied by Mr King and Omai. +Soon after our arrival, and while dinner was preparing, a messenger +arrived from Eimeo, and related the conditions of the peace, or +rather of the truce, it being only for a limited time. The terms were +disadvantageous to Otaheite; and much blame was thrown upon Otoo, +whose delay, in sending reinforcements, had obliged Towha to submit +to a disgraceful accommodation. It was even currently reported, that +Towha, resenting his not being supported, had declared, that, as soon +as I should leave the island, he would join his forces to those of +Tiaraboo, and attack Otoo at Matavai, or Oparre. This called upon +me to declare, in the most public manner, that I was determined to +espouse the interest of my friend against any such combination; and +that whoever presumed to attack him, should feel the weight of +my heavy displeasure, when I returned again to their island. My +declaration, probably, had the desired effect; and, if Towha had any +such hostile intention at first, we soon heard no more of the report. +Whappai, Otoo's father, highly disapproved of the peace, and blamed +Towha very much for concluding it. This sensible old man wisely +judged, that my going down with them to Eimeo must have been of +singular service to their cause, though I should take no other part +whatever in the quarrel. And it was upon this that he built all his +arguments, and maintained, that Otoo had acted properly by waiting for +me; though this had prevented his giving assistance to Towha so soon +as he expected. + +Our debates at Oparre, on this subject, were hardly ended, before a +messenger arrived from Towha, desiring Otoo's attendance, the next +day, at the _morai_ in Attahooroo, to give thanks to the gods for the +peace he had concluded; at least, such was Omai's account to me of +the object of this solemnity. I was asked to go; but being much out of +order, was obliged to decline it. Desirous, however, of knowing what +ceremonies might be observed on so memorable an occasion, I sent +Mr King and Omai, and returned on board my ship, attended by Otoo's +mother, his three sisters, and eight more women. At first, I thought +that this numerous train of females came into my boat with no other +view than to get a passage to Matavai. But when we arrived at the +ship, they told me, they intended passing the night on board, for the +express purpose of undertaking the cure of the disorder I complained +of; which was a pain of the rheumatic kind, extending from the hip +to the foot. I accepted the friendly offer, had a bed spread for them +upon the cabin floor, and submitted myself to their directions. I +was desired to lay myself down amongst them. Then, as many of them as +could get round me, began to squeeze me with both hands, from head to +foot, but more particularly on the parts where the pain was lodged, +till they made my bones crack, and my flesh became a perfect mummy. In +short, after undergoing this discipline about a quarter of an hour, +I was glad to get away from them. However, the operation gave +me immediate relief, which encouraged me to submit to another +rubbing-down before I went to bed; and it was so effectual, that I +found myself pretty easy all the night after. My female physicians +repeated their prescription the next morning, before they went ashore, +and again, in the evening, when they returned on board; after which, +I found the pains entirely removed; and the cure being perfected, they +took their leave of me the following morning. This they call _romee_; +an operation which, in my opinion, far exceeds the flesh brush, or any +thing of the kind that we make use of externally. It is universally +practised amongst these islanders; being sometimes performed by the +men, but more generally by the women. If, at any time, one appears +languid and tired, and sits down by any of them, they immediately +begin to practise the _romee_ upon his legs; and I have always found +it to have an exceedingly good effect.[1] + +[Footnote 1: See Captain Wallis's account of the same operation +performed on himself, and his first lieutenant, in this Collection, +vol. xii. p. 197.] + +In the morning of the 25th, Otoo, Mr King, and Omai, returned from +Attahooroo; and Mr King gave me the following account of what he had +seen: + +"Soon after you left me, a second messenger came from Towha to Otoo, +with a plantain-tree. It was sun-set when we embarked in a canoe +and left Oparre. About nine o'clock we landed at Tettaha, at that +extremity which joins to Attahooroo. Before we landed, the people +called to us from the shore; probably, to tell us that Towha was +there. The meeting of Otoo and this chief, I expected, would afford +some incident worthy of observation. Otoo, and his attendants, went +and seated themselves on the beach, close to the canoe in which Towha +was. He was then asleep; but his servants having awakened him, and +mentioning Otoo's name, immediately a plantain-tree and a dog were +laid at Otoo's feet; and many of Towha's people came and talked with +him, as I conceived, about their expedition to Eimeo. After I had, for +some time, remained seated close to Otoo, Towha neither stirring from +his canoe, nor holding any conversation with us, I went to him. He +asked me if _Toote_ was angry with him. I answered, No: that he was +his _taio_; and that he had ordered me to go to Attahooroo to tell +him so. Omai now had a long conversation with this chief; but I could +gather no information of any kind from him. On my returning to +Otoo, he seemed desirous that I should go to eat, and then to sleep. +Accordingly, Omai and I left him. On questioning Omai, he said, the +reason of Towha's not stirring from his canoe, was his being lame; but +that, presently, Otoo and he would converse together in private. This +seemed true; for in a little time, those we left with Otoo came to us; +and, about ten minutes after, Otoo himself arrived, and we all went to +sleep in his canoe. + +"The next morning, the _ava_ was in great plenty. One man drank so +much that he lost his senses. I should have supposed him to be in a +fit, from the convulsions that agitated him. Two men held him, and +kept plucking off his hair by the roots. I left this spectacle to see +another that was more affecting. This was the meeting of Towha and his +wife, and a young girl, whom I understood to be his daughter. After +the ceremony of cutting their heads, and discharging a tolerable +quantity of blood and tears, they washed, embraced the chief, and +seemed unconcerned. But the young girl's sufferings were not yet come +to an end. Terridiri[2] arrived; and she went, with great composure, +to repeat the same ceremonies to him, which she had just performed on +meeting her father. Towha had brought a large war-canoe from Eimeo. I +enquired if he had killed the people belonging to her; and was told, +that there was no man in her when she was captured. + +[Footnote 2: Terridiri was Oberea's son. See an account of the royal +family of Otaheite, in this Collection, vol. xii. p. 482.] + +"We left Tettaha about ten or eleven o'clock, and landed close to +the _morai_ of Attahooroo a little after noon. There lay three canoes +hauled upon the beach, opposite the _morai_, with three hogs exposed +in each: their sheds, or awnings, had something under them which I +could not discern. We expected the solemnity to be performed the same +afternoon; but as neither Towha nor Potatou had joined us, nothing was +done. + +"A chief from Eimeo came with a small pig, and a plantain-tree, and +placed them at Otoo's feet. They talked some time together; and the +Eimeo chief often repeating the words, _Warry, warry_, 'false,' I +supposed that Otoo was relating to him what he had heard, and that the +other denied it. + +"The next day (Wednesday) Towha and Potatou, with about eight large +canoes, arrived, and landed near the _morai_. Many plantain-trees were +brought, on the part of different chiefs to Otoo. Towha did not stir +from his canoe. The ceremony began by the principal priest bringing +out the _maro_ wrapped up, and a bundle shaped like a large +sugar-loaf. These were placed at the head of what I understood to be a +grave. Then three priests came, and sat down opposite, that is, at the +other end of the grave; bringing with them a plantain-tree, the branch +of some other tree, and the sheath of the flower of the cocoa-nut +tree. + +"The priests, with these things in their hands, separately repeated +sentences; and, at intervals, two, and sometime all three, sung a +melancholy ditty, little attended to by the people. This praying +and singing continued for an hour. Then, after a short prayer, the +principal priest uncovered the _maro_; and Otoo rose up, and wrapped +it about him, holding, at the same time, in his hand, a cap or bonnet, +composed of the red feathers of the tail of the tropic bird, mixed +with other feathers of a dark colour. He stood in the middle space, +facing the three priests, who continued their prayers for about ten +minutes; when a man, starting from the crowd, said something which +ended with the word _heiva!_ and the crowd echoed back to him, three +times, _Earee!_ This, as I had been told before, was the principal +part of the solemnity. + +"The company now moved to the opposite side of the great pile of +stones, where is, what they call, the king's _morai_, which is not +unlike a large grave. Here the same ceremony was performed over +again, and ended in three cheers. The _maro_ was now wrapped up, and +increased in its splendour by the addition of a small piece of red +feathers, which one of the priests gave Otoo when he had it on, and +which he stuck into it. + +"From this place, the people went to a large hut, close by the +_morai_, where they seated themselves in much greater order than is +usual among them. A man of Tiaraboo then made an oration, which lasted +about ten minutes. He was followed by an Attahooroo man; afterward +Potatou spoke with much greater fluency and grace than any of them; +for, in general, they spoke in short broken sentences, with a motion +of the hand that was rather awkward. Tooteo, Otoo's orator, spoke +next; and, after him, a man from Eimeo. Two or three more speeches +were made; but not much attended to. Omai told me, that the speeches +declared, that they should not fight, but all be friends. As many of +the speakers expressed themselves with warmth, possibly there were +some recriminations and protestations of their good intentions. In +the midst of their speaking, a man of Attahooroo got up, with a sling +fastened to his waist, and a large stone placed upon his shoulder. +After parading near a quarter of an hour, in the open space, repeating +something in a singing tone, he threw the stone down. This stone, +and a plantain-tree that lay at Otoo's feet, were, after the speeches +ended, carried to the _morai_: and one of the priests, and Otoo with +him, said something upon the occasion. + +"On our return to Oparre, the sea-breeze having set in, we were +obliged to land; and had a pleasant walk through almost the whole +extent of Tettaha to Oparre. A tree, with two bundles of dried leaves +suspended upon it, marked the boundary of the two districts. The man +who had performed the ceremony of the stone and sling came with us. +With him, Otoo's father had a long conversation. He seemed very angry. +I understood, he was enraged at the part Towha had taken in the Eimeo +business." + +From what I can judge of this solemnity, as thus described by Mr King, +it had not been wholly a thanksgiving, as Omai told us, but rather a +confirmation of the treaty, or perhaps both. The grave, which Mr King +speaks of, seems to be the very spot where the celebration of the +rites began, when the human sacrifice, at which I was present, was +offered, and before which the victim was laid, after being removed +from the sea side. It is at this part of the _morai_ also that they +first invest their kings with the _maro_. Omai, who had been present +when Otoo was made king, described to me the whole ceremony, when we +were here; and I find it to be almost the same as this that Mr King +has now described, though we understood it to be upon a very different +occasion. The plantain-tree, so often mentioned, is always the first +thing introduced, not only in all their religious ceremonies, but in +all their debates, whether of a public or private nature. It is also +used on other occasions; perhaps many more than we know of. While +Towha was at Eimeo, one or more messengers came from him to Otoo every +day. The messenger always came with a young plantain-tree in his hand, +which he laid down at Otoo's feet, before he spoke a word; then seated +himself before him, and related what he was charged with. I have seen +two men in such high dispute that I expected they would proceed to +blows; yet, on one laying a plantain-tree before the other, they +have both become cool, and carried on the argument without farther +animosity. In short, it is, upon all occasions, the olive-branch of +these people. + +The war with Eimeo, and the solemn rites which were the consequence of +it, being thus finally closed, all our friends paid us a visit on +the 26th; and, as they knew that we were upon the point of sailing, +brought with them more hogs than we could take off their hands. For, +having no salt left, to preserve any, we wanted no more than for +present use. + +The next day, I accompanied Otoo to Oparre; and, before I left it, I +looked at the cattle and poultry, which I had consigned to my friend's +care at that place. Every thing was in a promising way, and properly +attended to. Two of the geese, and two of the ducks were sitting; but +the pea and turkey hens had not begun to lay. I got from Otoo four +goats; two of which I intended to leave at Ulietea, where none had as +yet been introduced; and the other two I proposed to reserve for the +use of any other islands I might meet with in my passage to the north. + +A circumstance which I shall now mention of Otoo will shew that these +people are capable of much address and art to gain their purposes. +Amongst other things which, at different times, I had given to this +chief, was a spying-glass. After having it in his possession two or +three days, tired of its novelty, and probably finding it of no use to +him, he carried it privately to Captain Clerke, and told him that, as +he had been his very good friend, he had got a present for him which +he knew would be agreeable. "But," says Otoo, "you must not let +_Toote_ know it, because he wants it, and I would not let him have +it." He then put the glass into Captain Clerke's hands; at the same +time assuring him that he came honestly by it. Captain Clerke, at +first, declined accepting it; but Otoo insisted upon it, and left it +with him. Some days after, he put Captain Clerke in mind of the glass, +who, though he did not want it, was yet desirous of obliging Otoo; +and, thinking that a few axes would be of more use at this island, +produced four to give him in return. Otoo no sooner saw this, than he +said, "_Toote_ offered me five for it." "Well," says Captain Clerke, +"if that be the case, your friendship for me shall not make you a +loser, and you shall have six axes." These he accepted; but desired +again, that I might not be told what he had done. + +Our friend Omai got one good thing, at this island, for the many +good things he gave away. This was a very fine double-sailing canoe, +completely equipped, and fit for the sea. Some time before, I had +made up for him a suit of English colours; but he thought these too +valuable to be used at this time; and patched up a parcel of colours, +such as flags and pendants, to the number of ten or a dozen, which +he spread on different parts of his vessel, all at the same time; and +drew together as many people to look at her, as a man of war would, +dressed, in an European port. These streamers of Omai were a mixture +of English, French, Spanish, and Dutch, which were all the European +colours that he had seen. When I was last at this island, I gave to +Otoo an English jack and pendant, and to Towha a pendant, which I now +found they had preserved with the greatest care. + +Omai had also provided himself with a good stock of cloth and +cocoa-nut oil, which are not only in greater plenty, but much better +at Otaheite, than at any of the Society Islands, insomuch that they +are articles of trade. Omai would not have behaved so inconsistently, +and so much unlike himself, as he did in many instances, but for his +sister and brother-in-law, who, together with a few more of their +acquaintance, engrossed him entirely to themselves, with no other +view than to strip him of every thing he had got. And they would, +undoubtedly, have succeeded in their scheme, if I had not put a stop +to it in time, by taking the most useful articles of his property into +my possession. But even this would not have saved Omai from ruin, if +I had suffered these relations of his to have gone with, or to have +followed us to, his intended place of settlement, Huaheine. This they +had intended; but I disappointed their farther views of plunder, by +forbidding them to shew themselves in that island, while I remained in +the neighbourhood; and they knew me too well not to comply. + +On the 28th, Otoo came on board, and informed me that be had got a +canoe, which he desired I would take with me, and carry home, as a +present from him to the _Earee rahie no Pretane_; it being the only +thing, he said, that he could send worth his majesty's acceptance. I +was not a little pleased with Otoo, for this mark of his gratitude. +It was a thought entirely his own, not one of us having given him the +least hint about it; and it shewed, that he fully understood to whom +he was indebted for the most valuable presents that he had received. +At first, I thought that this canoe had been a model of one of their +vessels of war; but I soon found that it was a small _evaa_, about +sixteen feet long. It was double, and seemed to have been built for +the purpose; and was decorated with all those pieces of carved work +which they usually fix upon their canoes. As it was too large for me +to take on board, I could only thank him for his good intention; but +it would have pleased him much better if his present could have been +accepted. + +We were detained here some days longer than I expected, by light +breezes from the west, and calms by turns; so that we could not get +out of the bay. During this time, the ships were crowded with our +friends, and surrounded by a multitude of canoes; for not one would +leave the place till we were gone. At length, at three o'clock in the +afternoon of the 29th, the wind came at east, and we weighed anchor. + +As soon as the ships were under sail, at the request of Otoo, and to +gratify the curiosity of his people, I fired seven guns, loaded with +shot; after which, all our friends, except him, and two or three more, +left us with such marks of affection and grief, as sufficiently shewed +how much they regretted our departure. Otoo being desirous of seeing +the ship sail, I made a stretch out to sea, and then in again; when be +also bid us farewell, and went ashore in his canoe. + +The frequent visits we had lately paid to this island, seem to +have created a full persuasion, that the intercourse will not be +discontinued. It was strictly enjoined to me by Otoo, to request, in +his name, the _Earee rahie no Pretane_ to send him, by the next ships, +red feathers, and the birds that produce them; axes; half a dozen +muskets, with powder and shot; and by no means to forget horses. + +I have occasionally mentioned my receiving considerable presents from +Otoo, and the rest of the family, without specifying what returns I +made. It is customary for these people, when they make a present, to +let us know what they expect in return; and we find it necessary to +gratify them; so that, what we get by way of present, comes dearer +than what we get by barter. But, as we were sometimes pressed by +occasional scarcity, we could have recourse to our friends for a +present, or supply, when we could not get our wants relieved by any +other method; and, therefore, upon the whole, this way of traffic was +full as advantageous to us as to the natives. For the most part, +I paid for each separate article as I received it, except in my +intercourse with Otoo. His presents generally came so fast upon me, +that no account was kept between us. Whatever he asked for, that I +could spare, he had whenever he asked for it; and I always found him +moderate in his demands. + +If I could have prevailed upon Omai to fix himself at Otaheite, +I should not have left it so soon as I did. For there was not a +probability of our being better or cheaper supplied with refreshments +at any other place than we continued to be here, even at the time +of our leaving it. Besides, such a cordial friendship and confidence +subsisted between us and the inhabitants, as could hardly be expected +any where else; and it was a little extraordinary, that this friendly +intercourse had never once been suspended by any untoward accident; +nor had there been a theft committed that deserves to be mentioned. +Not that I believe their morals, in this respect, to be much mended, +but am rather of opinion that their regularity of conduct was owing to +the fear the chiefs were under, of interrupting a traffic which +they might consider as the means of securing to themselves a more +considerable share of our commodities, than could have been got +by plunder or pilfering. Indeed, this point I settled at the first +interview with their chiefs, after my arrival. For, observing the +great plenty that was in the island, and the eagerness of the natives +to possess our various articles of trade, I resolved to make the most +of these two favourable circumstances, and explained myself, in the +most decisive terms, that I would not suffer them to rob us, as they +had done upon many former occasions. In this, Omai was of great use, +as I instructed him to point out to them the good consequences of +their honest conduct, and the fatal mischiefs they must expect to +suffer by deviating from it. + +It is not always in the power of the chiefs to prevent robberies; they +are frequently robbed themselves, and complain of it as a great evil. +Otoo left the most valuable things he had from me in my possession, +till the day before we sailed; and the reason he gave for it was, that +they were no where so safe. Since the bringing in of new riches, the +inducements to pilfering must have increased. The chiefs, sensible of +this, are now extremely desirous of chests. They seemed to set much +value upon a few that the Spaniards had left amongst them; and they +were continually asking us for some. I had one made for Otoo, the +dimensions of which, according to his own directions, were eight feet +in length, five in breadth, and about three in depth. Locks and bolts +were not a sufficient security; but it must be large enough for two +people to sleep upon, by way of guarding it in the night. + +It will appear a little extraordinary that we, who had a smattering of +their language, and Omai, besides, for an interpreter, could never +get any clear account of the time when the Spaniards arrived, how long +they stayed, and when they departed. The more we enquired into this +matter, the more we were convinced of the inability of most of these +people to remember, or note the time, when past events happened; +especially if it exceeded ten or twenty months. It however appeared, +by the date of the inscription upon the cross, and by the information +we received from the most intelligent of the natives, that two ships +arrived at Oheitepeha in 1774, soon after I left Matavai, which was +in May, the same year. They brought with them the house and live-stock +before mentioned. Some said that, after landing these things, and some +men, they sailed in quest of me, and returned in about ten days. But +I have some doubt of the truth of this, as they were never seen either +at Huaheine, or at Ulietea. The live-stock they left here consisted +of one bull, some goats, hogs, and dogs, and the male of some other +animal, which we afterward found to be a ram, and, at this time, was +at Bolabola, whither the bull was also to have been transported. + +The hogs are of a large kind; have already greatly improved the breed +originally found by us upon the island; and, at the time of our late +arrival, were very numerous. Goats are also in tolerable plenty, there +being hardly a chief of any note who has not got some. As to the dogs +that the Spaniards put ashore, which are of two or three sorts, I +think they would have done the island a great deal more service if +they had hanged them all, instead of leaving them upon it. It was to +one of them that my young ram fell a victim. + +When these ships left the island, four Spaniards remained behind. Two +were priests, one a servant, and the fourth made himself very popular +among the natives, who distinguish him by the name of Mateema. He +seems to have been a person who had studied their language; or, at +least, to have spoken it so as to be understood; and to have taken +uncommon pains to impress the minds of the islanders with the most +exalted ideas of the greatness of the Spanish nation, and to make them +think meanly of the English. He even went so far as to assure them, +that we no longer existed as an independent nation; that _Pretane_ +was only a small island, which they, the Spaniards, had entirely +destroyed; and, for me, that they had met with me at sea, and, with a +few shot, had sent my ship, and every soul in her, to the bottom; +so that my visiting Otaheite, at this time, was, of course, very +unexpected. All this, and many other improbable falsehoods, did this +Spaniard make these people believe. If Spain had no other views, in +this expedition, but to depreciate the English, they had better have +kept their ships at home; for my returning again to Otaheite was +considered as a complete confutation of all that Mateema had said. + +With what design the priests stayed, we can only guess. If it was to +convert the natives to the catholic faith, they have not succeeded in +any one instance. But it does not appear that they ever attempted +it; for, if the natives are to be believed, they never conversed with +them, either on this, or on any other subject. The priests resided +constantly in the house at Oheitepeha; but Mateema roved about, +visiting most parts of the island. At length, after he and his +companions had stayed ten months, two ships came to Oheitepeha, took +them on board, and sailed again in five days. This hasty departure +shews that, whatever design the Spaniards might have had upon this +island, they had now laid it aside. And yet, as I was informed by +Otoo, and many others, before they went away, they would have the +natives believe that they still meant to return, and to bring with +them houses, all kinds of animals, and men and women who were to +settle, live, and die on the island. Otoo, when he told me this, +added, that if the Spaniards should return, he would not let them come +to Matavai Fort, which, he said, was ours. It was easy to see that the +idea pleased him; little thinking that the completion of it would, at +once, deprive him of his kingdom, and the people of their liberties. +This shews with what facility a settlement might be made at Otaheite, +which, grateful as I am for repeated good offices, I hope will never +happen. Our occasional visits may, in some respects, have benefitted +its inhabitants; but a permanent establishment amongst them, +conducted as most European establishments amongst Indian nations have +unfortunately been, would, I fear, give them just cause to lament that +our ships had ever found them out. Indeed, it is very unlikely that +any measure of this kind should ever be seriously thought of, as it +can neither serve the purposes of public ambition, nor of private +avarice; and, without such inducements, I may pronounce that it will +never be undertaken.[3] + +[Footnote 3: We may have occasion hereafter to make mention of several +subsequent visits to this island, on the part of our countrymen. It +is evident, that Captain Cook was far from being well pleased with the +consequences which had already resulted to its inhabitants from their +intercourse with Europeans. Unfortunately, it is impracticable to give +a more agreeable picture of the condition of the island as influenced +by future visits. Cook's solicitude, in behalf of these people, is +extremely commendable, and it is to this we must ascribe his opinion +of the impolicy of attempting settlements amongst them. Is it +wonderful, that to a man of his humanity and discernment, any other +effect should seem likely to proceed from the undertaking, than what +would augment his concern that ever Otaheite felt the necessity +of being obliged to his countrymen? One motive alone, perhaps, not +contemplated by him in reasoning on the purposes which might induce to +such an attempt, gave some promise of compensating for former evils, +without being likely to entail others, which would still leave the +balance of good and bad consequences a subject of regret. We allude +to the _intentions_ of the missionaries, who projected a settlement on +the island in 1796, &c. But the friends of humanity have not hitherto +had cause to rejoice at the amount of the new benefits conferred. The +advocates for such labours, indeed, require to arm themselves with +patience, unless they can satisfy themselves with the conviction of +having _willed_ a good work. Besides, even they ought to anticipate +the certainty, that, were their intentions realized, intruders of very +different principles, and with very different motives, would speedily +mar the fruits of their benevolence. Such reflections, it may be said, +are discouraging. What opinion, then, ought we to entertain of the +wisdom of labours, which had been undertaken without a full view of +obvious causes threatening their ultimate failure? It would little +alleviate the mortification of disappointment, to exclaim, as is often +done on such occasions, "Who could have thought it?" But the most +enlightened judges of such undertakings, will not only advert to the +probable occurrence of such mischief, but also be well aware of the +existence of _other untoward circumstances_, extremely well +calculated to render any fears of subsequent deterioration altogether +superfluous!--E.] + +I have already mentioned the visit that I had from one of the two +natives of this island, who had been carried by the Spaniards to +Lima. I never saw him afterward, which I rather wondered at, as I had +received him with uncommon civility. I believe, however, that Omai +had kept him at a distance from me, by some rough usage; jealous that +there should be another traveller upon the island who might vie with +himself. Our touching at Teneriffe was a fortunate circumstance for +Omai; as he prided himself in having visited a place belonging to +Spain as well as this man. I did not meet with the other, who had +returned from Lima; but Captain Clerke, who had seen him, spoke of +him as a low fellow, and as a little out of his senses. His own +countrymen, I found, agreed in the same account of him. In short, +these two adventurers seemed to be held in no esteem. They had +not, indeed, been so fortunate as to return home with such valuable +acquisitions of property as we had bestowed upon Omai; and, with the +advantages he reaped from his voyage to England, it must be his own +fault if he should sink into the same state of insignificance. + + +SECTION V. + +_Arrival at Eimeo.--Two Harbours there, and an Account of them.--Visit +from Maheine, Chief of the Island.--His Person described.--A Goat +stolen, and sent back with the Thief.--Another Goat stolen, and +secreted.--Measures taken on the Occasion.--Expedition cross the +Island.--Houses and Canoes burnt.--The Goat delivered up, and Peace +restored. Some Account of the Island, &c._ + +As I did not give up my design of touching at Eimeo, at day-break, in +the morning of the 30th, after leaving Otaheite, I stood for the north +end of the island; the harbour which I wished to examine being at that +part of it. Omai, in his canoe, having arrived there long before us, +had taken some necessary measures to shew us the place. However, we +were not without pilots, having several men of Otaheite on board, and +not a few women. Not caring to trust entirely to these guides, I sent +two boats to examine the harbour; and, on their making the signal for +safe anchorage, we stood in with the ships, and anchored close up to +the head of the inlet, in ten fathoms water, over a bottom of soft +mud, and moored with a hawser fast to the shore. + +This harbour, which is called Taloo, is situated upon the north side +of the island, in the district of Oboonohoo, or Poonohoo. It runs +in south, or south by east, between the hills, above two miles. For +security and goodness of its bottom, it is not inferior to any harbour +that I have met with at any of the islands in this ocean; and it has +this advantage over most of them, that a ship can sail in and out, +with the reigning trade wind; so that the access and recess are +equally easy. There are several rivulets that fall into it. The one, +at the head, is so considerable as to admit boats to go a quarter of +a mile up, where we found the water perfectly fresh. Its banks are +covered with the _pooroo_ tree, as it is called by the natives, which +makes good firing, and which they set no value upon; so that wood and +water are to be got here with great facility. + +On the same side of the island, and about two miles to the eastward, +is the harbour of Parowroah, much larger within than that of Taloo; +but the entrance, or opening in the reef (for the whole island is +surrounded by a reef of coral rock) is considerably narrower, and lies +to leeward of the harbour. These two defects are so striking, that the +harbour of Taloo must always have a decided preference, It is a little +extraordinary, that I should have been three times at Otaheite before, +and have once sent a boat to Eimeo, and yet not know till now that +there was a harbour in it. On the contrary, I always understood there +was not. Whereas, there are not only the two above mentioned, but one +or two more on the south side of the island. But these last are not so +considerable as the two we have just described. + +We had no sooner anchored, than the ships were crowded with the +inhabitants, whom curiosity alone brought on board; for they had +nothing with them for the purposes of barter. But, the next morning, +this deficiency was supplied; several canoes then arriving from more +distant parts, which brought with them abundance of bread-fruit, +cocoa-nuts, and a few hogs. These they exchanged for hatchets, nails, +and beads; for red feathers were not so much sought after here as at +Otaheite. The ship being a good deal pestered with rats, I hauled her +within thirty yards of the shore, as near as the depth of water would +allow, and made a path for them to get to the land, by fastening +hawsers to the trees. It is said, that this experiment has sometimes +succeeded; but, I believe, we got clear of very few, if any, of the +numerous tribe that haunted us.[1] + +[Footnote 1: A French traveller in Greece, it is believed Sonnini, +makes mention of such an artifice having been used with success by a +vessel that put into one of the islands he visited; but in this case +the transference was made, not into the island, but into another +vessel, containing apples, of which rats are known to be exceedingly +fond. A hawser was secretly fastened to the latter, so as to form a +communication betwixt the two vessels. On the following morning, it is +said, not a rat was found in the one which originally contained them, +the whole having gone over during the night to the other. So much for +the efficacy of the stratagem. The reader will be at no loss to +decide as to the morality of having recourse to it. Mr Bingley relates +another method of getting rid of these vermin, which seems to be +abundantly serviceable, and which certainly has honesty in its favour. +The Valiant man of war, on its return from the Havannah, was so +shockingly infested with them, that they destroyed a hundred weight of +biscuit daily. The ship was smoked between decks in order to suffocate +them, which had the desired effect. In proof of this, he says, +that six hampers were for some time filled every day with the dead +animals.--E.] + +In the morning of the 2d, Maheine, the chief of the island, paid me a +visit. He approached the ship with great caution, and it required +some persuasion to get him on board. Probably, he was under some +apprehensions of mischief from us, as friends of the Otaheitans; these +people not being able to comprehend how we can be friends with +any one, without adopting, at the same time, his cause against his +enemies. Maheine was accompanied by his wife, who, as I was informed, +is sister to Oamo, of Otaheite, of whose death we had an account while +we were at this island. I made presents to both of them of such things +as they seemed to set the highest value upon; and, after a stay of +about half-an-hour, they went away. Not long after, they returned with +a large hog, which they meant as a return to my present; but I made +them another present to the full value of it. After this they paid a +visit to Captain Clerke. + +This chief who, with a few followers, has made himself, in a manner, +independent of Otaheite, is between forty and fifty years old. He is +bald-headed, which is rather an uncommon appearance in these islands +at that age. He wore a kind of turban, and seemed ashamed to shew his +head. But whether they themselves considered this deficiency of hair +as a mark of disgrace, or whether they entertained a notion of our +considering it as such, I cannot say. We judged that the latter +supposition was the truth, from this circumstance, that they had seen +us shave the head of one of their people whom we had caught stealing. +They therefore concluded, that this was the punishment usually +inflicted by us upon all thieves; and one or two of our gentlemen, +whose heads were not overburthened with hair, we could observe, lay +under violent suspicions of being _tetos_. + +In the evening, Omai and I mounted on horseback, and took a ride along +the shore to the eastward. Our train was not very numerous, as Omai +had forbid the natives to follow us; and many complied; the fear +of giving offence getting the better of their curiosity. Towha had +stationed his fleet in this harbour; and though the war lasted but a +few days, the marks of its devastation were every where to be seen. +The trees were stripped of their fruit; and all the houses in the +neighbourhood had been pulled down or burnt. + +Having employed two or three days in getting up all our spirit casks +to tar their heads, which we found necessary, to save them from the +efforts of a small insect to destroy them, we hauled the ship off into +the stream, on the 6th, n the morning, intending to put to sea the +next day; but an accident happened that prevented it, and gave me a +good deal of trouble. We had sent our goats ashore, in the day-time, +to graze, with two men to look after them; notwithstanding which +precaution, the natives had contrived to steal one of them this +evening. The loss of this goat would have been of little consequence, +if it had not interfered with my views of stocking other islands with +these animals; but this being the case, it became necessary to recover +it, if possible. The next morning, we got intelligence that it had +been carried to Maheine, the chief, who was at this time at Parowroah +harbour. Two old men offered to conduct any of my people, whom I might +think proper to send to him, to bring back the goat. Accordingly, +I dispatched them in a boat, charged with a threatening message to +Maheine, if the goat was not immediately given up to me, and also the +thief. + +It was only the day before that this chief had requested me to give +him two goats. But, as I could not spare them, unless at the expense +of other lands that might never have another opportunity to get any, +and had besides heard that there were already two upon this island, +I did not gratify him. However, to shew my inclination to assist his +views in this respect, I desired Tidooa, an Otaheite chief, who was +present, to beg Otoo, in my name, to send two of these animals to +Maheine; and, by way of insuring a compliance with this request, I +sent to Otoo, by this chief a large piece of red feathers, equal +to the value of the two goats that I required. I expected that this +arrangement would have been satisfactory to Maheine and all the other +chiefs of the island; but the event shewed that I was mistaken. + +Not thinking that any one would dare to steal a second, at the very +time I was taking measures to recover the first, the goats were put +ashore again this morning; and, in the evening, a boat was sent to +bring them on board. As our people were getting them into the boat, +one was carried off undiscovered. It being immediately missed, I made +no doubt of recovering it without much trouble, as there had not been +time to carry it to any considerable distance. Ten or twelve of the +natives set out soon after, different ways, to bring it back, or to +look for it; for not one of them would own that it was stolen, but all +tried to persuade us that it had strayed into the woods; and indeed +I thought so myself. I was convinced to the contrary, however, when +I found that not one of those who went in pursuit of it returned; so +that their only view was to amuse me till their prize was beyond my +reach; and night coming on, put a stop to all farther search. About +this time the boat returned with the other goat, bringing also one of +the men who had stolen it; the first instance of the kind that I had +met with amongst these islands. + +The next morning, I found that most of the inhabitants in the +neighbourhood had moved off; carrying with them a corpse which lay on +a _toopapaoo_, opposite the ship; and that Maheine himself had retired +to the most distant part of the island. It seemed now no longer +doubtful, that a plan had been laid to steal what I had refused to +give; and that, though they had restored one, they were resolved to +keep the other, which was a she-goat, and big with kid. I was equally +fixed in my resolution that they should not keep it. I therefore +applied to the two old men who had been instrumental in getting +back the first. They told me that this had been carried to Watea, a +district on the south side of the island, by Hamoa, the chief of that +place; but that if I would send any body for it, it would be delivered +up. They offered to conduct some of my people cross the island; but, +on my learning from them that a boat might go and return the same day, +I sent one, with two petty officers, Mr Roberts and Mr Shuttleworth; +one to remain with the boat, in case she could not get to the place, +while the other should go with the guides, and one or two of our +people. + +Late in the evening the boat returned; and the officers informed me, +that, after proceeding as far in the boat as rocks and shoals would +permit, Mr Shuttleworth, with two marines, and one of the guides, +landed and travelled to Watea, to the house of Hamoa, where the people +of the place amused them for some time, by telling that the goat would +soon be brought, and pretended they had sent for it. It however never +came; and the approach of night obliged Mr Shuttleworth to return to +the boat without it. + +I was now very sorry that I had proceeded so far, as I could not +retreat with any tolerable credit, and without giving encouragement +to the people of the other islands we had yet to visit, to rob us with +impunity. I asked Omai and the two old men what methods I should next +take; and they, without hesitation, advised me to go with a party of +men into the country, and shoot every soul I should meet with. This +bloody counsel I could not follow; but I resolved to march a party of +men cross the island; and at day-break the next morning, set out with +thirty-five of my people, accompanied by one of the old men, by +Omai, and three or four of his attendants. At the same time I ordered +Lieutenant Williamson, with three armed boats, round the western part +of the island, to meet us. + +I had no sooner landed with my party, than the few natives, who still +remained in the neighbourhood, fled before us. The first man that +we met with upon our march run some risk of his life; for Omai, the +moment he saw him, asked me if he should shoot him; so fully was +he persuaded that I was going to carry his advice into execution. I +immediately ordered both him and our guide to make it known that I +did not intend to hurt, much less to kill, a single native. These glad +tidings flew before us like lightning, and stopped the flight of +the inhabitants; so that no one quitted his house, or employment, +afterward. + +As we began to ascend the ridge of hills over which lay our road, we +got intelligence that the goat had been carried that way before us; +and, as we understood, could not as yet have passed the hills; so that +we marched up in great silence, in hopes of surprising the party +who were bearing off the prize. But when we had got to the uppermost +plantation on the side of the ridge, the people there told us, that +what we were in search of had indeed been kept there the first night, +but had been carried the next morning to Watea, by Hamoa. We then +crossed the ridge without making any further enquiry, till we came +within sight of Watea, where some people shewed us Hamoa's house, and +told us that the goat was there; so that I made no doubt of getting it +immediately upon my arrival. But when I reached the house, to my very +great surprise, the few people we met with denied that they had ever +seen it, or knew any thing about it; even Hamoa himself came, and made +the same declaration. + +On our first coming to the place, I observed several men running to +and fro in the woods, with clubs and bundles of darts in their hands; +and Omai, who followed them, had some, stones thrown at him; so that +it seemed as if they had intended to oppose any step I should take by +force; but on seeing my party was too strong, had dropped the design. +I was confirmed in this notion, by observing that all their houses +were empty. After getting a few of the people of the place together, I +desired Omai to expostulate with them on the absurdity of the conduct +they were pursuing; and to tell them, that, from the testimony of many +on whom I could depend, I was well assured that the goat was in their +possession; and, therefore, insisted upon its being delivered up, +otherwise I would burn their houses and canoes. But, notwithstanding +all that I or Omai could say, they continued to deny their having any +knowledge of it. The consequence was, that I set fire to six or eight +houses, which were presently consumed, with two or three war-canoes +that lay contiguous to them. This done, I marched off to join the +boats, which were about seven or eight miles from us; and, in our way, +we burnt six more war-canoes, without any one attempting to oppose us; +on the contrary, many assisted, though probably more out of fear than +good-will. In one place, Omai, who had advanced a little before, came +back with information, that a great many men were getting together to +attack us. We made ready to receive them; but, instead of enemies, we +found petitioners, with plantain-trees in their hands, which they laid +down at my feet, and begged that I would spare a canoe that lay close +by, which I readily complied with. + +At length, about four in the afternoon, we got to the boats that were +waiting at Wharrarade, the district belonging to Tiarataboonoue; but +this chief, as well as all the principal people of the place, had +fled to the hills; though I touched not a single thing that was their +property, as they were the friends of Otoo. After resting ourselves +here about an hour, we set out for the ships, where we arrived about +eight o'clock in the evening. At that time no account of the goat had +been received; so that the operations of this day had not produced the +desired effect. + +Early next morning, I dispatched one of Omai's men to Maheine, with +this peremptory message, that, if he persisted in his refusal, I would +not leave him a single canoe upon the island, and that he might expect +a continuation of hostilities as long as the stolen animal remained +in his possession. And, that the messenger might see that I was in +earnest, before he left me, I sent the carpenter to break up three or +four canoes that lay ashore at the head of the harbour. The plank was +carried on board, as materials for building a house for Omai, at +the place where he intended to settle. I afterward went, properly +accompanied, to the next harbour, where we broke up three or four more +canoes, and burnt an equal number; and then returned on board about +seven in the evening. On my arrival, I found that the goat had been +brought back, about half an hour before; and, on enquiry, it appeared +that it had come from the very place where I had been told, the day +before, by the inhabitants, that they knew nothing of it. But, in +consequence of the message I sent to the chief in the morning, it was +judged prudent to trifle with me no longer. + +Thus ended this troublesome, and rather unfortunate business; which +could not be more regretted on the part of the natives than it was on +mine. And it grieved me to reflect, that, after refusing the pressing +solicitations of my friends at Otaheite to favour their invasion of +this island, I should so soon find myself reduced to the necessity of +engaging in hostilities against its inhabitants, which, perhaps, did +them more mischief than they had suffered from Towha's expedition.[2] + +[Footnote 2: It is impossible not to think that Cook carried his +resentment farther than the necessity of the case required; at least +we may say, that the necessity, besides being in a great degree of +his own creating, did not warrant such extensive aggression. His +confessing his regret and concern must be allowed to prove this, and +at the same time to indicate the tenderness of his moral feelings. It +is one of the wisest precepts of practical wisdom, not to commit one's +self farther in threatenings, or vindictive resolutions, than it will +be quite safe and convenient to carry into effect.--E.] + +The next morning our intercourse with the natives was renewed; and +several canoes brought to the ships bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts to +barter; from whence it was natural for me to draw this conclusion, +that they were conscious it was their own fault if I had treated them +with severity; and that the cause of my displeasure being removed, +they had a full confidence that no further mischief would ensue. + +About nine o'clock, we weighed with a breeze down the harbour; but it +proved so faint and variable, that it was noon before we got out to +sea, when I steered for Huaheine, attended by Omai in his canoe. He +did not depend entirely upon his own judgment, but had got on board a +pilot. I observed that they shaped as direct a course for the island +as I could do. + +At Eimeo, we abundantly supplied the ships with firewood. We had not +taken in any at Otaheite, where the procuring this article would have +been very inconvenient; there not being a tree at Matavai but what +is useful to the inhabitants. We also got here good store of +refreshments, both in hogs and vegetables; that is, bread-fruit and +cocoa-nuts; little else being in season. I do not know that there is +any difference between the produce of this island and of Otaheite; but +there is a very striking difference in their women that I can by no +means account for. Those of Eimeo are of low stature, have a dark +hue, and, in general, forbidding features. If we met with a fine woman +among them, we were sure, upon enquiry, to find that she had come from +some other island. + +The general appearance of Eimeo is very different from that Otaheite. +The latter rising in one steep hilly body, has little low land, except +some deep valleys; and the flat border that surrounds the greatest +part of it toward the sea. Eimeo, on the contrary, has hills running +in different directions, which are very steep and rugged, leaving, in +the interspaces, very large valleys, and gently-rising grounds about +their sides. These hills, though of a rocky disposition, are, in +general, covered, almost to their tops, with trees; but the lower +parts, on the sides, frequently only with fern. At the bottom of the +harbour, where we lay, the ground rises gently to the foot of the +hills, which run across nearly in the middle of the island; but its +flat border, on each side, at a very small distance from the sea, +becomes quite steep. This gives it a romantic cast, which renders it a +prospect superior to any thing we saw at Otaheite. The soil, about +the low grounds, is a yellowish and pretty stiff mould; but, upon the +lower hills, it is blacker and more loose; and the stone that composes +the hills, is, when broken, of a blueish colour, but not very +compact texture, with some particles of _glimmer_ interspersed. These +particles seem worthy of observation. Perhaps the reader will think +differently of my judgment, when I add, that, near the station of our +ships, were two large stones, or rather rocks, concerning which +the natives have some superstitious notions. They consider them as +_eatooas_, or divinities; saying, that they are brother and sister, +and that they came by some supernatural means from Ulieta. + + +SECTION VI. + +_Arrival at Huaheine.--Council of the Chiefs.--Omai's Offerings, and +Speech to the Chiefs.--His Establishment in this Island agreed +to.--A House built, and Garden planted for him.--Singularity of his +Situation.--Measures taken to insure his Safety.--Damage done +by Cock-roaches on board the Ships.--A Thief detected and +punished.--Fire-works exhibited.--Animals left with Omai.--His +Family.--Weapons.--Inscription on his House.--His Behaviour on +the Ships leaving the Island.--Summary View of his Conduct and +Character.--Account of the two New Zealand Youths._ + +Having left Eimeo with a gentle breeze and fine weather, at day-break, +the next morning we saw Huaheine, extending from S.W. by W. 1/2 W., +to W. by N. At noon, we anchored at the north entrance of Owharre +harbour, which is on the west side of the island. The whole afternoon +was spent in warping the ships into a proper birth and mooring. Omai +entered the harbour just before us, in his canoe, but did not land. +Nor did he take much notice of any of his countrymen, though many +crowded to see him; but far more of them came off to the ships, +insomuch that we could hardly work on account of their numbers. Our +passengers presently acquainted them with what we had done at Eimeo, +and multiplied the number of houses and canoes that we had destroyed, +by ten at least. I was not sorry for this exaggerated account, as I +saw that it made a great impression upon all who heard it; so that +I had hopes it would induce the inhabitants of this island to behave +better to us than they had done during my former visits. + +While I was at Otaheite, I had learned that my old friend Oree was no +longer the chief of Huaheine; and that, at this time, he resided +at Ulietea. Indeed, he never had been more than regent during the +minority of Taireetareea, the present _earee rahie_; but he did not +give up the regency till he was forced. His two sons, Opoony and +Towha, were the first who paid me a visit, coming on board before the +ship was well in the harbour, and bringing a present with them. + +Our arrival brought all the principal people of the island to our +ships, on the next morning, being the 13th. This was just what +I wished, as it was high time to think of settling Omai; and the +presence of these chiefs, I guessed, would enable me to do it in the +most satisfactory manner. He now seemed to have an inclination to +establish himself at Ulietea; and if he and I could have agreed about +the mode of bringing that plan to bear, I should have had no objection +to adopt it. His father had been dispossessed by the men of Bolabola, +when they conquered Ulietea, of some land in that island; and I made +no doubt of being able to get it restored to the son in an amicable +manner. For that purpose it was necessary that he should be upon good +terms with those who now were masters of the island; but he was too +great a patriot to listen to any such thing; and was vain enough to +suppose that I would reinstate him in his forfeited lands by force. +This made it impossible to fix him at Ulietea, and pointed out to me +Huaheine as the proper place. I, therefore, resolved to avail myself +of the presence of the chief men of the island, and to make this +proposal to them. + +After the hurry of the morning was over, we got ready to pay a formal +visit to Taireetareea, meaning then to introduce this business. Omai +dressed himself very properly on the occasion, and prepared a handsome +present for the chief himself, and another for his _eatooa_. Indeed, +after he had got clear of the gang that surrounded him at Otaheite, he +behaved with such prudence as to gain respect. Our landing drew most +of our visitors from the ships; and they, as well as those that were +on shore, assembled in a large house. The concourse of people, on this +occasion, was very great; and, amongst them, there appeared to be a +greater proportion of personable men and women than we had ever seen +in one assembly, at any of these new islands. Not only the bulk of +the people seemed, in general, much stouter and fairer than those of +Otaheite, but there was also a much greater number of men who appeared +to be of consequence, in proportion to the extent of the island, most +of whom had exactly the corpulent appearance of the chiefs of Wateeoo. +We waited some time for Taireetareea, as I would do nothing till the +_earee rahie_ came; but, when he appeared, I found that his presence +might have been dispensed with, as he was not above eight or ten years +of age. Omai, who stood at a little distance from this circle of great +men, began with making his offering to the gods, consisting of red +feathers, cloth, &c. Then followed another offering, which was to be +given to the gods by the chief; and after that, several other small +pieces and tufts of red feathers were presented. Each article was laid +before one of the company, who, I understood, was a priest, and +was delivered with a set speech or prayer, spoken by one of Omai's +friends, who sat by him, but mostly dictated by himself. In these +prayers, he did not forget his friends in England, nor those who had +brought him safe back. The _earee rahie no Pretane_, Lord Sandwich, +_Toote_, _Tatee_,[1] were mentioned in every one of them. When Omai's +offerings and prayers were finished, the priest took each article, +in the same order in which it had been laid before him, and after +repeating a prayer, sent it to the _morai_, which, as Omai told us, +was at a great distance, otherwise the offerings would have been made +there. + +[Footnote 1: Cook and Clerke.] + +These religious ceremonies having been performed, Omai sat down by me, +and we entered upon business, by giving the young chief my present, +and receiving his in return; and, all things considered, they were +liberal enough on both sides. Some arrangements were next agreed upon, +as to the manner of carrying on the intercourse betwixt us; and I +pointed out the mischievous consequences that would attend their +robbing us, as they had done during my former visits. Omai's +establishment was then proposed to the assembled chiefs. + +He acquainted them, "that he had been carried by us into our country, +where he was well received by the great king and his _earees_, and +treated with every mark of regard and affection while he staid amongst +us; that he had been brought back again, enriched, by our liberality, +with a variety of articles which would prove very useful to his +countrymen; and that, besides the two horses which were to remain with +him, several other new and valuable animals had been left at Otaheite, +which would soon multiply, and furnish a sufficient number for the +use of all the islands in the neighbourhood. He then signified to them +that it was my earnest request, in return for all my friendly offices, +that they would give him a piece of land to build a house upon, and to +raise provisions for himself and servants; adding, that if this could +not be obtained for him in Huaheine, either by gift or by purchase, I +was determined to carry him to Ulietea, and fix him there." + +Perhaps I have here made a better speech for my friend than he +actually delivered; but these were the topics I dictated to him. I +observed that what he concluded with, about carrying him to Ulietea, +seemed to meet with the approbation of all the chiefs; and I instantly +saw the reason. Omai had, as I have already mentioned, vainly +flattered himself that I meant to use force in restoring him to his +father's lands in Ulietea, and he had talked idly, and without any +authority from me, on this subject, to some of the present assembly, +who dreamed of nothing less than a hostile invasion of Ulietea, and of +being assisted by me to drive the Bolabola men out of that island. It +was of consequence, therefore, that I should undeceive them; and, +in order to this, I signified, in the most peremptory manner, that I +neither would assist them in such an enterprise, nor suffer it to be +put in execution, while I was in their seas; and that, if Omai fixed +himself in Ulietea, he must be introduced as a friend, and not forced +upon the Bolabola men as their conqueror. + +This declaration gave a new turn to the sentiments of the council. One +of the chiefs immediately expressed himself to this effect: "That the +whole island of Huaheine, and every thing in it, were mine; and that, +therefore, I might give what portion of it I pleased to my friend." +Omai, who, like the rest of his countrymen, seldom sees things beyond +the present moment, was greatly pleased to hear this, thinking, no +doubt, that I should be very liberal, and give him enough. But to +offer what it would have been improper to accept, I considered as +offering nothing at all, and, therefore, I now desired that they would +not only assign the particular spot, but also the exact quantity of +land which they would allot for the settlement. Upon this, some chiefs +who had already left the assembly, were sent for; and, after a short +consultation among themselves, my request was granted by general +consent, and the ground immediately pitched upon, adjoining to the +house where our meeting was held. The extent, along the shore of the +harbour, was about two hundred yards; and its depth, to the foot +of the hill, somewhat more; but a proportional part of the hill was +included in the grant. + +This business being settled to the satisfaction of all parties, I set +up a tent ashore, established a post, and erected the observatories. +The carpenters of both ships were also set to work to build a small +house for Omai, in which he might secure the European commodities +that were his property. At the same time, some hands were employed in +making a garden for his use, planting shaddocks, vines, pine-apples, +melons, and the seeds of several other vegetable articles; all of +which I had the satisfaction of observing to be in a flourishing state +before I left the island. + +Omai now began seriously to attend to his own affairs, and repented +heartily of his ill-judged prodigality while at Otaheite. He found at +Huaheine, a brother, a sister, and a brother-in-law; the sister being +married. But these did not plunder him, as he had lately been by his +other relations. I was sorry, however, to discover that, though +they were too honest to do him any injury, they were of too little +consequence in the island to do him any positive good. They had +neither authority nor influence to protect his person, or his +property; and, in that helpless situation, I had reason to apprehend +that he run great risk of being stripped of every thing he had got +from us, as soon as he should cease to have us within his reach, to +enforce the good behaviour of his countrymen, by an immediate appeal +to our irresistible power. + +A man who is richer than his neighbours is sure to be envied, by +numbers who wish to see him brought down to their own level. But +in countries where civilization, law, and religion impose their +restraints, the rich have a reasonable ground of security. And besides +there being, in all such communities, a diffusion of property, no +single individual need fear, that the efforts of all the poorer +sort can ever be united to injure him, exclusively of others who are +equally the objects of envy. It was very different with Omai. He was +to live amongst those who are strangers, in a great measure, to any +other principle of action besides the immediate impulse of their +natural feelings. But, what was his principal danger, he was to be +placed in the very singular situation of being the only rich man in +the community to which he was to belong. And having, by a fortunate +connection with us, got into his possession an accumulated quantity of +a species of treasure which none of his countrymen could create by any +art or industry of their own; while all coveted a share of this envied +wealth, it was natural to apprehend that all would be ready to join in +attempting to strip its sole proprietor. + +To prevent this, if possible, I advised him to make a proper +distribution of some of his moveables to two or three of the principal +chiefs, who, being thus gratified themselves, might be induced to +take him under their patronage, and protect him from the injuries +of others. He promised to follow my advice; and I heard, with +satisfaction, before I sailed, that this very prudent step had been +taken. Not trusting, however, entirely to the operations of gratitude, +I had recourse to the more forcible motive of intimidation. With this +view, I took every opportunity of notifying to the inhabitants, that +it was my intention to return to their island again, after being +absent the usual time; and that, if I did not find Omai in the same +state of security in which I was now to leave him, all those whom, I +should then discover to have been his enemies, might expect to feel +the weight of my resentment. This threatening declaration; will, +probably, have no inconsiderable effect; for our successive visits of +late years have taught these people to believe that our ships are to +return at certain periods; and while they continue to be impressed +with such a notion, which I thought it a fair stratagem to confirm, +Omai has some prospect of being permitted to thrive upon his new +plantation. + +While we lay in this harbour, we carried ashore the bread remaining in +the bread-room, to clear it of vermin. The number of cock-roaches that +infested the ship, at this time, is incredible. The damage they did us +was very considerable; and every method devised by us to destroy them +proved ineffectual. These animals which, at first, were a nuisance, +like all other insects, had now become a real pest, and so +destructive, that few things were free from, their ravages. If food +of any kind was exposed, only for a few minutes, it was covered with +them, and they soon pierced it full of holes, resembling a honey-comb. +They were particularly destructive to birds which had been stuffed and +preserved as curiosities, and what was worse, were uncommonly fond of +ink, so that the writing on the labels fastened to different articles +were quite eaten out; and the only thing that preserved books from +them was the closeness of the binding, which prevented these devourers +getting between the leaves. According to Mr Anderson's observations, +they were of two sorts, the _blatta orientalis_ and _germanica_. +The first of these had been carried home in the ship from her former +voyage, where they withstood the severity of the hard winter in 1776, +though she was in dock all the time. The others had only made their +appearance since our leaving New Zealand, but had increased so fast, +that they now not only did all the mischief mentioned above, but +had even got amongst the rigging, so that when a sail was loosened, +thousands of them fell upon the decks. The orientates, though in +infinite numbers, scarcely came out but in the night, when they made +every thing in the cabins seem as if in motion, from the particular +noise in crawling about. And, besides their disagreeable appearance, +they did great mischief to our bread, which was so bespattered with +their excrement, that it would have been badly relished by delicate +feeders. + +The intercourse of trade and friendly offices was carried on between +us and the natives, without being disturbed by any one accident, till +the evening of the 22d, when a man found means to get into Mr Bayly's +observatory, and to carry off a sextant unobserved. As soon as I was +made acquainted with the theft, I went ashore, and got Omai to apply +to the chiefs to procure restitution. He did so; but they took no +steps toward it, being more attentive to a _heeva_ that was then +acting, till I ordered the performers of the exhibition to desist. +They were now convinced that I was in earnest, and began to make some +enquiry after the thief, who was sitting in the midst of them, quite +unconcerned, insomuch that I was in great doubt of his being the +guilty person, especially as he denied it. Omai, however, assuring me +that he was the man, I sent him on board the ship, and there confined +him. This raised a general ferment amongst the assembled natives; and +the whole body fled in spite of all my endeavours to stop them. Having +employed Omai to examine the prisoner, with some difficulty he was +brought to confess where he had hid the sextant; but, as it was now +dark, we could not find it till day-light the next morning, when it +was brought back unhurt. After this, the natives recovered from their +fright, and began to gather about us as usual. And, as to the thief, +he appearing to be a hardened scoundrel, I punished him more severely +than I had ever done any one culprit before. Besides having his head +and beard shaved, I ordered both his ears to be cut off and then +dismissed him.[2] + +[Footnote 2: We cannot suffer this action to be passed over, without +expressing indignation at the cruelty and injustice that marked it. +Not even the fair reputation of Cook for meekness and humanity ought +to deter any one from affixing the proper term to such conduct. He had +no right to award so severe a treatment, even though he had authority +to take cognizance of the man's former and general character, +which, however, it is impossible, on any satisfactory principle, to +demonstrate. It was both the duty and the interest of Captain Cook to +conform to the established maxims and decisions of the people whom +he visited, which, whatever their own practice had been, would have +proved amply severe, as we have already had occasion to observe; but +no superiority of power on his part, could warrant the introduction of +unrecognized, and to these islanders it is probable, quite unheard-of +modes of punishment. A suspicion, some persons may think a very unfair +one, lurks in the mind of the writer, that the captain had rather +_forgotten himself_ during this voyage, and that presuming, in some +degree, on his established fame and consequence, be exercised a +greater latitude of power than his original caution and sense of +responsibility would have permitted him to hazard, at an earlier +period of his career. Such undoubtedly is human nature, and it can +by no means be interpreted as an unjust aspersion, that Cook was +not exempted from its common infirmities. Captain King, as we shall +afterwards find, makes a remark on his acquired confidence with +respect to the savages, in the latter part of his professional life, +which, though in the most delicate manner imaginable, seems very +readily to fall in with the suspicion now stated. As might have been +expected, the over severe, and, at all events, imprudently managed +punishment, failed to operate beneficially on the poor wretch that +was subjected to it Perhaps it will be discovered to hold universally, +that wherever the appearance of revenge characterizes an act of +retributive justice, a feeling of the same principle hardens the +breast of the culprit, besides influencing the speculative judgments +of those who witness it But it were foolish to expect, that either one +or other will avow the existence of so dangerous a motive. The only +excuse that offers itself in. behalf of Captain Cook's conduct on this +occasion, is stated in what he immediately mentions of the anarchy +existing in this island. But even that is only a palliation in part, +and does not reach to the full amount of the case. Let the reader +judge.--E.] + +This, however, did not deter him from giving us farther trouble; for, +in the night between the 24th and 25th, a general alarm was spread, +occasioned, as was said, by one of our goats being stolen by this +very man. On examination, we found that all was safe in that quarter. +Probably, the goats were so well guarded, that he could not put his +design in execution. But his hostilities had succeeded against another +object, and it appeared that he had destroyed and carried off several +vines and cabbage-plants in Omai's grounds; add he publicly threatened +to kill him, and to burn his house as soon as we should leave the +island. To prevent the fellow's doing me and Omai any more mischief, +I had him seized, and confined again on board the ship, with a view +of carrying him off the island; and it seemed to give general +satisfaction to the chiefs, that I meant thus to dispose of him. He +was from Bolabola; but there were too many of the natives here ready +to assist him in any of his designs, whenever he should think of +executing them. I had always met with more troublesome people in +Huaheine than in any other of the neighbouring islands; and it was +only fear, and the want of opportunities, that induced them to behave +better now. Anarchy, seemed to prevail amongst them. Their nominal +sovereign the _earee rahie_, as I have before observed, was but a +child; and I did not find that there was any one man, or set of +men who managed the government for him; so that, whenever any +misunderstanding happened between us, I never knew, with sufficient +precision, where to make application, in order to bring about an +accommodation, or to procure redress. The young chiefs mother would, +indeed, sometimes exert herself, but I did not perceive that she had +greater authority than many others. + +Omai's house being nearly finished, many of his moveables were carried +ashore on the 26th. Amongst a variety of other useless articles was +a box of toys, which, when exposed to public view, seemed greatly to +please the gazing multitude. But, as to his pots, kettles, dishes, +plates, drinking-mugs, glasses, and the whole train of our domestic +accommodations, hardly any one of his countrymen would so much as look +at them. Omai himself now began to think that they were of no manner +of use to him; that a baked hog was more savoury food than a boiled +one, that a plantain-leaf made as good a dish or plate as pewter, and +that a cocoa-nut shell was as convenient a goblet as a blackjack. And, +therefore, he very wisely disposed of as many of these articles +of English furniture for the kitchen and pantry, as he could find +purchasers for, amongst the people of the ships; receiving from them +in return, hatchets and other iron tools, which had a more intrinsic +value in this part of the world, and added more to his distinguishing +superiority over those with whom he was to pass the remainder of his +days. + +In the long list of the presents bestowed upon him in England, +fire-works had not been forgot. Some of these we exhibited in the +evening of the 28th, before a great concourse of people, who beheld +them with a mixture of pleasure and fear. What remained, after the +evening's entertainment, were put in order, and left with Omai, +agreeably to their original destination. Perhaps we need not lament +it as a serious misfortune, that the far greater share of this part of +his cargo, had been already expended in exhibitions at other islands, +or rendered useless by being kept so long. + +Between midnight and four in the morning of the 30th, the Bolabola +man, whom I had in confinement, found means to make his escape out' of +the ship. He carried with him the shackle of the bilbo-bolt that was +about his leg, which was taken from him, as soon as he got on shore, +by one of the chiefs, and given to Omai, who came on board very early +in the morning, to acquaint me that his mortal enemy was again let +loose upon him. Upon enquiry, it appeared that not only the sentry +placed over the prisoner, but the whole watch upon the quarter-deck +where he was confined, had laid themselves down to sleep. He +seized the opportunity to take the key of the irons out of the +binnacle-drawer, where he had seen it put, and set himself at liberty. +This escape convinced me that my people had been very remiss in their +night duty, which made it necessary to punish those who were now +in fault, and to establish some new regulations to prevent the +like negligence for the future. I was not a little pleased to hear, +afterward, that the fellow who escaped had transported himself to +Ulietea; in this, seconding my views of putting him a second time in +irons.[3] + +[Footnote 3: Might not so spirited a fellow as this, by proper +treatment, have been made a most useful agent? How many talents are +often lost to society, because governments are more necessitated, or +at least more accustomed, to punish transgressions, than willing to +be at the pains of rewarding ability and fostering genius! And yet the +latter process, it might not be difficult to prove, would be much less +expensive than the former.--E.] + +As soon as Omai was settled in his new habitation, I began to think +of leaving the island; and got every thing off from the shore, this +evening, except the horse and mare, and a goat big with kid, which +were left in the possession of our friend, with whom we were now +finally to part. I also gave him a boar and two sows of the English +breed; and he had got a sow or two of his own. The horse covered the +mare while we were at Otaheite; so that I consider the introduction of +a breed of horses into these islands as likely to have succeeded, by +this valuable present. + +The history of Omai will, perhaps, interest a very numerous class of +readers more than any other occurrence of a voyage, the objects +of which do not, in general, promise much entertainment. Every +circumstance, therefore, which may serve to convey a satisfactory +account of the exact situation in which he was left, will be thought +worth preserving; and the following particulars are added, to complete +the view of his domestic establishment. He had picked up at Otaheite +four or five _toutous_; the two New Zealand youths remained with him; +and his brother, and some others, joined him at Huaheine; so that +his family consisted already of eight or ten persons, if that can be +called a family to which not a single female as yet belonged, nor I +doubt was likely to belong, unless its master became less volatile. +At present, Omai did not seem at all disposed to take unto himself a +wife. + +The house which we erected for him was twenty-four feet by eighteen, +and ten feet high. It was composed of boards, the spoils of our +military operations at Eimeo; and, in building it, as few nails as +possible were used, that there might be no inducement, from the love +of iron, to pull it down. It was settled, that, immediately after our +departure, he should begin to build a large house after the fashion of +his country, one end of which was to be brought over that which we had +erected, so as to enclose it entirely for greater security. In this +work, some of the chiefs promised to assist him; and, if the intended +building should cover the ground which he marked out, it will be as +large as most upon the island. + +His European weapons consisted of a musket, bayonet, and cartouch-box, +a fowling-piece, two pair of pistols, and two or three swords or +cutlasses. The possession of these made him quite happy, which was +my only view in giving him such presents. For I was always of opinion +that he would have been happier without fire-arms, and other European +weapons, than with them, as such implements of war, in the hands of +one, whose prudent use of them I had some grounds for mistrusting, +would rather increase his dangers than establish his superiority. +After he had got on shore every thing that belonged to him, and was +settled in his house, he had most of the officers of both ships, two +or three times, to dinner; and his table was always well supplied with +the very best provisions that the island produced. + +Before I sailed, I had the following inscription cut upon the outside +of his house:-- + + _Georgius Tertius, Rex, 2 Novembris, 1777._ + _Naves { Resolution, Jac. Cook, Pr._ + _{ Discovery, Car. Clerke, Pr._ + +On the 2d of November, at four in the afternoon, I took the advantage +of a breeze which then sprung up at E., and sailed out of the harbour. +Most of our friends remained on board till the ships were under sail; +when, to gratify their curiosity, I ordered five guns to be fired. +They then all took their leave, except Omai, who remained till we +were at sea. We had come to sail by a hawser fastened to the shore. In +casting the ship, it parted, being cut by the rocks, and the outer end +was left behind, as those who cast it off did not perceive that it +was broken, so that it became necessary to send a boat to bring it +on board. In this boat, Omai went ashore, after taking a very +affectionate farewell of all the officers. He sustained himself with +a manly resolution till he came to me. Then his utmost efforts to +conceal his tears failed; and Mr King, who went in the boat, told me, +that he wept all the time in going ashore. + +It was no small satisfaction to reflect, that we had brought him safe +back to the very spot from which he was taken. And yet, such is the +strange nature of human affairs, that it is probable we left him in a +less desirable situation than he was in before his connection with +us. I do not by this mean, that because he has tasted the sweets of +civilized life, he must become more miserable from being obliged to +abandon all thoughts of continuing them. I confine myself to this +single disagreeable circumstance, that the advantages he received from +us have placed him in a more hazardous situation, with respect to his +personal safety. Omai, from being much caressed in England, lost sight +of his original condition; and never considered in what manner his +acquisitions, either of knowledge or of riches, would be estimated by +his countrymen at his return, which were the only things he could have +to recommend him to them now, more than before, and on which he could +build either his future greatness or happiness. He seemed even to have +mistaken their genius in this respect, and, in some measure, to have +forgotten their customs, otherwise he must have known the extreme +difficulty there would be in getting himself admitted as a person of +rank, where there is, perhaps, no instance of a man's being raised +from an inferior station by the greatest merit. Rank seems to be the +very foundation of all distinction here, and, of its attendant, power; +and so pertinaciously, or rather blindly adhered to, that, unless a +person has some degree of it, he will certainly be despised and hated, +if he assumes the appearance of exercising any authority. This was +really the case, in some measure, with Omai, though his countrymen +were pretty cautious of expressing their sentiments while we remained +amongst them. Had he made a proper use of the presents he brought +with him from England, this, with the knowledge he had acquired by +travelling so far, might have enabled him to form the most useful +connections. But we have given too many instances, in the course of +our narrative, of his childish inattention to this obvious means of +advancing his interest. His schemes seemed to be of a higher though +ridiculous nature, indeed I might say meaner; for revenge, rather +than a desire of becoming great, appeared to actuate him from the +beginning. This, however, maybe excused, if we consider that it +is common to his countrymen. His father was, doubtless, a man of +considerable property in Ulietea, when that island was conquered by +those of Bolabola, and, with many others, sought refuge in Huaheine, +where he died, and left Omai, with some other children; who, by that +means, became totally dependent. In this situation he was taken up by +Captain Furneaux, and carried to England. Whether he really expected, +from his treatment there, that any assistance would be given him +against the enemies of his father and his country, or whether he +imagined that his own personal courage and superiority of knowledge +would be sufficient to dispossess the conquerors of Ulietea, is +uncertain; but, from the beginning of the voyage, this was his +constant theme. He would not listen to our remonstrances on so wild a +determination, but flew into a passion if more moderate and reasonable +counsels were proposed for his advantage. Nay, so infatuated and +attached to his favourite scheme was he, that he affected to believe +these people would certainly quit the conquered island, as soon as +they should hear of his arrival in Otaheite. As we advanced, however, +on our voyage, he became more sensible of his error; and, by the time +we reached the Friendly Islands, had even such apprehensions of his +reception at home, that, as I have mentioned in my journal, he would +fain have staid behind at Tongataboo, under Feenou's protection. At +these islands, he squandered away much of his European treasure very +unnecessarily; and he was equally imprudent, as I also took notice of +above, at Tiaraboo, where he could have no view of making friends, as +he had not any intention of remaining there. At Matavai, he continued +the same inconsiderate behaviour, till I absolutely put a stop to his +profusion; and he formed such improper connections there, that Otoo, +who was at first much disposed to countenance him, afterward openly +expressed his dislike of him, on account of his conduct. It was not, +however, too late to recover his favour; and he might have settled, to +great advantage, in Otaheite, as he had formerly lived several years +there, and was now a good deal noticed by Towha, whose valuable +present, of a very large double canoe, we have seen above. The +objection to admitting him to some rank would have also been much +lessened, if he had fixed at Otaheite; as a native will always find +it more difficult to accomplish such a change of state amongst his +countrymen, than a stranger who naturally claims respect. But Omai +remained undetermined to the last, and would not, I believe, have +adopted my plan of settlement in Huaheine, if I had not so explicitly +refused to employ force in restoring him to his father's possessions. +Whether the remains of his European wealth, which after all his +improvident waste, was still considerable, will be more prudently +administered by him, or whether the steps I took, as already +explained, to insure him protection in Huaheine, shall have proved +effectual, must be left to the decision of future navigators of this +ocean, with whom it cannot but be a principal object of curiosity to +trace the future fortunes of our traveller. At present, I can only +conjecture that his greatest danger will arise from the very impolitic +declarations of his antipathy to the inhabitants of Bolabola. For +these people, from a principle of jealousy, will, no doubt, endeavour +to render him obnoxious to those of Huaheine; as they are at peace +with that island at present, and may easily effect their designs, many +of them living there. This is a circumstance, which, of all others, he +might the most easily have avoided. For they were not only free from +any aversion to him, but the person mentioned before, whom we found +at Tiaraboo as an ambassador, priest, or god, absolutely offered to +reinstate him in the property that was formerly his father's. But he +refused this peremptorily; and, to the very last, continued determined +to take the first opportunity that offered of satisfying his revenge +in battle. To this, I guess, he was not a little spurred by the coat +of mail he brought from England; clothed in which, and in possession +of some fire-arms, he fancied that he should be invincible. + +Whatever faults belonged to Omai's character, they were more than +overbalanced by his great good-nature and docile disposition. +During the whole time he was with me, I very seldom had reason to +be seriously displeased with his general conduct. His grateful heart +always retained the highest sense of the favours he had received in +England, nor will he ever forget those who honoured him with their +protection and friendship, during his stay there. He had a tolerable +share of understanding, but wanted application and perseverance to +exert it; so that his knowledge of things was very general, and, in +many instances, imperfect. He was not a man of much observation. There +were many useful arts, as well as elegant amusements, amongst the +people of the Friendly Islands, which he might have conveyed to his +own, where they probably would have been readily adopted, as being +so much in their own way. But I never found that he used the least +endeavour to make himself master of any one. This kind of indifference +is indeed the characteristic foible of his nation. Europeans have +visited them at times for these ten years past, yet we could not +discover the slightest trace of any attempt to profit by this +intercourse, nor have they hitherto copied after us in any one thing. +We are not, therefore, to expert that Omai will be able to introduce +many of our arts and customs amongst them, or much improve those to +which they have been long habituated. I am confident, however, that +he will endeavour to bring to perfection the various fruits and +vegetables we planted, which will be no small acquisition. But the +greatest benefit these islands are likely to receive from Omai's +travels, will be in the animals that have been left upon them, which, +probably, they never would have got, had he not come to England. When +these multiply, of which I think there is little doubt, Otaheite and +the Society Islands will equal, if not exceed, any place in the known +word, for provisions. + +Omai's return, and the substantial proofs he brought back with him of +our liberality, encouraged many to offer themselves as volunteers +to attend me to _Pretane_. I took every opportunity of expressing my +determination to reject all such applications. But, notwithstanding +this, Omai, who was very ambitious of remaining the only great +traveller, being afraid lest I might be prevailed upon to put others +in a situation of rivalling him, frequently put me in mind that Lord +Sandwich had told him no others of his countrymen were to come to +England. + +If there had been the most distant probability of any ship being +again sent to New Zealand, I would have brought the two youths of that +country home with me, as both of them were very desirous of continuing +with us. Tiarooa, the eldest, was an exceedingly well-diposed +young man, with strong natural sense, and capable of receiving any +instruction. He seemed to be fully sensible of the inferiority of his +own country to these islands, and resigned himself, though perhaps +with reluctance, to end his days in ease and plenty in Huaheine. But +the other was so strongly attached to us, that he was taken out of the +ship, and carried ashore by force. He was a witty, smart boy; and, on +that account, much noticed on board.[4] + +[Footnote 4: Some particulars respecting the subsequent history of +Omai and the two New Zealanders, are related in the account of Captain +Bligh's voyage in 1788. We ought not to anticipate matter which +properly belongs to another period and subject. It seems right, +however, in the present instance, to set the reader's expectations at +rest, though the doing so be somewhat afflictive to his feelings. +Omai died a natural death about thirty months after Captain Cook's +departure, but not till he had the satisfaction of experiencing +the importance of the arms and ammunition he was master of, in a +successful engagement which his countrymen had with the people of +Ulietea and Bolabola. Peace soon followed, but it does not seem that +his exertions on this occasion procured him any additional possessions +or elevation of rank. From the good character, however, which his +countrymen gave of him, it appeared that he had conducted himself with +such general propriety as gained their applause. The New Zealanders +did not long survive him, but scarcely any satisfactory information of +their history could be obtained.--E.] + + +SECTION VII. + +_Arrival at Ulietea.--Astronomical Observations.--A Marine deserts, +and is delivered up.--Intelligence from Omai.--Instructions to Captain +Clerke.--Another Desertion of a Midshipman and a Seaman.--Three of +the chief Persons of the Island confined on that Account.--A Design to +seize Captains Cook and Clerke, discovered.--The two Deserters brought +back, and the Prisoners released.--The Ships sail.--Refreshments +received at Ulietea.--Present and former State of that +Island.--Account of its dethroned King, and of the late Regent of +Huaheine._ + +The boat which carried Omai ashore, never to join us again, having +returned to the ship, with the remainder of the hawser, we hoisted her +in, and immediately stood over for Ulietea, where I intended to touch +next. At ten o'clock at night, we brought-to, till four the next +morning, when we made sail round the south end of the island, for the +harbour of Ohamaneno. We met with calms and light airs of wind, from +different directions, by turns; so that, at noon, we were still a +league from the entrance of the harbour. While we were thus detained, +my old friend Oreo, chief of the island, with his son and Pootoe, his +son-in-law, came off to visit us. + +Being resolved to push for the harbour, I ordered all the boats to be +hoisted out, and sent them a-head to tow, being assisted by a slight +breeze from the southward. This breeze failed too soon, and being +succeeded by one from the E., which blew right out of the harbour, we +were obliged to come to an anchor at its entrance at two o'clock, and +to warp in, which employed us till night set in. As soon as we were +within the harbour, the ships were surrounded with canoes filled +with people, who brought hogs and fruit to barter with us for our +commodities, so that wherever we went we found plenty. + +Next morning, being the 4th, I moored the ship head and stern close to +the north shore, at the head of the harbour; hauled up the cables on +deck, and opened one of the ballast-ports. From this a slight stage +was made to the land, being at the distance of about twenty feet, with +a view to get clear of some of the rats that continued to infest us. +The Discovery moored alongside the south shore for the same purpose. +While this work was going forward, I returned Oreo's visit. The +present I made him on the occasion, consisted of a linen gown, a +shirt, a red-feathered cap from Tongataboo, and other things of less +value. I then brought him and some of his friends on board to dinner. + +On the 6th, we set up the observatories, and got the necessary +instruments on shore. The two following days we observed the sun's +azimuths, both on board and ashore, with all the compasses, in order +to find the variation; and in the night of the latter, observed an +occultation of _Sigma Capricorni_, by the moon's dark limb. Mr Bayly and +I agreed in fixing the time of its happening, at six minutes and +fifty-four seconds and a half past ten o'clock. Mr King made it half +a second sooner. Mr Bayly observed with the achromatic telescope +belonging to the board of longitude; Mr King, with the reflector +belonging also to the board; and I made use of my own reflector of +eighteen inches. There was also an immersion of _Pi Capricorni_ behind +the moon's dark limb, some time before, but it was observed by Mr +Bayly alone. I attempted to trace it with a small achromatic, but +found its magnifying power not sufficient. + +Nothing worthy of note happened till the night between the 12th +and 13th, when John Harrison, a marine, who was sentinel at the +observatory, deserted, carrying with him his musket and accoutrements. +Having in the morning got intelligence which way he had moved off, a +party was sent after him; but they returned in the evening, after an +ineffectual enquiry and search. The next day I applied to the chief +to interest himself in this matter. He promised to send a party of his +men after him, and gave me hopes that he should be brought back the +same day. But this did not happen; and I had reason to suspect that no +steps had been taken by him. We had at this time a great number of +the natives about the ships, and some thefts were committed; the +consequence of which being dreaded by them, very few visitors came +near us the next morning. The chief himself joined in the alarm, and +he and his whole family fled. I thought this a good opportunity to +oblige them to deliver up the deserter; and having got intelligence +that he was at a place called Hamoa, on the other side of the island, +I went thither with two armed boats, accompanied by one of the +natives; and, in our way, we found the chief, who also embarked +with me. I landed about a mile and a half from the place, with a +few people, and marched briskly up to it, lest the sight of the +boat should give the alarm, and allow the man time to escape to the +mountains. But this precaution was unnecessary, for the natives there +had got information of my coming, and were prepared to deliver him up. + +I found Harrison, with the musket lying before him, sitting between +two women, who, the moment that I entered the house, rose up to plead +in his behalf. As it was highly proper to discourage such proceedings, +I frowned upon them, and bid them begone. Upon this they burst into +tears, and walked off. Paha, the chief of the district, now came with +a plantain tree, and a sucking pig, which he would have presented +to me as a peace-offering. I rejected it, and ordered him out of my +sight; and having embarked with the deserter on board the first boat +that arrived, returned to the ships. After this, harmony was again +restored. The fellow had nothing to say in his defence, but that the +natives had enticed him away; and this might in part be true, as it +was certain that Paha, and also the two women above-mentioned, had +been at the ship the day before he deserted. As it appeared that he +remained upon his post till within a few minutes of the time when he +was to have been relieved, the punishment that I inflicted upon him +was not very severe. + +Though we had separated from Omai, we were still near enough to have +intelligence of his proceedings; and I had desired to hear from him. +Accordingly, about a fortnight after our arrival at Ulietea, he +sent two of his people in a canoe, who brought me the satisfactory +intelligence that he remained undisturbed by the people of the island, +and that every thing went well with him, except that his goat had died +in kidding. He accompanied this intelligence with a request, that I +would send him another goat and two axes. Being happy to have this +additional opportunity of serving him, the messengers were sent back +to Huaheine on the 18th, with the axes and two kids, male and female, +which were spared for him out of the Discovery. + +The next day I delivered to Captain Clerke instructions how to proceed +in case of being separated from me, after leaving these islands; and +it may not be improper to give them a place here. + + +_By Captain James Cook, Commander of his Majesty's Sloop the +Resolution._ + +"Whereas the passage from the Society Islands to the northern coast of +America, is of considerable length, both in distance and in time, and +as a part of it must be performed in the very depth of winter, when +gales of wind and bad weather must be expected, and may possibly +occasion a separation, you are to take all imaginable care to prevent +this. But if, notwithstanding all our endeavours to keep company, you +should be separated from me, you are first to look for me where +you last saw me. Not seeing me in five days, you are to proceed (as +directed by the instructions of their lordships, a copy of which you +have already received) for the coast of New Albion; endeavouring to +fall in with it in the latitude of 45°. + +"In that latitude, and at a convenient distance from the land, you are +to cruize for me ten days. Not seeing me in that time, you are to put +into the first convenient port in or to the north of that latitude, to +recruit your wood and water, and to procure refreshments. + +"During your stay in port, you are constantly to keep a good look-out +for me. It will be necessary, therefore, to make choice of a station, +situated as near the sea-coast as is possible, the better to enable +you to see me when I shall appear in the offing. + +"If I do not join you before the 1st of next April, you are to put to +sea, and proceed northward to the latitude 56°; in which latitude, +and at a convenient distance from the coast, never exceeding fifteen +leagues, you are to cruize for me till the 10th of May. + +"Not seeing me in that time, you are to proceed northward, and +endeavour to find a passage into the Atlantic Ocean, through Hudson's +or Baffin's Bays, as directed by the above-mentioned instructions. + +"But if you should fail in finding a passage through either of the +said bays, or by any other way, as the season of the year may render +it unsafe for you to remain in high latitudes, you are to repair +to the harbour of St Peter and St Paul, in Kamtschatka, in order to +refresh your people, and to pass the winter. + +"But, nevertheless, if you find that you cannot procure the necessary +refreshments at the said port, you are at liberty to go where you +shall judge most proper; taking care, before you depart, to leave with +the governor an account of your intended destination, to be delivered +to me upon my arrival; and in the spring of the ensuing year, 1779, +you are to repair back to the above-mentioned port, endeavouring to be +there by the 10th of May, or sooner. + +"If, on your arrival, you receive no orders from, or account of me, so +as to justify your pursuing any other measures than what are pointed +out in the before-mentioned instructions, your future proceedings are +to be governed by them. + +"You are also to comply with such parts of said instructions as have +not been executed, and are not contrary to these orders. And in +case of your inability, by sickness or otherwise, to carry these, +and the instructions of their lordships into execution, you are to be +careful to leave them with the next officer in command, who is hereby +required to execute them in the best manner he can. + +"Given under my hand, on board the Resolution, at Ulietea, the 18th +day of November 1777. + +"J. COOK. + + + "To Captain Charles Clerke, Commander of his Majesty's Sloop + the Discovery," + +While we lay moored to the shore we heeled and scrubbed both sides of +the bottoms of the ships. At the same time we fixed some tin-plates +under the binds, first taking off the old sheathing, and putting in a +piece unfilled, over which the plates were nailed. These plates I +had from the ingenious Mr Pelham, secretary to the commissioners for +victualling his majesty's navy, with a view of trying whether tin +would answer the same end as copper on the bottoms of ships. + +On the 24th, in the morning, I was informed that a midshipman and a +seaman, both belonging to the Discovery, were missing. Soon after we +learnt from the natives, that they went away in a canoe the preceding +evening, and were, at this time, at the other end of the island. As +the midshipman was known to have expressed a desire to remain at these +islands, it seemed pretty certain that he and his companion had gone +off with this intention; and Captain Clerke set out in quest of them +with two armed boats and a party of marines. His expedition proved +fruitless, for he returned in the evening, without having got any +certain intelligence where they were. From the conduct of the natives, +Captain Clerke seemed to think that they intended to conceal the +deserters; and, with that view, had amused him with false information +the whole day, and directed him to search for them in places where +they were not to be found. The Captain judged right; for the next +morning we were told that our runaways were at Otaha. As these two +were not the only persons in the ships who wished to end their days +at these favourite islands, in order to put a stop to any further +desertion, it was necessary to get them back at all events; and, that +the natives might be convinced that I was in earnest, I resolved to go +after them myself; having observed, from repeated instances, that they +seldom offered to deceive me with false information. + +Accordingly, I set out the next morning with two armed boats, being +accompanied by the chief himself. I proceeded as he directed, without +stopping any where, till we came to the middle of the east side of +Otaha. There we put ashore, and Oreo dispatched a man before us, with +orders to seize the deserters, and keep them till we should arrive +with the boats. But when we got to the place where we expected to find +them, we were told that they had quitted this island, and gone over +to Bolabola the day before. I did not think proper to follow them +thither, but returned to the ships, fully determined, however, to have +recourse to a measure which, I guessed, would oblige the natives to +bring them back. + +In the night, Mr Bayly, Mr King, and myself, observed an immersion of +Jupiter's third satellite. It happened, by the observation of + + Mr Bayly, at 2^h 37^m 54^s } + Mr King, at 2 37 24 } in the morning. + Myself, at 2 37 44 } + +Mr Bayly and Mr King observed with Dolland's three-and-a-half inch +achromatic telescope, and with the greatest magnifying power. I +observed with a two-feet Gregorian reflector, made by Bird. + +Soon after day-break, the chief, his son, daughter, and son-in-law, +came on board the Resolution. The three last I resolved to detain +till the two deserters should be brought back. With this view, Captain +Clerke invited them to go on board his ship; and, as soon as they +arrived there, confined them in his cabin. The chief was with me when +the news reached him. He immediately acquainted me with it, supposing +that this step had been taken without my knowledge, and, consequently, +without my approbation. I instantly undeceived him; and then he began +to have apprehensions as to his own situation, and his looks expressed +the utmost perturbation of mind. But I soon made him easy as to this; +by telling him, that he was at liberty to leave the ship whenever he +pleased, and to take such measures as he should judge best calculated +to get our two men back; that, if he succeeded, his friends on board +the Discovery should be delivered up, if not, that I was determined +to carry them away with me. I added, that his own conduct, as well +as that of many of his men, in not only assisting these two men to +escape, but in being, even at this very time, assiduous in enticing +others to follow them, would justify any step I could take to put a +stop to such proceedings. + +This explanation of the motives upon which I acted, and which we found +means to make Oreo and his people, who were present, fully comprehend, +seemed to recover them, in a great measure, from that general +consternation into which they were at first thrown. But, if relieved +from apprehensions about their own safety, they continued under the +deepest concern for those who were prisoners. Many of them went under +the Discovery's stern in canoes, to bewail their captivity, which they +did with long and loud exclamations. _Poedooa!_ for so the chief's +daughter was called, resounded from every quarter; and the women +seemed to vie with each other in mourning her fate with more +significant expressions of their grief than tears and cries, for there +were many bloody heads upon the occasion. + +Oreo himself did not give way to unavailing lamentations, but +instantly began his exertions to recover our deserters, by dispatching +a canoe to Bolabola, with a message to Opoony, the sovereign of that +island, acquainting him with what had happened, and requesting him to +seize the two fugitives, and send them back. The messenger, who was no +less a man than the father of Pootoe, Oreo's son-in-law, before he set +out came to receive my commands. I strictly enjoined him not to return +without the deserters, and to tell Opoony, from me, that, if they had +left Bolabola, he must send canoes to bring them back, for I suspected +that they would not long remain in one place. + +The consequence, however, of the prisoners was so great, that the +natives did not think proper to trust to the return of our people for +their release; or, at least, their impatience was so great, that it +hurried them to meditate an attempt which might have involved them in +still greater distress, had it not been fortunately prevented. Between +five and six o'clock in the evening, I observed that all their canoes +in and about the harbour began to move off, as if some sudden panic +had seized them. I was ashore, abreast of the ship at the time, and +enquired in vain to find out the cause, till our people called to +as from the Discovery, and told us, that a party of the natives had +seized Captain Clerke and Mr Gore, who had walked out a little way +from the ships. Struck with the boldness of this plan of retaliation, +which seemed to counteract me so effectually in my own way, there was +no time to deliberate. I instantly ordered the people to arm; and in +less than five minutes, a strong party, under the command of Mr King, +was sent to rescue our two gentlemen. At the same time, two armed +boats, and a party under Mr Williamson, went after the flying canoes, +to cut off their retreat to the shore. These several detachments +were hardly out of sight, before an account arrived that we had been +misinformed, upon which I sent and called them all in. + +It was evident, however, from several corroborating circumstances, +that the design of seizing Captain Clerke had really been in agitation +amongst the natives. Nay, they made no secret in speaking of it the +next day. But their first and great plan of operations was to have +laid hold of me. It was my custom, every evening, to bathe in the +fresh water. Very often I went alone, and always without arms. +Expecting me to go as usual this evening, they had determined to seize +me, and Captain Clerke too, if he had accompanied me. But I had, after +confining Oreo's family, thought it prudent to avoid putting myself in +their power; and had cautioned Captain Clerke and the officers not to +go far from the ships. In the course of the afternoon the chief asked +me three several times, if I would not go to the bathing-place; and +when he found, at last, that I could not be prevailed upon, he went +off with the rest of his people, in spite of all that I could do or +say to stop him. But as I had no suspicion, at this time, of their +design, I imagined that some sudden fright had seized them, which +would, as usual, soon be over. Finding themselves disappointed as to +me, they fixed on those who were more in their power. It was fortunate +for all parties that they did not succeed, and not less fortunate +that no mischief was done on the occasion; for not a musket was fired, +except two or three to stop the canoes. To that firing, perhaps, +Messrs Clerke and Gore owed their safety;[1] for, at that very +instant, a party of the natives, armed with clubs, were advancing +toward them, and, on hearing the report of the muskets, they +dispersed. + +[Footnote 1: Perhaps they owed their safety principally to Captain +Clerke's walking with a pistol in his hand, which he once fired. +This circumstance is omitted both in Captain Cook's and Mr Andersen's +journal, but it is here mentioned on the authority of Captain +King.--D.] + +This conspiracy, as it may be called, was first discovered by a girl, +whom one of the officers had brought from Huaheine. She, overhearing +some of the Ulieteans say, that they would seize Captain Clerke and Mr +Gore, ran to acquaint the first of our people that she met with. Those +who were charged with the execution of the design threatened to kill +her as soon as we should leave the island, for disappointing them. +Being aware of this, we contrived that her friends should come, some +days after, and take her out of the ship, to convey her to a place +of safety, where she might lie concealed till they should have an +opportunity of sending her back to Huaheine. + +On the 27th, our observatories were taken down, and every thing we had +ashore carried on board; the moorings of the ships were cast off, and +we transported them a little way down the harbour, where they came to +an anchor again. Toward the afternoon the natives began to shake off +their fears, gathering round and on board the ships as usual, and the +awkward transactions of the day before seemed to be forgotten on both +sides. + +The following night the wind blew in hard squalls from S. to E. +attended with heavy showers of rain. In one of the squalls, the cable +by which the Resolution was riding, parted just without the hawse. +We had another anchor ready to let go, so that the ship was presently +brought up again. In the afternoon the wind became moderate, and we +hooked the end of the best small bower-cable, and got it again into +the hawse. + +Oreo, the chief, being uneasy, as well as myself, that no account had +been received from Bolabola, set out this evening for that island, +and desired me to follow him the next day with the ships. This was my +intention, but the wind would not admit of our getting to sea. But +the same wind which kept us in the harbour, brought Oreo back from +Bolabola, with the two deserters. They had reached Otaha the same +night they deserted; but, finding it impossible to get to any of the +islands to the eastward (which was their intention) for want of wind, +they had proceeded to Bolabola, and from thence to the small island +Toobaee, where they were taken by the father of Pootoe, in consequence +of the first message sent to Opoony. As soon as they were on board, +the three prisoners were released. Thus ended an affair which had +given me much trouble and vexation. Nor would I have exerted myself so +resolutely on the occasion, but for the reasons before mentioned, and +to save the son of a brother officer from being lost to his country. + +The wind continued constantly between the N. and W. and confined us in +the harbour till eight o'clock in the morning of the 7th of December, +when we took the advantage of a light breeze which then sprung up at +N.E., and, with the assistance of all the boats, got out to sea, with +the Discovery in company. + +During the last week we had been visited by people from all parts +of the island, who furnished us with a large stock of hogs and green +plantains. So that the time we lay wind-bound in the harbour was +not entirely lost; green plantains being an excellent substitute for +bread, as they will keep good a fortnight or three weeks. Besides this +supply of provisions, we also completed our wood and water. + +The inhabitants of Ulietea seemed, in general, smaller and blacker +than those of the other neighbouring islands, and appeared also less +orderly, which, perhaps, may be considered as the consequence of their +having become subject to the natives of Bolabola. Oreo, their chief, +is only a sort of deputy of the sovereign of that island; and the +conquest seems to have lessened the number of subordinate chiefs +resident among them; so that they are less immediately under the +inspection of those whose interest it is to enforce due obedience to +authority. Ulietea, though now reduced to this humiliating state, +was formerly, as we were told, the most eminent of this cluster of +islands, and, probably, the first seat of government; for, they say, +that the present royal family of Otaheite is descended from that which +reigned here before the late revolution. Ooroo, the dethroned monarch +of Ulietea, was still alive when we were at Huaheine, where he +resides, a royal wanderer, furnishing, in his person, an instance of +the instability of power; but, what is more remarkable, of the respect +paid by these people to particular families, and to the customs which +have once conferred sovereignty; for they suffer Ooroo to preserve all +the ensigns which they appropriate to majesty, though he has lost his +dominions. + +We saw a similar instance of this while we were at Ulietea. One of the +occasional visitors I now had was my old friend Oree, the late chief +of Huaheine. He still preserved his consequence; came always at the +head of a numerous body of attendants, and was always provided with +such presents as were very acceptable. This chief looked much better +now than I had ever seen him during either of my former voyages. I +could account for his improving in health as he grew older, only +from his drinking less copiously of _ava_ in his present station as +a private gentleman, than he had been accustomed to do when he was +regent.[2] + +[Footnote 2: Captain Cook had seen Oree in 1769, when he commanded the +Endeavour; also twice during his second voyage in 1772.--D.] + + +SECTION VIII. + +_Arrival at Bolabola.--Interview with Opoony.--Reasons for purchasing +Monsieur de Bougainville's Anchor.--Departure from the Society +Islands.--Particulars about Bolabola.--History of the Conquest of +Otaha and Ulieta.--High Reputation of the Bolabola Men.--Animals left +there and at Ulietea.--Plentiful Supply of Provisions, and Manner of +salting Pork on Board.--Various Reflections relative to Otaheite and +the Society Islands.--Astronomical and Nautical Observations made +there._ + +As soon as we had got clear of the harbour, we took our leave of +Ulietea, and steered for Bolabola. The chief, if not sole object I +had in view by visiting that island was, to procure from its monarch, +Opoony, one of the anchors which Monsieur de Bougainville had lost at +Otaheite. This having afterwards been taken up by the natives there, +had, as they informed me, been sent by them as a present to that +chief. My desire to get possession of it did not arise, from our being +in want of anchors; but having expended all the hatchets, and +other iron tools which we had brought from England, in purchasing +refreshments, we were now reduced to the necessity of creating a fresh +assortment of trading articles, by fabricating them out of the spare +iron we had on board; and in such conversions, and in the occasional +uses of the ships, great part of that had been already expended. I +thought that M. de Bougainville's anchor would supply our want of this +useful material; and I made no doubt that I should be able to tempt +Opoony to part with it. + +Oreo, and six or eight men more from Ulietea, took a passage with us +to Bolabola. Indeed most of the natives in general, except the chief +himself, would have gladly taken a passage with us to England. At +sunset, being the length of the south point of Bolabola, we shortened +sail, and spent the night making short boards. At day-break, on the +8th, we made sail for the harbour, which is on the west side of the +island. The wind was scant, so that we had to ply up, and it was nine +o'clock before we got near enough to send away a boat to sound the +entrance, for I had thoughts of running the ships in, and anchoring +for a day or two. + +When the boat returned, the master, who was in her, reported, that +though at the entrance of the harbour the bottom was rocky, there +was good ground within, and the depth of water twenty-seven and +twenty-five fathoms; and that there was room to turn the ships in, +the channel being one-third of a mile broad. In consequence of this +report, we attempted to work the ships in. But the tide, as well as +the wind, being against us, after making two or three trips, I found +that it could not be done till the tide should turn in our favour. +Upon this I gave up the design of carrying the ships into the harbour; +and having ordered the boats to be got ready, I embarked in one of +them, accompanied by Oreo and his companions, and was rowed in for the +island. + +We landed where the natives directed us, and soon after I was +introduced to Opoony, in the midst of a great concourse of people. +Having no time to lose, as soon as the necessary formality of +compliments was over, I asked the chief to give me the anchor, and +produced the present I had prepared for him, consisting of a linen +night-gown, a shirt, some gauze handkerchiefs, a looking-glass, some +beads and other toys, and six axes. At the sight of these last there +was a general outcry. I could only guess the cause, by Opoony's +absolutely refusing to receive my present till I should get the +anchor. He ordered three men to go and deliver it to me; and, as I +understood, I was to send by them what I thought proper in return. +With these messengers we set out in our boat for an island, lying at +the north side of the entrance into the harbour, where the anchor had +been deposited. I found it to be neither so large nor so perfect as I +expected. It had originally weighed seven hundred pounds, according +to the mark that was upon it; but the ring, with part of the shank and +two palms, were now wanting. I was no longer at a loss to guess the +reason of Opoony's refusing my present. He doubtless thought that it +so much exceeded the value of the anchor in its present state, that +I should be displeased when I saw it. Be this as it may, I took the +anchor as I found it, and sent him every article of the present that I +at first intended. Having thus completed my negociation, I returned on +board, and having hoisted in the boats, made sail from the island to +the north.[1] + +[Footnote 1: Here again is a trait of genuine nobility, sufficient, we +have no doubt, to reinstate our commander in the good graces of every +reader. On the other hand, there is something so truly honest on +the part of Opoony and his people in declining the acceptance of the +present, till Cook had seen the article he was bargaining for, that +we cannot help giving them high credit for moral attainments. How +forcibly does such a conduct prove the existence of a sense of the +law, which says, "Do to others, as you would that others should do to +you." It is curious, that some authors have maintained, that no such +law is recognised among mankind till they are made acquainted with +divine revelation. But these persons have confounded together two +things, which are quite distinct,--a sense of the obligation of such a +law, and a disposition and power to obey it. The former may exist, and +indeed more generally does exist, without the latter. But we see, by +the present example, that both may operate, where, according to this +opinion, no such thing as either could be found. Here, however, +we would not take it upon us to affirm any thing in respect of +the motives which influenced the obedience. In so far as our +fellow-creatures alone are concerned, it is barely and simply our +actions which ought to be considered. It is the prerogative of +a higher tribunal to judge of the heart and the principles it +contains.--E.] + +While the boats were hoisting in, some of the natives came off in +three or four canoes to see the ships, as they said. They brought with +them a few cocoa-nuts and one pig, which was the only one we got at +the island. I make no doubt, however, that if we had staid till the +next day, we should have been plentifully supplied with provisions; +and I think the natives would feel themselves disappointed when they +found that we were gone. But as we had already a very good stock, both +of hogs and of fruit on board, and very little of any thing left to +purchase more, I could have no inducement to defer any longer the +prosecution of our voyage. + +The harbour of Bolabola, called Oteavanooa, situated on the west side +of the island, is one of the most capacious that I ever met with; and +though we did not enter it, it was a satisfaction to me that I had +an opportunity of employing my people to ascertain its being a very +proper place for the reception of ships. + +The high double-peaked mountain, which is in the middle of the island, +appeared to be barren on the east side; but on the west side, has +trees or bushes on its most craggy parts. The lower grounds, all round +toward the sea, are covered with cocoa-palms and bread-fruit trees, +like the other islands of this ocean; and the many little islets that +surrounded it on the inside of the reef, add both to the amount of its +vegetable productions and to the number of its inhabitants. + +But still, when we consider its very small extent, being not more +than eight leagues in compass, it is rather remarkable that its people +should have attempted, or have been able to atchieve the conquest of +Ulietea and Otaha, the former of which islands is, of itself, at least +double its size. In each of my three voyages, we had heard much of the +war that produced this great revolution. The result of our enquiries, +as to the circumstances attending it, may amuse the reader; and I give +it as a specimen of the history of our friends, in this part of the +world, as related to us by themselves.[2] + +[Footnote 2: For this, as for many other particulars about these +people, we are indebted to Mr Anderson.--D.] + +Ulietea, and Otaha which adjoins it, lived long in friendship, or, as +the natives express it, were considered as two brothers, inseparable +by any interested views. They also admitted the island of Huaheine as +their friend, though not so intimate. Otaha, however, like a traitor, +leagued with Bolabola, and they resolved jointly to attack Ulietea; +whose people called in their friends of Huaheine to assist them +against these two powers. The men of Bolabola were encouraged by a +priestess, or rather prophetess, who foretold that they should be +successful; and, as a proof of the certainty of her prediction, she +desired, that a man might be sent to the sea, at a particular place, +where, from a great depth, a stone would ascend. He went, accordingly, +in a canoe to the place mentioned; and was going to dive to see +where this stone lay, when, behold, it started up to the surface +spontaneously into his hand! The people were astonished at the sight: +The stone was deposited as sacred in the house of the _Eatooa_; and is +still preserved at Bolabola, as a proof of this woman's influence +with the divinity. Their spirits being thus elevated with the hopes of +victory, the canoes of Bolabola set out to engage those of Ulietea +and Huaheine, which being strongly fastened together with ropes, +the encounter lasted long, and would probably, notwithstanding +the prediction and the miracle, have ended in the overthrow of the +Bolabola fleet, if that of Otaha had not, in the critical moment, +arrived. This turned the fortune of the day, and their enemies were +defeated with great slaughter. The men of Bolabola, prosecuting their +victory, invaded Huaheine two days after, which they knew must be +weakly defended, as most of its warriors were absent. Accordingly, +they made themselves masters of that island. But many of its fugitives +having got to Otaheite, there told their lamentable story; which so +grieved those of their countrymen, and of Ulietea, whom, they met with +in that island, that they obtained some assistance from them. They +were equipped with only ten fighting canoes; but, though their force +was so inconsiderable, they conducted the expedition with so much +prudence, that they landed at Huaheine at night, when dark, and, +falling upon the Bolabola men by surprise, killed many of them, +forcing the rest to fly. So that, by this means, they got possession +of their island again, which now remains independent, under the +government of its own chiefs. Immediately after the defeat of the +united fleets of Ulietea and Huaheine, a proposal was made to the +Bolabola men by their allies of Otaha, to be admitted to an equal +share of the conquests. The refusal of this broke the alliance; and +in the course of the war, Otaha itself, as well as Ulietea, was +conquered; and both now remain subject to Bolabola; the chiefs who +govern them being only deputies of Opoony, the sovereign of that +island. In the reduction of the two islands, five battles were fought +at different places, in which great numbers were slain on both sides. + +Such was the account we received. I have more than once remarked, +how very imperfectly these people recollect the exact dates of past +events. And with regard to this war, though it happened not many +years ago, we could only guess at the time of its commencement and +its conclusion, from collateral circumstances, furnished by our own +observation, as the natives could not satisfy our enquiries with any +precision. The final conquest of Ulietea, which closed the war, we +know had been made before I was there in the Endeavour, in 1769; but +we may infer, that peace had not been very long restored, as we could +then see marks of recent hostilities having been committed upon that +island. Some additional light may be thrown upon this enquiry, by +attending to the age of Teereetareea, the present chief of Huaheine. +His looks shewed that he was not above ten or twelve years old; and we +were informed that his father had been killed in one of the battles. +As to the time when the war began, we had no better rule for judging +than this, that the young people of about twenty years of age, of whom +we made enquiries, could scarcely remember the first battles; and +I have already mentioned, that Omai's countrymen, whom we found +at Wateoo, knew nothing of this war; so that its commencement was +subsequent to their voyage. + +Ever since the conquest of Ulietea and Otaha, the Bolabola men have +been considered by their neighbours as invincible; and such is the +extent of their fame, that even at Otaheite, which is almost out of +their reach, if they are not dreaded, they are, at least, respected +for their valour. It is said that they never fly in battle, and that +they always beat an equal number of the other islanders. But, besides +these advantages, their neighbours seem to ascribe a great deal to the +superiority of their god, who, they believed, detained us at Ulietea +by contrary winds, as being unwilling that we should visit an island +under his special protection. + +How high the Bolabola men are now in estimation at Otaheite, may be +inferred from Monsieur de Bougainville's anchor having been +conveyed to them. To the same cause we must ascribe the intention of +transporting to their island the Spanish bull. And they had already +got possession of a third European curiosity, the male of another +animal, brought to Otaheite by the Spaniards. We had been, much +puzzled, by the imperfect description of the natives, to guess what +this could be; but Captain Clerke's deserters, when brought back from +Bolabola, told me, that the animal had been there shewn to them, and +that it was a ram. It seldom happens but that some good arises out +of evil, and if our two men had not deserted, I should not have known +this. In consequence of their information, at the same time that I +landed to meet Opoony, I carried ashore a ewe, which we had brought +from the Cape of Good Hope; and I hope that by this present I have +laid the foundation for a breed of sheep at Bolabola. I also left +at Ulietea, under the care of Oreo, an English boar and sow, and two +goats. So that not only Otaheite, but all the neighbouring islands, +will, in a few years, have their race of hogs considerably improved; +and, probably, be stocked with all the valuable animals which have +been transported hither by their European visitors. + +When once this comes to pass, no part of the world will equal these +islands in variety and abundance of refreshments for navigators. +Indeed, even in their present state, I know no place that excels them. +After repeated trials in the course of several voyages we find, when +they are not disturbed by intestine broils, but live in amity with +one another, which has been the case for some years past, that their +productions are in the greatest plenty; and, particularly, the most +valuable of all the articles, their hogs. + +If we had had a larger assortment of goods, and a sufficient quantity +of salt on board, I make no doubt that we might have salted as much +pork as would have served both ships near twelve months. But our +visiting the Friendly Islands, and our long stay at Otaheite and the +neigbourhood, quite exhausted our trading commodities, particularly +our axes, with which alone, hogs, in general, were to be purchased. +And we had hardly salt enough to cure fifteen puncheons of meat; of +these, five were added to our stock of provisions at the Friendly +Islands, and the other ten at Otaheite. Captain Clerke also salted a +proportionable quantity for his ship. + +The process was the same that had been adopted by me in my last +voyage; and it may be worth while to describe it again. The hogs were +killed in the evening; as soon as they were cleaned, they were cut up, +the bone taken out, and the meat salted when it was hot. It was then +laid in such a position as to permit the juices to drain from it, till +the next morning, when it was again salted, packed into a cask, and +covered with pickle. Here it remained for four or five days, or a +week; after which it was taken out and examined, piece by piece, +and if there was any found to be in the least tainted, as sometimes +happened, it was separated from the rest, which was repacked into +another cask, headed up, and filled with good pickle. In about eight +or ten days time it underwent a second examination; but this seemed +unnecessary, as the whole was generally found to be perfectly cured. A +mixture of bay and of white salt answers the best, but either of them +will do alone. Great care should be taken that none of the large blood +vessels remain in the meat; nor must too great a quantity be packed +together, at the first salting, lest the pieces in the middle should +heat, and, by that means, prevent the salt from penetrating them. +This once happened to us, when we killed a larger quantity than usual. +Rainy sultry weather is unfavourable for salting meat in tropical +climates. + +Perhaps the frequent visits Europeans have lately made to these +islanders, may be one great inducement to their keeping up a large +stock of hogs, as they have had experience enough to know, that, +whenever we come, they may be sure of getting from us what they esteem +a valuable consideration for them. At Otaheite they expect the return +of the Spaniards every day, and they will look for the English two or +three years hence, not only there, but at the other islands. It is to +no purpose to tell them that you will not return; they think you must, +though not one of them knows, or will give himself the trouble to +enquire, the reason of your coming. + +I own I cannot avoid expressing it as my real opinion, that it would +have been far better for these poor people, never to have known our +superiority in the accommodations and arts that make life comfortable, +than, after once knowing it, to be again left and abandoned to their +original incapacity of improvement. Indeed, they cannot be restored to +that happy mediocrity in which they lived before we discovered them, +if the intercourse between us should be discontinued. It seems to me +that it has become in a manner incumbent on the Europeans to visit +them once in three or four years, in order to supply them with those +conveniences which we have introduced among them, and have given them +a predilection for. The want of such occasional supplies will probably +be felt very heavily by them, when it may be too late to go back to +their old less perfect contrivances, which they now despise, and have +discontinued since the introduction of ours. For by the time that the +iron tools, of which they are now possessed, are worn out, they will +have almost lost the knowledge of their own. A stone-hatchet is, at +present, as rare a thing amongst them, as an iron one was eight years +ago; and a chisel of bone or stone is not to be seen. Spike-nails have +supplied the place of these last, and they are weak enough to fancy +that they have got an inexhaustible store of them; for these were not +now at all sought after. Sometimes, however, nails much smaller than a +spike would still be taken in exchange for fruit. Knives happened, +at present, to be in great esteem at Ulietea, and axes and hatchets +remained unrivalled by any other of our commodities at all the +islands. With respect to articles of mere ornament, these people are +as changeable as any of the polished nations of Europe; so that what +pleases their fancy, while a fashion is in vogue, may be rejected, +when another whim has supplanted it. But our iron tools are so +strikingly useful, that they will, we may confidently pronounce, +continue to prize them highly; and be completely miserable, if, +neither possessing the materials, nor trained up to the art of +fabricating them, they should cease to receive supplies of what may +now be considered as having become necessary to their comfortable +existence.[3] + +[Footnote 3: Captain Cook's reasoning here is irresistibly convincing; +yet it is very remarkable that no practical benefit resulted from +it, in favour of the people whose cause he pleads. One can scarcely +account, far less apologize, for the extraordinary fact, that nearly +eleven years, from the date of this voyage, had elapsed, before any +British vessel touched at Otaheite, and that even then the visit was +an accidental one. Soon afterwards, however, Lieutenant Bligh was +ordered to visit it, for the purpose, not of conferring benefits +on it, but of procuring the bread-fruit tree, for our West India +possessions. Of the changes which had happened in that interval, +it would be improper to make any mention in this place. The reader +nevertheless may be informed, that much of the evil, which Captain +Cook had foreseen, really occurred. The want of iron tools especially +was most severely felt.--E.] + +Otaheite, though not comprehended in the number of what we have called +the Society Islands, being inhabited by the same race of men, +agreeing in the same leading features of character and manners, it was +fortunate, that we happened to discover this principal island before +the others; as the friendly and hospitable reception we there met +with, of course, led us to make it the principal place of resort, +in our successive visits to this part of the Pacific Ocean. By the +frequency of this intercourse, we have had better opportunities of +knowing something about it and its inhabitants, than about the other +similar but less considerable islands in its vicinity. Of these, +however, we have seen enough to satisfy us, that all that we observed +and have related of Otaheite, may, with trifling variations, be +applied to them. + +Too much seems to have been already known and published in our former +relations, about some of the modes of life that made Otaheite so +agreeable an abode to many on board our ships; and, if I could now add +any finishing strokes to a picture, the outlines of which have been +already drawn with sufficient accuracy, I should still have hesitated +to make this journal the place for exhibiting a view of licentious +manners, which could only serve to disgust those for whose information +I write. There are, however, many parts of the domestic, political, +and religious institutions of these people, which, after all our +visits to them, are but imperfectly understood. The foregoing +narrative of the incidents that happened during our stay, will +probably be thought to throw some additional light; and, for farther +satisfaction, I refer to Mr Anderson's remarks. + +Amidst our various subordinate employments, while at these islands, +the great objects of our duty were always attended to. No opportunity +was lost of making astronomical and nautical observations; from which +the following table was drawn up: + + Place. Latitude. Longitude. Variation of Dip of the + South. East. the Compass. Needle. + Matavai Point, + Otaheite, 17° 24-1/4' 210° 22' 28" 5° 34' East 29° 12' + + Owharre Harbour 16° 42-3/4' 208° 52' 24" 5° 13-1/2" East 28° 28' + Huaheine, + + Ohamaneno Harbour 16° 45-1/2' 208° 25' 22" 6° 19' East 29° 5' + Ulietea, + +[Transcriber's Note: It is possible that the compass variation at +Owharre Harbour should read 5° 13-1/2' not 5° 13-1/2" (minutes not +seconds)] + +The longitude of the three several places is deduced from the mean of +145 sets of observations made on shore; some at one place, and some at +another; and carried on to each of the stations by the time-keeper. As +the situation of these places was very accurately settled, during my +former voyages, the above observations were now made chiefly with a +view of determining how far a number of lunar observations might be +depended upon, and how near they would agree with those made upon the +same spot in 1769, which fixed Matavai Point to be in 210° 27' 30". +The difference, it appears, is only of 5' 2"; and, perhaps, no +other method could have produced a more perfect agreement. Without +pretending to say which of the two computations is the nearest the +truth, the longitude of 210° 22' 28", or, which is the same thing, +208° 25' 22", will be the longitude we shall reckon from with the +time-keeper, allowing it to be losing, on mean time, 1,"69 each day, +as found by the mean of all the observations made at these islands for +that purpose. + +On our arrival at Otaheite, the error of the time-keeper in longitude +was, + + by {Greenwich rate, 1° 18' 58" + {Tongataboo rate, 0° 16' 40" + +Some observations were also made on the tide; particularly at Otaheite +and Ulietea, with a view of ascertaining its greatest rise at the +first place. When we were there, in my second voyage, Mr Wales thought +he had discovered that it rose higher than I had observed it to do, +when I first visited Otaheite, in 1769. But the observations we now +made proved that it did not; that is, that it never rose higher +than twelve or fourteen inches at most. And it was observed to be +high-water nearly at noon, as well at the quadratures, as at the full +and change of the moon. + +To verify this, the following observations were made at Ulietea: + + Day of Water at a stand Mean Time Perpendicular + the of rise + Month. from to High Water. Inches. + + November 6. 11h 15m to 12h 20m 11h 48m 5,5 + 7. 11 40 1 00 12 20 5,2 + 8. 11 35 12 50 12 12 5,0 + 9. 11 40 1 16 12 28 5,5 + 10. 11 25 1 10 12 18 6,5 + 11. 12 00 1 40 12 20 5,0 + 12. 11 00 1 05 12 02 5,7 + 13. 9 30 11 40 10 35 8,0 + 14. 11 10 12 50 12 00 8,0 + 15. 9 20 11 30 10 25 9,2 + 16. 10 00 12 00 11 00 9,0 + 17. 10 45 12 15 11 30 8,5 + 18. 10 25 12 10 11 18 9,0 + 19. 11 00 1 00 12 00 8,0 + 20. 11 30 2 00 12 45 7,0 + 21. 11 00 1 00 12 00 8,0 + 22. 11 30 1 07 12 18 8,0 + 23. 12 00 1 30 12 45 6,5 + 24. 11 30 1 40 12 35 5,5 + 25. 11 40 1 50 12 45 4,7 + 26. 11 00 1 30 12 15 5,2 + +Having now finished all that occurs to me, with regard to these +islands, which make so conspicuous a figure in the list of our +discoveries, the reader will permit me to suspend the prosecution of +my journal, while he peruses the following section, for which I am +indebted to Mr Anderson. + + +SECTION IX. + +_Accounts of Otaheite still imperfect.--The prevailing Winds.--Beauty +of the Country.--Cultivation.--Natural Curiosities.--The Persons +of the Natives.--Diseases.--General Character.--Love of +Pleasure.--Language.--Surgery and Physic.--Articles of Food.--Effects +of drinking Ava.--Times and Manner of Eating.--Connexions with the +Females.--Circumcision.--System of Religion.--Notions about the Soul +and a future Life.--Various Superstitions.--Traditions about +the Creation.--An historical Legend.--Honours paid to the +King.--Distinction of Ranks.--Punishment of Crimes.--Peculiarities of +the neighbouring Islands.--Names of their Gods.--Names of Islands they +visit.--Extent of their Navigation._ + +To what has been said of Otaheite, in the accounts of the successive +voyages of Captain Wallis, Mons. de Bougainville, and Captain Cook, it +would, at first sight, seem superfluous to add any thing, as it might +be supposed, that little could be now produced but a repetition of +what has been told before. I am, however, far from being of +that opinion; and will venture to affirm, though a very accurate +description of the country, and of the most obvious customs of its +inhabitants, has been already given, especially by Captain Cook, that +much still remains untouched; that, in some instances, mistakes have +been made, which later and repeated observation has been able to +rectify; and that, even now, we are strangers to many of the most +important institutions that prevail amongst these people. The truth +is, our visits, though frequent, have been but transient; many of us +had no inclination to make enquiries; more of us were unable to direct +our enquiries properly; and we all laboured, though not to the same +degree, under the disadvantages attending an imperfect knowledge +of the language of those, from whom alone we could receive any +information. The Spaniards had it more in their power to surmount +this bar to instruction; some of them having resided at Otaheite +much longer than any other European visitors. As, with their superior +advantages, they could not but have had an opportunity of obtaining +the fullest information on most subjects relating to this island, +their account of it would, probably, convey more authentic and +accurate intelligence, than, with our best endeavours, any of us could +possibly obtain. But, as I look upon it to be very uncertain, if not +very unlikely, that we shall ever have any communication from that +quarter, I have here put together what additional intelligence, about +Otaheite, and its neighbouring islands, I was able to procure, either +from, Omai, while on board the ship, or by conversing with the other +natives, while we remained among them. + +The wind, for the greatest part of the year, blows from between +E.S.E., and E.N.E. This is the true trade-wind, or what the natives +call _Maaraee_; and it sometimes blows with considerable force. When +this is the case, the weather is often cloudy, with showers of rain; +but, when the wind is more moderate, it is clear, settled, and serene. +If the wind should veer farther to the southward, and become S.E., or +S.S.E., it then blows more gently, with a smooth sea, and is called +_Maooui_. In those months, when the sun is nearly vertical, that is, +in December and January, the winds and weather are both very variable; +but it frequently blows from W.N.W., or N.W. This wind is what they +call _Toerou_; and is generally attended by dark, cloudy weather, +and frequently by rain, it sometimes blows strong, though generally +moderate; but seldom lasts longer than five or six days without +interruption; and is the only wind in which the people of the islands +to leeward come to this in their canoes. If it happens to be still +more northerly, it blows with less strength, and has the different +appellation of _Era-potaia_; which they feign to be the wife of the +_Toerou_; who, according to their mythology, is a male. + +The wind from S.W., and W.S.W., is still more frequent than the +former; and, though it is, in general, gentle, and interrupted by +calms, or breezes from the eastward, yet it sometimes blows in brisk +squalls. The weather attending it is commonly dark; cloudy, and +rainy, with a close, hot air; and often accompanied by a great deal +of lightning and thunder. It is called _Etoa_, and often succeeds the +_Toerou_; as does also the _Farooa_, which is still more southerly; +and, from its violence, blows down houses and trees, especially the +cocoa-palms, from their loftiness; but it is only of a short duration. + +The natives seem not to have a very accurate knowledge of these +changes, and yet pretend to have drawn some general conclusions from +their effects; for they say, when the sea has a hollow sound, and +dashes slowly on the shore, or rather on the reef without, that it +portends good weather, but, if it has a sharp sound, and the waves +succeed each other fast, that the reverse will happen. + +Perhaps there is scarcely a spot in the universe that affords a more +luxuriant prospect than the S.E. part of Otaheite. The hills are high +and steep; and, in many places, craggy. But they are covered to +the very summits with trees and shrubs, in such a manner, that the +spectator can scarcely help thinking, that the very rocks possess the +property of producing and supporting their verdant clothing. The flat +land which bounds those hills toward the sea, and the interjacent +valleys also, teem with various productions that grow with the most +exuberant vigour, and at once fill the mind of the beholder with the +idea, that no place upon earth can out-do this, in the strength and +beauty of vegetation. Nature has been no less liberal in distributing +rivulets, which are found in every valley; and as they approach the +sea, often divide into two or three branches, fertilizing the flat +lands through which they run. The habitations of the natives are +scattered without order upon these flats; and many of them appearing +toward the shore, presented a delightful scene, viewed from our ships; +especially as the sea within the reef, which bounds the coast, is +perfectly still, and affords a safe navigation at all times for the +inhabitants, who are often seen paddling in their canoes indolently +along in passing from place to place, or in going to fish. On viewing +these charming scenes, I have often regretted my inability to +transmit to those who have had no opportunity of seeing them, such a +description as might, in some measure, convey an impression similar +to what must be felt by every one who has been fortunate enough to be +upon the spot. + +It is doubtless the natural fertility of the country, combined with +the mildness and serenity of the climate, that renders the natives +so careless in their cultivation, that, in many places, though, +overflowing with the richest productions, the smallest traces of it +cannot be observed. The cloth-plant, which is raised by seeds brought +from the mountains, and the _ava_, or intoxicating pepper, which they +defend from the sun when very young, by covering them with leaves of +the bread-fruit tree, are almost the only things to which they seem to +pay any attention, and these they keep very clean. + +I have enquired very carefully into their manner of cultivating the +bread-fruit tree, but was always answered that they never planted it. +This, indeed, must be evident to every one who will examine the places +where the young trees come up. It will be always observed that they +spring from the roots of the old ones, which ran along near the +surface of the ground; so that the bread-fruit trees may be reckoned +those that would naturally cover the plains, even supposing that the +island was not inhabited, in the same manner that the white-barked +trees, found at Van Diemen's Land, constitute the forests there. And +from this we may observe, that the inhabitant of Otaheite, instead of +being obliged to plant his bread, will rather be under a necessity of +preventing its progress; which, I suppose, is sometimes done, to give +room for trees of another sort, to afford him some variety in his +food. + +The chief of these are the cocoa-nut and plantain; the first of which +can give no trouble, after it has raised itself a foot or two above +the ground; but the plantain requires a little more care; for, after +it is planted, it shoots up, and, in about three months, begins to +bear fruit; during which time it gives young shoots, which supply a +succession of fruit. For the old stocks are cut down as the fruit is +taken off. + +The products of the island, however, are not so remarkable for their +variety, as great abundance; and curiosities of any kind are not +numerous. Amongst these we may reckon a pond or lake of fresh water +at the top of one of the highest mountains, to go to and return from +which takes three or four days; it is remarkable for its depth, and +has eels of an enormous size in it, which are sometimes caught by the +natives, who go upon this water, in little floats of two or three wild +plantain trees fastened together. This is esteemed one of the greatest +natural curiosities of the country; insomuch, that travellers, who +come from the other islands, are commonly asked, amongst the first +things, by their friends, at their return, if they have seen it? There +is also a sort of water, of which there is only one small pond upon +the island, as far distant as the lake, and, to appearance, very good, +with a yellow sediment at the bottom; but it has a bad taste, and +proves fatal to those who drink any quantity, or makes them break out +in blotches if they bathe in it. + +Nothing could make a stronger impression, at first sight, on our +arrival here, than the remarkable contrast between the robust make and +dark colour of the people of Tongataboo, and a sort of delicacy and +whiteness which distinguish the inhabitants of Otaheite. It was even +some time before that difference could preponderate in favour of the +Otaheiteans; and then only, perhaps, because we became accustomed +to them, the marks which had recommended the others began to be +forgotten. Their women, however, struck us as superior in every +respect, and as possessing all those delicate characteristics which +distinguish them from, the other sex in many countries. The beard, +which the men here wear long, and the hair, which is not cut so short +as is the fashion at Tongataboo, made also a great difference; and we +could not help thinking that on every occasion they shewed a greater +degree of timidity and fickleness. The muscular appearance, so common +amongst the Friendly Islanders, and which seems a consequence of their +being accustomed to much action, is lost here, where the superior +fertility of their country enables the inhabitants to lead a more +indolent life; and its place is supplied by a plumpness and smoothness +of the skin, which, though perhaps more consonant with our ideas of +beauty, is no real advantage, as it seems attended with a kind of +languor in all their motions, not observable in the others. This +observation is fully verified in their boxing and wrestling, which +may be called little better than the feeble efforts of children, if +compared to the vigour with which these exercises are performed at the +Friendly Islands. + +Personal endowments being in great esteem amongst them, they have +recourse to several methods of improving them, according to their +notions of beauty. In particular, it is a practice, especially among +the _Erreoes_, or unmarried men of some consequence, to undergo a kind +of physical operation to render them fair. This is done by remaining +a month or two in the house; during which time they wear a great +quantity of clothes, eat nothing but bread-fruit, to which they +ascribe a remarkable property in whitening them. They also speak, as +if their corpulence and colour, at other times, depended upon +their food; as they are obliged, from the change of seasons, to use +different sorts at different times. + +Their common diet is made up of, at least, nine-tenths of vegetable +food, and, I believe, more particularly the _mahee_, or fermented +bread-fruit, which enters almost every meal, has a remarkable effect +upon them, preventing a costive habit, and producing a very sensible +coolness about them, which could not be perceived in us who fed on +animal food. And it is, perhaps, owing to this temperate course of +life that they have so few diseases among them. + +They only reckon five or six, which might be called chronic, or +national disorders; amongst which are the dropsy and the _fefai_, or +indolent swellings before mentioned as frequent at Tongataboo. But +this was before the arrival of the Europeans; for we have added to +this short catalogue, a disease which abundantly supplies the place +of all the others; and is now almost universal. For this they seem to +have no effectual remedy. The priests, indeed, sometimes give them a +medley of simples; but they own that it never cures them. And yet +they allow that in a few cases, nature, without the assistance of +a physician, exterminates the poison of this fatal disease, and a +perfect recovery is produced. They say, that if a man is infected +with it, he will often communicate it to others in the same house, by +feeding out of the same utensils or handling them; and that, in this +case, they frequently die, while he recovers; though we see no reason +why this should happen. + +Their behaviour on all occasions seems to indicate a great openness +and generosity of disposition. Omai, indeed, who, as their countryman, +should be supposed rather willing to conceal any of their defects, has +often said that they are sometimes cruel in punishing their enemies. +According to his representation, they torment them very deliberately; +at one time tearing out small pieces of flesh from different parts; at +another taking out the eyes; then cutting off the nose; and, lastly, +killing them by opening the belly. But this only happens on particular +occasions. If cheerfulness argues a conscious innocence, one would +suppose that their life is seldom sullied by crimes. This, however, I +rather impute to their feelings, which, though lively, seem in no case +permanent; for I never saw them, in any misfortune, labour under the +appearance of anxiety after the critical moment was past. Neither +does care ever seem to wrinkle their brow. On the contrary, even the +approach of death does not appear to alter their usual vivacity. I +have seen them when brought to the brink of the grave by disease, +and when preparing to go to battle; but in neither case ever observed +their countenances overclouded with melancholy or serious reflection. + +Such a disposition leads them to direct all their aims only to what +can give them pleasure and ease. Their amusements all tend to excite +and continue their amorous passions; and their songs, of which they +are immoderately fond, answer the same purpose. But as a constant +succession of sensual enjoyments must cloy, we found, that they +frequently varied them to more refined subjects, and had much pleasure +in chaunting their triumphs in war, and their occupations in peace; +their travels to other islands, and adventures there; and the peculiar +beauties, and superior advantages of their own island over the rest, +or of different parts of it over other less favourite districts. This +marks, that they receive great delight from music; and though they +rather expressed a dislike to our complicated compositions, yet were +they always delighted with the more melodious sounds produced singly +on our instruments, as approaching nearer to the simplicity of their +own. + +Neither are they strangers to the soothing effects produced by +particular sorts of motion, which, in some cases, seem to allay any +perturbation of mind, with as much success as music. Of this, I met +with a remarkable instance. For on walking one day about Matavai +Point, where our tents were erected, I saw a man paddling in a small +canoe, so quickly, and looking about with such eagerness, on each +side, as to command all my attention. At first, I imagined that he +had stolen something from one of the ships, and was pursued; but, on +waiting patiently, saw him repeat his amusement. He went out from the +shore, till he was near the place where the swell begins to take its +rise; and, watching its first motion very attentively, paddled before +it, with great quickness, till he found that it overtook him, and +had acquired sufficient force to carry his canoe before it, without +passing underneath. He then sat motionless, and was carried along, at +the same swift rate as the wave, till it landed him upon the beach. +Then he started out, emptied his canoe, and went in search of another +swell. I could not help concluding, that this man felt the most +supreme pleasure, while he was driven on, so fast and so smoothly, by +the sea; especially as, though the tents and ships were so near, he +did not seem, in the least, to envy, or even to take any notice of, +the crowds of his countrymen collected to view them as objects which +were rare and curious. During my stay, two or three of the natives +came up, who seemed to share his felicity, and always called out, when +there was an appearance of a favourable swell, as he sometimes missed +it, by his back being turned, and looking about for it. By them +I understood, that this exercise, which is called _ehorooe_, was +frequent amongst them; and they have probably more amusements of this +sort, which afford them at least as much pleasure as skaiting, which +is the only one of ours, with whose effects I could compare it. + +The language of Otaheite, though doubtless radically the same with +that of New Zealand and the Friendly Islands, is destitute of that +guttural pronunciation, and of some consonants, with which those +latter dialects abound. The specimens we have already given are +sufficient to mark wherein the variation chiefly consists, and to +shew, that, like the manners of the inhabitants, it has become soft +and soothing. During the former voyage, I had collected a copious +vocabulary, which enabled me the better to compare this dialect with +that of the other islands; and, during this voyage, I took every +opportunity of improving my acquaintance with it, by conversing with +Omai, before we arrived, and by my daily intercourse with the +natives, while we now remained there.[1] It abounds with beautiful and +figurative expressions, which, were it perfectly known, would, I have +no doubt, put it upon a level with many of the languages that are +most in esteem for their warm and bold images. For instance, the +Otaheiteans express their notions of death very emphatically, by +saying, "That the soul goes into darkness; or rather into night." And, +if you seem to entertain any doubt, in asking the question, "if such a +person is their mother?" they immediately reply, with surprise, "Yes, +the mother that bore me." They have one expression, that corresponds +exactly with the phraseology of the scriptures, where we read of +the "yearning of the bowels." They use it on all occasions, when the +passions give them uneasiness; as they constantly refer pain from +grief, anxious desire, and other affections, to the bowels, as its +seat; where they likewise suppose all operations of the mind are +performed. Their language admits of that inverted arrangement of +words, which so much distinguishes the Latin and Greek from most +of our modern European tongues, whose imperfections require a more +orderly construction, to prevent ambiguities. It is so copious, that +for the bread-fruit alone, in its different states, they have above +twenty names; as many for the _taro_ root; and about ten for the +cocoa-nut. Add to this, that, besides the common dialect, they often +expostulate, in a kind of stanza or recitative, which is answered in +the same manner. + +[Footnote 1: See this Vocabulary at the end of Captain Cook's second +voyage. Many corrections and additions to it were now made by this +indefatigable enquirer; but the specimens of the language of Otaheite, +already in the hands of the public, seem sufficient for every useful +purpose.--D.] + +Their arts are few and simple; yet, if we may credit them, they +perform cures in surgery, which our extensive knowledge in that branch +has not, as yet, enabled us to imitate. In simple fractures, they +bind them up with splints; but if part of the substance of the bone +be lost, they insert a piece of wood, between the fractured ends, made +hollow like the deficient part. In five or six days, the _rapaoo_, or +surgeon, inspects the wound, and finds the wood partly covered with +growing flesh. In as many more days, it is generally entirely covered; +after which, when the patient has acquired some strength, he bathes +in the water, and recovers. We know that wounds will heal over leaden +bullets; and, sometimes, though rarely, over other extraneous +bodies. But what makes me entertain some doubt of the truth of so +extraordinary skill, as in the above instance, is, that in other +cases which fell under my own observation, they are far from being so +dexterous. I have seen the stump of an arm, which was taken off, after +being shattered by a fall from a tree, that bore no marks of +skilful operation, though some allowance be made for their defective +instruments. And I met with a man going about with a dislocated +shoulder, some months after the accident, from their being ignorant +of a method to reduce it; though this be considered as one of the +simplest operations of our surgery. They know that fractures or +luxations of the spine are mortal, but not fractures of the skull; and +they likewise know, from experience, in what parts of the body wounds +prove fatal. They have sometimes pointed out those inflicted by +spears, which, if made in the direction they mentioned, would +certainly have been pronounced deadly by us, and yet these people have +recovered. + +Their physical knowledge seems more confined; and that, probably +because their diseases are fewer than their accidents. The priests, +however, administer the juices of herbs in some cases; and women who +are troubled with after-pains, or other disorders after child-bearing, +use a remedy which one would think needless in a hot country. They +first heat stones, as when they bake their food; then they lay a thick +cloth over them, upon which is put a quantity of a small plant of the +mustard kind; and these are covered with another cloth. Upon this they +seat themselves and sweat plentifully, to obtain a cure. The men +have practised the same method for the venereal _lues_, but find it +ineffectual. They have no emetic medicines. + +Notwithstanding the extreme fertility of the island, a famine +frequently happens, in which it is said many perish. Whether this be +owing to the failure of some seasons, to over-population, which must +sometimes almost necessarily happen, or to wars, I have not been able +to determine; though the truth of the fact may fairly be inferred, +from the great economy that they observe with respect to their +food, even when there is plenty. In times of scarcity, after their +bread-fruit and yams are consumed, they have recourse to various +roots, which grow without cultivation upon the mountains. The +_patarra_, which is found in vast quantities, is what they use first. +It is not unlike a very large potatoe or yam, and good when in its +growing state; but when old, is full of hard stringy fibres. They then +eat two other roots, one not unlike _taro_; and lastly, the _eohee_. +This is of two sorts; one of them possessing deleterious qualities, +which obliges them to slice and macerate it in water a night before +they bake and eat it. In this respect, it resembles the _cassava_ root +of the West Indies; but it forms a very insipid moist paste, in the +manner they dress it. However, I have seen them eat it at times when +no such scarcity reigned. Both this and the _patarra_ are creeping +plants: the last with ternate leaves. + +Of animal food a very small portion falls at any time to the share of +the lower class of people, and then it is either fish, sea-eggs, or +other marine productions; for they seldom or ever eat pork. The _Eree +de hoi_[2] alone is able to furnish pork every day; and inferior +chiefs, according to their riches, once a week, fortnight, or month. +Sometimes they are not even allowed that; for, when the island is +impoverished by war or other causes, the chief prohibits his subjects +to kill any hogs; and this prohibition, we were told, is in force +sometimes for several months, or even for a year or two. During that +restraint the hogs multiply so fast, that there are instances of their +changing their domestic state, and turning wild. When it is thought +proper to take off the prohibition, all the chiefs assemble at the +king's place of abode, and each brings with him a present of hogs. The +king then orders some of them to be killed, on which they feast; +and, after that, every one returns home with liberty to kill what he +pleases for his own use. Such a prohibition was actually in force on +our last arrival here; at least in all those districts of the island +that are immediately under the direction of Otoo. And, lest it should +have prevented our going to Matavai after leaving Oheitepeha, he sent +a message to assure us, that it should be taken off as soon as the +ships arrived there. With respect to us we found it so; but we made +such a consumption of them, that, I have no doubt, it would be laid +on again as soon as we sailed. A similar prohibition is also sometimes +extended to fowls. + +[Footnote 2: Mr Anderson, invariably in his manuscript, writes _Eree +de hoi_. According to Captain Cook's mode, it is _Eree rahie_. This is +one of the numerous instances that perpetually occur, of our people's +representing the same word differently.--D.] + +It is also amongst the better sort that the _ava_ is chiefly used. But +this beverage is prepared somewhat differently, from that which we +saw so much of at the Friendly Islands. For they pour a very small +quantity of water upon the root here, and sometimes roast or bake and +bruise the stalks, without chewing it previously to its infusion. They +also use the leaves of the plant here, which are bruised, and water +poured upon them, as upon the root. Large companies do not assemble +to drink it in that sociable way which is practised at Tongataboo. +But its pernicious effects are more obvious here; perhaps owing to the +manner of preparing it, as we often saw instances of its intoxicating, +or rather stupifying powers. Some of us, who had been at these islands +before, were surprised to find many people, who, when we saw them +last, were remarkable for their size and corpulency, now almost +reduced to skeletons; and, upon enquiring into the cause of this +alteration, it was universally allowed to be the use of the _ava_. The +skins of these people were rough, dry, and covered with scales, which, +they say, every now and then fall off, and their skin is, as it were, +renewed. As an excuse for a practice so destructive, they allege, +that it is adopted to prevent their growing too fat; but it evidently +enervates them, and, in all probability, shortens their days. As its +effects had not been so visible during our former visits, it is not +unlikely that this article of luxury had never been so much abused as +at this time. If it continues to be so fashionable, it bids fair to +destroy great numbers. + +The times of eating at Otaheite are very frequent. Their first meal, +or (as it may rather be called) their last, as they go to sleep after +it, is about two o'clock in the morning; and the next is at eight. +At eleven, they dine; and again, as Omai expressed it, at two, and at +five; and sup at eight. In this article of domestic life, they have +adopted some customs which are exceedingly whimsical. The women, for +instance, have not only the mortification of being obliged to eat by +themselves, and in a different part of the house from the men, but, +by a strange kind of policy, are excluded from a share of most of +the better sorts of food. They dare not taste turtle, nor fish of the +tunny kind, which is much esteemed; nor some particular sorts of the +best plantains; and it is very seldom that even those of the first +rank are suffered to eat pork. The children of each sex also eat +apart; and the women generally serve up their own victuals; for they +would certainly starve before any grown man would do them such an +office. In this, as well as in some other customs relative to their +eating, there is a mysterious conduct which we could never thoroughly +comprehend. When we enquired into the reasons of it, we could get no +other answer, but that it is right and necessary that it should be so. + +In other customs respecting the females, there seems to be no such +obscurity; especially as to their connexions with the men. If a young +man and woman, from mutual choice, cohabit, the man gives the father +of the girl such things as are necessary in common life; as hogs, +cloth, or canoes, in proportion to the time they are together; and, if +he thinks that he has not been sufficiently paid for his daughter, he +makes no scruple of forcing her to leave her friend, and to cohabit +with another person who may be more liberal. The man, on his part, is +always at liberty to make a new choice; but, should his consort become +pregnant, he may kill the child; and, after that, either continue his +connexion with the mother, or leave her. But if he should adopt the +child, and suffer it to live, the parties are then considered as +in the married state, and they commonly live together ever after. +However, it is thought no crime in the man to join a more youthful +partner to his first wife, and to live with both. The custom of +changing their connexions is, however, much more general than this +last; and it is a thing so common, that they speak of it with great +indifference. The _Erreoes_ are only those of the better sort, who, +from their fickleness, and their possessing the means of purchasing +a succession of fresh connexions, are constantly roaming about; and, +from having no particular attachment, seldom adopt the more settled +method mentioned above. And so agreeable is this licentious plan of +life to their disposition, that the most beautiful of both sexes thus +commonly spend their youthful days, habituated to the practice of +enormities which would disgrace the most savage tribes; but are +peculiarly shocking amongst a people whose general character, in other +respects, has evident traces of the prevalence of humane and tender +feelings.[3] When an _Erreoe_ woman is delivered of a child, a piece +of cloth, dipped in water, is applied to the mouth and nose, which +suffocates it. + +[Footnote 3: That the Caroline Islands are inhabited by the same tribe +or nation, whom Captain Cook found, it such immense distances, +spread throughout the South Pacific Ocean, has been satisfactorily +established in some preceding notes The situation of the Ladrones, or +Marianne Islands, still farther north than the Carolines, but at +no great distance from them, is favourable, at first sight, to the +conjecture, that the same race also peopled that cluster; and, on +looking into Father Le Gobien's history of them, this conjecture +appears to be actually confirmed by direct evidence. One of the +greatest singularities of the Otaheite manners, is the existence of +the society of young men called _Erreoes_, of whom some account is +given in the preceding paragraph. Now we learn from Father Le Gobien, +that such a society exists also amongst the inhabitants of the +Ladrones. His words are: _Les Urritoes sont parmi eux les jeuns gens +qui vivent avec des maitresses, sans vouloir s'engager dans les liens +du mariage_. That there should be young men in the Ladrones, as well +as in Otaheite, _who live with mistresses, without being inclined to +enter into the married state_, would not, indeed, furnish the shadow +of any peculiar resemblance between them. But that the young men in +the Ladrones, and in Otaheite, whose manners are thus licentious, +should be considered as a distinct confraternity, called by a +particular name; and that this name should be the same in both places: +this singular coincidence of custom, confirmed by that of language, +seems to furnish an irrefragable proof of the inhabitants of both +places being the same nation. We know, that it is the general property +of the Otaheite dialect, to soften the pronunciation of its words. +And, it is observable, that, by the omission of one single letter (the +consonant t), our _Arreoys_ (as spelled in Hawkesworth's collection), +or _Erreoes_ (according to Mr Anderson's orthography), and the +_Urritoes_ of the Ladrones, are brought to such a similitude of sound +(the only rule of comparing two unwritten languages), that we may +pronounce them to be the same word, without exposing ourselves to the +sneers of supercilious criticism. + +One or two more such proofs, drawn from similarity of language, in +very significant words, may be assigned. Le Gobien tells us, that the +people of the Ladrones worship their dead, whom they call _Anitis_. +Here, again, by dropping the consonant _n_, we have a word that bears +a strong resemblance to that which so often occurs in Captain Cook's +voyages, when speaking of the divinities of his islands, whom he calls +_Eatooas_. And it may be matter of curiosity to remark, that what +is called an _Aniti_, at the Ladrones, is, as we learn from Cantova +(_Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 309, 310.) at the +Caroline Islands, where dead chiefs are also worshipped, called a +_Tahutup_; and that, by softening or sinking the strong sounding +letters, at the beginning and at the end of this latter word, the +_Ahutu_ of the Carolines, the _Aiti_ of the Ladrones, and the +_Eatooa_ of the South Pacific Islands, assume such a similarity in +pronunciation (for we can have no other guide), as strongly marks one +common original. Once more; we learn from Le Gobien, that the Marianne +people call their chiefs _Chamorris_, or _Chamoris_. And by softening +the aspirate _Ch_ into _T_, and the harshness of _r_ into _l_ (of +which the vocabularies of the different islands give us repeated +instances), we have the _Tamole_ of the Caroline Islands, and the +_Tamolao_, or _Tamaha_, of the Friendly ones. + +If these specimens of affinity of language should be thought too +scanty, some very remarkable instances of similarity of customs and +institutions will go far to remove every doubt. 1. A division into +three classes, of nobles, of middle rank, and the common people, or +servants, was found, by Captain Cook, to prevail, both at the Friendly +and the Society Islands. Father Le Gobien expressly tells us, that the +same distinction prevails at the Ladrones: _Il y a trois états, parmi +les insulaires, la noblesse, le moyen, et le menu._ 2. Numberless +instances occur in Captain Cook's voyage to prove the great subjection +under which the people of his islands are to their chiefs. We learn +from Le Gobien, that it is so also at the Ladrones: _La noblesse est +d'un fierté incroyable, et tien le peuple dans un abaisement qu'on ne +pourroit imaginer en Europe_, &c. 3. The diversions of the natives +at Wateeo, the Friendly, and the Society Islands, have been copiously +described by Captain Cook. How similar are those which Le Gobien +mentions in the following words, as prevailing at the Ladrones!--_Ils +se divertissent à danser, courir, sautir, lutter, pour s'exercer, +et éprouver leur forces. Ils prennent grand plaisir à raconter les +avantures de leurs ancétres, et à reciter des vers de leurs poëtes._ +4. The principal share sustained by the women, in the entertainments +at Captain Cook's islands, appears sufficiently from a variety of +instances in this work; and we cannot read what Le Gobien says of +the practice at the Ladrones, without tracing the strongest +resemblance--_Dans leurs assemblées elles se mettent doux ou trieze +femmes en rond, debout, sans se remuer. Dans cette attitude elles +chantent les vers fabuleux de leurs poëtes avec un agrément, et une +justesse qui plairoit en Europe. L'accord de leur voix est admirable, +et ne cede en rien à la musique concertée. Elles ont dans les mains +de petits coquilles, dont elles se servent avec beaucoup de precision. +Elles soutiennent leur voix, et animent leur chants avec une action +si vive, et des gestes si expressives, qu'elles charment ceux qui +les voient, et qui les entendent._ 5. We read in Captain Cook's first +voyage, that at Otaheite garlands of the fruit of the palm-tree and +cocoa-leaves, with other things particularly consecrated to funeral +solemnities, are deposited about the places where they lay their dead; +and that provisions and water are also left at a little distance. How +conformable to this is the practice at the Ladrones, as described +by Le Gobien!--_Ils font quelques repas autour du tombeau; car on +en eleve toujours un sur le lieu ou le corps est enterré, ou dans +le voisinage; on le charge de fleurs, de branches de palmiers, de +coquillages, et de tout ce qu'ils ont de plus precieux._ 6. It is the +custom at Otaheite not to bury the skulls of the chiefs with the rest +of the bones, but to put them into boxes made for that purpose. Here +again, we find the same strange custom prevailing at the Ladrones; +for Le Gobien expressly tells us, _qui'ls gardent les cranes, en leur +maisons_, that they put these skulls into little baskets (_petites +corbeilles_); and that these dead chiefs are the _Anitis_, to whom +their priests address their invocations. 7. The people at Otaheite, as +we learn from Captain Cook, in his account of Tee's embalmed corpse, +make use of cocoa-nut oil, and other ingredients, in rubbing the +dead bodies. The people of the Ladrones, Father Le Gobien tells +us, sometimes do the same--_D'autres frottent les morts d'huile +odoriferante._ 8. The inhabitants of Otaheite believe the immortality +of the soul; and that there are two situations after death, somewhat +analogous to our heaven and hell; but they do not suppose, that their +actions here in the least influence their future state. And in the +account given in this Voyage of the religious opinions entertained at +the Friendly Islands, we find there exactly the same doctrine. It +is very observable, how conformable to this is the belief of the +inhabitants of the Ladrones--_Ils sont persuadés_ (says Le Gobien) _de +l'immortalité de l'áme. Ils reconnoissent même un Paradis et un Enfer, +dont ils se forment des idées assez bizarres. Ce n'est point, selon +eux, la vertu ni le crime, qui conduit dans ces lieux là; les bonnes +ou les mauvaises actions n'y servent de rien._ 9. One more very +singular instance of agreement shall close this long list. In Captain +Cook's account of the New Zealanders, we find that, according to them, +the soul of the man who is killed, and whose flesh is devoured, is +doomed to a perpetual fire; while the souls of all who die a natural +death, ascend to the habitations of the gods. And, from Le Gobien, we +learn that this very notion is adopted by his islanders--_Si on a le +malkeur de mourir de mort violente, on a l'enfer pour leur portage._ + +Surely such a concurrence of very characteristic conformities cannot +be the result of mere accident; and, when combined with the specimens +of affinity of language mentioned at the beginning of this note, +it should seem that we are fully warranted, from premises thus +unexceptionable, to draw a certain conclusion, that the inhabitants of +the various islands discovered or visited by Captain Cook in the South +Pacific Ocean, and those whom the Spaniards found settled upon the +Ladrones or Mariannes, in the northern hemisphere, carried the same +language, customs, and opinions from one common centre, from which +they had emigrated; and that, therefore, they may be considered as +scattered members of the same nation. + +See Pere Le Gobien's _Histoire des Iles Mariannes_, Book ii. or the +summary of it in _Histoire des Navigations aux Terres Australes_, +T. ii. p. 492-512, from which the materials for this note have been +extracted.--D.] + +As in such a life, their women must contribute a very large share +of its happiness, it is rather surprising, besides the humiliating +restraints they are laid under with regard to food, to find them often +treated with a degree of harshness, or rather brutality, which one +would scarcely suppose a man would bestow on an object for whom he had +the least affection. Nothing, however, is more common, than to see the +men beat them without mercy; and, unless this treatment is the effect +of jealousy, which both sexes, at least, pretend to be sometimes +infected with, it will be difficult to account for it. It will be +less difficult to admit this as the motive, as I have seen several +instances where the women have preferred personal beauty to interest; +though, I must own, that even in these cases, they seem scarcely +susceptible of those delicate sentiments that are the result of +mutual affection; and, I believe, that there is less Platonic love in +Otaheite than in any other country. + +Cutting, or inciding the foreskin, should be mentioned here as a +practice adopted amongst them from a notion of cleanliness; and they +have a reproachful epithet in their language for those who do not +observe that custom. When there are five or six lads pretty well grown +up in a neighbourhood, the father of one of them goes to a _Tahoua_, +or man of knowledge, and lets him know. He goes with the lads to +the top of the hills, attended by a servant, and seating one of them +properly, introduces a piece of wood underneath the foreskin, and +desires him to look aside at something he pretends is coming; having +thus engaged the young man's attention to another object, he cuts +through the skin upon the wood with a shark's tooth, generally at one +stroke. He then separates, or rather turns back the divided parts; and +having put on a bandage, proceeds to perform the same operation on the +other lads. At the end of five days they bathe, and the bandages being +taken off, the matter is cleaned away. At the end of five days more +they bathe again, and are well; but a thickness of the prepuce, +where it was cut, remaining, they go again to the mountains with +the _Tahoua_ and servant; and a fire being prepared, and some stones +heated, the _Tahoua_ puts the prepuce between two of them, and +squeezes it gently, which removes the thickness. They then return +home, having their heads, and other parts of their bodies, adorned +with odoriferous flowers; and the _Tahoua_ is rewarded for his +services by their fathers, in proportion to their several abilities, +with presents of hogs and cloth; and if they be poor, their relations +are liberal on the occasion. + +Their religious system is extensive, and, in many instances, singular; +but few of the common people have a perfect knowledge of it; that +being confined chiefly to their priests, who are pretty numerous. They +do not seem to pay respect to one god, as possessing pre-eminence; but +believe in a plurality of divinities, who are all very powerful; and +in this case, as different parts of the island, and the other islands +in the neighbourhood, have different ones, the inhabitants of each, no +doubt, think that they have chosen the most eminent, or, at least, one +who is invested with power sufficient to protect them, and to supply +all their wants. If he should not answer their expectations, they +think it no impiety to change; as has very lately happened in +Tiarabooa, where, in the room of the two divinities formerly honoured +there, Oraa,[4] god of Bolabola, had been adopted, I should suppose, +because he is the protector of a people who have been victorious in +war; and as, since they have made this change, they have been very +successful themselves against the inhabitants of _Otaheite-nooe_, they +impute it entirely to _Oraa_, who, as they literally say, fights their +battles. + +[Footnote 4: We have another instance of the same word being +differently pronounced by our people. Captain Cook, as appears above, +speaks of _Olla_ as the Bolabola god.--D.] + +Their assiduity in serving their gods is remarkably conspicuous. Not +only the _whattas_, or offering-places of the _morais_, are commonly +loaded with fruits and animals, but there are few houses where you do +not meet with a small place of the same sort near them. Many of them +are so rigidly scrupulous, that they will not begin a meal without +first laying aside a morsel for the _Eatooa_; and we had an +opportunity, during this voyage, of seeing their superstitious +zeal carried to a most pernicious height, in the instance of human +sacrifices; the occasions of offering which, I doubt, are too +frequent. Perhaps they have recourse to them when misfortunes occur; +for they asked, if one of our men, who happened to be confined, when +we were detained by a contrary wind, was _taboo_? Their prayers are +also very frequent, which they chaunt, much after the manner of their +songs in their festive entertainments. And the women, as in other +cases, are also obliged to shew their inferiority in religious +observances; for it is required of them, that they should partly +uncover themselves as they pass the _morais_, or take a considerable +circuit to avoid them. Though they have no notion that their god must +always be conferring benefits, without sometimes forgetting them, or +suffering evil to befall them, they seem to regard this less than the +attempts of some more inauspicious being to hurt them. They tell us, +that _Etee_ is an evil spirit, who sometimes does them mischief; +and to whom, as well as to their god, they make offerings. But the +mischiefs they apprehend from any superior invisible beings, are +confined to things merely temporal. + +They believe the soul to be both immaterial and immortal. They say +that it keeps fluttering about the lips during the pangs of death; and +that then it ascends and mixes with, or, as they express it, is eaten +by the deity. In this state it remains for some time; after which it +departs to a certain place, destined for the reception of the souls +of men where it exists in eternal night; or, as they sometimes say, in +twilight or dawn. They have no idea of any permanent punishment after +death, for crimes that they have committed on earth; for the souls +of good and of bad men are eat indiscriminately by God. But they +certainly consider this coalition with the deity as a kind of +purification necessary to be undergone before they enter a state of +bliss. For, according to their doctrine, if a man refrain from all +connexion with women some months before death, he passes immediately +into his eternal mansion, without such a previous union; as if +already, by this abstinence, he were pure enough to be exempted from +the general lot. + +They are, however, far from entertaining those sublime conceptions +of happiness, which our religion, and indeed reason, gives us room +to expect hereafter. The only great privilege they seem to think +they shall acquire by death is immortality; for they speak of spirits +being, in some measure, not totally divested of those passions which +actuated them when combined with material vehicles. Thus, if souls, +who were formerly enemies, should meet, they have many conflicts; +though, it should seem, to no purpose, as they are accounted +invulnerable in this invisible state. There is a similar reasoning +with regard to the meeting of man and wife. If the husband dies first, +the soul of the wife is known to him on its arrival in the land of +spirits. They resume their former acquaintance, in a spacious house, +called _tourooa_, where the souls of the deceased assemble to recreate +themselves with the gods. She then retires with him, to his separate +habitation, where they remain for ever, and have an offspring; which, +however, is entirely spiritual, as they are neither married, nor are +their embraces supposed to be the same as with corporeal beings. + +Some of their notions about the deity are extravagantly absurd: They +believe that he is subject to the power of those very spirits to whom +he has given existence; and that, in their turn, they frequently eat +or devour him, though he possess the power of re-creating himself. +They doubtless use this mode of expression, as they seem incapable of +conversing about immaterial things, without constantly referring to +material objects to convey their meaning. And in this manner they +continue the account, by saying, that, in the _tourooa_, the deity +enquires if they intend, or not, to destroy him? And that he is not +able to alter their determination. This is known to the inhabitants on +earth, as well as to the spirits; for when the moon is in its wane, +it is said that they are then devouring their _Eatooa_; and that as it +increases he is renewing himself. And to this accident, not only the +inferior, but the most eminent gods are liable. They also believe, +that there are other places for the reception of souls at death. Thus, +those who are drowned in the sea remain there; where they think that +there is a fine country, houses, and every thing that can make them +happy. But, what is more singular, they maintain, that not only all +other animals, but trees, fruit, and even stones, have souls, which at +death, or upon being consumed or broken, ascend to the divinity, with +whom they first mix, and afterwards pass into the mansion allotted to +each. + +They imagine that their punctual performance of religious offices +procures for them every temporal blessing. And as they believe that +the animating and powerful influence of the divine spirit is +every where diffused, it is no wonder that they join to this many +superstitious opinions about its operations. Accordingly, they believe +that sudden deaths, and all other accidents, are effected by the +immediate action of some divinity. If a man only stumble against a +stone and hurt his toe, they impute it to an _Eatooa_; so that they +may be literally said, agreeably to their system, to tread enchanted +ground. They are startled in the night on approaching a _toopapaoo_, +where the dead are exposed, in the same manner that many of our +ignorant and superstitious people are with the apprehensions of +ghosts, and at the sight of a church-yard; and they have an equal +confidence in dreams, which they suppose to be communications either +from their god, or from the spirits of their departed friends, +enabling those favoured with them to foretell future events; but this +kind of knowledge is confined to particular people. Omai pretended to +have his gift. He told us, that the soul of his father had intimated +to him in a dream, on the 26th of July 1776, that he should go on +shore at some place within three days; but he was unfortunate in this +first attempt to persuade us that he was a prophet; for it was the +1st of August before we got into Teneriffe. Amongst them, however, +the dreamers possess a reputation little inferior to that of their +inspired priests and priestesses, whose predictions they implicitly +believe, and are determined by them in all undertakings of +consequence. The priestess who persuaded Opoony to invade Ulietea, +is much respected by him; and he never goes to war without consulting +her. They also, in some degree, maintain our old doctrine of planetary +influence; at least, they are sometimes regulated in their public +counsels by certain appearances of the moon; particularly when lying +horizontally, or much inclined on the convex part, on its first +appearance after the change, they are encouraged to engage in war with +confidence of success. + +They have traditions concerning the creation, which, as might be +expected, are complex and clouded with obscurity. They say, that a +goddess, having a lump or mass of earth suspended in a cord, gave it a +swing, and scattered about pieces of land, thus constituting Otaheite +and the neighbouring islands, which were all peopled by a man and +woman, originally fixed at Otaheite. This, however, only respects +their own immediate creation; for they have notions of an universal +one before this; and of lands, of which they have now no other +knowledge than what is mentioned in the tradition. Their most remote +account reaches to Tatooma and Tapuppa, male and female stones or +rocks, who support the congeries of land and water, or our globe +underneath. These produced Totorro, who was killed, and divided into +land; and after him Otaia and Oroo were begotten, who were afterward +married, and produced, first, land, and then a race of gods. Otaia is +killed, and Oroo marries a god, her son, called Teorrhaha, whom she +orders to create more land, the animals, and all sorts of food found +upon the earth; as also the sky, which is supported by men called +Teeferei. The spots observed in the moon, are supposed to be groves +of a sort of trees which once grew in Otaheite, and being destroyed +by some accident, their seeds were carried up thither by doves, where +they now flourish. + +They have also many legends, both religious and historical; one of +which latter, relative to the practice of eating human flesh, I shall +give the substance of, as a specimen of their method. A long time +since there lived in Otaheite two men, called _Taheeai_, the only name +they yet have for cannibals; none knew from whence they came, or in +what manner they arrived at the island. Their habitation was in +the mountains, from whence they used to issue, and kill many of the +natives, whom they afterward devoured, and by that means prevented the +progress of population. Two brothers, determined to rid their country +of such a formidable enemy, used a stratagem for their destruction, +with success. These still lived farther upward than the _Taheeai_, and +in such a situation that they could speak with them without greatly +hazarding their own safety; they invited them to accept of an +entertainment that should be provided for them, to which these readily +consented. The brothers then taking some stones, heated them in a +fire, and thrusting them into pieces of _mahee_, desired one of the +_Taheeai_ to open his mouth; on which one of these pieces was dropped +in, and some water poured down, which made a boiling or hissing noise, +in quenching the stone, and killed him. They entreated the other to +do the same; but he declined it, representing the consequences of +his companion's eating. However, they assured him that the food was +excellent, and its effects only temporary; for that the other would +soon recover. His credulity was such that be swallowed the bait, and +shared the fate of the first. The natives then cut them in pieces, +which they buried; and conferred the government of the island on the +brothers, as a reward for delivering them from such monsters. Their +residence was in the district called Whapaeenoo; and to this day there +remains a bread-fruit tree, once the property of the _Taheeais_. +They had also a woman, who lived with them, and had two teeth of +a prodigious size. After they were killed, she lived at the island +Otaha; and when dead, was ranked amongst their deities. She did not +eat human flesh, as the men; but, from the size of her teeth, the +natives still call any animal that has a fierce appearance, or is +represented with large tusks, _Taheeai_. + +Every one must allow that this story is just as natural as that of +Hercules destroying the hydra, or the more modern one of Jack the +giant-killer. But I do not find that there is any moral couched under +it, any more than under most old fables of the same kind, which +have been received as truths only during the prevalence of the same +ignorance that marked the character of the ages in which they were +invented. It, however, has not been improperly introduced, as serving +to express the horror and detestation entertained here against those +who feed upon human flesh. And yet, from some circumstances, I have +been led to think that the natives of these isles were formerly +cannibals. Upon asking Omai, he denied it stoutly; yet mentioned a +fact, within his own knowledge, which almost confirms such an opinion. +When the people of Bolabola, one time, defeated those of Huaheine, a +great number of his kinsmen were slain. But one of his relations had, +afterward, an opportunity of revenging himself, when the Bolabola men +were worsted in their turn, and cutting a piece out of the thigh of +one of his enemies, he broiled, and eat it. I have also frequently +considered the offering of the person's eye, who is sacrificed, to the +chief, as a vestige of a custom which once really existed to a greater +extent, and is still commemorated by this emblematical ceremony. + +The being invested with the _maro_, and the presiding at human +sacrifices, seem to be the peculiar characteristics of the sovereign. +To these, perhaps, may be added the blowing a conch-shell, which +produces a very loud sound. On hearing it, all his subjects are +obliged to bring food of every sort to his royal residence, in +proportion to their abilities. On some other occasions, they carry +their veneration for his very name to an extravagant and very +destructive pitch. For if, on his accession to the _maro_, any words +in their language be found to have a resemblance to it in sound, they +are changed for others; and if any man be bold enough not to comply, +and continue to use those words, not only he, but all his relations, +are immediately put to death. The same severity is exercised toward +those who shall presume to apply this sacred name to any animal. And, +agreeably to this custom of his countrymen, Omai used to express +his indignation, that the English should give the names of prince or +princess to their favourite horses or dogs. But while death is the +punishment for making free with the name of their sovereign, if abuse +be only levelled at his government, the offender escapes with the +forfeiture of lands and houses. + +The king never enters the house of any of his subjects, but has, in +every district where he visits, houses belonging to himself. And if, +at any time, he should be obliged by accident to deviate from this +rule, the house thus honoured with his presence, and every part of +its furniture, is burnt. His subjects not only uncover to him, when +present, down to the waist; but if he be at any particular place, a +pole, having a piece of cloth tied to it, is set up somewhere near, to +which they pay the same honours. His brothers are also entitled to the +first part of the ceremony; but the women only uncover to the females +of the royal family. In short, they seem even superstitious in their +respect to him, and esteem his person little less than sacred. And it +is, perhaps, to these circumstances, that he owes the quiet possession +of his dominions. For even the people of Tiaraboo allow him the same +honours as his right; though, at the same time, they look upon their +own chief as more powerful; and say, that he would succeed to the +government of the whole island, should the present reigning family +become extinct. This is the more likely, as Waheiadooa not only +possesses Tiaraboo, but many districts of Opooreanoo. His territories, +therefore, are almost equal in extent to those of Otoo; and he has, +besides, the advantage of a more populous and fertile part of the +island. His subjects, also, have given proofs of their superiority, +by frequent victories over those of Otaheite-nooe, whom they affect +to speak of as contemptible warriors, easily to be worsted, if at any +time their chief should wish to put it to the test. + +The ranks of people, besides the _Eree de hoi_ and his family, are +the _Erees_, or powerful chiefs; the _Manahoone_, or vassals; and the +_Teou_, or _Toutou_, servants, or rather slaves. The men of each of +these, according to the regular institution, form their connexions +with women of their respective ranks; but if with any inferior one, +which frequently happens, and a child be born, it is preserved, and +has the rank of the father, unless he happens to be an _Eree_, in +which case it is killed. If a woman of condition should choose an +inferior person to officiate as a husband, the children he has by her +are killed. And if a _Teou_ be caught in an intrigue with a woman +of the blood-royal, he is put to death. The son of the _Eree de hoi_ +succeeds his father in title and honours as soon as he is born; but if +he should have no children, the brother assumes the government at his +death. In other families, possessions always descend to the eldest +son; but he is obliged to maintain his brothers and sisters, who are +allowed houses on his estates. + +The boundaries of the several districts, into which Otaheite is +divided, are, generally, either rivulets, or low hills, which, in many +places, jut out into the sea. But the subdivisions into particular +property, are marked by large stones, which have remained from one +generation to another. The removal of any of these gives rise to +quarrels, which are decided by arms; each party bringing his friends +into the field. But if any one complain to the _Eree de hoi_, he +terminates the difference amicably. This is an offence, however, not +common; and long custom seems to secure property here as effectually +as the most severe laws do in other countries. In conformity also to +ancient practice established amongst them, crimes of a less general +nature are left to be punished by the sufferer, without referring +them to a superior. In this case, they seem to think that the injured +person will judge as equitably as those who are totally unconcerned; +and as long custom has allotted certain punishments for crimes of +different sorts, he is allowed to inflict them, without being amenable +to any other person. Thus, if any one be caught stealing, which is +commonly done in the night, the proprietor of the goods may put the +thief instantly to death; and if any one should enquire of him after +the deceased, it is sufficient to acquit him, if he only informs them +of the provocation he had to kill him. But so severe a punishment is +seldom inflicted, unless the articles that are stolen be reckoned very +valuable; such as breast-plates and plaited hair. If only cloth, or +even hogs, be stolen, and the thief escape, upon his being afterward +discovered, if he promise to return the same number of pieces of +cloth, or of hogs, no farther punishment is inflicted. Sometimes, +after keeping out of the way for a few days, he is forgiven, or, at +most, gets a slight beating. If a person kill another in a quarrel, +the friends of the deceased assemble, and engage the survivor and his +adherents. If they conquer, they take possession of the house, lands, +and goods of the other party; but if conquered, the reverse takes +place. If a _Manahoone_ kill the _Toutou_, or slave of a chief, the +latter sends people to take possession of the lands and house of the +former, who flies either to some other part of the island, or to some +of the neighbouring islands. After some months he returns, and finding +his stock of hogs much increased, he offers a large present of these, +with some red feathers, and other valuable articles, to the _Toutou_'s +master, who generally accepts the compensation, and permits him to +repossess his house and lands. This practice is the height of venality +and injustice; and the slayer of the slave seems to be under no +farther necessity of absconding, than to impose upon the lower class +of people, who are the sufferers. For it does not appear that the +chief has the least power to punish this _Manahoone_; but the whole +management marks a collusion between him and his superior, to gratify +the revenge of the former, and the avarice of the latter. Indeed, we +need not wonder that the killing of a man should be considered as +so venial an offence, amongst a people who do not consider it as any +crime at all to murder their own children. When talking to them, about +such instances of unnatural cruelty, and asking, whether the chiefs or +principal people were not angry, and did not punish them? I was told, +that the chief neither could nor would interfere in such cases; and +that every one had a right to do with his own child what he pleased. + +Though the productions, the people, and the customs and manners of +all the islands in the neighbourhood, may, in general, be reckoned +the same as at Otaheite, there are a few differences which should be +mentioned, as this may lead to an enquiry about more material ones +hereafter, if such there be, of which we are now ignorant. + +With regard to the little island Mataia, or Osnaburgh Island, which +lies twenty leagues east of Otaheite, and belongs to a chief of that +place, who gets from thence a kind of tribute, a different dialect +from that of Otaheite is there spoken. The men of Mataia also wear +their hair very long; and when they fight, cover their arms with a +substance which is beset with sharks' teeth, and their bodies with +a sort of shagreen, being skin of fishes. At the same time they +are ornamented with polished pearl-shells, which make a prodigious +glittering in the sun; and they have a very large one, that covers +them before, like a shield or breast plate. + +The language of Otaheite has many words, and even phrases, quite +unlike those of the islands to the westward of it, which all agree; +and this island is remarkable for producing great quantities of that +delicious fruit we call apples, which are found in none of the others, +except Eimeo. It has also the advantage of producing an odoriferous +wood, called _eahoi_, which is highly valued at the other isles, where +there is none; nor even in the south-east peninsula, or Tiaraboo, +though joining it. Huaheine and Eimeo, again, are remarkable for +producing greater quantities of yams than the other islands. And +at Mourooa there is a particular bird, found upon the hills, much +esteemed for its white feathers; at which place there is also said +to be some of the apples, though it be the most remote of the Society +Islands from Otaheite and Eimeo, where they are produced. + +Though the religion of all the islands be the same, each of them has +its particular, or tutelar god; whose names, according to the best +information I could receive, are set down in the following list: + + _Gods of the Isles_, + + Huaheine, _Tanne._ + Ulietea, _Oore._ + Otaha, _Tanne._ + Bolabola, _Oraa._ + Mourooa, _Otoo, ee weiahoo._ + Toobaee, _Tamouee._ + Tabooymanoo, or Saunders's \ + Island, which } _Taroa._ + is subject to Huaheine,/ + Eimeo, _Oroo hadoo._ + + Otaheite-nooe,} _Ooroo._ + Otaheite, { + Tiaraboo, } {_Opoonooa_ and whom they have + {_Whatooteeree_, { lately changed + for Oraa, god + of Bolabola. + + Mataia or Osnaburgh _Tooboo, toobooai, Ry maraiva._ + Island + + The Low Isles, Eastward _Tammaree._ + +Besides the cluster of high islands from Mataia to Mourooa inclusive, +the people of Otaheite are acquainted with a low uninhabited island, +which they name Mopeeha, and seems to be Howe's Island, laid down to +the westward of Mourooa in our late charts of this ocean. To this the +inhabitants of the most leeward islands sometimes go. There are also +several low islands, to the north-eastward of Otaheite, which they +have sometimes visited, but not constantly; and are said to be only at +the distance of two days' sail, with a fair wind. They were thus named +to me: + + Mataeeva, + Oanaa, called Oannah, in Dalrymple's letter to Hawkesworth + Taboohoe, + Awehee, + Kaoora, + Orootooa, + Otavaoo, where are large pearls. + +The inhabitants of these isles come more frequently to Otaheite and +the other neighbouring high islands, from whose natives they differ +in being of a darker colour, with a fiercer aspect, and differently +punctured. I was informed, that at Mataeeva, and others of them, it is +a custom for the men to give their daughters to strangers who arrive +amongst them; but the pairs must be five nights lying near each other, +without presuming to proceed farther. On the sixth evening, the +father of the young woman, treats his guest with food, and informs his +daughter, that she must, that night, receive him as her husband. The +stranger, however, must not offer to express the least dislike, though +the bed-fellow allotted to him should be ever so disagreeable; for +this is considered as an unpardonable affront, and is punished with +death. Forty men of Bolabola, who, incited by curiosity, had roamed as +far as Mataeeva in a canoe, were treated in this manner; one of them +having incautiously mentioned his dislike of the woman who fell to his +lot, in the hearing of a boy, who informed her father. In consequence +of this the Mateevans fell upon them; but these warlike people killed +three times their own number; though with the loss of all their +party, except five. These hid themselves in the woods, and took an +opportunity, when the others were burying their dead, to enter some +houses, where, having provided themselves with victuals and water, +they carried them on board a canoe, in which they made their escape; +and, after passing Mataia, at which they would not touch, at last +arrived safe at Eimeo. The Bolabolans, however, were sensible enough +that their travellers had been to blame; for a canoe from Mateeva, +arriving some time after at Bolabola, so far were they from +retaliating upon them for the death of their countrymen, that they +acknowledged they had deserved their fate, and treated their visitors +kindly. + +These low isles are, doubtless, the farthest navigation which those of +Otaheite and the Society Islands perform at present. It seems to be a +groundless supposition, made by Mons. de Bougainville, that they made +voyages of the prodigious extent[5] he mentions; for I found, that it +is reckoned a sort of a prodigy, that a canoe, once driven by a storm +from Otaheite, should have fallen in with Mopeeha, or Howe's Island, +though so near, and directly to leeward. The knowledge they have +of other distant islands is, no doubt, traditional; and has been +communicated to them by the natives of those islands, driven +accidentally upon their coasts, who, besides giving them the names, +could easily inform them of the direction in which the places lie from +whence they came, and of the number of days they had been upon the +sea. In this manner, it may be supposed, that the natives of Wateeoo +have increased their catalogue by the addition of Otaheite and its +neighbouring isles, from the people we met with there, and also of +the other islands these had heard of. We may thus account for that +extensive knowledge attributed by the gentlemen of the Endeavour to +Tupia in such matters. And, with all due deference to his veracity, +I presume that it was, by the same means of information, that he was +able to direct the ship to Oheteroa, without having ever been +there himself, as he pretended; which, on many accounts, is very +improbable.[6] + +[Footnote 5: See _Bougainville's Voyage autour du Monde_, p. 228, +where we are told that these people sometimes navigate at the distance +of more than three hundred leagues.--D.] + +[Footnote 6: Though much of Mr Anderson's account of Otaheite, &c. be +very similar to what has been given in the preceding relations, yet +it must be allowed to possess too great merit to warrant omission +or alteration. He has been fortunate, certainly, in delineating the +manners and opinions of the people; and perhaps, on the whole, +his information bears more decisive marks of care and intimate +acquaintance than any other we possess on the subject. This, it may +be said, is no very high merit; because, having the benefit of pretty +extensive labours, he had only to compare a picture with its original, +as presented to his notice, and was under no necessity of dividing +his attention among a multiplicity of unconnected objects. Still this +remark is not just, unless it be shewn that he has merely affirmed +the likeness or unlikeness he observed betwixt them, and specified the +peculiarities of resemblance or dissimilarity. In place of doing +so, however, he has executed another picture. But such analogical +reasoning is more fanciful than judicious; and even were it correctly +applicable to the case, it is evident, that no one would be entitled +to decide as to the respective merits of the productions, who was not +familiar with the objects which they represented. Now, the fact is, +that Mr Anderson had no opportunity of availing himself of what others +had done before, unless we except the avowedly imperfect delineations +in Hawkesworth's Narrative, from which we can scarcely believe he +could derive material assistance. The reader will understand this +at once, by considering, that neither Cook's account of his second +voyage, nor the productions of Mr Forster, had been published before +the commencement of this expedition. It may, however, be imagined, +that Cook himself would communicate to Mr Anderson such particulars +of his former journal as were likely to aid him in his present +researches. Even this supposition is exceedingly unnecessary; because, +it appears from the Memoir of Cook, in the Biog. Brit. that that +officer rather received assistance from Mr Anderson during the former +navigation; and we shall afterwards see reason to consider him as +possessed of abilities, and a talent for observation, which rendered +him very independent of others. His description, therefore, is to +be judged an original one, and as such is entitled to the highest +distinction. It may indeed be somewhat chargeable with the +exaggerations of a warm fancy, especially as to what is said of the +religious notions of these islanders, which perhaps assume more of +system and regularity through the medium of Mr A.'s report, than it +is altogether likely would be found to exist in their popular creeds. +This is easily understood, without any aspersion on his veracity. For, +as it will be allowed that he possessed greater compass of mind, and +was more in the habit of exercising thought than the people whose +opinions he described, so it may thence be readily inferred, that, +what to them was confused and unconnected, as is commonly the case +with the superstitions of the illiterate in all countries, his +philosophical genius, working on obvious and remote analogies, wrought +into order, and stamped with the semblance, at least, of theoretical +consistency. We had at one time purposed to offer a few remarks +on certain parts of his description, but, on second thoughts, it +occurred, that, on the whole, the subject had received a very ample +share of attention in the course of these voyages.--E.] + + +SECTION X. + +_Progress of the Voyage, after leaving the Society Islands.--Christmas +Island discovered, and Station of the Ships there.--Boats sent +ashore.--Great Success in catching Turtle.--An Eclipse of the Sun +observed.--Distress of two Seamen who had lost their Way.--Inscription +left in a Bottle.--Account of the Island.--Its Soil.--Trees and +Plants.--Birds.--Its Size.--Form.--Situation.--Anchoring Ground._ + +After leaving Bolabola, I steered to the northward, close-hauled, with +the wind between N.E. and E., hardly ever having it to the southward +of E., till after we had crossed the Line, and had got into N. +latitudes. So that our course, made good, was always to the W. of N., +and sometimes no better than N.W. + +Though seventeen months had now elapsed since our departure from +England, during which, we had not, upon the whole, been unprofitably +employed, I was sensible, that with regard to the principal object of +my instructions, our voyage was, at this time, only beginning; and, +therefore, my attention to every circumstance that might contribute +toward our safety and our ultimate success, was now to be called forth +anew. With this view I had examined into the state of our provisions +at the last islands; and, as soon as I had left them, and got beyond +the extent of my former discoveries, I ordered a survey to be taken +of all the boatswain's and carpenter's stores that were in the ships, +that I might be fully informed of the quantity, state, and condition +of every article; and, by that means, know how to use them to the +greatest advantage. + +Before I sailed from the Society Islands, I lost no opportunity of +enquiring of the inhabitants, if there were any islands in a N. or +N.W. direction from them; but I did not find that they knew of any. +Nor did we meet with any thing that indicated the vicinity of land, +till we came to about the latitude of 8° S., where we began to see +birds, such as boobies, tropic, and men-of-war birds, tern, and some +other sorts. At this time our longitude was 205° E. Mendana, in his +first voyage in 1568,[1] discovered an island which he named Isla de +Jesus, in latitude 6° 45' S., and 1450 leagues from Callao, which +is 200° E. longitude from Greenwich. We crossed this latitude near a +hundred leagues to the eastward of this longitude, and saw there many +of the above-mentioned birds, which are seldom known to go very far +from land. + +[Footnote 1: See Dalrymple's Collection, vol. i. p. 45.] + +In the night, between the 22d and 23d, we crossed the Line in the +longitude of 203° 15' E. Here the variation of the compass was 6° 30' +E. nearly. + +On the 24th, about half an hour after day-break, land was discovered +bearing N.E. by E. 1/2 E. Upon a nearer approach, it was found to be +one of those low islands so common in this ocean, that is, a narrow +bank of land inclosing the sea within. A few cocoa-nut trees were seen +in two or three places; but, in general, the land had a very barren +appearance. At noon, it extended from N.E. by E. to S. by E. 1/2 E., +about four miles distant. The wind was at E.S.E., so that we were +under a necessity of making a few boards, to get up to the lee or west +side, where we found from forty to twenty and fourteen fathoms water, +over a bottom of fine sand, the least depth about half a mile from, +the breakers, and the greatest about one mile. The meeting with +soundings determined me to anchor, with a view to try to get some +turtles, for the island seemed to be a likely place to meet with them, +and to be without inhabitants. Accordingly we dropped anchor in thirty +fathoms; and then a boat was dispatched to examine whether it was +practicable to land, of which I had some doubt, as the sea broke in +a dreadful surf all along the shore. When the boat returned, the +officer, whom I had entrusted with this examination, reported to me +that he could see no place where a boat could land, but that there was +great abundance of fish in the shoal water, without the breakers. + +At day-break, the next morning, I sent two boats, one from each ship, +to search more accurately for a landing-place; and, at the same time, +two others to fish at a grappling near the shore. These last returned +about eight o'clock, with upward of two hundred weight of fish. +Encouraged by this success, they were dispatched again after +breakfast; and I then went in another boat, to take a view of +the coast and attempt landing, but this I found to be wholly +impracticable. Toward noon, the two boats, sent on the same search, +returned. The master, who was in that belonging to the Resolution, +reported to me, that about a league and a half to the N., was a break +in the land, and a channel into the _lagoon_, consequently, that there +was a fit place for landing; and that he had found the same soundings +off this entrance, as we had where we now lay. In consequence of this +report the ships weighed anchor, and, after two or three trips, came +to again in twenty fathoms water, over a bottom of fine dark sand, +before a small island that lies at the entrance of the _lagoon_, and +on each side of which there is a channel leading into it, but only fit +for boats. The water in the _lagoon_ itself is all very shallow. + +On the 26th, in the morning, I ordered Captain Clerke to send a +boat, with an officer, to the S.E. part of the _lagoon_, to look for +turtles; and Mr King and I went each in a boat to the N.E. part. I +intended to have gone to the most easterly extremity, but the wind +blew too fresh to allow it, and obliged us to land more to leeward, on +a sandy flat, where we caught one turtle, the only one that we saw +in the _lagoon_. We walked, or rather waded, through the water to +an island, where finding nothing but a few birds, I left it, and +proceeded to the land that bounds the sea to the N.W., leaving Mr King +to observe the sun's meridian altitude. I found this land to be even +more barren than the island I had been upon; but walking over to the +sea-coast, I saw five turtles close to the shore. One of these we +caught, and the rest made their escape. Not seeing any more I returned +on board, as did Mr King soon after, without having seen one turtle. +We, however, did not despair of getting a supply; for some of Captain +Clerke's officers, who had been ashore on the land to the southward +of the channel leading into the _lagoon_, had been more fortunate, and +caught several there. + +In the morning of the 27th, the pinnace and cutter, under the command +of Mr King, were sent to the S.E. part of the island, within the +_lagoon_, and the small cutter to the northward, where I had been the +day before, both parties being ordered upon the same service, to catch +turtles. Captain Clerke having had some of his people on shore all +night, they had been so fortunate as to turn between forty and fifty +on the sand, which were brought on board with all expedition this day. +And, in the afternoon, the party I had sent northward returned with +six. They were sent back again, and remained there till we left the +island, having in general pretty good success. + +On the 28th, I landed in company with Mr Bayly, on the island which +lies between the two channels into the _lagoon_, to prepare the +telescopes for observing the approaching eclipse of the sun, which +was one great inducement to my anchoring here. About noon, Mr King +returned with one boat and eight turtles, leaving seven behind to +be brought by the other boat, whose people were employed in catching +more; and, in the evening, the same boat was sent with water and +provisions for them. Mr Williamson now went to superintend this +duty in the room of Mr King, who remained on board to attend the +observation of the eclipse. + +The next day, Mr Williamson dispatched the two boats back to the ship, +laden with turtles. At the same time, he sent me a message, desiring +that the boats might be ordered round by sea, as he had found a +landing-place on the S.E. side of the island, where most of the +turtles were caught; so that by sending the boats thither, the trouble +would be saved of carrying them over the land to the inside of the +_lagoon_, as had been hitherto done. The boats were accordingly +dispatched to the place which he pointed out. + +On the morning of the 30th, the day when the eclipse was to happen, +Mr King, Mr Bayly, and myself, went ashore on the small island +above-mentioned, to attend the observation. The sky was over-cast till +past nine o'clock, when the clouds about the sun dispersed long enough +to take its altitude, to rectify the time by the watch we made use +of. After this, it was again obscured, till about thirty minutes past +nine, and then we found that the eclipse was begun. We now fixed the +micrometers to the telescopes, and observed or measured the uneclipsed +part of the sun's disk. At these observations I continued about +three-quarters of an hour before the end, when I left off, being, in +fact, unable to continue them longer, on account of the great heat of +the sun, increased by the reflection from the sand. + +The sun was clouded at times; but it was clear when the eclipse ended, +the time of which was observed as follows: + + Mr Bayly 0 26 3 + By Mr King at 0 26 1 Apparent Time p.m. + Myself 0 25 37 + +Mr Bayly and I observed with the large achromatic telescopes, and Mr +King with a reflector. As Mr Bayly's telescope and mine were of the +same magnifying power, I ought not to have differed so much from +him as I did. Perhaps, it was, in part, if not wholly owing to a +protuberance in the moon, which escaped my notice, but was seen by +both the other gentlemen. + +In the afternoon, the boats and turtling party, at the S.E. part of +the island, all returned on board, except a seaman belonging to the +Discovery, who had been missing two days. There were two of them at +first who had lost their way, but disagreeing about the most probable +track to bring them back to their companions, they had separated, and +one of them joined the party, after having been absent twenty-four +hours, and been in great distress. Not a drop of fresh water could be +had, for there is none upon the whole island; nor was there a single +cocoa-nut tree on that part of it. In order to allay his thirst, +be had recourse to the singular expedient of killing turtles, and +drinking their blood. His mode of refreshing himself, when weary, +of which he said he felt the good effects, was equally whimsical. He +undressed himself, and lay down for some time in the shallow water +upon the beach.[2] + +[Footnote 2: The practice is deserving of a better epithet. It is +highly judicious, and may often be adopted with the best effects. The +use of the cold bath in cases of fever is not materially different; +and it is most certain, that washing the body with either cold or warm +water, is one of the best methods of relieving the sense of weariness +consequent on fatiguing exercise. Some caution is undoubtedly required +in using it; but on the whole, there is much less danger in the +application than is commonly imagined. The natural indications are +chiefly to be regarded. Thus it is not likely that a person already +cooled down below the natural standard, so as to feel positively cold +or chilly, will run the risk of greater reduction of temperature by +immersion in cold water; and on the other hand, when most warm, +in which state such reduction is safest, there is the greatest +inclination to have recourse to it. It is advisable to employ friction +with cloths in most cases, but more especially where perspiration has +been brought on, in which state, cold bathing, unless preceded by that +process in such a degree as to excite a sense of heat on the surface, +is improper, for a reason above assigned, perspiration always +occasioning a reduction of temperature. This subject is an important +one, but could not be discussed here; there seemed, however, some good +end likely to be answered by at least directing attention to it.--E.] + +It was a matter of surprise to every one, how these two men could +contrive to lose themselves. The land over which they had to travel, +from the sea-coast to the _lagoon_, where the boats lay, was not more +than three miles across, nor was there any thing to obstruct their +view, for the country was a flat, with a few shrubs scattered upon +it, and from many parts of it, the masts of the ships could easily be +seen. But this was a rule of direction they never once thought of; +nor did they recollect in what quarter of the island the ships had +anchored, and they were as much at a loss how to get back to them, or +to the party they had straggled from, as if they had but just +dropped from the clouds. Considering how strange a set of beings the +generality of seamen are, when on shore, instead of being surprised +that these two men should thus lose their way, it is rather to be +wondered at, that no more of the party were missing. Indeed, one +of those who landed with me was in a similar situation; but he had +sagacity enough to know that the ships were to leeward, and got +on board almost as soon as it was discovered that he had been left +behind. + +As soon as Captain Clerke knew that one of the stragglers was still in +this awkward situation, he sent a party in search of him; but neither +the man nor the party having come back, the next morning I ordered two +boats into the _lagoon_, to go different ways, in prosecution of the +search. Not long after, Captain Clerke's party returned with their +lost companion; and my boats having now no object left, I called +them back by signal. This poor fellow must have suffered far greater +distress than the other straggler, not only as having been lost +a longer time, but as we found that he was too squeamish to drink +turtle's blood. + +Having some cocoa-nuts and yams on board, in a state of vegetation, I +ordered them to be planted on the little island where we had observed +the eclipse, and some melon-seeds were sown in another place. I also +left, on the little island, a bottle containing this inscription: + + _Georgius, Tertius, Rex, 31 Decembris, 1777._ + _Naves {Resolution, Jac. Cook, Pr._ + _{Discovery, Car. Clerke, Pr._ + +On the 1st of January, 1778, I sent boats to bring on board all our +parties from the land, and the turtles they had caught. Before this +was completed it was late in the afternoon, so that I did not think +proper to sail till next morning. We got at this island, to both +ships, about three hundred turtles, weighing, one with another, about +ninety or a hundred pounds. They were all of the green kind, and +perhaps as good as any in the world. We also caught, with hook and +line, as much fish as we could consume during our stay. They consisted +principally of cavallies of different sizes, large and small snappers, +and a few of two sorts of rock-fish, one with numerous spots of blue, +and the other with whitish streaks scattered about. + +The soil of this island, in some places, is light and black, evidently +composed of decayed vegetables, the dung of birds, and sand. There +are other places again, where nothing but marine productions, such as +broken coral stones and shells are to be seen. These are deposited in +long narrow ridges, lying in a parallel direction with the sea-coast, +not unlike a ploughed field, and must have been thrown up by the +waves, though, at this time, they do not reach within a mile of some +of these places. This seems to furnish an incontestible proof that the +island has been produced by accessions from the sea, and is in a state +of increase; for not only the broken pieces of coral, but many of the +shells, are too heavy and large to have been brought by any birds, +from the beach, to the places where they now lie. Not a drop of fresh +water was any where found, though frequently dug for. We met with +several ponds of salt water, which had no visible communication with +the sea, and must, therefore, in all probability, be filled by the +water filtrating through the sand in high tides. One of the lost men +found some salt on the S.E. part of the island. But though this was an +article of which we were in want, a man who could lose himself, as +he did, and not know whether he was travelling east, west, north, or +south, was not to be depended upon as a fit guide to conduct us to the +place. + +There were not the smallest traces of any human being having ever been +here before us; and, indeed, should any one be so unfortunate as to be +accidentally driven upon the island, or left there, it is hard to +say, that he could be able to prolong existence. There is, indeed, +abundance of birds and fish, but no visible means of allaying thirst, +nor any vegetable that could supply the place of bread, or correct the +bad effects of an animal diet, which, in all probability, would soon +prove fatal alone. On the few cocoa-trees upon the island, the number +of which did not exceed thirty, very little fruit was found; and, in +general, what was found, was either not fully grown, or had the juice +salt, or brackish. So that a ship touching here, must expect nothing +but fish and turtles, and of these an abundant supply may be depended +upon. + +On some parts of the land were a few low trees. Mr Anderson gave me an +account also of two small shrubs, and, of two or three small plants, +all which we had seen on Palmerston's Island and Otakootaia. There +was also a species of _sida_ or Indian mallow, a sort of purslain, +and another small plant, that seemed, from its leaves, a +_mesembryanthemum_, with two species of grass. But each of these +vegetable productions was in so small a quantity, and grew with so +much languor, that one is almost surprised that the species do not +become extinct. + +Under the low trees above-mentioned, sat infinite numbers of a new +species of tern, or egg-bird. These are black above and white below, +with a white arch on the forehead, and are rather larger than the +common noddy. Most of them had lately hatched their young, which lay +under old ones upon the bare ground. The rest had eggs, of which they +only lay one, larger than that of a pigeon, bluish and speckled with +black. There were also a good many common boobies, a sort that are +almost like a gannet, and a sooty or chocolate-coloured one, with a +white belly. To this list we must add men-of-war birds, tropic-birds, +curlews, sand-pipers, a small land-bird like a hedge-sparrow, +land-crabs, small lizards, and rats. + +As we kept our Christmas here, I called this discovery _Christmas +Island_. I judge it to be about fifteen or twenty leagues in +circumference. It seemed to be of a semicircular form, or like the +moon in the last quarter, the two horns being the N. and S. points, +which bear from each other nearly N. by E., and S. by W., four or five +leagues distant. This west side, or the little isle at the entrance +into the _lagoon_, upon which we observed the eclipse, lies in the +latitude of 1° 59' N., and in the longitude of 202° 30' E., determined +by a considerable number of lunar observations, which differed only +7' from the time-keeper, it being so much less. The variation of the +compass was 6° 22-1/2' E., and the dip of the north end of the needle +11° 54'. + +Christmas Island, like most others in this ocean, is bounded by a reef +of coral-rocks, which extends but a little way from the shore. +Farther out than this reef, on the west side, is a bank of fine sand, +extending a mile into the sea. On this bank is good anchorage, in +any depth between eighteen and thirty fathoms. In less than the +first-mentioned depth, the reef would be too near; and, in more than +the last, the edge of the bank would not be at a sufficient distance. +During the time we lay here, the wind blew constantly a fresh gale at +E., or E. by S., except one or two days. We had, always, a great swell +from the northward, which broke upon the reef in a prodigious surf. +We had found this swell before we came to the island, and it continued +for some days after we left it. + + +SECTION XI. + +_Some Islands discovered.--Account of the Natives of Atooi, who came +off to the Ships, and their Behaviour on going on board.--One of them +killed.--Precautions used to prevent Intercourse with the Females.--A +Watering-place found.--Reception upon landing.--Excursion into the +Country.--A Morai visited and described.--Graves of the Chiefs, and of +the human Sacrifices, there buried.--Another Island, called Oneeheow, +visited.--Ceremonies performed by the Natives, who go off to the +Ships.--Reasons for believing that they are Cannibals.--A Party +sent ashore, who remain two Nights.--Account of what passed on +landing.--The Ships leave, the Islands, and proceed to the North._ + +On the 2d of January, at day-break, we weighed anchor, and resumed our +course to the N., having fine weather, and a gentle breeze at E., and +E.S.E., till we got into the latitude of 7° 45' N., and the longitude +of 205° E., where we had one calm day. This was succeeded by a N.E. +by E., and E.N.E. wind. At first it blew faint, but freshened as we +advanced to the N. We continued to see birds every day of the sorts +last mentioned, sometimes in greater numbers than others, and between +the latitude of 10° and 11°, we saw several turtles. All these are +looked upon as signs of the vicinity of land. However, we discovered +none till day-break, in the morning of the 18th, when an island made +its appearance, bearing N.E. by E.; and soon after, we saw more +land bearing N., and entirely detached from the former. Both had the +appearance of being high land. At noon, the first bore N.E. by E. 1/2 +E., by estimation about eight or nine leagues distant; and an elevated +hill, near the east end of the other, bore N. 1/2 W. Our latitude, at +this time, was 21° 12' N., and longitude 200° 41' E. We had now light +airs and calms by turns, so that, at sunset, we were not less than +nine or ten leagues from the nearest land. + +On the 19th, at sun-rise, the island first seen, bore E., several +leagues distant. This being directly to windward, which prevented our +getting near it, I stood for the other, which we could reach; and, not +long after, discovered a third island in the direction of W.N.W., as +far distant as land could be seen. We had now a fine breeze at E. by +N., and I steered for the east end of the second island, which, at +noon, extended from N. 1/2 E. to W.N.W. 1/4 W., the nearest part being +about two leagues distant. At this time, we were in some doubt whether +or no the land before us was inhabited; but this doubt was soon +cleared up, by seeing some canoes coming off from the shore toward the +ships. I immediately brought-to, to give them time to join us. They +had from three to six men each; and, on their approach, we were +agreeably surprised to find that they spoke the language of Otaheite, +and of the other islands we had lately visited. It required but very +little address to get them to come along-side; but no entreaties could +prevail upon any of them to come on board. I tied some brass medals to +a rope, and gave them to those in one of the canoes, who, in return, +tied some small mackerel to the rope as an equivalent. This was +repeated; and some small nails, or bits of iron, which they valued +more than any other article, were given them. For these they exchanged +more fish and a sweet potatoe, a sure sign that they had some notion +of bartering, or, at least, of returning one present for another. They +had nothing else in their canoes, except some large gourd shells, and +a kind of fishing-net; but one of them offered for sale the piece +of stuff that he wore round his waist, after the manner of the other +islands. These people were of a brown colour; and, though of the +common size, were stoutly made. There was little difference in the +casts of their colour, but a considerable variation in their features, +some of their visages not being very unlike those of Europeans. The +hair of most of them was cropt pretty short, others had it flowing +loose, and, with a few, it was tied in a bunch on the crown of the +head. In all it seemed to be naturally black; but most of them had +stained it, as is the practice of the Friendly Islanders, with some +stuff which gave it a brown or burnt colour. In general they wore +their beards. They had no ornaments about their persons, nor did we +observe that their ears were perforated; but some were punctured on +the hands, or near the groin, though in a small degree; and the bits +of cloth which they wore, were curiously-stained with red, black, and +white colours. They seemed very mild, and had no arms of any kind, +if we except some small stones, which they had evidently brought for +their own defence, and these they threw overboard when they found that +they were not wanted. + +Seeing no signs of an anchoring-place at this eastern extreme of the +island, I bore away to leeward, and ranged along the S.E. side, at the +distance of half a league from the shore. As soon as we made sail the +canoes left us; but others came off as we proceeded along the coast, +bringing with them roasting-pigs, and some very fine potatoes, which +they had exchanged, as the others had done, for whatever was offered +to them. Several small pigs were purchased for a sixpenny nail, so +that we again found ourselves in a land of plenty, and just at +the time when the turtle, which we had so fortunately procured at +Christmas Island, were nearly expended. We passed several villages, +some seated near the sea, and others farther up the country. The +inhabitants of all of them crowded to the shore, and collected +themselves on the elevated places to view the ships. The land upon +this side of the island rises in a gentle slope, from the sea to the +foot of the mountains, which occupy the centre of the country, except +at one place near the east end, where they rise directly from the +sea, and seemed to be formed of nothing but stone, or rocks lying in +horizontal _strata_. We saw no wood but what was up in the interior +part of the island, except a few trees about the villages, near +which, also, we could observe several plantations of plantains and +sugar-canes, and spots that seemed cultivated for roots. + +We continued to sound, without striking ground with a line of fifty +fathoms, till we came abreast of a low point, which is about the +middle of the east side of the island, or rather nearer the N.W. end. +Here we met with twelve and fourteen fathoms over a rocky bottom. +Being past this point, from which the coast trended more northerly, +we had twenty, then sixteen, twelve, and, at last, five fathoms over +a sandy bottom. The last soundings were about a mile from the shore. +Night now put a stop to any farther researches, and we spent it +standing off and on. The next morning we stood in for the land, and +were met by several canoes filled with people, some of whom took +courage and ventured on board. + +In the course of my several voyages I never before met with the +natives of any place so much astonished, as these people were upon +entering a ship. Their eyes were continually flying from object to +object; the wildness of their looks and gestures fully expressing +their entire ignorance about every thing they saw, and strongly +marking to us, that, till now, they had never been visited by +Europeans, nor been acquainted with any of our commodities, except +iron; which, however, it was plain, they had only heard of, or had +known it in some small quantity, brought to them at some distant +period. They seemed only to understand that it was a substance much +better adapted to the purposes of cutting or of boring of holes, than +any thing their own country produced. They asked for it by the name +of _hamaite_, probably referring to some instrument, in the making of +which iron could be usefully employed; for they applied that name to +the blade of a knife, though we could be certain that they had no +idea of that particular instrument, nor could they at all handle it +properly. For the same reason they frequently called iron by the name +of _toe_, which, in their language, signifies a hatchet, or rather a +kind of adze. On asking them what iron was, they immediately answered, +"We do not know; you know what it is, and we only understand it as +_toe_, or _hamaite_." When we shewed them some beads, they asked +first, "What they were;" and then "whether they should eat them." +But on their being told that they were to be hung in their ears, +they returned them as useless. They were equally indifferent as to a +looking-glass, which was offered them, and returned it for the same +reason; but sufficiently expressed their desire for _hamaite_ and +_toe_, which they wished might be very large. Plates of earthen-ware, +china-cups, and other such things, were so new to them, that they +asked if they were made of wood, but wished to have some, that +they might carry them to be looked at on shore. They were, in some +respects, naturally well-bred; or, at least, fearful of giving +offence, asking whether they should sit down, whether they should +spit upon the deck, and the like. Some of them repeated a long prayer +before they came on board; and others afterward sung and made motions +with their hands, such as we had been accustomed to see in the dances +of the islands we had lately visited. There was another circumstance +in which they also perfectly resembled those other islanders. At +first, on their entering the ship, they endeavoured to steal every +thing they came near, or rather to take it openly, as what we either +should not resent, or not hinder. We soon convinced them of their +mistake; and if they, after some time, became less active in +appropriating to themselves whatever they took a fancy to, it was +because they found that we kept a watchful eye over them. + +At nine o'clock, being pretty near the shore, I sent three armed +boats, under the command of Lieutenant Williamson, to look for a +landing-place, and for fresh water. I ordered him, that if he should +find it necessary to land in search of the latter, not to suffer +more than one man to go with him out of the boats. Just as they +were putting off from the ship, one of the natives having stole the +butcher's cleaver, leaped overboard, got into his canoe, and hastened +to the shore, the boats pursuing him in vain. + +The order not to permit the crews of the boats to go on shore was +issued, that I might do every thing in my power to prevent the +importation of a fatal disease into this island, which I knew some of +our men now laboured under, and which, unfortunately, had been already +communicated by us to other islands in these seas. With the same view +I ordered all female visitors to be excluded from the ships. Many of +them had come off in the canoes. Their size, colour, and features did +not differ much from those of the men; and though their countenances +were remarkably open and agreeable, there were few traces of delicacy +to be seen, either in their faces, or other proportions. The only +difference in their dress was their having a piece of cloth about +the body, reaching from near the middle to half-way down the thighs, +instead of the _maro_ worn by the other sex. They would as readily +have favoured us with their company on board as the men; but I wished +to prevent all connection, which might, too probably, convey an +irreparable injury to themselves, and, through their means, to the +whole nation. Another necessary precaution was taken, by strictly +enjoining, that no person known to be capable of propagating the +infection, should be sent upon duty out of the ships. + +Whether these regulations, dictated by humanity, had the desired +effect or no, time only can discover. I had been equally attentive +to the same object, when I first visited the Friendly Islands, yet I +afterwards found, with real concern, that I had not succeeded. And I +am much afraid that this will always be the case in such voyages as +ours, whenever it is necessary to have a number of people on shore. +The opportunities and inducements to an intercourse between the sexes +are then too numerous to be guarded against; and, however confident we +may be of the health of our men, we are often undeceived too late. It +is even a matter of doubt with me, if it be always in the power of the +most skilful of the faculty to pronounce, with any certainty, whether +a person who has been under their care, in certain stages of this +malady, is so effectually cured, as to leave no possibility of his +being still capable of communicating the taint. I think I could +mention some instances which justify my presuming to hazard this +opinion. It is likewise well known, that amongst a number of men, +there are, generally, to be found some so bashful as to endeavour to +conceal their labouring under any symptoms of this disorder. And +there are others again, so profligate, as not to care to whom they +communicate it. Of this last we had an instance at Tongataboo, in the +gunner of the Discovery, who had been stationed on shore to manage +the trade for that ship. After he knew that he had contracted this +disease, he continued to have connections with different women, +who were supposed not to have already contracted it. His companions +expostulated with him without effect, till Captain Clerke, hearing of +this dangerous irregularity of conduct, ordered him on board.[1] + +[Footnote 1: One can scarcely help smiling at the mode Dr Kippis uses +to express his abhorrence of this man's conduct. It may be seen in +his account of this voyage, given in the Biog. Brit. "If I knew the +rascal's name," says he, "I would hang it up, as far as lies in my +power, to everlasting infamy!" Undoubtedly it richly deserved such +treatment, but there was no necessity for the doctor exhibiting such +keenness for the office of executioner.--E.] + +While the boats were occupied in examining the coast, we stood on +and off with the ships, waiting for their return. About noon, Mr +Williamson came back, and reported that he had seen a large pond +behind a beach near one of the villages, which the natives told him +contained fresh water, and that there was anchoring-ground before it. +He also reported that he had attempted to land in another place, but +was prevented by the natives, who, coming down to the boats in great +numbers, attempted to take away the oars, musquets, and, in short, +every thing that they could lay hold of, and pressed so thick upon +him, that he was obliged to fire, by which one man was killed. But +this unhappy circumstance I did not know till after we had left the +island, so that all my measures were directed as if nothing of the +kind had happened. Mr Williamson told me, that after the man fell, +his countrymen took him up, carried him off, and then retired from +the boat; but still they made signals for our people to land, which he +declined. It did not appear to Mr Williamson, that the natives had +any design to kill, or even to hurt, any of his party; but they seemed +excited by mere curiosity, to get from them what they had, being, at +the same time, ready to give in return, any thing of their own. + +After the boats were on board, I dispatched one of them to lie in the +best anchoring-ground; and as soon as she had got to this station, I +bore down with the ships, and anchored in twenty-five fathoms water, +the bottom a fine grey sand. The east point of the road, which was the +low point before-mentioned, bore S. 51° E., the west point N. 65° W., +and the village, behind which the water was said to be, N.E. by E., +distant one mile. But, little more than a quarter of a mile from us, +there were breakers, which I did not see till after the Resolution was +placed. The Discovery anchored to the eastward of us, and farther +from the land. The ships being thus stationed, between three and four +o'clock, I went ashore with three armed boats, and twelve marines, +to examine the water, and to try the disposition of the inhabitants, +several hundreds of whom were assembled on a sandy beach before +the village; behind it was a narrow valley, the bottom of which was +occupied by the piece of water. + +The very instant I leaped on shore, the collected body of the natives +all fell flat upon their faces, and remained in that very humble +posture, till, by expressive signs, I prevailed upon them to rise. +They then brought a great many small pigs, which they presented to me, +with plantain trees, using much the same ceremonies that we had seen +practised on such occasions, at the Society and other islands; and a +long prayer being spoken by a single person, in which others of +the assembly sometimes joined. I expressed my acceptance of their +proffered friendship, by giving them, in return, such presents as +I had brought with me from the ship for that purpose. When this +introductory business was finished, I stationed a guard upon the +beach, and got some of the natives to conduct me to the water, which +proved to be very good, and in a proper situation for our purpose. +It was so considerable, that it may be called a lake; and it extended +farther up the country than we could see. Having satisfied myself +about this very essential point, and about the peaceable disposition +of the natives, I returned on board, and then gave orders that every +thing should be in readiness for landing and filling our water-casks +in the morning, when I went ashore with the people employed in that +service, having a party of marines with us for a guard, who were +stationed on the beach. + +As soon as we landed, a trade was set on foot for hogs and potatoes, +which the people of the island gave us in exchange for nails and +pieces of iron, formed into something like chisels. We met with no +obstruction in watering; on the contrary, the natives assisted our +men in rolling the casks to and from the pool, and readily performed +whatever we required. Every thing thus going on to my satisfaction, +and considering my presence on the spot as unnecessary, I left +the command to Mr Williamson, who had landed with me, and made an +excursion into the country, up the valley, accompanied by Mr Anderson +and Mr Webber; the former of whom was as well qualified to describe +with the pen, as the latter was to represent with his pencil, every +thing we might meet with worthy of observation. A numerous train of +natives followed us; and one of them, whom I had distinguished for his +activity in keeping the rest in order, I made choice of as our guide. +This man, from time to time, proclaimed our approach; and every one +whom we met, fell prostrate upon the ground, and remained in that +position till we had passed. This, as I afterward understood, is the +mode of paying their respect to their own great chiefs. As we ranged +down the coast from the east, in the ships, we had observed at every +village one or more elevated white objects, like pyramids or other +obelisks; and one of these, which I guessed to be at least fifty feet +high, was very conspicuous from the ship's anchoring station, and +seemed to be at no great distance up this valley. To have a nearer +inspection of it, was the principal object of my walk. Our guide +perfectly understood that we wished to be conducted to it. But it +happened to be so placed, that we could not get at it, being separated +from us by the pool of water. However, there being another of the same +kind within our reach, about half a mile off, upon our side of the +valley, we set out to visit that. The moment we got to it, we saw that +it stood in a burying-ground, or _morai_, the resemblance of which, +in many respects to those we were so well acquainted with at other +islands in this ocean, and particularly Otaheite, could not but strike +us; and we also soon found, that the several parts that compose it, +were called by the same names. It was an oblong space, of considerable +extent, surrounded by a wall of stone, about four feet high. The space +inclosed was loosely paved with smaller stones; and at one end of it, +stood what I call the pyramid, but, in the language of the island, is +named _henananoo_, which appeared evidently to be an exact model of +the larger one, observed by us from the ships. It was about four feet +square at the base, and about twenty feet high. The four sides were +composed of small poles interwoven with twigs and branches, thus +forming an indifferent wicker-work, hollow or open within, from bottom +to top. It seemed to be rather in a ruinous state; but there were +sufficient remaining marks to shew that it had originally been covered +with a thin light grey cloth, which these people, it would seem, +consecrate to religions purposes, as we could see a good deal of it +hanging in different parts of the _morai_, and some of it had been +forced upon me when I first landed. On each side of the pyramid were +long pieces of wicker-work, called _hereanee_, in the same ruinous +condition, with two slender poles, inclining to each other, at one +corner, where some plantains were laid upon a board, fixed at the +height of five or six feet. This they called _herairemy_; and informed +us, that the fruit was an offering to their god, which makes it agree +exactly with the _whatta_ of Otaheite. Before the _henananoo_ were a +few pieces of wood, carved into something like human figures, which, +with a stone near two feet high, covered with pieces of cloth, called +_hoho_, and consecrated to _Tongarooa_, who is the god of these +people, still more and more reminded us of what we used to meet with +in the _morais_ of the islands we had lately left. Adjoining to these, +on the outside of the _morai_, was a small shed, no bigger than a +dog-kennel, which they called _hareepahoo_; and before it was a grave, +where, as we were told, the remains of a woman lay. + +On the farther side of the area of the _morai_, stood a house or +shed, about forty feet long, ten broad in the middle, each end being +narrower, and about ten feet high. This, which, though much longer, +was lower than their common dwelling places, we were informed, was +called _hemanaa_. The entrance into it was at the middle of the side, +which was in the _morai_. On the farther side of this house, opposite +the entrance, stood two wooden images, cut out of one piece, with +pedestals, in all about three feet high, neither very indifferently +designed or executed. These were said to be _Eatooa no Veheina_, or +representations of goddesses. On the head of one of them was a carved +helmet, not unlike those worn, by the ancient warriors; and on that of +the other, a cylindrical cap, resembling the head-dress at Otaheite, +called _tomou_; and both of them had pieces of cloth tied about the +loins, and hanging a considerable way down. At the side of each, was +also a piece of carved wood, with bits of the cloth hung on them, in +the same manner; and between, or before, the pedestals, lay a quantity +of fern, in a heap. It was obvious, that this had been deposited +there, piece by piece, and at different times; for there was of it, in +all states, from what was quite decayed, to what was still fresh and +green. + +In the middle of the house, and before the two images, was an oblong +space, inclosed by a low edging of stone, and covered with shreds of +the cloth so often mentioned. This, on enquiry, we found was the grave +of seven chiefs, whose names were enumerated, and the place was called +_Heneene_. We had met already with so many striking instances of +resemblance, between the burying-place we were now visiting, and those +of the islands we had lately come from in the South Pacific, that we +had little doubt in our minds, that the resemblance existed also, in +the ceremonies practised here, and particularly in the horrid one of +offering human sacrifices. Our suspicions were too soon confirmed by +direct evidence. For, on coming out of the house, just on one side +of the entrance, we saw a small square place, and another still less, +near it; and on asking what these were, our guide immediately informed +us, that in the one was buried a man who had been sacrificed; a +_Taa-ta_ (_Tanata_ or _Tangata_, in this country) _taboo_ (_tafoo_, as +here pronounced); and in the other, a hog, which had also been made +an offering to the divinity. At a little distance from these, near +the middle of the _morai_, were three more of these square inclosed +places, with two pieces of carved wood at each, and upon them a heap +of fern. These, we were told, were the graves of three chiefs; and +before them was an oblong, inclosed space, to which our conductor also +gave the name of _Tangata taboo_; telling us, so explicitly, that we +could not mistake his meaning, that three human sacrifices had been +buried there; that is, one at the funeral of each chief. It was with +most sincere concern, that I could trace, on such undoubted evidence, +the prevalence of these bloody rites, throughout this immense ocean, +amongst people disjoined by such a distance, and even ignorant of each +other's existence, though so strongly marked as originally of the same +nation. It was no small addition to this concern, to reflect, that +every appearance led us to believe, that the barbarous practice was +very general here. The island seemed to abound with such places of +sacrifice as this which we were now visiting, and which appeared to +be one of the most inconsiderable of them, being far less conspicuous +than several others which we had seen, as we sailed along the coast, +and particularly than that on the opposite side of the water, in +this valley, the white _henananoo_, or pyramid, of which, we were now +almost sure, derived its colour only from pieces of the consecrated +cloth laid over it. In several parts, within the inclosure of this +burying-ground, were planted trees of the _cordia sebestina_ some +of the _morinda citrifolia_, and several plants of the _etee_, or +_jeejee_, of Tongataboo, with the leaves of which the _hemanaa_ was +thatched; and, as I observed, that this plant was not made use of in +thatching their dwelling-houses, probably it is reserved entirely for +religious purposes. + +Our road to and from the _morai_, which I have described, lay through +the plantations. The greatest part of the ground was quite flat, with +ditches full of water intersecting different parts, and roads that +seemed artificially raised to some height. The interspaces were, in +general, planted with _taro_, which grows here with great strength, as +the fields are sunk below the common level, so as to contain the water +necessary to nourish the roots. This water probably comes from the +same source, which supplies the large pool from which we filled +our casks. On the drier spaces were several spots, where the +cloth-mulberry was planted, in regular rows; also growing vigorously, +and kept very clean. The cocoa-trees were not in so thriving a state, +and were all low, but the plantain-trees made a better appearance, +though they were not large. In general, the trees round this village, +and which were seen at many of those which we passed before we +anchored, are the _cordia sebestina_, but of a more diminutive size +than the product of the southern isles. The greatest part of the +village stands near the beach, and consists of above sixty houses +there; but, perhaps, about forty more stand scattered about, farther +up the country, toward the burying-place. + +After we had examined, very carefully, every thing that was to be seen +about the _morai_, and Mr Webber had taken drawings of it, and of the +adjoining country, we returned by a different route. I found a great +crowd assembled at the beach, and a brisk trade for pigs, fowls, and +roots, going on there, with the greatest good order, though I did not +observe any particular person, who took the lead amongst the rest of +his countrymen. At noon, I went on board to dinner, and then sent +Mr King to command the party ashore. He was to have gone upon that +service in the morning, but was then detained in the ship, to make +lunar observations. In the afternoon I landed again, accompanied by +Captain Clerke, with a view to make another excursion up the country. +But, before this could be put in execution, the day was too far spent, +so that I laid aside my intention for the present, and it so happened +that I had not another opportunity. At sun-set, I brought every body +on board, having procured, in the course of the day, nine tons of +water; and, by exchanges, chiefly for nails and pieces of iron, about +seventy or eighty pigs, a few fowls, a quantity of potatoes, and a +few plantains and _taro_ roots. These people merited our best +commendations, in this commercial intercourse, never once attempting +to cheat us, either ashore or alongside the ships. Some of +them, indeed, as already mentioned, at first betrayed a thievish +disposition, or rather they thought, that they had a right to every +thing they could lay their hands upon; but they soon laid aside a +conduct, which, we convinced them, they could not persevere in with +impunity. + +Amongst the articles which they brought to barter this day, we could +not help taking notice of a particular sort of cloak and cap, which, +even in countries where dress is more particularly attended to, might +be reckoned elegant. The first are nearly of the size and shape of +the short cloaks worn by the women in England, and by the men in +Spain reaching to the middle of the back, and tied loosely before. The +ground of them is a net-work, upon which the most beautiful red +and yellow feathers are so closely fixed, that the surface might be +compared to the thickest and richest velvet, which they resemble, both +as to the feel, and the glossy appearance. The manner of varying the +mixture is very different, some having triangular spaces of red and +yellow, alternately, others a kind of crescent; and some, that were +entirely red, had a broad yellow border, which made them appear, at +some distance, exactly like a scarlet cloak edged with gold lace. The +brilliant colours of the feathers, in those that happened to be new, +added not a little to their fine appearance, and we found that they +were in high estimation with their owners, for they would not, at +first, part with one of them for any thing that we offered, asking no +less a price than a musket. However, some were afterward purchased for +very large nails. Such of them as were of the best sort, were scarce; +and it should seem, that they are only used on the occasion of some +particular ceremony, or diversion; for the people who had them, always +made some gesticulations, which we had seen used before by those who +sung. + +The cap is made almost exactly like a helmet, with the middle part, or +crest, sometimes of a hand's breadth; and it sits very close upon the +head, having notches to admit the ears. It is a frame of twigs and +osiers, covered with a net work, into which are wrought feathers, in +the same manner as upon the cloaks, though rather closer, and less +diversified, the greater part being red, with some black yellow, +or green stripes on the sides, following the curve direction of the +crest. These, probably, complete the dress, with the cloaks, for the +natives sometimes appeared in both together. + +We were at a loss to guess from whence they could get such a quantity +of these beautiful feathers, but were soon informed as to one sort, +for they afterward brought great numbers of skins of small red birds +for sale, which were often tied up in bunches of twenty or more, or +had a small wooden skewer run through their nostrils. At the first, +those that were bought, consisted only of the skin from behind +the wings forward, but we afterwards got many with the hind part, +including the tail and feet. The first, however, struck us at once +with the origin of the fable formerly adopted, of the birds of +paradise wanting legs, and sufficiently explained that circumstance. +Probably the people of the islands east of the Moluccas, from whence +the skins of the birds of paradise are brought, cut off their feet, +for the very reason assigned by the people of Atooi, for the like +practice, which was, that they thereby can preserve them with greater +ease, without losing any part which they reckon valuable. The red-bird +of our island was judged by Mr Anderson to be a species of _merops_, +about the size of a sparrow, of a beautiful scarlet colour, with a +black tail and wings, and an arched bill, twice the length of the +head, which, with the feet, was also of a reddish colour. The contents +of the heads were taken out, as in the birds of paradise; but it did +not appear that they used any other method to preserve them, than by +simple drying, for the skins, though moist, had neither a taste +nor smell that could give room to suspect the use of antiputrescent +substances.[2] + +[Footnote 2: It is matter of real curiosity to observe, how very +extensively the predilection for red feathers is spread throughout +all the islands of the Pacific Ocean; and the additional circumstance, +mentioned in this paragraph, will, probably, be looked upon by those +who amuse themselves in tracing the wonderful migrations of the same +family, or tribe, as a confirmation of that hypothesis, (built indeed +on other instances of resemblance,) which considers New Guinea, and +its neighbouring East India islands, from whence the Dutch bring +their birds of Paradise, as originally peopled by the same race, which +Captain Cook found at every island from New Zealand to this new group, +to which Atooi belongs. + +What Mr Sonnerat tells us, about the bird of Paradise, agrees +perfectly with the account here given of the preserved red-birds. +Speaking of the _Papous_, he proceeds thus: "Ils nous présenterent +plusieurs especes d'oiseaux, aussi élégants par leur forme, que +brillants par l'éclat de leur couleurs. La dépouille des oiseaux sert +à la parure des Chefs, qui la portent attachée à leurs bonnets en +forme d'aigrettes. _Mais en preparant les peaux, ils coupent les +pieds_. Les Hollandois, qui trafiquent sur ces cotes, y achetent de +ces peaux ainsi préparées, les transportent en Perse, à Surate, dans +les Indes, où ils les vendent fort chère aux habitans riches, qui +en font des aigrettes pour leurs turbans, et pour le casque des +guerriers, et qui en parent leur chevaux. C'est de là qu'est venue +l'opinion, qu'une de ces especes d'oiseaux (l'oiseau de pardis) _n'a +point de pattes_. Les Hollandois ont accrédité ces fables, qui, en +jettant du merveilleux sur l'objet dont ils traffiquoient, +étoient propres à le rendre plus précieux, et á en rechausser la +valeur."--Voyage à la Nouvelle Guinée, p. 154.--D.] + +In the night, and all the morning, on the 22d, it rained almost +continually. The wind was at S.E., S.S.E., and S., which brought in a +short, chopping sea; and as there were breakers little more than two +cables length from the stern of our ship, her situation was none of +the safest. The surf broke so high against the shore, that we could +not land in our boats; but the day was not wholly lost, for the +natives ventured in their canoes, to bring off to the ships hogs and +roots, which they bartered as before. One of our visitors, on this +occasion, who offered some fish-hooks to sale, was observed to have +a very small parcel, tied to the string of one of them, which he +separated with great care, and reserved for himself, when he parted +with the hook. Being asked what it was, he pointed to his belly, and +spoke something of its being dead, at the same time saying, it was +bad, as if he did not wish to answer any more questions about it. On +seeing him so anxious to conceal the contents of this parcel, he was +requested to open it, which he did with great reluctance and some +difficulty, as it was wrapped up in many folds of cloth. We found that +it contained a thin bit of flesh, about two inches long, which, to +appearance, had been dried, but was now wet with salt water. It +struck us, that it might be human flesh, and that these people might, +perhaps, eat their enemies, as we knew that this was the practice of +some of the natives of the South Sea islands. The question being put +to the person who produced it, he answered, that the flesh was part +of a man. Another of his countrymen, who stood by him, was then asked, +whether it was their custom to eat those killed in battle? and he +immediately answered in the affirmative. + +There were some intervals of fair weather in the afternoon, and the +wind then inclined to the E. and N.E. but, in the evening, it veered +back again to S.S.E., and the rain also returned, and continued all +night. Very luckily, it was not attended with much wind. We had, +however, prepared for the worst, by dropping the small bower-anchor, +and striking our top-gallant-yards. + +At seven o'clock the next morning, a breeze of wind springing up at +N.E., I took up the anchors, with a view of removing the ship farther +out. The moment that the last anchor was up, the wind veered to the +E., which made it necessary to set all the sail we could, in order to +clear the shore; so that, before we had tolerable sea-room, we were +driven some distance to leeward. We made a stretch off, with a view +to regain the road; but having very little wind, and a strong current +against us, I found that this was not to be effected. I therefore +dispatched Messrs King and Williamson ashore, with three boats, for +water, and to trade for refreshments. At the same time, I sent an +order to Captain Clerke to put to sea after me, if he should see +that I could not recover the road. Being in hopes of finding one, +or perhaps a harbour, at the west end of the island, I was the less +anxious about getting back to my former station. But as I had sent +the boats thither, we kept to windward as much as possible, +notwithstanding which, at noon, we were three leagues to leeward. As +we drew near the west end of the island, we found the coast to round +gradually to the N.E., without forming a creek, or cove, to shelter a +vessel from the force of the swell, which rolled in from the N., +and broke upon the shore in a prodigious surf, so that all hopes of +finding a harbour here vanished. + +Several canoes came off in the morning, and followed us as we stood +out to sea, bartering their roots and other articles. Being very +averse to believe these people to be cannibals, notwithstanding the +suspicious circumstance which had happened the day before, we took +occasion now to make some more enquiries about this. A small wooden +instrument, beset with sharks teeth, had been purchased; and from its +resemblance to the saw or knife used by the New Zealanders, to dissect +the bodies of their enemies, it was suspected to have the same use +here. One of the natives being asked about this, immediately gave the +name of the instrument, and told us, that it was used to cut out the +fleshy part of the belly, when any person was killed. This explained +and confirmed the circumstance above-mentioned, of the person pointing +to his belly. The man, however, from whom we now had this information, +being asked, if his countrymen eat the part thus cut out? denied it +strongly, but, upon the question being repeated, shewed some degree of +fear, and swam to his canoe. Just before he reached it, he made signs, +as he had done before, expressive of the use of the instrument. And an +old man, who sat foremost in the canoe, being then asked whether they +eat the flesh? answered in the affirmative, and laughed, seemingly +at the simplicity of such a question. He affirmed the fact, on being +asked again; and also said, it was excellent food, or, as he expressed +it, "savoury eating."[3] + +[Footnote 3: Of this there can be no doubt, if the assertions of those +who have tried it be entitled to credit. When the reluctance, then, to +use it is once overcome, there is no reason to think it would ever be +abandoned, if it could be safely and conveniently procured. We have +instances of this on record. Some persons necessitated, let us allow, +to have recourse to it, have continued the practice, where the doing +so required the repeated commission of murder. We formerly alluded to +instances of this kind, and we see in the case of the people before +us, that hunger is not the only motive for so abominable a repast. +Admitting even that it were the original one, we should expect the +practice to be relinquished whenever other food was to be had in +sufficient quantity. But this we know by many proofs is not the case; +and perhaps, indeed, it will be found, that this odium is fully as +prevalent in savage countries, where nature has been bountiful, as +in those where a more stinted hand has inflicted poverty on the +inhabitants. The causes, then, and the remedies of this most shocking +enormity, are to be looked for in other circumstances than the +scarcity or the profusion of food. Here we may be allowed to join in +opinion with Dr Robertson. "Human flesh was never used as common +food in any country, and the various relations concerning people +who reckoned it among the stated means of subsistence, flow from the +credulity and mistakes of travellers. The rancour of revenge first +prompted men to this barbarous action." In addition to his opinion and +that of the authors quoted by him, in his History of America, lib. 4, +the reader may advantageously consult Dr Forster's Observations. If +the sentiments maintained by these writers be correct, we may expect +to find cannibalism in almost every country where the spirit of +revenge is not curbed by principle, or directed by the authority of a +well-organized government. Here the evidence of these voyages and +of others which we could mention, must be allowed considerable +importance. There is the strongest reason, indeed, to believe that the +inhabitants of all the South Sea islands are now chargeable with this +inhumanity, or are but recently recovered from its dominion. We +might easily enlarge on this subject, but what has been said, it is +probable, is sufficient to direct the attention of the reader, which +is all we could find, room to do in the narrow compass of a note. +But it is probable, that to most persons, the observations of a late +navigator, Captain Krusenstern, will be admitted as decisive of the +question of fact, without further enquiry. They may have another +effect too, viz. to destroy that delusion which many persons labour +under as to the innocence and amiableness of mankind in a state of +nature. "Notwithstanding," says he, "the favourable account in Captain +Cook's voyages of the Friendly, the Society, and the Sandwich islands, +and the enthusiasm with which Forster undertakes their defence against +all those who should make use of any harsh expression with regard +to them, I cannot refrain from declaring the inhabitants of all the +islands of this ocean to be savages, but as ranking generally, perhaps +with a very trifling exception, with those men who are still one +degree below the brute creation. In a word, they are all cannibals: +We need only recollect the islanders who have already been proved to +belong to this class;--for instance, the New Zealanders, the cruel +inhabitants of Fidji, the Navigateur, the Mendoza, Washington, the +Tolomon, and Sandwich islands, the islands of Louisiade and New +Caledonia. The good name which the inhabitants of the Friendly islands +had acquired has suffered very much by the affair of Captain Bligh, +and the visit of D'Entrecasteaux, and it may now be maintained, with +some degree of certainty, that they have in this respect the same +taste as their neighbours in the Fidji islands, and the Isles des +Navigateurs." He has more to the same effect, and is particular in +shewing how even the Society islanders, whom he admits to be the +most humane and civilized of all the natives of this region, are +notwithstanding deformed with horrid crimes, from which the passage +to cannibalism is very easy, supposing even that certain suspicious +circumstances do not warrant the opinion that they are but recently +emerged from it. And as to the people of New Caledonia, again, of whom +Cook spoke so highly, he alludes to the more recent information of +D'Entrecasteaux, as giving indisputable proof of their being addicted +to the same abominable enormity.--E.] + +At seven o'clock in the evening, the boats returned, with two tons of +water, a few hogs, a quantity of plantains, and some roots. Mr King +informed me, that a great number of the inhabitants were at the +watering or landing place. He supposed that they had come from all +parts of the island. They had brought with them a great many fine fat +hogs to barter, but my people had not commodities with them equal to +the purchase. This, however, was no great loss, for we had already +got as many on board as we could well manage for immediate use, and, +wanting the materials, we could not have salted them. Mr King also +told me, that a great deal of rain had fallen ashore, whereas, out +at sea, we had only a few showers; and that the surf had run so high, +that it was with great difficulty our men landed, and got back into +the boats. + +We had light airs and calms, by turns, with showers of rain, all +night, and at day-break, in the morning of the 24th, we found that the +currents had carried the ship to the N.W. and N., so that the west end +of the island, upon which we had been, called Atooi by the natives, +bore E., one league distant; another island, called Oreehoua, W. by +S., and the high land of a third island, called Oneeheow, from S.W. by +W. to W.S.W. Soon after, a breeze sprung up at N.; and, as I expected +that this would bring the Discovery to sea, I steered for Oneeheow, +in order to take a nearer view of it, and to anchor there, if I should +find a convenient place. I continued to steer for it, till past eleven +o'clock, at which time we were about two leagues from it. But not +seeing the Discovery, and being doubtful whether they could see us, I +was fearful lest some ill consequence might attend our separating +so far. I therefore gave up the design of visiting Oneeheow for the +present, and stood back to Atooi, with an intent to anchor again in +the road, to complete our water. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the +northerly wind died away, and was succeeded by variable light airs and +calms, that continued till eleven at night, with which we stretched +to the S.E., till day-break in the morning of the 25th, when we tacked +and stood in for Atooi road, which bore about N. from us; and, soon +after, we were joined by the Discovery. + +We fetched in with the land about two leagues to leeward of the road, +which, though so near, we never could recover, for what we gained at +one time, we lost at another; so that, by the morning of the 29th, the +currents had carried us westward, within three leagues of Oneeheow. +Being tired with plying so unsuccessfully, I gave up all thoughts of +getting back to Atooi, and came to the resolution of trying, whether +we could not procure what we wanted at the other island, which was +within our reach. With this view, I sent the master in a boat, to +sound the coast, to look out for a landing-place, and, if he should +find one, to examine if fresh water could be conveniently got in +its neighbourhood. To give him time to execute his commission, we +followed, under an easy sail, with the ships. As soon as we were +abreast, or to the westward of the south point of Oneeheow, we found +thirty, twenty-five, and twenty fathoms water, over a bottom of coral +sand, a mile from the shore. + +At ten o'clock the master returned, and reported that he had landed in +one place, but could find no fresh water; and that there was anchorage +all along the coast. Seeing a village a little farther to leeward, and +some of the islanders, who had come off to the ships, informing us, +that fresh water might be got there, I ran down, and came to an anchor +before it, in twenty-six fathoms water, about three quarters of a mile +from the shore. The S.E. point of the island bore S. 65° E., three +miles distant; the other extreme of the island bore N. by E., about +two or three miles distant; a peaked hill, inland, N.E. 1/4 E.; and +another island, called Tahoora, which was discovered the preceding +evening, bore S. 61° W., distant seven leagues. + +Six or seven canoes had come off to us, before we anchored, bringing +some small pigs and potatoes, and a good many yams and mats. The +people in them resembled those of Atooi, and seemed to be equally +well acquainted with the use of iron, which they asked for also by +the names of _hamaite_ and _toe_, parting readily with all their +commodities for pieces of this precious metal. Several more canoes +soon reached the ships, after they had anchored; but the natives in +these seemed to have no other object, than to pay us a formal visit. +Many of them came readily on board, crouching down upon the deck, and +not quitting that humble posture, till they were desired to get up. +They had brought several females with them, who remained alongside in +the canoes, behaving with far less modesty than their countrywomen of +Atooi; and, at times, all joining in a song, not remarkable for its +melody, though performed in very exact concert, by beating time upon +their breasts with their hands. The men who had come on board did +not stay long; and before they departed, some of them requested our +permission to lay down, on the deck, locks of their hair. + +These visitors furnished us with an opportunity of agitating again, +this day, the curious enquiry, whether they were cannibals; and the +subject did not take its rise from any questions of ours, but from +a circumstance that seemed to remove all ambiguity. One of the +islanders, who wanted to get in at the gun-room port, was refused, and +at the same time asked, whether, if he should come in, we would kill +and eat him? accompanying this question with signs so expressive, that +there could be no doubt about his meaning. This gave a proper opening +to retort the question as to this practice; and a person behind the +other, in the canoe, who paid great attention to what was passing, +immediately answered, that if we were killed on shore, they would +certainly eat us. He spoke with so little emotion, that it appeared +plainly to be his meaning, that they would not destroy us for that +purpose, but that their eating us would be the consequence of our +being at enmity with them. I have availed myself of Mr Anderson's +collections for the decision of this matter, and am sorry to say, +that I cannot see the least reason to hesitate in pronouncing it to +be certain, that the horrid banquet of human flesh is as much relished +here, amidst plenty, as it is in New Zealand. + +In the afternoon, I sent Lieutenant Gore, with three armed boats, to +look for the most convenient landing-place; and, when on shore, to +search for fresh water. In the evening he returned, having landed +at the village above-mentioned, and acquainted me that he had been +conducted to a well half a mile up the country; but, by his account, +the quantity of water it contained was too inconsiderable for our +purpose, and the road leading to it exceedingly bad. + +On the 30th, I sent Mr Gore ashore again, with a guard of marines, and +a party to trade with the natives for refreshments. I intended to have +followed soon after, and went from the ship with that design. But the +surf had increased so much by this time, that I was fearful, if I got +ashore, I should not be able to get off again. This really happened to +our people who had landed with Mr Gore, the communication between them +and the ships, by our own boats, being stopped. In the evening, they +made a signal for the boats, which were sent accordingly; and, not +long after, they returned with a few yams and some salt. A tolerable +quantity of both had been procured in the course of the day; but the +surf was so great, that the greatest part of both these articles had +been lost in conveying them to the boats. The officer and twenty men, +deterred by the danger of coming off, were left ashore all night; and, +by this unfortunate circumstance, the very thing happened, which, as +I have already mentioned, I wished so heartily to prevent, and vainly +imagined I had effectually guarded against. The violence of the surf, +which our own boats could not act against, did not hinder the +natives from coming off to the ships in their canoes. They brought +refreshments with them, which were purchased in exchange for nails, +and pieces of iron-hoops; and I distributed a good many pieces of +ribbon, and some buttons, as bracelets, amongst the women in the +canoes. One of the men had the figure of a lizard punctured upon +his breast, and upon those of others were the figures of men badly +imitated. These visitors informed us, that there was no chief, or +_Hairee_, of this island; but that it was subject to Teneooneoo, a +chief of Atooi; which island, they said, was not governed by a single +chief, but that there were many to whom they paid the honour of +_moe_, or prostration; and, amongst others, they named, Otaeaio and +Terarotoa. Among other things, which these people now brought off, was +a small drum, almost like those of Otaheite. + +About ten or eleven o'clock at night, the wind veered to the S., and +the sky seemed to forebode a storm. With such appearances, thinking +that we were rather too near the shore, I ordered the anchors to be +taken up, and having carried the ships into forty-two fathoms, came +to again in that safer station. The precaution, however, proved to +be unnecessary; for the wind, soon after, veered to N.E., from which +quarter it blew a fresh gale, with squalls, attended with very heavy +showers of rain. + +This weather continued all the next day; and the sea ran so high, that +we had no manner of communication with our party on shore; and even +the natives themselves durst not venture out to the ships in their +canoes. In the evening, I sent the master in a boat up to the S.E. +head, or point of the island, to try if he could land under it. He +returned with a favourable report; but it was too late, now, to send +for our party till the next morning; and thus they had another night +to improve their intercourse with the natives. + +Encouraged by the master's report, I sent a boat to the S.E. point, +as soon as day-light returned, with an order to Mr Gore, that, if +he could not embark his people from the spot where they now were, to +march them up to the point. As the boat could not get to the beach, +one of the crew swam ashore, and carried the order. On the return of +the boat, I went myself with the pinnace and launch up to the point, +to bring the party on board; taking with me a ram-goat and two ewes, +a boar and sow-pig of the English breed, and the seeds of melons, +pumpkins, and onions, being very desirous of benefiting these poor +people, by furnishing them with some additional articles of food. I +landed with the greatest ease, under the west side of the point, and +found my party already there, with some of the natives in company. To +one of them, whom Mr Gore had observed assuming some command over +the rest, I gave the goats, pigs, and seeds. I should have left these +well-intended presents at Atooi, had we not been so unexpectedly +driven from it. + +While the people were engaged in filling four water-casks, from a +small stream occasioned by the late rain, I walked a little way up +the country, attended by the man above-mentioned, and followed by two +others carrying the two pigs. As soon as we got upon a rising ground, +I stopped to look round me, and observed a woman, on the opposite side +of the valley where I landed, calling to her countrymen who attended +me. Upon this, the chief began to mutter something which I supposed +was a prayer; and the two men, who carried the pigs, continued to walk +round me all the time, making, at least, a dozen circuits before the +other had finished his oration. This ceremony being performed; we +proceeded, and presently met people coming from all parts, who, on +being called to by my attendants, threw themselves prostrate on their +faces, till I was out of sight. The ground, through which I passed, +was in a state of nature, very stony, and the soil seemed poor. It +was, however, covered with shrubs and plants, some of which perfumed +the air, with a more delicious fragrancy than I had met with at any +other of the islands visited by us in this ocean. Our people, who had +been obliged to remain so long on shore, gave me the same account +of those parts of the island which they had traversed. They met with +several salt ponds, some of which had a little water remaining, but +others had none; and the salt that was left in them was so thin, that +no great quantity could have been procured. There was no appearance of +any running stream; and though they found some small wells, in which +the fresh water was tolerably good, it seemed scarce. The habitations +of the natives were thinly scattered about; and it was supposed, that +there could not be more than five hundred people upon the island, as +the greatest part were seen at the marketing-place of our party, and +few found about the houses by those who walked up the country. They +had an opportunity of observing the method of living amongst the +natives, and it appeared to be decent and cleanly. They did not, +however, see any instance of the men and women eating together; and +the latter seemed generally associated in companies by themselves. It +was found, that they burnt here the oily nuts of the _dooe dooe_ for +lights in the night, as at Otaheite; and that they baked their hogs +in ovens, but, contrary to the practice of the Society and Friendly +Islands, split the carcases through their whole length. They met +with a positive proof of the existence of the _taboo_ (or, as they +pronounce it, the _tafoo_), for one woman fed another who was +under that interdiction. They also observed some other mysterious +ceremonies; one of which was performed by a woman, who took a small +pig, and threw it into the surf, till it was drowned, and then tied up +a bundle of wood, which she also disposed of in the same manner. The +same woman, at another time, beat with a stick upon a man's shoulders, +who sat down for that purpose. A particular veneration seemed to be +paid here to owls, which they have very tame; and it was observed to +be a pretty general practice amongst them, to pull out one of their +teeth;[4] for which odd custom, when asked the reason, the only answer +that could be got was, that it was _teeha_, which was also the reason +assigned for another of their practices, the giving a lock of their +hair. + +[Footnote 4: It is very remarkable, that, in this custom, which one +would think is so unnatural, as not to be adopted by two different +tribes, originally unconnected, the people of this island, and +Dampier's natives on the west side of New Holland, at such an immense +distance, should be found to agree.--D.] + +After the water-casks had been filled and conveyed into the boat, and +we had purchased from the natives a few roots, a little salt, and some +salted fish, I returned on board with all the people, intending +to visit the island the next day. But, about seven o'clock in the +evening, the anchor of the Resolution started, and she drove off the +bank. As we had a whole cable out, it was some time before the anchor +was at the bows; and then we had the launch to hoist up alongside, +before we could make sail. By this unlucky accident, we found +ourselves, at day-break next morning, three leagues to the leeward of +our last station; and, foreseeing that it would require more time to +recover it than I chose to spend, I made the signal for the Discovery +to weigh and join us. This was done about noon, and we immediately +stood away to the northward, in prosecution of our voyage. Thus, after +spending more time about these islands than was necessary to have +answered all our purposes, we were obliged to leave them before we had +completed our water, and got from them such a quantity of refreshments +as their inhabitants were both able and willing to have supplied +us with. But, as it was, our ship procured from them provisions, +sufficient for three weeks at least; and Captain Clerke, more +fortunate than us, got, of their vegetable productions, a supply that +lasted his people upward of two months. The observations I was enabled +to make, combined with those of Mr Anderson, who was a very useful +assistant on all such occasions, will furnish materials for the next +section. + + +SECTION XII. + +_The Situation of the Islands now discovered.--Their +Names.--Called the Sandwich Islands.--Atooi described.--The +Soil.--Climate.--Vegetable Productions.--Birds.--Fish.--Domestic +Animals.--Persons of the Inhabitants.--Their +Disposition.--Dress.--Ornaments.--Habitations.--Food.--Cookery.-- +Amusements.--Manufactures.--Working-tools.--Knowledge +of Iron accounted for.--Canoes.--Agriculture.--Account of one of +their Chiefs.--Weapons.--Customs agreeing with those of Tongataboo and +Otaheite.--Their Language the same.--Extent of this Nation throughout +the Pacific Ocean.--Reflections on the useful Situation of the +Sandwich Islands._ + +It is worthy of observation, that the islands in the Pacific Ocean, +which our late voyages have added to the geography of the globe, +have been generally found lying in groups or clusters; the single +intermediate islands, as yet discovered, being few in proportion +to the others; though, probably, there are many more of them still +unknown, which serve as steps between the several clusters. Of what +number this newly-discovered Archipelago consists, must be left for +future investigation. We saw five of them, whose names, as given to +us by the natives, are Woahoo, Atooi, Oneeheow, Orrehoua, and Tahoora. +The last is a small elevated island, lying four or five leagues from +the S.E. point of Oneeheow, in the direction of S., 69° W. We were +told, that it abounds with birds, which are its only inhabitants. We +also got some information of the existence of a low uninhabited island +in the neighbourhood, whose name is Tammata pappa. Besides these +six, which we can distinguish by their names, it appeared, that the +inhabitants of those with whom we had intercourse, were acquainted +with some other islands both to the eastward and westward. I named the +whole group the Sandwich Islands, in honour of the Earl of Sandwich. +Those that I saw, are situated between the latitude of 21° 30', and +22° 15' N., and between the longitude of 199° 20', and 201° 30' E. + +Of Woahoo, the most easterly of these islands, seen by us, which lies +in the latitude of 21° 36', we could get no other intelligence, but +that it is high land, and is inhabited. + +We had opportunities of knowing some particulars about Oneeheow, which +have been mentioned already. It lies seven leagues to the westward +of our anchoring-place at Atooi; and is not above fifteen leagues in +circuit. Its chief vegetable produce is yams, if we may judge from +what was brought to us by the natives. They have salt, which they call +_patai_, and is produced in salt ponds. With it they cure both fish +and pork; and some salt fish, which we got from them, kept very well, +and were found to be very good. This island is mostly low land, except +the part facing Atooi, which rises directly from the sea to a good +height; as does also the S.E. point of it, which terminates in a round +hill. It was on the west side of this point where our ships anchored. + +Of Oreehoua we know nothing more than that it is a small elevated +island, lying close to the north side of Oneeheow. + +Atooi, which is the largest, being the principal scene of our +operations, I shall now proceed to lay before my readers what +information I was able to collect about it, either from actual +observation, while on shore, or from conversation with its +inhabitants, who were perpetually on board the ships while we lay at +anchor; and who, in general, could be tolerably well understood, by +those of us who had acquired an acquaintance with the dialects of the +South Pacific Islands. It is, however, to be regretted, that we should +have been obliged, so soon, to leave a place, which, as far as our +opportunities of knowing reached, seemed to be highly worthy of a more +accurate examination. + +Atooi, from what we saw of it, is, at least, ten leagues in length +from east to west; from whence its circuit may nearly be guessed, +though it appears to be much broader at the east than at the west +point, if we may judge from the double range of hills which appeared +there. The road, or anchoring-place, which we occupied, is on the +south-west side of the island, about six miles from the west end, +before a village which has the name of Wymoa. As far as we sounded, we +found, that the bank has a fine grey sand at the bottom, and is free +from rocks; except a little to the eastward of the village, where +there spits out a shoal, on which are some rocks and breakers; but +they are not far from the shore. This road would be entirely sheltered +from the trade-wind, if the height of the land, over which it blows, +did not alter its direction, and make it follow that of the coast; so +that it blows at N.E., on one side of the island, and at E.S.E., or +S.E., on the other, falling obliquely upon the shore. Thus the road, +though situated on the lee side of the island, is a little exposed to +the trade-wind; but, notwithstanding this defect, is far from being a +bad station, and much superior to those which necessity obliges ships +daily to use, in regions where the winds are both more variable and +more boisterous; as at Teneriffe, Madeira, the Azores, and elsewhere. +The landing too is more easy than at most of those places; and, unless +in very bad weather, always practicable. The water to be got in the +neighbourhood is excellent, and easy to be conveyed to the boats. +But no wood can be cut at any distance, convenient enough to bring it +from, unless the natives could be prevailed upon to part with the few +_etooa_ trees (for so they call the _cordia sebestina_,) that grow +about their villages, or a sort called _dooe dooe_, that grow farther +up the country. + +The land, as to its general appearance, does not, in the least, +resemble any of the islands we have hitherto visited within the +tropic, on the south side of the _equator_; if we except its hills +near the centre, which are high, but slope gently to the sea, or lower +lands. Though it be destitute of the delightful borders of Otaheite, +and of the luxuriant plains of Tongataboo, covered with trees, which +at once afford a friendly shelter from the scorching sun, and an +enchanting prospect to the eye, and food for the natives, which may +be truly said to drop from the trees into their mouths, without the +laborious task of rearing; though, I say, Atooi be destitute of these +advantages, its possessing a greater quantity of gently-rising land, +renders it, in some measure, superior to the above favourite islands, +as being more capable of improvement. + +The height of the land within, the quantity of clouds which we saw, +during the whole time we staid, hanging over it, and frequently on +the other parts, seems to put it beyond all doubt, that there is a +sufficient supply of water; and that there are some running streams +which we did not see, especially in the deep valleys, at the entrance +of which the villages commonly stand. From the wooded part to the sea, +the ground is covered with an excellent sort of grass, about two feet +high, which grows sometimes in tufts, and, though not very thick +at the place where we were, seemed capable of being converted into +plentiful crops of fine hay. But not even a shrub grows naturally on +this extensive space. + +In the break, or narrow valley, through which we had our road to the +_morai_, the soil is of a brownish black colour, somewhat loose; but +as we advanced upon the high ground, it changed to a reddish brown, +more stiff and clayey, though, at this time, brittle from its dryness. +It is most probably the same all over the cultivated parts; for, what +adhered to most of the potatoes, bought by us, which, no doubt, came +from very different spots, was of this sort. Its quality, however, may +be better understood from its products, than from its appearance. For +the vale, or moist ground, produces _taro_, of a much larger size than +any we had ever seen; and the higher ground furnishes sweet potatoes, +that often weigh ten, and sometimes twelve or fourteen pounds; very +few being under two or three. + +The temperature of the climate may be easily guessed from the +situation of the island. Were we to judge of it from our experience, +it might be said to be very variable; for, according to the generally +received opinion, it was now the season of the year, when the weather +is supposed to be most settled, the sun being at his greatest annual +distance. The heat was at this time very moderate; and few of those +inconveniences, which many tropical countries are subject to, either +from heat or moisture, seem to be experienced here, as the habitations +of the natives are quite close; and they salt both fish and pork, +which keep well, contrary to what has usually been observed to be the +case, when this operation is attempted in hot countries. Neither +did we find any dews of consequence, which may, in some measure, be +accounted for, by the lower part of the country being destitute of +trees. + +The rock that forms the sides of the Valley, and which seems to be +the same with that seen by us at different parts of the coast, is +a greyish black, ponderous stone; but honey-combed, with some +very minute shining particles, and some spots of a rusty colour +interspersed. The last gives it often a reddish cast, when at a +distance. It is of an immense depth, but seems divided into _strata_, +though nothing is interposed. For the large pieces always broke off +to a determinate thickness, without appearing to have adhered to those +below them. Other stones are probably much more various, than in +the southern islands. For, during our short stay, besides the _lapis +lydius_, which seems common all over the South Sea, we found a species +of cream-coloured whetstone, sometimes variegated with blacker or +whiter veins, as marble; or in pieces, as _brecciæ_; and common +writing slate, as well as a coarser sort; but we saw none of them in +their natural state; and the natives brought some pieces of a coarse +whitish pumice-stone. We got also a brown sort of _hæmatites_, which, +from being strongly attracted by the magnet, discovered the quantity +of metal that it contained, and seems to belong to the second +species of Cronstedt, though Linnæus has placed it amongst his +_intractabilia_. But its variety could not be discovered; for what we +saw of it, as well as the slates and whetstones, was cut artificially. + +Besides the vegetable articles bought by us as refreshments, amongst +which were, at least, five or six varieties of plantains, the island +produces bread-fruit; though it seems to be scarce, as we saw only one +tree, which was large, and had some fruit upon it. There are also a +few cocoa-palms; yams, as we were told, for we saw none; the _kappe_ +of the Friendly Islands, or Virginian _arum_; the _etooa_ tree, and +sweet-smelling _gardenia_, or _cape jasmine_. We saw several trees +of the _dooe dooe_, so useful at Otaheite, as bearing the oily nuts, +which are stuck upon a kind of skewer, and burnt as candles. Our +people saw them used, in the same manner, at Oneeheow. We were not +on shore at Atooi but in the day-time, and then we saw the natives +wearing these nuts, hung on strings, round the neck. There is a +species of _sida_, or Indian mallow, somewhat altered, by the climate, +from what we saw at Christmas Island; the _morinda citrifolia_, +which is called _none_; a species of _convolvulus_; the _ava_, or +intoxicating pepper; and great numbers of gourds. These last grow to +a very large size, and are of a vast variety of shapes, which probably +is effected by art. Upon the dry sand, about the village, grew a +plant, that we had never seen in these seas, of the size of a common +thistle, and prickly, like that; but bearing a fine flower, almost +resembling a white poppy. This, with another small one, were the only +uncommon plants, which our short excursion gave us an opportunity of +observing. + +The scarlet birds, already described, which were brought for sale, +were never met with alive; but we saw a single small one, about the +size of a canary-bird, of a deep crimson colour; a large owl; two +large brown hawks, or kites; and a wild duck. The natives mentioned +the names of several other birds; amongst which we knew the _otoo_, or +blueish heron; and the _torata_, a sort of whimbrel, which are known +by the same names at Otaheite; and it is probable, that there are a +great many sorts, judging by the quantity of fine yellow, green, and +very small, velvet-like, black feathers used upon the cloaks, and +other ornaments worn by the inhabitants. + +Fish and other marine productions were, to appearance, not various; +as, besides the small mackarel, we only saw common mullets; a sort of +a dead white, or chalky colour; a small brownish rock-fish, spotted +with blue; a turtle, which was penned up in a pond; and three or four +sorts of fish salted. The few shell-fish that we saw, were chiefly +converted into ornaments, though they neither had beauty nor novelty +to recommend them. + +The hogs, dogs, and fowls, which were the only tame or domestic +animals that we found here, were all of the same kind that we met with +at the South Pacific Islands. There were also small lizards, and some +rats, resembling those seen at every island at which we had, as yet, +touched. + +The inhabitants are of a middling stature, firmly made, with some +exceptions, neither remarkable for a beautiful shape, nor for striking +features, which rather express an openness and good-nature, than a +keen intelligent disposition. Their visage, especially amongst the +women, is sometimes round; but others have it long; nor can we say +that they are distinguished as a nation, by any general cast of +countenance. Their colour is nearly of a nut-brown; and. it may be +difficult to make a nearer comparison, if we take in all the different +hues of that colour; but some individuals are darker. The women have +been already mentioned as being little more delicate than the men in +their formation; and I may say, that, with a very few exceptions, they +have little claim to those peculiarities that distinguish the sex in +other countries. There is, indeed, a more remarkable equality in the +size, colour, and figure of both sexes, than in most places I have +visited. However, upon the whole, they are far from being ugly, and +appear to have few natural deformities of any kind. Their skin is not +very soft, nor shining; perhaps for want of oiling, which is practised +at the southern islands; but their eyes and teeth are, in general, +very tolerable. The hair, for the greatest part is straight, though in +some frizzling; and though its natural colour be commonly black, it +is stained, as at the Friendly and other islands. We saw but few +instances of corpulence; and these oftener amongst the women than the +men; but it was chiefly amongst the latter that personal defects were +observed, though, if any of them can claim a share of beauty, it was +most conspicuous amongst the young men. + +They are vigorous, active, and most expert swimmers; leaving their +canoes upon the most trifling occasion, diving under them, and +swimming to others, though at a great distance. It was very common to +see women with infants at the breast, when the surf was so high, +that they could not land in the canoes, leap overboard, and, without +endangering their little ones, swim to the shore, through a sea that +looked dreadful. + +They seem to be blest with a frank cheerful disposition; and were I to +draw any comparisons, should say, that they are equally free from the +fickle levity which distinguishes the natives of Otaheite, and the +sedate east observable amongst many of those of Tongataboo. They seem +to live very sociably in their intercourse with one another; and, +except the propensity to thieving, which seems innate in most of the +people we have visited in this ocean, they were exceedingly friendly +to us. And it does their sensibility no little credit, without +flattering ourselves, that when they saw the various articles of our +European manufacture, they could not help expressing their surprise, +by a mixture of joy and concern, that seemed to apply the case as a +lesson of humility to themselves; and, on all occasions, they appeared +deeply impressed with a consciousness of their own inferiority; a +behaviour which equally exempts their national character from the +preposterous pride of the more polished Japanese, and of the ruder +Greenlander. It was a pleasure to observe with how much affection +the women managed their infants, and how readily the men lent their +assistance to such a tender office; thus sufficiently distinguishing +themselves from those savages, who esteem a wife and child as things +rather necessary, than desirable or worthy of their notice. + +From the numbers which we saw collected at every village, as we sailed +past, it may be supposed, that the inhabitants of this island +are pretty numerous. Any computation, that we make, can be only +conjectural. But, that some notion may be formed, which shall not +greatly err on either side, I would suppose, that, including the +straggling houses, there might be, upon the whole island, sixty such, +villages, as that before which we anchored; and that, allowing five +persons to each house, there would be, in every village, five hundred; +or thirty thousand upon the island. This number is certainly not +exaggerated; for we had sometimes three thousand persons at least upon +the beach; when it could not be supposed that above a tenth part of +the inhabitants were present. + +The common dress both of the women and of the men has been already +described. The first have often much larger pieces of cloth wrapped +round them, reaching from just below the breasts to the hams or lower; +and several were seen with pieces thrown loosely about the shoulders, +which covered the greatest part of the body; but the children when +very young are quite naked. They wear nothing upon the head; but the +hair in both sexes is cut in different forms; and the general fashion, +especially among the women, is to have it long before and short +behind. The men often had it cut or shaved on each side, in such a +manner, that the remaining part, in some measure, resembles the crest +of their caps or helmets formerly described. Both sexes, however, seem +very careless about their hair, and have nothing like combs to dress +it with. Instances of wearing it in a singular manner were sometimes +met with among the men, who twist it into a number of separate +parcels, like the tails of a wig, each about the thickness of a +finger; though the greatest part of these, which are so long that they +reach far down the back, we observed were artificially fixed upon the +head over their own hair.[1] + +[Footnote 1: The print of Horn Island, which we meet with in Mr +Dalrymple's account of Le Maire and Schouten's voyage, represents some +of the natives of that island with such long tails hanging from their +heads as are here described. See Dalrymple's Voyages to the South +Pacific, vol. ii. p. 58.--D] + +It is remarkable, that, contrary to the general practice of the +islands we had hitherto discovered in the Pacific Ocean, the people of +the Sandwich Islands have not their ears perforated; nor have they +the least idea of wearing ornaments in them. Both sexes, nevertheless, +adorn themselves with necklaces made of bunches of small black cord, +like our hat-string, often above a hundred-fold; exactly like those +of Wateeoo; only that instead of the two little balls on the middle +before, they fix a small bit of wood, stone, or shell, about two +inches long, with a broad hook turning forward at its lower part well +polished. They have likewise necklaces of many strings of very small +shells, or of the dried flowers of the Indian mallow. And sometimes a +small human image of bone, about three inches long, neatly polished, +is hung round the neck. The women also wear bracelets of a single +shell, pieces of black wood, with bits of ivory interspersed and well +polished, fixed by a string drawn very closely through them; or others +of hogs' teeth laid parallel to each other, with the concave part +outward, and the points cut off, fastened together as the former; some +of which made only of large boars' tusks are very elegant. The men +sometimes wear plumes of the tropic-bird's feathers stuck in their +heads; or those of cocks, fastened round neat polished sticks two feet +long, commonly decorated at the lower part with _oora_; and for the +same purpose, the skin of a white dog's tail is sewed over a stick +with its tuft at the end. They also frequently wear on the head a +kind of ornament of a finger's thickness or more, covered with red +and yellow feathers curiously varied and tied behind; and on the arm, +above the elbow, a kind of broad shell-work, grounded upon net-work. + +The men are frequently punctured, though not in any particular part, +as the Otaheiteans and those of Tongataboo. Sometimes there are a few +marks upon their hands or arms, and near the groin; but frequently we +could observe none at all; though a few individuals had more of +this sort of ornament, than we had usually seen at other places, and +ingeniously executed in a great variety of lines and figures on the +arms and fore-part of the body; on which latter, some of them had the +figure of the _taame_, or breast-plate of Otaheite, though we did not +meet with the thing itself amongst them. Contrary to the custom of the +Society and Friendly Islands, they do not slit or cut off part of the +_prepuce_; but have it universally drawn over the _glans_, and tied +with a string as practised by some of the natives of New Zealand. + +Though they seem to have adopted the mode of living in villages, there +is no appearance of defence or fortification near any of them; and the +houses are scattered about without any order, either with respect to +their distances from each other, or their position in any particular +direction. Neither is there any proportion as to their size; some +being large and commodious, from forty to fifty feet long, and twenty +or thirty broad, while others of them are mere hovels. Their figure is +not unlike oblong corn or hay-stacks; or, perhaps, a better idea may +be conceived of them, if we suppose the roof of a barn placed on the +ground, in such a manner as to form a high, acute ridge, with two +very low sides hardly discernible at a distance. The gable at each end +corresponding to the sides, makes these habitations perfectly close +all round; and they are well thatched with long grass, which is laid +on slender poles disposed with some regularity. The entrance is made +indifferently in the end or side, and is an oblong hole, so low, that +one must rather creep than walk in; and is often shut up by a board +of planks fastened together, which serves as a door, but having no +hinges, must be removed occasionally. No light enters the house but +by this opening; and though such close habitations may afford a +comfortable retreat in bad weather, they seem but ill adapted to the +warmth of the climate. They are, however, kept remarkably clean; and +their floors are covered with a large quantity of dried grass, over +which they spread mats to sit and sleep upon. At one end stands a kind +of bench about three feet high, on which their household utensils are +placed. The catalogue is not long. It consists of gourd-shells, which +they convert into vessels that serve as bottles to hold water, and as +baskets to contain their victuals, and other things with covers of +the same; and of a few wooden bowls and trenchers of different sizes. +Judging from what we saw growing, and from what was brought to market, +there can be no doubt, that the greatest part of their vegetable +food consists of sweet potatoes, _taro_, and plantains; and that +bread-fruit and yams are rather to be esteemed rarities. Of animal +food they can be in no want; as they have abundance of hogs, which run +without restraint about the houses; and if they eat dogs, which is not +improbable, their stock of these seemed to be very considerable. The +great number of fishing-hooks found amongst them, shewed that they +derive no inconsiderable supply of animal food from the sea. But it +should seem, from their practice of salting fish, that the openness of +their coast often interrupts the business of catching them; as it +may be naturally supposed, that no set of people would ever think of +preserving quantities of food artificially, if they could depend +upon a daily regular supply of it in its fresh state. This sort of +reasoning, however, will not account for their custom of salting their +pork, as well as their fish, which are preserved in gourd-shells. The +salt, of which they use a great quantity for this purpose, is of a red +colour, not very coarse, and seems to be much the same with what our +stragglers found at Christmas Island. It has its colour doubtless from +a mixture of the mud at the bottom of the part where it is formed; for +some of it that had adhered in lumps, was of a sufficient whiteness +and purity. + +They bake their vegetable food with heated stones, as at the southern +islands; and from the vast quantity, which we saw dressed at one time, +we suspected that the whole village, or, at least, a considerable +number of people joined in the use of a common oven. We did not see +them dress any animal food at this island; but Mr Gore's party, as +already mentioned, had an opportunity of satisfying themselves, that +it was dressed at Oneeheow in the same sort of ovens, which leaves no +doubt of this being also the practice in Atooi; especially as we met +with no utensil there that could be applied to the purpose of stewing +or boiling. The only artificial dish we met with was a _taro_ pudding, +which, though a disagreeable mess from its sourness, was greedily +devoured by the natives. They eat off a kind of wooden plates or +trenchers; and the women, as far as we could judge from one instance, +if restrained from feeding at the same dish with the men, as at +Otaheite, are at least permitted to eat in the same place near them. + +Their amusements seem pretty various; for during our short +stay, several were discovered. The dances at which they used the +feathered-cloaks and caps were not seen; but from the motions which +they made with their hands on other occasions, when they sung, we +could form some judgment that they are, in some degree at least, +similar to those we had met with at the southern islands, though not +executed so skilfully. Neither had they amongst them either flutes or +reeds, and the only two musical instruments which we observed were +of an exceedingly rude kind. One of them does not produce a melody +exceeding that of a child's rattle. It consists of what may be called +a conic cap inverted, but scarcely hollowed at the base above a foot +high, made of a coarse sedge-like plant, the upper part of which, +and the edges, are ornamented with beautiful red feathers, and to the +point, or lower part, is fixed a gourd-shell larger than the fist. +Into this is put something to rattle, which is done by holding the +instrument by the small part, and shaking or rather moving it from +place to place briskly, either to different sides or backward and +forward just before the face, striking the breast with the other hand +at the same time. The other musical instrument (if either of them +deserve that name) was a hollow vessel of wood, like a platter, +combined with the use of two sticks, on which one of our gentlemen saw +a man performing. He held one of the sticks, about two feet long, as +we do a fiddle with one hand, and struck it with the other, which was +smaller, and resembled a drum-stick, in a quicker or slower measure; +at the same time beating with his foot upon the hollow vessel that +lay inverted upon the ground, and thus producing a tune that was by +no means disagreeable. This music was accompanied by the vocal +performance of some women, whose song had a pleasing and tender +effect. + +We observed great numbers of small polished rods, about four or five +feet long, somewhat thicker than the rammer of a musket, with a tuft +of long white dog's hair fixed on the small end. These are probably +used in their diversions. We saw a person take one of them in his +hand, and holding it up, give a smart stroke, till he brought it into +an horizontal position, striking with the foot on the same side upon +the ground, and with his other hand beating his breast at the same +time. They play at bowls with pieces of whetstone mentioned before, of +about a pound weight, shaped somewhat like a small cheese, but rounded +at the sides and edges, which are very nicely polished; and they have +other bowls of the same sort, made of a heavy reddish, brown clay, +neatly glazed over with a composition of the same colour, or of a +coarse dark-grey slate. They also use, in the manner that we throw +quoits, small flat rounded pieces of the writing slate of the diameter +of the bowls, but scarcely a quarter of an inch thick, also well +polished. From these circumstances, one would be induced to think that +their games are rather trials of skill than of strength. + +In every thing manufactured by these people, there appears to be an +uncommon degree of neatness and ingenuity. Their cloth, which is +the principal manufacture, is made from the _morus papyrifera_; and +doubtless in the same manner as at Otaheite and Tongataboo; for +we bought some of the grooved sticks with which it is beaten. Its +texture, however, though thicker, is rather inferior to that of the +cloth of either of the other places; but in colouring or staining it, +the people of Atooi display a superiority of taste, by the endless +variation of figures which they execute. One would suppose, on seeing +a number of their pieces, that they had borrowed their patterns from +some mercer's shop, in which the most elegant productions of China +and Europe are collected; besides some original patterns of their own. +Their colours, indeed, except the red, are not very bright; but the +regularity of the figures and stripes is truly surprising; for, as +far as we know, they have nothing like stamps or prints, to make the +impressions. In what manner they produce their colours, we had not +opportunities of learning; but, besides the party coloured sorts, they +have some pieces of plain white cloth, and others of a single colour, +particularly dark-brown and light-blue. In general, the pieces which +they brought to us were about two feet broad, and four or five yards +long, being the form and quantity that they use for their common dress +or _maro_; and even these we sometimes found were composed of pieces +sewed together; an art which we did not find to the southward, but +is strongly, though not very neatly, performed here. There is also a +particular sort that is thin, much resembling oil-cloth; and which is +actually either oiled or soaked in some kind of varnish, and seems to +resist the action of water pretty well. + +They fabricate a great many white mats, which are strong, with many +red stripes, rhombuses, and other figures, interwoven on one side; +and often pretty large. These probably make a part of their dress +occasionally; for they put them on their backs when they offered them +to sale. But they make others coarser, plain and strong, which they +spread over their floors to sleep upon. + +They stain their gourd-shells prettily with undulated lines, +triangles, and other figures of a black colour; instances of which +we saw practised at New Zealand. And they seem to possess the art of +varnishing; for some of these stained gourd-shells are covered with +a kind of lacker; and, on other occasions, they use a strong size, or +gluey substance, to fasten their things together. Their wooden +dishes and, bowls, out of which they drink their _ova_, are of the +_etooa_-tree, or _cordia_, as neat as if made in our turning-lathe, +and perhaps better polished. And amongst their articles of handicraft, +may be reckoned small square fans of mat or wicker-work, with handles +tapering from them of the same, or of wood; which are neatly wrought +with small cords of hair, and fibres of the cocoa-nut coir intermixed. +The great variety of fishing-hooks are ingeniously made; some of bone, +others of wood pointed with bone, and many of pearl shell. Of the +last, some are like a sort that we saw at Tongataboo; and others +simply curved, as the common sort at Otaheite, as well as the wooden +ones. The bones are mostly small, and composed of two pieces; and all +the different sorts have a barb, either on the inside, like ours, +or on the outside, opposite the same part; but others have both, the +outer one being farthest from the point. Of this last sort, one was +procured nine inches long, of a single piece of bone, which doubtless +belonged to some large fish. The elegant form and polish of this could +not certainly be outdone by any European artist, even if he should +add all his knowledge in design to the number and convenience of +his tools. They polish their stones by constant friction, with +pumice-stone in water; and such of their working instruments, or +tools, as I saw, resembled those of the Southern Islands. Their +hatchets, or rather adzes, were exactly of the same pattern, and +either made of the same sort of blackish stone, or of a clay-coloured +one. They have also little instruments, made of a single shark's +tooth, some of which are fixed to the fore-part of a dog's jawbone, +and others to a thin wooden handle of the same shape; and at the other +end there is a bit of string fastened through a small perforation. +These serve as knives occasionally, and are perhaps used in carving. + +The only iron tools, or rather bits of iron, seen amongst them, and +which they had before our arrival, were a piece of iron hoop, +about two inches long, fitted into a wooden handle;[2] and another +edge-tool, which our people guessed to be made of the point of a +broad-sword. Their having the actual possession of these, and their +so generally knowing the use of this metal, inclined some on board +to think that we had not been the first European visitors of these +islands. But it seems to me, that the very great surprise expressed +by them on seeing our ships, and their total ignorance of the use of +fire-arms, cannot be reconciled with such a notion. There are many +ways by which such people may get pieces of iron, or acquire the +knowledge of the existence of such a metal, without having ever had +an immediate connection with nations that use it. It can hardly be +doubted, that it was unknown to all the inhabitants of this sea, +before Magalhaens led the way into it; for no discoverer, immediately +after his voyage, ever found any of this metal in their possession; +though, in the course of our late voyages, it has been observed, +that the use of it was known at several islands, to which no former +European ships had ever, as far as we know, found their way. At all +the places where Mendana touched in his two voyages, it must have been +seen and left; and this would extend the knowledge of it, no doubt, to +all the various islands with which those whom he had visited had any +immediate intercourse. It might even be carried farther; and +where specimens of this favourite article could not be procured, +descriptions might, in some measure, serve to make it known when +afterward seen. The next voyage to the southward of the Line, in which +any intercourse was had with the natives of this ocean, was that of +Quiros, who landed at Sagittaria, the Island of Handsome People, and +at Tierra del Espiritu Santo; at all which places, and at those with +whom they had any communication, it must of consequence have been made +known. To him succeeded, in this navigation, Le Maire and Schouten, +whose connections with the natives commenced much farther to the +eastward, and ended at Cocos and Horn Islands. It was not surprising, +that when I visited Tongataboo, in 1773, I should find a bit of iron +there, as we knew that Tasman had visited it before me; but let +us suppose, that he had never discovered the Friendly Islands, our +finding iron, amongst them would have occasioned much speculation; +though we have mentioned before the method by which they had gained +a renewal of their knowledge of this metal, which confirms my +hypothesis. For Neeootaboo taboo, or Boscawen's Island, where Captain +Wallis's ships left it, and from whence Poulaho received it, lies +some degrees to the north-west of Tongataboo. It is well known, that +Roggewein lost one of his ships on the Pernicious Islands; which, from +their situation, are probably not unknown to, though not frequently +visited by, the inhabitants of Otaheite and the Society Islands. It is +equally certain, that these last people had a knowledge of iron, and +purchased it with the greatest avidity, when Captain Wallis discovered +Otaheite; and this knowledge could only have been acquired through +the medium of those neighbouring islands where it had been originally +left. Indeed, they acknowledge that this was actually the case; and +they have told us since, that they held it in such estimation before +Captain Wallis's arrival, that a chief of Otaheite, who had got two +nails into his possession, received no small emolument, by letting out +the use of these to his neighbours for the purpose of boring holes, +when their own methods failed, or were thought too tedious.[3] The +men of the Society Islands whom we found at Wateeoo, had been driven +thither, long after the knowledge and use of iron had thus been +introduced amongst their countrymen; and though probably they had +no specimen of it with them, they would naturally, and with ease, +communicate at that island their knowledge of this valuable material +by description. From the people of Wateeoo, again, those of Hervey's +Island might derive that desire to possess some of it, of which we had +proofs during our short intercourse with them. + +[Footnote 2: Captain King, we are told, purchased this, and had it in +his possession at the time of publishing this account.--E.] + +[Footnote 3: A similar instance of profitable revenue, drawn from the +use of nails by the chiefs of the Caroline Islands, is mentioned by +Father Cantova: "Si, par hazard, un vaisseau étranger laisse dans +leurs Isles quelques vieux morceaux de fer, ils appartiennent de +droit aux Tamoles, qui en font faire des outils, le mieux qu'il +est possible. Ces outils sent un fond le Tamole tire un revenu +considerable, car il les donne à louage, et ce louage se paye assez +chere."--P. 314.] + +The consideration of these facts sufficiently explains, how the +knowledge of iron has been conveyed throughout this ocean to islands +which never have had an immediate intercourse with Europeans; and it +may easily be conceived, that wherever the history of it only has been +reported, or a very small quantity of it has been left, the greater +eagerness will be shewn by the natives to get copious supplies of +it. The application of these particulars to the instance now under +consideration, is obvious. The people of Atooi and Oneeheow, without +having ever been visited by Europeans before us, might have received +it from intermediate islands lying between them and the Ladrones, +which have been frequented by the Spaniards almost ever since the date +of Magalhaens's voyage. Or if the distant western situation of the +Ladrones should render this solution less probable, is there not the +extensive continent of America to windward, where the Spaniards have +been settled for more than two hundred years; during which long period +of time, shipwrecks must have frequently happened on its coasts? +It cannot be thought at all extraordinary, that part of such wrecks +containing iron, should, by the easterly trade wind, be, from time to +time, cast upon islands scattered about this vast ocean. The distance +of Atooi from America is no argument against this supposition. But +even if it were, it would not destroy it. This ocean is traversed +every year by Spanish ships; and it is obvious, that, besides the +accident of losing a mast and its appendages, casks with iron hoops, +and many other things containing iron, may be thrown or may fall +overboard during so long a passage, and thus find their way to land. +But these are not mere conjectures and possibilities; for one of my +people actually did see some wood in one of the houses at Wymoa, which +he judged to be fir. It was worm-eaten, and the natives gave him to +understand, that it had been driven ashore by the waves of the +sea; and we had their own express testimony, that they had got the +inconsiderable specimens of iron, found amongst them, from some place +to the eastward. + +From this digression (if it can be called so) I return to the +observations made during our stay at Atooi; and some account must now +be given of their canoes. These, in general, are about twenty-four +feet long, and have the bottom, for the most part, formed of a single +piece or log of wood, hollowed out to the thickness of an inch, or an +inch and a half, and brought to a point at each end. The sides consist +of three boards, each about an inch thick, and neatly fitted and +lashed to the bottom part. The extremities, both at head and stern, +are a little raised, and both are made sharp, somewhat like a wedge; +but they flatten more abruptly; so that the two sideboards join each +other side by side, for more than a foot. As they are not more than +fifteen or eighteen inches broad, those that go single (for they +sometimes join them as at the other islands) have outriggers, which +are shaped and fitted with more judgment than any I had before seen. +They are rowed by paddles, such as we had generally met with; and +some of them have a light triangular sail, like those of the Friendly +Islands, extending to a mast and boom. The ropes used for their boats, +and the smaller cords for their fishing-tackle, are strong and well +made. + +What we saw of their agriculture, furnished sufficient proofs that +they are not novices in that art. The vale ground has already been +mentioned as one continued plantation of _taro_, and a few other +things, which have all the appearance of being well attended to. The +potatoe fields, and spots of sugar-cane, or plantains on the higher +grounds, are planted with the same regularity; and always in some +determinate figure, generally as a square or oblong; but neither +these, nor the others, are enclosed with any kind of fence, unless +we reckon the ditches in the low grounds such, which, it is more +probable, are intended to convey water to the _taro_. The great +quantity and goodness of these articles may also, perhaps, be as much +attributed to skilful culture as to natural fertility of soil, which +seems better adapted to them than to bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees; +the few which we saw of these latter not being in a thriving state, +which will sufficiently account for the preference given to the +culture of the other articles, though more labour be required to +produce them. But, notwithstanding this skill in agriculture, the +general appearance of the island shewed, that it was capable of much +more extensive improvement, and of maintaining, at least, three times +the number of the inhabitants that are at present upon it; for the far +greater part of it, that now lies quite waste, seemed to be as good a +soil as those parts of it that are in cultivation. We must therefore +conclude, that these people, from some cause, which we were not long +enough amongst them to be able to trace, do not increase in that +proportion, which would make it necessary to avail themselves of +the extent of their island, toward raising a greater quantity of its +vegetable productions for their subsistence. + +Though I did not see a chief of any note, there were however several, +as the natives informed us, who reside upon Atooi, and to whom they +prostrate themselves as a mark of submission; which seems equivalent +to the _moe_, _moea_, paid to the chiefs of the Friendly Islands, and +is called here _hamoea_, or _moe_. Whether they were at first afraid +to shew themselves, or happened to be absent, I cannot say; but, after +I had left the island, one of these great men made his appearance, and +paid a visit to Captain Clerke, on board the Discovery. He came off +in a double canoe; and, like the king of the Friendly Islands, paid +no regard to the small canoes that happened to lie in his way, but +ran against, or over them, without endeavouring in the least to avoid +them. And it was not possible for these poor people to avoid him, for +they could not manage their canoes; it being a necessary mark of +their submission that they should lie down till he had passed. His +attendants helped him into the ship, and placed him on the gangway. +Their care of him did not cease then; for they stood round him, +holding each other by the hands; nor would they suffer any one to come +near him but Captain Clerke himself. He was a young man, clothed from +head to foot, and accompanied by a young woman, supposed to be his +wife. His name was said to be Tamahano. Captain Clerke made him some +suitable presents; and received from him, in return, a large bowl, +supported by two figures of men, the carving of which, both as to the +design and execution, shewed some degree of skill. This bowl, as our +people were told, used to be filled with the _kava_ or _ava_, (as it +is called at Otaheite), which liquor they prepare and drink here as at +the other islands in this ocean. Captain Clerke could not prevail +upon this great man to go below, nor to move from the place where his +attendants had first fixed him. After staying some time in the ship, +he was carried again into his canoe, and returned to the island, +receiving the same honours from all the natives as when he came on +board. The next day several messages were sent to Captain Clerke, +inviting him to return the visit ashore, and acquainting him that +the chief had prepared a large present on that occasion. But, being +anxious to get to sea, and join the Resolution, the Captain did not +think it advisable to accept of the invitation. + +The very short and imperfect intercourse which we had with the +natives, put it out of our power to form any accurate judgment of the +mode of government established amongst them; but, from the general +resemblance of customs, and particularly from what we observed of the +honours paid to their chiefs, it seems reasonable to believe, that +it is of the same nature with that which prevails throughout all +the islands we had hitherto visited; and probably their wars amongst +themselves are equally frequent. This, indeed, might be inferred from +the number of weapons which we found them possessed of, and from, the +excellent order these were kept in. But we had direct proof of the +fact from their own confession; and, as we understood, these wars +are between the different districts of their own island, as well as +between it and their neighbours of Oneeheow and Orrehoua, we need +scarcely assign any other cause besides this to account for the +appearance already mentioned, of their population bearing no +proportion to the extent of their ground capable of cultivation. + +Besides their spears or lances, made of a fine chesnut-coloured +wood, beautifully polished, some of which are barbed at one end, and +flattened to a point at the other, they have a sort of weapon which we +had never seen before, and not mentioned by any navigator, as used by +the natives of the South Sea. It is somewhat like a dagger, in general +about a foot and a half long, sharpened at one or both ends, and +secured to the hand by a string. Its use is to stab in close fight; +and it seems well adapted to the purpose. Some of these may be called +double daggers, having a handle in the middle, with which they are +better enabled to strike different ways. They have also bows and +arrows; but, both from their apparent scarcity and their slender make, +it may almost be presumed that they never use them in battle. The +knife or saw, formerly mentioned, with which they dissect the dead +bodies, may also be ranked amongst their weapons, as they both strike +and cut with it when closely engaged. It is a small flat wooden +instrument, of an oblong shape, about a foot long, rounded at the +corners, with a handle almost like one sort of the _patoos_ of New +Zealand; but its edges are entirely surrounded with sharks' teeth, +strongly fixed to it, and pointing outward; having commonly a hole +in the handle, through which passes a long string, which is wrapped +several times round the wrist. We also suspected that they use slings +on some occasions; for we got some pieces of the _hæmatites_, +or blood-stone, artificially made of an oval shape, divided +longitudinally, with a narrow groove in the middle of the convex part. +To this the person, who had one of them, applied a cord of no great +thickness, but would not part with it, though he had no objection +to part with the stone, which must prove fatal, when thrown with any +force, as it weighed a pound. We likewise saw some oval pieces of +whetstone, well polished, but somewhat pointed toward each end, nearly +resembling in shape some stones which we had seen at New Caledonia in +1774, and used there in their slings. + +What we could learn of their religions institutions, and the manner of +disposing of their dead, which may properly be considered as closely +connected, has been already mentioned. And as nothing more strongly +points out the affinity between the manners of these people and of +the Friendly and Society Islands, I must just mention some other +circumstances to place this in a strong point of view, and at the same +time to shew how a few of the infinite modifications, of which a few +leading principles are capable, may distinguish any particular nation. +The people of Tongataboo inter their dead in a very decent manner, +and they also inter their human sacrifices; but they do not offer, or +expose any other animal, or even vegetable, to their gods, as far as +we know. Those of Otaheite do not inter their dead, but expose them to +waste by time and putrefaction, though the bones are afterward buried; +and as this is the case, it is very remarkable that they should inter +the entire bodies of their human sacrifices. They also offer other +animals and vegetables to their gods; but are by no means attentive to +the state of the sacred places where those solemn rites are performed; +most of their _morais_ being in a ruinous condition, and bearing +evident marks of neglect. The people of Atooi, again, inter both their +common dead and human sacrifices, as at Tongataboo; but they resemble +those of Otaheite in the slovenly state of their religious places, and +in offering vegetables and animals to their gods. + +The _taboo_ also prevails in Atooi in its full extent, and seemingly +with much more rigour than even at Tongataboo. For the people here +always asked, with great eagerness and signs of fear to offend, +whether any particular thing, which they desired to see, or we were +unwilling to shew, was _taboo_, or, as they pronounced the word, +_tafoo_? The _maia_, _ruä_, or forbidden articles at the Society +Islands, though doubtless the same thing, did not seem to be so +strictly observed by them, except with respect to the dead, about whom +we thought them more superstitious than any of the others were. But +these are circumstances with which we are not as yet sufficiently +acquainted to be decisive about; and I shall only just observe, to +shew the similitude in other matters connected with religion, that the +priests, or _tahounas_, here, are as numerous as at the other islands; +if we may judge, from our being able, during our short stay, to +distinguish several saying their _poore_ or prayer. + +But whatever resemblance we might discover, in the general manners of +the people of Atooi to those of Otaheite, these, of course, were less +striking than the coincidence of language, indeed, the languages of +both places may be said to be almost, word for word, the same. It is +true, that we sometimes remarked particular words to be pronounced +exactly as we had found at New Zealand and the Friendly Islands; but, +though all the four dialects are indisputably the same, these people, +in general, have neither the strong guttural pronunciation of the +former, nor a less degree of it, which also distinguishes the latter; +and they have not only adopted the soft mode of the Otaheitans, in +avoiding harsh sounds, but the whole idiom of their language; using +not only the same affixes and suffixes to their words, but the same +measure and cadence in their songs; though, in a manner, somewhat less +agreeable. There seems, indeed, at first hearing, some disagreement to +the ear of a stranger; but it ought to be considered, that the people +of Otaheite, from their frequent connections with the English, +had learnt it, in some measure, to adapt themselves to our scanty +knowledge of their language, by using not only the most common, but +even corrupted expressions, in conversation with us; whereas, when +they conversed among themselves, and used the several parts necessary +to propriety of speech, they were scarcely at all understood by those +amongst us, who had made the greatest proficiency in their vocabulary. +A catalogue of words was collected at Atooi by Mr Anderson, who +lost no opportunity of making our voyage useful to those who amuse +themselves in tracing the migrations of the various tribes or families +that have peopled the globe, by the most convincing of all arguments, +that drawn from affinity of language. + +How shall we account for this nation's having spread itself, in so +many detached islands, so widely disjoined from each other, in every +quarter of the Pacific Ocean! We find it, from New Zealand, in the +south, as far as the Sandwich Islands to the north! And, in another +direction, from Easter Island to the Hebrides! that is, over an extent +of sixty degrees of latitude, or twelve hundred leagues, north and +south! and eighty-three degrees of longitude, or sixteen hundred and +sixty leagues east and west! How much farther, in either direction, +its colonies reach is not known; but what we know already, in +consequence of this and our former voyage, warrants us in pronouncing +it to be, though perhaps not the most numerous, certainly, by far, the +most extensive nation upon the earth.[4] + +[Footnote 4: See more about the great extent of the colonies of this +nation in the Introductory Preface.] + +Had the Sandwich Islands been discovered at an early period by the +Spaniards, there is little doubt that they would have taken advantage +of so excellent a situation, and have made use of Atooi, or some other +of the islands, as a refreshing place to the ships that sail annually +from Acapulco for Manilla. They lie almost midway between the first +place and Guam, one of the Ladrones, which is at present their only +port in traversing this vast ocean; and it would not have been a +week's sail out of their common route to have touched at them; which +could have been done without running the least hazard of losing the +passage, as they are sufficiently within the verge of the easterly +trade-wind. An acquaintance with the Sandwich Islands would have been +equally favourable to our Buccaneers, who used sometimes to pass from +the coast of America to the Ladrones, with a stock of food and water +scarcely sufficient to preserve life. Here they might always have +found plenty, and have been within a month's sure sail of the very +part of California, which the Manilla ship is obliged to make, or else +have returned to the coast of America, thoroughly refitted, after an +absence of two months. How happy would Lord Anson have been, and what +hardships would he have avoided, if he had known that there was a +group of islands half way between America and Tinian, where all his +wants could have been effectually supplied; and in describing which, +the elegant historian of that voyage would have presented his reader +with a more agreeable picture than I have been able to draw in this +chapter![5] + +[Footnote 5: We defer considering the curious subject of the identity +and origin of the people that inhabit the South Sea, till other +relations shall have put the reader in possession of the facts +requisite for the discussion. Of the Sandwich Islands, we shall +hereafter probably have mere complete information than is now +given.--E.] + + +SECTION XIII. + +_Observations made at the Sandwich Islands, on the Longitude, +Variation of the Compass and Tides.--Prosecution of the +Voyage.--Remarks on the Mildness of the Weather, as far as +the Latitude 44° North.--Paucity of Sea Birds, in the Northern +Hemisphere.--Small Sea Animals described.--Arrival on the Coast +of America.--Appearance of the Country.--Unfavourable Winds and +boisterous Weather.--Remarks on Martin de Aguilar's River, and Juan +de Fuca's pretended Strait.--An Inlet discovered, where the Ships +anchor.--Behaviour of the Natives._ + +After the Discovery had joined us, we stood away to the northward, +close hauled, with a gentle gale from the east; and nothing occurring, +in this situation, worthy of a place in my narrative, the reader +will permit me to insert here the nautical observations which I had +opportunities of making relative to the islands we had left; and which +we had been fortunate enough to add to the geography of this part of +the Pacific Ocean. + +The longitude of the Sandwich Islands was determined by seventy-two +sets of lunar observations; some of which were made while we were at +anchor in the road of Wymoa; others before we arrived, and after we +left it, and reduced to it by the watch or time-keeper. By the mean +result of these observations, the longitude of the road is + + 200° 13' 0" East. + Time-keeper / Greenwich rate, 200° 0' 0" + \ Ulietea rate, 200° 21' 0" + The latitude of the road, by the \ + mean of two meridian observations } 21° 56' 15" North. + of the sun / + +The observations for the variation of the compass did not agree very +well among themselves. It is true, they were not all made exactly +in the same spot. The different situations, however, could make very +little difference. But the whole will be seen, by casting an eye on +the following table. + + Time. Latitude. Longitude. Compass. East Mean + variation. Variation. + Jan. 18th. A.M. 21° 12' 200° 41' Gregory's 10° 10' 10"\ + Knight's 9° 20' 5" } 90° 51' 38" + Martin's 10° 4' 40"/ + + 19th. P.M. 21° 51' 200° 20' Knight's 10° 2' 10"\ 10° 37' 10" + Gregory's 11° 12' 30"/ + + 28th. A.M. 21° 22' 199° 56' Gregory's 9° 1' 20"\ + Knight's 9° 1' 25" } 9° 26' 57" + Martin's 10° 18' 5"/ + + 28th. P.M. 21° 36' 199° 50' Gregory's 11° 21' 15"\ + Knight's 10° 40' 0" } 11° 12' 50" + Martin's 11° 37' 50"/ + + Means of the} 21° 29' 200° 12' 10° 17' 11" + above } + + On January 18. 21° 12' 200° 41' the north end of + the needle dipped 42° 1' 7". + + +The tides at the Sandwich Islands are so inconsiderable, that, with +the great surf which broke against the shore, it was hardly possible +to tell, at any time, whether we had high or low water, or whether +it ebbed or flowed. On the south side of Atooi, we generally found a +current setting to the westward, or north-westward. But when we +were at anchor off Oneeheow, the current set nearly north-west and +south-east, six hours one way and six the other, and so strong as to +make the ships tend, though the wind blew fresh. This was certainly +a regular tide; and, as far as I could judge, the flood came from the +north-west. + +I now return to the progress of our voyage. On the 7th, being in the +latitude of 29° N. and in the longitude of 200° E. the wind veered to +S.E. This enabled us to steer N.E. and E.; which course we continued, +till the 12th, when the wind had veered round by the S. and W. to +N.E. and E.N.E. I then tacked and stood to the northward, our latitude +being 30° N. and our longitude 206° 15' E. Notwithstanding our +advanced latitude, and its being the winter season, we had only begun, +for a few days past, to feel a sensation of cold in the mornings and +evenings. This is a sign of the equal and lasting influence of +the sun's heat, at all seasons, to 30° on each side the line. The +disproportion is known to become very great after that. This must be +attributed almost entirely to the direction of the rays of the sun, +independent of the bare distance, which is by no means equal to the +effect. + +On the 19th, being now in the latitude of 37° N. and in the longitude +of 206° E. the wind veered to S.E.; and I was enabled again to +steer to the E. inclining to the N. We had, on the 25th, reached the +latitude of 42° 30', and the longitude of 219°; and then we began +to meet with the rock-weed, mentioned by the writer of Lord Anson's +voyage, under the name of sea-leek, which the Manilla ships generally +fall in with. Now and then a piece of wood also appeared. But if we +had not known that the continent of North America was not far distant, +we might, from the few signs of the vicinity of land hitherto met +with, have concluded, that there was none within some thousand leagues +of us. We had hardly seen a bird, or any other oceanic animal, since +we left Sandwich Islands. + +On the 1st of March, our latitude being now 44° 49' N., and our +longitude 228° E. we had one calm day. This was succeeded by a wind +from the N. with which I stood to the E. close hauled, in order to +make the land. According to the charts, it ought not to have been far +from us. It was remarkable, that we should still carry with us such +moderate and mild weather so far to the northward, and so near the +coast of an extensive continent, at this time of the year. The present +season either must be uncommon for its mildness, or we can assign no +reason why Sir Francis Drake should have met with such severe cold, +about this latitude, in the month of June. Viscaino, indeed, who was +near the same place in the depth of winter, says little of the cold, +and speaks of a ridge of snowy mountains somewhere on the coast, as a +thing rather remarkable.[1] Our seeing so few birds, in comparison of +what we met with in the same latitudes to the south of the Line, +is another singular circumstance, which must either proceed from a +scarcity of the different sorts, or from a deficiency of places +to rest upon. From hence, we may conclude, that, beyond 40° in the +southern hemisphere, the species are much more numerous, and the isles +where they inhabit also more plentifully scattered about, than any +where between the coast of California and Japan, in or near that +latitude. + +[Footnote 1: See Torquemada's Narrative of Viscaino's Expedition +in 1602 and 1603, in the second volume of Vanegas's History of +California, English translation, from p. 229 to p. 308.--D.] + +During a calm, on the morning of the 2d, some parts of the sea seemed +covered with a kind of slime, and some small sea-animals were swimming +about. The most conspicuous of which were of the gelatinous or +_medusa_ kind, almost globular; and another sort smaller, that had +a white or shining appearance, and were very numerous. Some of these +last were taken up, and put into a glass cup with some salt water, in +which they appeared like small scales or bits of silver, when at rest, +in a prone situation. When they began to swim about, which they did, +with equal ease, upon their backs, sides, or belly, they emitted +the brightest colours of the most precious gems, according to their +position with respect to the light. Sometimes they appeared quite +pellucid, at other times assuming various tints of blue, from a pale +sapphirine to a deep violet colour; which were frequently mixed with +a ruby or opaline redness; and glowed with a strength sufficient to +illuminate the vessel and water. These colours appeared most vivid +when the glass was held to a strong light; and mostly vanished on the +subsiding of the animals to the bottom, when they had a brownish cast. +But, with candle light, the colour was, chiefly, a beautiful pale +green, tinged with a burnished gloss; and, in the dark, it had a +faint appearance of glowing fire. They proved to be a new species of +_oniscus_, and, from their properties, were, by Mr Anderson, (to whom +we owe this account of them), called _oniscus fulgens_; being probably +an animal which has a share in producing some sorts of that lucid +appearance, often observed near ships at sea in the night. On the same +day two large birds settled on the water, near the ship. One of these +was the _procellaria maxima_ (the _quebrantahuessos_), and the +other, which was little more than half the size, seemed to be of the +_albatross_ kind. The upper part of the wings, and tip of the tail, +were black, with the rest white; the bill yellowish; upon the whole +not unlike the sea-gull, though larger. + +On the 6th at noon, being in the latitude of 44° 10' N., and the +longitude of 234-1/2° E., we saw two seals and several whales; and at +day-break the next morning, the long-looked-for coast of New Albion[2] +was seen, extending from N.E. to S.E., distant ten or twelve leagues. +At noon our latitude was 44° 33' N., and our longitude 235° 20' E.; +and the land extended from N.E. 1/2 N. to S.E. by S. about eight +leagues distant. In this situation we had seventy-three fathoms water, +over a muddy bottom, and about a league farther off found ninety +fathoms. The land appeared to be of a moderate height, diversified +with hills and valleys, and almost every where covered with wood. +There was, however, no very striking object on any part of it, except +one hill, whose elevated summit was flat. This bore E. from us at +noon. At the northern extreme the land formed a point, which I called +_Cape Foulweather_, from the very bad weather that we soon after met +with. I judge it to lie in the latitude of 44° 55' N., and in the +longitude of 235° 54' E. + +[Footnote 2: This part of the west side of North America was so named +by Sir Francis Drake.--D.] + +We had variable light airs and calms till eight o'clock in the +evening, when a breeze sprung up at S.W. With it I stood to the N.W., +under an easy sail, waiting for day-light, to range along the coast. +But at four, next morning, the wind shifted to N.W., and blew in +squalls, with rain. Our course was N.E. till near ten o'clock, when, +finding that I could make no progress on this tack, and seeing +nothing like a harbour, I tacked, and stood off S.W. At this time Cape +Foulweather bore N.E. by N. about eight leagues distant. Toward noon +the wind veered more to the westward, and the weather became fair +and clear; so that we were enabled to make lunar observations. Having +reduced all those that we had made since the 19th of last month to +the present ones, by the time-keeper, amounting in the whole to +seventy-two sets, their mean result determined the longitude to be +235° 15' 26" E., which was 14' 11" less than what the time-keeper +gave. This longitude is made use of for settling that of the coast; +and I have not a doubt of its being within a very few miles of the +truth. + +Our difficulties now began to increase. In the evening the wind came +to the N.W., blowing in squalls, with hail and sleet; and the weather +being thick and hazy, I stood out to sea till near noon the next +day, when I tacked, and stood in again for the land, which made +its appearance at two in the afternoon, bearing E.N.E. The wind and +weather continued the same; but, in the evening, the former veered +more to the W. and the latter grew worse, which made it necessary +to tack and stand off till four the next morning, when I ventured to +stand in again. + +At four in the afternoon we saw the island, which, at six, extended +from N.E. 1/2 E. to S.E. by S. about eight leagues distant. In this +situation we tacked, and sounded; but a line of a hundred and sixty +fathoms did not reach the ground. I stood off till midnight, then +stood in again; and at half-past six we were within three leagues +of the land, which extended from N. by E. 1/2 E. to S. 1/2 E.; each +extreme about seven leagues distant. Seeing no signs of a harbour, and +the weather being still unsettled, I tacked, and stretched off S.W. +having then fifty-five fathoms water, over a muddy bottom. + +That part of the land which we were so near when we tacked, is of a +moderate height, though in some places it rises higher within. It was +diversified with a great many rising grounds and small hills; many +of which were entirely covered with tall, straight trees; and +others, which were lower, and grew in spots like coppices; but the +interspaces, and sides of many of the rising grounds, were clear. The +whole, though it might make an agreeable summer prospect, had now an +uncomfortable appearance; as the bare grounds towards the coast were +all covered with snow, which seemed to be of a considerable depth +between the little hills and rising grounds; and in several places, +toward the sea, might easily have been mistaken, at a distance, for +white cliffs. The snow on the rising grounds was thinner spread; and +farther inland, there was no appearance of any; from whence we might, +perhaps, conclude, that what we saw toward the sea, had fallen during +the night; which was colder than any we had experienced since our +arrival on the coast; and we had sometimes a kind of sleet. The coast +seemed every where almost straight, without any opening or inlet; and +it appeared to terminate in a kind of white sandy beach; though some +on board thought that appearance was owing to the snow. Each extreme +of the land that was now before us, seemed to shoot out into a point. +The northern one was the same which we had first seen on the 7th; and +on that account I called it _Cape Perpetua_. It lies in the latitude +of 44° 6' N., and in the longitude of 235° 57'E. The southern extreme +before us, I named _Cape Gregory_.[3] Its latitude is 43° 30', and its +longitude 235° 57' E. It is a remarkable point; the land of it rising +almost directly from the sea to a tolerable height, while that on each +side of it is low. + +[Footnote 3: In our calendar, the 7th of March is distinguished by the +name of Perpetua M, and the 12th by that of Gregory B.--D.] + +I continued standing off till one in the afternoon. Then I tacked, and +stood in, hoping to have the wind off from the land in the night. But +in this I was mistaken; for at five o'clock it began to run to the +west and south-west, which, obliged me once more to stand out to sea. +At this time, Cape Perpetua bore N.E. by N.; and the farthest land we +could see to the south of Cape Gregory bore S. by E., perhaps ten or +twelve leagues distant. If I am right in this estimation, its latitude +will be 43° 10', and its longitude 235° 55' E., which is nearly the +situation of Cape Blanco, discovered or seen by Martin d'Aguilar, on +the 19th of January, 1603. It is worth observing, that in the very +latitude where we now were, geographers have been pleased to place a +large entrance or strait, the discovery of which they take upon them +to ascribe to the same navigator; whereas nothing more is mentioned in +the account of his voyage, than his having seen, in this situation, +a large river, which he would have entered, but was prevented by the +currents.[4] + +[Footnote 4: See the History of California, Eng. trans. vol. ii. p. +292.--D.] + +The wind, as I have observed, had veered to S.W. in the evening; but +it was very unsettled, and blew in squalls, with snow showers. In one +of these, at midnight, it shifted at once to W.N.W. and soon increased +to a very hard gale, with heavy squalls, attended with sleet or +snow. There was no choice now; and we were obliged to stretch to the +southward, in order to get clear of the coast. This was done under +courses and two close-reefed top-sails; being rather more sail than +the ships could safely bear; but it was necessary to carry it to avoid +the more pressing danger of being forced on shore. This gale continued +till eight o'clock in the morning of the 18th; when it abated, and +I stood in again for the land. We had been forced a considerable way +backward; for at the time of our tacking, we were in the latitude of +42° 45', and in the longitude of 233° 30'. + +The wind continued at W. and N.W.; storms, moderate weather, and +calms, succeeding each other by turns, till the morning of the 21st; +when, after a few hours calm, a breeze sprung up at S.W. This bringing +with it fair weather, I steered north-easterly, in order to fall +in with the land, beyond that part of it where we had already so +unprofitable been tossed about for the last fortnight. In the evening, +the wind veered to the westward; and at eight o'clock the next +morning, we saw the land, extending from N.E. to E. nine leagues +distant. At this time we were in the latitude of 47° 5' N. and in the +longitude of 235° 10' E. + +I continued to stand to the north, with a fine breeze at W. and W.N.W. +till near seven o'clock in the evening, when I tacked to wait for +day-light. At this time we were in forty-eight fathoms water, and +about four leagues from the land, which extended from N. to S.E. +1/2 E. and a small round hill, which had the appearance of being an +island, bore N. 3/4 E., distant six or seven leagues, as I guessed; it +appears to be of a tolerable height, and was but just to be seen from +the deck. Between this island or rock, and the northern extreme of the +land, there appeared to be a small opening, which flattered us with +the hopes of finding an harbour. These hopes lessened as we drew +nearer; and at last we had some reason to think that the opening was +closed by low land. On this account I called the point of land to the +north of it _Cape Flattery_. It lies in the latitude of 48° 15' N., +and in the longitude of 235° 3' E. There is a round hill of a moderate +height over it; and all the land upon this part of the coast is of a +moderate and pretty equal height, well covered with wood, and had +a very pleasant and fertile appearance. It is in this very latitude +where we now were, that geographers have placed the pretended strait +of Juan de Fuca. But we saw nothing like it; nor is there the least +probability that ever any such thing existed.[5] + +[Footnote 5: See Michael Locke's apocryphal account of Juan de Fuca +and his pretended strait, in Purchas, vol. iii. p. 849-852, and many +later Collections.--D.] + +I stood off to the southward till midnight, when I tacked, and steered +to the N.W. with a gentle breeze at S.W. intending to stand in for the +land as soon as day-light should appear. But, by that time, we were +reduced to two courses and close-reefed top-sails, having a very hard +gale, with rain, right on shore; so that, instead of running in for +the land, I was glad to get an offing, or to keep that which we +had already got. The south-west wind was, however, but of short +continuance; for in the evening it veered again to the west. Thus +had we perpetually strong west and north-west winds to encounter. +Sometimes, in an evening, the wind would become moderate, and veer to +the southward; but this was always a sure prelude to a storm, which +blew the hardest at S.S.E. and was attended with rain and sleet. It +seldom lasted above four or six hours, before it was succeeded by +another gale from the N.W. which, generally, brought with it fair +weather. It was, by the means of these southerly blasts, that we were +enabled to get to the north-west at all. + +At length, at nine o'clock in the morning of the 29th, as we were +standing to the N.E. we again saw the land, which, at noon, extended +from N.W. by W. to E.S.E. the nearest part about six leagues distant. +Our latitude was now 49° 29' N. and our longitude 232° 29' E. The +appearance of the country differed much from that of the parts which +we had before seen; being full of high mountains, whose summits were +covered with snow. But the valleys between them, and the grounds on +the sea coast, high as well as low, were covered to a considerable +breadth with high, straight trees, that formed a beautiful prospect +as of one vast forest. The south-east extreme of the land formed a low +point off which are many breakers, occasioned by sunken rocks. On this +account it was called _Point Breakers_. It lies in the latitude of 49° +15' N., and in the longitude of 233° 20' E., and the other extreme +in about the latitude of 50°, and the longitude of 232°. I named this +last _Woody Point_. It projects pretty much out to the S.W. and is +high land. Between these two points the shore forms a large bay, which +I called _Hope Bay_; hoping, from the appearance of the land, to find +in it a good harbour. The event proved that we were not mistaken. + +As we drew nearer the coast, we perceived the appearance of two +inlets; one in the N.W., and the other in the N.E. corner of the bay. +As I could not fetch the former, I bore up for the latter; and passed +some breakers, or sunken rocks, that lay a league or more from the +shore. We had nineteen and twenty fathoms water half a league without +them; but as soon as we had passed them, the depth increased to +thirty, forty, and fifty fathoms, with a sandy bottom; and farther in +we found no ground with the greatest length of line. Notwithstanding +appearances, we were not yet sure that there were any inlets; but +as we were in a deep bay, I had resolved to anchor, with a view to +endeavour to get some water, of which, by this time, we were in great +want. At length, as we advanced, the existence of the inlet was no +longer doubtful. At five o'clock we reached the west point of it, +where we were becalmed for some time. While in this situation, I +ordered all the boats to be hoisted out to tow the ships in. But this +was hardly done, before a fresh breeze sprung up again at N.W. with +which we were enabled to stretch up into an arm of the inlet, that was +observed by us to run into the N.E. There we were again becalmed, and +obliged to anchor in eighty-five fathoms water, and so near the shore +as to reach it with a hawser. The wind failed the Discovery before +she got within the arm, where she anchored, and found only seventy +fathoms. + +We no sooner drew near the inlet than we found the coast to be +inhabited; and at the place where we were first becalmed, three canoes +came off to the ship. In one of these were two men, in another six, +and in the third ten. Having come pretty near us, a person in one of +the two last stood up, and made a long harangue, inviting us to land, +as we guessed, by his gestures. At the same time he kept strewing +handfuls of feathers towards us;[6] and some of his companions threw +handfuls of a red dust or powder in the same manner. The person who +played the orator, wore the skin of some animal, and held in each hand +something which rattled as he kept shaking it. After tiring himself +with his repeated exhortations, of which we did not understand a word, +he was quiet; and then others took it, by turns, to say something, +though they acted their part neither so long, nor with so much +vehemence, as the other. We observed, that two or three had their hair +quite strewed over with small white feathers; and others had large +ones stuck into different parts of the head. After the tumultuous +noise had ceased, they lay at a little distance from the ship, and +conversed with each other in a very easy manner; nor did they seem to +shew the least surprise or distrust. Some of them, now and then, got +up, and said something after the manner of their first harangues; and +one sung a very agreeable air, with a degree of softness and melody +which we could not have expected; the word _haela_ being often +repeated as the burden of the song. The breeze which soon after sprung +up, bringing us nearer to the shore, the canoes began to come off in +greater numbers; and we had at one time thirty-two of them near the +ship, carrying from three to seven or eight persons each, both men +and women. Several of these stood up in their canoes, haranguing and +making gestures, after the manner of our first visitors. One canoe was +remarkable for a singular head, which had a bird's eye and bill, of an +enormous size, painted on it; and a person, who was in it, who seemed +to be a chief, was no less remarkable for his uncommon appearance; +having many feathers hanging from his head, and being painted in an +extraordinary manner.[7] He held in his hand a carved bird of wood, as +large as a pigeon, with which he rattled as the person first mentioned +had done; and was no less vociferous in his harangue, which was +attended with some expressive gestures. + +[Footnote 6: The natives of this coast, twelve degrees farther +south, also brought feathers as presents to Sir Francis Drake on +his arrival.--See an account of his voyage in _Campbell's edit. of +Harris_, vol. i. p. 18--D. And in this collection, vol. x.--E.] + +[Footnote 7: Viscaino met with natives on the coast of California, +while he was in the harbour of San Diego, _who were painted or +besmeared with black and white, and had their heads loaded with +feathers_.--History of California, vol. ii. p. 272.--D.] + +Though our visitors behaved very peaceably, and could not be suspected +of any hostile intention, we could not prevail upon any of them to +come on board. They shewed great readiness, however, to part with any +thing they had, and took from us whatever we offered them in exchange, +but were more desirous of iron than of any other of our articles of +commerce; appearing to be perfectly acquainted with the use of that +metal. Many of the canoes followed us to our anchoring-place; and +a group, of about ten or a dozen of them, remained alongside the +Resolution most part of the night. + +These circumstances gave us a reasonable ground of hope, that we +should find this a comfortable station to supply all our wants, and to +make us forget the hardships and delays experienced during a constant +succession of adverse winds and boisterous weather, almost ever since +our arrival upon the coast of America. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +TRANSACTIONS AMONGST THE NATIVES OF NORTH AMERICA; DISCOVERIES ALONG +THAT COAST AND THE EASTERN EXTREMITY OF ASIA, NORTHWARD TO ICY CAPE; +AND RETURN SOUTHWARD TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. + + +SECTION I. + +_The Ships enter the Sound, and moor in a Harbour.--Intercourse with +the Natives.--Articles brought to barter.--Thefts committed.--The +Observatories erected, and Carpenters set to work.--Jealousy of the +Inhabitants of the Sound to prevent other Tribes having Intercourse +with the Ships.--Stormy and rainy Weather.--Progress round the +Sound.--Behaviour of the Natives at their Villages.--Their Manner of +drying fish, &c.--Remarkable Visit from Strangers, and introductory +Ceremonies.--A second Visit to one of the Villages.--Leave to cut +Grass, purchased.--The Ships sail.--Presents given and received at +parting._ + +The ships having happily found so excellent shelter in an inlet, the +coasts of which appeared to be inhabited by a race of people, whose +inoffensive behaviour promised a friendly intercourse, the next +morning, after coming to anchor, I lost no time in endeavouring to +find a commodious harbour where we might station ourselves during our +continuance in the Sound. Accordingly, I sent three armed boats, under +the command of Mr King, upon this service; and soon after, I went +myself, in a small boat, on the same search. I had very little trouble +in finding what we wanted. On the N.W. of the arm we were now in, and +not far from the ships, I met with a convenient snug cove well suited +to our purpose. Mr King was equally successful; for he returned about +noon, with an account of a still better harbour, which he had seen +and examined, lying on the N.W. side of the land. But as it would have +required more time to carry the ships thither, than to the cove +where I had been, which was immediately within our reach, this reason +operated to determine my choice in favour of the latter situation. But +being apprehensive, that we should not be able to transport our ships +to it, and to moor them properly, before night came on, I thought +it best to remain where we were till next morning; and, that no time +might be lost, I employed the remainder of the day to some useful +purposes, ordering the sails to be unbent, the top-masts to be struck, +and the fore-mast of the Resolution to be unrigged, in order to fix a +new bib, one of the old ones being decayed. + +A great many canoes, filled with the natives, were about the ships all +day, and a trade commenced betwixt us and them, which was carried +on with the strictest honesty on both sides. The articles which they +offered to sale were skins of various animals, such as bears, wolves, +foxes, deer, rackoons, pole-cats, martins, and, in particular, of the +sea-otters, which are found at the islands E. of Kamtschatka. Besides +the skins in their native shape, they also brought garments made of +them, and another sort of cloathing made of the bark of a tree, or +some plant like hemp; weapons, such as bows, arrows, and spears; +fish-hooks, and instruments of various kinds; wooden-vizors of many +different monstrous figures; a sort of woollen stuff, or blanketing; +bags filled with red ochre; pieces of carved work, beads, and +several other little ornaments of thin brass and iron, shaped like a +horse-shoe, which they hang at their noses; and several chisels, or +pieces of iron, fixed to handles. From their possessing which metals, +we could infer that they had either been visited before by some +civilized nation, or had connections with tribes on their continent, +who had communication with them. But the most extraordinary of all the +articles which they brought to the ships for sale, were human skulls, +and hands not yet quite stripped of the flesh, which they made our +people plainly understand they had eaten; and, indeed, some of them +had evident marks that they had been upon the fire. We had but too +much reason to suspect, from this circumstance, that the horrid +practice of feeding on their enemies is as prevalent here, as we had +found it to be at New Zealand and other South Sea Islands. For the +various articles which they brought, they took in exchange knives, +chisels, pieces of iron and tin, nails, looking-glasses, buttons, or +any kind of metal. Glass-beads they were not fond of, and cloth of +every sort they rejected. + +We employed the next day in hauling our ships into the cove, where +they were moored head and stern, fastening our hawsers to the trees +on shore. On heaving up the anchor of the Resolution, we found, +notwithstanding the great depth of water in which it was let go, +that there were rocks at the bottom. These had done some considerable +damage to the cable; and the hawsers that were carried out to warp the +ship into the cove also got foul of rocks, from which it appeared +that the whole bottom was strewed with them. The ship being again very +leaky in her upper works, I ordered the carpenters to go to work to +caulk her, and to repair such other defects as, on examination, we +might discover. + +The fame of our arrival brought a great concourse of the natives to +our ships in the course of this day. We counted above a hundred canoes +at one time, which might be supposed to contain, at an average, five +persons each; for few of them had less than three on board; great +numbers had seven, eight, or nine, and one was manned with no less +than seventeen. Amongst these visitors, many now favoured us with +their company for the first time, which we could guess, from their +approaching the ships with their orations and other ceremonies. If +they had any distrust or fear of us at first, they now appeared to +have laid it aside; for they came on board the ships, and mixed with +our people with the greatest freedom. We soon discovered, by this +nearer intercourse, that they were as light-fingered as any of our +friends in the islands we had visited in the course of the voyage. +And they were far more dangerous thieves; for, possessing sharp +iron-instruments, they could cut a hook from a tackle, or any other +piece of iron from a rope, the instant that our backs were turned. A +large hook, weighing between twenty and thirty pounds, several smaller +ones, and other articles of iron, were lost in this manner. And, as +to our boats, they stripped them of every bit of iron that was worth +carrying away, though we had always men left in them as a guard. They +were dexterous enough in effecting their purposes; for one fellow +would contrive to amuse the boat-keeper, at one end of a boat, while +another was pulling out the iron-work at the other. If we missed a +thing immediately after it had been stolen, we found little difficulty +in detecting the thief, as they were ready enough to impeach one +another. But the guilty person generally relinquished his prize with +reluctance, and sometimes we found it necessary to have recourse to +force. + +The ships being securely moored, we began our other necessary business +the next day. The observatories were carried ashore, and placed upon +an elevated rock on one side of the cove, close to the Resolution. A +party of men, with an officer, was sent to cut wood, and to clear a +place for the conveniency of watering. Others were employed to brew +spruce-beer, as pine-trees abounded here. The forge was also set up, +to make the iron-work wanting for the repairs of the fore-mast. For, +besides one of the bibs being defective, the larboard trestle-tree and +one of the cross-trees were sprung. + +A considerable number of the natives visited us daily; and every now +and then we saw new faces. On their first coming, they generally went +through a singular mode of introducing themselves. They would paddle, +with all their strength, quite round both ships, a chief, or other +principal person in the canoe, standing up with a spear, or some other +weapon, in his hand, and speaking, or rather hollowing, all the time. +Sometimes the orator of the canoe would have his face covered with a +mask, representing either a human visage, or that of some animal; +and, instead of a weapon, would hold a rattle in his hand, as before +described. After making this circuit round the ships, they would come +alongside, and begin to trade without further ceremony. Very often, +indeed, they would first give us a song, in which all in the canoe +joined, with a very pleasing harmony. + +During these visits, they gave us no other trouble than to guard +against their thievish tricks. But, in the morning of the 4th, we +had a serious alarm. Our party on shore, who were employed in cutting +wood, and filling water, observed, that the natives all around them +were arming themselves in the best manner they could; those, who were +not possessed of proper weapons, preparing sticks, and collecting +stones. On hearing this, I thought it prudent to arm also; but, being +determined to act upon the defensive, I ordered all our workmen to +retreat to the rock, upon which we had placed our observatories, +leaving the natives in quiet possession of the ground where they had +assembled, which was within a stone's throw of the Resolution's stern. +Our fears were ill-grounded; these hostile preparations were not +directed against us, but against a body of their own countrymen, who +were coming to fight them; and our friends of the Sound, on observing +our apprehensions, used their best endeavours to convince us that this +was the case. We could see that they had people looking out on each +point of the cove, and canoes frequently passed between them and the +main body assembled near the ships. At length, the adverse party, in +about a dozen large canoes, appeared off the S. point of the +cove, where they stopped, and lay drawn up in a line of battle, a +negotiation having commenced. Some people in canoes, in conducting the +treaty, passed between the two parties, and there was some speaking on +both sides. At length, the difference, whatever it was, seemed to be +compromised; but the strangers were not allowed to come alongside the +ships, nor to have any trade or intercourse with us. Probably we were +the cause of the quarrel; the strangers, perhaps, being desirous to +share in the advantages of a trade with us, and our first friends, the +inhabitants of the Sound, being determined to engross us entirely to +themselves. We had proofs of this on several other occasions, nay, it +appeared, that even those who lived in the Sound were not united in +the same cause; for the weaker were frequently obliged to give way to +the stronger party, and plundered of every thing, without attempting +to make the least resistance. + +We resumed our work in the afternoon, and the next day rigged the +fore-mast; the head of which being rather too small for the cap, the +carpenter went to work, to fix a piece on one side, to fill up the +vacant space. In cutting into the mast-head for this purpose, and +examining the state of it, both cheeks were found to be so rotten, +that there was no possibility of repairing them, and it became +necessary to get the mast out, and to fix new ones upon it. It was +evident, that one of the cheeks had been defective at the first, and +that the unsound part had been cut out, and a piece put in, which had +not only weakened the mast-head, but had, in a great measure, been +the occasion of rotting every other part of both cheeks. Thus, when we +were almost ready to put to sea, we had all our work to do over again; +and, what was still more provoking, an additional repair was to be +undertaken, which would require some time to be completed. But, as +there was no remedy, we immediately set about it. It was fortunate +for the voyage, that these defects were discovered, when we were in a +place, where the materials requisite were to be procured. For, amongst +the drift-wood, in the cove where the ships lay, were some small +seasoned trees very fit for our purpose. One of these was pitched +upon, and the carpenters began, without loss of time, to make out of +it two new cheeks. + +In the morning of the 7th, we got the fore-mast out, and hauled it +ashore, and the carpenters of the ships were set to work upon it. Some +parts of the lower standing rigging having been found to be very much +decayed, as we had time now to put them in order, while the carpenters +were repairing the fore-mast, I ordered a new set of main-rigging to +be fitted, and a more perfect set of fore-rigging to be selected out +of the best parts of the old. + +From the time of our putting into the Sound till now, the weather had +been exceedingly fine, without either wind or rain. That comfort, at +the very moment when the continuance of it would have been of most +service, was withdrawn. In the morning of the 8th, the wind freshened +at S.E., attended with thick hazy weather and rain. In the afternoon +the wind increased; and, toward the evening, it blew very hard indeed. +It came, in excessively heavy squalls, from over the high land on the +opposite shore, right into the cove, and, though the ships were +very well moored, put them in some danger. These tempestuous blasts +succeeded each other pretty quick, but they were of short duration, +and in the intervals between them we had a perfect calm. According to +the old proverb, Misfortunes seldom come single; the mizen was now +the only mast on board the Resolution that remained rigged, with its +top-mast up. The former was so defective, that it could not support +the latter during the violence of the squalls, but gave way at the +head under the rigging. About eight o'clock the gale abated; but the +rain continued with very little intermission for several days; and, +that the carpenters might be enabled to proceed in their labours, +while it prevailed, a tent was erected over the fore-mast, where they +could work with some degree of convenience. + +The bad weather which now came on, did not, however, hinder the +natives from visiting us daily; and, in such circumstances, their +visits were very advantageous to us. For they frequently brought us a +tolerable supply of fish, when we could not catch any ourselves with +hook and line; and there was not a proper place near us where we could +draw a net. The fish which they brought us were either sardines, or +what resembled them much; a small kind of bream; and sometimes small +cod. + +On the 11th, notwithstanding the rainy weather, the main-rigging was +fixed and got over head; and our employment, the day after, was to +take down the mizen-mast, the head of which proved to be so rotten, +that it dropped off while in the slings. In the evening we were +visited by a tribe of natives whom we had never seen before, and who, +in general, were better-looking people than most of our old friends, +some of whom attended them. I prevailed upon these visitors to go down +into the cabin for the first time, and observed, that there was not a +single object that fixed the attention of most of them for a moment; +their countenances marking, that they looked upon all our novelties +with the utmost indifference. This, however, was not without +exception; for a few of the company shewed a certain degree of +curiosity. + +In the afternoon of the next day, I went into the woods with a +party of our men, and cut down a tree for a mizen-mast. On the day +following, it was brought to the place where the carpenters were +employed upon the fore-mast. In the evening the wind, which had been, +for some time, westerly, veered to S.E., and increased to a very hard +gale, with rain, which continued till eight o'clock the next morning, +when it abated, and veered again to the W. + +The fore-mast being by this time finished, we hauled it alongside; but +the bad weather prevented our getting it in till the afternoon; and +we set about rigging it with the greatest expedition, while the +carpenters were going on with the mizen-mast on shore. They had made +very considerable progress in it on the 16th, when they discovered +that the stick upon which they were at work was sprung, or wounded, +owing, as supposed, to some accident in cutting it down. So that all +their labour was thrown away, and it became necessary to get another +tree out of the woods, which employed all hands above half a day. +During these various operations, several of the natives, who were +about the ships, looked on with an expressive silent surprise, which +we did not expect; from their general indifference and inattention. + +On the 18th, a party of strangers, in six or eight canoes, came into +the cove, where they remained, looking at us, for some time, and then +retired, without coming alongside either ship. We supposed, that our +old friends, who were more numerous at this time about us, than these +new visitors, would not permit them to have any intercourse with +us. It was evident, upon this and several other occasions, that the +inhabitants of the adjoining parts of the Sound engrossed us entirely +to themselves; or if, at any time, they did not hinder strangers from +trading with us, they contrived to manage the trade for them in such a +manner, that the price of their commodities was always kept up; while +the value of ours was lessening every day. We also found, that many of +the principal natives, who lived near us, carried on a trade with +more distant tribes, in the articles they had procured from us. For we +observed that they would frequently disappear for four or five days at +a time, and then return with fresh cargoes of skins and curiosities, +which our people were so passionately fond of, that they always +came to a good market. But we received most benefit from such of +the natives as visited us daily. These, after disposing of all their +little trifles, turned their attention to fishing; and we never +failed to partake of what they caught. We also got from these people a +considerable quantity of very good animal oil, which they had reserved +in bladders. In this traffic some would attempt to cheat us, by mixing +water with the oil; and, once or twice, they had the address to carry +their imposition so far, as to fill their bladders with mere water, +without a single drop of oil. It was always better to bear with +these tricks, than to make them the foundation of a quarrel; for our +articles of traffic consisted, for the most part, of mere trifles; and +yet we were put to our shifts to find a constant supply even of these. +Beads, and such other toys, of which I had still some left, were in +little estimation. Nothing would go down with our visitors but metal; +and brass had, by this time, supplanted iron, being so eagerly sought +after, that before we left this place, hardly a bit of it was left in +the ships, except what belonged to our necessary instruments. Whole +suits of clothes were stripped of every button; bureaus of their +furniture; and copper-kettles, tin-cannisters, candle-sticks, and +the like, all went to wreck; so that our American friends here got a +greater medley and variety of things from us, than any other nation +whom we had visited in the course of the voyage. + +After a fortnight's bad weather, the 19th proving a fair day, we +availed ourselves of it, to get up the top-masts and yards, and to fix +up the rigging. And, having now finished most of our heavy work, I set +out the next morning to take a view of the Sound. I first went to the +W. point, where I found a large village, and, before it, a very snug +harbour, in which was from nine to four fathoms water, over a bottom +of fine sand. The people of this village, who were numerous, and to +most of whom I was well known, received me very courteously; every one +pressing me to go into his house, or rather his apartment; for several +families live under the same roof. I did not decline the invitations, +and my hospitable friends, whom I visited, spread a mat for me to sit +down upon, and shewed me every other mark of civility. In most of the +houses were women at work, making dresses of the plant or bark before +mentioned, which they executed exactly in the same manner that the New +Zealanders manufacture their cloth. Others were occupied in opening +sardines. I had seen a large quantity of them brought on shore from +canoes, and divided by measure amongst several people, who carried +them up to their houses, where the operation of curing them by +smoke-drying is performed. They hang them on small rods, at first, +about a foot from the fire; afterward they remove them higher and +higher, to make room for others, till the rods, on which the fish +hang, reach the top of the house. When they are completely dried, they +are taken down and packed close in bales, which they cover with +mats. Thus they are kept till wanted; and they are not a disagreeable +article of food. Cod, and other large fish, are also cured in the +same manner by them; though they sometimes dry these in the open air, +without fire. + +From this village I proceeded up the west side of the Sound. For about +three miles, I found the shore covered with small islands, which are +so situated as to form several convenient harbours, having various +depths of water, from thirty to seven fathoms, with a good bottom. Two +leagues within the Sound, on this west side, there runs in an arm in +the direction of N.N.W.; and two miles farther, is another nearly in +the same direction, with a pretty large island before it. I had no +time to examine either of these arms; but have reason to believe, that +they do not extend far inland, as the water was no more than brackish +at their entrances. A mile above the second arm, I found the remains +of a village. The logs or framings of the houses were standing; but +the boards that had composed their sides and roofs did not exist. +Before this village were some large fishing wears; but I saw nobody +attending them. These wears were composed of pieces of wicker-work +made of small rods, some closer than others, according to the size of +the fish intended to be caught in them. These pieces of wicker-work +(some of whose _superficies_ are, at least, twenty feet by twelve), +are fixed up edgewise in shallow water, by strong poles or pickets, +that stand firm in the ground. Behind this ruined village is a plain +of a few acres extent, covered with the largest pine-trees that I ever +saw. This was more remarkable, as the elevated ground, on most other +parts of this west side of the Sound, was rather naked. + +From this place, I crossed over to the other, or east side of the +Sound, passing an arm of it that runs in N.N.E., to appearance not +far. I now found, what I had before conjectured, that the land, under +which the ships lay, was an island; and that there were many smaller +ones lying scattered in the Sound on the west side of it. Opposite +the north end of our large island, upon the main land, I observed a +village, and there I landed. The inhabitants of it were not so polite +as those of the other I had just visited. But this cold reception +seemed, in a great measure, if not entirely, owing to one surly chief, +who would not let me enter their houses, following me wherever I went; +and several times, by expressive signs, marking his impatience that +I should be gone. I attempted in vain to sooth him by presents, but +though he did not refuse them, they did not alter his behaviour. Some +of the young women, better pleased with us than was their inhospitable +chief, dressed themselves expeditiously in their best apparel, and, +assembling in a body, welcomed us to their village, by joining in a +song, which was far from harsh or disagreeable. + +The day being now far spent, I proceeded for the ships, round the +north end of the large island; meeting, in my way, with several canoes +laden with sardines, which had been just caught, somewhere in the east +corner of the Sound. When I got on board, I was informed, that, while +I was absent, the ships had been visited by some strangers, in two +or three large canoes, who, by signs, made our people understand that +they had come from the S.E., beyond the bay. They brought several +skins, garments, and other articles, which they bartered. But what +was most singular, two silver table-spoons were purchased from +them, which, from their peculiar shape, we supposed to be of Spanish +manufacture. One of these strangers wore them round his neck, by +way of ornament. These visitors also appeared to be more plentifully +supplied with iron than the inhabitants of the Sound. + +The mizen-mast being finished, it was got in, and rigged, on the 21st; +and the carpenters were set to work to make a new fore-top-mast, to +replace the one that had been carried away some time before. + +Next morning, about eight o'clock, we were visited by a number of +strangers, in twelve or fourteen canoes. They came into the cove from +the southward, and as soon as they had turned the point of it, they +stopped, and lay drawn up in a body above half an hour, about two or +three hundred yards from the ships. At first, we thought, that they +were afraid to come nearer; but we were mistaken in this, and they +were only preparing an introductory ceremony. On advancing toward the +ships, they all stood up in their canoes, and began to sing. Some +of their songs, in which the whole body joined, were in a slow, and +others in quicker time; and they accompanied their notes with the +most regular motions of their hands; or beating in concert, with their +paddles, on the sides of the canoes, and making other very expressive +gestures. At the end of each song, they remained silent a few +seconds, and then began again, sometimes pronouncing the word _hooee!_ +forcibly, as a chorus. After entertaining us with this specimen of +their music, which we listened to with admiration, for above half an +hour, they came alongside the ships, and bartered what they had to +dispose of. Some of our old friends of the Sound were now found to +be amongst them, and they took the whole management of the traffic +between us and the strangers, much to the advantage of the latter. + +Our attendance on these visitors being finished, Captain Clerke and +I went, in the forenoon, with two boats, to the village at the west +point of the Sound. When I was there before, I had observed, that +plenty of grass grew near it; and it was necessary to lay in a +quantity of this, as food for the few goats and sheep which were +still left on board. The inhabitants received us with the same +demonstrations of friendship which I had experienced before; and the +moment we landed, I ordered some of my people to begin their operation +of cutting. I had not the least imagination, that the natives could +make any objection to our furnishing ourselves with what seemed to be +of no use to them, but was necessary for us. However, I was mistaken; +for, the moment that our men began to cut, some of the inhabitants +interposed, and would not permit them to proceed, saying they must +"_makook_," that is, must first buy it. I was now in one of the +houses; but as soon as I heard of this, I went to the field, where I +found about a dozen of the natives, each of whom laid claim to some +part of the grass that grew in this place. I bargained with them for +it, and having completed the purchase, thought that we were now at +liberty to cut wherever we pleased. But here, again, it appeared, that +I was under a mistake; for the liberal manner in which I had paid +the first pretended proprietors, brought fresh demands upon me from +others; so that there did not seem to be a single blade of grass, that +had not a separate owner, and so many of them were to be satisfied, +that I very soon emptied my pockets. When they found that I really +had nothing more to give, their importunities ceased, and we were +permitted to cut where-ever we pleased, and as much as we chose to +carry away. + +Here I must observe, that I have no where, in my several voyages, met +with any uncivilized nation, or tribe, who had such strict notions +of their having a right to the exclusive property of every thing that +their country produces, as the inhabitants of this Sound. At first, +they wanted our people to pay for the wood and water that they carried +on board; and had I been upon the spot, when these demands were +made, I should certainly have complied with them. Our workmen, in my +absence, thought differently, for they took but little notice of such +claims; and the natives, when they found that we were determined +to pay nothing, at last ceased to apply. But they made a merit of +necessity, and frequently afterward took occasion to remind us, that +they had given us wood and water out of friendship.[1] + +[Footnote 1: Similar to the behaviour of the natives of Nootka, on +this occasion, was that of another tribe of Indians, farther north, in +latitude 57° 18', to the Spaniards, who had preceded Captain Cook only +three years, in a voyage to explore the coast of America, northward of +California. See the journal of that voyage, writ by the second pilot +of the fleet, and published by the Honourable Mr Daines Barrington, to +whom the literary world owes so many obligations.--_Miscellanies_, p. +505, 506.--D.] + +During the time I was at this village, Mr Webber, who had attended me +thither, made drawings of every thing that was curious, both within +and without doors. I had also an opportunity of inspecting more +narrowly, the construction of the houses, household furniture, and +utensils, and the striking peculiarities of the customs and modes of +living of the inhabitants. These shall be described in another place, +in the best manner I can, calling in to my assistance the observations +of Mr Anderson. When we had completed all our operations at this +village, the natives and we parted very good friends, and we got back +to the ships in the afternoon. + +The three following days were employed in getting ready to put to +sea; the sails were bent, the observatories and instruments, brewing +vessels, and other things, were moved from the shore; some small +spars, for different uses, and pieces of timber, which might be +occasionally sawn into boards, were prepared and put on board; and +both ships were cleared, and put into a sailing condition. + +Every thing being now ready, in the morning of the 26th, I intended to +have put to sea; but both wind and tide being against us, was obliged +to wait till noon, when the S.W. wind was succeeded by a calm, and +the tide turning in our favour, we cast off the moorings, and with +our boats towed the ships out of the cove. After this, we had variable +light airs and calms, till four in the afternoon, when a breeze +sprung up northerly, with very thick, hazy weather. The mercury in the +barometer fell unusually low, and we had every other fore-runner of +an approaching storm, which we had reason to expect would be from +the southward. This made me hesitate a little, as night was at hand, +whether I should venture to sail, or wait till the next morning. But +my anxious impatience to proceed upon the voyage, and the fear of +losing this opportunity of getting out of the Sound, making a greater +impression on my mind, than any apprehension of immediate danger, I +determined to put to sea at all events. + +Our friends, the natives, attended us, till we were almost out of the +Sound; some on board the ships, and others in their canoes. One of +their chiefs, who had, some time before, attached himself to me, was +amongst the last who left us. Having, before he went, bestowed upon +him a small present, I received in return a beaver-skin, of much +greater value. This called upon me to make some addition to my +present, which pleased him so much, that he insisted upon my +acceptance of the beaver-skin cloak which he then wore; and of which +I knew he was particularly fond. Struck with this instance of +generosity, and desirous that he should be no sufferer by his +friendship to me, I presented to him a new broad sword, with a brass +hilt, the possession of which made him completely happy. He, and also +many others of his countrymen, importuned us much to pay them another +visit; and, by way of encouragement, promised to lay in a good stock +of skins. I made no doubt, that whoever comes after me to this place, +will find the natives prepared accordingly, with no inconsiderable +supply of an article of trade, which, they could observe, we were +eager to possess; and which we found could be purchased to great +advantage.[2] + +[Footnote 2: Captain King, as we shall afterwards find, proposes a +plan for the establishment of a fur-trade with this coast of America. +To this he was incited by the experience of the value of these +articles in the Chinese market. In fact, a settlement for the purpose +of carrying on this trade was commenced in 1786, by an association of +British merchants resident in India. It was soon afterwards seized +on by the Spaniards who pretended a prior right. But they, as we have +already mentioned, vol. xv. p. 157, abandoned all claim to this Sound +in 1790; and in 1795, it was formally taken possession of, in name of +his Britannic Majesty.--E.] + +Such particulars about the country, and its inhabitants, as came to +our knowledge during our short stay, and have not been mentioned +in the course of the narrative, will furnish materials for the two +following sections. + + +SECTION II. + +_The Name of the Sound, and Directions for Sailing into it.--Account +of the adjacent Country.--Weather.--Climate.--Trees.--Other Vegetable +Productions.--Quadrupeds, whose Skins were brought for +Sale.--Sea Animals.--Description of a Sea Otter.--Birds.--Water +Fowl.--Fish.--Shell-fish, &c.--Reptiles.--Insects.--Stones, +&c.--Persons of the Inhabitants.--Their Colour.--Common Dress and +Ornaments.--Occasional Dresses, and monstrous Decorations of +wooden Masks.--Their general Dispositions.--Songs.--Musical +Instruments.--Their Eagerness to possess Iron and other Metals._ + +On my arrival in this inlet, I had honoured it with the name of King +George's Sound; but I afterward found, that it is called Nootka by the +natives. The entrance is situated in the east corner of Hope Bay, in +the latitude of 49° 33' N., and in the longitude of 233° 12' E. +The east coast of that bay, all the way from Breaker's Point to the +entrance of the Sound, is covered by a chain of sunken rocks, that +seemed to extend some distance from the shore; and, near the Sound, +are some islands and rocks above water. + +We enter this Sound between two rocky points, that lie E.S.E., and +W.N.W. from each other, distant between three and four miles. Within +these points the Sound widens considerably, and extends in, to the +northward, four leagues at least, exclusive of the several branches +toward its bottom, the termination of which we had not an opportunity +to ascertain. But, from the circumstance of finding that the water +freshened where our boats crossed their entrance, it is probable that +they had almost reached its utmost limits. And this probability is +increased by the hills that bounded it toward the land, being covered +with thick snow, when those toward the sea, or where we lay, had not a +speck remaining on them, though, in general, they were much higher. In +the middle of the Sound are a number of islands of various sizes. The +depth of water in the middle of the Sound, and even close home to some +parts of its shore, is from forty-seven to ninety fathoms, and perhaps +more. The harbours, and anchoring-places within its circuit, are +numerous; but we had no time to survey them. The cove in which our +ships lay is on the east side of the Sound, and on the east side of +the largest of the islands. It is covered from the sea, but has little +else to recommend it, being exposed to the S.E. winds, which we found +to blow with great violence; and the devastation they make sometimes +was apparent in many places. + +The land bordering upon the sea-coast is of a middling height and +level; but within the Sound, it rises almost every-where into steep +hills, which agree in their general formation, ending in round or +blunted tops, with some sharp, though not very prominent, ridges on +their sides. Some of these hills may be reckoned high, while others of +them are of a very moderate height; but even the highest are entirely +covered to their tops with the thickest woods; as well as every flat +part toward the sea. There are sometimes spots upon the sides of some +of the hills which are bare; but they are few, in comparison of +the whole, though they sufficiently point out the general rocky +disposition of these hills. Properly speaking, they have no soil upon +them, except a kind of compost, produced from rotten mosses and trees, +of the depth of two feet or more. Their foundations are, therefore, to +be considered as nothing more than stupendous rocks, of a whitish +or grey cast, where they have been exposed to the weather; but, +when broken, they appeared to be of a blueish grey colour, like that +universal sort which were found at Kerguelen's Land. The rocky shores +are a continued mass of this; and the little coves, in the Sound, have +beaches composed of fragments of it, with a few other pebbles. All +these coves are furnished with a great quantity of fallen wood lying +in them, which is carried in by the tide; and with rills of fresh +water, sufficient for the use of a ship, which seem to be supplied +entirely from the rains, and fogs that hover about the tops of the +hills. For few springs can be expected in so rocky a country, and the +fresh water found farther up the Sound, most probably arose from the +melting of the snow; there being no room to suspect, that any large +river falls into the Sound, either from strangers coming down it, or +from any other circumstance. The water of these rills is perfectly +clear, and dissolves soap easily. + +The weather, during our stay, corresponded pretty nearly with that +which we had experienced off the coast. That is, when the wind was any +where between N. and W., the weather was fine and clear; but if to +the southward of W., hazy with rain. The climate, as far as we had any +experience of it, is infinitely milder than that on the east coast +of America, under the same parallel of latitude. The mercury in the +thermometer never, even in the night, fell lower than 42°, and +very often, in the day, it rose to 60°. No such thing as frost was +perceived in any of the low ground; on the contrary, vegetation had +made a considerable progress, for I met with grass that was already +above a foot long. + +The trees which chiefly compose the woods, are the Canadian pine, +white cypress, _cypressus thyoides_, the wild pine, with two or +three other sorts of pine less common. The two first make up almost +two-thirds of the whole; and, at a distance, might be mistaken for the +same tree, as they both run up into pointed spire-like tops, but +they are easily distinguished on coming nearer from their colour, the +cypress being of a much paler green, or shade, than the other. The +trees, in general, grow with great vigour, and are all of a large +size. + +There is but little variety of other vegetable productions, though, +doubtless, several had not yet sprung up at the early season when we +visited the place, and many more might be hid from the narrow sphere +of our researches. About the rocks, and verge of the woods, we found +strawberry-plants, some raspberry, currant, and gooseberry bushes, +which were all in a most flourishing state, with a few small +black alder-trees. There are, likewise, a species of sow-thistle, +goose-grass, some crow's-foot, which has a very fine crimson flower, +and two sorts of _anthericum_, one with a large orange flower, and the +other with a blue one. We also found, in these situations, some wild +rose-bushes, which were just budding, a great quantity of young +leeks, with, triangular leaves, a small sort of grass, and some +water-cresses, which grow about the sides of the rills, besides great +abundance of _andromeda_. Within the woods, besides two sorts of +underwood shrubs unknown to us, are mosses and ferns. Of the first +of which, are seven or eight different sorts, of the last, not above +three or four, and the species of both, are mostly such as are common +to Europe and America. + +As the season of the year was unfavourable to our gaining much +knowledge of the vegetable productions of this country, so our own +situation while there, put it out of our power to learn much about +its animals. For as the want of water made it necessary that we +should enter the Sound at first, unforeseen accidents which happened +afterward, though they lengthened our stay, were rather unfavourable +to our obtaining any knowledge of this kind. The emergency of the +case required, that every person should be constantly employed in the +necessary business of the ships, which was the capital object, as the +season was advancing very fast, and the success of the voyage depended +upon their diligence and alacrity in expediting the various tasks +assigned to them. Hence it happened, that excursions of every kind, +either on the land, or by water, were never attempted. And as we lay +in a cove on an island, no other animals were ever seen alive in +the woods there, than two or three racoons, martins, and squirrels. +Besides these, some of our people who, one day, landed on the +continent, near the S.E. side of the entrance of the sound, observed +the prints of a bear's feet near the shore. The account, therefore, +that we can give of the quadrupeds, is taken from the skins which +the natives brought to sell; and these were often so mutilated with +respect to the distinguishing parts, such as the paws, tails, and +heads, that it was impossible even to guess at the animals to whom +they belonged, though others were so perfect, or at least so well +known, that they left no room to doubt about them. + +Of these the most common were bears, deer, foxes, and wolves. The +bear-skins were in great numbers, few of them very large, but, in +general, of a shining black colour. The deer-skins were scarcer, +and they seem to belong to that sort called the fallow-deer by the +historians of Carolina, though Mr Pennant thinks it quite a different +species from, ours, and distinguishes it by the name of Virginian +deer.[1] The foxes are in great plenty, and of several varieties, +some of their skins being quite yellow, with a black tip to the tail, +others of a deep or reddish yellow, intermixed with black, and a third +sort of a whitish grey or ash-colour, also intermixed with black. Our +people used to apply the name of fox or wolf indiscriminately, when +the skins were so mutilated as to leave room for a doubt. But we got, +at last, an entire wolf's skin with the head on, and it was grey. +Besides the common sort of martin, the pine-martin is also here, and +another, whose skin is of a lighter brown colour than either, with +coarser hair, but is not so common, and is, perhaps, only a mere +variety arising from age, or some other accidental circumstance. The +ermine is also found at this place, but is rare and small, nor is +the hair remarkably fine, though the animal appeared to be perfectly +white, except an inch or more at the tip of the tail. The racoons and +squirrels are of the common sort; but the latter is rather smaller +than ours, and has a deeper rusty colour running along the back. + +[Footnote 1: See Virginian deer. Pennant's Hist. Quad. vol. i. No. 46, +and Arctic Zool. No.6.] + +We were clear as to the existence of all the animals already +mentioned, but there are two others besides, which we could not +distinguish with sufficient certainty. Of the first of these we saw +none of the skins, but what were dressed or tanned like leather. The +natives wear them on some occasions; and from the size as well as +the thickness, they were generally concluded to belong to the elk, or +mouse-deer, though some of them perhaps might belong to the buffalo. +The other animal, which seems by no means rare, was guessed to be a +species of the wild cat or lynx. The length of the skins, without the +head, which none of them had, was about two feet two inches. They are +covered with a very fine wool or fur, of a very light-brown or whitish +yellow colour, intermixed with long hairs, which on the back, where +they are shortest, are blackish; on the sides, where they are longer, +of a silver white; and on the belly, where they are longest, of the +colour of the wool, but the whitish, or silver hairs, are often so +predominant, that the whole animal acquires a cast of that kind. The +tail is only three inches long, and has a black tip. The whole skin +being, by the natives, called _wanshee_, that, most probably, is their +name for this animal. Hogs, dogs, and goats, have not as yet found +their way to this place. Nor do the natives seem to have any knowledge +of our brown rats, to which, when they saw them on board the ships, +they applied the name they give to squirrels. And though they called +our goats _eineetla_, this, most probably, is their name for a young +deer or fawn. + +The sea-animals seen off the coast, were whales, porpoises, and seals. +The last of these seem only of the common sort, judging from the +skins which we saw here, their colour being either silvery, yellowish, +plain, or spotted with black. The porpoise is the _phocena_. I have +chosen to refer to this class the sea-otter, as living mostly in the +water. It might have been sufficient to have mentioned, that this +animal abounds here, as it is fully described in different books, +taken from the accounts of the Russian adventurers in their +expeditions eastward from Kamtschatka, if there had not been a small +difference in one that we saw. We, for some time, entertained doubts, +whether the many skins which the natives brought, really belonged to +this animal, as our only reason for being of that opinion, was founded +on the size, colour, and fineness of the fur, till a short while +before our departure, when a whole one, that had been just killed, +was purchased from some strangers who came to barter; and of this Mr +Webber made a drawing. It was rather young, weighing only twenty-five +pounds, of a shining or glossy black colour, but many of the hairs +being tipt with white, gave it a greyish cast at first sight. +The face, throat, and breast were of a yellowish white, or very +light-brown colour, which, in many of the skins, extended the whole +length of the belly. It had six cutting teeth in each jaw, two of +those of the lower jaw being very minute, and placed without, at +the base of the two middle ones. In these circumstances, it seems to +disagree with those found by the Russians, and also in not having the +outer toes of the hind feet skirted with a membrane. There seemed also +a greater variety in the colour of the skins, than is mentioned by +the describers of the Russian sea-otters. These changes of colour +certainly take place at different gradations of life. The very +young ones had brown hair, which was coarse, with very little fur +underneath; but those of the size of the entire animal, which came +into our possession, and just described, had a considerable quantity +of that substance, and both in that colour and state the sea-otters +seem to remain, till they have attained their full growth. After that, +they lose the black colour, and assume a deep brown or sooty colour, +but have then a greater quantity of very fine fur, and scarcely any +long hairs. Others, which we suspected to be still older, were of +a chesnut-brown; and a few skins were seen that had even acquired a +perfectly yellow colour. The fur of these animals, as mentioned in +the Russian accounts, is certainly softer and finer than that of any +others we know of; and, therefore, the discovey of this part of the +continent of North America, where so valuable an article of commerce +may be met with, cannot be a matter of indifference.[2] + +[Footnote 2: Mr Coxe, on the authority of Mr Pallas, informs us, that +the old and middle-aged sea-otters' skins are sold at Kiachta, by the +Russians to the Chinese, from 80 to 180 rubles a skin, that is, from +16l. to 20l. each.--See _Coxe's Russian Discoveries_, p. 13.--D.] + +Birds, in general, are not only rare as to the different species, +but very scarce as to numbers; and these few are so shy, that, in all +probability, they are continually harassed by the natives, perhaps to +eat them as food, certainly to get possession of their feathers, which +they use as ornaments. Those which frequent the woods, are crows and +ravens, not at all different from our English ones, a blueish jay or +magpie, common wrens, which are the only singing bird that we heard, +the Canadian or migrating thrush, and a considerable number of +brown eagles, with white heads and tails, which, though they seem +principally to frequent the coast, come into the Sound in bad weather, +and sometimes perch upon the trees. Amongst some other birds, of +which the natives either brought fragments, or dried skins, we could +distinguish a small species of hawk, a heron, and the _alcyon_, or +large-crested American king-fisher. There are also some, which, I +believe, are not mentioned, or at least vary, very considerably, from +the accounts given of them by any writers who have treated professedly +on this part of natural history. The two first of these are _species_ +of wood-peckers. One less than a thrush, of a black colour above, +with white spots on the wings, a crimson head, neck, and breast, and a +yellowish olive-coloured belly, from which last circumstance it might, +perhaps, not improperly be called the yellow-bellied wood-pecker. +The other is a larger, and much more elegant bird, of a dusky brown +colour, on the upper part, richly waved with black, except about the +head, the belly of a reddish cast, with round black spots, a black +spot on the breast, and the under-side of the wings and tail of a +plain scarlet colour, though blackish above, with a crimson streak +running from the angle of the mouth, a little down the neck on each +side. The third and fourth, are a small bird of the finch kind, about +the size of a linnet, of a dark dusky colour, whitish below, with a +black head and neck, and white bill; and a sand-piper, of the size of +a small pigeon, of a dusky brown colour, and white below, except the +throat and breast, with a broad white band across the wings. There are +also humming-birds, which yet seem to differ from the numerous sorts +of this delicate animal already known, unless they be a mere variety +of the _trochilus colubris_ of Linnæus. These, perhaps, inhabit more +to the southward, and spread northward as the season advances; because +we saw none at first, though, near the time of our departure, the +natives brought them to the ships in great numbers. + +The birds which frequent the waters and the shores, are not more +numerous than the others. The quebrantahuessos, gulls, and shags, were +seen off the coast, and the two last also frequent the Sound. They are +of the common sorts, the shags being our cormorant or water-crow. We +saw two sorts of wild-ducks; one black, with a white head, which were +in considerable flocks, the other white, with a red bill, but of a +larger size; and the greater _lumme_, or diver, found in our northern +countries. There were also seen, once or twice, some swans flying +across the Sound to the northward, but we knew nothing of their +haunts. On the shores, besides the sand-piper, described above, we +found another, about the size of a lark, which bears a great affinity +to the burre, and a plover differing very little from our common +sea-lark. + +Fish are more plentiful in quantity than birds, though the variety is +not very great; and yet, from several circumstances, it is probable, +that even the variety is considerably increased at certain seasons. +The principal sorts, which we found in great numbers, are the common +herring, but scarcely exceeding seven inches in length; a smaller +sort, which is the same with the anchovy, or sardine, though rather +larger; a white, or silver-coloured bream, and another of a gold-brown +colour, with many narrow longitudinal blue stripes. The herrings and +sardines, doubtless, come in large shoals, and only at stated seasons, +as is common with that sort of fish. The bream of both sorts, may +be reckoned the next to these in quantity; and the full-grown ones +weighed, at least, a pound. The other fish, which are all scarce, +are a small brown kind of _sculpin_, such as is found on the coast +of Norway, another of a brownish red cast, frost-fish, a large one, +somewhat resembling the bull-head, with a tough skin, destitute of +scales; and now and then, toward the time of our leaving the Sound, +the natives brought a small brownish cod, spotted with white, and a +red fish of the same size, which some of our people said they had seen +in the strait of Magalhaens, besides another differing little from +the hake. There are also considerable numbers of those fish called the +_chimæræ_, or little sea-wolves, by some, which is akin to, and about +the size of, the _pezegallo_, or elephant-fish. Sharks, likewise, +sometimes frequent the Sound, for the natives have some of their teeth +in their possession; and we saw some pieces of ray, or scate, which +seemed to have been pretty large. The other marine animals that ought +to be mentioned here, are a small cruciated _medusa_, or blubber, +star-fish, which differ somewhat from the common ones, two small sorts +of crabs, and two others which the natives brought, one of them of +a thick, tough, gelatinous consistence, and the other a sort of +membranaceous tube or pipe, both which are probably taken from +the rocks. And we, also, purchased from them once a very large +cuttle-fish. + +There is abundance of large muscles about the rocks, many sea-ears, +and we often saw shells of pretty large plain _chamæ_. The smaller +sorts are some _trochi_ of two species, a curious _murex_, rugged +wilks, and a snail, all which are, probably, peculiar to this place, +at least I do not recollect to have seen them in any country near the +same latitude in either hemisphere. There are, besides these, some +small plain cockles, limpets; and some strangers, who come into the +Sound, wore necklaces of a small blueish _volute_ or _panamæ_. Many of +the muscles are a span in length, and some having pretty large pearls, +which, however, are both badly shaped and coloured. We may conclude, +that there is red coral in the Sound, or somewhere upon the coast, +some thick pieces, or branches, having been seen in the canoes of the +natives. + +The only animals of the reptile kind observed here, and found in the +woods, were brown snakes two feet long, with whitish stripes on the +back and sides, which are harmless, as we often saw the natives carry +them alive in their hands; and brownish water-lizards, with a tail +exactly like that of an eel, which frequented the small standing pools +about the rocks. + +The insect tribe seem to be more numerous. For though the season, +which is peculiarly fitted to their appearing abroad, was only +beginning, we saw four or five different sorts of butterflies, none +of which were uncommon, a good many humble-bees, some of our common +gooseberry moths, two or three sorts of flies, a few beetles, and some +musquitoes, which, probably, may be more numerous and troublesome in +a country so full of wood, during the summer, though at this time they +did little mischief. + +As to the mineral substances in this country, though we found both +iron and copper here, there is little reason to believe that either of +them belong to the place. Neither were the ores of any metal seen, +if we except a coarse, red, earthy, or ochry substance, used by the +natives in painting themselves, which probably may contain a little +iron, with a white and a black pigment used for the same purpose. But +we did not procure specimens of them, and therefore cannot positively +determine what are their component parts. + +Besides the stone or rock that constitutes the mountains and shores, +which sometimes contains pieces of very coarse _quartz_, we found +amongst the natives, things made of a hard black _granite_, though not +remarkably compact or fine grained, a greyish whetstone, the common +oil-stone of our carpenters, in coarser and finer pieces, and some +black bits which are little inferior to the hone-stone. The natives +also use the transparent leafy _glimmer_, or Muscovy glass, a brown +leafy or martial sort, and they sometimes brought to us pieces of +rock-crystal, tolerably transparent. The two first are, probably, +found near the spot, as they seemed to be in considerable quantities; +but the latter seems to be brought from a greater distance, or is very +scarce; for our visitors always parted with it reluctantly. Some of +the pieces were octangular, and had the appearance of being formed +into that shape by art. + +The persons of the natives are, in general, under the common stature; +but not slender in proportion, being commonly pretty full or plump, +though not muscular. Neither doth the soft fleshiness seem ever to +swell into corpulence; and many of the older people are rather spare +or lean. The visage of most of them is round and full, and sometimes +also broad, with high prominent cheeks; and, above these, the face is +frequently much depressed, or seems fallen in quite across between +the temples; the nose also flattening at its base, with pretty wide +nostrils, and a rounded point. The forehead rather low, the eyes +small, black, and rather languishing than sparkling; the mouth round, +with large round thickish lips, the teeth tolerably equal and well +set, but not remarkably white. They have either no beards at all, +which was most commonly the case, or a small thin one upon the point +of the chin, which does not arise from any natural defect of hair on +that part, but from plucking it out more or less; for some of them, +particularly the old men, have not only considerable beards all over +the chin, but whiskers or mustachios, both on the upper lip, and +running from thence toward the lower jaw obliquely downward.[3] Their +eye-brows are also scanty, and always narrow; but the hair of the head +is in great abundance, very coarse and strong, and, without a single +exception, black, straight, and dank, or hanging down over the +shoulders. The neck is short, the arms and body have no particular +mark of beauty or elegance in their formation, but are rather clumsy; +and the limbs in all are very small in proportion to the other parts, +and crooked or ill-made, with large feet badly shaped, and projecting +ancles. Their last defect seems in a great measure to arise from +their sitting so much on their hams or knees, both in their canoes and +houses. + +[Footnote 3: One of the most curious singularities observable in the +natural history of the human species, is the supposed defect in +the habit and temperature of the bodies of the American Indians, +exemplified in their having no beards, while they are furnished with +a profusion of hair on their heads. M. de Paw, the ingenious author +of Recherches sur les Americains, Dr Robertson, in his History of +America, and, in general, the writers for whose authority we ought to +have the highest deference, adopt this as an indisputable matter +of fact. May we not be permitted to request those who espouse their +sentiments, to reconsider the question, when we can produce Captain +Cook's evidence on the opposite side, at least so far as relates to +the American tribe, whom he had intercourse with at Nootka? Nor is +Captain Cook singular in his report. What he saw on the sea coast, +Captain Carver also met with amongst the American Indians far up in +the country. His words are as follow:--"From minute enquiries, and a +curious inspection, I am able to declare (however respectable I may +hold the authority of these historians in other points), that their +assertions are erroneous, and proceeding from a want of a thorough +knowledge of the customs of the Indians. After the age of puberty, +their bodies, in their natural state, are covered in the same manner +as those of the Europeans. The men, indeed, esteem a beard very +unbecoming, and take great pains to get rid of it, nor is there any +ever to be perceived on their faces, except when they grow old, and +become inattentive to appearances.--The Naudowesses, and the remote +nations, pluck them out with bent pieces of hard wood, formed into a +kind of nippers, whilst those who have communication with Europeans, +procure from them wire, which they twist into a screw or worm; +applying this to the part, they press the rings together, and with +a sudden twitch, draw out all the hairs that are inclosed in +them."--_Carver's Travels_, p. 224, 225. The remark made by Mr +Marsden, who also quotes Carver, is worth attending to, that the visor +or mask of Montezuma's armour, preserved at Brussels, has remarkably +large whiskers; and that those Americans could not have imitated +this ornament, unless nature had presented them with the model. +From Captain Cook's observation on the west coast of North America, +combined with Carver's in the inland parts of that continent, and +confirmed by the Mexican vizor as above, there seems abundant reason +to agree with Mr Marsden, who thus modestly expresses himself: "Were +it not for the numerous and very respectable authorities, from which +we are assured that the natives of America are naturally beardless, I +should think that the common opinion on that subject had been hastily +adopted; and that their appearing thus at a mature age, was only the +consequence of an early practice, similar to that observed among the +Sumatrans. Even now, I must confess, that it would remove some small +degree of doubt from my mind, could it be ascertained that no such +custom prevails."--_Marsden's History of Sumatra_, p. 39, 40.--D.] + +Their colour we could never positively determine, as their bodies were +incrusted with paint and dirt; though, in particular cases, when these +were well rubbed off, the whiteness of the skin appeared almost to +equal that of Europeans; though rather of that pale effete cast which +distinguishes those of our southern nations. Their children, whose +skins had never been stained with paint, also equalled ours in +whiteness. During their youth, some of them have no disagreeable look, +if compared to the generality of the people, but this seems to be +entirely owing to the particular animation attending that period +of life; for, after attaining a certain age, there is hardly any +distinction. Upon the whole, a very remarkable sameness seems to +characterize the countenances of the whole nation; a dull phlegmatic +want of expression, with very little variation, being strongly marked +in all of them. + +The women are nearly of the same size, colour, and form with the +men, from whom it is not easy to distinguish them, as they possess no +natural delicacies sufficient to render their persons agreeable; and +hardly any one was seen, even amongst those who were in the prime of +life, who had the least pretensions to be called handsome. + +Their common dress is a flaxen garment, or mantle, ornamented on +the upper edge by a narrow strip of fur, and, at the lower edge, by +fringes or tassels. It passes under the left arm, and is tied over the +right shoulder, by a string before and one behind, near its middle, by +which means both arms are left free, and it hangs evenly, covering the +left side, but leaving the right open, except from the loose part of +the edges falling upon it, unless when the mantle is fastened by a +girdle (of coarse matting or woollen) round the waist, which is often +done. Over this, which reaches below the knees, is worn a small cloak +of the same substance, likewise fringed at the lower part. In shape +this resembles a round dish-cover, being quite close, except in the +middle, where there is a hole just large enough to admit the head, and +then, resting upon the shoulders, it covers the arms to the elbows, +and the body as far as the waist. Their head is covered with a cap, +of the figure of a truncated cone, or like a flower-pot, made of fine +matting, having the top frequently ornamented with a round or pointed +knob, or bunch of leather tassels, and there is a string that passes +under the chin, to prevent its blowing off. + +Besides the above dress, which is common to both sexes, the men +frequently throw over their other garments the skin of a bear, wolf, +or sea-otter, with the hair outward, and tie it as a cloak near the +upper part, wearing it sometimes before and sometimes behind. In rainy +weather, they throw a coarse mat about their shoulders. They have +also woollen garments, which, however, are little in use. The hair is +commonly worn hanging down loose; but some, when they have no cap, tie +it in a bunch on the crown of the head. Their dress, upon the whole, +is convenient, and would, by no means be inelegant, were it kept +clean. But as they rub their bodies constantly over with a red paint, +of a clayey or coarse ochry substance, mixed with oil, their garments, +by this means, contract a rancid offensive smell, and a greasy +nastiness; so that they make a very wretched dirty appearance, and +what is still worse, their heads and their garments swarm with vermin, +which, so depraved is their taste for cleanliness, we used to see them +pick off with great composure and eat. + +Though their bodies are always covered with red paint, their faces are +often stained with a black, a brighter red, or a white colour, by +way of ornament. The last of these gives them a ghastly, disgusting +aspect. They also strew the brown martial _mica_ upon the paint, which +makes it glitter. The ears of many of them are perforated in the lobe, +where they make a pretty large hole, and two others higher up on the +outer edge. In these holes they hang bits of bone, quills fixed upon a +leathern thong, small shells, bunches of woollen tassels, or pieces of +thin copper, which our beads could never supplant. The _septum_ of the +nose, in many, is also perforated, through which they draw a piece of +soft cord; and others wear, at the same place, small thin pieces of +iron, brass, or copper, shaped almost like a horse-shoe, the narrow +opening of which receives the _septum_, so as that the two points may +gently pinch it, and the ornament thus hangs over the upper lip. +The rings of our brass buttons, which they eagerly purchased, were +appropriated to this use. About their wrists they wore bracelets +or bunches of white bugle beads, made of a conic shelly substance, +bunches of thongs, with tassels, or a broad black shining horny +substance, of one piece. And about their ancles they also frequently +wear many folds of leathern thongs, or the sinews of animals twisted +to a considerable thickness. + +Thus far of their ordinary dress and ornaments; but they have some +that seem to be used only on extraordinary occasions, either when they +exhibit themselves as strangers, in visits of ceremony, or when they +go to war. Amongst the first may be considered the skins of animals, +such as wolves or bears, tied on in the usual manner, but ornamented +at the edges with broad borders of fur, or of the woollen stuff +manufactured by them, ingeniously wrought with various figures. These +are worn either separately, or over their own common garments. On +such occasions, the most common head-dress is a quantity of withe, or +half-beaten bark, wrapped about the head, which, at the same time, has +various large feathers, particularly those of eagles, stuck in it, +or is entirely covered, or we may say, powdered with small white +feathers. The face, at the same time, is variously painted, having its +upper and lower parts of different colours, the strokes appearing like +fresh gashes, or it is besmeared with a kind of tallow, mixed with +paint, which is afterward formed into a great variety of regular +figures, and appears like carved work. Sometimes, again, the hair is +separated into small parcels, which are tied at intervals of about two +inches, to the end, with thread, and others tie it together behind, +after our manner, and stick branches of the _cypressus thyoides_ in +it. Thus dressed, they have a truly savage and incongruous appearance, +but this is much heightened when they assume, what may be called, +their monstrous decorations. These consist of an endless variety of +carved wood masks or vizors, applied on the face, or to the upper part +of the head or forehead. Some of these resemble human faces, furnished +with hair, beards, and eye-brows; others, the heads of birds, +particularly of eagles and quebrantahuessos, and many, the heads of +land and sea-animals, such as wolves, deer, and porpoises, and others. +But, in general, these representations much exceed the natural size, +and they are painted, and often strewed with pieces of the foliaceous +_mica_, which makes them glitter, and, serves to augment their +enormous deformity. They even exceed this sometimes, and fix on the +same part of the head large pieces of carved work, resembling the +prow of a canoe, painted in the same manner, and projecting to a +considerable distance. So fond are they of these disguises, that I +have seen one of them put his head into a tin kettle he had got +from us, for want of another sort of mask. Whether they use these +extravagant masquerade ornaments on any particular religious occasion, +or diversion, or whether they be put on to intimidate their enemies +when they go to battle, by their monstrous appearance, or as decoys +when they go to hunt animals, is uncertain. But it may be concluded, +that, if travellers or voyagers, in an ignorant and credulous age, +when many unnatural or marvellous things were supposed to exist, had +seen a number of people decorated in this manner, without being able +to approach so near as to be undeceived, they would readily have +believed, and, in their relations, would have attempted to make others +believe, that there existed a race of beings, partaking of the nature +of man and beast, more especially, when, besides the heads of animals +on the human shoulders, they might have seen the whole bodies of their +men-monsters covered with quadrupeds' skins.[4] + +[Footnote 4: The reflection in the text may furnish the admirers of +Herodotus, in particular, with an excellent apology for some of his +wonderful tales of this sort.--D.] + +The only dress amongst the people of Nootka, observed by us, that +seems peculiarly adapted to war, is a thick leathern mantle doubled, +which, from its size, appears to be the skin of an elk or buffalo, +tanned. This they fasten on, in the common manner, and it is so +contrived, that it may reach up, and cover the breast quite to +the throat, falling, at the same time, almost to the heels. It is, +sometimes, ingeniously painted in different compartments; and is not +only sufficiently strong to resist arrows, but, as they informed us by +signs, even spears cannot pierce it, so that it may be considered as +their coat of mail, or most complete defensive armour. Upon the same +occasion, they sometimes wear a kind of leathern cloak, covered +with rows of dried hoofs of deer, disposed horizontally, appended by +leathern thongs, covered with quills, which, when they move, make a +round rattling noise, almost equal to that of many small bells. It +seems doubtful, however, whether this part of their garb be intended +to strike terror in war, or is only to be considered as belonging to +their eccentric ornaments on ceremonious occasions. For we saw one of +their musical entertainments, conducted by a man dressed in this sort +of cloak, with his mask on, and shaking his rattle. + +Though these people cannot be viewed without a kind of horror, when +equipped in such extravagant dresses, yet, when divested of them, +and beheld in their common habit and actions, they have not the +least appearance of ferocity in their countenances; and seem, on +the contrary, as observed already, to be of a quiet, phlegmatic, and +inactive disposition, destitute, in some measure, of that degree of +animation and vivacity that would render them agreeable as social +beings. If they are not reserved, they are far from being loquacious; +but their gravity is, perhaps, rather a consequence of the disposition +just mentioned, than of any conviction of its propriety, or the +effect of any particular mode of education. For, even in the greatest +paroxysms of their rage, they seem unable to express it sufficiently; +either with warmth of language, or significancy of gestures. + +Their orations, which are made either when engaged in any altercation +or dispute, or to explain their sentiments publicly on other +occasions, seem little more than short sentences, or rather single +words, forcibly repeated, and constantly in one tone and degree of +strength, accompanied only with a single gesture, which they use at +every sentence, jerking their whole body a little forward, by bending +the knees, their arms hanging down by their sides at the same time. + +Though there is but too much reason, from their bringing to sale human +skulls and bones, to infer that they treat their enemies with a degree +of brutal cruelty, this circumstance rather marks a general agreement +of character with that of almost every tribe of uncivilized man, in +every age, and in every part of the globe, than that they are to be +reproached with any charge of peculiar inhumanity. We had no reason to +judge unfavourably of their disposition in this respect. They seem to +be a docile, courteous, good-natured people; but, notwithstanding the +predominant phlegm of their tempers, quick in resenting what they look +upon as an injury, and, like most other passionate people, as soon +forgetting it. I never found that these fits of passion went farther +than the parties immediately concerned, the spectators not troubling +themselves about the quarrel, whether it was with any of us, or +amongst their own body, and preserving as much indifference as if they +had not known any thing about it. I have often seen one of them rave +and scold, without any of his countrymen paying the least attention +to his agitation; and when none of us could trace the cause, or the +object of his displeasure. In such cases they never discover the least +symptom of timidity, but seem determined, at all events, to punish the +insult. For, even with respect to us, they never appeared to be under +the least apprehension of our superiority; but when any difference +happened, were just as ready to avenge the wrong, as amongst +themselves. + +Their other passions, especially their curiosity, appear in some +measure to lie dormant. For few expressed any desire to see or examine +things wholly unknown to them; and which, to those truly possessed +of that passion, would have appeared astonishing. They were always +contented to procure the articles they knew and wanted, regarding +every thing else with great indifference; nor did our persons, +apparel, and manners, so differ from their own, or even the +extraordinary size and construction of our ships, seem to excite +admiration, or even engage attention. + +One cause of this may be their indolence, which seems considerable. +But, on the other hand, they are certainly not wholly unsusceptible +of the tender passions; if we may judge from their being so fond of +music, which is mostly of the grave or serious, but truly pathetic +sort. They keep the exactest concert in their songs, which are often +sung by great numbers together, as those already mentioned, with which +they used to entertain us in their canoes. These are generally slow +and solemn; but the music is not of that confined sort found +amongst many rude nations, for the variations are very numerous and +expressive, and the cadence or melody powerfully soothing. Besides +their full concerts, sonnets of the same grave cast were frequently +sung by single performers, who keep time by striking the hand +against the thigh. However, the music was sometimes varied, from its +predominant solemnity of air; and there were instances of stanzas +being sung in a more gay and lively strain, and even with a degree of +humour. + +The only instruments of music (if such they may be called) which I saw +amongst them, were a rattle, and a small whistle, about an inch long, +incapable of any variation, from having but one hole. They use the +rattle when they sing; but upon what occasions they use the whistle +I know not, unless it be when they dress themselves like particular +animals, and endeavour to imitate their howl or cry. I once saw one +of them dressed in a wolf's skin, with the head over his own, and +imitating that animal by making a squeaking noise with one of these +whistles, which he had in his mouth. The rattles are, for the most +part, made in the shape of a bird, with a few pebbles in the belly; +and the tail is the handle. They have others, however, that bear +rather more resemblance to a child's rattle. + +In trafficking with us, some of them would betray a knavish +disposition, and carry off our goods without making any return. But, +in general, it was otherwise; and we had abundant reason to commend +the fairness of their conduct. However, their eagerness to possess +iron and brass, and, indeed, any kind of metal, was so great, that +few of them could resist the temptation to steal it, whenever an +opportunity offered. The inhabitants of the South Sea Islands, as +appears from a variety of instances in the course of this voyage, +rather than be idle, would steal any thing that they could lay their +hands upon, without ever considering, whether it could be of use to +them or no. The novelty of the object, with them, was a sufficient +motive for their endeavouring, by any indirect means, to get +possession of it; which marked that, in such cases, they were rather +actuated by a childish curiosity, than by a dishonest disposition, +regardless of the modes of supplying real wants. The inhabitants of +Nootka, who invaded our property, cannot have such apology made for +them. They were thieves in the strictest sense of the word; for they +pilfered nothing from us, but what they knew could be converted to the +purposes of private utility, and had a real value according to their +estimation of things. And it was lucky for us, that nothing was +thought valuable by them, but the single articles of our metals. +Linen, and such like things, were perfectly secure from their +depredations, and we could safely leave them hanging out ashore all +night, without watching. The same principle which prompted our Nootka +friends to pilfer from us, it was natural to suppose, would produce +a similar conduct in their intercourse with each other. And, +accordingly, we had abundant reason to believe, that stealing is +much practised amongst them, and that it chiefly gives rise to their +quarrels, of which we saw more than one instance. + + +SECTION III. + +_Manner of Building the Homes in Nootka Sound.--Inside of them +described.--Furniture and Utensils.--Wooden Images.--Employments +of the Men.--Of the Women.--Food, Animal and Vegetable.--Manner of +preparing it.--Weapons.--Manufactures and Mechanic Arts.--Carving +and Painting.--Canoes.--Implements for Fishing and Hunting.--Iron +Tools.--Manner of procuring that Metal.--Remarks on their Language, +and a Specimen of it.--Astronomical and Nautical Observations made in +Nootka Sound._ + +The two towns or villages, mentioned in the course of my journal, seem +to be the only inhabited part of the Sound. The number of inhabitants +in both might be pretty exactly computed from the canoes that were +about the ships the second day after our arrival. They amounted to +about a hundred; which, at a very moderate allowance, must, upon an +average, have held five persons each. But as there were scarcely any +women, very old men, children, or youths amongst them at that time, +I think it will rather be rating the number of the inhabitants of the +two towns too low, if we suppose they could be less than four times +the number of our visitors, that is, two thousand in the whole. + +The village at the entrance of the Sound stands on the side of a +rising ground, which has a pretty steep ascent from the beach to the +verge of the wood, in which space it is situated. + +The houses are disposed in three ranges or rows, rising gradually +behind each other, the largest being that in front, and the others +less, besides a few straggling, or single ones, at each end. These +ranges are interrupted or disjoined at irregular distances, by +narrow paths, or lanes, that pass upward; but those which run in the +direction of the houses, between the rows, are much broader. Though +there be some appearance of regularity in this disposition, there +is none in the single houses, for each of the divisions, made by the +paths, may be considered either as one house, or as many, there +being no regular or complete separation, either without or within, to +distinguish them by. They are built of very long and broad planks[1], +resting upon the edges of each other, fastened or tied by withes +of pine bark here and there, and have only slender posts, or rather +poles, at considerable distances on the outside, to which they also +are tied, but within are some larger poles placed aslant. The height +of the sides and ends of these habitations, is seven or eight feet; +but the back part is a little higher, by which means, the planks that +compose the roof slant forward, and are laid on loose, so as to be +moved about, either to be put close to exclude the rain, or, in fair +weather, to be separated, to let in the light and carry out the +smoke. They are, however, upon the whole, miserable dwellings, and +constructed with little care or ingenuity. For, though the side-planks +be made to fit pretty closely in some places, in others they are +quite open, and there are no regular doors into them, the only way +of entrance being either by a hole, where the unequal length of the +planks has accidentally left an opening, or, in some cases, the planks +are made to pass a little beyond each other, or overlap, about two +feet asunder, and the entrance is in this space. There are also holes, +or windows, in the sides of the houses to look out at; but without any +regularity of shape or disposition; and these have bits of mat hung +before them, to prevent the rain getting in. + +[Footnote 1: The habitations of the natives, more to the north upon +this coast, where Behring's people landed in 1741, seem to resemble +those of Nootka. Muller describes them thus: "Ces cabanes étoient de +bois revetu de planches bien unies, et même enchainées en quelques +endroits."--Muller, _Découvertes_, p. 255.--D.] + +On the inside, one may frequently see from one end to the other of +these ranges of building without interruption. For though, in general, +there be the rudiments, or rather vestiges, of separations on each +side, for the accommodation of different families, they are such as do +not intercept the sight; and often consist of no more than pieces of +plank, running from the side toward the middle of the house; so that, +if they were complete, the whole might be compared to a long stable, +with a double range of stalls, and a broad passage in the middle. +Close to the sides, in each of these parts, is a little bench of +boards, raised five or six inches higher than the rest of the floor, +and covered with mats on which the family sit and sleep. These benches +are commonly seven or eight feet long, and four or five broad. In +the middle of the floor, between them, is the fire-place, which has +neither hearth nor chimney. In one house, which was in the end of a +middle range, almost quite separated from the rest by a high close +partition, and the most regular, as to design, of any that I saw, +there were four of these benches, each of which held a single family, +at a corner, but without any separation by boards, and the middle part +of the house appeared common to them all. + +Their furniture consists chiefly of a great number of chests and boxes +of all sizes, which are generally piled upon each other, close to the +sides or ends of the house, and contain their spare garments, skins, +masks, and other things which they set a value upon. Some of these are +double, or one covers the other as a lid, others have a lid fastened +with thongs, and some of the very large ones have a square hole, or +scuttle, cut in the upper part, by which the things are put in and +taken out. They are often painted black, studded with the teeth of +different animals, or carved with a kind of freeze-work, and figures +of birds or animals, as decorations. Their other domestic utensils +are mostly square and oblong pails or buckets to hold water and other +things, round wooden cups and bowls, and small shallow wooden troughs, +about two feet long, out of which they eat their food, and baskets of +twigs, bags of matting, &c. Their fishing implements, and other things +also, lie or hang up in different parts of the house, but without the +least order, so that the whole is a complete scene of confusion; +and the only places that do not partake of this confusion are the +sleeping-benches, that have nothing on them but the mats, which are +also cleaner, or of a finer sort, than those they commonly have to sit +on in their boats. + +The nastiness and stench of their houses are, however, at least equal +to the confusion. For as they dry their fish within doors, they also +gut them there, which, with their bones and fragments, thrown down at +meals, and the addition of other sorts of filth, lie every where +in heaps, and are, I believe, never carried away till it becomes +troublesome, from their size, to walk over them. In a word, their +houses are as filthy as hog-sties; every thing in and about them +stinking of fish, train-oil, and smoke. + +But, amidst all the filth and confusion that are found in the houses, +many of them are decorated with images. These are nothing more than +the trunks of very large trees, four or five feet high, set up singly, +or by pairs, at the upper end of the apartment, with the front carved +into a human face; the arms and hands cut out upon the sides, and +variously painted; so that the whole is a truly monstrous figure. +The general name of these images is _Klumma_; and the names of two +particular ones, which stood abreast of each other, three or four +feet asunder, in one of the houses, were _Natchkoa_ and _Matseeta_. Mr +Webber's view of the inside of a Nootka house, in which these +images are represented, conveys a more perfect idea of them than any +description. A mat, by way of curtain, for the most part, hung before +them, which the natives were not willing, at all times, to remove; +and when they did unveil them, they seemed to speak of them in a very +mysterious manner. It should seem, that they are at times accustomed +to make offerings to them; if we can draw this inference from their +desiring us, as we interpreted their signs, to give something to these +images, when they drew aside the mats that covered them.[2] It was +natural, from these circumstances, for us to think, that they were +representatives of their gods, or symbols of some religious or +superstitious object: and yet we had proofs of the little real +estimation they were in; for, with a small quantity of iron or brass, +I could have purchased all the gods (if their images were such) in the +place. I did not see one that was not offered to me; and I actually +got two or three of the very smallest sort. + +[Footnote 2: It should seem, that Mr Webber was obliged to repeat his +offerings pretty frequently before he could be permitted to finish his +drawing of these images. The following account is in his own words: +"After having made a general view of their habitations, I sought for +an inside, which might furnish me with sufficient matter to convey +a perfect idea of the mode in which these people live. Such was soon +found. While I was employed, a man approached me with a large knife +in his hand, seemingly displeased, when he observed that my eyes were +fixed on two representations of human figures, which were placed at +one end of the apartment, carved on planks, of a gigantic proportion, +and painted after their custom. However, I took as little notice of +him as possible, and proceeded; to prevent which, he soon provided +himself with a mat, and placed it in such a manner as to hinder my +having any longer a sight of them. Being pretty certain that I could +have no future opportunity to finish my drawing, and the object being +too interesting to be omitted, I considered that a little bribery +might probably have some effect. Accordingly, I made an offer of a +button from my coat, which, being of metal, I thought they would be +pleased with. This, instantly, produced the desired effect. For the +mat was removed, and I was left at liberty to proceed as before. +Scarcely had I seated myself, and made a beginning, when he returned, +and renewed his former practice, continuing it till I had parted with +every single button; and when he saw that he had completely stripped +me, I met with no farther obstruction."--D.] + +The chief employment of the men seems to be that of fishing, and +killing land or sea animals for the sustenance of their families; for +we saw few of them doing any thing in the houses; whereas the women +were occupied in manufacturing their flaxen or woollen garments, and +in preparing the sardines for drying; which they also carry up from +the beach in twig-baskets, after the men have brought them in their +canoes. The women are also sent in the small canoes to gather muscles, +and other shell-fish, and perhaps on some other occasions; for they +manage these with as much dexterity as the men; who, when in the +canoes with them, seem to pay little attention to their sex, by +offering to relieve them from the labour of the paddle; nor indeed +do they treat them with any particular respect or tenderness in other +situations. The young men appeared to be the most indolent or idle set +in this community; for they were either sitting about, in scattered +companies, to bask themselves in the sun, or lay wallowing in the sand +upon the beach, like a number of hogs, for the same purpose, without +any covering. But this disregard of decency was confined to the men. +The women were always properly clothed, and behaved with the utmost +propriety; justly deserving all commendation for a bashfulness and +modesty becoming their sex; but more meritorious in them, as the men +seem to have no sense of shame. It is impossible, however, that we +should have been able to observe the exact mode of their domestic +life and employments, from a single visit (as the first was quite +transitory) of a few hours. For it may be easily supposed, that, on +such an occasion, most of the labour of all the inhabitants of the +village would cease upon our arrival, and an interruption be given +even to the usual manner of appearing in their houses, during their +more remiss or sociable hours, when left to themselves. We were much +better enabled to form some judgment of their disposition, and, in +some measure, even of their method of living, from the frequent visits +so many of them paid us at our ships in their canoes; in which, it +would seem, they spend a great deal of time, at least in the summer +season. For we observed, that they not only eat and sleep frequently +in them, but strip off their clothes and lay themselves along to +bask in the sun, in the same manner as we had seen practised at their +village. Their canoes of the larger sort are, indeed, sufficiently +spacious for that purpose, and perfectly dry; so that, under shelter +of a skin, they are, except in rainy weather, much more comfortable +habitations than their houses. + +Though their food, strictly speaking, may be said to consist of every +thing animal or vegetable that they can procure, the quantity of the +latter bears an exceeding small proportion to that of the former. +Their greatest reliance seems to be upon the sea, as affording fish, +muscles, and smaller shell-fish, and sea-animals. Of the first, +the principal are herrings and sardines; the two species of bream, +formerly mentioned, and small cod. But the herrings and sardines are +not only eaten fresh, in their season, but likewise serve as stores, +which, after being dried and smoked, are preserved, by being sewed +up in mats, so as to form large bales, three or four feet square. It +seems that the herrings also supply them with another grand resource +for food; which is a vast quantity of roe, very curiously prepared. It +is strewed upon, or as it were incrustated about small branches of +the Canadian pine. They also prepare it upon a long narrow sea-grass, +which grows plentifully upon the rocks, under water. This _caviare_, +if it may be so called, is kept in baskets or bags of mat, and used +occasionally, being first dipped in water. It may be considered as the +winter bread of these people, and has no disagreeable taste. They also +eat the roe of some other fish, which, from the size of its grains, +must be very large; but it has a rancid taste and smell. It does not +appear that they prepare any other fish in this manner, to preserve +them for any length of time. For though they split and dry a few of +the bream and _chimæræ_, which are pretty plentiful, they do not smoke +them as the herrings and sardines. + +The next article, on which they seem to depend for a large proportion +of their food, is the large muscle; great abundance of which are found +in the Sound. These are roasted in their shells, then stuck upon +long wooden-skewers, and taken off occasionally as wanted; being eat +without any other preparation, though they often dip them in oil as a +sauce. The other marine productions, such as the smaller shell-fish, +though they contribute to increase the general stock, are by no means +to be looked upon as a standing or material article of their food, +when compared to those just mentioned. + +Of the sea-animals, the most common that we saw in use amongst them as +food is the porpoise; the fat or rind of which, as well as the flesh, +they cut in large pieces, and having dried them, as they do the +herrings, eat them without any farther preparation. They also prepare +a sort of broth from this animal, in its fresh state, in a singular +manner, putting pieces of it in a square wooden vessel or bucket, with +water, and then throwing heated stones into it. This operation +they repeat till they think the contents are sufficiently stewed or +seethed. They put in the fresh, and take out the other stones, with +a cleft stick, which serves as tongs; the vessel being always placed +near the fire for that purpose. This is a pretty common dish amongst +them, and, from its appearance, seems to be strong, nourishing food. +The oil which they procure from these and other sea-animals, is also +used by them in great quantities; both supping it alone, with a large +scoop or spoon made of horn, or mixing it with other food, as sauce. + +It may also be presumed, that they feed upon other sea-animals, such +as seals, sea-otters, and whales; not only from the skins of the +two first being frequent amongst them, but from the great number of +implements of all sorts intended to destroy these different animals; +which clearly points out their dependence upon them; though perhaps +they do not catch them in great plenty, at all seasons; which seemed +to be the case while we lay there, as no great number of fresh skins, +or pieces of the flesh, were seen. + +The same might, perhaps, be said of the land-animals, which, though +doubtless the natives sometimes kill them, appeared to be scarce at +this time; as we did not see a single piece of the flesh belonging +to any of them; and though their skins be in tolerable plenty, it is +probable that many of these are procured by traffic from other tribes. +Upon the whole, it seems plain, from a variety of circumstances, that +these people procure almost all their animal food from the sea, if we +except a few birds, of which the gulls or sea-fowl, which they shoot +with their arrows, are the most material. + +As the Canadian pine-branches and sea-grass, on which the fish roe is +strewed, may be considered as their only winter vegetables; so, as +the spring advances, they make use of several others as they come in +season. The most common of these, which we observed, were two sorts of +liliaceous roots, one simply tunicated, the other granulated upon +its surface, called _mahkatte_ and _koohquoppa_, which have a mild +sweetish taste, and are mucilaginous, and eaten raw. The next, which +they have in great quantities, is a root called _aheita_, resembling, +in taste, our liquorice; and another fern root, whose leaves were not +yet disclosed. They also eat, raw, another small, sweetish, insipid +root, about the thickness of _sarsaparilla_; but we were ignorant of +the plant to which it belongs; and also of another root, which is very +large and palmated, which we saw them dig tip near the Village, and +afterward eat it. It is also probable, that, as the season advances, +they have many others, which we did not see. For, though there be no +appearance of cultivation amongst them, there are great quantities of +alder, gooseberry, and currant bushes, whose fruits they may eat in +their natural state, as we have seen them eat the leaves of the last, +and of the lilies, just as they were plucked from the plant. It must, +however, be observed, that one of the conditions which they seem to +require, in all food, is, that it should be of the bland, or less +acrid kind; for they would not eat the leek or garlic, though they +brought vast quantities to sell, when they understood we were fond +of it. Indeed, they seemed to have no relish for any of our food; +and when offered spirituous liquors, they rejected them as something +unnatural and disgusting to the palate. + +Though they sometimes eat small marine animals in their fresh state, +raw, it is their common practice to roast or broil their food; for +they are quite ignorant of our method of boiling; unless we allow that +of preparing their porpoise broth is such; and indeed their vessels +being all of wood, they are quite insufficient for this purpose. + +Their manner of eating is exactly consonant to the nastiness of their +houses and persons; for the troughs and platters, in which they put +their food, appear never to have been washed from the time they were +first made, and the dirty remains of a former meal are only sweeped +away by the succeeding one. They also tear every thing solid, or +tough, to pieces, with their hands and teeth; for, though they make +use of their knives to cut off the larger portions, they have not, as +yet, thought of reducing these to smaller pieces and mouthfuls by the +same means, though obviously more convenient and cleanly. But they +seem to have no idea of cleanliness; for they eat the roots which +they dig from the ground, without so much as shaking off the soil that +adheres to them. + +We are uncertain if they have any set time for meals; for we have seen +them eat at all hours in their canoes. And yet, from seeing several +messes of the porpoise broth preparing toward noon, when we visited +the village, I should suspect that they make a principal meal about +that time. + +Their weapons are bows and arrows, slings, spears, short truncheons +of bone, somewhat like the _patoo patoo_ of New Zealand, and a small +pick-axe, not unlike the common American _tomahawk_. The spear has +generally a long point, made of bone. Some of the arrows are pointed +with iron; but most commonly their points were of indented bone. The +tomahawk is a stone, six or eight inches long, pointed at one end, and +the other end fixed into a handle of wood. This handle resembles +the head and neck of the human figure; and the stone is fixed in the +mouth, so as to represent an enormously large tongue. To make the +resemblance still stronger, human hair is also fixed to it. This +weapon they call _taaweesh_, or _tsuskeeah_. They have another stone +weapon called _seeaik_, nine inches or a foot long, with a square +point. + +From the number of stone weapons and others, we might almost conclude, +that it is their custom to engage in close fight; and we had too +convincing proofs that their wars are both frequent and bloody, from +the vast number of human sculls which they brought to sell. + +Their manufactures and mechanic arts are far more extensive and +ingenious, whether we regard the design or the execution, than could +have been expected from the natural disposition of the people, and +the little progress that civilization has made amongst them in other +respects. The flaxen and woollen garments, with which they cover +themselves, must necessarily engage their first care; and are the most +material of those that can be racked under the head of manufactures. +The former of these are made of the bark of a pine-tree, beat into a +hempen state. It is not spun, but, after being properly prepared, is +spread upon a stick, which is fastened across to two others that stand +upright. It is disposed in such a manner, that the manufacturer, who +sits on her hams at this simple machine, knots it across with small +plaited threads, at the distance of half an inch from each other. +Though, by this method, it be not so close or firm as cloth that is +woven, the bunches between the knots make it sufficiently impervious +to the air, by filling the interstices; and it has the additional +advantage of being softer and more pliable. The woollen garments, +though probably manufactured in the same manner, have the strongest +resemblance to woven cloth. But the various figures, which are very +artificially inserted in them, destroy the supposition of their being +wrought in a loom; it being extremely unlikely that these people +should be so dexterous as to be able to finish such a complex work, +unless immediately by their hands. They are of different degrees of +fineness; some resembling our coarsest rugs or blankets; and others +almost equal to our finest sorts, or even softer, and certainly +warmer. The wool, of which they are made, seems to be taken from +different animals, as the fox and brown _lynx_; the last of which is +by far the finest sort, and, in its natural state, differs little from +the colour of our coarser wools; but the hair, with which the animal +is also covered, being intermixed, its appearance, when wrought, is +somewhat different. The ornamental parts or figures in these garments, +which are disposed with great taste, are commonly of a different +colour, being dyed, chiefly either of a deep brown or of a yellow; the +last of which, when it is new, equals the best in our carpets as to +brightness. + +To their taste or design in working figures upon their garments, +corresponds their fondness for carving in every thing they make of +wood. Nothing is without a kind of freeze-work, or the figure of some +animal upon it; but the most general representation is that of the +human face, which is often cut out upon birds, and the other monstrous +figures mentioned before; and even upon their stone and their +bone weapons. The general design of all these things is perfectly +sufficient to convey a knowledge of the object they are intended to +represent; but the carving is not executed with the nicety that a +dexterous artist would bestow even upon an indifferent design. The +same, however, cannot be said of many of the human masks and heads; +where they shew themselves to be ingenious sculptors. They not only +preserve, with great exactness, the general character of their own +faces, but finish the more minute parts with a degree of accuracy in +proportion, and neatness in execution. The strong propensity of this +people to works of this sort, is remarkable, in a vast variety of +particulars. Small whole human figures; representations of birds, +fish, and land and sea-animals; models of their household utensils and +of their canoes, were found amongst them in great abundance. + +The imitative arts being nearly allied, no wonder that, to their skill +in working figures in their garments, and carving them in wood, they +should add that of drawing them in colours. We have sometimes seen the +whole process of their whale-fishery painted on the caps they wear. +This, though rudely executed, serves, at least, to shew, that, though +there be no appearance of the knowledge of letters amongst them, they +have some notion of a method of commemorating and representing actions +in a lasting way, independently of what may be recorded in their songs +and traditions. They have also other figures painted on some of their +things; but it is doubtful if they ought to be considered as symbols, +that have certain established significations, or only the mere +creation of fancy and caprice. + +Their canoes are of a simple structure; but, to appearance, well +calculated for every useful purpose. Even the largest, which carry +twenty people or more, are formed of one tree. Many of them are forty +feet long, seven broad, and about three deep. From the middle, toward +each end, they become gradually narrower, the after-part, or stern, +ending abruptly or perpendicularly, with a small knob on the top; but +the fore-part is lengthened out, stretching forward and upward, ending +in a notched point or prow, considerably higher than the sides of the +canoe, which run nearly in a straight line. For the most part they +are without any ornament; but some have a little carving, and are +decorated by setting seals' teeth on the surface, like studs, as is +their practice on their masks and weapons. A few have, likewise, a +kind of additional head or prow, like a large cut-water, which is +painted with the figure of some animal. They have no seats, nor any +other supporters, on the inside, than several round sticks, little +thicker than a cane, placed across, at mid depth. They are very light, +and their breadth and flatness enable them to swim firmly, without an +out-rigger, which none of them have; a remarkable distinction between +the navigation of all the American nations and that of the southern +parts of the East Indies, and the islands in the Pacific Ocean. Their +paddles are small and light; the shape, in some measure, resembling +that of a large leaf, pointed at the bottom, broadest in the middle, +and gradually losing itself in the shaft, the whole being about +five feet long. They have acquired great dexterity in managing these +paddles, by constant use; for sails are no part of their art of +navigation. + +Their implements for fishing and hunting, which are both ingeniously +contrived, and well made, are nets, hooks and lines, harpoons, gigs, +and an instrument like an oar. This last is about twenty feet long, +four or five inches broad, and about half an inch thick. Each edge, +for about two-thirds of its length, (the other third being its +handle,) is set with sharp bone-teeth, about two inches long. Herrings +and sardines, and such other small fish as come in shoals, are +attacked with this instrument; which is struck into the shoal, and the +fish are caught either upon or between the teeth. Their hooks are made +of bone and wood, and rather inartificially; but the harpoon, with +which they strike the whales and lesser sea-animals, shew a great +reach of contrivance. It is composed of a piece of bone, cut into two +barbs, in which is fixed the oval blade of a large muscle-shell, in +which is the point of the instrument. To this is fastened about two or +three fathoms of rope; and to throw this harpoon, they use a shaft of +about twelve or fifteen feet long, to which the line or rope is made +fast; and to one end of which the harpoon is fixed, so as to separate +from the shaft, and leave it floating upon the water as a buoy, when +the animal darts away with the harpoon. + +We can say nothing as to the manner of their catching or killing +land-animals, unless we may suppose that they shoot the smaller sorts +with their arrows, and engage bears, or wolves and foxes, with their +spears. They have, indeed, several nets, which are probably applied +to that purpose;[3] as they frequently threw them over their heads, +to shew their use, when they brought them to us for sale. They also, +sometimes, decoy animals, by covering themselves with a skin, and +running about upon all-fours, which they do very nimbly, as appeared +from the specimens of their skill, which they exhibited to us, +making a kind of noise, or neighing, at the same time; and on these +occasions, the masks or carved heads, as well as the real dried heads +of the different animals, are put on. + +[Footnote 3: One of the methods of catching sea-otters, when ashore +at Kamptschatka, is with nets.--See _Coxe's Russian Discoveries_, p. +13.--D.] + +As to the materials, of which they make their various articles, it +is to be observed, that every thing of the rope kind is formed either +from thongs of skins and sinews of animals, or from the same flaxen +substance of which their mantles are manufactured. The sinews often +appeared to be of such a length, that it might be presumed they could +be of no other animal than the whale. And the same may be said of +the bones of which they made their weapons already mentioned; such as +their bark-beating instruments, the points of their spears, and the +barbs of their harpoons. + +Their great dexterity in works of wood, may, in some measure, be +ascribed to the assistance they receive from iron tools. For, as far +as we know, they use no other; at least we saw only one chisel of +bone. And though originally their tools must have been of different +materials, it is not improbable that many of their improvements have +been made since they acquired a knowledge of that metal, which now +is universally used in their various wooden works. The chisel and the +knife are the only forms, as far as we saw, that iron assumes amongst +them. The chisel is a long flat piece, filled into a handle of wood. A +stone serves for a mallet, and a piece of fish-skin for a polisher. +I have seen some of these chisels that were eight or ten inches long, +and three or four inches broad, but, in general, they were smaller. +The knives are of various sizes; some very large; and their blades are +crooked, somewhat like our pruning-knife, but the edge is on the back +or convex part. Most of them that we saw were about the breadth and +thickness of an iron-hoop, and their singular form marks that they +are not of European make. Probably they are imitations of their own +original instruments, used for the same purposes. They sharpen these +iron tools upon a coarse slate whetstone, and likewise keep the whole +instrument constantly bright. + +Iron, which they call _seekemaile_, (which name they also give to tin +and all white metals,) being familiar to these people, it was very +natural for us to speculate about the mode of its being conveyed to +them. Upon our arrival in the Sound, they immediately discovered a +knowledge of traffic, and an inclination for it; and we were convinced +afterward, that they had not received this knowledge from a cursory +interview with any strangers, but, from their method, it seemed to be +an established practice, of which they were fond, and in which they +were also well skilled. With whom they carry on this traffic, may, +perhaps, admit of some doubt. For though we found amongst them things +doubtless of European manufacture, or at least derived, from some +civilized nation, such as iron and brass, it by no means appears +that they receive them immediately from these nations. For we never +observed the least sign of their having seen ships like ours before, +nor of their having traded with such people. Many circumstances +serve to prove this almost beyond a doubt. They were earnest in their +enquiries, by signs, on our arrival, if we meant to settle amongst +them, and if we came as friends; signifying, at the same time, that +they gave the wood and water freely, from friendship. This not only +proves, that they considered the place as entirely their property, +without fearing any superiority; but the enquiry would have been an +unnatural one, on a supposition that any ships had been here before; +had trafficked, and supplied themselves with wood and water; and had +then departed; for, in that case, they might reasonably expect we +would do the same. They, indeed, expressed no marks of surprise at +seeing our ships. But this, as I observed before, may be imputed to +their natural indolence of temper, and want of curiosity. Nor were +they even startled at the report of a musquet; till one day, upon +their endeavouring to make us sensible, that their arrows and spears +could not penetrate the hide-dresses, one of our gentlemen shot a +musquet-ball through one of them, folded six times. At this they were +so much staggered, that they plainly discovered their ignorance of the +effect of fire-arms. This was very often confirmed afterward, when we +used them at their village and other places to shoot birds, the manner +of which plainly confounded them; and our explanations of the use of +shot and ball were received with the most significant marks of their +having no previous ideas on this matter. + +Some account of a Spanish voyage to this coast, in 1774, or 1775, +had reached England before I sailed; but the foregoing circumstances +sufficiently prove that these ships had not been at Nootka.[4] Besides +this, it was evident, that iron was too common here; was in too many +hands; and the uses of it were too well known, for them to have had +the first knowledge of it so very lately; or indeed at any earlier +period, by an accidental supply from a ship. Doubtless, from the +general use they make of this metal, it maybe supposed to come from +some constant source, by way of traffic, and that not of a very late +date; for they are as dexterous in using their tools as the longest +practice can make them. The most probable way, therefore, by which we +can suppose that they get their iron, is by trading for it with other +Indian tribes, who either have immediate communication with European +settlements upon that continent, or receive it, perhaps, through +several intermediate nations. The same might be said of the brass and +copper found amongst them. + +[Footnote 4: We now know that Captain Cook's conjecture was well +founded. It appears, from the Journal of this Voyage, already referred +to, that the Spaniards had intercourse with the natives of this coast +only in three places, in latitude 41° 7'; in latitude 47° 21'; and in +latitude 57° 18'. So that they were not within two degrees of Nootka; +and it is most probable that the people there never heard of these +Spanish ships.--D.] + +Whether these things be introduced by way of Hudson's Bay and Canada, +from the Indians, who deal with our traders, and so successively +across from one tribe to the other; or whether they be brought from +the north-western parts of Mexico in the same manner, perhaps cannot +be easily determined. But it should seem, that not only the rude +materials, but some articles in their manfactured state, find their +way hither. The brass ornaments for noses, in particular, are so +neatly made, that I am doubtful whether the Indians are capable +of fabricating them. The materials, certainly, are European; as no +American tribes have been found, who knew the method of making brass; +though copper has been commonly met with, and, from its softness, +might be fashioned into any shape, and also polished. If our traders +to Hudson's Bay and Canada do not use such articles in their traffic +with the natives, they must have been introduced at Nootka from the +quarter of Mexico, from whence, no doubt, the two silver table-spoons, +met with here, were originally derived. It is most probable, however, +that the Spaniards are not such eager traders, nor have formed such +extensive connections with the tribes north of Mexico, as to supply +them with quantities of iron, from which they can spare so much to the +people here.[5] + +[Footnote 5: Though the two silver table-spoons, found at Nootka +Sound, most probably came from the Spaniards in the south, there seems +to be sufficient grounds for believing that the regular supply of iron +comes from a different quarter. It is remarkable, that the Spaniards, +in 1775, found at _Puerto de la Trinidad_, in latitude 41°7', _arrows +pointed with copper or iron, which they understood were procured +from the north_. Mr Daines Barrington, in a note at this part of the +Spanish journal, p. 20, says "I should conceive, that the copper and +iron here mentioned, must have originally been bartered at our forts +in Hudson's Bay."--D.] + +Of the political and religious institutions established amongst +them, it cannot be supposed that we should learn much. This we could +observe, that there are such men as chiefs, who are distinguished by +the name or title of _Acweek_, and to whom the others are, in some +measure, subordinate. But I should guess, the authority of each +of these great men extends no farther than the family to which he +belongs, and who own him as their head. These _Acweeks_ were not +always elderly men; from which I concluded that this title came to +them by inheritance. + +I saw nothing that could give the least insight into their notions +of religion, besides the figures before mentioned, called by them +_Klumma_. Most probably these were idols; but as they frequently +mentioned the word _acweek_, when they spoke of them, we may, perhaps, +be authorised to suppose, that they are the images of some of their +ancestors, whom they venerate as divinities. But all this is mere +conjecture; for we saw no act of religious homage paid to them; nor +could we gain any information, as we had learned little more of their +language than to ask the names of things, without being able to hold +any conversation with the natives, that might instruct us as to their +institutions or traditions. + +In drawing up the preceding account of the people of this Sound, I +have occasionally blended Mr Anderson's observations with my own; +but I owe every thing to him. that relates to their language; and the +following remarks are in his own words. + +"Their language is by no means harsh or disagreeable, farther +than proceeds from their using the _k_ and _h_ with more force, or +pronouncing them with less softness than we do; and, upon the whole, +it abounds rather with what we may call labial and dental, than with +guttural sounds. The simple sounds, which we have not heard them use, +and which, consequently, may be reckoned rare, or wanting in their +language, are those represented by the letters _b, d, f, g, r,_ and +_v_. But, on the other hand, they have one, which is very frequent, +and not used by us. It is formed, in a particular manner, by clashing +the tongue partly against the roof of the mouth with considerable +force, and may be compared to a very coarse or harsh method of +lisping. It is difficult to represent this sound by any composition of +our letters, unless somehow from _lszthl_. This is one of their most +usual terminations, though we sometimes found it in the beginning of +words. The next most general termination is composed of _tl_; and many +words end with _z_ and _ss_. A specimen or two of each of these is +here put down: + + _Opulszthl_, The sun. + _Onulszthl_, The moon. + _Kahsheetl_, Dead. + _Teeshcheetl_, To throw a stone. + _Kooomitz_, A human scull. + _Quahmiss_, Fish roe. + +"They seem to take so great a latitude in their mode of speaking, that +I have sometimes observed four or five different terminations of +the same word. This is a circumstance very puzzling at first to a +stranger, and marks a great imperfection in their language. + +"As to the composition of it, we can say very little; having been +scarcely able to distinguish the several parts of speech. It can only +be inferred, from their method of speaking, which is very slow and +distinct, that it has few prepositions or conjunctions; and, as far +as we could discover, is destitute of even a single interjection, to +express admiration or surprise. From its having few conjunctions, +it may be conceived, that these being thought unnecessary, as being +understood, each single word with them will also express a great deal, +or comprehend several simple ideas; which seems to be the case. But, +for the same reason, the language will be defective in other respects; +not having words to distinguish or express differences which really +exist, and hence not sufficiently copious. This was observed to be +the case in many instances, particularly with respect to the names +of animals. The relation or affinity it may bear to other languages, +either on this or on the Asiatic continent, I have not been able +sufficiently to trace for want of proper specimens to compare it +with, except those of the Esquimaux and Indians about Hudson's Bay; +to neither of which it bears the least resemblance. On the other hand, +from the few Mexican words I have been able to procure, there is the +most obvious agreement, in the very frequent terminations of the words +in _l_, _tl_, or _z_, throughout the language."[6] + +[Footnote 6: May we not, in confirmation of Mr Anderson's remark, +observe, that _Opulszthl_, the Nootka name of the Sun; and +_Vitziputzli_, the name of the Mexican Divinity, have no very distant +affinity in sound?--D.] + + +The large vocabulary of the Nootka language, collected by Mr Anderson, +shall be reserved for another place,[7] as its insertion here would +too much interrupt our narration. At present I only select their +numerals, for the satisfaction of such of our readers as love to +compare those of different nations in different parts of the world: + + _Tsawack_, One. + _Akkla_, Two. + _Katsitsa_, Three. + _Mo_, or _Moo_, Four. + _Sochah_, Five. + _Nofpo_, Six. + _Atstepoo_, Seven. + _Atlaquolthl_, Eight. + _Tsawaquulthl_, Nine. + _Haeeoo_, Ten. + +[Footnote 7: It will be found at the end of the voyage.] + +Were I to affix a name to the people of Nootka, as a distinct nation, +I would call them _Wakashians_; from the word _wakash_, which was +very frequently in their mouths. It seemed to express applause, +approbation, and friendship. For when they appeared to be satisfied, +or well pleased with any thing they saw, or any incident that +happened, they would, with one voice, call out, _wakash! wakash!_ +I shall take my leave of them, with remarking, that, differing so +essentially, as they certainly do, in their persons, their customs, +and language, from the inhabitants of the islands in the Pacific +Ocean, we cannot suppose their respective progenitors to have been +united in the same tribe, or to have had any intimate connection, when +they emigrated from their original settlements, into the places where +we now find their descendants. + +My account of the transactions in Nootka Sound would be imperfect, +without adding the astronomical and nautical observations made by us, +while the ships were in that station. + + _Latitude._ + + The latitude of the \ Sun 49° 36' 1", 15"' + observatory, by } Stars / South 49 36 8, 36 + / \ North 49 36 10, 30 + ________________ + The mean of these means 49 36 6, 47 north. + + _Longitude._ + + | Twenty sets \ + | taken on the | 233° 26' 18", 7"' + | 21st and 23d | + | of March. / + | + The longitude, by / Ninety-three \ + lunar observations. \ taken at the } 233 18 6, 6 + | observatory / + + | Twenty-four \ + | taken on the | 233 7 16, 7 + | 1st, 2d, and | + | 3d of May. / + The mean of these means 233 17 14, 0 East. + + But by reducing each set, taken | + before we arrived in the Sound, | + and after we left it, by the time- \ 233° 17' 30", 5"' + keeper, and adding them up / + with those made on the spot, | + the mean of the 137 sets, will be | + + Longitude by the / Greenwich rate 235° 46' 51", 0"' + time-keeper \ Ulietea rate 333 59 24, 0 + + +From the results of the last fifteen days observations of equal +altitudes of the sun, the daily rate of the time-keeper was losing, +on mean time, 7"; and on the 16th of April, she was too slow for mean +time by 16^h 0^m 58",45. There was found an irregularity in her rate +greater than at any time before. It was thought proper to reject the +first five days, as the rate in them differed so much from that of the +fifteen following; and even in these, each day differed from another +more than usual. + + _Variation of the Compass._ + + /A.M.\ Observatory / 15° 57' 48-1/2" \ + April 4.{ } { } 15° 49' 25" East. + \PM / Mean of four Needles\ 15 41 2 / + + 5. /A.M.\ On board the ship / 9° 50 49 \ + { } { } 19 44 47-1/2 + 6. \P.M./ Mean of four Needles\ 19 38 46 / + +The variation found on board the ship ought to be taken for the true +one; not only as it agreed with what we observed at sea, but because +it was found that there was something ashore that had a considerable +effect upon the compasses; in some places more than others. At one +spot, on the west point of the Sound, the needle was attracted 113/4 +points from its proper direction. + + _Inclination of the Dipping Needle._ + + April 5th. /Marked \End North \ 71° 26' 22-1/2"\ + On board with { } } } 71° 40' 22-1/2" + balanced needle. \Unmarked /and dipping / 71 54 22-1/2 / + + The Same needle /Marked \End North \ 72 3 45 \ + at the { } } } 70 0 0 + observatory. \Unmarked /and dipping / 71 56 15 / + + /Marked \End North \ 71 58 20 \ + 18th ditto { } } } 72 7 15 + \Unmarked /and dipping / 72 16 10 / + + 5th. Spare needle /Marked \End North \ 72 32 30 \ + at the { } } } 72 49 15 + observatory \Unmarked /and dipping / 73 6 0 / + + /Marked \End North \ 72 55 0 \ + 18th ditto { } } } 73 11 45 + \Unmarked /and dipping / 73 28 30 / + + 22d. Spare /Marked \End North \ 73 28 38 \ + needle on { } } } 73 11 0 + board \Unmarked /and dipping / 72 53 30 / + + Hence the mean dip, with both needles, on shore, was 72 32 3-1/4 + + On board 72 25 45-1/4 + +This is as near as can be expected; and shews, that whatever it was +that affected the compasses, whether on board or ashore, it had no +effect upon the dipping needles. + +_Tides._ + +It is high water on the days of the new and full moon at 12^h 20^m. +The perpendicular rise and fall, eight feet nine inches; which is to +be understood of the day-tides, and those which happen two or three +days after the full and new moon. The night-tides, at this time, rise +near two feet higher. This was very conspicuous during the spring-tide +of the full moon, which happened soon after our arrival; and it was +obvious, that it would be the same in those of the new moon, though we +did not remain here long enough to see the whole of its effect. + +Some circumstances, that occurred daily, relating to this, deserve +particular notice. In the cove, where we got wood and water, was a +great deal of drift wood thrown ashore; a part of which we had to +remove to come at the water. It often happened, that large pieces of +trees, which we had removed in the day out of the reach of the then +high water, were found, the next morning, floated again in our way; +and all our spouts, for conveying down the water, thrown out of their +places, which were immoveable during the day-tides. We also found, +that wood, which we had split up for fuel, and had deposited beyond +the reach of the day-tide, floated away during the night. Some of +these circumstances happened every night or morning, for three or +four days in the height of the spring-tides; during which time we were +obliged to attend every morning-tide, to remove the large logs out of +the way of watering. + +I cannot say whether the flood-tide falls into the Sound from the +north-west, south-west, or south-east. I think it does not come +from the last quarter; but this is only conjecture, founded upon the +following observations: The south-east gales, which we had in the +Sound, were so far from increasing the rise of the tide, that they +rather diminished it; which would hardly have happened, if the flood +and wind had been in the same direction. + + +SECTION IV. + +_A Storm, after sailing from Nootka Sound.--Resolution springs +a Leak.--Pretended Strait of Admiral de Fonte passed +unexamined.--Progress along the Coast of America.--Behring's +Bay.--Kaye's Island.--Account of it.--The Ships come to an +Anchor.--Visited by the Natives.--Their Behaviour.--Fondness for +Beads and Iron.--Attempt to plunder the Discovery.--Resolution's Leak +stopped.--Progress up the Sound.--Messrs Gore and Roberts sent to +examine its Extent.--Reasons against a Passage to the North through +it.--The Ships proceed down it to the open Sea._ + +Having put to sea on the evening of the 26th, as before related, with +strong signs of an approaching storm, these signs did not deceive +us. We were hardly out of the Sound, before the wind, in an instant, +shifted from north-east to south-east by east, and increased to a +strong gale, with squalls and rain, and so dark a sky, that we +could not see the length of the ship. Being apprehensive, from the +experience I had since our arrival on this coast, of the wind veering +more to the south, which would put us in danger of a lee-shore, we got +the tacks on board, and stretched off to the south-west, under all +the sail that the ships could bear. Fortunately, the wind veered +no farther southerly than south-east; so that at day-light the next +morning we were quite clear of the coast. + +The Discovery being at some distance a-stern, I brought-to till she +came up, and then bore away, steering north-west; in which direction I +supposed the coast to lie. The wind was at south-east, blew very +hard, and in squalls, with thick hazy weather. At half-past one in +the afternoon, it blew a perfect hurricane; so that I judged it highly +dangerous to run any longer before it, and therefore brought the +ships to, with their heads to the southward, under the foresails and +mizen-stay-sails. At this time the Resolution sprung a leak, which, at +first, alarmed us not a little. It was found to be under the starboard +buttock; where, from the bread-room, we could both hear and see the +water rush in; and, as we then thought, two feet under water. But in +this we were happily mistaken; for it was afterward found to be even +with the water-line, if not above it, when the ship was upright. It +was no sooner discovered, than the fish-room was found to be full of +water, and the casks in it afloat; but this was, in a great measure, +owing to the water not finding its way to the pumps through the coals +that lay in the bottom of the room. For, after the water was baled +out, which employed us till midnight, and had found its way directly +from the leak to the pumps, it appeared that one pump kept it under, +which gave us no small satisfaction. In the evening, the wind veered +to the south, and its fury, in some degree, ceased. On this we set +the main-sail, and two topsails close-reefed, and stretched to the +westward. But at eleven o'clock the gale again increased, and obliged +us to take in the topsails, till five o'clock the next morning, when +the storm began to abate, so that we could bear to set them again. + +The weather now began to clear up, and being able to see several +leagues round us, I steered more to the northward. At noon, the +latitude, by observation, was 50° 1'; longitude 229° 26'.[1] I now +steered N.W. by N., with a fresh gale at S.S.E. and fair weather. But +at nine in the evening, it began again to blow hard, and in squalls, +with rain. With such weather, and the wind between S.S.E. and S.W. I +continued the same course till the 30th, at four in the morning, when +I steered N. by W. in order to make the land. I regretted very much +indeed that I could not do it sooner; for this obvious reason, that +we were now passing the place where geographers[2] have placed the +pretended strait of Admiral de Fonte. For my own part, I give no +credit to such vague and improbable stories, that carry their own +confutation along with them. Nevertheless, I was very desirous of +keeping the American coast aboard, in order to clear up this point +beyond dispute. But it would have been highly imprudent in me to have +engaged with the land in weather so exceedingly tempestuous, or to +have lost the advantage of a fair wind by waiting for better weather. +This same day, at noon, we were in the latitude of 53° 22', and in the +longitude of 225° 14'. + +[Footnote 1: As in the remaining part of this chapter, the latitude +and longitude are very frequently set down, the former being +invariably North, and the latter East, the constant repetition of the +two words, _North_ and _East_, has been omitted, to avoid unnecessary +precision.] + +[Footnote 2: See de Lisle's _Générale des Découvertes de l'Amiral de +Fonte_, &c. Paris, 1752; and many other maps.] + +The next morning, being the 1st of May, seeing nothing of the land, +I steered north-easterly, with a fresh breeze at S.S.E. and S., with +squalls, and showers of rain and hail. Our latitude at noon 54° 43', +and our longitude 224° 44'. At seven in the evening, being in the +latitude of 55° 20', we got sight of the land, extending from N.N.E. +to E., or E. by S. about twelve or fourteen leagues distant. An hour +after, I steered N. by W.; and at four the next morning, the coast +was seen from N. by W. to S.E. the nearest part about six leagues +distant.[3] + +[Footnote 3: This must be very near that part of the American coast +where Tscherikow anchored in 1741, for Muller places its latitude +in 56°. Had this Russian navigator been so fortunate as to proceed a +little farther northward along the coast, he would have found, as we +now learn from Captain Cook, bays, and harbours, and islands, where +his ship might have been sheltered, and his people protected in +landing. For the particulars of the misfortunes he met with here, two +boats' crews, which he sent ashore, having never returned, probably +cut off by the natives, see _Muller's Découvertes de Russes_, p. 248, +254. The Spaniards, in 1775, found two good harbours on this part +of the coast; that called _Guadalupe_, in latitude 57° 11', and the +other, _De los Remedios_, in latitude 57° 18'.--D.] + +At this time the northern point of an inlet, or what appeared to be +one, bore E. by S. It lies in the latitude of 56°; and from it to +the northward, the coast seemed to be much broken, forming bays or +harbours every two or three leagues, or else appearances much deceived +us. At six o'clock, drawing nearer the land, I steered N.W. by N., +this being the direction of the coast; having a fresh gale at S.E. +with some showers of hail, snow, and sleet. Between eleven and twelve +o'clock, we passed a group of small islands, lying under the main +land, in the latitude of 56° 48'; and off, or rather to the northward +of the south point of a large bay. An arm of this bay, in the northern +part of it, seemed to extend in toward the north, behind a round +elevated mountain that lies between it and the sea. This mountain I +called _Mount Edgcumbe_; and the point of land that shoots out from it +_Cape Edgcumbe_. The latter lies in the latitude of 57° 3', and in +the longitude of 224° 7'; and at noon it bore north 20° W. six leagues +distant. + +The land, except in some places close to the sea, is all of a +considerable height, and hilly; but Mount Edgcumbe far out-tops all +the other hills. It was wholly covered with snow; as were also all +the other elevated hills; but the lower ones, and the flatter spots, +bordering upon the sea, were free from it, and covered with wood. + +As we advanced to the north, we found the coast from Cape Edgcumbe +to trend north and north-easterly for six or seven leagues, and there +form a large bay. In the entrance of that bay are some islands; for +which reason I named it the _Bay of Islands_. It lies in the latitude +of 57° 20';[4] and seemed to branch into several arms, one of which +turned to the south, and may probably communicate with the bay on the +east side of Cape Edgcumbe, and make the land of the Cape an island. +At eight o'clock in the evening, the Cape bore S.E. 1/2 S.; the Bay +of Islands N. 53° E.; and another inlet, before which are also some +islands, bore N. 52° E. five leagues distant. I continued to steer +N.N.W. 1/2 W. and N.W. by W. as the coast trended, with a fine gale at +N.E. and clear weather. + +[Footnote 4: It should seem, that, in this very bay, the Spaniards, in +1775, found their port which they call _De los Remedios_. The latitude +is exactly the same; and their journal mentions its being protected +by a long ridge of high islands. See Miscellanies, by the Honourable +Daines Barrington, p. 503, 504.--D.] + +At half-an-hour past four in the morning, on the 3d, Mount Edgcumbe +bore S. 54° E.; a large inlet, N. 50° E., distant six leagues; and +the most advanced point of the land, to the N.W. lying under a very +high-peaked mountain, which obtained the name of _Mount Fairweather_, +bore N. 32° W. The inlet was named _Cross Sound_, as being first +seen on that day, so marked in our calendar. It appeared to branch in +several arms, the largest of which turned to the northward. The S.E. +point of this Sound is a high promontory, which obtained the name of +_Cross Cape_. It lies in the latitude of 57° 57', and its longitude +is 223° 21'. At noon it bore S.E.; and the point under the peaked +mountain, which was called _Cape Fairweather_, N. by W. 1/4 W., +distant thirteen leagues. Our latitude at this time was 58° 17', and +our longitude 222° 14'; and we were distant from the shore three or +four leagues. In this situation we found the variation of the compass +to be from 24° 11' to 26° 11' E. + +Here the N.E. wind left us, and was succeeded by light breezes from +the N.W. which lasted for several days. I stood to the S.W. and W.S.W. +till eight o'clock the next morning, when we tacked, and stood toward +the shore. At noon, the latitude was 58° 22', and the longitude 220° +45'. Mount Fairweather, the peaked mountain over the Cape of the same +name, bore N. 63° E.; the shore under it twelve leagues distant. This +mountain, which lies in the latitude of 58° 52', and in the longitude +of 222°, and five leagues inland, is the highest of a chain, or rather +a ridge of mountains, that rise at the N.W. entrance of Cross Sound, +and extend to the N.W. in a parallel direction with the coast. These +mountains were wholly covered with snow, from the highest summit down +to the sea-coast; some few places excepted, where we could perceive +trees rising, as it were, out of the sea; and which, therefore, we +supposed, grew on low land, or on islands bordering upon the shore of +the continent.[5] At five in the afternoon, our latitude being +then 58° 53', and our longitude 220° 52', the summit of an elevated +mountain appeared above the horizon, bearing N., 26° W., and, as +was afterwards found, forty leagues distant. We supposed it to be +Beering's Mount St Elias; and it stands by that name in our chart. + +[Footnote 5: According to Muller, Beering fell in with the coast of +North America in latitude 58° 28', and he describes its aspect thus: +"_L'aspect du pays étoit affrayaut par ses hautes montagnes couvertes +de niege._" The chain or ridge of mountains covered with snow, +mentioned here by Captain Cook, in the same latitude, exactly agrees +with what Beering met with. See Muller's _Voyages et Découvertes de +Russes_, p. 248-254.--D.] + +This day we saw several whales, seals, and porpoises; many gulls, and +several flocks of birds, which had a black ring about the head; the +tip of the tail, and the upper part of the wings, with a black band; +and the rest bluish above and white below. We also saw a brownish +duck, with a black or deep-blue head and neck, sitting upon the water. + +Having but light winds, with some calms, we advanced slowly; so that +on the 6th at noon we were only in the latitude of 59° 8', and in +the longitude of 220° 19'. Mount Fairweather bore S. 63° E. and Mount +Elias N. 30° W.; the nearest land about eight leagues distant. In the +direction of N. 47° E. from this station, there was the appearance +of a bay, and an island off the S. point of it that was covered with +wood. It is here where I suppose Commodore Beering to have anchored. +The latitude, which is 59° 18', corresponds pretty well with the map +of his voyage,[6] and the longitude is 221° E. Behind the bay, (which +I shall distinguish by the name of Beering's Bay, in honour of its +discoverer,) or rather to the south of it, the chain of mountains +before mentioned is interrupted by a plain of a few leagues extent; +beyond which the sight was unlimited; so that there is either a level +country or water behind it. In the afternoon, having a few hours calm, +I took this opportunity to sound, and found seventy fathoms water, +over a muddy bottom. The calm was succeeded by a light breeze from the +N., with which we stood to the westward; and at noon the next day, we +were in the latitude of 59° 27', and the longitude of 219° 7'. In this +situation, Mount Fairweather bore S. 70° E.; Mount St Elias N. 1/2 +W.; the westernmost land in sight N. 52° W.; and our distance from +the shore four or five leagues; the depth of water being eighty-two +fathoms over a muddy bottom. From this station we could see a bay +(circular to appearance) under the high land, with low wood-land on +each side of it. + +[Footnote 6: Probably Captain Cook means Muller's map, prefixed to his +History of the Russian Discoveries.--D.] + +We now found the coast to trend very much to the west, inclining +hardly any thing to the north; and as we had the wind mostly from the +westward, and but little of it, our progress was slow. On the 9th +at noon, the latitude was 59° 30', and the longitude 217°. In this +situation the nearest land was nine leagues distant; and Mount St +Elias bore N., 30° E, nineteen leagues distant. This mountain lies +twelve leagues inland in the latitude of 60° 27', and in the longitude +of 219°. It belongs to a ridge of exceedingly high mountains, that +may be reckoned a continuation of the former, as they are only divided +from them by the plain above mentioned. They extend as far to the west +as the longitude of 217°; where, although they do not end, they lose +much of their height, and become more broken and divided. + +At noon on the 10th, our latitude was 59° 51', and our longitude +215° 56', being no more than three leagues from, the coast of the +continent, which extended from E. 1/2 N., to N.W. 1/2 W., as far as +the eye could reach. To the westward of this last direction was an +island that extended from N., 52° W., to S., 85° W., distant six +leagues. A point shoots out from the main toward the N.E. end of +the island, bearing, at this time, N., 30° W., five or six leagues +distant. This point I named _Cape Suckling_. The point of the cape is +low; but within it, is a tolerably high hill, which is disjoined from +the mountains by low land; so that, at a distance, the cape looks like +an island. On the north side of Cape Suckling is a bay that appeared +to be of some extent, and to be covered from most winds. To this bay I +had some thoughts of going, to stop our leak, as all our endeavours to +do it at sea had proved ineffectual. With this view, I steered for +the cape; but as we had only variable light breezes, we approached +it slowly. However, before night, we were near enough to see some low +land spitting out from the cape to the north-west, so as to cover +the east part of the bay from the south wind. We also saw some small +islands in the bay, and elevated rocks between the cape and the +north-east end of the island. But still there appeared to be a passage +on both sides of these rocks; and I continued steering for them all +night, having from forty-three to twenty-seven fathoms water over a +muddy bottom. + +At four o'clock next morning, the wind, which had been mostly at N.E., +shifted to N. This being against us, I gave up the design of going +within the island, or into the bay, as neither could be done without +loss of time. I therefore bore up for the west end of the island. The +wind blew faint, and at ten o'clock it fell calm. Being not far from +the island, I went in a boat, and landed upon it, with a view of +seeing what lay on the other side; but finding it farther to the hills +than I expected, and the way being steep and woody, I was obliged to +drop the design. At the foot of a tree, on a little eminence not far +from the shore, I left a bottle with a paper in it, on which were +inscribed the names of the ships, and the date of our discovery. And +along with it, I inclosed two silver two-penny pieces of his majesty's +coin, of the date 1772. These, with many others, were furnished me by +the Reverend Dr Kaye;[7] and, as a mark of my esteem and regard for +that gentleman, I named the island, after him, _Kaye's Island_. It is +eleven or twelve leagues in length, in the direction of N.E. and S.W.; +but its breadth is not above a league, or a league and a half, in any +part of it. The S.W. point, which lies in the latitude of 59° 49', +and the longitude of 216° 58', is very remarkable, being a naked +rock, elevated considerably above the land within it. There is also an +elevated rock lying off it, which, from some points of view, appears +like a ruined castle. Toward the sea, the island terminates in a kind +of bare-sloping cliffs, with a beach, only a few paces across to +their foot, of large pebble stones, intermixed in some places with a +brownish clayey sand, which the sea seems to deposit after rolling +in, having been washed down from the higher parts, by the rivulets or +torrents. The cliffs are composed of a bluish stone or rock, in a soft +or mouldering state, except in a few places. There are parts of the +shore interrupted by small vallies and gullies. In each of these, a +rivulet or torrent rushes down with considerable impetuosity; though +it may be supposed that they are only furnished from the snow, and +last no longer than till it is all melted. These vallies are filled +with pine-trees, which grow down close to the entrance, but only to +about half way up the higher or middle part of the island. The woody +part also begins, every-where, immediately above the cliffs, and is +continued to the same height with the former; so that the island is +covered, as it were, with a broad girdle of wood, spread upon its +side, included between the top of the cliffy shore; and the higher +parts in the centre. The trees, however, are far from being of an +uncommon growth; few appearing to be larger than one might grasp round +with his arms, and about forty or fifty feet high; so that the only +purpose they could answer for shipping, would be to make top-gallant +masts, and other small things. How far we may judge of the size of the +trees which grow on the neighbouring continent, it may be difficult +to determine. But it was observed, that none larger than those we saw +growing, lay upon the beach amongst the drift-wood. The pine-trees +seemed all of one sort; and there was neither the Canadian pine, nor +cypress, to be seen. But there were a few which appeared to be the +alder, that were but small, and had not yet shot forth their leaves. +Upon the edges of the cliffs, and on some sloping ground, the surface +was covered with a kind of turf, about half a foot thick, which seemed +composed of the common moss; and the top, or upper part of the island, +had almost the same appearance as to colour; but whatever covered +it seemed to be thicker. I found amongst the trees some currant and +hawberry bushes; a small yellow-flowered violet; and the leaves +of some other plants not yet in flower, particularly one which Mr +Anderson supposed to be the _heracleum_ of Linnæus, the sweet herb, +which Steller, who attended Beering, imagined the Americans here dress +for food, in the same manner as the natives of Kamtschatka. + +[Footnote 7: Then sub-almoner and chaplain to his majesty, afterwards +Dean of Lincoln.--D.] + +We saw, flying about the wood, a crow; two or three of the +white-headed eagles mentioned at Nootka; and another sort full as +large, which appeared also of the same colour, or blacker, and had +only a white breast.[8] In the passage from the ship to the shore, +we saw a great many fowls sitting upon the water, or flying about +in flocks or pairs; the chief of which were a few quebrantaheuses, +divers, ducks, or large peterels, gulls, shags, and burres. The divers +were of two sorts; one very large, of a black colour, with a white +breast and belly; the other smaller, and with a longer and more +pointed bill, which seemed to be the common guillemot. The ducks were +also of two sorts; one brownish, with a black or deep blue head and +neck, and is perhaps the stone-duck described by Steller. The others +fly in larger flocks, but are smaller than these, and are of a dirty +black colour. The gulls were of the common sort, and those which fly +in flocks. The shags were large and black, with a white spot behind +the wings as they flew; but probably only the larger water cormorant. +There was also a single bird seen flying about, to appearance of the +gull kind, of a snowy white colour, with black along part of the upper +side of its wings. I owe all these remarks to Mr Anderson. At the +place where we landed, a fox came from the verge of the wood, and eyed +us with very little emotion, walking leisurely without any signs of +fear. He was of a reddish-yellow colour, like some of the skins we +bought at Nootka, but not of a large size. We also saw two or three +little seals off shore; but no other animals or birds, nor the least +signs of inhabitants having ever been upon the island. + +[Footnote 8: This species is in the Leverian Museum, and described by +Mr Latham, in his Synopsis of Birds, vol. i. p. 33, No. 72, under the +name of the _White-bellied Eagle_.] + +I returned on board at half past two in the afternoon; and, with a +light breeze easterly, steered for the S.W. point of the island, which +we got round by eight o'clock, and then stood for the westernmost land +now in sight, which, at this time, bore N.W. 1/2 N. On the N.W. side +of the N.E. end of Kaye's Island, lies another island, stretching S.E. +and N.W. about three leagues, to within the same distance of the N.W. +boundary of the bay above mentioned, which is distinguished by the +name of _Comptroller's Bay_. + +Next morning, at four o'clock, Kaye's Island was still in sight, +bearing E. 1/4 S. At this time, we were about four or five leagues +from the main; and the most western part in sight bore N.W. 1/2 N. +We had now a fresh gale at E.S.E., and as we advanced to the N.W., we +raised land more and more westerly, and, at last, to the southward of +W.; so that, at noon, when the latitude was 61° 11", and the longitude +213° 28', the most advanced land bore from us S.W. by W. 1/2 W. At the +same time, the E. point of a large inlet bore W.N.W., three leagues +distant. + +From Comptroller's Bay to this point, which I named _Cape +Hinchingbroke_, the direction of the coast is nearly E. and W. Beyond +this, it seemed to incline to the southward; a direction so contrary +to the modern charts founded upon the late Russian discoveries, that +we had reason to expect that, by the inlet before us, we should find +a passage to the N.; and that the land to the W. and S.W. was nothing +but a group of islands. Add to this, that the wind was now at S.E., +and we were threatened with a fog and a storm; and I wanted to get +into some place to stop the leak, before we encountered another gale. +These reasons induced me to steer for the inlet, which we had no +sooner reached, than the weather became so foggy, that we could not +see a mile before us, and it became necessary to secure the ships in +some place, to wait for a clearer sky. With this view, I hauled close +under Cape Hinchingbroke, and anchored before a small cove, a little +within the cape, in eight fathoms water, a clayey bottom, and about a +quarter of a mile from the shore. + +The boats were then hoisted out, some to sound, and others to fish. +The seine was drawn in the cove; but without success, for it was torn. +At some short intervals, the fog cleared away, and gave us a sight +of the lands around us. The cape bore S. by W. 1/2 W., one league +distant; the W. point of the inlet S.W. by W., distant five leagues; +and the land on that side extended as far as W. by N. Between this +point and N.W. by W., we could see no land; and what was in the last +direction seemed to be at a great distance. The westernmost point we +had in sight on the N. shore, bore N.N.W. 1/2 W., two leagues distant. +Between this point, and the shore under which we were at anchor, is a +bay about three leagues deep; on the S.E. side of which there are two +or three coves, such as that before which we had anchored, and in the +middle some rocky islands. + +To these islands Mr Gore was sent in a boat, in hopes of shooting +some eatable birds. But he had hardly got to them, before about twenty +natives made their appearance in two large canoes; on which he thought +proper to return to the ships, and they followed him. They would not +venture alongside, but kept at some distance, hollowing aloud, and +alternately clasping and extending their arms; and, in a short time, +began a kind of song exactly after the manner of those at Nootka. +Their heads were also powdered with feathers. One man held out a white +garment, which we interpreted as a sign of friendship; and another +stood up in the canoe, quite naked, for almost a quarter of an hour, +with his arms stretched out like a cross, and motionless. The canoes +were not constructed of wood, as at King George's or Nootka Sound. The +frame only, being slender laths, was of that substance; the outside +consisting of the skins of seals, or of such like animals. Though +we returned all their signs of friendship, and, by every expressive +gesture, tried to encourage them to come alongside, we could not +prevail. Some of our people repeated several of the common words of +the Nootka language, such as _seekemaile_, and _mahook_; but they did +not seem to understand them. After receiving some presents, which were +thrown to them, they retired toward that part of the shore from whence +they came; giving us to understand by signs, that they would visit us +again the next morning. Two of them, however, each in a small +canoe, waited upon us in the night; probably with a design to pilfer +something, thinking we should be all asleep; for they retired as soon +as they found themselves discovered. + +During the night, the wind was at S.S.E., blowing hard and in squalls, +with rain, and very thick weather. At ten o'clock next morning, the +wind became more moderate, and the weather being somewhat clearer, +we got under sail, in order to look out for some snug place, where +we might search for, and stop the leak; our present station being too +much exposed for this purpose. At first I proposed to have gone up the +bay, before which we had anchored; but the clearness of the weather +tempted me to steer to the northward, farther up the great inlet, as +being all in our way. As soon as we had passed the N.W. point of the +bay above mentioned, we found the coast on that side to turn short +to the eastward. I did not follow it, but continued our course to the +north, for a point of land which we saw in that direction. + +The natives who visited us the preceding evening, came off again in +the morning, in five or six canoes; but not till we were under sail; +and although they followed us for some time, they could not get up +with us. Before two in the afternoon, the bad weather returned again, +with so thick a haze, that we could see no other land besides the +point just mentioned, which we reached at half past four, and found it +to be a small island, lying about two miles from the adjacent coast, +being a point of land, on the east side of which we discovered a fine +bay, or rather harbour. To this we plied up, under reefed topsails +and courses. The wind blew strong at S.E., and in excessively +hard squalls, with rain. At intervals, we could see land in every +direction; but in general the weather was so foggy, that we could see +none but the shores of the bay into which we were plying. In passing +the island, the depth of water was twenty-six fathoms, with a muddy +bottom. Soon after, the depth increased to sixty and seventy fathoms, +a rocky bottom; but in the entrance of the bay, the depth was from +thirty to six fathoms; the last very near the shore. At length, at +eight o'clock, the violence of the squalls obliged us to anchor in +thirteen fathoms, before we had got so far into the bay as I intended; +but we thought ourselves fortunate that we had already sufficiently +secured ourselves at this hour; for the night was exceedingly stormy. + +The weather, bad as it was, did not hinder three of the natives from +paying us a visit. They came off in two canoes; two men in one, and +one in the other, being the number each could carry. For they were +built and constructed in the same manner with those of the Esquimaux; +only in the one were two holes for two men to sit in, and in the other +but one. Each of these men had a stick, about three feet long, with +the large feathers or wing of birds tied to it. These they frequently +held up to us, with a view, as we guessed, to express their pacific +disposition.[9] + +[Footnote 9: Exactly corresponding to this, was the manner of +receiving Beering's people, at the Schumagin Islands, on this coast, +in 1741. Muller's words are--"On sait ce que c'est que le _Calumet_, +que les Americans septentrionaux présentent en signe de paix. Ceux-ci +en tenoient de pareils en main. C'étoient des bâtons avec _ailes de +faucon_ attachées au bout"--Decouvertes, p. 268.--D.] + +The treatment these men met with, induced many more to visit us, +between one and two the next morning, in both great and small canoes. +Some ventured on board the ship; but not till some of our people +had stepped into their boats. Amongst those who came on board, was a +good-looking middle-aged man, whom we afterward found to be the chief. +He was cloathed in a dress made of the sea-otter's skin; and had on +his head such a cap as is worn by the people of King George's Sound, +ornamented with sky-blue glass beads, about the size of a large pea. +He seemed to set a much higher value upon these, than upon our white +glass beads. Any sort of beads, however, appeared to be in high +estimation with these people; and they readily gave whatever they had +in exchange for them, even their fine sea-otter skins. But here I must +observe, that they set no more value upon these than upon other skins, +which was also the case at King George's Sound, till our people set +a higher price upon them; and even after that, the natives of both +places would sooner part with a dress made of these, than with one +made of the skins of wild-cats or of martins. + +These people were also desirous of iron; but they wanted pieces eight +or ten inches long at least, and of the breadth of three or four +fingers. For they absolutely rejected small pieces. Consequently, they +got but little from us; iron having, by this time, become rather a +scarce article. The points of some of their spears or lances were of +that metal; others were of copper, and a few of bone; of which the +points of their darts, arrows, &c. were composed. I could not prevail +open the chief to trust himself below the upper deck; nor did he and +his companions remain long on board. But while we had their company, +it was necessary to watch them narrowly, as they soon betrayed a +thievish disposition. At length, after being about three at four +hours alongside the Resolution, they all left her, and went to the +Discovery; none having been there before, except one man, who, at this +time, came from her, and immediately returned thither in company +with the rest. When I observed this, I thought this man had met with +something there, which he knew would please his countrymen better than +what they met with at our ship. But in this I was mistaken, as will +soon appear. + +As soon as they were gone, I sent a boat to sound the head of the +bay. For, as the wind was moderate, I had thoughts of laying the ship +ashore, if a convenient place could be found where I might begin our +operations to stop the leak. It was not long before all the Americans +left the Discovery, and instead of returning to us, made their way +toward our boat employed as above. The officer in her seeing, this, +returned to the ship, and was followed by all the canoes. The boat's +crew had no sooner come on board, leaving in her two of their number +by way of a guard, than some of the Americans stepped into her. Some +presented their spears before the two men; others cast loose the rope +which fastened her to the ship; and the rest attempted to tow her +away. But the instant they saw us preparing to oppose them, they let +her go, stepped out of her into their canoes, and made signs to us +to lay down our arms, having the appearance of being as perfectly +unconcerned as if they had done nothing amiss. This, though rather a +more daring attempt, was hardly equal to what they had meditated on +board the Discovery. The man who came and carried all his countrymen +from the Resolution to the other ship had first been on board of her, +where, after looking down all the hatchways, and seeing nobody but the +officer of the watch, and one or two more, he no doubt thought they +might plunder her with ease, especially as she lay at some distance +from us. It was unquestionably with this view, that they all repaired +to her. Several of them, without any ceremony, went on board; drew +their knives; made signs to the officer and people on deck to keep +off; and began to look about them for plunder. The first thing +they met with was the rudder of one of the boats, which they threw +over-board to those of their party who had remained in the canoes. +Before they had time to find another object that pleased their +fancy, the crew were alarmed, and began to come upon deck armed with +cutlasses. On seeing this, the whole company of plunderers sneaked off +into their canoes, with as much deliberation and indifference as they +had given up the boat; and they were observed describing to those who +had not been on board, how much longer the knives of the ship's crew +were than their own. It was at this time, that my boat was on the +sounding duty, which they must have seen; for they proceeded directly +for her, after their disappointment at the Discovery. I have not the +least doubt, that their visiting us so very early in the morning was +with a view to plunder; on a supposition, that they should find every +body asleep. + +May we not, from these circumstances, reasonably infer, that these +people are unacquainted with fire-arms? For, certainly, if they +had known any thing of their effect, they never would have dared to +attempt taking a boat from under ship's guns, in the face of above a +hundred men; for most of my people were looking at them, at the very +instant they made the attempt. However, after all these tricks, we +had the good fortune to leave them as ignorant, in this respect, as we +found them. For they neither heard nor saw a musquet fired, unless at +birds. + +Just as we were going to weigh the anchor, to proceed farther up the +bay, it began to blow and to rain as hard as before; so that we +were obliged to veer away the cable again, and lay fast. Toward the +evening, finding that the gale did not moderate, and that it might be +some time before an opportunity offered to get higher up, I came to a +resolution to heel the ship where we were; and, with this view, moored +her with a kedge-anchor and hawser. In heaving the anchor out of the +boat, one of the seamen, either through ignorance or carelessness, or +both, was carried over-board by the buoy-rope, and followed the +anchor to the bottom. It is remarkable, that, in this very critical +situation, he had presence of mind to disengage himself, and come up +to the surface of the water, where he was taken up, with one of his +legs fractured in a dangerous manner. + +Early the next morning, we gave the ship a good heel to port, in order +to come at, and stop the leak. On ripping off the sheathing, it was +found to be in the seams, which were very open, both in and under the +wale, and, in several places, not a bit of oakum in them. While the +carpenters were making good these defects, we filled all our empty +water-casks, at a stream hard by the ship. The wind was now moderate, +but the weather was thick and hazy, with rain. + +The natives, who left us the preceding day, when the bad weather came +on, paid us another visit this morning. Those who came first, were +in small canoes; others, afterward, arrived in large boats; in one of +which were twenty women, and one man, besides children. + +In the evening of the 16th, the weather cleared up, and we then found +ourselves surrounded on every side by land. Our station was on +the east side of the Sound, in a place, which in the chart is +distinguished by the name of _Snug Corner Bay_. And a very snug place +it is. I went, accompanied by some of the officers, to view the head +of it, and we found that it was sheltered from all winds, with a depth +of water from even to three fathoms over a muddy bottom. The land, +near the shore, is low, part clear, and part wooded. The clear ground +was covered, two or three feet thick, with snow; but very little lay +in the woods. The very summits of the neighbouring hills were covered +with wood; but those farther inland seemed to be naked rocks, buried +in snow. + +The leak being stopped, and the sheathing made good over it, at four +o'clock in the morning of the 17th, we weighed, and steered to the +north-westward, with a light breeze at E.N.E.; thinking, if there +should be any passage to the north through this inlet, that it must be +in that direction. Soon after we were under sail, the natives, in +both great and small canoes, paid us another visit, which gave us +an additional opportunity of forming a more perfect idea of their +persons, dress, and other particulars, which shall be afterward +described. Our visitors seemed to have no other business, but to +gratify their curiosity; for they entered into no sort of traffic with +us. After we had got over to the N.W. point of the arm in which we had +anchored, we found that the flood-tide came into the inlet through the +same channel by which we had entered. Although this circumstance did +not make wholly against a passage, it was, however, nothing in its +favour. After passing the point above mentioned, we met with a good +deal of foul ground, and many sunken rocks, even out in the middle of +the channel, which is here five or six leagues wide. At this time the +wind failed us, and was succeeded by calms and light airs from every +direction; so that we had some trouble to extricate ourselves from the +threatening danger. At length, about one o'clock, with the assistance +of our boats, we got to an anchor, under the eastern shore, in +thirteen fathoms water, and about four leagues to the north of our +last station. In the morning, the weather had been very hazy; but it +afterward cleared up, so as to give us a distinct view of all the land +round us, particularly to the northward, where it seemed to close. +This left us but little hopes of finding a passage that way, or, +indeed, in any other direction, without putting out again to sea. + +To enable me to form a better judgment, I dispatched Mr Gore, with +two armed boats, to examine the northern arm; and the master, with two +other boats, to examine another arm that seemed to take an easterly +direction. Late in the evening they both returned. The master +reported, that the arm he had been sent to, communicated with that +from which we had last come; and that one side of it was only formed +by a group of islands. Mr Gore informed me, that he had seen the +entrance of an arm, which, he was of opinion, extended a long way to +the N.E.; and that, probably by it, a passage might be found. On the +other hand, Mr Roberts, one of the mates, whom I had sent with Mr Gore +to sketch out the parts they had examined, was of opinion, that they +saw the head of this arm. The disagreement of these two opinions, +and the circumstance already mentioned of the flood-tide entering the +Sound from the south, rendered the existence of a passage this way +very doubtful. And, as the wind in the morning had become favourable +for getting out to sea, I resolved to spend no more time in searching +for a passage in a place that promised so little success. Besides +this, I considered, that, if the land on the west should prove to be +islands, agreeably to the late Russian Discoveries,[10] we could +not fail of getting far enough to the north, and that in good time, +provided we did not lose the season in searching places, where a +passage was not only doubtful, but improbable. We were now upward +of five hundred and twenty leagues to the westward of any part of +Baffin's, or of Hudson's Bay. And whatever passage there may be, it +must be, or, at least, part of it, must lie to the north of latitude +72°.[11] Who could expect to find a passage or strait of such extent? + +[Footnote 10: Captain Cook seems to take his ideas of these from Mr +Stæhlin's map, prefixed to the account of the Northern Archipelago, +published by Dr Maty. London, 1774.--D.] + +[Footnote 11: On what evidence Captain Cook formed his judgment as to +this, is mentioned in the Introduction.--D.] + +Having thus taken my resolution, next morning at three o'clock, we +weighed, and with a gentle breeze at north, proceeded to the southward +down the inlet, and met with the same broken ground, as on the +preceding day. However, we soon extricated ourselves from it, and +afterward never struck ground with a line of forty fathoms. Another +passage into this inlet was now discovered to the S.W. of that by +which we came in, which enabled us to shorten our way out to sea. It +is separated from the other by an island, extending eighteen leagues +in the direction of N.E. and S.W.; to which I gave the name of +_Montagu Island_. + +In this S.W. channel are several islands. Those that lie in the +entrance, next the open sea, are high and rocky. But those within are +low ones; and being entirely free from snow, and covered with wood and +verdure, on this account they were called _Green Islands_. + +At two in the afternoon, the wind veered to the S.W., and S.W. by S., +which reduced us to the necessity of plying. I first stretched over +to within two miles of the eastern, shore, and tacked in fifty-three +fathoms water. In standing back to Montagu Island, we discovered a +ledge of rocks, some above, and others under water, lying three miles +to the north of the northern point of Green Islands. Afterward, some +others were seen in the middle of the channel farther out than the +islands. These rocks made unsafe plying in the night (though not very +dark); and, for that reason, we spent it standing off and on, under +Montagu Island; for the depth of water was too great to come to an +anchor. + +At day-break, the next morning, the wind came more favourable, and we +steered for the channel between Montagu Island and the Green Islands, +which is between two and three leagues broad, and from thirty-four to +seventeen fathoms deep. We had but little wind all the day, and, at +eight o'clock in the evening, it was a dead calm, when we anchored in +twenty-one fathoms water, over a muddy bottom, about two miles from +the shore of Montagu's Island. The calm continued till ten o'clock the +next morning, when, it was succeeded by a small breeze from the north, +with which we weighed; and, by six o'clock in the evening, we were +again in the open sea, and found the coast trending west by south, as +far as the eye could reach. + + +SECTION V. + +_The Inlet called Prince William's Sound.--Its Extent.--Persons of +the Inhabitants described.--Their Dress.--Incision of the +Under-lip.--Various other Ornaments.--Their Boats.--Weapons, fishing, +and hunting Instruments.--Utensils.--Tools.--Uses Iron is +applied to.--Food.--Language, and a Specimen of +it.--Animals.--Birds.--Fish.--Iron and Beads, whence received._ + +To the inlet, which we had now left, I gave the name of _Prince +William's Sound_. To judge of this Sound from what we saw of it, +it occupies, at least, a degree and a half of latitude, and two of +longitude, exclusive of the arms or branches, the extent of which is +not known. + +The natives, who came to make us several visits while we were in the +Sound, were generally not above the common height, though many of them +were under it. They were square, or strongly-chested, and the most +disproportioned part of their body seemed to be their heads, which +were very large, with thick, short necks, and large, broad or +spreading faces, which, upon the whole, were flat. Their eyes, though +not small, scarcely bore a proportion to the size of their faces; and +their noses had full, round points, hooked, or turned up at the tip. +Their teeth were broad, white, equal in size, and evenly set. Their +hair was black, thick, straight, and strong, and their beards, in +general, thin, or wanting; but the hairs about the lips of those who +have them, were stiff or bristly, and frequently of a brown colour. +And several of the elderly men had even large and thick, but straight +beards. + +Though, in general, they agree in the make of their persons, and +largeness of their heads, there is a considerable variety in their +features; but very few can be said to be of the handsome sort, though +their countenance commonly indicates a considerable share of vivacity, +good-nature, and frankness. And yet some of them had an air of +sullenness and reserve. Some of the women have agreeable faces; and +many are easily distinguishable from the men by their features, +which are more delicate; but this should be understood chiefly of the +youngest sort, or middle-aged. The complexion of some of the women, +and of the children, is white; but without any mixture of red. And +some of the men, who were seen naked, had rather a brownish or swarthy +cast, which could scarcely be the effect of any stain; for they do not +paint their bodies. + +Their common dress (for men, women, and children are cloathed alike), +is a kind of close frock, or rather robe; reaching generally to the +ancles, though sometimes only to the knees. At the upper part is a +hole just sufficient to admit the head, with sleeves that reach to the +wrist. These frocks are made of the skins of different animals; the +most common of which are those of the sea-otter, grey fox, racoon, and +pine-martin, with many of seal-skins, and, in general, they are worn +with the hairy side outward. Some also have these frocks made of the +skins of fowls, with only the down remaining on them, which they glue +on other substances. And we saw one or two woollen garments like those +of Nootka. At the seams, where the different skins are sewed together, +they are commonly ornamented with tassels or fringes of narrow thongs, +cut out of the same skins. A few have a kind of cape, or collar, and +some a hood; but the other is the most common form, and seems to be +their whole dress in good weather. When it rains, they put over this +another frock, ingeniously made from the intestines of whales, or some +other large animal, prepared so skilfully, as almost to resemble +our gold-beater's leaf. It is made to draw tight round the neck; its +sleeves reach as low as the wrist, round which they are tied with a +string; and its skirts, when they are in their canoes, are drawn over +the rim of the hole in which they sit, so that no water can enter. At +the same time, it keeps the men entirely dry upward. For no water can +penetrate through it, any more than through a bladder. It must be kept +continually moist or wet, otherwise it is apt to crack or break. +This, as well as the common frock made of the skins, bears a great +resemblance to the dress of the Greenlanders, as described by +Crantz.[1] + +[Footnote 1: Crantz's History of Greenland, vol. i. p. 136-138. The +reader will find in Crantz many very striking instances, in which the +Greenlanders, and Americans of Prince William's Sound, resemble each +other, besides those mentioned in this Section by Captain Cook. The +dress of the people of Prince William's Sound, as described by Captain +Cook, also agrees with that of the inhabitants of Schumagin's Islands, +discovered by Beering in 1741. Muller's words are, "Leur habillement +étoit de boyaux de baleines pour le haut du corps, et de peaux de +chiens-marins pour le bas."--_Découvertes des Russes_, p. 274.] + +In general, they do not cover their legs or feet; but a few have +a kind of skin-stockings, which reach half-way up the thigh; and +scarcely any of them are without mittens for the hands, made of +the skins of bears' paws. Those who wear any thing on their heads, +resembled, in this respect, our friends at Nootka, having high +truncated conic caps, made of straw, and sometimes of wood, resembling +a seal's head well painted. + +The men commonly wear the hair cropt round the neck and forehead; but +the women allow it to grow long, and most of them tie a small lock of +it on the crown, or a few club it behind, after our manner. Both sexes +have the ears perforated with several holes, about the outer and lower +part of the edge, in which they hang little bunches of beads, made of +the same tubulous shelly substance used for this purpose by those of +Nootka. The _septum_ of the nose is also perforated, through which +they frequently thrust the quill-feathers of small birds, or little +bending ornaments, made of the above shelly substance, strung on a +stiff string or cord, three or four inches long, which give them +a truly grotesque appearance. But the most uncommon and unsightly +ornamental fashion, adopted by some of both sexes, is their having the +under-lip slit, or cut, quite through, in the direction of the mouth, +a little below the swelling part. This incision, which is made even +in the sucking children, is often above two inches long, and either by +its natural retraction, when the wound is fresh, or by the repetition +of some artificial management, assumes the true shape of lips, and +becomes so large as to admit the tongue through. This happened to be +the case, when the first person having this incision was seen by +one of the seamen, who called out, that the man had two mouths, and, +indeed, it does not look unlike it. In this artificial mouth they +stick a flat narrow ornament, made chiefly out of a solid shell or +bone, cut into little narrow pieces, like small teeth, almost down to +the base or thickest part, which has a small projecting bit at each +end that supports it when put into the divided lip, the cut part then +appearing outward. Others have the lower lip only perforated into +separate holes, and then the ornament consists of as many distinct +shelly studs, whose points are pushed through these holes, and their +heads appear within the lip, as another row of teeth immediately under +their own. + +These are their native ornaments. But we found many beads of European +manufacture among them, chiefly of a pale-blue colour, which they hang +in their ears, about their caps, or join to their lip-ornaments, which +have a small hole drilled in each point to which they are fastened, +and others to them, till they hang sometimes as low as the point of +the chin. But, in this last case, they cannot remove them so easily; +for, as to their own lip-ornaments, they can take them out with their +tongue, or suck them in, at pleasure. They also wear bracelets of the +shelly-beads, or others of a cylindrical shape, made of a substance +like amber, with such also as are used in their ears and noses. And so +fond are they, in general, of ornament, that they stick any thing in +their perforated lip; one man appearing with two of our iron nails +projecting from it like prongs; and another endeavouring to put a +large brass button into it. + +The men frequently paint their faces of a bright red, and of a black +colour, and sometimes of a blue, or leaden colour, but not in any +regular figure; and the women, in some measure, endeavoured to imitate +them, by puncturing or staining the chin with black, that comes to a +point in each cheek; a practice very similar to which is in fashion +amongst the females of Greenland, as we learn from Crantz. Their +bodies are not painted, which may be owing to the scarcity of proper +materials; for all the colours which they brought to sell in bladders, +were in very small quantities. Upon the whole, I have no where seen +savages who take more pains than these people do, to ornament, or +rather to disfigure, their persons. + +Their boats or canoes are of two sorts, the one being large and open, +and the other small and covered. I mentioned already, that in one of +the large boats were twenty women, and one man, besides children. +I attentively examined and compared the construction of this, with +Crantz's description of what he calls the great, or women's boat in +Greenland, and found that they were built in the same manner, parts +like parts, with no other difference than in the form of the head and +stern; particularly of the first, which bears some resemblance to the +head of a whale. The framing is of slender pieces of wood, over which +the skins of seals, or of other larger sea-animals, are stretched, to +compose the outside. It appeared also, that the small canoes of these +people are made nearly of the same form, and of the same materials +with those used by the Greenlanders and Esquimaux; at least the +difference is not material. Some of these, as I have before observed, +carry two men. They are broader in proportion to their length, than +those of the Esquimaux, and the head or fore-part curves somewhat like +the head of a violin. + +The weapons, and instruments for fishing and hunting, are the very +same that are made use of by the Esquimaux and Greenlanders; and it +is unnecessary to be particular in my account of them, as they are all +very accurately described by Crantz. I did not see a single one with +these people that he has not mentioned, nor has he mentioned, one that +they have not. For defensive armour they have a kind of jacket, or +coat of mail, made of thin laths, bound together with sinews, which +makes it quite flexible, though so close as not to admit an arrow or +dart. It only covers the trunk of the body, and may not be improperly +compared to a woman's stays. + +As none of these people lived in the bay where we anchored, or where +any of us landed, we saw none of their habitations, and I had not time +to look after them. Of their domestic utensils, they brought in their +boats some round and oval shallow dishes of wood, and others of a +cylindrical shape much deeper. The sides were made of one piece, bent +round, like our chip-boxes, though thick, neatly fastened with thongs, +and the bottoms fixed in with small wooden pegs. Others were smaller, +and of a more elegant shape, somewhat resembling a large oval +butterboat, without a handle, but more shallow, made from a piece of +wood, or horny substance. These last were sometimes neatly carved. +They had many little square bags, made of the same gut with their +outer frocks, neatly ornamented with very minute red feathers +interwoven with it, in which were contained some very fine sinews, and +bundles of small cord, made from them, most ingeniously plaited. They +also brought many chequered baskets, so closely wrought as to hold +water; some wooden models of their canoes; a good many little images, +four or five inches long, either of wood, or stuffed, which were +covered with a bit of fur, and ornamented with pieces of small quill +feathers, in imitation of their shelly beads, with hair fixed on +their heads. Whether these might be mere toys for children, or held +in veneration, as representing their deceased friends, and applied to +some superstitious purpose, we could not determine. But they have many +instruments made of two or three hoops, or concentric pieces of wood, +with a cross-bar fixed in the middle, to hold them by. To these are +fixed a great number of dried barnacle-shells, with threads, which +serve as a rattle, and make a loud noise; when they shake them. This +contrivance seems to be a substitute for the rattling-bird at Nootka; +and perhaps both of them are employed on the same occasions.[2] + +[Footnote 2: The rattling-ball found by Steller, who attended Beering +in 1741, at no great distance from this Sound, seems to be for a +similar use. See Muller, p, 256.--D.] + +With what tools they make their wooden utensils, frames of boats, and +other things, is uncertain; as the only one seen amongst them was a +kind of stone-adze, made almost after the manner of those of Otaheite, +and the other islands of the South Sea. They have a great many iron +knives; some of which are straight, others a little curved, and some +very small ones, fixed in pretty long handles, with the blades bent +upward, like some of our shoe-makers' instruments. But they have still +knives of another sort, which are sometimes near two feet long, shaped +almost like a dagger, with a ridge in the middle. These they wear in +sheaths of skins, hung by a thong round the neck, under their robe, +and they are, probably, only used as weapons; the other knives being +apparently applied to other purposes. Every thing they have, however, +is as well and ingeniously made, as if they were furnished with the +most complete tool-chest; and their sewing, plaiting of sinews, and +small work on their little bags, may be put in competition with the +most delicate manufactures found in any part of the known world. In +short, considering the otherwise uncivilized or rude slate in +which these people are, their northern situation, amidst a country +perpetually covered with snow, and the wretched materials they have +to work with, it appears, that their invention and dexterity, in all +manual works, are at least equal to that of any other nation. + +The food which we saw them eat, was dried fish, and the flesh of some +animal, either broiled or roasted. Some of the latter that was bought, +seemed to be bear's flesh, but with a fishy taste. They also eat +the larger sort of fern root, mentioned at Nootka, either baked, or +dressed in some other way; and some of our people saw them eat +freely of a substance which they supposed to be the inner part of the +pine-bark. Their drink is most probably water; for in their boats they +brought snow in the wooden vessels, which they swallowed by mouthfuls. +Perhaps it could be carried with less trouble in these open vessels, +than water itself. Their method of eating seems decent and cleanly; +for they always took care to separate any dirt that might adhere to +their victuals. And though they sometimes did eat the raw fat of some +sea-animal, they cut it carefully into mouthfuls, with their small +knives. The same might be said of their persons, which, to appearance, +were always clean and decent, without grease or dirt; and the wooden +vessels, in which their victuals are probably put, were kept in +excellent order, as well as their boats, which were neat, and free +from lumber. + +Their language seems difficult to be understood at first; not from any +indistinctness or confusion in their words and sounds, but from the +various significations they have. For they appeared to use the very +same word, frequently, on very different occasions; though doubtless +this might, if our intercourse had been of longer duration, have been +found to be a mistake on our side. The only words I could obtain, and +for them I am indebted to Mr Anderson,[3] were those that follow; the +first of which was also used at Nootka, in the same sense; though +we could not trace an affinity between the two dialects in any other +instance. + +[Footnote 3: We are also indebted to him for many remarks in +this Section, interwoven with those of Captain Cook, as throwing +considerable light on many parts of his journal.--D.] + + Akashou, _What's the name of that?_ + Namuk, _An ornament for the ear._ + Lukluk, _A brown shaggy skin, perhaps a bear's._ + Aa, _Yes._ + Natooneshuk, _The skin of a sea-otter._ + Keeta, _Give me something._ + Naema, _Give me something in exchange_, or _barter_. + + / _Of_, or _belonging to me.--Will_ + Ooonaka, { _you barter for this that belongs_ + \ _to me_? + + Manaka, + Ahleu, _A spear._ + Weena, _or_ Veena, _Stranger--calling to one._ + Keelashuk, _Guts of which they make jackets._ + Tawuk, _Keep it._ + + / _A piece of white bear's skin_, or + Amilhtoo, { _perhaps the hair that covered_ + \ _it._ + + Whaehai, _Shall I keep it? do you give it me?_ + Yaut, _I'll go_; or _shall I go?_ + Chilke, _One._ + Taiha, _Two._ + Tokke, _Three._ + (Tinke,) + Chukelo,[4] _Four?_ + Koeheene, _Five?_ + Takulai, _Six?_ + Keichilho, _Seven?_ + Klu, _or_ Kliew, _Eight?_ + +[Footnote 4: With regard to these numerals, Mr Anderson observes, +that the words corresponding to ours, are not certain after passing +_three_; and therefore he marks those, about whose position he is +doubtful, with a point of interrogation.--D.] + +As to the animals of this part of the continent, the same must be +understood as of those at Nootka; that is, that the knowledge we have +of them is entirely taken from the skins which the natives brought to +sell. These were chiefly of seals; a few foxes; the whitish cat, or +_lynx_; common and pine-martins; small ermines; bears; racoons; and +sea-otters. Of these, the most common were the martin, racoon, and +sea-otter skins, which composed the ordinary dress of the natives; but +the skins of the first, which in general were of a much lighter brown +than those at Nootka, were far superior to them in fineness; whereas +the last, which, as well as the martins, were far more plentiful than +at Nootka, seemed greatly inferior in the fineness and thickness of +their fur, though they greatly exceeded them in size, and were almost +all of the glossy black sort, which is doubtless the colour most +esteemed in those skins. Bear and seal skins were also pretty common, +and the last were in general white, very beautifully spotted with +black, or sometimes simply white; and many of the bears here were of a +brown, or sooty colour. + +Besides these animals, which were all seen at Nootka, there are some +others in this place which we did not find there; such as the white +bear, of whose skins the natives brought several pieces, and some +entire skins of cubs, from which their size could not be determined. +We also found the wolverene, or quickhatch, which had very bright +colours; a larger sort of ermine than the common one, which is the +same as at Nootka, varied with a brown colour, and with scarcely any +black on its tail. The natives also brought the skin of the head of +some very large animal; but it could not be positively determined what +it was; though, from the colour and shagginess of the hair, and its +unlikeness to any land animal, we judged it might probably be that of +the large male ursine seal, or sea-bear. But one of the most beautiful +skins, and which seems peculiar to this place, as we never saw it +before, is that of a small animal about ten inches long, of a brown +or rusty colour on the back, with a great number of obscure whitish +specks, and the sides of a blueish ash colour, also with a few of +these specks. The tail is not above a third of the length, of its +body, and is covered with hair of a whitish colour at the edges. It +is no doubt the same with those called spotted field mice, by Mr +Stæhlin,[5] in his short account of the New Northern Archipelago. But +whether they be really of the mouse kind, or a squirrel, we could not +tell, for want of perfect skins; though Mr Anderson was inclined +to think that it is the same animal described under the name of the +_Casan_ marmot, by Mr Pennant. The number of skins we found here, +points out the great plenty of these several animals just mentioned; +but it is remarkable, that we neither saw the skins of the mouse nor +of the common deer. + +[Footnote 5: In his account of Kodjak, p. 32 and 34.] + +Of the birds mentioned at Nootka, we found here only the white-headed +eagle, the shag, the _alcyon_, or great kingfisher, which had very +fine bright colours, and the humming-bird, which came frequently and +flew about the ship, while at anchor, though it can scarcely live here +in the winter, which must be very severe. The water-fowls were geese, +a small sort of duck, almost like that mentioned at Kerguelen's Land; +another sort which none of us knew; and some of the black seapyes, +with red bills, which we found at Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand. +Some of the people who went on shore, killed a grouse, a snipe, and +some plover. But though, upon the whole, the water-fowls were pretty +numerous, especially the ducks and geese, which frequent the shores, +they were so shy, that it was scarcely possible to get within shot; so +that we obtained a very small supply of them as refreshment. The duck +mentioned above is as large as the common wild-duck, of a deep black +colour, with a short pointed tail, and red feet. The bill is white, +tinged with red toward the point, and has a large black spot, almost +square, near its base, on each side, where it is also enlarged or +distended. And on the forehead is a large triangular while spot, with +one still larger on the back part of the neck. The female has much +duller colours, and none of the ornaments of the bill, except the two +black spots, which are obscure. + +There is likewise a species of diver here, which seems peculiar to +the place. It is about the size of a partridge, has a short, black, +compressed bill, with the head and upper part of the neck of a brown +black, the rest of a deep brown, obscurely waved with black, except +the under-part, which is entirely of a blackish cast, very minutely +varied with white; the other (perhaps the female) is blacker above, +and whiter below. A small land bird, of the finch kind, about the size +of a yellow-hammer, was also found; but was suspected to be one +of those which change their colour with the season, and with their +migrations. At this time, it was of a dusky brown colour, with a +reddish tail, and the supposed male had a large yellow spot on the +crown of the head, with some varied black on the upper part of the +neck; but the last was on the breast of the female. + +The only fish we got were some torsk and halibut, which were chiefly +brought by the natives to sell; and we caught a few sculpins about +the ship, with some purplish star-fish, that had seventeen or eighteen +rays. The rocks were observed to be almost destitute of shell-fish; +and the only other animal of this tribe seen, was a red crab, covered +with spines of a very large size. + +The metals we saw were copper and iron; both which, particularly the +latter, were in such plenty, as to constitute the points of most of +the arrows and lances. The ores, with which they painted themselves, +were a red, brittle, unctuous ochre, or iron-ore, not much unlike +cinnabar in colour; a bright blue pigment, which we did not procure; +and black-lead. Each of these seems to be very scarce, as they brought +very small quantities of the first and last, and seemed to keep them +with great care. + +Few vegetables of any kind were seen; and the trees which chiefly grew +here, were the Canadian and spruce-pine, and some of them tolerably +large. + +The beads and iron found amongst these people, left no room to doubt, +that they must have received them from some civilized nation. We were +pretty certain, from circumstances already mentioned, that we were the +first Europeans with whom they had ever communicated directly; and +it remains only to be decided, from what quarter they had got our +manufactures by intermediate conveyance. And there cannot be the +least doubt of their having received these articles, through the +intervention of the more inland tribes, from Hudson's Bay, or the +settlements on the Canadian lakes; unless it can be supposed, (which, +however, is less likely,) that the Russian traders, from Kamtschatka, +have already extended their traffic thus far; or at least that the +natives of their most easterly fox islands communicate along the coast +with those of Prince William's Sound.[6] + +[Footnote 6: There is a circumstance mentioned by Muller, in his +account of Beering's voyage to the coast of America in 1741, which +seems to decide this question. His people found iron at the Schumagin +Islands, as may be fairly presumed from the following quotation: +"Un seul homme avoit un couteau pendu à sa ceinture, qui parut fort +singulier à nos gens par sa figure. Il étoit long de huit pouces, et +fort épais, et large à l'endroit où devoit être la pointe. On ne pent +savoir quel étoit l'usage de cet outil." _Découvertes des Russes_, p. +274. + +If there was iron amongst the natives on this part of the American +coast, prior to the discovery of it by the Russians, and before there +was any traffic with them carried on from Kamtschatka, what reason +can there be to make the least doubt of the people of Prince William's +Sound, as well as those of Schumagin's Islands, having got this +metal from the only probable source, the European settlements on the +north-east coast of this continent?--D.] + +As to the copper, these people seem to procure it themselves, or at +most it passes through few hands to them; for they used to express its +being in a sufficient quantity amongst them, when they offered any +to barter, by pointing to their weapons; as if to say, that having so +much of this metal of their own, they wanted no more. + +It is, however, remarkable, if the inhabitants of this Sound be +supplied with European articles, by way of the intermediate traffic to +the east coast, that they should, in return, never have given to +the more inland Indians any of their sea-otter skins, which would +certainly have been seen, some time or other, about Hudson's Bay. +But, as far as I know, that is not the case; and the only method of +accounting for this, must be by taking into consideration the very +great distance, which, though it might not prevent European goods +coming so far, as being so uncommon, might prevent the skins, which +are a common article, from passing through more than two or three +different tribes, who might use them for their own cloathing, and +send others, which they esteemed less valuable, as being of their own +animals, eastward, till they reach the traders from Europe. + + +SECTION VI. + +_Progress along the Coast.--Cape Elizabeth.--Cape St +Hermogenes.--Accounts of Beering's Voyage very defective.--Point +Banks--Cape Douglas.--Cape Bede.--Mount St Augustin.--Hopes of finding +a Passage up an Inlet.--The Ships proceed up it.--Indubitable Marks +of its being a River.--Named Cook's River.--The Ships return down +it.--Various Visits from the Natives.--Lieutenant King lands, and +takes Possession of the Country.--His Report.--The Resolution +runs aground on a Shoal.--Reflections on the Discovery of Cook's +River.--The considerable Tides in it accounted for._ + +After leaving Prince William's Sound, I steered to the S.W., with a +gentle breeze at N.N.E.; which, at four o'clock, the next morning, +was succeeded by a calm, and soon after, the calm was succeeded by +a breeze from S.W. This freshening, and veering to N.W., we still +continued to stretch to the S.W., and passed a lofty promontory, +situated in the latitude of 59° 10', and the longitude of 207° 45'. +As the discovery of it was connected with the Princess Elizabeth's +birth-day, I named it _Cape Elizabeth_. Beyond it we could see no +land; so that, at first, we were in hopes that it was the western +extremity of the continent; but not long after, we saw our mistake, +for fresh land appeared in sight, bearing W.S.W. + +The wind, by this time, had increased to a very strong gale, and +forced us to a good distance from the coast. In the afternoon of +the 22d, the gale abated, and we stood to the northward for Cape +Elizabeth, which at noon, the next day, bore W., ten leagues distant. +At the same time, a new land was seen, bearing S. 77° W., which was +supposed to connect Cape Elizabeth with the land we had seen to the +westward. + +The wind continued at W., and I stood to the southward till noon the +next day, when we were within three leagues of the coast which we had +discovered on the 23d. It here formed a point that bore W.N.W. At the +same time more land was seen extending to the southward, as far as +S.S.W., the whole being twelve or fifteen leagues distant. On it was +seen a ridge of mountains covered with snow, extending to the N.W., +behind the first land, which we judged to be an island, from the very +inconsiderable quantity of snow that lay upon it. This point of land +is situated in the latitude of 58° 15', and in the longitude of 207° +42'; and by what I can gather from the account of Beering's voyage, +and the chart that accompanies it in the English edition,[1] I +conclude, that it must be what he called Cape St Hermogenes. But the +account of that voyage is so very much abridged, and the chart so +extremely inaccurate, that it is hardly possible, either by the one or +by the other, or by comparing both together, to find out any one +place which that navigator either saw or touched at. Were I to form a +judgment of Beering's proceedings on this coast, I should suppose that +he fell in with the continent near Mount Fairweather. But I am by no +means certain, that the bay to which I have given his name, is the +place where he anchored. Nor do I know, that what I called Mount St +Elias, is the same conspicuous mountain to which he gave that name. +And as to his Cape St Elias, I am entirely at a loss to pronounce +where it lies.[2] + +[Footnote 1: Captain Cook means Muller's, of which a translation had +been published in London some time before be sailed.--D.] + +[Footnote 2: Mr Coxe, who has been at considerable pains in +endeavouring to reconcile the accounts of Muller and Steller, and in +comparing them with the journals of Cook and Vancouver, is induced to +conjecture that Beering first discovered the continent of America +in the neighbourhood of Kaye's Island, and not where Captain Cook +assigns. This is a very probable opinion, as might easily be shewn, +but not without anticipating matter that belongs to another voyage. +It is enough just now to hint at the circumstance, lest the remarks of +Cook, always well entitled to respect, should be too much confided in +by the reader. No man's judgment is to be disparaged, because of an +error committed, where so little information has been given for its +guidance.--E.] + +On the N.E. side of Cape St Hermogenes, the coast turned toward the +N.W., and appeared to be wholly unconnected with the land seen by +us the preceding day. In the chart above mentioned, there is here +a space, where Beering is supposed to have seen no land. This also +favoured the later account published by Mr Stæhlin, who makes Cape St +Hermogenes, and all the land that Beering discovered to the S.W. of +it, to be a cluster of islands; placing St Hermogenes amongst those +which are destitute of wood. What we now saw seemed to confirm this, +and every circumstance inspired us with hopes of finding here a +passage northward, without being obliged to proceed any farther to the +S.W. + +We were detained off the Cape, by variable light airs and calms, till +two o'clock the next morning, when a breeze springing up at N.E. we +steered N.N.W. along the coast; and soon found the land of Cape St +Hermogenes to be an island, about six leagues in circuit, separated +from the adjacent coast by a channel only one league broad. A league +and a half to the north of this island, lie some rocks above water; on +the N.E. side of which we had from thirty to twenty fathoms. + +At noon, the island of St Hermogenes bore S. 1/2 E. eight leagues +distant; and the land to the N.W. of it extended from S. 1/2 W. to +near W. In this last direction it ended in a low point, now five +leagues distant, which was called _Point Banks_. The latitude of the +ship, at this time, was 58° 41', and its longitude 207° 44'. In this +situation, the land, which was supposed to connect Cape Elizabeth with +this S.W. land, was in sight, bearing N.W. 1/2 N. I steered directly +for it; and, on a nearer approach, found it to be a group of high +islands and rocks, entirely unconnected with any other land. They +obtained the name of _Barren Isles_, from their very naked appearance. +Their situation is in the latitude of 59°, and in a line with Cape +Elizabeth and Point Banks; three leagues distant from the former, and +five from the latter. + +I intended going through one of the channels that divide these +islands; but meeting with a strong current setting against us, I +bore up, and went to the leeward of them all. Toward the evening, the +weather, which had been hazy all day, cleared up, and we got sight +of a very lofty promontory, whose elevated summit, forming two +exceedingly high mountains, was seen above the clouds. This promontory +I named _Cape Douglas_, in honour of my very good friend, Dr Douglas, +canon of Windsor.[3] It is situated in the latitude of 58° 56', and +in the longitude of 206° 10'; ten leagues to the westward of Barren +Isles, and twelve from Point Banks, in the direction of N.W. by W. 1/2 +W. + +[Footnote 3: The reader of course is aware, that this gentleman, +afterwards successively Bishop of Carlisle and Salisbury, is the +person to whom we are indebted for the original edition of this +voyage, as we have elsewhere mentioned.--E.] + +Between this point and Cape Douglas, the coast seemed to form a large +and deep bay; which, from some smoke that had been seen on Point +Banks, obtained the name of _Smokey Bay_. + +At day-break, the next morning, being the 26th, having got to the +northward of the Barren Isles, we discovered more land, extending +from Cape Douglas to the north. It formed a chain of mountains of vast +height; one of which, far more conspicuous than the rest, was named +_Mount St Augustin_. The discovery of this land did not discourage +us, as it was supposed to be wholly unconnected with the land of Cape +Elizabeth. For, in a N.N.E. direction, the sight was unlimited by +every thing but the horizon. We also thought that there was a passage +to the N.W., between, Cape Douglas and Mount St Augustin. In short, +it was imagined, that the land on our larboard, to the N. of Cape +Douglas, was composed of a group of islands, disjoined by so many +channels, any one of which we might make use of according as the wind +should serve. + +With these flattering ideas, having a fresh-gale at N.N.E., we stood +to the N.W. till eight o'clock, when we clearly saw, that what we had +taken for islands were summits of mountains, every where connected by +lower land, which the haziness of the horizon had prevented us from +seeing at a greater distance. This land was every where covered with +snow, from the tops of the hills down to the very sea-beach; and had +every other appearance of being part of a great continent. I was now +fully persuaded that I should find no passage by this inlet; and my +persevering in the search of it here, was more to satisfy other people +than to confirm my own opinion. + +At this time Mount St Augustin bore N., 40 W., three or four +leagues distant. This mountain is of a conical figure, and of very +considerable height; but it remains undetermined whether it be an +island or part of the continent. Finding that nothing could be done +to the W., we tacked, and stood over to Cape Elizabeth, under which +we fetched at half-past five in the afternoon. On the N. side of Cape +Elizabeth, between it and a lofty promontory, named Cape Bede,[4] is a +bay, in the bottom of which there appeared to be two snug harbours. We +stood well into this bay, where we might have anchored in twenty-three +fathoms water; but as I had no such view, we tacked and stood to the +westward, with the wind at N. a very strong gale, attended by rain, +and thick hazy weather. + +[Footnote 4: In naming this and Mount St Augustin, Captain Cook was +directed by our Calendar.--D.] + +The next morning the gale abated; but the same weather continued till +three o'clock in the afternoon, when it cleared up. Cape Douglas bore +S.W. by W.; Mount St Augustin W. 1/2 S.; and Cape Bede S., 15° E., +five leagues distant. In this situation, the depth of water was forty +fathoms, over a rocky bottom. From Cape Bede, the coast trended +N.E. by E. with a chain of mountains inland, extending in the same +direction. The land on the coast was woody; and there seemed to be +no deficiency of harbours. But, what was not much in our favour, we +discovered low land in the middle of the inlet, extending from N.N.E. +to N.E. by E. 1/2 E. However, as this was supposed to be an island, +it did not discourage us. About this time we got a light breeze +southerly, and I steered to the westward of this low land; nothing +appeared to obstruct us in that direction. Our soundings during the +night were from thirty to twenty-five fathoms. + +On the 28th, in the morning, having but very little wind, and +observing the ship to drive to the southward, in order to stop her, I +dropped a kedge-anchor, with an eight-inch hawser bent to it. But, +in bringing the ship up, the hawser parted near the inner end; and we +lost both it and the anchor. For although we brought the ship up with +one of the bowers, and spent most of the day in sweeping for them, it +was to no effect. By an observation, we found our station to be in the +latitude of 59° 51'; the low land above mentioned extended from N.E. +to S., 75° E., the nearest part two leagues distant. The land on the +western shore was about seven leagues distant, and extended from S. +35° W., to N. 7° E.; so that the extent of the inlet was now reduced +to three points and a half of the compass; that is, from N. 1/2 E. +to N.E. Between these two points no land was to be seen. Here was a +strong tide setting to the southward out of the inlet. It was the ebb, +and ran between three and four knots in an hour; and it was low water +at ten o'clock. A good deal of sea-weed, and some drift-wood, were +carried out with the tide. The water, too, had become thick like that +in rivers; but we were encouraged to proceed, by finding it as salt +at low water as the ocean. The strength of the flood-tide was three +knots, and the stream ran up till four in the afternoon. + +As it continued calm all day, I did not move till eight o'clock in the +evening; when, with a light breeze at E., we weighed, and stood to +the N., up the inlet. We had not been long under sail, before the wind +veered to the N., increasing to a fresh gale, and blowing in squalls, +with rain. This did not, however, hinder us from plying up as long +as the flood continued; which was till near five o'clock the next +morning. We had soundings from thirty-five to twenty-four fathoms. In +this last depth we anchored about two leagues from the eastern shore, +in the latitude of 60° 8'; some low land, that we judged to be an +island, lying under the western shore, extended from N. 1/2 W. to N.W. +by N., distant three or four leagues. + +The weather had how become fair and tolerably clear, so that we +could see any land that might lie within our horizon; and in a N.N.E. +direction, no land, nor any thing to obstruct our progress, was +visible. But on each side was a ridge of mountains, rising one behind +another, without the least separation. I judged it to be low water, by +the shore, about ten o'clock; but the ebb ran down till near noon. +The strength of it was four knots and a half; and it fell, upon a +perpendicular, ten feet three inches, that is; while we lay at anchor; +so that there is reason to believe that this was not the greatest +fall. On the eastern shore we now saw two columns of smoke; a sure +sign that there were inhabitants. + +At one in the afternoon we weighed, and plied up under double-reefed +top-sails and courses, having a very strong gale at N.N.E. nearly +right down the inlet. We stretched over to the western shore, and +fetched within two leagues of the south end of the low land, or island +before mentioned, under which I intended to have taken shelter till +the gale should cease. But falling suddenly into twelve fathoms water, +from upward of forty, and seeing the appearance of a shoal ahead, +spitting out from the low land, I tacked, and stretched back to the +eastward, and anchored under that shore in nineteen fathoms water, +over a bottom of small pebble stones. + +Between one and two in the morning of the 30th, we weighed again with +the first of the flood, the gale having, by this time quite abated, +but still continuing contrary; so that we plied up till near seven +o'clock, when the tide being done, we anchored in nineteen fathoms, +under the same shore as before. The N.W. part of it, forming a bluff +point, bore N., 20° E., two leagues distant; a point on the other +shore opposite to it, and nearly of the same height, bore N., 36° W.; +our latitude, by observation, 60° 37'. + +About noon, two canoes, with a man in each, came off to the ship from +near the place where we had seen the smoke the preceding day. They +laboured very hard in paddling across the strong tide, and hesitated +a little before they would come quite close; but upon signs being +made to them, they approached. One of them talked a great deal to no +purpose; for we did not understand a word he said. He kept pointing +to the shore, which we interpreted to be an invitation to go thither. +They accepted a few trifles from me, which I conveyed to them from the +quarter-gallery. These men, in every respect, resembled the people we +had met with in Prince William's Sound, as to their persons and dress. +Their canoes were also of the same construction. One of our visitors +had his face painted jet black, and seemed to have no beard; but the +other, who was more elderly, had no paint, and a considerable beard, +with a visage much like the common sort of the Prince William's +people. There was also smoke seen upon the flat western shore this +day, from whence we may infer that these lower spots and islands are +the only inhabited places. + +When the flood made we weighed, and then the canoes left us. I stood +over to the western shore, with a fresh gale at N.N.E., and fetched +under the point above-mentioned. This, with the other on the opposite +shore, contracted the channel to the breadth of four leagues. Through +this channel ran a prodigious tide. It looked frightful to us, who +could not tell whether the agitation of the water was occasioned by +the stream, or by the breaking of the waves against rocks or sands. As +we met with no shoal, it was concluded to be the former; but, in the +end, we found ourselves mistaken. I now kept the western shore aboard, +it appearing to be the safest. Near the shore we had a depth of +thirteen fathoms; and two or three miles off, forty and upwards. At +eight in the evening, we anchored under a point of land which bore +N.E., three leagues distant, in fifteen fathoms water. Here we lay +during the ebb, which ran near five knots in the hour. + +Until we got thus far, the water had retained the same degree of +saltness at low as at high water; and at both periods was as salt as +that in the ocean. But now the marks of a river displayed themselves. +The water taken up this ebb, when at the lowest, was found to be very +considerably fresher than any we had hitherto tasted; insomuch that +I was convinced that we were in a large river, and not in a strait, +communicating with the northern seas. But as we had proceeded thus +far, I was desirous of having stronger proofs; and therefore weighed +with the next flood in the morning of the 31st, and plied higher up, +or rather drove up with the tide; for we had but little wind. + +About eight o'clock, we were visited by several of the natives, in +one large and several small canoes. The latter carried only one person +each; and some had a paddle, with a blade at each end, after the +manner of the Esquimaux. In the large canoes, were men, women, and +children. Before they reached the ship, they displayed a leathern +frock, upon a long pole, as a sign, as we understood it, of their +peaceable intentions. This frock they conveyed into the ship, +in return for some trifles which I gave them. I could observe no +difference between the persons, dress, ornaments, and boats of these +people, and those of Prince William's Sound, except that the small +canoes were rather of a less size, and carried only one man. We +procured from them some of their fur dresses, made of the skins of +sea-otters, martins, hares, and other animals; a few of their darts, +and a small supply of salmon and halibut. In exchange for these they +took old clothes, beads, and pieces of iron. We found that they were +in possession of large iron knives, and of sky-blue glass beads, such +as we had found amongst the natives of Prince William's Sound. These +latter they seemed to value much, and consequently those which we now +gave them. But their inclination led them especially to ask for large +pieces of iron; which metal, if I was not much mistaken, they called +by the name of _goone_; though, like their neighbours in Prince +William's Sound, they seemed to have many significations to one word. +They evidently spoke the same language; as the words _keeta_, _naema_, +_oonaka_, and a few others of the most common we heard in that Sound, +were also frequently used by this new tribe. After spending about +two hours between the one ship and the other, they all retired to the +western shore. + +At nine o'clock, we came to an anchor, in sixteen fathoms water, about +two leagues from the west shore, and found the ebb already begun. At +its greatest strength, it ran only three knots in the hour, and fell, +upon a perpendicular, after we had anchored, twenty-one feet. The +weather was misty, with drizzling rain, and clear, by turns. At +the clear intervals, we saw an opening between the mountains on the +eastern shore, bearing east from the station of the ships, with low +land, which we supposed to be islands lying between us and the main +land. Low land was also seen to the northward, that seemed to extend +from the foot of the mountains on the one side to those on the other; +and at low water we perceived large shoals stretching out from this +low land, some of which were at no great distance from us. From these +appearances we were in some doubt whether the inlet did not take an +easterly direction through the above opening; or whether that opening +was only a branch of it, and the main channel continued its northern +direction through the low land now in sight. The continuation and +direction of the chain of mountains on each side of it, strongly +indicated the probability of the latter supposition. + +To determine this point, and to examine the shoals, I dispatched two +boats under the command of the master, and as soon as the flood-tide +made, followed with the ships; but as it was a dead calm, and the +tide strong, I anchored, after driving about ten miles in an east +direction. At the lowest of the preceding ebb, the water at the +surface, and for near a foot below it, was found to be perfectly +fresh; retaining, however, a considerable degree of saltness at +a greater depth. Besides this, we had now many other, and but too +evident proofs of being in a great river; such as low shores; very +thick and muddy water; large trees, and all manner of dirt and +rubbish, floating up and down with the tide. In the afternoon, the +natives, in several canoes, paid us another visit; and trafficked with +our people for some time, without ever giving us reason to accuse them +of any act of dishonesty. + +At two o'clock next morning, being the 1st of June, the master +returned, and reported, that he found the inlet, or rather river, +contracted to the breadth of one league, by low land on each side, +through which it took a northerly direction. He proceeded three +leagues through this narrow part, which he found navigable for the +largest ships, being from twenty to seventeen fathoms deep. The +least water, at a proper distance from the shore and shoals, was ten +fathoms; and this was before he entered the narrow part. While the ebb +or stream run down, the water was perfectly fresh; but after the flood +made it became brackish; and toward high water, very much so, even as +high up as he went. He landed upon an island, which lies between this +branch and the eastern one; and upon it saw some currant bushes, with +the fruit already set; and some other fruit-trees and bushes, unknown +to him. The soil appeared to be clay, mixed with sand. About three +leagues beyond the extent of his search, or to the northward of it, +he observed there was another separation in the eastern chain of +mountains, through which he supposed the river took a N.E. direction; +but it seemed rather more probable that this was only another branch, +and that the main channel kept its northern direction, between the two +ridges or chains of mountains before mentioned. He found that these +two ridges, as they extended to the north, inclined more and more to +each other, but never appeared to close; nor was any elevated land +seen between them, only low land, part woody, and part clear. + +All hopes of finding a passage were now given up. But as the ebb was +almost spent, and we could not return against the flood, I thought I +might as well take the advantage of the latter to get a nearer view +of the eastern branch; and by that means finally to determine, whether +the low land on the east side of the river was an island, as we had +supposed, or not. With this purpose in view, we weighed with the first +breeze of the flood, and having a faint breeze at N.E. stood over +for the eastern shore, with boats ahead, sounding. Our depth was from +twelve to five fathoms; the bottom a hard gravel, though the water was +exceedingly muddy. At eight o'clock a fresh breeze sprung up at east, +blowing in an opposite direction to our course; so that I despaired of +reaching the entrance of the river, to which we were plying up, before +high water. But thinking, that what the ships could not do might be +done by boats, I dispatched two, under the command of Lieutenant King, +to examine the tides, and to make such other observations as might +give us some insight into the nature of the river. + +At ten o'clock, finding the ebb began, I anchored in nine fathoms +water, over a gravelly bottom. Observing the tide to be too strong for +the boats to make head against it, I made a signal for them to return +on board, before they had got half way to the entrance of the river +they were sent to examine, which bore from us S. 80° E., three leagues +distant. The principal information gained by this tide's work, was +the determining that all the low land, which we had supposed to be +an island or islands, was one continued tract, from the banks of the +great river to the foot of the mountains, to which it joined; and that +it terminated at the south entrance of this eastern branch, which I +shall distinguish by the name of _River Turnagain_. On the north side +of this river, the low land again begins, and stretches out from the +foot of the mountains down to the banks of the great river; so that, +before the river Turnagain, it forms a large bay, on the south side +of which we were now at anchor, and where we had from twelve to five +fathoms, from half-flood to high water. + +After we had entered the bay, the flood set strong into the river +Turnagain, and ebb came out with still greater force; the water +falling, while we lay at anchor, twenty feet upon a perpendicular. +These circumstances convinced me, that no passage was to be expected +by this side-river anymore than by the main branch. However, as the +water, during the ebb, though very considerably fresher, had still a +strong degree of saltness, it is but reasonable to suppose, that both +these branches are navigable by ships much farther than we examined +them; and that by means of this river, and its several branches, a +very extensive inland communication lies open. We had traced it as +high as the latitude of 61° 30', and the longitude of 210°; which is +seventy leagues or more from its entrance, without seeing the least +appearance of its source. + +If the discovery of this great river,[5] which promises to vie with +the most considerable ones already known to be capable of extensive +inland navigation, should prove of use either to the present or to any +future age, the time we spent in it ought to be the less regretted. +But to us, who had a much greater object in view, the delay thus +occasioned was an essential loss. The season was advancing apace. We +knew not how far we might have to proceed to the south; and we were +now convinced, that the continent of North America extended farther to +the west, than from the modern most reputable charts we had reason to +expect. This made the existence of a passage into Baffin's or Hudson's +Bay less probable, or at least shewed it to be of greater extent. +It was a satisfaction to me, however, to reflect, that, if I had not +examined this very considerable inlet, it would have been assumed, by +speculative fabricators of geography, as a fact, that it communicated +with the sea to the north, or with Baffin's or Hudson's Bay to the +east; and been marked, perhaps, on future maps of the world, with +greater precision, and more certain signs of reality, than the +invisible, because imaginary, Straits of de Fuca and de Fonte. + +[Footnote 5: Captain Cook having here left a blank which he had not +filled up with any particular name, Lord Sandwich directed, with the +greatest propriety, that it should be called _Cook's River_.--D. + +Some readers may require to be informed, that, for reasons mentioned +in the account of his voyage, Captain Vancouver has called it _Cook's +Inlet_.--E.] + +In the afternoon, I sent Mr King again, with two armed boats, with +orders to land on the north-eastern point of the low land, on the +south-east side of the river; there to display the flag; to take +possession of the country and river in his majesty's name; and to bury +in the ground a bottle, containing some pieces of English coin of the +year 1772, and a paper, on which was inscribed the names of our ships, +and the date of our discovery. In the mean time, the ships were got +under sail, in order to proceed down the river. The wind still blew +fresh, easterly; but a calm ensued, not long after we were under way; +and the flood-tide meeting us off the point where Mr King landed, (and +which thence got the name of _Point Possession_,) we were obliged to +drop anchor in six fathoms water, with the point bearing S., two miles +distant. + +When Mr King returned, he informed me, that as he approached the +shore, about twenty of the natives made their appearance, with their +arms extended; probably to express thus their peaceable disposition, +and to shew that they were without weapons. On Mr King's, and the +gentlemen with him, landing, with musquets in their hands, they seemed +alarmed, and made signs, expressive of their request to lay them down. +This was accordingly done; and then they suffered the gentlemen to +walk up to them, and appeared to be cheerful and sociable. They had +with them a few pieces of fresh salmon, and several dogs. Mr Law, +surgeon of the Discovery, who was one of the party, having bought +one of the latter, took it down toward the boat, and shot it dead, in +their sight. This seemed to surprise them exceedingly; and as if they +did not think themselves safe in such company, they walked away; but +it was soon after discovered, that their spears, and other weapons, +were hid in the bushes close behind them. Mr King also informed me, +that the ground was swampy, and the soil poor, light, and black. It +produced a few trees and shrubs; such as pines, alders, birch, and +willows; rose and currant bushes; and a little grass; but they saw not +a single plant in flower. + +We weighed anchor as soon as it was high water, and, with a faint +breeze, southerly, stood over to the west shore, where the return of +the flood obliged us to anchor early next morning. Soon after, several +large, and some small canoes, with natives, came off, who bartered +their skins; after which they sold their garments, till many of them +were quite naked. Amongst others, they brought a number of white hare +or rabbit skins; and very beautiful reddish ones of foxes; but there +were only two or three skins of otters. They also sold us some pieces +of salmon and halibut. They preferred iron to every thing else offered +to them in exchange. The lip ornaments did not seem so frequent +amongst them as at Prince William's Sound; but they had more of those +which pass through the nose, and in general these were also much +longer. They had, however, a greater quantity of a kind of white and +red embroidered work on some parts of their garments, and on other +things, such as their quivers and knife-cases. + +At half-past ten, we weighed with the first of the ebb, and having a +gentle breeze at south, plied down the river; in the doing of which, +by the inattention and neglect of the man at the lead, the Resolution +struck, and stuck fast on a bank, that lies nearly in the middle of +the river, and about two miles above the two projecting bluff points +before mentioned. This bank was, no doubt, the occasion of that very +strong rippling, or agitation of the stream, which we had observed +when turning up the river. There was not less than twelve feet depth +of water about the ship, at the lowest of the ebb, but other parts of +the bank were dry. As soon as the ship came aground, I made a signal +for the Discovery to anchor. She, as I afterward understood, had been +near ashore on the west side of the bank. As the flood-tide came +in, the ship floated off, soon after five o'clock in the afternoon, +without receiving the least damage, or giving us any trouble; and, +after standing over to the west shore into deep water, we anchored to +wait for the ebb, as the wind was still contrary. + +We weighed again with the ebb, at ten o'clock at night; and, between +four and five next morning, when the tide was finished, once more cast +anchor, about two miles below the bluff point, on the west shore, in +nineteen fathoms water. A good many of the natives came off when we +were in this station, and attended upon us all the morning. Their +company was very acceptable; for they brought with them a large +quantity of very fine salmon, which they exchanged for such trifles +as we had to give them. Most of it was split ready for drying; and +several hundred weight of it was procured for the two ships. + +In the afternoon, the mountains, for the first time since our entering +the river, were clear of clouds; and we discovered a volcano in one +of those on the west side. It is in the latitude of 60° 23'; and it is +the first high mountain to the north of Mount St Augustin. The volcano +is on that side of it that is next the river, and not far from the +summit. It did not now make any striking appearance, emitting only a +white smoke, but no fire. + +The wind remaining southerly, we continued to tide it down the river; +and on the 5th, in the morning, coming to the place where we had lost +our kedge-anchor, made an attempt to recover it, but without success. +Before we left this place, six canoes came off from the east shore; +some conducted by one, and others by two men. They remained at a +little distance from the ships, viewing them with a kind of silent +surprise, at least half an hour, without exchanging a single word +with us, or with one another. At length they took courage, and came +alongside; began to barter with our people; and did not leave us till +they had parted with every thing they brought with them, consisting +of a few skins and some salmon. And here it may not be improper to +remark, that all the people we had met with, in this river, seemed, by +every striking instance of resemblance, to be of the same nation with +those who inhabit Prince William's Sound, but differing essentially +from those of Nootka, or King George's Sound, both in their persons +and language. The language of these is rather more guttural; but, +like the others, they speak strongly and distinct, in words which seem +sentences. + +I have before observed, that they are in possession of iron; that is, +they have the points of their spears and knives of this metal; and +some of the former are also made of copper. Their spears are like +our spontoons; and their knives, which they keep in sheaths, are of +a considerable length. These, with a few glass beads, are the only +things we saw amongst them that were not of their own manufacture. +I have already offered my conjectures from whence they derive their +foreign articles; and shall only add here, that if it were probable +that they found their way to them from such of their neighbours with +whom the Russians may have established a trade, I will be bold to say, +the Russians themselves have never been amongst them; for if that +had been the case, we should hardly have found them clothed in such +valuable skins as those of the sea-otter. + +There is not the least doubt, that a very beneficial fur-trade might +be carried on with the inhabitants of this vast coast. But unless +a northern passage should be found practicable, it seems rather too +remote for Great Britain to receive any emolument from it. It must, +however, be observed, that the most valuable, or rather the only +valuable skins I saw on this west side of America, were those of the +sea-otter. All their other skins seemed to be of an inferior quality; +particularly those of their foxes and martins. It must also be +observed, that most of the skins which we purchased were made up into +garments. However, some of these were in good condition; but others +were old and ragged enough; and all of them very lousy. But as these +poor people make no other use of skins but for clothing themselves, +it cannot be supposed that they are at the trouble of dressing more +of them than are necessary for this purpose. And, perhaps, this is the +chief use for which they kill the animals; for the sea and the rivers +seem to supply them with their principal articles of food. It would, +probably, be much otherwise, were they once habituated to a constant +trade with foreigners. This intercourse would increase their wants, by +introducing them to an acquaintance with new luxuries; and, in order +to be enabled to purchase these, they would be more assiduous in +procuring skins, which they would soon discover to be the commodity +most sought for; and a plentiful supply of which, I make no doubt, +would be had in the country. + +It will appear, from what has been said occasionally of the tide, +that it is considerable in this river, and contributes very much to +facilitate the navigation of it. It is high-water in the stream, on +the days of the new and full moon, between two and three o'clock; and +the tide rises, upon a perpendicular, between three and four fathoms. +The reason of the tide's being greater here than at other parts of +this coast, is easily accounted for. The mouth of the river being +situated in a corner of the coast, the flood that comes from the ocean +is forced into it by both shores, and by that means swells the tide to +a great height. + +The variation of the compass was 25° 40' E. + + +SECTION VII. + +_Discoveries after leaving Cook's River.--Island of +St Hermogenes.--Cape Whitsunday.--Cape Greville.--Cape +Barnabas.--Two-headed Point.--Trinity Island.--Beering's Foggy +Island.--A beautiful Bird described.--Kodiak and the Schumagin +Islands.--A Russian Letter brought on Board by a Native.--Conjectures +about it.--Rock Point.--Halibut Island.--A Volcano +Mountain.--Providential Escape.--Arrival of the Ships at +Oonalaschka.--Intercourse with the Natives there.--Another Russian +Letter.--Samganoodha Harbour described._ + +As soon as the ebb tide made in our favour, we weighed, and, with a +light breeze, between W.S.W., and S.S.W., plied down the river, till +the flood obliged us to anchor again. At length, about one o'clock +next morning, a fresh breeze sprung up at W., with which we got under +sail, and, at eight, passed the Barren Islands, and stretched away +for Cape St Hermogenes. At noon, this cape bore S.S.E., eight leagues +distant; and the passage between the island of that name, and the main +land, bore S. For this passage I steered, intending to go through it. +But soon after the wind failed us, and we had baffling light airs +from the eastward, so that I gave up my design of carrying the ships +between the island and the main. + +At this time we saw several columns of smoke on the coast of the +continent, to the northward of the passage; and, most probably, they +were meant as signals to attract us thither. Here the land forms a +bay, or perhaps a harbour, off the N.W. point of which lies a +low, rocky island. There are also some other islands of the same +appearance, scattered along the coast, between this place and Point +Banks. + +At eight in the evening, the island of St Hermogenes extended from S. +1/2 E. to S.S.E. 1/4 E., and the rocks that lie on the N. side of +it bore S.E., three miles distant. In this situation, we had forty +fathoms water over a bottom of sand and shells. Soon after, on putting +over hooks and lines, we caught several halibut. + +At midnight, being past the rocks, we bore up to the southward, and, +at noon, St Hermogenes bore N., four leagues distant. At this time, +the southernmost point of the main land, within or to the westward of +St Hermogenes, lay N. 1/2 W., distant five leagues. This promontory, +which is situated in the latitude of 58° 15', and in the longitude of +207° 24', was named, after the day, _Cape Whitsunday_. A large bay, +which lies to the W. of it, obtained the name of _Whitsuntide Bay_. +The land on the E. side of this bay, of which Cape Whitsunday is the +most southern point, and Point Banks the northern one, is, in all +respects, like the island of St Hermogenes, seemingly destitute of +wood, and partly free from snow. It was supposed to be covered with a +mossy substance, that gave it a brownish cast. There were some reasons +to think it was an island. If this be so, the last-mentioned bay is +only the strait or passage that separates it from the main land.[1] + +[Footnote 1: Such seems to be the opinion of Arrowsmith, as indicated +by his map of America, 1804. That map, however, is far from being +minute or satisfactory as to this part of the voyage. The chart of +the Russian and English discoveries, which Mr Coxe has inserted in his +work so often alluded to, is perhaps a better guide. But indeed both +are faulty. The reader need not be informed that the geography of this +region is still very imperfect.--E.] + +Between one and two in the afternoon, the wind, which had been at +N.E., shifted at once to the southward. It was unsettled till six, +when it fixed at S., which was the very direction of our course, so +that we were obliged to ply up the coast. The weather was gloomy, and +the air dry, but cold. We stood to the eastward till midnight, then +tacked, and stood in for the land; and, between seven and eight in the +morning of the 8th, we were within four miles of it, and not more +than half a league from some sunken rocks, which bore W.S.W. In this +situation we tacked in thirty-five fathoms water, the island of St +Hermogenes bearing N. 20° E., and the southernmost land in sight, S. + +In standing in for this coast, we crossed the mouth of Whitsuntide +Bay, and saw land all round the bottom of it, so that either the land +is connected, or else the points lock in, one behind another. I am +more inclined to think, that the former is the case, and that the +land, east of the bay, is a part of the continent. Some small islands +lie on the west of the bay. The sea-coast to the southward of it is +rather low, with projecting rocky points, between which are small bays +or inlets. There was no wood, and but little snow upon the coast; but +the mountains, which lie at some distance inland, were wholly covered +with the latter. We stood off till noon, then tacked, and stood in +for the land. The latitude, at this time, was 57° 52-1/2'; Cape St +Hermogenes bore N. 30° W., eight leagues distant, and the southernmost +part of the coast in sight; the same that was seen before, bore S.W., +ten leagues distant. The land here forms a point, which was named +_Cape Greville_. It lies in the latitude of 57° 33', and in the +longitude of 207° 15', and is distant fifteen leagues from Cape St +Hermogenes, in the direction of S. 17° W. + +The three following days we had almost constant misty weather, with +drizzling rain, so that we seldom had a sight of the coast. The wind +was S.E. by S., and S.S.E., a gentle breeze, and the air raw and cold. +With this wind and weather, we continued to ply up the coast, making +boards of six or eight leagues each. The depth of water was from +thirty to fifty-five fathoms, over a coarse, black sandy bottom. + +The fog clearing up, with the change of the wind to S.W., in the +evening of the 12th, we had a sight of the land bearing W., twelve +leagues distant. We stood in for it early next morning. At noon we +were not above three miles from it; an elevated point, which obtained +the name of _Cape Barnabas_, lying in the latitude of 57° 13', bore +N.N. E. 1/2 E., ten miles distant, and the coast extended from N. 42° +E., to W.S.W. The N.E. extreme was lost in a haze, but the point to +the S.W., whose elevated summit terminated in two round hills, on +that account was called _Two-headed Point_. This part of the coast, +in which are several small bays, is composed of high hills and deep +valleys, and in some places we could see the tops of other hills, +beyond those that form the coast, which was but little encumbered with +snow, but had a very barren appearance. Not a tree or bush was to be +seen upon it; and, in general, it had a brownish hue, probably the +effect of a mossy covering. + +I continued to ply to the S.W. by W., as the coast trended, and, at +six in the evening, being midway between Cape Barnabas and Two-headed +Point, and two leagues from the shore, the depth of water was +sixty-two fathoms. From this station, a low point of land made its +appearance beyond Two-headed Point, bearing S. 69° W., and, without +it, other land that had the appearance of an island, bore S. 59° W. + +At noon, on the 13th, being in latitude 56° 49', Cape St Barnabas bore +N. 52° E., Two-headed Point, N. 14° W., seven or eight miles distant, +and the coast of the continent extended as far as S. 72 1/2 W., and +the land seen the preceding evening, and supposed to be an island, now +appeared like two islands. From whatever quarter Two-headed Point +was viewed, it had the appearance of being an island, or else it is a +peninsula, on each side of which the shore forms a bay. The wind +still continued westerly, a gentle breeze, the weather rather dull and +cloudy, and the air sharp and dry. + +We were well up with the southernmost land next morning, and found it +to be an island, which was named _Trinity Island_. Its greatest extent +is six leagues in the direction of E. and W. Each end is elevated +naked land, and in the middle it is low, so that, at a distance, from +some points of view, it assumes the appearance of two islands. It lies +in the latitude of 56° 36', and in the longitude of 205°, and between +two and three leagues from the continent, which space is interspersed +with small islands and rocks, but there seemed to be good passage +enough, and also safe anchorage. At first we were inclined to think, +that this was Beering's _Foggy Island_,[2] but its situation so near +the main does not suit his chart. + +[Footnote 2: _Tumannoi-ostrow_, c'est-à-dire, _L'isle +Nebuleuse_.--Muller, p. 261.] + +At eight in the evening, we stood in for the land, till we were within +a league of the above-mentioned small islands. The westernmost part of +the continent now in sight, being a low point facing Trinity Island, +and which we called _Cape Trinity_, now bore W.N.W. In this situation, +having tacked in fifty-four fathoms water, over a bottom of black +sand, we stood over for the island, intending to work up between it +and the main. The land to the westward of Two-headed Point, is not so +mountainous as it is to the N.E. of it, nor does so much snow lie upon +it. There are, however, a good many hills considerably elevated, but +they are disjoined by large tracts of flat land that appeared to be +perfectly destitute of wood, and very barren. + +As we were standing over toward the island, we met two men in a small +canoe, paddling from it to the main. Far from approaching us, they +seemed rather to avoid it. The wind now began to incline to the +S., and we had reason to expect, that it would soon be at the S.E. +Experience having taught us, that a south-easterly wind was here +generally, if not always, accompanied by a thick fog, I was afraid to +venture through between the island and the continent, lest the passage +should not be accomplished before night, or before the thick weather +came on, when we should be obliged to anchor, and by that means lose +the advantage of a fair wind. These reasons induced me to stretch out +to sea, and we passed two or three rocky islets that lie near the east +end of Trinity Island. At four in the afternoon, having weathered the +island, we tacked, and steered west-southerly, with a fresh gale at +S.S.E., which, before midnight, veered to the S.E., and was, as usual, +attended with misty, drizzling, rainy weather. + +By the course we steered all night, I was in hopes of falling in with +the continent in the morning. And, doubtless, we should have seen it, +had the weather been in the least clear, but the fog prevented. Seeing +no land at noon, and the gale increasing, with a thick fog and rain, I +steered W.N.W., under such sail as we could easily haul the wind with, +being fully sensible of the danger of running before a strong gale +in a thick fog, in the vicinity of an unknown coast. It was, however, +necessary to run some risk when the wind favoured us; for clear +weather, we had found, was generally accompanied with winds from the +west. + +Between two and three in the afternoon, land was seen through the fog, +bearing N.W., not more than three or four miles distant. Upon this, +we immediately hauled up south, close to the wind. Soon after, the two +courses were split, so that we had others to bring to the yards, and +several others of our sails received considerable damage. At nine, the +gale abated, the weather cleared up, and we lost sight of the coast +again, extending from W. by S. to N.W., about four or five leagues +distant. On sounding, we found a hundred fathoms water, over a muddy +bottom. Soon after, the fog returned, and we saw no more of the land +all night. + +At four next morning, the fog being now dispersed, we found ourselves +in a manner surrounded by land; the continent, or what was supposed +to be the continent, extending from W.S.W. to N.E. by N., and some +elevated land bearing S.E. 1/2 S., by estimation eight or nine leagues +distant. The N.E. extreme of the main was the same point of land that +we had fallen in with during the fog, and we named it _Foggy Cape_. It +lies in latitude 56° 31'. At this time, having had but little wind all +night, a breeze sprung up at N.W. With this we stood to the southward, +to make the land, seen in that direction, plainer. + +At nine o'clock, we found it to be an island of about nine leagues +in compass, lying in the latitude of 56° 10', and in the longitude of +202° 46'; and it is distinguished in our chart by the name of _Foggy +Island_, having reason to believe, from its situation, that it is the +same which had that name given to it by Beering. At the same time, +three or four islands, lying before a bay, formed by the coast of the +main land; bore N. by W.; a point, with three or four pinnacle rocks +upon it, which was called _Pinnacle Point_, bore N.W. by W.; and a +cluster of small islets, or rocks, lying about nine leagues from the +coast, S.S.E. + +At noon, when our latitude was 56° 9', and our longitude 201° 45', +these rocks bore S. 58' E., ten miles distant; Pinnacle Point, N.N.W., +distant seven leagues; the nearest part of the main land N.W. by W., +six leagues distant; and the most advanced land to the S.W., which had +the appearance of being an island, bore W., a little southerly. In +the afternoon, we had little or no wind, so that our progress was +inconsiderable. At eight in the evening, the coast extended from S.W. +to N.N.E., the nearest part about eight leagues distant. + +On the 17th, the wind was between W. and N.W., a gentle breeze, and +sometimes almost calm. The weather was clear, and the air sharp +and dry. At noon, the continent extended from S.W. to N. by E., the +nearest part seven leagues distant. A large group of islands lying +about the same distance from the continent, extended from S. 26° W. to +S. 52° W. + +It was calm great part of the 18th, and the weather was clear and +pleasant. We availed ourselves of this, by making observations for the +longitude and variation. The latter was found to be 21° 27' E. There +can be no doubt that there is a continuation of the continent between +Trinity Island and Foggy Cape, which the thick weather prevented us +from seeing. For some distance to the S.W., of that cape, this country +is more broken or rugged than any part we had yet seen, both with +respect to the hills themselves, and to the coast, which seemed full +of creeks, or small inlets, none of which appeared to be of any great +depth. Perhaps, upon a closer examination, some of the projecting +points between these inlets will be found to be islands. Every part +had a very barren aspect, and was covered with snow, from the summits +of the highest hills, down to a very small distance from the sea +coast. + +Having occasion to send a boat on board the Discovery, one of the +people in her shot a very beautiful bird of the hawk kind. It is +somewhat less than a duck, and of a black colour, except the fore-part +of the head, which is white, and from above and behind each eye arises +an elegant yellowish-white crest, revolved backward as a ram's horn. +The bill and feet are red. It is, perhaps, the _alca monochroa_ of +Steller, mentioned in the history of Kamtschatka.[3] I think the first +of these birds was seen by us a little to the southward of Cape St +Hermogenes. From that time, we generally saw some of them every day, +and sometimes in large flocks. Besides these, we daily saw most of +the other sea-birds, that are commonly found in other northern oceans, +such as gulls, shags, puffins, sheerwaters, and sometimes ducks, +geese, and swans. And seldom a day passed without seeing seals, +whales, and ether large fish. + +[Footnote 3: P. 158. Eng. Trans.--The Tufted Aek.--_Pennant's Arct. +Zool._ ii. N°. 432.] + +In the afternoon, we got a light breeze of wind southerly, which +enabled us to steer W., for the channel that appeared between the +islands and the continent; and, at day-break next morning, we were +at no great distance from it, and found several other islands, +within those already seen by us, of various extent both in height and +circuit. But between these last islands, and those before seen, there +seemed to be a clear channel, for which I steered, being afraid to +keep the coast of the continent aboard, lest we should mistake some +point of it for an island, and, by that means, be drawn into some +inlet, and lose the advantage of the fair wind, which at this time +blew. + +I therefore kept along the southernmost chain of islands, and at noon +we were in the latitude of 55° 18', and in the narrowest part of the +channel, formed by them and those which lie along the continent, where +it is about a league and a half, or two leagues over. The largest +island in this group was now on our left, and is distinguished by +the name of _Kodiak_,[4] according to the information we afterwards +received. I left the rest of them without names. I believe them to be +the same that Beering calls Schumagin's Islands,[5] or those which he +called by that name, to be a part of them, for this group is pretty +extensive. We saw islands as far to the southward as an island could +be seen. They commence in the longitude of 200° 15' E., and extend +a degree and a half, or two degrees, to the westward. I cannot be +particular, as we could not distinguish all the islands from the coast +of the continent. Most of these islands are of a good height, +very barren and rugged, abounding with rocks and steep cliffs, and +exhibiting other romantic appearances. There are several snug bays +and coves about them, streams of fresh water run from their elevated +parts, some drift-wood was floating around, but not a tree or bush was +to be seen growing on the land. A good deal of snow still lay on +many of them, and the parts of the continent, which shewed themselves +between the innermost islands, were quite covered with it.[6] + +[Footnote 4: See an account of Kodiac, in Stæhlin's New Northern +Archipelago, p. 30-39.] + +[Footnote 5: See Muller's _Découvertes des Russes_, p. 262-277.] + +[Footnote 6: Coxe's work maybe advantageously consulted for +information respecting the islands now mentioned. But few persons, it +is presumed, feel so interested about them, as to desire any addition +to the text. Besides, though a connected account of this archipelago +might be either amusing or necessary, it is obvious that detached +notices would have little value to commend them to attention.--E.] + +At four in the afternoon, we had passed all the islands that lay to +the southward of us; the southernmost, at this time, bearing S. 5° +E., and the westernmost point of land now in sight, S. 82° W. For +this point we steered, and passed between it and two or three elevated +rocks that lie about a league to the east of it. + +Some time after we had got through this channel, in which we found +forty fathoms water, the Discovery, now about two miles astern, fired +three guns, and brought-to, and made a signal to speak with us. This +alarmed me not a little; and, as no apparent danger had been remarked +in the passage through the channel, it was apprehended that some +accident, such as springing a leak, must have happened. A boat was +immediately sent to her, and in a short time returned with Captain +Clerke. I now learned from him, that some natives, in three or four +canoes, who had been following the ship for some time, at length got +under his stern. One of them then made many signs, taking off his cap, +and bowing, after the manner of Europeans. A rope being handed down +from the ship, to this he fastened a small thin wooden case or box, +and having delivered this safe, and spoken something, and made some +more signs, the canoes dropped astern, and left the Discovery. No one +on board her had any suspicion that the box contained any thing, till +after the departure of the canoes, when it was accidentally opened, +and a piece of paper was found, folded up carefully, upon which +something was written in the Russian language, as was supposed. The +date 1778 was prefixed to it, and, in the body of the written note, +there was a reference to the year 1776. Not learned enough to decypher +the alphabet of the writer, his numerals marked sufficiently that +others had preceded us in visiting this dreary part of the globe, who +were united to us by other ties besides those of our common nature; +and the hopes of soon meeting with some of the Russian traders could +not but give a sensible satisfaction to those who had, for such a +length of time, been conversant with the savages of the Pacific Ocean, +and of the continent of North America. + +Captain Clerke was, at first, of opinion, that some Russians had been +shipwrecked here, and that these unfortunate persons, seeing our ships +pass, had taken this method to inform us of their situation. Impressed +with humane sentiments, on such an occasion, he was desirous of +our stopping till they might have time to join us. But no such idea +occurred to me. It seemed obvious, that if this had been the case, it +would have been the first step taken by such shipwrecked persons, in +order to secure to themselves, and to their companions, the relief +they could not but be solicitous about, to send some of their body off +to the ships in the canoes. For this reason, I rather thought that the +paper contained a note of information, left by some Russian trader, +who had lately been amongst these islands, to be delivered to the next +of their countrymen who should arrive; and that the natives, seeing +our ships pass, and supposing us to be Russians, had resolved to bring +off the note, thinking it might induce us to stop. Fully convinced of +this, I did not stay to enquire any farther into the matter, but +made sail, and stood away to the westward, along the coast; perhaps +I should say along the islands, for we could not pronounce, with +certainty, whether the nearest land, within us, was continent or +islands. If not the latter, the coast here forms some tolerably large +and deep bays. + +We continued to run all night with a gentle breeze at N.E., and, at +two o'clock next morning, some breakers were seen within us, at the +distance of about two miles. Two hours after, others were seen a-head, +and on our larboard bow, and between us and the land, they were +innumerable. We did but just clear them, by holding a south course. +These breakers were occasioned by rocks, some of which were above +water. They extend seven leagues from the land, and are very +dangerous, especially in thick weather, to which this coast seems +much subject. At noon, we had just got on their outside, and, by +observation, we were in the latitude of 54° 44', and in the longitude +of 198°. The nearest land, being an elevated bluff point, which was +called _Rock Point_, bore N., seven or eight leagues distant; the +westernmost part of the main, or what was supposed to be the main, +bore N. 80° W.; and a round hill, without, which was found to be +an island, and was called _Halibut-Head_, bore S. 64° W., thirteen +leagues distant. + +On the 21st at noon, having made but little progress, on account of +faint winds and calms, Halibut-Head, which lies in the latitude of 54° +27', and in the longitude of 197°, bore N. 24° W., and the island on +which it is, and called _Halibut Island_, extended from N. by E. to +N.W. by W., two leagues distant. This island is seven or eight leagues +in circuit, and, except the head, the land of it is low and very +barren. There are several small islands near it, all of the same +appearance, but there seemed to be a passage between them and the +main, two or three leagues broad.[7] + +[Footnote 7: So Arrowsmith's map has it. The chart in Coxe's work, 4th +edition, does not mention Halibut Island.--E.] + +The rocks and breakers, before mentioned, forced us so far from the +continent, that we had but a distant view of the coast between Rock +Point and Halibut Island. Over this and the adjoining islands we could +see the main land covered with snow, but particularly some hills, +whose elevated tops were seen, towering above the clouds, to a +most stupendous height. The most south-westerly of these hills was +discovered to have a _volcano_, which continually threw up vast +columns of black smoke. It stands not far from the coast, and in the +latitude of 54° 48', and in the longitude of 195° 45'. It is also +remarkable from its figure, which is a complete cone, and the volcano +is at the very summit. We seldom saw this (or indeed any other of +these mountains) wholly clear of clouds. At times, both base and +summit would be clear, when a narrow cloud, sometimes two or three, +one above another, would embrace the middle like a girdle, which, with +the column of smoke, rising perpendicular to a great height out of its +top, and spreading before the wind into a tail of vast length, made a +very picturesque appearance. It may be worth remarking, that the +wind, at the height to which the smoke of this volcano reached, moved +sometimes in a direction contrary to what it did at sea, even when it +blew a fresh gale. + +In the afternoon, having three hours calm, our people caught upwards +of a hundred halibuts, some of which weighed a hundred pounds, and +none less than twenty pounds. This was a very seasonable refreshment +to us. In the height of our fishing, which was in thirty-five +fathoms water, and three or four miles from the shore, a small canoe, +conducted by one man, came to us from the large island. On approaching +the ship, be took off his cap, and bowed, as the other had done, +who visited the Discovery the preceding day. It was evident that the +Russians must have a communication and traffic with these people, +not only from their acquired politeness, but from the note before +mentioned. But we had now a fresh proof of it; for our present visitor +wore a pair of green cloth breeches, and a jacket of black cloth or +stuff, under the gut-shirt or frock of his own country. He had nothing +to barter, except a grey fox skin, and some fishing implements or +harpoons, the heads of the shafts of which, for the length of a foot +or more, were neatly made of bone, as thick as a walking cane, and +carved. He had with him a bladder full of something, which we supposed +to be oil, for he opened it, took a mouthful, and then fastened it +again. + +His canoe was of the same make with those we had seen before, but +rather smaller. He used a double bladed-paddle, as did also those +who had visited the Discovery. In his size and features, he exactly +resembled those we saw in Prince William's Sound, and in the Great +River, but he was quite free from paint of any kind, and had the +perforation of his lips made in an oblique direction, without any +ornament in it. He did not seem to understand any of the words +commonly used by our visitors in the Sound, when repeated to him. But, +perhaps, our faulty pronunciation, rather than his ignorance of the +dialect, may be inferred from this. + +The weather was cloudy and hazy, with now and then sunshine, till the +afternoon of the 22d, when the wind came round to the S.E., and, as +usual, brought thick rainy weather. Before the fog came on, no part of +the main land was in sight, except the volcano, and another mountain +close by it. I continued to steer W. till seven in the evening, when, +being apprehensive of falling in with the land in thick weather, we +hauled the wind to the southward, till two o'clock next morning, +and then bore away W. We made but little progress, having the wind +variable, and but little of it, till at last it fixed in the western +board, and at five in the afternoon, having a gleam of sunshine, we +saw land bearing N. 59° W., appearing in hillocks like islands. + +At six in the morning of the 24th, we got a sight of the continent, +and at nine it was seen extending from N.E. by E. to S.W. by W. 1/2 +W., the nearest part about four leagues distant. The land to the +S.W. proved to be islands, the same that had been seen the preceding +evening. But the other was a continuation of the continent, without +any islands to obstruct our view of it. In the evening, being about +four leagues from the shore, in forty-two fathoms water, having little +or no wind, we had recourse to our hooks and lines, but only two or +three small cod were caught. + +The next morning we got a breeze easterly, and what was uncommon with +this wind, clear weather, so that we not only saw the volcano, but +other mountains, both to the east and west of it, and all the coast +of the main land under them, much plainer than at any time before. It +extended from N.E. by N. to N.W. 1/2 W., where it seemed to terminate. +Between this point and the islands without it, there appeared a large +opening, for which I steered, till we raised land beyond it. This +land, although we did not perceive that it joined the continent, made +a passage through the opening very doubtful. It also made it doubtful, +whether the land which we saw to the S.W., was insular or continental, +and, if the latter, it was obvious that the opening would be a deep +bay or inlet, from which, if once we entered it with an easterly wind, +it would not be so easy to get out. Not caring, therefore, to trust +too much to appearances, I steered to the southward. Having thus got +without all the land in sight, I then steered west, in which direction +the islands lay, for such we found this land to be. + +By eight o'clock we had passed three of them, all of a good height. +More of them were now seen to the westward, the south-westernmost part +of them bearing W.N.W. The weather, in the afternoon, became gloomy, +and at length turned to a mist, and the wind blew fresh at E. I +therefore, at ten at night, hauled the wind to the southward till +day-break, when we resumed our course to the W. + +Day-light availed us little, for the weather was so thick, that we +could not see a hundred yards before us; but as the wind was now +moderate, I ventured to run. At half-past four, we were alarmed at +hearing the sound of breakers on our larboard bow. On heaving +the lead, we found twenty-eight fathoms water, and the next cast, +twenty-five. I immediately brought the ship to, with her head to the +northward, and anchored in this last depth, over a bottom of coarse +sand, calling to the Discovery, she being close by us, to anchor also. + +A few hours after, the fog having cleared away a little, it appeared +that we had escaped very imminent danger. We found ourselves three +quarters of a mile from the N.E. side of an island, which extended +from S. by W. 1/2 W. to N. by E. 1/2 E., each extreme about a league +distant. Two elevated rocks, the one bearing S. by E., and the other +E. by S., were about half a league each from us, and about the same +distance from each other. There were several breakers about them, and +yet Providence had, in the dark, conducted the ships through, between +these rocks, which I should not have ventured in a clear day, and to +such an anchoring-place, that I could not have chosen a better. + +Finding ourselves so near land, I sent a boat to examine what +it produced. In the afternoon she returned, and the officer, who +commanded her, reported, that it produced some tolerable good grass, +and several other small plants, one of which was like purslain, and +eat very well, either in soups or as a sallad. There was no appearance +of shrubs or trees, but on the beach were a few pieces of drift wood. +It was judged to be low water between ten and eleven o'clock, and we +found, where we lay at anchor, that the flood-tide came from the E. or +S.E. + +In the night, the wind blew fresh at S., but was more moderate toward +the morning, and the fog partly dispersed. Having weighed at seven +o'clock, we steered to the northward, between the island under which +we had anchored, and another small one near it. The channel is not +above a mile broad; and before we were through it, the wind failed, +and we were obliged to anchor in thirty-four fathoms water. We had now +land in every direction. That to the S., extended to the S.W., in +a ridge of mountains, but our sight could not determine whether it +composed one or more islands. We afterward found it to be only one +island, and known by the name of _Oonalashka_. Between it, and the +land to the N., which had the appearance of being a group of islands, +there seemed to be a channel, in the direction of N.W. by N. On a +point, which bore W. from the ship, three quarters of a mile distant, +were several natives and their habitations. To this place we saw them +tow in two whales, which we supposed they had just killed. A few of +them, now and then, came off to the ships, and bartered a few trifling +things with our people, but never remained above a quarter of an hour +at a time. On the contrary, they rather seemed shy, and yet we could +judge that they were no strangers to vessels, in some degree, like +ours. They behaved with a degree of politeness uncommon to savage +tribes. + +At one o'clock in the afternoon, having a light breeze at N.E., and +the tide of flood in our favour, we weighed, and steered for the +channel above-mentioned, in hopes, after we were through, of finding +the land trend away to the northward, or, at least, a passage out to +sea to the W. For we supposed ourselves, as it really happened, to be +amongst islands, and not in an inlet of the continent. We had not been +long under sail, before the wind veered to the N., which obliged us +to ply. The soundings were from forty to twenty-seven fathoms, over a +bottom of sand and mud. In the evening, the ebb making against us, we +anchored about three leagues from our last station, with the passage +bearing N.W. + +At day-break the next morning, we weighed, with a light breeze at S., +which carried us up to the passage, when it was succeeded by variable +light airs from all directions. But as there run a rapid tide in our +favour, the Resolution got through before the ebb made. The Discovery +was not so fortunate. She was carried back, got into the race, and had +some trouble to get clear of it. As soon as we were through, the land +on one side was found to trend W. and S.W., and that on the other side +to trend N. This gave us great reason to hope, that the continent had +here taken a new direction, which was much in our favour. Being in +want of water, and perceiving that we run some risk of driving about +in a rapid tide, without wind to govern the ship, I stood for a +harbour, lying on the S. side of the passage, but we were very soon +driven past it, and, to prevent being forced back through the passage, +came to an anchor in twenty-eight fathoms water, pretty near the +southern shore, out of the reach of the strong tide. And yet, even +here, we found it to run full five knots and a half in the hour. + +While we lay here, several of the natives came off to us, each in a +canoe, and bartered a few fishing implements for tobacco. One of them, +a young man, overset his canoe, while along-side of one of our boats. +Our people caught hold of him, but the canoe went adrift, and, being +picked up by another, was carried ashore. The youth, by this accident, +was obliged to come into the ship; and he went down into my cabin, +upon the first invitation, without expressing the least reluctance or +uneasiness. His dress was an upper garment, like a shirt, made of the +large gut of some sea-animal, probably the whale, and an under garment +of the same shape, made of the skins of birds, dressed with the +feathers on, and neatly sewed together, the feathered side being wore +next his skin. It was mended or patched with pieces of silk-stuff, and +his cap was ornamented with two or three sorts of glass beads. His own +clothes being wet, I gave him others, in which he dressed himself with +as much ease as I could have done. From his behaviour, and that of +some others, we were convinced that these people were no strangers to +Europeans, and to some of their customs. But there was something in +our ships that greatly excited their curiosity; for such as could not +come off in canoes, assembled on the neighbouring hills to look at +them.[8] + +[Footnote 8: Of Oonalashka, Unalashka, or Aghunalaska, for it is known +by these three names, Mr Coxe has presented several interesting +enough notices. The Russians were no strangers to it previous to this +voyage.--E.] + +At low water, having weighed and towed the ship into the harbour, we +anchored there in nine fathoms water, over a bottom of sand and mud. +The Discovery got in soon after. A launch was now sent for water, and +a boat to draw the seine, but we caught only four trout, and a few +other small fish. + +Soon after we anchored, a native of the island brought on board such +another note as had been given to Captain Clerke. He presented it +to me, but it was written in the Russian language, which, as already +observed, none of us could read. As it could be of no use to me, and +might be of consequence to others, I returned it to the bearer, and +dismissed him with a few presents, for which he expressed his thanks, +by making several low bows as he retired. + +In walking, next day, along the shore, I met with a group of natives +of both sexes, seated on the grass, at a repast, consisting of raw +fish, which they seemed to eat with as much relish as we should a +turbot, served up with the richest sauce. By the evening, we had +completed our water, and made such observations as the time and +weather would permit. I have taken notice of the rapidity of the tide +without the harbour, but it was inconsiderable within. It was low +water at noon, and high water at half-past six in the evening, and the +water rose, upon a perpendicular, three feet four inches, but there +were marks of its sometimes rising a foot higher. + +Thick fogs, and a contrary-wind, detained us till the 2d of July, +which afforded an opportunity of acquiring some knowledge of the +country and of its inhabitants. The result of our observations will +be mentioned in another place. At present I shall only describe the +harbour. + +It is called, by the natives, _Samganoodha_, and is situated on the +north side of Oonalashka, in the latitude of 58° 55', in the longitude +of 193° 30'; and in the strait, or passage, that separates this island +from those that lie to the north of it, and whose position before the +harbour shelters it from the winds that blow from that quarter. It +runs in S. by W., about four miles, and is about a mile broad at the +entrance, narrowing toward the head, where its breadth is not above a +quarter of a mile, and where ships can lie land-locked, in seven, six, +and four fathoms water. Great plenty of good water may be easily got, +but not a single stick of wood of any size. + + +SECTION VIII. + +_Progress Northward, after leaving Oonalashka.--The Islands +Oonella and Acootan.--Ooneemak.--Shallowness of the Water along +the Coast--Bristol Bay.--Round Island.--Calm Point.--Cape +Newenham.--Lieutenant Williamson lands, and his Report.--Bristol +Bay, and its Extent.--The Ships obliged to return on account of +Shoals.--Natives come off to the Ships.--Death of Mr Anderson; his +Character; and Island named after him.--Point Rodney.--Sledge Island, +and Remarks on Landing there.--King's Island.--Cape Prince of Wales, +the Western Extreme of America. Course Westward.--Anchor in a Bay on +the Coast of Asia._ + +Having put to sea with a light breeze, at S.S.E., we steered to the +N., meeting with nothing to obstruct us in this course. For, as I +observed before, the island of Oonalashka on the one side, trended +S.W., and on the other, no land was to be seen in a direction more +northerly than N.E., the whole of which laud was a continuation of the +same group of islands which we had fallen in with on the 25th of June. +That which lies before Samganoodha, and forms the N.E. side of the +passage through which we came, is called _Oonella_, and is about seven +leagues in circumference. Another island to the N.E. of it, is called +_Acootan_, which is considerably larger than Oonella, and hath in it +some very high mountains which were covered with snow. It appeared, +that we might have gone very safely between, these two islands and +the continent, the S.W. point of which opened off the N.E. point of +Acootan, in the direction of N. 60° E.; and which proved to be the +same point of land we had seen when we quitted the coast of the +continent, on the 25th of June, to go without the islands. It is +called by the people of these parts _Ooneemak_, and lies in the +latitude of 54° 30', and in the longitude of 192° 30'. Over the cape, +which of itself is high land, is a round elevated mountain, at this +time entirely covered with snow. + +At six in the evening, this mountain bore E. 2° N., and at eight we +had no land in sight. Concluding, therefore, that the coast of the +continent had now taken a north-easterly direction, I ventured to +steer the same course till one o'clock the next morning, when the +watch on deck thought they saw land a-head. Upon this we wore, and +stood to the S.W. for two hours, and then resumed our course to the +E.N.E. + +At six o'clock, land was seen a-head, bearing S.E., about five leagues +distant. As we advanced, we raised more and more land, all connected, +and seemingly in the direction of our course. At noon, it extended +from S.S.W. to E., the nearest part five or six leagues distant; Our +latitude at this time was 55° 21', and our longitude 195° 18'. This +coast is on the N.W. side of the volcano mountain, so that we must +have seen it, if the weather had been tolerably clear. + +At six in the evening, after having run eight leagues upon an E. by +N. course from noon, we sounded, and found forty-eight fathoms, over +a bottom of black sand. Being at this time four leagues from the land, +the eastern part in sight bore E.S.E., and appeared as a high round +hummock, seemingly detached from the main. + +Having continued to steer E.N.E. all night, at eight in the morning of +the 4th, the coast was seen from S.S.W. to E. by S.; and at times we +could see high land, covered with snow behind it. Soon after it fell +calm, and being in thirty fathoms water, we put over hooks and lines, +and caught a good number of cod-fish. At noon, having now a breeze +from the east, and the weather being clear, we found ourselves six +leagues from the land, which extended from S. by W. to E. by S. The +hummock, seen the preceding evening, bore S.W. by S. ten leagues +distant. Our latitude was now 55° 50', and our longitude 197° 3'. A +great hollow swell, from W.S.W., assured us that there was no main +land near in that direction. I stood to the N. till six in the +afternoon, when the wind having veered to S.E., enabled us to steer +E.N.E. The coast lay in this direction, and at noon, the next day, was +about four leagues distant. + +On the 6th and 7th, the wind being northerly, we made but little +progress. At eight in the evening of the latter, we were in nineteen +fathoms water, and about three or four leagues from the coast, which, +on the 8th, extended from S.S.W. to E. by N., and was all low +land, with a ridge of mountains behind it, covered with snow. It is +probable, that this low coast extends, some distance, to the S.W.; and +that such places as we sometimes, took for inlets or bays, are only +valleys between the mountains. + +On the morning of the 9th, with a breeze at N.W., we steered E. by N., +to get nearer the coast. At noon, we were in the latitude of 57° 49', +and in the longitude of 201° 33', and about two leagues from the land, +which extended from S. by E. to E.N.E.; being all a low coast, with +points shooting out in some places, which, from the deck, appeared +like islands; but, from the mast-head, low land was seen to connect +them. In this situation, the depth of water was fifteen fathoms, the +bottom a fine black sand. + +As we had advanced to the N.E., we had found the depth of water +gradually decreasing, and the coast trending more and more northerly. +But the ridge of mountains behind it continued to lie in the same +direction as those more westerly; so that the extent of the low +land, between the foot of the mountains and the sea-coast, insensibly +increased. Both high and low grounds were perfectly destitute of wood; +but seemed to be covered with a green turf, except the mountains, +which were covered with snow. Continuing to steer along the coast, +with a gentle breeze, westerly, the water gradually shoaled from +fifteen to ten fathoms, though we were at the distance of eight or ten +miles from the shore. At eight in the evening, an elevated mountain, +which had been in sight for some time, bore S.E. by E., twenty-one +leagues distant. Some other mountains, belonging to the same chain, +and much farther distant, bore E. 3° N. The coast extended as far as +N.E. 1/2 N., where it seemed to terminate in a point, beyond which we +hoped and expected, that it would take a more easterly direction. But, +soon after, we discovered low land, extending from behind this point, +as far as N.W. by W., where it was lost in the horizon; and behind it +was high land, that appeared in detached hills. + +Thus the fine prospect we had of getting to the north vanished in a +moment. I stood on till nine o'clock, for so long it was light, and +then the point above mentioned bore N.E. 1/2 E., about three miles +distant. Behind this point is a river, the entrance of which seemed +to be a mile broad; but I can say nothing as to its depth. The water +appeared to be discoloured, as upon shoals, but a calm would have +given it the same aspect. It seemed to have a winding direction, +through the great flat that lies between the chain of mountains to the +S.E., and the hills to the N.W. It must abound with salmon, as we saw +many leaping in the sea before the entrance; and some were found +in the maws of cod which we had caught. The entrance of this river, +distinguished by the name of _Bristol River_, lies in the latitude of +58° 27', and in the longitude of 201° 55'.[1] + +[Footnote 1: Mr Arrowsmith lays down this river, but without naming +it. Mr Coxe does neither. Both of them specify Bristol Bay. Mr A.'s +delineation of the coast of the peninsular projection, corresponds +extremely well with Captain Cook's description.--E.] + +Having spent the night in making short boards, at day-break on the +morning of the 10th, we made sail to the W.S.W., with a gentle breeze +at N.E. At eleven o'clock, we thought the coast to the N.W. terminated +in a point, bearing N.W. by W.; and as we had now deepened the water +from nine to fourteen fathoms, I steered for the point, ordering the +Discovery to keep ahead. But before she had run a mile, she made a +signal for shoal water. At that instant we had the depth of seven +fathoms; and before we could get the ship's head the other way, had +less than five; but the Discovery had less than four. + +We stood back to the N.E. three or four miles; but finding there was +a strong tide or current setting to the W.S.W., that is toward the +shoal, we anchored in ten fathoms, over a bottom of fine sand. Two +hours after we had anchored, the water had fallen two feet and upward; +which proved, that it was the tide of ebb that came from, the river +above mentioned. We also examined some of the water which we had taken +up, and found that it was not half so salt as common sea-water. This +furnished another proof that we were before a large river. + +At four in the afternoon, the wind shifting to S.W., we weighed, and +stood to the southward, with boats ahead, sounding; and passed over +the south end of the shoal in six fathoms water. We then got into +thirteen and fifteen; in which last depth we anchored, at half-past +eight; some part of the chain of mountains, on the S.E. shore, in +sight, bearing S.E. 1/2 S., and the westernmost land, on the other +shore, N.W. We had, in the course of the day, seen high land, bearing +N. 60° W., by estimation twelve leagues distant. + +Having weighed next morning, at two o'clock, with a light breeze +at S.W. by W., we plied to windward till nine; when, judging the +flood-tide to be now made against us, we came to an anchor in +twenty-four fathoms. We lay here till one, when the fog, which had +prevailed this morning, dispersing, and the tide making in our favour, +we weighed, and plied to the S.W. in the evening, the wind was very +variable, and we had some thunder. We had heard none before since our +arrival upon the coast; and this was at a great distance. + +The wind having settled again in the S.W. quarter, in the morning of +the 12th, we stood to the N.W., and at ten saw the continent. At noon, +it extended from N.E. by N., to N.W. 1/4 W.; and an elevated hill bore +N.N.W., ten leagues distant. This proved to be an island, which, +from its figure, obtained the name of _Round Island_. It lies in the +latitude of 58° 37', and in the longitude of 200° 6', and seven miles +from the continent. In the evening, at nine, having stood to the +northward to within three leagues of the shore, we tacked in fourteen +fathoms water; the extremes of the coast bearing E.S.E. 1/2 E. and W. +The wind veering to the N.W. enabled us to make a good stretch along +shore till two o'clock in the morning, when we got all at once into +six fathoms water, being at this time two leagues from the shore. +After edging off a little, our depth gradually increased, and at +noon we had twenty fathoms, when the latitude was 53° 13', and the +longitude 199°. Round Island bore N., 5° E.; and the west extreme of +the coast N., 16° W., seven leagues distant. It is an elevated point, +which obtained the name of _Calm Point_, from our having calm weather +when off it. To the N.W. of Round Island are two or three hillocks +that appeared like islands; and it is possible they may be such; for +we had but a distant view of the coast in this place.[2] + +[Footnote 2: Both Round Island and Calm Point are named by Coxe; +Arrowsmith marks them, but has omitted the names.--E.] + +During the 14th and 15th our progress was slow, having little wind, +and sometimes so thick a fog, that we could not see the length of the +ship. The soundings were from fourteen to twenty-six fathoms; and we +had tolerable success in fishing, catching cod, and now and then a few +flat fish. At five in the morning of the 16th, the fog having cleared +up, we found ourselves nearer the land than we expected. Calm Point +bore N., 72° E., and a point eight leagues from it, in the direction +of W., bore N., 30° E., three miles distant. Between these two points, +the coast forms a bay, in some parts of which the land was hardly +visible from the mast-head. There is also a bay on the N.W. side of +this last point, between it and an elevated promontory, which at this +time bore N., 36° W. sixteen miles distant. At nine, I sent Lieutenant +Williamson to this promontory, with orders to land, and see what +direction the coast took beyond it, and what the country produced; +for from the ships it had but a barren appearance. We found here the +flood-tide setting strongly to the N.W. along the coast. At noon it +was high water, and we anchored in twenty-four fathoms, four leagues +distant from the shore. At five in the afternoon, the tide making in +our favour, we weighed, and drove with it, for there was no wind. + +Soon after, Mr Williamson returned; and reported, that he had landed +on the point, and having climbed the highest hill, found, that +the farthest part of the coast in sight bore nearly north. He took +possession of the country in his majesty's name; and left on the hill +a bottle, in which was inscribed, on a piece of paper, the names of +the ships, and the date of the discovery. The promontory, to which +he gave the name of _Cape Newenham_, is a rocky point, of tolerable +height, situated in the latitude of 58° 42', and in the longitude +of 197° 36'. Over, or within it, are two elevated hills, rising one +behind the other. The innermost, or easternmost, is the highest. The +country, as far as Mr Williamson could see, produces neither tree nor +shrub. The hills are naked; but on the lower grounds grew grass and +other plants, very few of which were in flower. He saw no other animal +but a doe and a fawn; and a dead sea-horse or cow upon the beach. Of +these animals we had lately seen a great many. + +As the coast takes a northerly direction from Cape Newenham, that Cape +fixes the northern limit of the great bay and gulf lying before the +river Bristol, which, in honour of the Admiral, Earl of Bristol, was +named _Bristol Bay_. _Cape Ooneemak_ is the south limit of this bay; +and is distant eighty-two leagues from Cape Newenham, in the direction +of S.S.W.[3] + +[Footnote 3: Cape Newenham is mentioned by Arrowsmith, but not by +Coxe; both have Shoal Ness, soon to be spoken of.--E.] + +About eight in the evening, a light breeze springing up, which fixed +at S.S.E., we steered N.W. and N.N.W., round Cape Newenham, which, at +noon next day, bore S. by E., distant four leagues. At this time the +most advanced land to the northward bore N., 30° E.; our depth of +water was seventeen fathoms, and the nearest shore 3-1/2 leagues +distant. We had but little wind all the afternoon; so that, at ten at +night, we had only made three leagues upon a north course. + +We steered N. by W. till eight the next morning, when, our depth of +water decreasing suddenly to five and seven fathoms, we brought-to, +till a boat from each ship was sent ahead to sound, and then steered +N.E. after them; and at noon we had deepened the water to seventeen +fathoms. At this time, Cape Newenham bore S., 9° E., distant eleven or +twelve leagues; the N.E. extreme of the land in sight N., 66° E.; and +the nearest shore about four or five leagues distant. Our latitude, by +observation, was 59° 16'. + +Between this latitude and Cape Newenham, the coast is composed of +hills and low land, and appeared to form several bays. A little before +one o'clock, the boats ahead made the signal for meeting with shoal +water. It seems they had only two fathoms; and at the same time the +ships were in six fathoms. By hauling a little more to the northward, +we continued in much the same depth till between five and six o'clock, +when the boats meeting with less and less water, I made the signal +to the Discovery, she being then ahead, to anchor, which we did soon +after. In bringing our ship up, the cable parted at the clinch, which +obliged us to come-to with the other anchor. We rode in six fathoms +water, a sandy bottom, and about four or five leagues from the +main land; Cape Newenham bearing S., seventeen leagues distant. The +farthest hills we could see to the north, bore N.E. by E.; but there +was low land stretching out from the high land as far as N. by E. +Without this was a shoal of sand and stones, that was dry at half ebb. + +I had sent the two masters, each in a boat, to sound between this +shoal and the coast. On their return, they reported, that there was a +channel, in which they found six and seven fathoms water; but that it +was narrow and intricate. At low water, we made an attempt to get a +hawser round the lost anchor, but did not succeed then. However, +being determined not to leave it behind me, as long as there was a +probability of recovering it, I persevered in my endeavours, and at +last succeeded in the evening of the 20th. + +While we were thus employed, I ordered Captain Clerke to send his +master in a boat to look for a passage in the S.W. quarter. He did so; +but no channel was to be found in that direction; nor did there appear +to be any way to get clear of these shoals, but to return by the track +which had brought us in. For although, by following the channel +we were in, we might probably have got farther down the coast; and +though, possibly, this channel might have led us at last to the north, +clear of the shoals, still the attempt would have been attended with +vast risk; and if we should not have succeeded, there would have been +a considerable loss of time that could ill be spared. These reasons +induced me to return by the way in which we came; and so get without +the shoals. + +A number of lunar observations, made by Mr King and myself on this +and the four preceding days, and all reduced to the ship's present +station, gave the longitude + + 197° 45' 48" + By the time-keeper it was 197 26 48 + Our latitude was 59 37 30 + Variation by the \ A.M. 23° 34' 3" \ + mean of three } P.M. 22 19 40 / mean 22° 56' 51" E. + compasses, / + +The northernmost part of the coast that we could see from this +station, I judged to lie in the latitude of 60°. It seemed to form a +low point, which obtained the name of _Shoal-Ness_. + +The tide of flood sets to the north, and the ebb to the south. It +rises and falls, upon a perpendicular, five or six feet; and I reckon +it to be high-water on the full and change days at eight o'clock. + +Having weighed at three in the morning on the 21st, with a light +breeze at N.N.W., we steered back to the southward, having three boats +ahead to direct us. But, notwithstanding this precaution, we found +more difficulty in returning than we had in advancing; and at last +were obliged to anchor, to avoid running upon a shoal, which had +only a depth of five feet. While we lay here, twenty-seven men of the +country, each in a canoe, came off to the ships, which they approached +with great caution, hollowing and opening their arms as they advanced. +This, we understood, was to express their pacific intentions. At +length, some approached near enough to receive a few trifles that were +thrown to them. This encouraged the rest to venture alongside; and +a traffic presently commenced between them and our people; who got +dresses of skins, bows, arrows, darts, wooden vessels, &c.; our +visitors taking in exchange for these whatever was offered them. They +seemed to be the same sort of people that we had of late met with all +along this coast; wore the same kind of ornaments in their lips and +noses; but were far more dirty, and not so well clothed. They appeared +to be wholly unacquainted with people like us; they knew not the use +of tobacco; nor was any foreign article seen in their possession, +unless a knife may be looked upon as such. This, indeed, was only a +piece of common iron fitted in a wooden handle, so as to answer the +purpose of a knife. They, however, knew the value and use of this +instrument so well, that it seemed to be the only article they wished +for. Most of them had their hair shaved or cut short off, leaving only +a few locks behind, or on one side. For a covering for the head they +wore a hood of skins, and a bonnet which appeared to be of wool. One +part of their dress, which we got from them, was a kind of girdle, +very neatly made of skin, with trappings depending from it, and +passing between the legs, so as to conceal the adjoining parts. By +the use of such a girdle, it should seem that they sometimes go naked, +even in this high latitude; for they would hardly wear it under their +other clothing. + +The canoes were made of skins, like all the others we had lately seen; +only with this difference, that these were broader, and the hole in +which the man sits was wider than in any I had before met with. Our +boats returning from sounding seemed to alarm them, so that they all +left us sooner than probably they would otherwise have done. + +It was the 22d in the evening before we got clear of these shoals, and +then I durst not venture to steer to the westward in the night, but +spent it off Cape Newenham; and at day-break, next morning, steered +to the N.W., ordering the Discovery to lead. Before we had run two +leagues, our depth of water decreased to six fathoms. Fearing, if +we continued this course, that we should find less and less water, I +hauled to the southward; the wind being at east, a fresh breeze. This +course brought us gradually. into eighteen fathoms, and having that +depth, I ventured to steer a little westerly; and afterward west, when +we at last found twenty-six fathoms water. + +On the 24th at noon, we were, by observation in the latitude of 58° +7', and in the longitude of 194° 22'. Three leagues to the westward +of this station we had twenty-eight fathoms water, and then steered +W.N.W., the water gradually deepening to thirty-four fathoms. I +would have steered more northerly, but the wind having veered in that +direction, I could not. + +The 25th, in the evening, having a very thick fog, and but little +wind, we dropped anchor in thirty fathoms water. Our latitude was now +58° 29', and our longitude 191° 37'. At six, the next morning, the +weather clearing up a little, we weighed, and, with a small breeze +at east, steered north, our soundings being from twenty-eight to +twenty-five fathoms. After running nine leagues upon this course, +the wind returned back to the north, which obliged us to steer more +westerly. + +The weather continued for the most part foggy till toward noon on the +28th, when we had a few hours clear sunshine; during which we made +several lunar observations. The mean result of them, reduced to +noon, when the latitude was 59° 55', gave 190° 6' longitude; and the +time-keeper gave 189° 59'. The variation of the compass was 18° 40' +E. Continuing our westerly course, the water having now deepened to +thirty-six fathoms, at four o'clock next morning we discovered land, +bearing N.W. by W., six leagues distant. We stood toward it till +half-past ten, when we tacked in twenty-four fathoms water, being at +this time a league from the land, which bore N.N.W. It was the S.E. +extremity, and formed a perpendicular cliff of considerable height; on +which account it was called _Point Upright_, and lies in the latitude +of 60° 17', and in the longitude of 187° 30'. More land was seen to +the westward of the point; and, at a clear interval, we saw another +elevated portion of land in the direction of W. by S.; and this +seemed to be entirely separated from the other. Here we met with an +incredible number of birds, all of the awk kind before described. + +We had baffling light winds all the afternoon, so that we made but +little progress; and the weather was not clear enough to enable us to +determine the extent of the land before us. We supposed it to be one +of the many islands laid down by Mr Stæhlin, in his map of the New +Northern Archipelago; and we expected every moment to see more of +them.[4] + +[Footnote 4: The opinion here given, we shall find, is afterwards +corrected; and the land in question proved to be a discovery unknown +to the Russians.--E.] + +At four in the afternoon of the 30th, Point Upright bore N.W. by N., +six leagues distant. About this time, a light breeze springing up at +N.N.W., we stood to the N.E. till four o'clock next morning, when the +wind veering to the eastward, we tacked, and stood to the N.W. Soon +after the wind came to S.E.; and we steered N.E. by N.; which course +we continued, with soundings from thirty-five to twenty fathoms, till +next day at noon. At this time we were in the latitude of 60° 58', and +in the longitude of 191°. The wind now veering to N.E., I first made +a stretch of ten leagues to the N.W.; and then, seeing no land in that +direction, I stood back to the eastward about fifteen leagues, and +met with nothing but pieces of drift-wood. The soundings were from +twenty-two to nineteen fathoms. + +Variable, light winds, with showers of rain, prevailed all the 2d; but +fixing in the S.E. quarter in the morning of the 3d, we resumed our +course to the northward. At noon, we were, by observation, in the +latitude of 62° 34', our longitude was 192°, and our depth of water +sixteen fathoms. + +Mr Anderson, my surgeon, who had been lingering under a consumption +for more than twelve months, expired between three and four this +afternoon. He was a sensible young man, an agreeable companion, well +skilled in his own profession, and had acquired considerable knowledge +in other branches of science. The reader of this Journal will have +observed how useful an assistant I had found him in the course of the +voyage; and had it pleased God to have spared his life, the public, +I make no doubt, might have received from him such communications, on +various parts of the natural history of the several places we visited, +as would have abundantly shewn that he was not unworthy of this +commendation.[5] Soon after he had breathed his last, land was seen to +the westward, twelve leagues distant. It was supposed to be an island; +and, to perpetuate the memory of the deceased, for whom I had a very +great regard, I named it _Anderson's Island_. The next day, I removed +Mr Law, the surgeon of the Discovery, into the Resolution, and +appointed Mr Samuel, the surgeon's first mate of the Resolution, to be +surgeon of the Discovery. + +[Footnote 5: Mr Anderson's Journal seems to have been discontinued for +about two months before his death; the last date in his MSS. being of +the 3d of June.--D. + +The Biographia Britannica informs us, that Mr Anderson left his papers +to Sir Joseph Banks; but that the Admiralty took possession of the +larger part of them, and, for what reason is not mentioned, retained +them. Such parts, however, it is said, as related solely to natural +history, were delivered by Captain King to the Baronet, who bears +testimony "to the excellence of Mr A.'s character, the utility of his +observations, and to the great probability, that, if he had survived, +he would have given to the world something which would have done him +credit." Much of this commendatory opinion might be inferred from +what has been published of Mr A.'s labours, which constitute no +inconsiderable portion, either in bulk or value, of Captain Cook's +communications.--E.] + +On the 4th, at three in the afternoon, land was seen, extending from +N.N.E. to N.W. We stood on toward it till four o'clock, when, being +four or five miles from it, we tacked; and, soon after, the wind +falling, we anchored in thirteen fathoms water, over a sandy bottom; +being about two leagues from the land, and, by our reckoning, in the +latitude of 64° 27', and in the longitude of 194° 18'. At intervals, +we could see the coast extending from E. to N.W., and a pretty high +island, bearing W. by N. three leagues distant. + +The land before us, which we supposed to be the continent of America, +appeared low next the sea; but, inland, it swelled into hills, which +rise, one behind another, to a considerable height. It had a greenish +hue, but seemed destitute of wood, and free from snow. While we lay +at anchor, we found that the flood-tide came from the east, and set to +the west, till between ten and eleven o'clock. From that time till two +the next morning, the stream set to the eastward, and the water fell +three feet. The flood ran both stronger and longer than the ebb; +from which I concluded, that, besides the ebb, there was a westerly +current. + +At ten in the morning of the 5th, with the wind at S.W., we ran down, +and anchored between the island and the continent, in seven fathoms +water. Soon after I landed upon the island, accompanied by Mr King and +some others of the officers. I hoped to have had from it a view of +the coast and sea to the westward; but the fog was so thick in that +direction, that the prospect was not more extensive than from +the ship. The coast of the continent seemed to take a turn to the +northward, at a low point, named _Point Rodney_, which bore from the +island N.W. 1/2 W., three or four leagues distant; but the high land, +which took a more northerly direction, was seen a great way farther. + +This island, which was named _Sledge Island_, and lies in the latitude +of 64° 30', and in the longitude of 193° 57', is about four leagues in +circuit. The surface of the ground is composed chiefly of large +loose stones, that are, in many places, covered with moss and other +vegetables, of which there were above twenty or thirty different +sorts, and most of them in flower. But I saw neither shrub nor tree, +either upon this island or on the continent. On a small low spot, near +the beach where we landed, was a good deal of wild purslain, pease, +long-wort, &c.; some of which we took on board for the pot. We saw one +fox, a few plovers, and some other small birds; and we met with some +decayed huts that were partly built below ground. People had lately +been on the island; and it is pretty clear, that they frequently visit +it for some purpose or other, as there was a beaten path from the +one end to the other. We found, a little way from the shore where +we landed, a sledge, which occasioned this name being given to the +island, it seemed to be such a one as the Russians in Kamtschatka make +use of to convey goods from place to place over the ice or snow. It +was ten feet long, twenty inches broad, and had a kind of rail-work +on each side, and was shod with bone. The construction of it was +admirable, and all the parts neatly put together; some with wooden +pins, but mostly with thongs or lashings of whalebone, which made me +think it was entirely the workmanship of the natives. + +At three o'clock the next morning we weighed, and proceeded to the +north-westward, with a light southerly breeze. We had an opportunity +to observe the sun's meridian altitude for the latitude; and to get +altitudes, both in the forenoon and afternoon, to obtain the longitude +by the time-keeper. As we had but little wind, and variable withal, +we advanced but slowly; and at eight in the evening, finding the ships +settle fast toward the land into shoal water, I anchored in seven +fathoms, about two leagues from the coast. Sledge Island bore S., 51° +E., ten leagues distant, and was seen over the south point of the main +land. + +Soon after we had anchored, the weather, which had been misty, +clearing up, we saw high land extending from N., 40° E., to N., +30° W., apparently disjoined from the coast, under which we were at +anchor, which seemed to trend away N.E. At the same time, an island +was seen bearing N., 81° W., eight or nine leagues distant. It +appeared to have no great extent, and was named _King's Island_. We +rode here till eight o'clock next morning, when we weighed, and stood +to the N.W. The weather clearing up toward the evening, we got sight +of the N.W. land, extending from N. by W. to N.W. by N., distant about +three leagues. We spent the night making short boards, the weather +being misty and rainy, with little wind; and, between four and five +of the morning of the 8th, we had again a sight of the N.W. land; and +soon after, on account of a calm, and a current driving us toward the +shore, we found it necessary to anchor in twelve fathoms water, about +two miles from the coast. Over the western extreme is an elevated +peaked hill, situated in latitude 65° 36', and in longitude 192° 18'. +A breeze at N.E. springing up at eight o'clock, we weighed, and stood +to the S.E., in hopes of finding a passage between the coast on which +we had anchored on the 6th in the evening, and this N.W. land. But we +soon got into seven fathoms water, and discovered low land connecting +the two coasts, and the high land behind it. + +Being now satisfied that the whole was a continued coast, I tacked, +and stood away for its N.W. part, and came to an anchor under it in +seventeen fathoms water. The weather at this time was very thick with +rain; but at four next morning it cleared up, so that we could see +the land about us. A high steep rock or island bore W. by S.; another +island to the N. of it; and much larger, bore W. by N.; the peaked +hill above mentioned S.E. by E.; and the point under it, S., 32° E. +Under this hill lies some low land, stretching out towards the N.W., +the extreme point of which bore N.E. by E., about three miles +distant. Over and beyond it some high land was seen, supposed to be a +continuation of the continent. + +This point of land, which I named _Cape Prince of Wales_, is the more +remarkable, by being the western extremity of all America hitherto +known. It is situated in the latitude of 65° 45', and in the longitude +of 191° 45'. The observations by which both were determined, though +made in sight of it, were liable to some small error, on account of +the haziness of the weather. We thought we saw some people upon the +coast; and probably we were not mistaken, as some elevations, like +stages, and others like huts, were seen at the same place. We saw the +same things on the continent within Sledge Island, and on some other +parts of the coast. + +It was calm till eight o'clock in the morning, when a faint breeze at +north springing up, we weighed. But we had scarcely got our sails set, +when it began to blow and rain very hard, with misty weather. The wind +and current being in contrary directions, raised such a sea that it +frequently broke into the ship. We had a few minutes sunshine at noon; +and from the observation then obtained, we fixed the above-mentioned +latitude. + +Having plied to windward till two in the afternoon, with little +effect, I bore up for the island we had seen to the westward, +proposing to come to an anchor under it till the gale should cease. +But on getting to this land, we found it composed of two small +islands, each not above three or four leagues in circuit, and +consequently they could afford us little shelter. Instead of +anchoring, therefore, we continued to stretch to the westward; and at +eight o'clock, land was seen in that direction, extending from N.N.W. +to W. by S., the nearest part six leagues distant. I stood on till +ten, and then made a board to the eastward, in order to spend the +night. + +At day-break in the morning of the 10th, we resumed our course to the +west for the land we had seen the preceding evening. At eleven minutes +after seven, when the longitude, by the time-keeper, was 189° 24', it +extended from S. 72° W. to N. 41° E. Between the S.W. extreme, and a +point which bore W., two leagues distant, the shore forms a large bay, +in which we anchored at ten o'clock in the forenoon, about two miles +from the north shore, in ten fathoms water, over a gravelly bottom. +The south part of the bay bore S. 58° W., the north point N. 43° E., +the bottom of the bay N. 60° W., two or three leagues distant, and. +the two islands we had passed the preceding day, N. 72° E., distant +fourteen leagues. + + +SECTION IX. + +_Behaviour of the Natives, the Tschutski, on seeing +the Ships.--Interview with some of them.--Their +Weapons.--Persons.--Ornaments.--Clothing.--Winter and Summer +Habitations.--The Ships cross the Strait, to the Coast of +America.--Progress Northward.--Cape Mulgrave.--Appearance of Fields of +Ice.--Situation of Icy Cape.--The Sea blocked up with Ice.--Sea-horses +killed, and used as Provisions.--These Animals described.--Dimensions +of one of them.--Cape Lisburne.--Fruitless Attempt to get through the +Ice at a Distance from the Coast.--Observations on the Formation of +thin Ice.--Arrival on the Coast of Asia.--Cape North.--The Prosecution +of the Voyage deferred to the ensuing Year._ + +As we were standing into this bay, we perceived on the north shore a +village, and some people, whom the sight of the ships seemed to have +thrown into confusion or fear. We could plainly see persons running +up the country with burdens upon their backs. At these habitations +I proposed to land; and accordingly went with three armed boats, +accompanied by some of the officers. About thirty or forty men, each +armed with a spontoon, a bow, and arrows, stood drawn up on a rising +ground close by the village. As we drew near, three of them came down +toward the shore, and were so polite as to take off their caps, and to +make us low bows. We returned the civility; but this did not inspire +them with sufficient confidence to wait for our landing, for the +moment we put the boats ashore, they retired. I followed them alone, +without any thing in my hand; and by signs and gestures prevailed on +them to stop, and to receive some trifling presents. In return for +these they gave me two fox-skins, and a couple of sea-horse teeth. I +cannot say whether they or I made the first present; for it appeared +to me that they had brought down with them these things for this very +purpose, and that they would have given them to me, even though I had +made no return. + +They seemed very fearful and cautious, expressing their desire by +signs, that no more of our people should be permitted to come up. +On my laying my hand on the shoulder of one of them, he started back +several paces. In proportion as I advanced, they retreated backward, +always in the attitude of being ready to make use of their spears, +while those on the rising ground stood ready to support them with +their arrows. Insensibly, myself and two or three of my companions, +got in amongst them. A few beads distributed to those about us, soon +created a kind of confidence, so that they were not alarmed when a +few more of our people joined us, and, by degrees, a sort of traffic +between us commenced. In exchange for knives, beads, tobacco, and +other articles, they gave us some of their clothing, and a few arrows. +But nothing that we had to offer could induce them to part with a +spear or a bow. These they held in constant readiness, never once +quitting them, except at one time, when four or five persons laid +theirs down, while they gave us a song and a dance. And even then, +they placed them in such a manner, that they could lay hold of them in +an instant, and, for their security, they desired us to sit down. + +The arrows were pointed either with bone or stone, but very few of +them had barbs, and some had a round blunt point. What use these +may be applied to I cannot say, unless it be to kill small animals, +without damaging the skin. The bows were such as we had seen on the +American coast, and like those that were used by the Esquimaux. +The spears, or spontoons, were of iron or steel; and of European +or Asiatic workmanship, in which no little pains had been taken to +ornament them with carving, and inlayings of brass, and of a white +metal. Those who stood ready with bows and arrows in their hands, +had the spear slung over their right shoulder by a leathern strap. A +leathern quiver, slung over their left shoulder, contained arrows; +and some of these quivers were extremely beautiful, being made of red +leather, on which was very neat embroidery, and other ornaments. + +Several other things, and in particular their clothing, shewed that +they were possessed of a degree of ingenuity, far surpassing what one +could expect to find amongst so northern a people. All the Americans +we had seen since our arrival on that coast, were rather low of +stature, with round chubby faces, and high cheek-bones. The people we +now were amongst, far from resembling them, had long visages, and were +stout and well-made. In short, they appeared to be a quite different +nation. We saw neither women nor children of either sex, nor any +aged, except one man, who was bald-headed, and he was the only one who +carried no arms. The others seemed to be picked men, and rather under +than above the middle age. The old man had a black mark across his +face, which I did not see in any others. All of them had their ears +bored, and some had glass beads hanging to them. These were the only +fixed ornaments we saw about them, for they wear none to the lips. +This is another thing in which they differ from the Americans we had +lately seen. + +Their clothing consisted of a cap, a frock, a pair of breeches, a pair +of boots, and a pair of gloves, all made of leather, or of the skins +of deer, dogs, seals, &c. and extremely well dressed, some with the +hair or fur on, but others without it. The caps were made to fit the +head very close; and besides these caps, which most of them wore, +we got from them some hoods, made of skins of dogs, that were large +enough to cover both head and shoulders. Their hair seemed to be +black; but their heads were either shaved, or the hair cut close off, +and none of them wore any beard. Of the few articles which they got +from us, knives and tobacco were what they valued most. + +We found the village composed both of their summer and their winter +habitations. The latter are exactly like a vault, the floor of which +is sunk a little below the surface of the earth. One of them which I +examined was of an oval form, about twenty feet long, and twelve or +more high. The framing was composed of wood and the ribs of whales, +disposed in a judicious manner, and bound together with smaller +materials of the same sort. Over this framing is laid a covering of +strong coarse grass, and that again is covered with earth, so that, +on the outside, the house looks like a little hillock, supported by a +wall of stone, three or four feet high, which is built round the two +sides and one end. At the other end, the earth is raised sloping, to +walk up to the entrance, which is by a hole in the top of the roof +over that end. The floor was boarded, and under it a kind of cellar, +in which I saw nothing but water. And at the end of each house was +a vaulted room, which I took to be a store-room. These store-rooms +communicated with the house, by a dark passage, and with the open air, +by a hole in the roof, which was even with the ground one walked upon; +but they cannot be said to be wholly under ground, for one end reached +to the edge of the hill, along which they were made, and which was +built up with stone. Over it stood a kind of sentry-box, or tower, +composed of the large bones of large fish. + +The summer huts were pretty large and circular, being brought to a +point at the top. The framing was of slight poles and bones, covered +with the skins of sea-animals. I examined the inside of one. There was +a fire-place just within the door, where lay a few wooden vessels, all +very dirty. Their bed-places were close to the side, and took up about +half the circuit. Some privacy seemed to be observed; for there +were several partitions made with skins. The bed and bedding were of +deer-skins, and most of them were dry and clean. + +About the habitations were erected several stages, ten or twelve feet +high, such as we had observed on some parts of the American coast. +They were wholly composed of bones, and seemed intended for drying +their fish and skins, which were thus placed beyond the reach of their +dogs, of which they had a great many. These dogs are of the fox kind, +rather large, and of different colours, with long soft hair like +wool. They are, probably, used in drawing their sledges in winter. For +sledges they have, as I saw a good many laid up in one of the winter +huts. It is also not improbable, that dogs may constitute a part of +their food. Several lay dead that had been killed that morning. + +The canoes of these people are of the same sort with those of the +Northern Americans, some, both of the large and of the small ones, +being seen lying in a creek under the village. + +By the large fish-bones, and of other sea-animals, it appeared that +the sea supplied them with the greatest part of their subsistence. The +country appeared to be exceedingly barren, yielding neither tree nor +shrub, that we could see. At some distance westward, we observed a +ridge of mountains covered with snow that had lately fallen. + +At first, we supposed this land to be a part of the island of +Alaschka, laid down in Mr Stæhlin's map before-mentioned. But from the +figure of the coast, the situation of the opposite shore of America, +and from the longitude, we soon began to think that it was, more +probably, the country of the Tschutski, or the eastern extremity of +Asia, explored by Beering in 1728. But to have admitted this, without +farther examination, I must have pronounced Mr Stæhlin's map, and +his account of the new northern archipelago, to be either exceedingly +erroneous, even in latitude, or else to be a mere fiction; a judgment +which I had no right to pass upon a publication so respectably +vouched, without producing the clearest proofs.[1] + +[Footnote 1: If the account of Beering's voyage had been accurately +given, Captain Cook need not have hesitated about the situation +or nature of the place he now visited. Captain Billings afterwards +anchored in the same bay on his voyage to complete the discoveries of +Cook, as related in Mr Coxe's work. Still, however, our acquaintance +with this part of Asia is very imperfect. Captain Cook, it may be +proper to remark here, had the merit of ascertaining the vicinity of +the two continents, which had been but vaguely conjectured before his +time.--E.] + +After a stay of between two and three hours with these people, we +returned to our ships, and soon after, the wind veering to the south, +we weighed anchor, stood out of the bay, and steered to the N.E., +between the coast and the two islands. The next day, at noon, the +former extended from S. 80° W. to N. 84° W., the latter bore S. 40° +W., and the peaked mountain, over Cape Prince of Wales, bore S. 36° +E., with land extending from it as far as S. 75° E. The latitude of +the ship was 66° 5-1/4', the longitude 191° 19', our depth of water +twenty-eight fathoms, and our position nearly in the middle of the +channel between the two coasts, each being seven leagues distant. + +From this station we steered east, in order to get nearer the American +coast. In this course the water shoaled gradually, and there being +little wind, and all our endeavours to increase our depth tailing, I +was obliged at last to drop anchor in six fathoms, the only remedy we +had left to prevent the ships driving into less. The nearest part of +the western land bore W., twelve leagues distant, the peaked hill +over Cape Prince of Wales, S. 16° W., and the northernmost part of +the American continent in sight, E.S.E., the nearest part about four +leagues distant. After we had anchored, I sent a boat to sound, and +the water was found to shoal gradually toward the land. While we lay +at anchor, which was from six to nine in the evening, we found little +or no current, nor could we perceive that the water either rose or +fell. + +A breeze of wind springing up at N., we weighed, and stood to the +westward, which course soon brought us into deep water, and, during +the 12th, we plied to the N., both coasts being in sight, but we kept +nearest to that of America. + +At four in the afternoon of the 13th, a breeze springing up at S., I +steered N.E. by N., till four o'clock next morning, when, seeing no +land, we directed our course E. by N., and between nine and ten, land, +supposed to be a continuation of the continent, appeared. It extended +from E. by S. to E. by N., and soon after we saw more land, bearing +N. by E. Coming pretty suddenly into thirteen fathoms water, at two +in the afternoon, we made a trip off till four, when we stood in again +for the land, which was seen soon after, extending from N. to S.E., +the nearest part three or four leagues distant. The coast here forms a +point, named _Point Mulgrave_, which lies in the latitude of 67° 45', +and in the longitude of 194° 51'. The land appeared very low next the +sea; but, a little back, it rises into hills of a moderate height. The +whole was free from snow, and, to appearance, destitute of wood. I now +tacked, and bore away N.W. by W., but soon after, thick weather with +rain coming on, and the wind increasing, I hauled more to the west. + +Next morning, at two o'clock, the wind veered to S.W. by S.; and blew +a strong gale, which abated at noon; and the sun shining out, we found +ourselves, by observation, in the latitude of 68° 18'. I now steered +N.E., till six o'clock the next morning, when I steered two points +more easterly. In this run, we met with several sea-horses and +flights of birds, some like sand-larks, and others no bigger than +hedge-sparrows. Some shags were also seen, so that we judged ourselves +to be not far from land. But as we had a thick fog, we could not +expect to see any; and, as the wind blew strong, it was not prudent +to continue a course which was most likely to bring us to it. From the +noon of this day, to six o'clock in the morning of the following, I +steered E. by N., which course brought us into sixteen fathoms water. +I now steered N.E. by E., thinking, by this course, to deepen our +water. But, in the space of six leagues, it shoaled to eleven fathoms, +which made me think it proper to haul close to the wind that now +blew at west. Toward noon, both sun and moon were seen clearly at +intervals, and we got some flying observations for the longitude, +which, reduced to noon, when the latitude was 70° 33', gave 197° 41'. +The time-keeper, for the same time, gave 198°, and the variation was +35° 1' 22" E. We had, afterward, reason to believe, that the observed +longitude was within a very few miles of the truth. + +Some time before noon, we perceived a brightness in the northern +horizon, like that reflected from ice, commonly called the blink. +It was little noticed, from a supposition that it was improbable we +should meet with ice so soon. And yet the sharpness of the air, and +gloominess of the weather, for two or three days past, seemed to +indicate some sudden change. About an hour after, the sight of a +large field of ice, left us no longer in doubt about the cause of the +brightness of the horizon. At half-past two, we tacked, close to +the edge of the ice, in twenty-two fathoms water, being then in the +latitude of 70° 41', not being able to stand on any farther. For the +ice was quite impenetrable, and extended from W. by N. to E. by N. as +far as the eye could reach. Here were abundance of sea-horses, some in +the water, but far more upon the ice. I had thoughts of hoisting out +the boats to kill some, but the wind freshening, I gave up the design, +and continued to ply to the southward, or rather to the westward, for +the wind came from that quarter. + +We gained nothing; for, on the 18th at noon, our latitude was 70° 44', +and we were near five leagues farther to the eastward. We were, at +this time, close to the edge of the ice, which was as compact as a +wall, and seemed to be ten or twelve feet high at least. But, farther +north, it appeared much higher. Its surface was extremely rugged; and +here and there, we saw upon it pools of water. + +We now stood to the southward; and, after running six leagues, shoaled +the water to seven fathoms, but it soon deepened to nine fathoms. At +this time, the weather, which had been hazy, clearing up a little, we +saw land extending from S. to S.E. by E., about three or four miles +distant. The eastern extreme forms a point, which was much encumbered +with ice, for which reason it obtained the name of _Icy Cape_. Its +latitude is 70° 29', and its longitude 198° 20'. The other extreme of +the land was lost in the horizon, so that there can be no doubt of its +being a continuation of the American continent. The Discovery being +about a mile astern, and to leeward, found less water than we did, +and tacking on that account, I was obliged to tack also, to prevent +separation. + +Our situation was now more and more critical. We were in shoal water, +upon a lee-shore, and the main body of the ice to windward, driving +down upon us. It was evident, that if we remained much longer between +it and the land, it would force us ashore, unless it should happen +to take the ground before us. It seemed nearly to join the land to +leeward; and the only direction that was open, was to the S.W. After +making a short board to the northward, I made the signal for the +Discovery to tack, and tacked myself at the same time. The wind proved +rather favourable, so that we lay up S.W. and S.W. by W. + +At eight in the morning of the 19th, the wind veering back to W., I +tacked to the northward, and, at noon, the latitude was 70° 6', and +the longitude 195° 42'. In this situation, we had a good deal of +drift-ice about us; and the main ice was about two leagues to the N. +At half-past one, we got in with the edge of it. It was not so compact +as that which we had seen to the northward; but it was too close, and +in too large pieces, to attempt forcing the ships through it. On the +ice lay a prodigious number of sea-horses; and, as we were in want of +fresh provisions, the boats from each ship were sent to get some. + +By seven o'clock in the evening, we had received, on board the +Resolution, nine of these animals, which, till now, we had supposed +to be sea-cows; so that we were not a little disappointed, especially +some of the seamen, who, for the novelty of the thing, had been +feasting their eyes for some days past. Nor would they have been +disappointed now, nor have known the difference, if we had not +happened to have one or two on board, who had been in Greenland, and +declared what animals these were, and that no one ever eat of them. +But, notwithstanding this, we lived upon them as long as they lasted; +and there were few on board who did not prefer them to our salt meat. + +The fat; at first, is as sweet as marrow; but in a few days it grows +rancid, unless it be salted, in which state it will keep much longer. +The lean flesh is coarse, black, and has rather a strong taste; and +the heart is nearly as well tasted as that of a bullock. The fat, when +melted, yields a good deal of oil, which burns very well in lamps; and +their hides, which are very thick, were very useful about our rigging. +The teeth or tusks of most of them were, at this time, very small; +even some of the largest and oldest of these animals had them not +exceeding six inches in length. From this we concluded, that they had +lately shed their old teeth. + +They lie, in herds of many hundreds, upon the ice, huddling one over +the other like swine, and roar or bray very loud, so that, in the +night or in foggy weather, they gave us notice of the vicinity of the +ice before we could see it. We never found the whole herd asleep, some +being always upon the watch. These, on the approach of the boat, +would wake those next to them, and the alarm being thus gradually +communicated, the whole herd would be awake presently. But they were +seldom in a hurry to get away, till after they had once been fired at. +Then they would tumble one over the other, into the sea, in the utmost +confusion. And if we did not, at the first discharge, kill those we +fired at, we generally lost them, though mortally wounded. They +did not appear to us to be that dangerous animal some authors +have described, not even when attacked. They are rather more so to +appearance than in reality. Vast numbers of them would follow, and +come close up to the boats. But the flash of a musket in the pan, +or even the bare pointing of one at them, would send them down in an +instant. The female will defend the young one to the very last, and +at the expense of her own life, whether in the water, or upon the ice. +Nor will the young one quit the dam, though she be dead; so that, if +you kill one, you are sure of the other. The dam, when in the water, +holds the young one between her fore-fins. + +Mr Pennant, in his _Synopsis Quadr._ p. 835,[2] has given a very good +description of this animal under the name of _Arctic Walrus_, but I +have no where seen a good drawing of one. Why they should be called +sea-horses is hard to say, unless the word be a corruption of the +Russian name _Morse_, for they have not the least resemblance of a +horse. This is, without doubt, the same animal that is found in the +Gulf of St Laurence, and there called Sea-cow. It is certainly more +like a cow than a horse; but this likeness consists in nothing but the +snout. In short, it is an animal like a seal, but incomparably larger. +The dimensions and weight of one, which was none of the largest, were +as follows:-- + + Feet. Inches. + + Length from the snout to the tail 9 4 + Length of the neck, from the snout to the + shoulder-bone 2 6 + Height of the shoulder 5 0 + + Length of the fins { Fore 2 4 + { Hind 2 6 + + Breadth of the fins { Fore 1 2-1/2 + { Hind 2 0 + + Snout { Breadth 0 5-1/2 + { Depth 1 3 + + Circumference of the neck close to the ears 2 7 + Circumference of the body at the shoulder 7 10 + Circumference near the hind fins 5 6 + From the snout to the eyes 0 7 + + + lbs. + Weight of the carcase, without + the head, skin, or entrails 854 + Head 41-1/2 + Skin 205 + +[Footnote 2: Mr Pennant, since Captain Cook wrote this, has described +this animal in a work which he calls Arctic Zoology. We refer the +reader to N° 72. of that work.--D.] + +I could not find out what these animals feed upon. There was nothing +in the maws of those we killed. + +It is worth observing, that for some days before this date, we had +frequently seen flocks of ducks flying to the southward. They were of +two sorts, the one much larger than the other, the largest were of +a brown colour; and, of the small sort, either the duck or drake was +black and white, and the other brown. Some said they saw geese also. +Does not this indicate that there must be land to the north, where +these birds find shelter, in the proper season, to breed, and from +whence they were now returning to a warmer climate? + +By the time that we had got our sea-horses on board, we were, in a +manner, surrounded with the ice, and had no way left to clear it, but +by standing to the southward, which was done till three o'clock next +morning, with a gentle breeze westerly, and for the most part, thick, +foggy weather. The soundings were from twelve to fifteen fathoms. We +then tacked, and stood to the north till ten o'clock, when the wind +veering to the northward, we directed our course to the S.W. and W. At +two in the afternoon, we fell in with the main ice, along the edge of +which we kept, being partly directed by the roaring of the sea-horses, +for we had a very thick fog. Thus we continued sailing till near +midnight, when we got in amongst the loose ice, and heard the surge of +the sea upon the main ice. + +The fog being very thick, and the wind easterly, I now hauled to the +southward; and, at ten o'clock the next morning, the fog clearing +away, we saw the continent of America, extending from S. by E. to +E. by S., and at noon, from S.W. 1/2 S. to E., the nearest part five +leagues distant. At this time we were in the latitude of 69° 32', +and in the longitude of 195° 48'; and as the main ice was at no great +distance from us, it is evident that it now covered a part of the sea, +which, but a few days before, had been clear, and that it extended +farther to the S., than where we first fell in with it. It must not be +understood, that I supposed any part of this ice which we had seen +to be fixed; on the contrary, I am well assured, that the whole was a +moveable mass. + +Having but little wind in the afternoon, I sent the master in a boat, +to try if there was any current, but he found none. I continued to +steer in for the American land, until eight o'clock, in order to get a +nearer view of it, and to look for a harbour; but seeing nothing like +one, I stood again to the N., with a light breeze westerly. At this +time, the coast, extended from S.W. to E., the nearest part four or +five leagues distant. The southern extreme seemed to form a point, +which was named _Cape Lisburne_. It lies in the latitude of 69° 5', +and in the longitude of 194° 42', and appeared to be pretty high land, +even down to the sea. But there may be low land under it, which we +might not see, being not less than ten leagues distant from it. Every +where else, as we advanced northward, we had found a low coast, from +which the land rises to a middle height. The coast now before us was +without snow, except in one or two places, and had a greenish hue. But +we could not perceive any wood upon it. + +On the 22d, the wind was southerly, and the weather mostly foggy, +with some intervals of sunshine. At eight in the evening it fell calm, +which continued till midnight, when we heard the surge of the sea +against the ice, and had several loose pieces about us. A light breeze +now sprung up at N.E., and as the fog was very thick, I steered to +the southward to clear the ice. At eight o'clock next morning, the fog +dispersed, and I hauled to the westward. For, finding that I could not +get to the north near the coast, on account of the ice, I resolved to +try what could be done at a distance from it; and as the wind seemed +to be settled at north, I thought it a good opportunity. + +As we advanced to the west, the water deepened gradually to +twenty-eight fathoms, which was the most we had. With the northerly +wind the air was raw, sharp, and cold, and we had fogs, sunshine, +showers of snow and sleet, by turns. At ten in the morning of the +26th, we fell in with the ice. At noon, it extended from N.W. to E. +by N., and appeared to be thick and compact. At this time, we were, by +observation, in the latitude 69° 36', and in the longitude of 184°; so +that it now appeared we had no better prospect of getting to the north +here, than nearer the shore. + +I continued to stand to the westward, till five in the afternoon, when +we were in a manner embayed by the ice, which appeared high, and very +close in the N.W. and N.E. quarters, with a great deal of loose ice +about the edge of the main field. At this time we had baffling light +winds, but it soon fixed at S., and increased to a fresh gale, +with showers of rain. We got the tack aboard, and stretched to the +eastward, this being the only direction in which the sea was clear of +ice. + +At four in the morning of the 27th, we tacked and stood to the W., +and, at seven in the evening, we were close in with the edge of the +ice, which lay E.N.E., and W.S.W., as far each way as the eye could +reach. Having but little wind, I went with the boats to examine the +state of the ice. I found it consisting of loose pieces, of various +extent, and so close together, that I could hardly enter the outer +edge with a boat; and it was as impossible for the ships to enter it, +as if it had been so many rocks. I took particular notice, that it was +all pure transparent ice, except the upper surface, which was a little +porous. It appeared to be entirely composed of frozen snow, and to +have been all formed at sea. For setting aside the improbability, or +rather impossibility, of such huge masses floating out of rivers, in +which there is hardly water for a boat, none of the productions of +the land were found incorporated, or fixed in it, which must have +unavoidably been the case, had it been formed in rivers, either great +or small. The pieces of ice that formed the outer edge of the field, +were from forty or fifty yards in extent, to four or five; and I +judged, that the larger pieces reached thirty feet, or more, under +the surface of the water. It also appeared to me very improbable, that +this ice could have been the production of the preceding winter alone. +I should suppose it rather to have been the production of a great many +winters. Nor was it less improbable, according to my judgment, that +the little that remained of the summer could destroy the tenth part of +what now subsisted of this mass, for the sun had already exerted upon +it the full influence of his rays. Indeed I am of opinion, that the +sun contributes very little toward reducing these great masses. For +although that luminary is a considerable while above the horizon, it +seldom shines out for more than a few hours at a time, and often is +not seen for several days in succession. It is the wind, or rather the +waves raised by the wind, that brings down the bulk of these enormous +masses, by grinding one piece against another, and by undermining and +washing away those parts that lie exposed to the surge of the sea. +This was evident, from our observing, that the upper surface of many +pieces had been partly washed away, while the base or under part +remained firm for several fathoms round that which appeared above +water, exactly like a shoal round an elevated rock. We measured the +depth of water upon one, and found it to be fifteen feet, so that the +ships might have sailed over it. If I had not measured this depth, +I would not have believed that there was a sufficient weight of ice +above the surface to have sunk the other so much below it. Thus it +may happen, that more ice is destroyed in one stormy season, than is +formed in several winters, and an endless accumulation is prevented. +But that there is always a remaining store, every one who has been +upon the spot will conclude, and none but closet-studying philosophers +will dispute.[3] + +[Footnote 3: These observations of Captain Cook, in addition to some +remarks which were formerly given on the subject, seem conclusive +against the supposition of such large masses of ice being the product +of rivers, as has not unfrequently been maintained. They may, however, +have proceeded from land in another way, being occasioned by the +consolidation of snow into such masses as were of sufficient weight +to separate from the declivities where they had been formed. This +undoubtedly may sometimes happen; but the explanation of their origin +formerly offered, seems much more entitled to consideration, as a +generally operating cause. The last remark which Captain Cook makes, +appears to have been levelled at some would-be-wise heads, who had +hazarded reflections about the possibility of some time or other +finding an open sea in high latitudes. But, however illiberally +stated, it is in all probability just, though for a reason unknown to +Cook. The chemical reader will perceive we allude to the circumstance +of the absorption of heat that takes places during the liquefaction +of ice, in consequence of which the temperature of the surrounding +atmosphere is reduced so much, as to prevent any more of the ice being +dissolved. A contrary operation, as is now well known, takes place +during the congelation of water, and heat is evolved. Thus then the +cold of winter is moderated. And so, on the whole, the temperature +is kept more uniform, than, without such adjustment, would be the +case.--E.] + +A thick fog, which came on while I was thus employed with the boats, +hastened me aboard, rather sooner than I could have wished, with one +sea-horse to each ship. We had killed more, but could not wait to +bring them with us. The number of these animals, on all the ice that +we had seen, is almost incredible. We spent the night standing off and +on amongst the drift ice; and at nine o'clock the next morning, +the fog having partly dispersed, boats from each ship were sent for +sea-horses. For, by this time, our people began to relish them, and +those we had procured before were all consumed. At noon, our latitude +was 69° 17', our longitude 183°, the variation by the morning +azimuths, 25° 56' E., and the depth of water twenty-five fathoms. At +two o'clock, having got on board as much marine beef as was thought +necessary, and the wind freshening at S.S.E., we took on board the +boats, and stretched to the S.W. But not being able to weather the ice +upon this tack, or to go through it, we made a board to the east, +till eight o'clock, then resumed our course to the S.W., and before +midnight were obliged to tack again, on account of the ice. Soon +after, the wind shifted to the N.W., blowing a stiff gale, and we +stretched to the S.W., close hauled. + +In the morning of the 29th, we saw the main ice to the northward, and +not long after, land bearing S.W. by W. Presently after this, more +land shewed itself, bearing W. It shewed itself in two hills like +islands, but afterward the whole appeared connected. As we approached +the land, the depth of water decreased very fast; so that at noon, +when we tacked, we had only eight fathoms, being three miles from the +coast, which extended from S., 30° E., to N., 60° W. This last extreme +terminated in a bluff point, being one of the hills above mentioned. + +The weather at this time was very hazy, with drizzling rain; but +soon after it cleared, especially to the southward, westward, and +northward. This enabled us to have a pretty good view of the coast, +which, in every respect, is like the opposite one of America; that +is, low land next the sea, with elevated land farther back. It was +perfectly destitute of wood, and even snow; but was, probably, covered +with a mossy substance, that gave it a brownish cast. In the low +ground, lying between the high land and the sea, was a lake, +extending to the S.E., farther than we could see. As we stood off, the +westernmost of the two hills before mentioned came open off the bluff +point, in the direction of N.W. It had the appearance of being an +island; but it might be joined to the other by low land, though we did +not see it. And if so, there is a two-fold point, with a bay between +them. This point, which is steep and rocky, was named _Cape North_. +Its situation is nearly in the latitude of 68° 56', and in the +longitude of 180° 51'. The coast beyond it must take a very westerly +direction; for we could see no land to the northward of it, though the +horizon was there pretty clear. Being desirous of seeing more of +the coast to the westward, we tacked again at two o'clock in the +afternoon, thinking we could weather Cape North. But finding we could +not, the wind freshening, a thick fog coming on, with much snow, and +being fearful of the ice coming down upon us, I gave up the design I +had formed of plying to the westward, and stood off shore again. + +The season was now so far advanced, and the time when the frost is +expected to set in so near at hand, that I did not think it consistent +with prudence, to make any farther attempts to find a passage into the +Atlantic this year, in any direction, so little was the prospect of +succeeding. My attention was now directed toward finding out some +place where we might supply ourselves with wood and water; and the +object uppermost in my thoughts was, how I should spend the winter, so +as to make some improvements in geography and navigation, and, at the +same time, be in a condition to return to the north, in farther search +of a passage, the ensuing summer. + + +SECTION X. + +_Return from Cape North, along the Coast of Asia.--Views of the +Country.--Burner's Island.--Cape Serdze Kamen, the Northern Limit +of Beering's Voyage.--Pass the East Cape of Asia.--Description and +Situation of it.--Observations on Muller.--The Tschutski.--Bay +of Saint Laurence.--Two other Bays, and Habitations of the +Natives.--Beering's Cape Tschukotskoi.--Beering's Position of this +Coast accurate.--Island of Saint Laurence.--Pass to the +American Coast.--Cape Darby.--Bald Head.--Cape Denbigh, on a +Peninsula.--Besborough Island.--Wood and Water procured.--Visits +from the Natives.--Their Persons and Habitations.--Produce of the +Country.--Marks that the Peninsula had formerly been surrounded by +the Sea.--Lieutenant King's Report.--Norton Sound.--Lunar Observations +there.--Stæhlin's Map proved to be erroneous,--Plan of future +Operations._ + +After having stood off till we got into eighteen fathoms water, I +bore up to the eastward, along the coast, which, by this time; it was +pretty certain, could only be the continent of Asia. As the wind +blew fresh, with a very heavy fall of snow, and a thick mist, it was +necessary to proceed with great caution. I therefore brought-to for a +few hours in the night. + +At day-break, on the 30th, we made sail, and steered such a course as +I thought would bring us in with the land, being in a great measure +guided by the lead. For the weather was as thick as ever, and it +snowed incessantly. At ten, we got sight of the coast, bearing S.W., +four miles distant; and presently after, having shoaled the water to +seven fathoms, we hauled off. At this time, a very low point, or spit, +bore S.S.W., two or three miles distant; to the E. of which there +appeared to be a narrow channel, leading into some water that we saw +over the point. Probably the lake before mentioned communicates here +with the sea. + +At noon, the mist dispersing for a short interval, we had a tolerably +good view of the coast, which extended from S.E. to N.W. by W. Some +parts appeared higher than others; but in general it was very low, +with high land farther up the country. The whole was now covered with +snow, which had lately fallen quite down to the sea. I continued to +range along the coast at two leagues distance, till ten at night, +when we hauled off; but we resumed our course next morning, soon after +day-break, when we got sight of the coast again, extending from W. +to S.E. by S. At eight, the eastern part bore S., and proved to be an +island, which at noon bore S.W. 1/2 S., four or five miles distant. It +is about four or five miles in circuit, of a middling height, with a +steep, rocky coast, situated about three leagues from the main, in +the latitude of 67° 45', and distinguished in the chart by the name of +_Burney's Island_. + +The inland country hereabout is full of hills, some of which are of +a considerable height. The land was covered with snow, except a few +spots upon the sea-coast, which still continued low, but less so than +farther westward. For the two preceding days, the mean height of the +mercury in the thermometer had been very little above the freezing +point, and often below it; so that the water in the vessels upon the +deck was frequently covered with a sheet of ice. + +I continued to steer S.S.E., nearly in the direction of the coast, +till five in the afternoon, when land was seen bearing S., 50° E., +which we presently found to be a continuation of the coast, and hauled +up for it. Being abreast of the eastern land at ten at night, and in +doubts of weathering it, we tacked, and made a board to the westward, +till past one the next morning, when we stood again to the east, and +found that it was as much as we could do to keep our distance from the +coast, the wind being exceedingly unsettled, varying continually +from N. to N.E. At half an hour past eight, the eastern extreme above +mentioned bore S. by E., six or seven miles distant. At the same time, +a head-land appeared in sight, bearing E. by S., 1/2 S.; and, soon +after, we could trace the whole coast lying between them, and a small +island at some distance from it. + +The coast seemed to form several rocky points, connected by a low +shore, without the least appearance of a harbour. At some distance +from the sea, the low land appeared to swell into a number of hills. +The highest of these were covered with snow, and, in other respects, +the whole country seemed naked. At seven in the evening, two points of +land, at some distance beyond the eastern head, opened off it, in the +direction of S., 37° E. I was now well assured, of what I had believed +before, that this was the country of the Tschutski, or the N.E. coast +of Asia; and that thus far Beering proceeded in 1728; that is, to this +head, which Muller says is called _Serdze Kamen_, on account of a +rock upon it, shaped like a heart. But I conceive, that Mr Muller's +knowledge of the geography of these parts is very imperfect. There are +many elevated rocks upon this cape, and possibly some one or other of +them may have the shape or a heart. It is a pretty lofty promontory, +with a steep rocky cliff facing the sea, and lies in the latitude of +67° 3', and in the longitude of 188° 11'. To the eastward of it, the +coast is high and bold; but to the westward it is low, and trends +N.N.W., and N.W. by W., which is nearly its direction all the way +to Cape North. The soundings are every where the same at the same +distance from the shore, which is also the case on the opposite +shore of America. The greatest depth we found in ranging along it +was twenty-three fathoms. And, in the night, or in foggy weather, the +soundings are no bad guide in sailing along either of these shores. + +At eight o'clock in the morning of the 2d, the most advanced land +to the S.E., bore S., 25° E., and from this point of view had the +appearance of being an island. But the thick snow showers, which +succeeded one another pretty, fast, and settled upon the land, hid +great part of the coast at this time from our sight. Soon after, the +sun, whose face we had not seen for near five days, broke out at the +intervals between the showers, and, in some measure, freed the coast +from the fog, so that we had a sight of it, and found the whole to be +connected. The wind still continued at north, the air was cold, and +the mercury in the thermometer never rose above 35°, and was sometimes +as low as 30°. At noon the observed latitude was 66° 37', Cape Serdze +Kamen bore N., 52° W., thirteen leagues distant; the southernmost +point of land in sight S., 41° E., the nearest part of the coast two +leagues distant, and our depth of water twenty-two fathoms. + +We had now fair weather and sunshine, and as we ranged along +the coast, at the distance of four miles, we saw several of the +inhabitants, and some of their habitations, which looked like little +hillocks of earth. In the evening we passed the _Eastern Cape_, or the +point above mentioned, from which the coast changes its direction, and +trends S.W. It is the same point of land which we had passed on the +11th of August. They who believed implicitly in Mr Stæhlin's map, then +thought it the east point of his island Alaschka; but we had, by +this time, satisfied ourselves, that it is no other than the eastern +promontory of Asia, and probably the proper _Tschukotskoi Noss_, +though the promontory, to which Beering gave that name, is farther to +the S.W. + +Though Mr Muller, in his map of the Russian Discoveries, places the +Tschukotskoi Noss nearly in 75° of latitude, and extends it somewhat +to the eastward of this cape, it appears to me, that he had no +good authority for so doing. Indeed, his own accounts, or rather +Deshneff's,[1] of the distance between the Noss, and the river Anadir, +cannot be reconciled with this very northerly position. But as I hope +to visit these parts again, I shall leave the discussion of this point +till then. In the mean time, I must conclude, as Beering did before +me, that this is the most eastern point of Asia. It is a peninsula of +considerable height, joined to the continent by a very low, and, to +appearance, narrow neck of land. It shews a steep rocky clift next the +sea, and off the very point are some rocks like spires. It is situated +in the latitude of 66° 6', and in the longitude of 190° 22', and is +distant from Cape Prince of Wales, on the American coast, thirteen +leagues, in the direction of N., 53° W. The land about this promontory +is composed of hills and vallies. The former terminate at the sea in +steep rocky points, and the latter in low shores. The hills seemed to +be naked rocks; but the vallies had a greenish hue, but destitute of +tree or shrub.[2] + +[Footnote 1: Avec le vent le plus favorable, on peut aller par mer de +cette pointe (des Tschukotschis), jusqu' à l'Anadir en trois fois +24 heures; et par terre le chemin ne peut guère etre plus +long.--_Muller_, p. 13.--D.] + +[Footnote 2: Deshnef's voyage in 1648, is considered the only one +previous to this of Cook, in which the north-eastern extremity of Asia +was doubled. Some account of it is given in Coxe's work. Others have +pretended to this achievement, but there is not evidence to warrant +belief of the fact. Beering, indeed, in 1728, got as far north as +67° 18'; but as he immediately returned, and made no progress on the +Asiatic coast, he is not entitled to this merit, although the extent +of his discovery, as to the separation of the two continents, has +procured him the honour of giving a name to the Strait which divides +them.--E.] + +After passing the cape, I steered S.W. 1/2 W., for the northern point +of St Laurence Bay, in which we had anchored on the 10th of last +month. We reached it by eight o'clock next morning, and saw some of +the inhabitants at the place where I had seen them before, as well as +several others on the opposite side of the bay. None of them, however, +attempted to come off to us, which seemed a little extraordinary, +as the weather was favourable enough; and those whom we had lately +visited had no reason, that I know of, to dislike our company. These +people must be the Tschutski; a nation that, at the time Mr Muller +wrote, the Russians had not been able to conquer. And, from the whole +of their conduct with us, it appears that they have not, as yet, +brought them under subjection; though it is obvious that they must +have a trade with the Russians, either directly, or by means of some +neighbouring nation, as we cannot otherwise account for their being in +possession of the spontoons, in particular, of which we took notice. + +This bay of St Laurence[3] is, at least, five leagues broad at the +entrance, and four leagues deep, narrowing towards the bottom, +where it appeared to be tolerably well sheltered from the sea-winds, +provided there be a sufficient depth of water for ships. I did not +wait to examine it, although I was very desirous of finding an harbour +in those parts, to which I might resort next spring. But I wanted one +where wood might be got, and I knew that none was to be found here. +From the south point of this bay, which lies in the latitude of 65° +30', the coast trends W. by S., for about nine leagues, and there +forms a deep bay, or river, or else the land there is so low that we +could not see it. + +[Footnote 3: Captain Cook gives it this name, having anchored in it +on St Laurence's day, August 10. It is remarkable, that Beering sailed +past this very place on the 10th of August 1728; on which account, the +neighbouring island was named by him after the same Saint.--D. + +But Dr Douglas seems to err in this observation. At least, according +to Mr Coxe's account, it would appear, that it was the island of St +Laurence, which we shall immediately find Captain Cook afterwards fell +in with, and not the bay so named, which Beering passed on the 10th +August. This, however, is a trivial correction, if even the imperfect +relation we possess of Beering's progress could prove it to be +one.--E.] + +At one in the afternoon, in the direction of our course, we saw what +was first taken for a rock; but it proved to be a dead whale, which +some natives of the Asiatic coast had killed, and were towing ashore. +They seemed to conceal themselves behind the fish to avoid being seen +by us. This was unnecessary, for we pursued our course, without taking +any notice of them. + +At day-break on the 4th, I hauled to the N.W., in order to get a +nearer view of the inlet seen the preceding day; but the wind, soon +after, veering to that direction, I gave up the design; and steered to +the southward along the coast, past two bays, each about two leagues +deep. The northernmost lies before a hill, which is remarkable by +being rounder than any other upon the coast. And there is an island +lying before the other. It may be doubted, whether there be a +sufficient depth for ships in either of these bays, as we always met +with shoal water, when we edged in for the shore. The country here is +exceedingly hilly and naked. In several places on the low ground, next +the sea, were the dwellings of the natives; and near all of them were +erected stages of bones, such as before described. These may be seen +at a great distance, on account of their whiteness. + +At noon the latitude was 64° 31', and the longitude 188° 45'; the +southernmost point of the main in sight bore S., 48° W., and the +nearest shore about three or four leagues distant. By this time, the +wind had veered again to the N., and blew a gentle breeze. The weather +was clear, and the air cold. I did not follow the direction of the +coast, as I found that it look a westerly direction toward the Gulf +of Anadir, into which I had no inducement to go, but steered to the +southward, in order to get a sight of the island of St Laurence, +discovered by Beering, which accordingly shewed itself, and at eight +o'clock in the evening, it bore S., 20° E., by estimation, eleven +leagues distant. At the same time, the southernmost point of the main +land bore S., 83° W., distant twelve leagues. I take this to be +the point which Beering calls the east point of Suchotski, or _Cape +Tschukotskoi_; a name which he gave it, and with propriety, because it +was from this part of the coast that the natives came off to him, who +called themselves of the nation of Tschutski. I make its latitude to +be 64° 13', and its longitude 186° 36'. + +In justice to the memory of Beering, I must say, that he has +delineated the coast very well, and fixed the latitude and longitude +of the points better than could be expected from the methods he had +to go by. This judgment is not formed from Mr Muller's account of +the voyage, or the chart prefixed to his book; but from Dr Campbell's +account of it in his edition of Harris's collection, and a map thereto +annexed, which is both more circumstantial and accurate than that of +Mr Muller. + +The more I was convinced of my being now upon the coast of Asia, the +more I was at a loss to reconcile Mr Stæhlin's map of the New Northern +Archipelago with my observations; and I had no way to account for the +great difference, but by supposing, that I had mistaken some part of +what he calls the island of Alaschka for the American continent, and +had missed the channel that separates them. Admitting even this, there +would still have been a considerable difference. It was with me a +matter of some consequence, to clear up this point the present season, +that I might have but one object in view the next. And, as these +northern isles are represented by him as abounding with wood, I was +in hopes, if I should find them, of getting a supply of that article, +which we now began to be in great want of on board. + +With these views, I steered over for the American coast; and, at five +in the afternoon the next day, saw land bearing S. 1/4 E., which +we took to be Anderson's Island, or some other land near it, and +therefore did not wait to examine it. On the 6th, at four in the +morning, we got sight of the American coast near Sledge Island; and +at six, the same evening, this island bore N., 6° E., ten leagues +distant; and the easternmost land in sight N., 49° E. If any part of +what I had supposed to be American coast could possibly be the island +of Alaschka, it was that now before us; and in that case, I must have +missed the channel between it and the main, by steering to the west, +instead of the east, after we first fell in with it. I was not, +therefore, at a loss where to go, in order to clear up these doubts. + +At eight in the evening of the 7th, we had got close in with the land, +Sledge Island bearing N. 85° W., eight or nine leagues distant; +and the eastern part of the coast N. 70° E., with high land in the +direction of E. by N., seemingly at a great distance beyond the +point. At this time we saw a light ashore, and two canoes, filled with +people, coming off toward us. I brought-to, that they might have time +to come up. But it was to no purpose; for, resisting all the signs of +friendship we could exhibit, they kept at the distance of a quarter of +a mile; so that we left them, and pursued our course along the coast. + +At one in the morning of the 8th, finding the water shoal pretty fast, +we dropped anchor in ten fathoms, where we lay until day-light, and +then resumed our course along the coast, which we found to trend E., +and E. 1/2 S. At seven in the evening, we were abreast of a point, +lying in the latitude of 64° 21', and in the longitude of 197°, beyond +which the coast takes a more northerly direction. At eight, this +point, which obtained the name of _Cape Darby_, bore S. 62° W.; the +northernmost land in sight, N. 32° E., and the nearest shore three +miles distant. In this situation we anchored in thirteen fathoms +water, over a muddy bottom. + +Next morning, at day-break, we weighed, and sailed along the coast. +Two islands, as we supposed them to be, were at that time seen, the +one bearing S. 70° E., and the other E. Soon after, we found ourselves +upon a coast covered with wood; an agreeable sight, to which of late +we had not been accustomed. As we advanced to the north, we +raised land in the direction of N.E. 1/2 N., which proved to be a +continuation of the coast we were upon. We also saw high land over the +islands, seemingly at a good distance beyond them. This was thought +to be the continent, and the other land the island of Alaschka. But it +was already doubtful, whether we should find a passage between them; +for the water shoaled insensibly as we advanced further to the north. +In this situation, two boats were sent to sound before the ships, and +I ordered the Discovery to lead, keeping nearly in the mid-channel, +between the coast on our larboard, and the northernmost island on our +starboard. Thus we proceeded till three in the afternoon, when, having +passed the island, we had not more than three fathoms and a half of +water, and the Resolution, at one time, brought the mud up from the +bottom. More water was not to be found in any part of the channel, +for, with the ships and boats, we had tried it from side to side. + +I therefore thought it high time to return, especially as the wind was +in such a quarter that we must ply back. But what I dreaded most was +the wind increasing, and raising the sea into waves, so as to put the +ships in danger of striking. At this time, a head-land on the west +shore, which is distinguished by the name of _Bald Head_, bore N. by +W., one league distant. The coast beyond it extended as far as N.E. by +N., where it seemed to end in a point, behind which the coast of the +high land, seen over the islands, stretched itself, and some thought +they could trace where it joined. On the west side of Bald Head, the +shore forms a bay, in the bottom of which is a low beach, where we saw +a number of huts or habitations of the natives. + +Having continued to ply back all night, by day-break the next morning +we had got into six fathoms water. At nine o'clock, being about a +league from the west shore, I took two boats, and landed, attended by +Mr King, to seek wood and water. We landed where the coast projects +out into a bluff head, composed of perpendicular _strata_ of a rock of +a dark-blue colour, mixed with quartz and glimmer. There joins to the +beach a narrow border of land, now covered with long grass, and where +we met with some _angelica_. Beyond this, the ground rises abruptly. +At the top of this elevation, we found a heath, abounding with a +variety of berries; and further on, the country was level, and thinly +covered with small spruce-trees, and birch and willows no bigger than +broom-stuff. We observed tracks of deer and foxes on the beach; on +which also lay a great quantity of drift-wood, and there was no want +of fresh water. I returned on board, with an intention to bring the +ships to an anchor here; but the wind then veering to N.E., which blew +rather on this shore, I stretched over to the opposite one, in the +expectation of finding wood there also, and anchored at eight o'clock +in the evening, under the south end of the northernmost island, so +we then supposed it to be; but, next morning, we found it to be a +peninsula, united to the continent by a low neck of land, on each side +of which the coast forms a bay. We plied into the southernmost, and +about noon anchored in five fathoms water, over a bottom of mud; the +point of the peninsula, which obtained the name of _Cape Denbigh_, +bearing N. 68° W., three miles distant. + +Several people were seen upon the peninsula, and one man came off in a +small canoe. I gave him a knife, and a few beads, with which he seemed +well pleased. Having made signs to him to bring us something to eat, +he immediately left us, and paddled toward the shore. But meeting +another man coming off, who happened to have two dried salmon, he got +them from him; and on returning to the ship, would give them to nobody +but me. Some of our people thought that he asked for me under the name +of _Capitane_; but in this they were probably mistaken. He knew who +had given him the knife and beads, but I do not see how he could know +that I was the captain. Others of the natives soon after came off, and +exchanged a few dry fish, for such trifles as they could get, or we +had to give them. They were most desirous of knives, and they had no +dislike to tobacco. + +After dinner, Lieutenant Gore was sent to the peninsula, to see if +wood and water were there to be got, or rather water; for the whole +beach round the bay seemed to be covered with drift-wood. At the same +time, a boat was sent from each ship, to sound round the bay; and, at +three in the afternoon, the wind freshening at N.E., we weighed, in +order to work farther in. But it was soon found to be impossible, +on account of the shoals, which extended quite round the bay, to the +distance of two or three miles from the shore, as the officers, who +had been sent to sound, reported. We, therefore, kept standing off +and on with the ships, waiting for Mr Gore, who returned about eight +o'clock, with the launch laden with wood. + +He reported, that there was but little fresh water; and that wood +was difficult to be got at, by reason of the boats grounding at some +distance from the beach. This being the case, I stood back to the +other shore; and, at eight o'clock the next morning, sent all the +boats, and a party of men with an officer, to get wood from the place +where I had landed two days before. We continued for a while to +stand on and off with the ships; but, at length, came to an anchor in +one-fourth less than five fathoms, half a league from the coast, the +south point of which bore S. 26° W.; and Bald Head, N. 60° E., +nine leagues distant. Cape Denbigh bore S. 72° E., twenty-six miles +distant; and the island under the east shore, to the southward of +Cape Denbigh, named _Besborough Island_, S. 52° E., fifteen leagues +distant. + +As this was a very open road, and consequently not a safe station, +I resolved not to wait to complete water, as that would require some +time; but only to supply the ships with wood, and then to go in search +of a more convenient place for the other article. We took off the +drift-wood that lay upon the beach; and as the wind blew along +shore, the boats could sail both ways, which enabled us to make great +dispatch. + +In the afternoon, I went ashore, and walked a little into the country, +which, where there was no wood, was covered with heath and other +plants, some of which produce berries in abundance. All the berries +were ripe, the hurtle-berries too much so, and hardly a single plant +was in flower. The underwood, such as birch, willows, and alders, +rendered it very troublesome walking amongst the trees, which were all +spruce, and none of them above six or eight inches in diameter. But +we found some lying upon the beach more than twice this size. All the +drift-wood in these northern parts was fir. I saw not a stick of any +other sort. + +Next day, a family of the natives came near to the place where we were +taking off wood. I know not how many there were at first; but I saw +only the husband, the wife, and their child; and a fourth person who +bore the human shape, and that was all; for he was the most deformed +cripple I had ever seen or heard of. The other man was almost blind; +and neither he nor his wife were such good-looking people as we had +sometimes seen amongst the natives of this coast. The under-lips +of both were bored; and they had in their possession some such +glass-beads as I had met with before amongst their neighbours. But +iron was their beloved article. For four knives, which we had made out +of an old iron hoop, I got from them near four hundred pounds weight +of fish, which they had caught on this or the preceding day. Some were +trout, and the rest were, in size and taste, somewhat between a mullet +and a herring. I gave the child, who was a girl, a few beads; on which +the mother burst into tears, then the father, then the cripple, and +at last, to complete the concert, the girl herself. But this music +continued not long.[4] Before night, we had got the ships, amply +supplied with wood; and had carried on board about twelve tons of +water to each. + +[Footnote 4: Captain King has communicated the following account of +an interview with the same family: "On the 12th, while I attended the +wooding party, a canoe, full of natives, approached us; and, beckoning +them to land, an elderly man and woman came on shore. I gave the woman +a small knife, making her understand, that I would give, her a much +larger one for some fish. She made signs to me to follow her. I had +proceeded with them about a mile, when the man, in crossing a stony +beach, fell down, and cut his foot very much. This made me stop; upon +which the woman pointed to the man's eyes, which, I observed, were +covered with a thick, white film. He afterward kept close to his wife, +who apprised him of the obstacles in his way. The woman had a little +child on her back, covered with the hood of her jacket; and which I +took for a bundle till I heard it cry. At about two miles distant we +came to their open skin boat, which was turned on its side, the convex +part towards the wind, and served for their house. I was now made to +perform a singular operation on the man's eyes. First, I was directed +to hold my breath; afterwards, to breathe on the diseased eyes; and, +next, to spit on them. The woman then took both my hands, and pressing +them to his stomach, held them there for some time, while she related +some calamitous history of her family; pointing sometimes to her +husband, sometimes to a frightful cripple belonging to the family, and +sometimes to her child. I purchased all the fish they had, consisting +of very fine salmon, salmon-trout, and mullet; which were delivered +most faithfully to the man I sent for them. The man was about five +feet two inches high, and well made; his colour of a light copper; his +hair black and short, and with little beard. He had two holes in his +under-lip, but no ornaments in them. The woman was short and squat, +with a plump round face; wore a deer-skin jacket, with a large hood, +and had on wide boots. The teeth of both were black, and seemed as if +they had been filed down level with the gums. The woman was punctured +from the lip to the chin."--D.] + +On the 14th, a party of men were sent on shore to cut brooms, which +we were in want of, and the branches of spruce trees for brewing beer. +Toward noon, every body was taken on board; for the wind freshening, +had raised such a surf on the beach, that the boats could not continue +to land without great difficulty. Some doubts being still entertained, +whether the coast we were now upon belonged to an island or the +American continent; and the shallowness of the water putting it out +of our power to determine this with our ships, I sent Lieutenant King, +with two boats under his command, to make such searches as might leave +no room for a variety of opinions on the subject.[5] Next day, the +ships removed over to the bay, which is on the S.E. side of Cape +Denbigh, where we anchored in the afternoon. Soon after, a few of the +natives came off in their small canoes, and bartered some dried salmon +for such trifles as our people had to give them. + +[Footnote 5: Captain King has been so good as to communicate his +instructions on this occasion, and the particulars of the fatigue he +underwent, in carrying them into execution: + +"You are to proceed to the northward as far as the extreme point we +saw on Wednesday last, or a little further, if you think it necessary; +land there, and endeavour, from the heights, to discover whether the +land you are then upon, supposed to be the island of Alaschka, is +really an island, or joins to the land on the east, supposed to be the +continent of America. If the former, you are to satisfy yourself with +the depth of water in the channel between them, and which way the +flood-tide comes. But if you find the two lands connected, lose no +time in sounding; but make the best of your way back to the ship, +which you will find at anchor near the point of land we anchored under +on Friday last. If you perceive any likelihood of a change of weather +for the worse, you are, in that case, to return to the ship, although +you have not performed the service you are sent upon; and, at any +rate, you are not to remain longer upon it than four or five days; +but the sooner it is done the better. If any unforeseen or unavoidable +accident should force the ships off the coast, so that they cannot +return at a reasonable time, the rendezvous is at the harbour of +Samganoodha; that is, the place where we last completed our water. + + "JAMES COOK." + +"_To Lieutenant King_." + +"Our cutter being hoisted out, and the signal made for the +Discovery's, at eight o'clock at night on the 14th, we set out. It was +a little unlucky that the boats' crews had been much fatigued during +the whole day in bringing things from the shore. They pulled stoutly, +without rest or intermission, toward the land, till one o'clock in the +morning of the 15th. I wanted much to have gone close to it, to +have had the advantage of the wind, which had, very regularly in the +evening, blown from the land, and in the day-time down the Sound, from +the N.N.E., and was contrary to our course; but the men were at this +time too much fatigued to press them farther. We, therefore, set our +sails, and stood across the bay, which the coast forms to the west of +Baldhead, and steered for it. But, as I expected, by three o'clock, +the wind headed us; and, as it was in vain to endeavour to fetch +Baldhead with our sails, we again took to the oars. The Discovery's +boat, (being a heavy king's-built cutter, while ours was one from +Deal,) had, in the night-time, detained us very much, and now we soon +pulled out of sight of her; nor would I wait, being in great hopes to +reach the extreme point that was in sight time enough to ascend the +heights before dark, as the weather was at this time remarkably clear +and fine, and we could see to a great distance. By two o'clock we had +got within two miles of Baldhead, under the lee of the high land, and +in smooth water; but, at the moment our object was nearly attained, +all the men but two were so overcome with fatigue and sleep, that my +utmost endeavours to make them put on were ineffectual. They at length +dropped their oars, quite exhausted, and fell asleep in the bottom of +the boat. Indeed, considering that they had set out fatigued, and had +now been sixteen hours out of the eighteen since they left the ship, +pulling in a poppling sea, it was no wonder that their strength and +spirits should be worn out for want of sleep and refreshments. The two +gentlemen who were with me and myself, were now obliged to lay hold of +the oars; and, by a little after three, we landed between the Baldhead +and a projecting point to the eastward."--D.] + +At day-break, on the 16th, nine men, each in his canoe, paid us a +visit. They approached the ship with some caution; and evidently +came with no other view than to gratify their curiosity. They drew up +abreast of each other, under our stern, and gave us a song; while one +of their number beat upon a kind of drum, and another made a thousand +antic motions with his hands and body. There was, however, nothing +savage either in the song or in the gestures that accompanied it. None +of us could perceive any difference between these people, either as to +their size or features, and those whom we had met with on every other +part of the coast, King George's Sound excepted. Their clothing, which +consisted principally of deer-skins, was made after the same fashion; +and they observed the custom of boring their under-lips, and fixing +ornaments to them. + +The dwellings of these people were seated close to the beach. They +consist simply of a sloping roof, without any side-walls, composed of +logs, and covered with grass and earth. The floor is also laid with +logs; the entrance is at one end; the fire-place just within it, and a +small hole is made near the door to let out the smoke. + +After breakfast, a party of men were sent to the peninsula for brooms +and spruce. At the same time, half the remainder of the people in +each ship had leave to go and pick berries. These returned on board at +noon, when the other half went on the same errand. The berries to be +got here were wild currant-berries, hurtle-berries, partridge-berries, +and heath-berries. I also went ashore myself, and walked over part +of the peninsula. In several places there was very good grass; and +I hardly saw a spot on which some vegetable was not growing. The +low land which connects this peninsula with the continent is full of +narrow creeks; and abounds with ponds of water, some of which were +already frozen over. There were a great many geese and bustards; but +so shy, that it was not possible to get within musket-shot of them. We +also met with some snipes, and on the high ground were partridges of +two sorts. Where there was any wood, musquitoes were in plenty. Some +of the officers, who travelled farther than I did, met with a few of +the natives of both sexes, who treated them with civility. + +It appeared to me, that this peninsula must have been an island in +remote times; for there were marks of the sea having flowed over the +isthmus. And even now, it appeared to be kept out by a bank of +sand, stones, and wood, thrown up by the waves. By this bank, it was +evident, that the land was here encroaching upon the sea, and it was +easy to trace its gradual formation. + +About seven, in the evening, Mr King returned from his expedition; and +reported, that he proceeded with the boats about three or four leagues +farther than the ships had been able to go; that he then landed on the +west side; that, from the heights, he could see the two coasts join, +and the inlet to terminate in a small river or creek, before which +were banks of sand or mud; and every where shoal water. The land, too, +was low and swampy for some distance to the northward; then it swelled +into hills; and the complete junction of those, on each side of the +inlet, was easily traced. + +From the elevated spot on which Mr King surveyed the Sound, he could +distinguish many extensive valleys, with rivers running through them, +well wooded, and bounded by hills of a gentle ascent and moderate +height. One of these rivers to the N.W. appeared to be considerable; +and from its direction, he was inclined to think, that it emptied +itself into the sea at the head of the bay. Some of his people, who +penetrated beyond this into the country, found the trees larger the +farther they advanced.[6] + +[Footnote 6: Here Mr Arrowsmith's map is to be preferred, as +accurately following the description Captain King has given. Several +names are omitted by Mr Coxe, and his delineation of the coast is +rather unsatisfactory.--E.] + +In honour of Sir Fletcher Norton,[7] Speaker of the House of Commons, +and Mr King's nearest relation, I named this inlet _Norton Sound_. It +extends to the northward as far as the latitude of 64° 55'. The bay, +in which we were now at anchor, lies on the S.E. side of it; and is +called by the natives _Chacktoole_. It is but an indifferent station, +being exposed to the south and south-west winds. Nor is there a +harbour in all this Sound. But we were so fortunate as to have the +wind from the N. and N.E. all the time, with remarkable fine weather. +This gave us an opportunity to make no less than seventy-seven sets of +lunar observations between the 6th and 7th inclusive. The mean result +of these made the longitude of the anchoring-place, on the west side +of the Sound, to be + + 197° 13' + Latitude 64 31 + Variation of the compass 25 45 east. + Dip of the needle 76 25 + +[Footnote 7: Afterwards Lord Grantley.] + +Of the tides, it was observed, that the night-flood rose about two or +three feet, and that the day-flood was hardly perceivable. + +Having now fully satisfied myself, that Mr Stæhlin's map must be +erroneous; and having restored the American continent to that space +which he had occupied with his imaginary island of Alaschka, it was +high time to think of leaving these northern regions, add to retire to +some place during the winter, where I might procure refreshments for +my people, and a small supply of provisions. Petropaulowska, or the +harbour of St Peter and St Paul, in Kamtschatka, did not appear likely +to furnish either the one or the other for so large a number of men. +I had, besides, other reasons for not repairing thither at this time. +The first, and on which all the others depended, was the great dislike +I had to lie inactive for six or seven months; which would have been +the necessary consequence of wintering in any of these northern parts. +No place was so conveniently within our reach, where we could +expect to have our wants relieved, as the Sandwich Islands. To them, +therefore, I determined to proceed. But, before this could be carried +into execution, a supply of water was necessary. With this view I +resolved to search the American coast for a harbour, by proceeding +along it to the southward, and thus endeavour to connect the survey +of this part of it with that lying immediately to the north of Cape +Newenham. If I failed in finding a harbour there my plan was then +to proceed to Samganoodha, which was fixed upon as our place of +rendezvous, in case of separation. + + +SECTION XI. + +_Discoveries after leaving Norton Sound.--Stuart's Island.--Cape +Stephens.--Point Shallow-Water.--Shoals on the American +Coast.--Clerke's Island.--Gore's Island.--Pinnacle Island.--Arrival at +Oonalashka.--Intercourse with the Natives and Russian Traders.--Charts +of the Russian Discoveries, communicated by Mr Ismyloff.--Their +Errors pointed out.--Situation of the Islands visited by the +Russians.--Account of their Settlement at Oonalashka.--Of the Natives +of the Island.--Their Persons.--Dress.--Ornaments.--Food.--Houses +and domestic Utensils.--Manufactures.--Manner of producing +Fire.--Canoes.--Fishing and Hunting Implements.--Fishes, and Sea +Animals.--Sea and Water Fowls, and Land Birds.--Land Animals and +Vegetables.--Manner of burying the Dead.--Resemblance of the +Natives on this Side of America to the Greenlanders and +Esquimaux.--Tides.--Observations for determining the Longitude of +Oonalashka._ + +Having weighed, on the 17th in the morning, with a light breeze +at east, we steered to the southward, and attempted to pass within +Besborough Island; but though it lies six or seven miles from the +continent, were prevented by meeting with shoal water. As we had but +little wind all the day, it was dark before we passed the island; and +the night was spent under an easy sail. + +We resumed our course, at day-break on the 18th, along the coast. +At noon, we had no more than five fathoms water. At this time the +latitude was 63° 37'. Besborough, Island now bore N., 42° E.; the +southernmost land in sight, which proved also to be an island, S., 66° +W.; the passage between it and the main S., 40° W.; and the nearest +land about two miles distant. I continued to steer for this passage, +until the boats, which were ahead, made the signal for having no more +than three fathoms water. On this we hauled without the island; and +made the signal for the Resolution's boat to keep between the ships +and the shore. + +This island, which obtained the name of _Stuart's Island_, lies in the +latitude of 63° 35', and seventeen leagues from. Cape Denbigh, in the +direction of S., 27° W. It is six or seven leagues in circuit. Some +parts of it are of a middling height; but, in general, it is low; with +some rocks lying off the western part. The coast of the continent is, +for the most part, low land; but we saw high land up the country. It +forms a point, opposite the island, which was named _Cape Stephens_, +and lies in latitude 63° 33', and in longitude 197° 41'. Some +drift wood was seen upon the shores, both of the island and of the +continent; but not a tree was perceived growing upon either. One might +anchor, upon occasion, between the N.E. side of this island and +the continent, in a depth of five fathoms, sheltered from westerly, +southerly, and easterly winds. But this station would be wholly +exposed to the northerly winds, the land, in that direction, being at +too great distance to afford any security. Before we reached Stuart's +Island, we passed two small islands, lying between us and the main; +and as we ranged along the coast, several people appeared upon the +shore, and, by signs, seemed to invite us to approach them. + +As soon as we were without the island, we steered S. by W., for the +southernmost point of the continent in sight, till eight o'clock in +the evening, when, having shoaled the water from six fathoms to less +than four, I tacked, and stood to the northward, into five fathoms, +and then spent the night plying off and on. At the time we tacked, the +southernmost point of land, the same which is mentioned above, and was +named _Point Shallow-Water_, bore S. 1/2 E., seven leagues distant. + +We resumed our course to the southward at day-break next morning, but +shoal water obliged us to haul more to the westward. At length, we got +so far advanced upon the bank, that we could not hold a N.N.W. course, +meeting sometimes with only four fathoms. The wind blowing fresh at +E.N.E. it was high time to look for deep water, and to quit a coast, +upon which we could no longer navigate with any degree of safety. I +therefore hauled the wind to the northward, and gradually deepened the +water to eight fathoms. At the same time we hauled the wind, we were +at least twelve leagues, from the continent, and nine to the westward +of Stuart's Island. No land was seen to the southward of Point +Shallow-Water, which I judge to lie in the latitude of 63°. So that, +between this latitude and Shoal Ness, in latitude 60°, the coast is +entirely unexplored. Probably, it is accessible only to boats, or very +small vessels; or at least, if there be channels for large vessels, it +would require some time to find them; and I am of opinion, that they +must be looked for near the coast. From the mast-head, the sea within +us appeared to be chequered with shoals; the water was very much +discoloured and muddy, and considerably fresher than at any of the +places where we had lately anchored. From this I inferred, that a +considerable river runs into the sea in this unknown part.[1] + +[Footnote 1: Mr Arrowsmith has filled up the coast betwixt the two +points now mentioned, and supplied it also with rivers, according to +the conjecture of Captain Cook. But it is obvious, that this is not +sufficient authority; and therefore, unless better be given, Mr Coxe +seems to have done more correctly, in indicating the space by a dotted +line, the usual mark of an unexplored region.--E.] + +As soon as we got into eight fathoms water, I steered to the westward, +and afterward more southerly, for the land discovered on the 5th, +which, at noon the next day, bore S.W. by W., ten or eleven leagues +distant. At this time we had a fresh gale at north, with showers of +hail and snow at intervals, and a pretty high sea; so that we got +clear of the shoals but just in time. As I now found that the land +before us lay too far to the westward to be Anderson's Island, I named +it _Clerke's Island_. It lies in the latitude of 63° 15', and in the +longitude of 190° 30'. It seemed to be a pretty large island, in which +are four or more hills, all connected by low ground; so that, at a +distance, it looks like a group of islands. Near its east part lies a +small island, remarkable by having upon it three elevated rocks. Not +only the greater island, but this small spot, was inhabited.[2] + +[Footnote 2: It is somewhat singular, that neither Arrowsmith nor Coxe +mentions Anderson's Island. The former, on additional authority, has +marked but one island in the position specified, under the name of +Eivoogiena, or Clerke's Island.--E.] + +We got up to the northern point of Clerke's Island about six o'clock, +and having ranged along its coast till dark, brought-to during the +night. At day-break, next morning, we stood in again for the coast, +and continued to range along it in search of a harbour till noon; +when, seeing no likelihood of succeeding, I left it, and steered +S.S.W. for the land which we had discovered on the 29th of July, +having a fresh gale at north, with showers of sleet and snow. I +remarked, that as soon as we opened the channel which separates +the two continents, cloudy weather, with snow showers, immediately +commenced; whereas, all the time we were in Norton Sound, we had, +with the same wind, clear weather. Might not this be occasioned by +the mountains to the north of that place attracting the vapours, and +hindering them to proceed any farther? + +At day-break, in the morning of the 23d, the land above mentioned +appeared in sight, bearing S.W., six or seven leagues distant. From +this point of view it resembled a group of islands; but it proved to +be but one, of thirty miles in extent, in the direction of N.W. and +S.E.; the S.E. end being Cape Upright, already taken notice of. The +island is but narrow; especially at the low necks of land that connect +the hills. I afterward found, that it was wholly unknown to the +Russians; and therefore, considering it as a discovery of our own, +I named it _Gore's Island_. It appeared to be barren, and without +inhabitants; at least we saw none. Nor did we see so many birds about +it as when we first discovered it. But we saw some sea-otters; an +animal which we had not met with to the northward of this latitude.[3] +Four leagues from Cape Upright, in the direction of S., 72° W., lies +a small island, whose elevated summit terminates in several pinnacled +rocks. On this account it was named _Pinnacle Island_. At two in +the afternoon, after passing Cape Upright, I steered S.E. by S., for +Samganoodha, with a gentle breeze at N.N.W., being resolved to spend +no more time in searching for a harbour amongst islands, which I now +began to suspect had no existence; at least not in the latitude and +longitude where modern map-makers have thought proper to place them. +In the evening of the 24th, the wind veered to S.W. and S., and +increased to a fresh gale. + +[Footnote 3: Mr Arrowsmith, as in the case of the island mentioned in +the last note, has given the native name to this island, viz. Matwi, +retaining also, however, the name of Gore.--E.] + +We continued to stretch to the eastward, till eight o'clock in the +morning of the 25th, when, in the latitude of 191° 10', we tacked +and stood to the west; and soon after, the gale increasing, we were +reduced to two courses, and close-reefed main top-sails. Not long +after, the Resolution sprung a leak, under the starboard buttock, +which filled the spirit-room with water before it was discovered; and +it was so considerable as to keep one pump constantly employed. We +durst not put the ship upon the other tack for fear of getting upon +the shoals that lie to the N.W. of Cape Newenham; but continued +standing to the west till six in the evening of the 26th, when we wore +and stood to the eastward, and then the leak no longer troubled us. +This proved that it was above the water line, which was no small +satisfaction. The gale was now over, but the wind remained at S. and +S.W. for some days longer. + +At length, on the 2d of October, at day-break, we saw the island of +Oonalashka, bearing S.E. But as this was to us a new point of view, +and the land was obscured by a thick haze, we were not sure of our +situation till noon, when the observed latitude determined it. As +all harbours were alike to me, provided they were equally safe and +convenient, I hauled into a bay, that lies ten miles to the westward +of Samganoodha, known by the name of _Egoochshac_; but we found very +deep water; so that we were glad to get out again. The natives, many +of whom lived here, visited us at different times, bringing with them +dried salmon and other fish, which they exchanged with the seamen for +tobacco. But, a few days before, every ounce of tobacco that was in +the ship had been distributed among them; and the quantity was not +half sufficient to answer their demands. Notwithstanding this, so +improvident a creature is an English sailor, that they were as profuse +in making their bargains, as if we had now arrived at a port in +Virginia; by which means, in less than eight and forty hours, the +value of this article of barter was lowered above a thousand per cent. + +At one o'clock in the afternoon of the 3d, we anchored in Samganoodha +harbour; and the next morning the carpenters of both ships were set to +work to rip off the sheathing of and under the wale, on the starboard +side abaft. Many of the seams were found quite open; so that it was +no wonder that so much water had found its way into the ship. While +we lay here, we cleared the fish and spirit rooms, and the after-hold; +disposing things in such a manner, that in case we should happen to +have any more leaks of the same nature, the water might find its way +to the pumps. And besides this work, and completing our water, we +cleared the fore-hold to the very bottom, and took in a quantity of +ballast. + +The vegetables which we had met with when we were here before, were +now mostly in a state of decay; so that we were but little benefited +by the great quantities of berries every where found ashore. In order +to avail ourselves as much as possible of this useful refreshment, +one third of the people, by turns, had leave to go and pick them. +Considerable quantities of them were also procured from the natives. +If there were any seeds of the scurvy, in either ship, these berries, +and the use of spruce beer, which they had to drink every other day, +effectually eradicated them. + +We also got plenty of fish; at first mostly salmon, both fresh and +dried, which the natives brought us. Some of the fresh salmon was in +high perfection; but there was one sort, which we called hook-nosed, +from the figure of its head, that was but indifferent. We drew the +seine several times, at the head of the bay; and caught a good +many salmon-trout, and once a halibut that weighed two hundred and +fifty-four pounds. The fishery failing, we had recourse to hooks and +lines. A boat was sent out every morning, and seldom returned without +eight or ten halibut; which was more than sufficient to serve all +our people. The halibut was excellent, and there were few who did not +prefer them to salmon. Thus we not only procured a supply of fish +for present consumption, but had some to carry with us to sea. This +enabled us to make a considerable saving of our provisions, which was +an object of no small importance. + +On the 8th, I received, by the hands of an Oonalashka man, named +Derramoushk, a very singular present, considering the place. It was a +rye loaf, or rather a pye made in, the form of a loaf, for it inclosed +some salmon, highly seasoned with pepper. This man had the like +present for Captain Clerke, and a note for each of us, written in a +character which none of us could read. It was natural to suppose, +that this present was from some Russians now in our neighbourhood; and +therefore we sent, by the same hand, to these our unknown friends, +a few bottles of rum, wine, and porter; which we thought would be as +acceptable as anything we had besides; and we soon knew that in +this we had not been mistaken. I also sent, along with Derramoushk, +Corporal Lediard, of the marines, an intelligent man, with orders, +that if he met with any Russians, he should endeavour to make them +understand that we were English, the friends and allies of their +nation.[4] + +[Footnote 4: We must be allowed to notice some particulars in the +history of this remarkable enough man, well known, it is probable, +to most readers, who have been interested in the operations of the +African Association, but, perhaps, not immediately recognised in +the humble situation of a corporal of marines. Some years after this +voyage, viz. in 1786, Lediard, by birth an American, resolved on a +pedestrian excursion across his native continent; for which purpose, +he, first of all, fixed on travelling to Siberia, whence he expected +to be able to obtain a passage to its north-west coast. Sir Joseph +Banks, and other gentlemen, favouring his project, subscribed a sum of +money, not much exceeding fifty pounds, to enable him to put it into +execution. He proceeded to Hamburgh; from thence to Copenhagen; and, +as the gulf of Bothnia was not frozen over, actually walked round its +shores by the way of Tornea, till he arrived at Petersburgh, in the +beginning of March 1787. Here he remained till May, when he obtained +permission to go with a convoy of military stores, intended for +Captain Billings, formerly his ship-mate in Cook's voyage, and now +waiting for it to commence his own examination of the American +coast, &c. With this convoy, Lediard, in the month of August, reached +Irkutsk, in Siberia, at which place, after having gone to Yakutsk, +where he met with Billings, he purposed to remain a part of the +winter, till an opportunity occurred of going to Ochotsk, from which +his passage to America seemed very practicable. So far, then, he +had to congratulate himself on his success. But his enterprise was +speedily interrupted, and all his hopes frustrated, by an order from +the empress; in consequence of which he was arrested, and, under the +guard of an officer and two soldiers, hurried off in a sledge for +Moscow, without being suffered to carry with him either his clothes, +his money, or his papers. The reason of this extraordinary conduct has +not been explained in the communication made by Sir Joseph Banks +to the Biographia Britannica, from which we have collected these +particulars. We are told, however, that the disappointed adventurer +was successively conveyed from Moscow to Moialoff, in White Russia, +and Tolochin, in Poland; at which last place, he was informed, that +the empress had directed he should never enter her dominions again +without her express permission. During the whole of his route, since +he had been made a prisoner, he suffered extreme hardship from ill +health, fatigue, and mortification. At last he reached Konigsberg; +and, to use his own words, in a letter to his patron, after "a +miserable journey, in a miserable country, in a miserable season, in +miserable health, and with a miserable purse," arrived in England. +The ardour of his mind, however, was still entire; and he appeared +as ready as ever to engage in any service, however perilous, which +promised to gratify his own curiosity, and was recommended by men +whose judgment he respected. Accordingly, almost immediately on his +return, it was proposed to him to undertake the first speculative +excursion which the society alluded to projected. On this occasion it +was, as is noticed by the ingenious Mr Forster, in his valuable Essay +on Decision of Character, that he surprised the official person, +who put the Question to him, "When he would be ready for his African +journey?" by instantly answering, "To-morrow!" It may be doubted, +if his acquirements were altogether equally well suited to this +undertaking, as his undaunted spirit and enterprising disposition. +These, indeed, promised interest; and no one could hesitate to +believe, that he would zealously employ every faculty he possessed in +accomplishing the objects committed to him. It was appointed him to +traverse the continent of Africa from east to west, in the latitude of +the river Niger. But this he never accomplished; as, on his arrival at +Cairo, he was seized with a bilious disorder, which terminated in his +death. So much, it seemed but justice to record in this place, of the +person now employed by Captain Cook.--E.] + +On the 10th, Lediard returned with three Russian seamen, or furriers, +who, with some others, resided at Egoochshac, where they had a +dwelling-house, some store-houses, and a sloop of about thirty tons +burthen. One of these men was either master or mate of this vessel, +another of them wrote a very good hand and understood figures, and +they were all three well-behaved intelligent men, and very ready +to give me all the information I could desire. But for want of an +interpreter, we had some difficulty to understand each other. They +appeared to have a thorough knowledge of the attempts that had been +made by their countrymen to navigate the Frozen Ocean, and of +the discoveries which had been made from Kamtschatka, by Beering, +Tscherikoff, and Spanberg. But they seemed to know no more of +Lieutenant Syndo, or Synd, than his name.[5] Nor had they the least +idea what part of the world Mr Stæhlin's map referred to, when it was +laid before them. When I pointed out Kamtschatka, and some other known +places, upon that map, they asked, whether I had seen the islands +there laid down; and on my answering in the negative, one of them +put his finger upon a part of this map, where a number of islands are +represented, and said, that he had cruized there for land, but never +could find any. I then laid before them my own chart, and found that +they were strangers to every part of the American coast, except what +lies opposite this island. One of these men said, that he had been +with Beering in his American voyage, but must then have been very +young, for he had not now, at the distance of thirty-seven years, the +appearance of being aged. Never was there greater respect paid to +the memory of any distinguished person, than by these men to that of +Beering.[6] The trade in which they are engaged is very beneficial; +and its being undertaken and extended to the eastward of Kamtschatka, +was the immediate consequence of the second voyage of that able +navigator, whose misfortunes proved to be the source of much private +advantage to individuals, and of public utility to the Russian nation. +And yet, if his distresses had not accidentally carried him to die in +the island which bears his name, and from whence the miserable remnant +of his ship's crew brought back sufficient specimens of its valuable +furs, probably the Russians never would have undertaken any future +voyages, which could lead them to make discoveries in this sea, toward +the coast of America. Indeed, after his time, government seems to have +paid less attention to this; and we owe what discoveries have been +since made, principally to the enterprising spirit of private traders, +encouraged, however, by the superintending care of the court of +Petersburg. The three Russians having remained with me all night, +visited Captain Clerke next morning, and then left us, very well +satisfied with the reception they had met with, promising to return +in a few days, and to bring with them a chart of the islands lying +between Oonalashka and Kamtschatka. + +[Footnote 5: See the little that is known of Synd's voyage, +accompanied with a chart, in Mr Coxe's Russian Discoveries, p. +300.--D.] + +[Footnote 6: This may be considered as a very decisive testimony to +the truth of the character given of him in Mr Coxe's publication. +We are indebted to the same work for ample evidence in proof of the +following remarks of Captain Cook--E.] + +On the 14th, in the evening, while Mr Webber and I were at a village +at a small distance from Samganoodha, a Russian landed there, who, I +found, was the principal person amongst his countrymen in this and the +neighbouring islands. His name was Erasim Gregorioff Sin Ismyloff. +He arrived in a canoe carrying three persons, attended by twenty or +thirty other canoes, each conducted by one man. I took notice, that +the first thing they did after landing, was to make a small tent for +Ismyloff, of materials which they brought with them, and then they +made others for themselves, of their canoes and paddles, which they +covered with grass; so that the people of the village were at no +trouble to find them lodging. Ismyloff having invited us into his +tent, set before us some dried salmon and berries, which, I was +satisfied, was the best cheer he had. He appeared to be a sensible +intelligent man; and I felt no small mortification in not being able +to converse with him, unless by signs, assisted by figures and other +characters, which however were a very great help. I desired to see +him on board the next day; and accordingly he came, with all his +attendants. Indeed, he had moved into our neighbourhood, for the +express purpose of waiting upon us. + +I was in hopes to have had by him, the chart which his three +countrymen had promised, but I was disappointed. However, he assured +me I should have it; and he kept his word. I found that he was very +well acquainted with the geography of these parts, and with all the +discoveries that had been made in them by the Russians. On seeing the +modern maps, he at once pointed out their errors. He told me, he +had accompanied Lieutenant Syndo, or Synd as he called him, in his +expedition to the north; and, according to his account, they did not +proceed farther than the Tschukotskoi Noss, or rather than the bay +of St Laurence, for he pointed on our chart to the very place where I +landed. From thence, he said, they went to an island in latitude 63°, +upon which they did not land, nor could he tell me its name. But I +should guess it to be the same to which I gave the name of Clerke's +Island. To what place Synd went after that, or in what manner he spent +the two years, during which, as Ismyloff said, his researches lasted, +he either could not or would not inform us. Perhaps he did not +comprehend our enquiries about this; and yet, in almost every other +thing, we could make him understand us. This created a suspicion, +that he had not really been in that expedition, notwithstanding his +assertion. + +Both Ismyloff and the others affirmed, that they knew nothing of the +continent of America to the northward; and that neither Lieutenant +Synd, nor any other Russian, had ever seen it. They call it by +the same name which Mr Stæhlin gives to his great island, that is +Alaschka. Stachtan Nitada, as it is called in the modern maps, is a +name quite unknown to these people, natives of the islands as well as +Russians; but both, of them know it by the name of America. From what +we could gather from Ismyloff and his countrymen, the Russians +have made several attempts to get a footing upon that part of this +continent that lies contiguous to Oonalashka and the adjoining +islands, but have always been repulsed by the natives, whom they +describe as a very treacherous people. They mentioned two or three +captains, or chief men, who had been murdered by them; and some of the +Russians shewed us wounds which, they said, they had received there. + +Some other information which we got from Ismyloff is worth recording, +whether true or false. He told us, that in the year 1773, an +expedition had been made into the Frozen Sea in sledges, over the +ice, to three large islands that lie opposite the mouth of the river +Kovyma. We were in some doubt, whether he did not mean the same +expedition of which Muller gives an account; and yet he wrote down the +year, and marked the islands on the chart.[7] But a voyage which he +himself had performed, engaged our attention more than any other. He +said, that on the 12th of May, 1771, he sailed from Bolscheretzk, in +a Russian vessel, to one of the Kuril islands, named Mareekan, in the +latitude of 47°, where there is a harbour, and a Russian settlement. +From this island, he proceeded to Japan, where be seems to have made +but a short stay. For when the Japanese came to know that he and his +companions were Christians, they made signs for them to be gone; but +did not, so far as we could understand him, offer any insult or force. +From Japan, he got to Canton, and from thence to France, in a French +ship. From France, he travelled to Petersburgh, and was afterward sent +out again to Kamtschatka. What became of the vessel in which he first +embarked, we could not learn, nor what was the principal object of +the voyage. His not being able to speak one word of French, made this +story a little suspicious. He did not even know the name of any one of +the most common things that must have been in use every day, while he +was on board the ship, and in France. And yet he seemed clear as to +the times of his arriving at the different places, and of his leaving +them, which he put down in writing.[8] + +[Footnote 7: The latest expedition of this kind, taken notice of by Mr +Muller, was in 1724. But in justice to Mr Ismyloff, it may be proper +to mention, which is done on the authority of a MS. communicated by +Mr Pennant, and the substance of which has been published by Mr +Coxe, that, so late as 1768, the Governor of Siberia sent three young +officers over the ice in sledges to the islands opposite the mouth of +the Kovyma. There seems no reason for not supposing, that a subsequent +expedition of this sort might also be undertaken in 1773. Mr Coxe, p. +324, places the expedition on sledges in 1764, but Mr Pennant's MS. +may be depended upon.--D.] + +[Footnote 8: There is nothing at all unlikely in the voyage now spoken +of. According to Captain Krusenstern, whose information is in all +probability quite unexceptionable, the Kuril islands and Jesso have +been often visited by Russian merchants since 1741, when Spanberg +and Walton reached the coast of Japan; though without any positive +advantage, he says, accruing either to science or commerce from their +visits.--E.] + +The next morning, he would fain have made me a present of a sea-otter +skin, which, he said, was worth eighty rubles at Kamtschatka. However, +I thought proper to decline it; but I accepted of some dried fish, and +several baskets of the lily, or _saranne_ root, which is described at +large in the History of Kamtschatka.[9] In the afternoon, Mr Ismyloff, +after dining with Captain Clerke, left us with all his retinue, +promising to return in a few days. Accordingly, on the 19th, he made +us another visit, and brought with him the charts before-mentioned, +which he allowed me to copy, and the contents of which furnish matter +for the following observations:-- + +There were two of them, both manuscripts, and bearing every mark of +authenticity. The first comprehended the _Penschinskian Sea_, the +coast of Tartary, as low as the latitude of 41°, the Kuril islands, +and the peninsula of Kamtschatka. Since this map had been made, +Wawseelee Irkecchoff, captain of the fleet, explored, in 1758, the +coast of Tartary, from Okotsk, and the river Amur, to Japan, or 41° +of latitude. Mr Ismyloff also informed us, that great part of the +sea-coast of the peninsula of Kamtschatka had been corrected by +himself, and described the instrument he made use of, which must have +been a _theodolite_. He also informed us, that there were only two +harbours fit for shipping, on all the east coast of Kamtschatka, viz. +the bay of _Awatska_, and the river _Olutora_, in the bottom of the +gulf of the same name, that there was not a single harbour upon its +west coast, and that _Yamsk_ was the only one on all the west side of +the Penschinskian Sea, except Okotsk, till we come to the river Amur. +The Kuril islands afford only one harbour, and that is on the N.E. +side of Mareekan, in the latitude of 47-1/2°, where, as I have before +observed, the Russians have a settlement. + +[Footnote 9: English translation, p. 83, 84.] + +The second chart was to me the most interesting; for it comprehended +all the discoveries made by the Russians to the eastward of +Kamtschatka, toward America, which, if we exclude the voyage of +Beering and Tscherikoff, will amount to little or nothing. The part of +the American coast, with which the latter fell in, is marked in this +chart, between the latitude of 58° and 58-1/2°, and 75° of longitude +from Okotsk, or, 218-1/2° from Greenwich; and the place where the +former anchored, in 59-1/2° of latitude, and 63-1/2° of longitude from +Okotsk, or 207° from Greenwich. To say nothing of the longitude, +which may be erroneous from many causes, the latitude of the coast, +discovered by these two navigators, especially the part of it +discovered by Tscherikoff, differs considerably from the account +published by Mr Muller, and his chart. Indeed, whether Muller's +chart, or this now produced by Mr Ismyloff, be most erroneous in this +respect, it may be hard to determine, though it is not now a point +worth discussing. But the islands that lie dispersed between 52° and +55° of latitude, in the space between Kamtschatka and America, deserve +some notice. According to Mr Ismyloff's account, neither the number +nor the situation of these islands is well ascertained. He struck out +about one-third of them, assuring me they had no existence, and he +altered the situation of others considerably, which, he said, was +necessary, from his own observations. And there was no reason to doubt +about this. As these islands lie all nearly under the same parallel, +different navigators, being misled by their different reckonings, +might easily mistake one island, or group of islands, for another, and +fancy they had made a new discovery, when they had only found old ones +in a different position from that assigned to them by their former +visitors. + +The islands of St Macarius, St Stephen, St Theodore, St Abraham, +Seduction Island, and some others, which are to be found in Mr +Muller's chart, had no place in this now produced to us; nay, both Mr +Ismyloff, and the others, assured me, that they had been several times +sought for in vain. And yet it is difficult to believe how Mr Muller, +from whom subsequent map-makers have adopted them, could place them in +this chart without some authority. Relying, however, on the testimony +of these people, whom I thought competent witnesses, I have left them +out of my chart, and made such corrections amongst the other islands +as I was told was necessary. I found there was wanting another +correction; for the difference of longitude, between the Bay of +Awatska, and the harbour of Samganoodha, according to astronomical +observations, made at these two places, is greater by five degrees +and a half, than it is by the chart. This error I have supposed to +be infused throughout the whole, though it may not be so in reality. +There was also an error in the latitude of some places, but this +hardly exceeded a quarter of a degree. + +I shall now give some account of the islands, beginning with those +that lie nearest to Kamtschatka, and reckoning the longitude from +the harbour of Petropaulowska, in the Bay of Awatska. The first is +_Beering's Island_, in 55° of latitude, and 6° of longitude. Ten +leagues from the south end of this, in the direction of E. by S., or +E.S.E., lies _Meidenoi Ostroff_, or the Copper Island. The next island +is _Atakou_, laid down in 52° 45' of latitude, and in 15° or 16° of +longitude. This island is about eighteen leagues in extent, in the +direction of E. and W., and seems to be the same land which Beering +fell in with, and named _Mount St John_. But there are no islands +about it, except two inconsiderable ones, lying three or four leagues +from the east end, in the direction of E.N.E. + +We next come to a group, consisting of six or more islands, two of +which, _Atghka_ and _Amluk_ are tolerably large, and in each of them +is a good harbour. The middle of this group lies in the latitude of +52° 30', and 28° of longitude from Awatska, and its extent, E. and W., +is four degrees. These are the isles that Mr Ismyloff said were to be +removed four degrees to the E., which was done. And in the situation +they have in my chart, was a group, consisting of ten small islands, +which, I was told, were wholly to be struck out, and also two islands +lying between them and the group to which Oonalashka belongs. In the +place of these two, an island called Amoghta (which in the chart was +situated in the latitude of 51° 45', and 4° of longitude to the W.) +was brought. + +Nothing more need be said to shew how erroneous the situation of many +of these islands may be, and for which I am in nowise accountable. But +the position of the largest group, of which Oonalashka is one of the +principal islands, and the only one in which there is a harbour, is +not liable to any such errors. Most of these islands were seen by +us, and consequently their latitude and longitude were pretty exactly +determined, particularly the harbour of Samganoodha in Oonalashka, +which must be looked upon as a fixed point. This group of islands +maybe said to extend as far as Halibut Isles, which are forty leagues +from Oonalashka toward the E.N.E. Within these isles, a passage was +marked in Ismyloff's chart, communicating with Bristol Bay, which +converts about fifteen leagues of the coast, that I had supposed to +belong to the continent, into an island, distinguished by the name of +_Ooneemak_. This passage might easily escape us, as we were informed, +that it is very narrow, shallow, and only to be navigated through with +boats, or very small vessels.[10] + +[Footnote 10: This passage is marked on all the modern maps, no doubt +on the somewhat scanty authority here given. With respect to most of +the islands now alluded to, the opinion entertained of their utter +insignificance, will account for and perhaps justify the sparing +solicitude we have used to ascertain their number and position. Some +less suspicious data than are to be met with in the accounts of early +Russian voyages, would be requisite, to induce much attention to a +subject of even greater importance.--E.] + +It appeared by the chart, as well as by the testimony of Ismyloff and +the other Russians, that this is as far as their countrymen have made +any discoveries, or have extended themselves, since Beering's time. +They all said, that no Russians had settled themselves so far to the +east as the place where the natives gave the note to Captain Clerke, +which Mr Ismyloff, to whom I delivered it, on perusing it, said, had +been written at Oomanak. It was, however, from him that we got the +name of _Kodiak_, the largest of Schumagin's Islands; for it had no +name upon the chart produced by him.[11] The names of all the other +islands were taken from it, and we wrote them down as pronounced by +him. He said, they were all such as the natives themselves called +their islands by; but, if so, some of the names seem to have been +strangely altered. It is worth observing, that no names were put to +the islands which Ismyloff told us were to be struck out of the +chart, and I considered this as some confirmation that they have no +existence. + +[Footnote 11: A Russian ship had been at Kodiak in 1776, as appears +from a MS. obligingly communicated by Mr Pennant.--D.] + +I have already observed, that the American continent is here called +by the Russians, as well as by the islanders, Alaschka; which name, +though it properly belong only to the country adjoining to Oonemak, is +used by them when speaking of the American continent in general, which +they know perfectly well to be a great land. + +This is all the information I got from these people, relating to the +geography of this part of the world; and I have reason to believe that +this was all the information they were able to give. For they assured +me, over and over again, that they knew of no other islands, besides +those which were laid down upon this chart; and that no Russian had +ever seen any part of the continent of America to the northward, +except that which lies opposite the country of the Tschutskis. + +If Mr Stæhlin was not grossly imposed upon, what could induce him +to publish a map so singularly erroneous, and in which many of these +islands are jumbled together in regular confusion, without the least +regard to truth; and yet he is pleased to call it _a very accurate +little map_.[12] Indeed, it is a map to which the most illiterate of +his illiterate sea-faring countrymen would have been ashamed to set +his name. + +[Footnote 12: Stæhlin's New Northern Archipelago, p. 15.] + +Mr Ismyloff remained with us till the 21st, in the evening, when he +took his final leave. To his care I intrusted a letter to the Lords +Commissioners of the Admiralty, in which was inclosed a chart of +all the northern coasts I had visited. He said there would be an +opportunity of sending it to Kamtschatka, or Okotsk, the ensuing +spring, and that it would be at Petersburg the following winter. He +gave me a letter to Major Behm, governor of Kamtschatka, who +resides at Bolscheretsk, and another to the commanding officer, +at Petropaulowska. Mr Ismyloff seemed to have abilities that might +entitle him to a higher station in life, than that in which we found +him. He was tolerably well versed in astronomy, and in the most useful +branches of the mathematics. I made him a present of an Hadley's +octant; and though, probably, it was the first he had ever seen, he +made himself acquainted, in a very short time, with most of the uses +to which that instrument can be applied. + +In the morning of the 22d, we made an attempt to get to sea, with +the wind at S.E., which miscarried. The following afternoon, we were +visited by one Jacob Ivanovitch Soposnicoff, a Russian, who commanded +a boat, or small vessel, at Oomanak. This man had a great share of +modesty, and would drink no strong liquor, of which the rest of his +countrymen, whom we had met with here, were immoderately fond. He +seemed to know more accurately what supplies could be got at the +harbour of Petropaulowska, and the price of the different articles, +than Mr Ismyloff. But, by all accounts, every thing we should want +at that place was very scarce, and bore a high price. Flour, for +instance, was from three to five roubles the pood,[13] and deer from +three to five roubles each. This man told us that he was to be at +Petropaulowska in May next, and, as I understood, was to have the +charge of my letter. He seemed to be exceedingly desirous of having +some token from me to carry to Major Behm, and to gratify him, I sent +a small spying-glass. + +[Footnote 13: 36 lb.] + +After we became acquainted with these Russians, some of our gentlemen, +at different times, visited their settlement on the island, where +they always met with a hearty welcome. This settlement consisted of a +dwelling-house and two store-houses. And, besides the Russians, there +was a number of the Kamtschadales, and of the natives, as servants, +or slaves, to the former. Some others of the natives, who seemed +independent of the Russians, lived at the same place. Such of them +as belonged to the Russians were all males, and they are taken, or +perhaps purchased, from their parents when young. There was, at this +time, about twenty of these, who could be looked upon in no other +light than, as children. They all live in the same house; the Russians +at the upper end, the Kamtschadales in the middle, and the natives at +the lower end, where is fixed a large boiler for preparing their food, +which consists chiefly of what the sea produces, with the addition of +wild roots and berries. There is little difference between the first +and last table, besides what is produced by cookery, in which the +Russians have the art to make indifferent things palatable. I have eat +whale's flesh of their dressing, which I thought very good; and they +made a kind of pan-pudding of salmon roe, beaten up fine, and fried, +that is no bad _succedaneum_ for bread. They may, now and then, taste +real bread, or have a dish in which flour is an ingredient; but this +can only be an occasional luxury. If we except the juice of berries +which they sip at their meals, they have no other liquor besides pure +water; and it seems to be very happy for them that they have nothing +stronger. + +As the island supplies them with food, so it does, in a great measure, +with clothing. This consists chiefly of skins, and is, perhaps, the +best they could have. The upper garment is made like our waggoner's +frock, and reaches as low as the knee. Besides this, they wear a +waistcoat or two, a pair of breeches, a fur cap, and a pair of boots, +the soles and upper leathers of which are of Russian leather, but the +legs are made of some kind of strong gut. Their two chiefs, Ismyoff +and Ivanovitch, wore each a calico frock, and they, as well as some +others, had shirts, which were of silk. These, perhaps, were the only +part of their dress not made amongst themselves. + +There are Russians settled upon all the principal islands between +Oonalashka and Kamtschatka, for the sole purpose of collecting furs. +Their great object is the sea-beaver or otter. I never heard them +enquire after any other animal; though those, whose skins are of +inferior value, are also made part of their cargoes. I never thought +to ask how long they have had a settlement upon Oonalashka, and the +neighbouring isles; but to judge from the great subjection the natives +are under, this cannot be of a very late date.[14] All these furriers +are relieved, from time to time, by others. Those we met with arrived +here from Okotsk, in 1776, and are to return in 1781; so that their +stay at the island will be four years at least.[15] + +[Footnote 14: The Russians began to frequent Oonalashka in 1762. See +_Coxe's Russian Discoveries_, ch. viii. p. 80.--D.] + +[Footnote 15: Captain Cook says nothing of the condition of these +furriers, and probably indeed knew nothing of it. According to +Krusenstern, who cannot be supposed to seek for occasion to censure +his countrymen, it is wretched in the extreme. He himself admits that +his transcript, though softened down from his original notes made at +the time, will nevertheless expose him to the anger of a number of +persons for whom, in other respects, he entertains the highest regard. +But one may question if any of the accounts that have been given of +the African slave-trade produce greater horror than this modified +description occasions. The reader must not imagine that the physical +difficulties of the climate constitute the misery of these deluded +beings. These are certainly very formidable, and of themselves present +a sufficient barrier to the enjoyment of any thing bearing the shape +of comfort. But evils of another sort, arising from avarice and the +abuse of power, are so galling, as would induce a man "to fly from +even the most beautiful and the best-gifted country," if his +residence in it subjected him to their tyranny. The agents of the +Russian-American Company, as the reader will instantly divine, are +chargeable with the enormous barbarity and injustice to which these +remarks apply; and the fearless seaman does not scruple to expose +them to public indignation, in consequence. We shall communicate a +few particulars, referring those who desire more information on the +subject to the work itself. The persons who engage in the Company's +service, we are informed, are vagabonds and adventurers,--but not +criminals, be it remembered,--to whom the fabulous reports of the +state of affluence to be easily attained, which are industriously +circulated, operate as an incentive to sail to America in the +condition of Promiischleniks, a word originally signifying any who +carry on a trade, but here, as it is the only occupation, restricted +to those who collect furs. Their misery commences with their voyage, +which is generally performed in vessels so exceedingly crowded, that a +large proportion of the passengers are necessitated to sleep upon the +deck, which, in such a climate, it is obvious, must expose them to +almost certain disease and death. This last, indeed, is the most +desirable destiny they can experience, as those who have the +misfortune to survive are subjected to almost incalculable calamities +from the want of proper food and clothing, under the rigours of the +climate, and the still more relentless severity of their task-masters. +From the treatment which the sick receive, we may perhaps, with some +exercise of imagination, infer, what the mode of life must be, +of those whom superior force of constitution preserves in health. +Speaking of a particular case which he had an opportunity of +witnessing, Captain K. says, "We went to visit the sick, and it is +impossible for me to describe the shocking, the disgusting state in +which we found them; nearly all appeared to labour under incurable +scorbutic and venereal sores, although they had been ten months on +shore, and had enjoyed the assistance of the surgeon of St Peter and +St Paul. Even of this they were now about to be deprived, and on the +point of being removed, by a long and tedious navigation, to places +where they must either forego all surgical attendance, or obtain it +from people totally unskilled in the practice. I was curious to learn +on what food the sick were kept, and was shewn two casks of salt meat +destined for them. I requested to see a piece of it; but, on opening +the cask, so disgusting and pestilential a smell took possession +of the hold as compelled me instantly to quit it. Two tons of this +stinking salt meat, and some sacks of mouldy black biscuit, were the +only nourishing provisions on board for twenty invalids, for, to this +number, (out of seventy,) they actually amounted before the Maria (the +vessel they were on board) left St Peter and St Paul (for Kodiak)." +Was not the practice said to have been adopted at Jaffa by an +extraordinary character, to be esteemed for mercifulness in comparison +of this? Train oil and the flesh of the sea-lion, with a mixture of +rye-meal and water, form the choicest provisions of those who are +well, either on board a ship or on shore; these, it must be owned, are +quite suitable to the iron rule of the agent, under whom there can +be neither personal property nor individual security, because he is +subject to no law, and there are no courts of justice in Kodiak, or +any other of the company's possessions. Few of these wretched outcasts +ever again reach Russian ground, very few indeed attain the object +of their wishes (we dare not say hopes) to return to Europe. Disease, +disappointment, innumerable sufferings, continual drunkenness, the +only solace in which, for obvious reasons, they are indulged, bring +them speedily to the end of their unhappy existence, and leave a +vacant stage for the miseries of new victims. Should a remnant have +a more lengthened career, and having, by infinite pain and trouble, +amassed a little property, get back to Ochotsk, thinking to return +home and spend their days in comfort with their relatives, they are +beset by fresh and perhaps still more aggravated vexations. They +cannot leave that place, it seems, till they have closed accounts with +the agents, and, as this is frequently protracted, no doubt with +the most diabolical design, they become idle, spend what they had +acquired, run into debt, (for sufficient credit is allowed them), +and at last are necessitated to revert to their former slavery with +perhaps far less ability than formerly, and with no other expectation +of relief than what is afforded by the certainty of their dissolution. +It is impossible to contemplate this distressing picture a moment +longer. Let us leave it.--E.] + +It is now time to give some account of the native inhabitants. To all +appearance, they are the most peaceable, inoffensive people, I ever +met with. And, as to honesty, they might serve as a pattern to the +most civilized nation upon earth. But, from what I saw of their +neighbours, with whom the Russians have no connection, I doubt whether +this was their original disposition, and rather think that it has been +the consequence of their present state of subjection. Indeed, if some +of our gentlemen did not misunderstand the Russians, they had been +obliged to make some severe examples, before they could bring the +islanders into any order. If there were severities inflicted at first, +the best apology for them is, that they have produced the happiest +consequences, and, at present, the greatest harmony subsists between +the two nations. The natives have their own chiefs in each island, and +seem to enjoy liberty and property unmolested. But whether or no they +are tributaries to the Russians, we could never find out. There was +some reason to think that they are.[16] + +[Footnote 16: See the particulars of hostilities between the Russians +and the natives, in Coxe, as cited above.--D. + +It will readily be inferred from what has already been mentioned of +the conduct of the Russian agents towards their own countrymen, that +the circumstance of the unfortunate islanders, who are also subjected +to their sway, cannot be very eligible. A single quotation from the +work referred to, will answer every purpose we can have in view in +alluding to them in this place. "The chief agent of the American +Company is the boundless despot over an extent of country, which, +comprising the Aleutic islands, stretches from 57 to 61 degrees +of latitude, and from 130 to 190 degrees of east longitude. The +population of the islanders annually decreasing, and the wretched +condition of the Russians living there, sufficiently proves, that, +from their first migration to these islands and to the American +coast, up to the present moment, the Company's possessions have been +entrusted to people, who were, indeed, zealous for its own advantage, +but frequently more so for that of a few subordinate agents." A +Lieutenant Davidoff, he gives us to understand, had collected some +very important notices respecting these possessions of the Company, +and had imparted to him a fragment of them relative to the +situation of the islanders and their conquerors. This however is +not communicated, apparently for a reason mentioned, viz. that this +officer proposed publishing on the subject when he returned to St +Petersburg; and that though unfortunately he lost his life in the +Neva before that took place, his manuscript, which was in the hands of +Admiral Schischkoff, will be printed by the Admiralty. We shall wonder +if it be so, concluding as to its contents from what is already made +known. Though it is possible, indeed, to imagine, that it may be made +use of as a testimony against the bad management and inhuman conduct +of the agents of the Company, in order to justify the interference of +the legislature in their concerns, which certainly appears to be much +wanted. Altogether, it is obvious then, that the statement of matters +which Captain Cook has given in the text, applies to a golden age, +in comparison of what we are assured was lately existing in these +regions. What changes have been wrought by the representations of +Krusenstern we have not heard.--E.] + +These people are rather low of stature, but plump and well-shaped, +with rather short necks, swarthy chubby faces, black eyes, small +beards, and long, straight, black hair, which the men wear loose +behind and cut before, but the women tie up in a bunch. + +Their dress has been occasionally mentioned. Both sexes wear the same +in fashion, the only difference is in the materials. The women's frock +is made of seal-skin, and that of the men, of the skins of birds, both +reaching below the knee. This is the whole dress of the women. But +over their frock, the men wear another made of gut, which resists +water, and has a hood to it, which draws over the head. Some of them +wear boots, and all of them have a kind of oval snouted cap, made of +wood, with a rim to admit the head. These caps are dyed with green and +other colours; and round the upper part of the rim are stuck the long +bristles of some sea-animal, on which are strung glass-beads, and on +the front is a small image or two made of bone. + +They make use of no paint; but the women puncture their faces +slightly; and both men and women bore the under-lip, to which they +fix pieces of bone. But it is as uncommon, at Oonalashka, to see a man +with this ornament, as to see a woman without it. Some fix beads to +the upper-lip, under the nostrils; and all of them hang ornaments in +their ears. + +Their food consists of fish, sea-animals, birds, roots, and berries, +and even of sea-weed. They dry large quantities of fish in summer, +which they lay up in small huts for winter use; and probably they +preserve roots and berries for the same time of scarcity. They eat +almost every thing raw. Boiling and broiling were the only methods of +cookery that I saw them make use of; and the first was probably learnt +from the Russians. Some have got little brass-kettles; and those who +have not, make one of a flat stone, with sides of clay, not unlike a +standing pye. + +I was once present, when the chief of Oonalashka made his dinner of +the raw head of a large halibut, just caught. Before any was given +to the chief, two of his servants eat the gills, without any other +dressing, besides squeezing out the slime. This done, one of them cut +off the head of the fish, took it to the sea and washed it, then came +with it, and sat down by the chief, first pulling up some grass, upon +a part of which the head was laid, and the rest was strewed before the +chief. He then cut large pieces of the cheeks, and laid these +within the reach of the great man, who swallowed them with as much +satisfaction as we should do raw oysters. When he had done, the +remains of the head were cut in pieces, and given to the attendants, +who tore off the meat with their teeth, and gnawed the bones like so +many dogs. + +As these people use no paint, they are not so dirty in their persons +as the savages who thus besmear themselves; but they are full as lousy +and filthy in their houses. Their method of building is as follows: +They dig in the ground an oblong square pit, the length of which +seldom exceeds fifty feet, and the breadth twenty; but in general the +dimensions are smaller. Over this excavation they form the roof of +wood which the sea throws ashore. This roof is covered first with +grass, and then with earth, so that the outward appearance is like a +dunghill. In the middle of the roof, toward each end, is left a square +opening, by which the light is admitted; one of these openings being +for this purpose only, and the other being also used to go in and out +by, with the help of a ladder, or rather a post, with steps cut in +it.[17] In some houses there is another entrance below; but this is +not common. Round the sides and ends of the huts, the families, (for +several are lodged together) have their separate apartments, where +they sleep, and sit at work, not upon benches, but in a kind of +concave trench, which is dug all round the inside of the house, and +covered with mats; so that this part is kept tolerably decent. But +the middle of the house, which is common to all the families, is +far otherwise. For, although it be covered with dry grass, it is a +receptacle for dirt of every kind, and the place for the urine trough; +the stench of which is not mended by raw hides, or leather being +almost continually steeped in it. Behind and over the trench, are +placed the few effects they are possessed of, such as their cloathing, +mats, and skins. + +[Footnote 17: Mr Coxe's description of the habitations of the natives +of Oonalashka, and the other Fox Islands, in general, agrees with +Captain Cook's. See _Russian Discoveries_, p. 149. See also _Histoire +des differents Peuples soumis à la Domination des Russes_, par M. +Levesque, tom. i. p. 40, 41.--D.] + +Their household furniture consists of bowls, spoons, buckets, piggins +or cans, matted-baskets, and perhaps a Russian kettle or pot. All +these utensils are very neatly made, and well formed; and yet we saw +no other tools among them but the knife and the hatchet, that is, +a small flat piece of iron, made like an adze, by fitting it into a +crooked wooden handle. These were the only instruments we met with +there made of iron. For although the Russians live amongst them, we +found much less of this metal in their possession, than we had met +with in the possession of other tribes on the American continent, who +had never seen, nor perhaps had any intercourse with, the Russians. +Probably a few beads, a little tobacco, and snuff, purchase all they +have to spare. There are few, if any of them, that do not both smoke +and chew tobacco, and take snuff; a luxury that bids fair to keep them +always poor. + +They did not seem to wish for more iron, or to want any other +instruments, except sewing-needles, their own being made of bone. With +these they not only sew their canoes, and make their clothes, but +also very curious embroidery. Instead of thread they use the fibres +of sinews, which they split to the thickness which each sort of work +requires. All sewing is performed by the women. They are the tailors, +shoe-makers, and boat-builders, or boat-coverers; for the men, most +probably, construct the frame of wood over which the skins are sewed. +They make mats and baskets of grass, that are both beautiful and +strong. Indeed, there is a neatness and perfection in most of their +work, that shews they neither want ingenuity nor perseverance. + +I saw not a fire-place in any one of their houses; they are lighted as +well as heated, by lamps, which are simple, and yet answer the purpose +very well. They are made of a flat stone, hollowed on one side like a +plate, and about the same size, or rather larger. In the hollow part +they put the oil, mixed with a little dry grass, which serves the +purpose of a wick. Both men and women frequently warm their bodies +over one of these lamps, by placing it between their legs, under their +garments, and sitting thus over it for a few minutes. + +They produce fire both by collision and by attrition; the former by +striking two stones one against another, on one of which a good deal +of brimstone is first rubbed. The latter method is with two pieces of +wood; one of which is a stick of about eighteen inches in length, and +the other a flat piece. The pointed end of the slick they press upon +the other, whirling it nimbly round as a drill; thus producing fire in +a few minutes. This method is common in many parts of the world. It is +practised by the Kamtschadales, by these people, by the Greenlanders, +by the Brazilians, by the Otaheiteans, by the New Hollanders, and +probably by many other nations. Yet some learned and ingenious men +have founded an argument on this custom to prove, that this and that +nation are of the same extraction. But accidental agreements, in a few +particular instances, will not authorise such a conclusion; nor will +a disagreement, either in manners or customs, between two different +nations, of course, prove that they are of different extraction. I +could support this opinion by many instances besides the one just +mentioned.[18] + +[Footnote 18: We formerly hazarded some observations, on this subject, +which may properly claim regard, if the concurrent opinion of Cook +be any commendation. It is rare with him to venture on theoretic +conjectures; but his truly excellent remarks, so indicative of candid +and unbiassed enquiry, may justly serve as the basis of very extensive +reasoning. His professional career, in short, may be considered as +a course of experimental investigations, from which there results a +system of philosophy of no ordinary interest or importance. Can one +help regretting, that he did not live, like Newton, to deduce the +legitimate consequences of his own discoveries? But, alas! how rapidly +are we now approaching to the last suggestions of his sagacious +mind!--E.] + +No such thing as an offensive or even defensive weapon was seen +amongst the natives of Oonalashka. We cannot suppose that the Russians +found them in such a defenceless state; it is more probable that, for +their own security, they have disarmed them. Political reasons too +may have induced the Russians not to allow these islanders to have +any large canoes; for it is difficult to believe they had none such +originally, as we found them amongst all their neighbours. However, +we saw none here but one or two belonging to the Russians. The canoes +made use of by the natives are the smallest we had any where seen +upon the American coast, though built after the same manner, with some +little difference in the construction. The stern of these terminates +a little abruptly; the head is forked, the upper point of the fork +projecting without the under one, which is even with the surface +of the water. Why they should thus construct them is difficult to +conceive; for the fork is apt to catch hold of every thing that comes +in the way; to prevent which, they fix a piece of small stick from +point to point. In other respects, their canoes are built after the +manner of those used by the Greenlanders and Esquimaux; the framing +being of slender laths, and the covering of seal-skins. They are about +twelve feet long, a foot and a half broad in the middle, and twelve or +fourteen inches deep. Upon occasion, they can carry two persons; one +of whom is stretched at full length in the canoe, and the other sits +in the seat, or round hole, which is nearly in the middle. Round this +hole is a rim or hoop of wood, about which is sewed gut-skin, that can +be drawn together, or opened like a purse, with leathern thongs fitted +to the outer edge. The man seats himself in this place, draws the skin +tight round his body over his gut-frock, and brings the ends of the +thongs or purse-string, over the shoulder to keep it in its place. +The sleeves of his frock are tied tight round his wrists, and it being +close round his neck, and the hood drawn over his head, where it is +confined by his cap, water can scarcely penetrate either to his body, +or into the canoe. If any should, however, insinuate itself, the +boatman carries a piece of spunge, with which he dries it up. He uses +the double-bladed paddle, which is held with both hands in the middle, +striking the water with a quick regular motion, first on one side +and then on the other. By this means the canoe is impelled at a +great rate, and in a direction as straight as a line can be drawn. In +sailing from Egoochshak to Samganoodha, two or three canoes kept way +with the ship, though she was going at the rate of seven miles an +hour. + +Their fishing and hunting implements lie ready upon the canoes, under +straps fixed for the purpose. They are all made, in great perfection, +of wood and bone, and differ very little from those used by the +Greenlanders, as they are described by Crantz. The only difference is +in the point of the missile dart, which, in some we saw here, is +not above an inch long; whereas Crantz says, that those of the +Greenlanders are a foot and a half in length. Indeed, these darts, as +well as some others of their instruments, are so curious, that they +deserve a particular description; but, as many of them were brought +away on board the ships, this can be done at any time, if thought +necessary. These people are very expert in striking fish, both in the +sea, and in rivers. They also make use of hooks and lines, nets and +wears. The hooks are composed of bone, and the lines of sinews. + +The fishes which are common to other northern seas, are found here; +such as whales, grampusses, porpoises, swordfish, halibut, cod, +salmon, trout, seals, flat-fish; several other sorts of small fish; +and there may be many more that we had no opportunity of seeing. +Halibut and salmon seem to be in the greatest plenty, and on them the +inhabitants of these isles subsist chiefly; at least, they were the +only sort of fish, except a few cod, which we observed to be laid up +for their winter store. To the north of 60°, the sea is, in a manner, +destitute of small fish of every kind; but then whales are more +numerous. + +Seals and that whole tribe of sea-animals, are not so numerous as +in many other seas. Nor can this be thought strange, since there is +hardly any part of the coast, on either continent, nor any of +the islands lying between them, that is not inhabited, and whose +inhabitants hunt these animals for their food and clothing. Sea-horses +are, indeed, in prodigious numbers about the ice; and the sea-otter +is, I believe, no where found but in this sea. We sometimes saw an +animal, with a head like a seal's, that blew after the manner of +whales. It was larger than a seal, and its colour was white, with some +dark spots. Probably this was the sea-cow, or _manati_. + +I think I may venture to assert, that sea and water fowls are neither +in such numbers, nor in such variety, as with us in the northern parts +of the Atlantic Ocean. There are some, however, here, that I do +not remember to have seen any where else; particularly the _alca +monochroa_ of Steller, before mentioned; and a black and white duck, +which I conceive to be different from the stone-duck described by +Krascheninicoff.[19] All the other birds seen by us are mentioned by +this author, except some that we met with near the ice; and most, if +not all, of these, are described by Martin in his voyage to Greenland. +It is a little extraordinary, that penguins, which are common in many +parts of the world, should not be found in this sea. Albatrosses too +are so very scarce, that I cannot help thinking that this is not their +proper climate. + +[Footnote 19: History of Kamtschatka. Eng. Trans. p. 160.] + +The few land birds that we met with are the same with those in Europe; +but there may be many others which we had no opportunity of knowing. A +very beautiful bird was shot in the woods at Norton Sound, which, I +am told, is sometimes found in England, and known by the name of +Chatterer. Our people met with other small birds there, but in no +great variety and abundance; such as the wood pecker, the bullfinch, +the yellow finch, and a small bird called a tit-mouse. + +As our excursions and observations were confined wholly to the +sea-coast, it is not to be expected, that we could know much of the +animals or vegetables of the country. Except musquitoes, there are +few other insects; nor reptiles, that I saw, but lizards. There are no +deer upon Oonalashka, or upon any other of the islands. Nor have they +any domestic animals, not even dogs. Foxes and weasels were the only +quadrupeds we saw; but they told us, that they had hares also, and +the _marmottas_ mentioned by Krascheninicoff.[20] Hence it is evident, +that the sea and rivers supply the greatest share of food to the +inhabitants. They are also obliged to the sea for all the wood made +use of for building, and other necessary purposes; for not a stick +grows upon any of the islands, nor upon the adjacent coast of the +continent. + +[Footnote 20: History of Kamtschatka, p. 99.] + +The learned tell us, that the seeds of plants are, by various means, +conveyed from one part of the world to another, even to islands in the +midst of great oceans, and far remote from any other land. How comes +it to pass, that there are no trees growing on this part of the +continent of America, nor any of the islands lying near it? They are +certainly as well situated for receiving seeds, by all the various +ways I have heard of, as any of those coasts are that abound in wood. +May not nature have denied to some soil the power of raising trees, +without the assistance of art? As to the drift-wood upon the shores of +the islands, I have no doubt that it comes from America. For although +there may be none on the neighbouring coast, enough may grow farther +up the country, which torrents in the spring may break loose, and +bring down to the sea. And not a little may be conveyed from the woody +coasts, though they lie at a greater distance.[21] + +[Footnote 21: More extensive observations than what Cook's time +allowed him to make, would be requisite to determine the questions +which he has just now started. Besides, it is fair to remark, that +there is some reason for demurring at one of the premises, with which +he sets out, viz. that the islands, he speaks of, are as well situate +for receiving seeds, as any of the coasts are that abound in wood. +At least, before admitting it, we ought to be assured of the equal +vicinity of sources from which these seeds might be received, the +predominance or occasional alteration of currents fit for their +conveyance, &c. On the other hand, what is conjectured about the +variety of soils, is so obvious, as to need no pointing out. With +respect to the drift-wood, it may be right to state, by way of +corroborating a supposition hazarded by Cook, that there is reason to +believe, that much of the internal parts of North America, and even +the declivities, though not the summits of most of the high ranges of +mountains traversing it, either have been, or are, well covered +with trees. Here, it is worth while to allude to a very singular +circumstance mentioned in the account of Lewis and Clarke's Travels to +the Source of the Missouri, &c. viz. that a great number of the trunks +of trees of the pine genus were found standing erect, and with their +roots fixed, but in a state of decay, in the bottom of the Columbia +river, on the west coast. It is difficult to explain this, but on the +supposition of some considerable change in the course of the river; +and it is sufficiently obvious, that such changes, which we know have +often occurred elsewhere, might soon occasion the removal of trees +from their original situation to any distance. We cannot spare time or +room to carry on the investigation of the subject; but no reader +can be at a loss to estimate the probable results of the fact now +mentioned. To some persons, however, it may be necessary to mention, +that the Missouri itself is a striking instance of both changeability +of course, and a corresponding operation in transporting trees, &c.; +the latter circumstance being apparently both the cause and the effect +of the former. Thus we are informed in the work already referred +to, that at the place where the party embarked on the last-mentioned +river, its current, which was extremely rapid, brought down great +quantities of drift-wood, that its bottom was full of logs of trees, +and that the course of the water was frequently varying from the +effects of sand-bars, &c. of its own formation. For an obvious reason, +it is to be wished, that Cook had mentioned to what species of trees +the drift-wood he found had belonged. How rarely are even intelligent +persons quite aware of the importance of the facts which are presented +to them; and how much has been lost, or which is, in fact, the same +thing, not gained to science, in consequence of the carelessness with +which they have been examined!--E.] + +There are a greater variety of plants at Oonalashka, and most of them +were in flower the latter end of June. Several of them are such as +we find in Europe, and in other parts of America, particularly +in Newfoundland; and others of them, which are also met with in +Kamtschatka, are eat by the natives both there and here. Of these, +Krascheninicoff has given us descriptions. The principal one is the +_saranne_, or lily root, which is about the size of a root of garlic, +round, made up of a number of small cloves, and grains like +groats. When boiled, it is somewhat like saloop; the taste is not +disagreeable, and we found means to make some good dishes with it. It +does not seem to be in great plenty; for we got none but what Ismyloff +gave us. We must reckon amongst the food of the natives, some other +wild roots; the stalk of a plant resembling _angelica_, and berries +of several different sorts; such as bramble-berries, cran-berries, +hurtle-berries, heath-berries, a small red berry, which, in +Newfoundland, is called partridge-berry, and another brown berry, +unknown to us. This has somewhat of the taste of a sloe, but is unlike +it in every other respect. It is very astringent, if eaten in any +quantity. Brandy might be distilled from it. Captain Clerke attempted +to preserve some; but they fermented, and became as strong as if they +had been steeped in spirits. + +There were a few other plants, which we found serviceable, but are +not made use of by either Russians or natives. Such as wild purslain, +pea-tops, a kind of scurvy-grass, cresses, and some others. All these +we found very palatable, dressed either in soups or in sallads. On the +low ground, and in the vallies, is plenty of grass, which grows very +thick, and to a great length. I am of opinion, that cattle might +subsist at Oonalashka all the year round, without being housed. And +the soil, in many places, seemed capable of producing grain, roots, +and vegetables. But, at present, the Russian traders, and the natives, +seem satisfied with what nature brings forth. + +Native sulphur was seen amongst the inhabitants of the island; but I +had no opportunity of learning where they got it. We found also ochre, +a stone that gives a purple colour, and another that gives a very good +green. It may be doubted, whether this last is known. In its natural +state, it is of a greyish green colour, coarse and heavy. It easily +dissolves in oil; but when put into water it entirely loses its +properties. It seemed to be scarce in Oonalashka; but we were told, +that it was in greater plenty on the island Oonemak. As to the +stones about the shore and hills, I saw nothing in them that was +uncommon.[22] + +[Footnote 22: Very probably the stone that gave a green colour was +an ore of copper; but the scanty description renders it difficult to +ascertain the species. The other, which is said to have given a purple +colour, may also have contained the same metal.--E.] + +The people of Oonalashka bury their dead on the summits of hills, and +raise a little hillock over the grave. In a walk into the country, +one of the natives, who attended me, pointed out several of these +receptacles of the dead. There was one of them, by the side of the +road leading from the harbour to the village, over which was raised a +heap of stones. It was observed, that every one who passed it, added +one to it. I saw in the country several stone-hillocks, that seemed +to have been raised by art. Many of them were apparently of great +antiquity. + +What their notions are of the Deity, and of a future state, I know +not. I am equally unacquainted with their diversions; nothing having +been seen that could give us an insight into either. + +They are remarkably cheerful and friendly amongst each other, and +always behaved with great civility to us. The Russians told us, that +they never had any connections with their women, because they were not +Christians. Our people were not so scrupulous; and some of them had +reason to repent that the females of Oonalashka encouraged their +addresses without any reserve; for their health suffered by a +distemper that is not unknown here. The natives of this island are +also subject to the cancer, or a complaint like it, which those +whom it attacks are very careful to conceal. They do not seem to +be long-lived. I no where saw a person, man or woman, whom I could +suppose to be sixty years of age; and but very few who appeared to +be above fifty. Probably their hard way of living may be the means of +shortening their days. + +I have frequently had occasion to mention, from the time of our +arrival in Prince William's Sound, how remarkably the natives, on this +north-west side of America, resemble the Greenlanders and Esquimaux, +in various particulars of person, dress, weapons, canoes, and the +like. However, I was much less struck with this, than with the +affinity which we found subsisting between the dialects of the +Greenlanders and Esquimaux, and those of Norton's Sound and +Oonalashka. This will appear from a table of corresponding words which +I put together. + +It must he observed, however, with regard to the words which we +collected on this side of America, that too much stress is not to be +laid upon their being accurately represented; for, after Mr Anderson's +death, we had few who took much pains about such matters; and I have +frequently found, that the same words written down by two or more +persons, from the mouth of the same native, on being compared +together, differed not a little. But still, enough is certain, to +warrant this judgment, that there is great reason to believe, that +all these nations are of the same extraction; and if so, there can be +little doubt of there being a northern communication of some sort, +by sea, between this west side of America and the east side, through +Baffin's Bay, which communication, however, may be effectually shut +up against ships by ice, and other impediments. Such, at least, was my +opinion at this time.[23] + +[Footnote 23: This subject has been alluded to in the Introduction, +and will in all probability receive consideration in the course of +this Collection. It is unnecessary, therefore, to enter upon it in +this place. We shall merely mention a few particulars. The west coast +of Greenland has not been explored beyond 72° latitude. Little or +nothing, that can be relied on, is known concerning the sea of Davis +or Baffin's Bay; the latter, indeed, being generally considered as +imaginary, and having no other evidence for its existence, than the +assertions, of a man conceived unworthy of credit. The whole distance +from the coast of that bay, as commonly laid down, to the point where +Hearne saw the sea, viz. in 69° latitude, being about sixty degrees +of longitude, is totally unknown. The same thing is to be said of +both the space betwixt the last mentioned spot, and that at which +Mackenzie's river is conceived to enter, which is denominated the +Arctic Sea, amounting to upwards of twenty degrees more, and also +of about an equal space betwixt this last position and Icy Cape, the +highest point at which Captain Cook arrived in this voyage. If any +passage do exist, it is certain, that it must be beyond 69° latitude, +as high as which, it has been indubitably proved by the labours of +Cook, Mackenzie, and Hearne, that the continent of America is unbroken +by any navigable passage from sea to sea. Above that latitude, it +is not only possible, but also even probable, that the Arctic Sea, +supposing it to be the same which Mackenzie and Hearne saw, and that +it is equally low down, or nearly so, throughout the other spaces +alluded to, may, in some peculiarly mild seasons, admit the passage +of canoes, if not of larger vessels. The circumstance of a much higher +latitude having been actually navigated in the Atlantic Ocean, might +seem to warrant such an opinion, and would, of course, justify some +renewed attempts in such an enterprise, were it not, that it has been +proved by the present voyage, that the ice extends lower down in the +Pacific Ocean, and that there is no small reason to believe, that +Greenland forms an integral part of the American continent. Still, +however, in every view of the subject, there does appear encouragement +to make some experiments of the nature of Hearne's and Mackenzie's, +particularly towards the east of the track explored by the former; and +it is even extremely probable, that some marine co-operation in the +direction of both Hudson's Bay and Davis' Strait, would facilitate and +secure some discovery of more utility, than a mere improvement of our +maps. But it is improper to disburden imagination on such a subject in +this place.--E.] + +I shall now quit these northern regions, with a few particulars +relative to the tides and currents upon the coast, and an account of +the astronomical observations made by us in Samganoodha harbour. + +The tide is no where considerable but in the great river.[24] + +[Footnote 24: Cook's River.] + +The flood comes from the south or south-east, every where following +the direction of the coast to the north-westward. Between Norton +Sound and Cape Prince of Wales, we found a current setting to the +north-west, particularly off the cape and within Sledge Island. But +this current extended only a little way from the coast, nor was it +either consistent or uniform. To the north of Cape Prince of Wales, +we found neither tide nor current, either on the American or on the +Asiatic coast, though several times looked for. This gave rise to an +opinion entertained by some on board our ships, that the two coasts +were connected, either by land or by ice; which opinion received some +strength, by our never having any hollow waves from the north, and by +our seeing ice almost the whole way across. + +The following are the results of the several observations made ashore, +during our stay in the harbour of Samganoodha. + + The latitude, by the mean of several observed + meridian altitudes of the sun, 53° 5' 0" + By the mean of 20 sets \ + of lunar observations, } 193 47 45 + / with the sun east of the } + The longitude { moon / + \By the mean of 14 sets, \ + with the sun and stars } 193 11 45 + west of the moon / + ------------- + The mean of these 193 29 45 + The longitude assumed 193 30 0 + + By the mean of equal altitudes of the sun, + taken on the 12th, 14th, 17th, and 21st, + the time-keeper was found to be losing + on mean time 8", 8 each day; and, on + the last of these days, was too slow for + mean time 13^h 46^m 43^s, 98. Hence the + time-keeper must have been too slow on + the 4th, the day after our arrival, by 13^h + 44^m 26^s, 62; and the longitude, by Greenwich + rate, will be 13^h 23^m 53^s, 8 200 58 27 + + By King George's (or Nootka) Sound rate, + 12^h 56^m 40^s, 4 194 10 6 + + The 30th of June, the time-keeper, by the + same rate, gave 193 12 0 + + The error of the time-keeper, at that time, + was 0 18 0 W. + + At this time, its error was 0 39 54 E. + + The error of the time-keeper, between our + leaving Samganoodha, and our return to + it again, was 0 57 54 + + On the 12th of October, the variation /A.M. 20° 17' 2"\ Mean 19° 59' + By the mean of three compasses, \P.M. 19 41' 27 / 15" East. + + Dip of the needle / Unmarked end \Dipping, /68° 45'\ Face / 69° 30' + \ Marked end / face East \69 55 / West \ 69 17 + + Mean of the dip of the north end of the needle 62° 23' 30". + + +SECTION XII. + +_Departure from Oonalashka, and future Views,--The Island +Amoghta.--Situation of a remarkable Rock.--The Strait between +Oonalashka and Oonella repassed.--Progress to the South.--Melancholy +Accident on board the Discovery.--Mowee, one of the Sandwich +Islands, discovered.--Intercourse with the Natives.--Visit from +Terreeoboo.--Another Island, called Owhyhee, discovered.--The +Ships ply to windward to get round it.--An Eclipse of the Moon +observed.--The Crew refuse to drink Sugar-cane Beer.--Cordage +deficient in Strength.--Commendation of the Natives of Owhyhee.--The +Resolution gets to Windward of the Island.--Her Progress down +the South-East Coast.--Views of the Country, and Visits from the +Natives.--The Discovery joins.--Slow Progress Westward.--Karakakooa +Bay examined by Mr Bligh.--Vast Concourse of the Natives.--The Ships +anchor in the Bay._ + +In the morning of Monday the 26th, we put to sea from Samganoodha +harbour; and, as the wind was southerly, stood away to the westward. + +My intention was now to proceed to Sandwich Islands, there to spend +a few of the winter months, in case we should meet with the necessary +refreshments, and then to direct our course to Kamtschatka, so as to +endeavour to be there by the middle of May, the ensuing summer. In +consequence of this resolution, I gave Captain Clerke orders how to +proceed, in case of separation; appointing Sandwich Islands for the +first place of rendezvous, and the harbour of Petropaulowska, in +Kamtschatka, for the second. + +Soon after we were out of the harbour, the wind veered to the S.E. and +E.S.E., which, by the evening, carried us as far as the western part +of Oonalashka, where we got the wind at S. With this we stretched to +the westward, till seven o'clock the next morning, when we wore, and +stood to the E. The wind, by this time, had increased in such a manner +as to reduce us to our three courses. It blew in very heavy squalls, +attended with rain, hail, and snow. + +At nine o'clock in the morning of the 28th, the island of Oonalashka +bore S.E., four leagues distant. We then wore and stood to the +westward. The strength of the gale was now over, and toward evening +the little wind that blew insensibly veered round to the E., where it +continued but a short time before it got to N.E., and increased to a +very hard gale with rain. I steered first to the southward, and as the +wind inclined to the N. and N.W., I steered more westerly. + +On the 29th, at half past six in the morning, we saw land extending +from E. by S. to S. by W., supposed to be the island Amoghta. At +eight, finding that we could not weather the island, as the wind had +now veered, to the westward, I gave over plying, and bore away for +Oonalashka, with a view of going to the northward and eastward of that +island, not daring to attempt a passage to the S.E. of it, in so hard +a gale of wind. At the time we bore away, the land extended from E. +by S. 1/2 S. to S.S.W., four leagues distant. The longitude by the +time-keeper was 191° 17', and the latitude 53° 38'. This will give a +very different situation to this island from that assigned to it upon +the Russian map. But it must be remembered, that this is one of the +islands which Mr Ismyloff said was wrong placed. Indeed, it is a doubt +if this be Amoghta;[1] for after Ismyloff had made the correction, no +land appeared upon the map in this latitude; but, as I have observed +before, we must not look for accuracy in this chart. + +[Footnote 1: On the chart of Krenitzen's and Levasheff's voyage in +1768 and 1769, which we find in Mr Coxe's book, p. 251, an island +called Amuckta, is laid down, not very far from the place assigned to +Amoghta by Captain Cook.--D.] + +At eleven o'clock, as we were steering to the N.E., we discovered +an elevated rock, like a tower, bearing N.N.E. 1/2 E., four leagues +distant. It lies in the latitude of 53° 57', and in the longitude of +191° 2', and hath no place in the Russian map.[2] We must have passed +very near it in the night. We could judge of its steepness from this +circumstance, that the sea, which now run very high, broke no where +but against it. At three in the afternoon, after getting a sight of +Oonalashka, we shortened sail, and hauled the wind, not having time to +get through the passage before night. At day-break the next morning, +we bore away under courses, and close-reefed top-sails, having a very +hard gale at W.N.W., with heavy squalls, attended with snow. At noon, +we were in the middle of the Strait, between Oonalashka, and Oonella, +the harbour of Samganoodha bearing S.S.E., one league distant. At +three in the afternoon, being through the Strait, and clear of the +isles, Cape Providence bearing W.S.W., two or three leagues distant, +we steered to the southward, under double-reefed top-sails and +courses, with the wind at W.N.W., a strong gale, and fair weather. + +[Footnote 2: Though this rock had no place in the Russian map +produced by Ismyloff, it has a place in the chart of Krenitzen's and +Levasheff's voyage above referred to. That chart also agrees with +Captain Cook's, as to the general position of this group of islands. +The singularly indented shores of the island of Oonalashka are +represented in both charts much alike. These circumstances are worth +attending to, as the more modern Russian maps of this Archipelago are +so wonderfully erroneous.--D.] + +On Monday, the 2d of November, the wind veered to the southward; and, +before night, blew a violent storm, which obliged us to bring to. The +Discovery fired several guns, which we answered; but without knowing +on what occasion they were fired. At eight o'clock, we lost sight of +her, and did not see her again till eight the next morning. At ten, +she joined us; and, as the height of the gale was now over, and the +wind had veered back to W.N.W., we made sail, and resumed our course +to the southward. + +The 6th, in the evening, being in the latitude of 42° 12', and in the +longitude of 201° 26'", the variation was 17° 15' E. The next morning, +our latitude being 41° 20', and our longitude 202°, a shag, or +cormorant, flew several times round the ship. As these birds are +seldom, if ever, known to fly far out of sight of land, I judged +that some was not far distant. However, we could see none. In the +afternoon, there being but little wind, Captain Clerke came on board, +and informed me of a melancholy accident that happened on board his +ship, the second night after we left Samganoodha. The main tack gave +way, killed one man, and wounded the boatswain, and two or three more. +In addition to this misfortune, I now learned, that, on the evening of +the 2d, his sails and rigging received considerable damage; and that +the guns which he fired were the signal to bring to.' + +On the 8th, the wind was at N.; a gentle breeze with clear weather. On +the 9th, in the latitude of 39-1/2°, we had eight hours calm. This +was succeeded by the wind from, the S., attended with fair weather. +Availing ourselves of this, as many of our people as could handle a +needle, were set to work to repair the sails; and the carpenters were +employed to put the boats in order. + +On the 12th at noon, being then in the latitude of 38° 14', and in the +longitude of 206° 17', the wind returned back to the northward; and, +on the 15th, in the latitude of 33° 30', it veered to the E. At this +time, we saw a tropic-bird, and a dolphin, the first that we had +observed during the passage. On the 17th, the wind veered to the +southward, where it continued till the afternoon of the 19th, when a +squall of wind and rain brought it at once round by the W. to the N. +This was in the latitude of 32° 26', and in the longitude of 207° 30'. + +The wind presently increased to a very strong gale, attended with +rain, so as to bring us under double-reefed top-sails. In lowering +down the main top-sail to reef it, the wind tore it quite out of the +foot rope, and it was split in several other parts. This sail had only +been brought to the yard the day before, after having had a repair. +The next morning we got another top-sail to the yard. This gale proved +to be the forerunner of the trade-wind, which, in, latitude 25°, +veered to E. and E.S.E. + +I continued to steer to the southward till day-light in the morning +of the 25th, at which time we were in the latitude of 20° 55'. I now +spread the ships, and steered to the W. In the evening we joined, +and at midnight brought-to. At day-break, next morning, land was seen +extending from S.S.E. to W. We made sail, and stood for it. At eight, +it extended from S.E. 1/2 S. to W., the nearest part two leagues +distant. It was supposed that we saw the extent of the land to the +east, but not to the west. We were now satisfied, that the group of +the Sandwich Islands had been only imperfectly discovered; as those +of them which we had visited in our progress northward, all lie to the +leeward of our present station. + +In the country was an elevated saddle hill, whose summit appeared +above the clouds. From this hill, the land fell in a gentle slope, and +terminated in a steep rocky coast, against which the sea broke in a +dreadful surf. Finding that we could not weather the island, I bore +up, and ranged along the coast to the westward. It was not long before +we saw people on several parts of the shore, and some houses and +plantations. The country seemed to be both well wooded and watered, +and running streams were seen falling into the sea in various places. + +As it was of the last importance to procure a supply of provisions at +these islands; and experience having taught me that I could have no +chance to succeed in this if a free trade with the natives were to be +allowed; that is, if it were left to every man's discretion to +trade for what he pleased, and in the manner he pleased; for this +substantial reason, I now published an order, prohibiting all persons +from trading, except such as should be appointed by me and Captain +Clerke; and even these were enjoined to trade only for provisions and +refreshments. Women were also forbidden to be admitted into the ships, +except under certain restrictions. But the evil I meant to prevent by +this regulation, I soon found, had already got amongst them. + +At noon, the coast extended from S., 81° E., to N. 56° W.; a low flat, +like an isthmus, bore S., 42° W.; the nearest shore three or four +miles distant; the latitude was 20° 59', and the longitude 203° 50'. +Seeing some canoes coming off to us, I brought-to. As soon as they got +alongside, many of the people, who conducted them, came into the ship, +without the least hesitation. We found them to be of the same nation +with the inhabitants of the islands more to leeward, which we had +already visited; and, if we did not mistake them, they knew of our +having been there. Indeed, it rather appeared too evident; for these +people had got amongst them, the venereal distemper; and, as yet, I +knew of no other way of its reaching them but by an intercourse with +their neighbours since our leaving them. + +We got from our visitors a quantity of cuttle-fish for nails and +pieces of iron. They brought very little fruit and roots; but told us +that they had plenty or them on their island, as also hogs and fowls. +In the evening, the horizon being clear to the westward, we judged +the westernmost land in sight to be an island, separated from that off +which we now were. Having no doubt that the people would return to the +ships next day, with the produce of their country, I kept plying off +all night, and in the morning stood close in shore. At first, only a +few of the natives visited us; but, toward noon, we had the company +of a good many, who brought with them bread-fruit, potatoes, tarro, +or eddy roots, a few plantains, and small pigs; all of which they +exchanged for nails and iron tools. Indeed, we had nothing else to +give them. We continued trading with, them till four o'clock in the +afternoon, when, having disposed of all their cargoes, and not seeming +inclined to fetch more, we made sail, and stood off shore. + +While we were lying-to, though the wind blew fresh, I observed that +the ships drifted to the east, consequently there must have been +a current setting in that direction. This encouraged me to ply to +windward, with a view to get round the east end of the island, and so +have the whole lee-side before us. In the afternoon of the 30th, being +off the N.E. end of the island, several canoes came off to the ships. +Most of these belonged to a chief, named Terreeoboo, who came in one +of them. He made me a present of two or three small pigs; and we got, +by barter, from the other people, a little fruit. After a stay +of about two hours they all left us, except six or eight of their +company, who chose to remain on board. A double-sailing canoe came +soon after to attend upon them, which we towed astern all night. +In the evening, we discovered another island to windward, which the +natives call _Owhyhee_. The name of that, off which we had been for +some days, we were also told is _Mowee_. + +On the 1st of December, at eight in the morning, Owhyhee extended from +S., 22' E, to S. 12° W.; and Mowee from N. 41° to N. 83° W. Finding +that we could fetch Owhyhee, I stood for it; and our visitors from +Mowee not choosing to accompany us, embarked in their canoe, and went +ashore. At seven in the evening, we were close up with the north side +of Owhyhee; where we spent the night, standing off and on. + +In the morning of the 2d, we were surprised to see the summits of the +mountains on Owhyhee covered with snow. They did not appear to be of +any extraordinary height; and yet, in some places, the snow seemed to +be of a considerable depth, and to have lain there some time. As we +drew near the shore, some of the natives came off to us. They were a +little shy at first; but we soon enticed some of them on board; and at +last prevailed upon them to return to the island, and bring off what +we wanted. Soon after they reached the shore, we had company enough; +and few coming empty-handed, we got a tolerable supply of small pigs, +fruit, and roots. We continued trading with them till six in the +evening; when we made sail, and stood off, with a view of plying to +windward round the island. + +In the evening of the 4th, we observed an eclipse of the moon. Mr King +made use of a night-telescope, a circular aperture being placed at +the object end, about one-third of the size of the common aperture. +I observed with the telescope of one of Ramsden's sextants; which, I +think, answers this purpose as well as any other. The following times +are the means, as observed by us both: + + Longitude. + 6^h 3' 25" beginning of the eclipse 204° 40' 45" + 8 27 25 end of the eclipse 204 25 15 + ------------ + Mean 204 35 0 + + +The _penumbra_ was visible at least ten minutes before the beginning +and after the end of the eclipse. I measured the uneclipsed part of +the moon with one of Ramsden's sextants, several times before, at, and +after the middle of the eclipse; but did not get the middle so near +as might have been effected by this method. Indeed, these observations +were made only as an experiment, without aiming at much nicety. I also +measured mostly one way; whereas I ought to have brought alternately +the reflected and direct images on contrary sides with respect to each +other; reading the numbers off the quadrant, in one case, to the left +of the beginning of the divisions; and, in the other case, to the +right hand of the same. It is evident, that half the sum of these two +numbers must be the true measurement, independent of the error of the +quadrant; and this is the method that I would recommend. + +But I am well assured, that it might have been observed much nearer; +and that this method maybe useful when neither the beginning nor end +of an eclipse can be observed, which may often happen. + +Immediately after the eclipse was over, we observed the distance of +each limb of the moon from _Pollux_ and _alpha Arietis_; the one being +to the east, and the other to the west. An opportunity to observe, +under all these circumstances, seldom happens; but when it does, it +ought not to be omitted; as, in this case, the local errors to which +these observations are liable, destroy each other; which, in all other +cases, would require the observations of a whole moon. The following +are the results of these observations: + + Myself with / _a Arietis_ - 204° 22' 07" \ mean 204° 21' 5" + \ _Pollux_ - 204 20 4 / + + Mr King with / _a Arietis_ - 204 27 45 \ mean 204 18 29 + \ _Pollux_ - 204 9 12 / + ----------- + Mean of the two means 204 19 47 + + The time-keeper, at 4^h 30', to which time all the \ 204 04 45 + lunar observations are reduced / + +The current which I have mentioned, as setting to the eastward, had +now ceased; for we gained but little by plying. On the 6th, in the +evening, being about five leagues farther up the coast, and near the +shore, we had some traffic with the natives. But, as it had furnished +only a trifling supply, I stood in again next morning, when we had +a considerable number of visitors; and we lay-to, trading with them, +till two in the afternoon. By that time, we had procured pork, fruit, +and roots, sufficient for four or five days. We then made sail, and +continued to ply to windward. + +Having procured a quantity of sugar-cane; and having, upon a trial, +made but a few days before, found, that a strong decoction of it +produced a very palatable beer, I ordered some more to be brewed for +our general use. But when the cask was now broached, not one of my +crew-would even so much as taste it. As I had no motive in preparing +this beverage, but to save our spirit for a colder climate, I gave +myself no trouble, either by exerting authority, or by having recourse +to persuasion, to prevail upon them to drink it; knowing that there +was no danger of the scurvy, so long as we could get a plentiful +supply of other vegetables. But, that I might not be disappointed in +my views, I gave orders that no grog should be served in either ship. +I myself, and the officers, continued to make use of the sugar-cane +beer whenever we could get materials for brewing it. A few hops, of +which we had some on board, improved it much. It has the taste of +new malt beer; and I believe no one will doubt of its being very +wholesome. And yet my inconsiderate crew alleged that it was injurious +to their health. + +They had no better reason to support a resolution, which they took on +our first arrival in King George's Sound, not to drink the spruce-beer +made there. But, whether from a consideration that it was not the +first time of their being required to use that liquor, or from some +other reason, they did not attempt to carry their purpose into actual +execution; and I had never heard of it till now, when they renewed +their ignorant opposition to my best endeavours to serve them. Every +innovation whatever on board a ship, though ever so much to +the advantage of seamen, is sure to meet with their highest +disapprobation. Both portable soup, and sour krout, were, at first, +condemned as stuff unfit for human beings. Few commanders have +introduced into their ships more novelties, as useful varieties of +food and drink, than I have done. Indeed, few commanders have had the +same opportunities of trying such experiments, or been driven to +the same necessity of trying them. It has, however, been, in a great +measure, owing to various little deviations from established practice, +that I have been able to preserve my people, generally speaking, from +that dreadful distemper, the scurvy, which has, perhaps, destroyed +more of our sailors, in their peaceful voyages, than have fallen by +the enemy in military expeditions.[3] + +[Footnote 3: So much for the effect of ignorance and prejudice. One +requires the strong evidence of such a careful observer as Captain +Cook to be convinced of their existence, in such intense degree, among +a set of people, accustomed, from the nature of their profession, to +witness the vast variety of different manners and modes of life in +different countries; though every notion we could form of their habits +and tempers might lead us to infer _a priori_, the obstinacy with +which they would resist any innovation on their established practices. +Probably, however, when left to themselves, they readily enough fall +in with changes; and hence it may often be more judicious to put +temptations in their way, in order to obtain a salutary purpose, than +to recommend or enforce it as conducive to their welfare. It is easy +to understand, on the common principles of human nature, that the +former method will generally prove most efficient; whereas the +latter, because it implies a kind of restraint, will, consequently, be +disliked, and opposed or evaded. Sailors, on the whole, perhaps, bear +the greatest resemblance to children of any of the full-grown species. +It is of some consequence to know how to treat them as such. A little +coaxing and flattery is a very necessary ingredient in any thing +intended for them; and often it may be extremely politic to seem to +refuse, or to be averse to give them what we are at the same time +really anxious they should have. But it is easy to prescribe in such +cases!--E.] + +I kept at some distance from the coast, till the 13th, when I stood +in again, six leagues farther to windward than we had as yet reached; +and, after having some trade with the natives who visited us, returned +to sea. I should have got near the shore again on the 15th, for a +supply of fruit or roots, but the wind happening to be at S.E. by S., +and S.S.E., I thought this a good time to stretch to the eastward, in +order to get round, or, at least, to get a sight of the S.E. end of +the island. The wind continued at S.E. by S., most part of the 16th. +It was variable between S. and E, on the 17th; and on the 18th, it was +continually veering from one quarter to another; blowing, sometimes, +in hard squalls, and, at other times, calm, with thunder, lightning, +and rain. In the afternoon, we had the wind westerly for a few +hours; but in the evening it shifted to E. by S., and we stood to the +southward, close hauled, under an easy sail, as the Discovery was at +some distance astern. At this time the S.E. point of the island bore +S.W. by S., about five leagues distant; and I made no doubt that I +should be able to weather it. But at one o'clock, next morning, it +fell calm, and we were left to the mercy of a north-easterly swell, +which impelled us fast towards the land; so that, long before +day-break, we saw lights upon the shore, which was not more than a +league distant. The night was dark, with thunder, lightning, and rain. + +At three o'clock, the calm was succeeded by a breeze from the S.E. by +E., blowing in squalls, with rain. We stood to the N.E., thinking it +the best tack to clear the coast; but, if it had been day-light, +we should have chosen the other. At day-break, the coast was seen +extending from N. by W., to S.W. by W.; a dreadful surf breaking +upon the shore, which was not more than half a league distant. It was +evident that we had been in the most imminent danger. Nor were we yet +in safety, the wind veering more easterly; so that, for some time, we +did but just keep our distance from the coast. What made our situation +more alarming, was the leach-rope of the main top-sail giving way, +which was the occasion of the sail's being rent in two; and the two +top-gallant sails gave way in the same manner, though not half worn +out. By taking a favourable opportunity, we soon got others to the +yards, and then we left the land astern. The Discovery, by being at +some distance to the north, was never near the land, nor did we see +her till eight o'clock. + +On this occasion, I cannot help observing, that I have always found, +that the bolt-ropes to our sails have not been of sufficient strength +or substance. This at different times, has been the source of infinite +trouble and vexation, and of much expence of canvas, ruined by their +giving way. I wish also, that I did not think there is room for +remarking, that the cordage and canvas, and, indeed, all the other +stores made use of in the navy, are not of equal goodness with those, +in general, used in the merchant service. + +It seems to be a very prevalent opinion, amongst naval officers of all +ranks, that the king's stores are better than any others, and that no +ships are so well fitted out as those of the navy. Undoubtedly they +are in the right, as to the quantity; but, I fear, not as to the +quality of the stores. This, indeed, is seldom tried; for things are +generally condemned, or converted to some other use, by such time as +they are half worn out. It is only on such voyages as ours, that we +have an opportunity of making the trial, as our situation makes it +necessary to wear every thing to the very utmost.[4] + +[Footnote 4: Captain Cook may, in part, be right in his comparison of +some cordage used in the king's service, with what is used in that +of the merchants; especially in time of war, when part of the cordage +wanted in the navy is, from necessity, made by contract. But it is +well known, that there is no better cordage than what is made in the +king's yards. This explanation of the preceding paragraph has been +subjoined, on the authority of a naval officer of distinguished rank, +and great professional ability, who has, at the same time, recommended +it as a necessary precaution, that ships fitted out on voyages of +discovery, should be furnished with no cordage, but what is made in +the king's yards; and, indeed, that every article of their store, of +every kind, should be the best that can be made.--D.] + +As soon as day-light appeared, the natives ashore displayed a white +flag, which we conceived to be a signal of peace and friendship. Some +of them ventured out after us; but the wind freshening, and it not +being safe to wait, they were soon left astern. + +In the afternoon, after making another attempt to weather the eastern +extreme, which, failed, I gave it up, and run down to the Discovery. +Indeed, it was of no consequence to get round the island; for we had +seen its extent to the S.E., which was the thing I aimed at; and, +according to the information which we had got from the natives, there +is no other island to the windward of this. However, as we were +so near the S.E. end of it, and as the least shift of wind, in our +favour, would serve to carry us round, I did not wholly give up the +idea of weathering it, and therefore continued to ply. + +On the 20th, at noon, this S.E. point bore S., three leagues distant; +the snowy hills W.N.W., and we were about four miles from the nearest +shore. In the afternoon, some of the natives came off in their canoes, +bringing with them a few pigs and plantains. The latter were very +acceptable, having had no vegetables for some days; but the supply we +now received was so inconsiderable, being barely sufficient for one +day, that I stood in again the next morning, till within three or four +miles of the land, where we were met by a number of canoes, laden with +provisions. We brought-to, and continued trading with the people +in them, till four in the afternoon, when, having got a pretty good +supply, we made sail, and stretched off to the northward. + +I had never met with a behaviour so free from reserve and suspicion, +in my intercourse with any tribes of savages, as we experienced in the +people of this island. It was very common for them to send up into the +ship the several articles they brought off for barter; afterward, they +would come in themselves, and make their bargains on the quarter-deck. +The people of Otaheite, even after our repeated visits, do not care to +put so much confidence in us. I infer from this, that those of Owhyhee +must be more faithful in their dealings with one another, than the +inhabitants of Otaheite are. For, if little faith were observed +amongst themselves, they would not be so ready to trust strangers. +It is also to be observed, to their honour, that they had never +once attempted to cheat us in exchanges, nor to commit a theft. They +understand trading as well as most people; and seemed to comprehend +clearly the reason of our plying upon the coast. For, though they +brought off provisions in great plenty, particularly pigs, yet they +kept up their price; and, rather than dispose of them for less than +they thought they were worth, would take them on shore again.[5] + +[Footnote 5: The reader is desired to pay particular attention to the +high testimony borne by Cook to the characters of these islanders. It +is a circumstance too singularly interesting not to give rise to some +painful reflections, that, on apparently good grounds, he should have +entertained the best opinion of those very people, from whom he was +destined shortly afterwards to receive the greatest of injuries. +However that event is to be explained, it seems very fair that his +evidence in their favour obtain full regard, and that they, therefore, +be entitled to any benefits it may be supposed to confer.--E.] + +On the 22d, at eight in the morning, we tacked to the southward, with +a fresh breeze at E. by N. At noon, the latitude was 20° 28' 30"; and +the snowy peak bore S.W. 1/2 S. We had a good view of it the preceding +day, and the quantity of snow seemed to have increased, and to extend +lower down the hill. I stood to the S.E. till midnight, then tacked +to the N. till four in the morning, when we returned to the S.E. tack; +and, as the wind was at N.E. by E., we had hopes of weathering the +island. We should have succeeded, if the wind had not died away, and +left us to the mercy of a great swell, which carried us fast toward +the land, which was not two leagues distant. At length, we got our +head off, and some light puffs of wind, which came with showers +of rain, put us out of danger. While we lay, as it were, becalmed, +several of the islanders came off with hogs, fowls, fruit, and roots. +Out of one canoe we got a goose, which was about the size of a Muscovy +duck. Its plumage was dark-grey, and the bill and legs black. + +At four in the afternoon, after purchasing every thing that the +natives had brought off, which was full as much as we had occasion +for, we made sail, and stretched to the N., with the wind at E.N.E. At +midnight, we tacked, and stood to the S.E. Upon a supposition that the +Discovery would see us tack, the signal was omitted; but she did not +see us, as we afterwards found, and continued standing to the N.; +for at day-light next morning she was not in sight. At this time the +weather being hazy we could not see far, so that it was possible the +Discovery might be following us; and, being past the N.E. part of the +island, I was tempted to stand on, till, by the wind veering to N.E., +we could not weather the land upon the other tack. Consequently we +could not stand to the N, to join, or look for, the Discovery. At +noon, we were, by observation, in latitude of 19° 55', and in the +longitude of 205° 3'; the S.E. point of the island bore S. by E. 1/4 +E, six leagues distant; the other extreme bore N, 60° W., and we +were two leagues from the nearest shore. At six in the evening, the +southernmost extreme of the island bore S.W., the nearest shore seven +or eight miles distant; so that we had now succeeded in getting +to windward of the island, which we had aimed at with so much +perseverance. + +The Discovery, however, was not yet to be seen. But the wind, as we +had it, being very favourable for her to follow us, I concluded, that +it would not be long before she joined us. I therefore kept cruizing +off this S.E. point of the island, which lies in the latitude of +19° 34', and in the longitude of 205° 6', till I was satisfied that +Captain Clerke could not join me here. I now conjectured, that he had +not been able to weather the N.E. part of the island, and had gone to +leeward, in order to meet me that way. + +As I generally kept from five to ten leagues from the land, no canoes, +except one, came off to us till the 28th, when we were visited by a +dozen or fourteen. The people who conducted them brought, as usual, +the produce of the island. I was very sorry that they had taken the +trouble to come so far. For we could not trade with them, our +old stock not being, as yet, consumed; and we had found, by late +experience, that the hogs could not be kept alive, nor the roots +preserved from putrefaction, many days. However, I intended not to +leave this part of the island before I got a supply, as it would not +be easy to return to it again, in case it should be found necessary. + +We began to be in want on the 30th, and I would have stood in near +the shore, but was prevented by a calm; but a breeze springing up at +midnight from S. and S.W., we were enabled to stand in for the land at +day-break. At ten o'clock in the morning, we were met by the islanders +with fruit and roots; but, in all the canoes, were only three small +pigs. Our not having bought those which had been lately brought +off, may be supposed to be the reason of this very scanty supply. We +brought-to for the purposes of trade; but, soon after, our marketing +was interrupted by a very hard rain, and, besides, we were rather too +far from the shore. Nor durst I go nearer; for I could not depend upon +the wind's remaining where it was for a moment; the swell also being +high, and setting obliquely upon the shore, against which it broke +in a frightful surf. In the evening the weather mended; the night was +clear, and it was spent in making short boards. + +Before day-break, the atmosphere was again loaded with heavy clouds, +and the new year was ushered in with very hard rain, which continued, +at intervals, till past ten o'clock. The wind was southerly; a light +breeze with some calms, when the rain ceased and the sky cleared, and +the breeze freshened. Being, at this time, about five miles from the +land, several canoes arrived with fruit and roots, and, at last, +some hogs were brought off. We lay to, trading with, them till three +o'clock in the afternoon, when, having a tolerable supply, we made +sail, with a view of proceeding to the N.W., or lee-side of the +island, to look for the Discovery. It was necessary, however, the wind +being at S., to stretch first to the eastward, till midnight, when +the wind came more favourable, and we went upon the other tack. +For several days past, both wind and weather had been exceedingly +unsettled, and there fell a great deal of rain. + +The three following days were spent in running down the S.E. side of +the island. For, during the nights, we stood off and on; and part of +each day was employed in lying-to, in order to furnish an opportunity +to the natives of trading with us. They sometimes came on board, +while we were five leagues from the shore. But, whether from a fear +of losing their goods in the sea, or from the uncertainty of a market, +they never brought much with them. The principal article procured was +salt, which was extremely good. + +On the 5th in the morning, we passed the south point of the island, +which lies in the latitude of 18° 54', and beyond it we found the +coast to trend N. 60° W. On this point stands a pretty large village, +the inhabitants of which thronged off to the ship with hogs and women. +It was not possible to keep the latter from coming on board, and no +women I ever met with were less reserved. Indeed it appeared to me, +that they visited us with no other view, than to make a surrender of +their persons. As I had now got a quantity of salt, I purchased no +hogs but such as were fit for salting, refusing all that were under +size. However, we could seldom get any above fifty or sixty pounds +weight. It was happy for us, that we had still some vegetables on +board, for we now received few such productions. Indeed this part of +the country, from its appearance, did not seem capable of affording +them. Marks of its having been laid waste by the explosion of a +volcano, every where presented themselves; and though we had as yet +seen nothing like one upon the island, the devastation that it had +made in this neighbourhood, was visible to the naked eye. + +This part of the coast is sheltered from the reigning winds, but we +could find no bottom to anchor upon, a line of an hundred and sixty +fathoms not reaching it, within the distance of half a mile from the +shore. The islanders having all left us, toward the evening, we ran +a few miles down the coast, and then spent the night standing off and +on. + +The next morning, the natives visited us again, bringing with them the +same articles of commerce as before. Being now near the shore, I sent +Mr Bligh, the master, in a boat to sound the coast, with orders to +land, and to look for fresh water. Upon his return, he reported, that, +at two cables' lengths from the shore, he had found no soundings with +a line of one hundred and sixty fathoms; that, when he landed, he +found no stream or spring, but only rain-water, deposited in holes +upon the rocks, and even that was brackish from the spray of the sea, +and that the surface of the country was entirely composed of slags and +ashes, with a few plants interspersed. Between ten and eleven we +saw with pleasure the Discovery coming round the south point of the +island, and at one in the afternoon she joined us. Captain Clerke then +coming on board, informed me, that he had cruised four or five days +where we were separated, and then plied round the east side of the +island, but that, meeting with unfavourable winds, he had been carried +to some distance from the coast. He had one of the islanders on board +all this time, who had remained there from choice, and had refused to +quit the ship, though opportunities had offered. + +Having spent the night standing off and on, we stood in again the next +morning, and when we were about a league from the shore, many of the +natives visited us. At noon, the observed latitude was 19° 1', and the +longitude, by the time-keeper, was 203° 26', the island extending from +S. 74° E. to N. 13° W., the nearest part two leagues distant. + +At day-break on the 8th, we found that the currents, during the +night, which we spent in plying, had carried us back considerably to +windward; so that we were now off the S.W. point of the island. There +we brought-to, in order to give the natives an opportunity of trading +with us. At noon our observed latitude was 19° 1', and our longitude, +by the time-keeper, was 203° 13', the S.W. point of the island N. 30° +E., two miles distant. + +We spent the night as usual, standing off and on. It happened, that +four men and ten women who had come on board the preceding day, still +remained with us. As I did not like the company of the latter, I stood +in shore towards noon, principally with a view to get them out of the +ship; and some canoes coming off, I took that opportunity of sending +away our guests. + +We had light airs from N.W. and S.W., and calms, till eleven in the +morning of the 10th, when the wind freshened at W.N.W., which, with a +strong current setting to the S.E., so much retarded us, that, in the +evening, between seven and eight o'clock, the S. point of the island +bore N. 10-1/2° W., four leagues distant. The south snowy hill now +bore N. 1-1/2° E. + +At four in the morning of the 11th, the wind having fixed at W., I +stood in for the land, in order to get some refreshments. As we drew +near the shore, the natives began to come off. We lay to, or stood on +and off, trading with them all the day, but got a very scanty supply +at last. Many canoes visited us, whose people had not a single thing +to barter, which convinced us, that this part of the island must be +very poor, and that we had already got all that they could spare. We +spent the 12th plying off and on, with a fresh gale at W. A mile from +the shore and to the N.E. of the S. point of the island, having tried +soundings, we found ground at fifty-five fathoms depth, the bottom a +fine sand. At five in the evening, we stood to the S.W., with the wind +at W.N.W., and soon after midnight we had a calm. + +At eight o'clock next morning, having got a small breeze at S.S.E., we +steered to the N.N.W., in for the land. Soon after, a few canoes came +along-side with some hogs, but without any vegetables, which articles +we most wanted. We had now made some progress; for at noon the S. +point of the island bore S. 86-1/2° E., the S.W. point N. 13° W., the +nearest shore two leagues distant; latitude, by observation, 18° 56', +and our longitude, by the time-keeper, 203° 40'. We had got the length +of the S.W. point of the island in the evening, but the wind now +veering to the westward and northward, during the night we lost all +that we had gained. Next morning, being still off the S.W. point of +the island, some canoes came off; but they had nothing that we were +in want of. We had now neither fruit nor roots, and were under a +necessity of making use of some of our sea-provisions. At length, some +canoes from the northward brought us a small supply of hogs and roots. + +We had variable light airs next to a calm, the following day, till +five in the afternoon, when a small breeze at E.N.E. springing up, +we were at last enabled to steer along shore to the northward. The +weather being fine, we had plenty of company this day, and abundance +of every thing. Many of our visitors remained with us on board all +night, and we towed their canoes astern. + +At day-break on the 16th, seeing the appearance of a bay, I sent Mr +Bligh, with a boat from each ship, to examine it, being at this time +three leagues off. Canoes now began to arrive from all parts; so that +before ten o'clock, there were no fewer than a thousand about the two +ships, most of them crowded with people, and well laden with hogs and +other productions of the island. We had the most satisfying proof of +their friendly intentions; for we did not see a single person who had +with him a weapon of any sort. Trade and curiosity alone had brought +them off. Among such numbers as we had at times on board, it is no +wonder that some should betray a thievish disposition. One of our +visitors took out of the ship a boat's rudder. He was discovered, +but too late to recover it. I thought this a good opportunity to shew +these people the use of fire-arms; and two or three muskets, and as +many four-pounders, were fired over the canoe, which carried off +the rudder. As it was not intended that any of the shot should take +effect, the surrounding multitude of natives seemed rather more +surprised than frightened. + +In the evening Mr Bligh returned, and reported, that he had found +a bay in which was good anchorage, and fresh water in a situation +tolerably easy to be come at. Into this bay I resolved to carry the +ships, there to refit, and supply ourselves with every refreshment +that the place could afford. As night approached, the greater part of +our visitors retired to the shore, but numbers of them requested our +permission to sleep on board. Curiosity was not the only motive, at +least with some; for, the next morning, several things were missing, +which determined me not to entertain so many another night. + +At eleven o'clock in the forenoon, we anchored in the bay, (which is +called by the natives _Karakakooa_,) in thirteen fathoms water, over +a sandy bottom, and about a quarter of a mile from the N.E. shore. +In this situation, the S. point of the bay bore S. by W., and the +N. point W. 1/2 N. We moored with the stream-anchor and cable to the +northward, unbent the sails, and struck yards and top-masts. The ships +continued to be much crowded with natives, and were surrounded by a +multitude of canoes. I had no where, in the course of my voyage, seen +so numerous a body of people assembled at one place. For, besides +those who had come off to us in canoes, all the shore of the bay was +covered with spectators, and many hundreds were swimming round +the ships like shoals of fish. We could not but be struck with the +singularity of this scene; and perhaps there were few on board who +now lamented our having failed in our endeavours to find a northern +passage homeward last summer. To this disappointment we owed our +having it in our power to revisit the _Sandwich Islands_, and to +enrich our voyage with a discovery which, though the last, seemed, in +many respects, to be the most important that had hitherto been made by +Europeans, throughout the extent of the Pacific Ocean.[6] + +[Footnote 6: Thus ends Captain Cook's journal of his proceedings, and +the visible satisfaction which pervades the concluding sentences, as +is noticed in the Biog. Brit., must strike the mind of every reader. +They indicate the high value which our navigator attached to this last +discovery, now so irrevocably, but so painfully, associated with the +honours of his name; whilst, in his unapprehending confidence, and the +wonted calmness of his style, we see the agency of that beneficent law +in our system, by which we are preserved ignorant of the evils that +every hour and moment of our time may bring over us. Nor ought we +to omit remarking as something peculiar, that Cook's allusion to the +present comfortable opinion and feelings of his associates on the +failure of their labours in the northern hemisphere, founded, no +doubt, on the general expression of satisfaction, serves as a material +aggravation, in the way of contrast, to our conceptions of their +subsequent distress and grief, under the calamity of his most +afflicting death.--E.] + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +CAPTAIN KING'S JOURNAL OF THE TRANSACTIONS ON RETURNING TO THE +SANDWICH ISLANDS.[1] + + +SECTION I. + +_Description of Karakakooa Bay.--Vast Concourse of the Natives.--Power +of the Chiefs over the inferior People.--Visit from Koah, a Priest and +Warrior.--The Morai at Kakooa described.--Ceremonies at the Landing +of Captain Cook.--Observatories erected.--Powerful Operation of the +Taboo.--Method of Salting Pork in Tropical Climates.--Society of +Priests discovered.--Their Hospitality and Munificence.--Reception of +Captain Cook.--Artifice of Koah.--Arrival of Terreoboo, King of the +Island.--Returned by Captain Cook._ + +[Footnote 1: The reader is informed once for all, that the notes to +the remainder of this voyage, to which no signature is attached, +are to be considered as forming a part of Captain King's own +publication.--E.] + +Karakakooa Bay is situated on the west side of the island of Owhyhee, +in a district called Akona. It is about a mile in depth, and bounded +by two low points of land, at the distance of half a league, and +bearing S.S.E. and N.N.W. from each other. On the north point, which +is flat and barren, stands the village of Kowrowa; and in the bottom +of the bay, near a grove of tall cocoa-nut trees, there is another +village of a more considerable size, called Kakooa; between them runs +a high rocky cliff, inaccessible from the sea shore. On the south +side, the coast, for about a mile inland, has a rugged appearance; +beyond which the country rises with a gradual ascent, and is +overspread with cultivated enclosures and groves of cocoa-nut trees, +where the habitations of the natives are scattered in great numbers. +The shore, all round the bay, is covered with a black coral rock, +which makes the landing very dangerous in rough weather, except at the +village of Kakooa, where there is a fine sandy beach, with a _morai_, +or burying-place, at one extremity, and a small well of fresh water at +the other. This bay appearing to Captain Cook a proper place to refit +the ships, and lay in an additional supply of water and provisions, +we moored on the north side, about a quarter of a mile from the shore, +Kowrowa bearing W.N.W. + +As soon as the inhabitants perceived our intention of anchoring in +the bay, they came off from the shore in astonishing numbers, and +expressed their joy by singing and shouting, and exhibiting a variety +of wild and extravagant gestures. The sides, the decks, and rigging of +both ships were soon completely covered with them, and a multitude +of women and boys, who had not been able to get canoes, came swimming +round us in shoals, many of whom not finding room on board, remained +the whole day playing in the water. + +Among the chiefs who came on board the Resolution, was a young +man, called Pareea, whom we soon perceived to be a person of great +authority. On presenting himself to Captain Cook, he told him, that +he was _Jakanee_[2] to the king of the island, who was at that time +engaged on a military expedition at Mowee, and was expected to return +within three or four days. A few presents from Captain Cook attached +him entirely to our interests, and he became exceedingly useful to +us in the management of his countrymen, as we had soon occasion to +experience. For we had not been long at anchor, when it was observed +that the Discovery had such a number of people hanging on one side, as +occasioned her to heel considerably; and that the men were unable to +keep off the crowds which continued pressing into her. Captain Cook, +being apprehensive that she might suffer some injury, pointed out the +danger to Pareea, who immediately went to their assistance, cleared +the ship of its encumbrances, and drove away the canoes that +surrounded her. + +[Footnote 2: We afterward met with several others of the same +denomination; but whether it be an office, or some degree of affinity, +we could never learn with certainty.] + +The authority of the chiefs over the inferior people appeared from +this incident to be of the most despotic kind. A similar instance +of it happened the same day on board the Resolution, where the crowd +being so great, as to impede the necessary business of the ship, we +were obliged to have recourse to the assistance of Kaneena, another of +their chiefs, who had likewise attached himself to Captain Cook. +The inconvenience we laboured under being made known, he immediately +ordered his countrymen to quit the vessel; and we were not a little +surprised to see them jump overboard, without a moment's hesitation, +all except one man, who, loitering behind, and shewing some +unwillingness to obey, Kaneena took him up in his arms, and threw him +into the sea. + +Both these chiefs were men of strong and well-proportioned bodies, +and of countenances remarkably pleasing; Kaneena especially, whose +portrait Mr Webber has drawn, was one of the finest men I ever saw. +He was about six feet high, had regular and expressive features, with +lively, dark eyes; his carriage was easy, firm, and graceful. + +It has been already mentioned, that, during our long cruise off this +island, the inhabitants had always behaved with great fairness and +honesty in their dealings, and had not shewn the slightest propensity +to theft, which appeared to us the more extraordinary, because those +with whom we had hitherto held any intercourse, were of the lowest +rank, either servants or fishermen. We now found the case exceedingly +altered. The immense crowd of islanders, which blocked up every part +of the ships, not only afforded frequent opportunity of pilfering +without risk of discovery, but our inferiority in number held forth +a prospect of escaping with impunity in case of detection. Another +circumstance, to which we attributed this alteration in their +behaviour, was the presence and encouragement of their chiefs; +for, generally tracing the booty into the possession of some men +of consequence, we had the strongest reason to suspect that these +depredations were committed at their instigation. + +Soon after the Resolution had got into her station, our two friends, +Pareea and Kaneena, brought on board a third chief, named Koah, who, +we were told, was a priest, and had been in his youth a distinguished +warrior. He was a little old man, of an emaciated figure, his eyes +exceedingly sore and red, and his body covered with a white leprous +scurf, the effects of an immoderate use of the _ava_. Being led into +the cabin, he approached Captain Cook with great veneration, and threw +over his shoulders a piece of red cloth, which he had brought along +with him. Then stepping a few paces back, he made an offering of a +small pig which he held in his hand, whilst he pronounced a discourse +that lasted for a considerable time. This ceremony was frequently +repeated during our stay at Owhyhee, and appeared to us, from many +circumstances, to be a sort of religious adoration. Their idols we +found always arrayed with red cloth, in the same manner as was done +to Captain Cook, and a small pig was their usual offering to the +_Eatooas_. Their speeches, or prayers, were uttered too with a +readiness and volubility that indicated them to be according to some +formulary. + +When this ceremony was over, Koah dined with Captain Cook, eating +plentifully of what was set before him, but, like the rest of the +inhabitants of the islands in these seas, could scarcely be prevailed +on to taste a second time our wine or spirits. In the evening, Captain +Cook, attended by Mr Bayly and myself, accompanied him on ashore. We +landed at the beach, and were received by four men, who carried wands +tipt with dog's hair, and marched before us, pronouncing with a loud +voice a short sentence, in which we could only distinguish the word +_Orono_.[3] The crowd, which had been collected on the shore, retired +at our approach; and not a person was to be seen, except a few lying +prostrate on the ground, near the huts of the adjoining village. + +[Footnote 3: Captain Cook generally went by this name amongst the +natives of Owhyhee, but we could never learn its precise meaning. +Sometimes they applied it to an invisible being, who, they said, +lived in the heavens. We also found that it was a title belonging to a +personage of great rank and power in the island, who resembles pretty +much the Delai Lama of the Tartars, and the ecclesiastical emperor of +Japan.] + +Before I proceed to relate the adoration that was paid to Captain +Cook, and the peculiar ceremonies with which he was received on this +fatal island, it will be necessary to describe the _morai_, situated, +as I have already mentioned, at the south side of the beach at +_Kakooa_. It was a square solid pile of stones, about forty yards +long, twenty broad, and fourteen in height. The top was flat, and well +paved, and surrounded by a wooden rail, on which were fixed the sculls +of the captives, sacrificed on the death of their chiefs. In the +centre of the area, stood a ruinous old building of wood, connected +with a rail, on each side, by a stone wall, which divided the whole +space into two parts. On the side next the country were five poles, +upward of twenty feet high, supporting an irregular kind of scaffold; +on the opposite side, toward the sea, stood two small houses, with a +covered communication. + +We were conducted by Koah to the top of this pile by an easy ascent, +leading from the beach to the N.W. corner of the area. At the +entrance, we saw two large wooden images, with features violently +distorted, and a long piece of carved wood, of a conical form +inverted, rising from the top of their heads, the rest was without +form, and wrapped round with red cloth. We were here met by a tall +young man, with a long beard, who presented Captain Cook to the +images, and after chanting a kind of hymn, in which he was joined by +Koah, they led us to that end of the _morai_ where the five poles were +fixed. At the foot of them were twelve images ranged in a semicircular +form, and before the middle figure stood a high stand or table, +exactly resembling the _whatta_[4] of Otaheite, on which lay a putrid +hog, and under it pieces of sugar-cane, cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, +plantains, and sweet potatoes. Koah having placed the captain under +this stand, took down the hog, and held it toward him; and after +having a second time addressed him in a long speech, pronounced with +much vehemence and rapidity, he let it fall on the ground, and led him +to the scaffolding, which they began to climb together, not without +great risk of falling. At this time we saw, coming in solemn +procession, at the entrance of the top of the _morai_, ten men +carrying a live hog, and a large piece of red cloth. Being advanced +a few paces, they stopped, and prostrated themselves; and Kaireekeea, +the young man above-mentioned, went to them and received the cloth, +carried it to Koah, who wrapped it round the captain, and afterward +offered him the hog, which was brought by Kaireekeea with the same +ceremony. + +[Footnote 4: See Captain Cook's former voyage.] + +Whilst Captain Cook was aloft in this awkward situation, swathed +round with red cloth, and with difficulty keeping his hold amongst the +pieces of rotten scaffolding, Kaireekeea and Koah began their office, +chanting sometimes in concert, and sometimes alternately. This lasted +a considerable time; at length Koah let the hog drop, when he and +the captain descended together. He then led him to the images before +mentioned, and having said something to each in a sneering tone, +snapping his fingers at them as he passed, he brought him to that in +the centre, which, from its being covered with red cloth, appeared +to be in greater estimation than the rest. Before this figure he +prostrated himself, and kissed it, desiring Captain Cook to do the +same, who suffered himself to be directed by Koah throughout the whole +of this ceremony. + +We were now led back into the other division of the _morai_, where +there was a space, ten or twelve feet square, sunk about three feet +below the level of the area. Into this we descended, and Captain Cook +was seated between two wooden idols, Koah supporting one of his arms, +whilst I was desired to support the other. At this time arrived a +second procession of natives, carrying a baked hog and a pudding, some +bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and other vegetables. When they approached +us, Kaireekeea put himself at their head, and presenting the pig to +Captain Cook in the usual manner, began the same kind of chant as +before, his companions making regular responses. We observed, that, +after every response, their parts became gradually shorter, till, +toward the close, Kaireekeea's consisted of only two or three words, +which the rest answered by the word _orono_. + +When this offering was concluded, which lasted a quarter of an hour, +the natives sat down fronting us, and began to cut up the baked +hog, to peel the vegetables, and break the cocoa-nuts, whilst others +employed themselves in brewing the _ava_, which is done by chewing it, +in the same manner as at the Friendly Islands. Kaireekeea then took +part of the kernel of a cocoa-nut, which he chewed, and wrapping it +in a piece of cloth, rubbed with it the captain's face, head, hands, +arms, and shoulders. The _ava_ was then handed round, and after we +had tasted it, Koah and Pareea began to pull the flesh of the hog in +pieces, and to put it into our mouths. I had no great objection to +being fed by Pareea, who was very cleanly in his person, but Captain +Cook, who was served by Koah, recollecting the putrid hog, could not +swallow a morsel; and his reluctance, as may be supposed, was not +diminished, when the old man, according to his own mode of civility, +had chewed it for him. + +When this last ceremony was finished, which Captain Cook put an end +to as soon as he decently could, we quitted the _morai_, after +distributing amongst the people some pieces of iron and other trifles, +with which they seemed highly gratified. The men with wands conducted +us to the boats, repeating the same words as before. The people again +retired, and the few that remained, prostrated themselves as we passed +along the shore. We immediately went on board, our minds full of what +we had seen, and extremely well satisfied with the good disposition of +our new friends. The meaning of the various ceremonies with which +we had been received, and which, on account of their novelty and +singularity, have been related at length, can only be the subject +of conjectures, and those uncertain and partial; they were, however, +without doubt, expressive of high respect on the part of the natives; +and, as far as related to the person of Captain Cook, they seemed +approaching to adoration. + +The next morning, I went on shore with a guard of eight marines, +including the corporal and lieutenant, having orders to erect the +observatory in such a situation as might best enable me to superintend +and protect the waterers, and the other working parties that were to +be on shore. As we were viewing a spot conveniently situated for this +purpose, in the middle of the village, Pareea, who was always ready +to shew both his power and his good-will, offered to pull down some +houses that would have obstructed our observations. However, we +thought it proper to decline this offer, and fixed on a field of sweet +potatoes adjoining to the _morai_, which was readily granted us; and +the priests, to prevent the intrusion of the natives, immediately +consecrated the place, by fixing their wands round the wall by which +it was enclosed. + +This sort of religious interdiction they call _taboo_, a word we heard +often repeated, during our stay amongst these islanders, and found +to be of very powerful and extensive operation. A more particular +explanation of it will be given in the general account of these +islands, under the article of religion; at present it is only +necessary to observe, that it procured us even more privacy than we +desired. No canoes ever presumed to land near us; the natives sat on +the wall, but none offered to come within the _tabooed_ space, till he +had obtained our permission. But though the men, at our request, would +come across the field with provisions, yet not all our endeavours +could prevail on the women to approach us. Presents were tried, but +without effect; Pareea and Koah were tempted to bring them, but in +vain; we were invariably answered, that the _Eatooa_ and _Terreeoboo_ +(which was the name of their king) would kill them. This circumstance +afforded no small matter of amusement to our friends on board, where +the crowds of people, and particularly of women, that continued to +flock thither, obliged them almost every hour to clear the vessel, in +order to have room to do the necessary duties of the ship. On these +occasions, two or three hundred women were frequently made to jump +into the water at once, where they continued swimming and playing +about, till they could again procure admittance. + +From the 19th to the 24th, when Pareea and Koah left us to attend +Terreeoboo, who had landed on some other part of the island, nothing +very material happened on board. The caulkers were set to work on +the sides of the ships, and the rigging was carefully overhauled and +repaired. The salting of hogs for sea-store was also a constant, +and one of the principal objects of Captain Cook's attention. As the +success we met with in this experiment, during our present voyage, was +much more complete than it had been in any former attempt of the same +kind, it may not be improper to give an account of the detail of the +operation. + +It has generally been thought impracticable to cure the flesh of +animals by salting in tropical climates, the progress of putrefaction +being so rapid, as not to allow time for the salt to take (as they +express it) before the meat gets a taint, which prevents the effect of +the pickle. We do not find that experiments, relative to this subject, +have been made by the navigators of any nation before Captain Cook. In +his first trials, which were made in 1774, during his second voyage to +the Pacific Ocean, the success he met with, though very imperfect, was +yet sufficient to convince him of the error of the received opinion. +As the voyage, in which he was now engaged, was likely to be +protracted a year beyond the time for which the ships had been +victualled, he was under the necessity of providing, by some such +means, for the subsistence of the crews, or of relinquishing +the further prosecution of his discoveries. He therefore lost no +opportunity of renewing his attempts, and the event answered his most +sanguine expectations. + +The hogs which we made use of for this purpose, were of various sizes, +weighing from four to twelve stone.[5] The time of slaughtering was +always in the afternoon; and as soon as the hair was scalded off, and +the entrails removed, the hog was divided into pieces of four or eight +pounds each, and the bones of the legs and chine taken out, and, in +the larger sort, the ribs also. Every piece then being carefully wiped +and examined, and the veins cleared of the coagulated blood, they were +handed to the salters, whilst the flesh remained still warm. After +they had been well rubbed with salt, they were placed in a heap on a +stage raised in the open air, covered with planks, and pressed with +the heaviest weights we could lay on them. In this situation they +remained till the next evening, when they were again well wiped and +examined, and the suspicious parts taken away. They were then put into +a tub of strong pickle, where they were always looked over once +or twice a day, and if any piece had not taken the salt, which was +readily discovered by the smell of the pickle, they were immediately +taken out, re-examined, and the sound pieces put to fresh pickle. +This, however, after the precautions before used, seldom happened. +After six days, they were taken out, examined for the last time, and +being again slightly pressed, they were packed in barrels, with a thin +layer of salt between them. I brought home with me some barrels of +this pork, which was pickled at Owhyhee in January, 1779, and was +tasted by several persons in England about Christmas, 1780, and found +perfectly sound and wholesome.[6] + +[Footnote 5: 14 lb.] + +[Footnote 6: Since these papers were prepared for the press, I have +been informed by Mr Vancouver, who was one of my midshipmen in the +Discovery, and was afterward appointed lieutenant of the Martin sloop +of war, that he tried the method here recommended, both with English +and Spanish pork, during a cruize on the Spanish Main, in the year +1782, and succeeded to the utmost of his expectations. He also +made the experiment at Jamaica with the beef served by the +victualling-office to the ships, but not with the same success, which +he attributes to the want of the necessary precautions in killing and +handling the beasts; to their being hung up and opened before they +had sufficient time to bleed, by which means the blood-vessels were +exposed to the air, and the blood condensed before it had time to +empty itself, and to their being hard driven and bruised. He adds, +that having himself attended to the killing of an ox, which was +carefully taken on board the Martin, he salted a part of it, which, at +the end of the week, was found to have taken the salt completely, +and he has no doubt would have kept for any length of time; but the +experiment was not tried.] + +I shall now return to our transactions on shore at the observatory, +where we had not been long settled before we discovered, in our +neighbourhood, the habitation of a society of priests, whose regular +attendance at the _morai_ had excited our curiosity. Their huts stood +round a pond of water, and were surrounded by a grove of cocoa-nut +trees, which separated them from the beach and the rest of the +village, and gave the place an air of religious retirement. On my +acquainting Captain Cook with these circumstances, he resolved to pay +them a visit; and, as he expected to be received in the same manner +as before, he brought Mr Webber with him to make a drawing of the +ceremony. + +On his arrival at the beach, he was conducted to a sacred building +called _Harre-no-Orono_, or the house of _Orono_, and seated before +the entrance, at the foot of a wooden idol, of the same kind with +those on the _morai_. I was here again made to support one of his +arms; and, after wrapping him in red cloth, Kaireekeea, accompanied by +twelve priests, made an offering of a pig with the usual solemnities. +The pig was then strangled, and a fire being kindled, it was thrown +into the embers, and after the hair was singed off, it was again +presented, with a repetition of the chanting in the manner described. +The dead pig was then held for a short time under the captain's +nose, after which it was laid, with a cocoa-nut, at his feet, and the +performers sat down. The _ava_ was then brewed, and handed round; a +fat hog, ready dressed, was brought in, and we were fed as before. + +During the rest of the time we remained in the bay, whenever Captain +Cook came on shore, he was attended by one of these priests, who went +before him, giving notice that the _Orono_ had landed, and ordering +the people to prostrate themselves. The same person, also, constantly +accompanied him on the water, standing in the bow of the boat, with a +wand in his hand, and giving notice of his approach to the natives who +were in canoes, on which they immediately left off paddling, and lay +down on their faces till he had passed. Whenever he stopped at the +observatory, Kaireekeea and his brethren immediately made their +appearance with hogs, cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, &c. and presented them +with the usual solemnities. It was on these occasions that some of +the inferior chiefs frequently requested to be permitted to make an +offering to the _Orono_. When this was granted, they presented the +hog themselves, generally with evident marks of fear in their +countenances, whilst Kaireekeea and the priests chanted their +accustomed hymns. + +The civilities of this society were not, however, confined to mere +ceremony and parade. Our party on shore received from them, every day, +a constant supply of hogs and vegetables, more than sufficient for our +subsistence; and several canoes, loaded with provisions, were sent to +the ships with the same punctuality. No return was ever demanded, or +even hinted at in the most distant manner. Their presents were made +with a regularity, more like the discharge of a religious duty, than +the effect of mere liberality; and when we enquired at whose charge +all this munificence was displayed, we were told, it was at the +expence of a great man called Kaoo, the chief of the priests, and +grandfather to Kaireekeea, who was at that time absent attending the +king of the island. + +As every thing relating to the character and behaviour of this people +must be interesting to the reader, on account of the tragedy that was +afterwards acted here, it will be proper to acquaint him, that we +had not always so much reason to be satisfied with the conduct of the +warrior chiefs, or _Earees_, as with that of the priests. In all our +dealings with the former, we found them sufficiently attentive to +their own interests; and besides their habit of stealing, which may +admit of some excuse, from the universality of the practice amongst +the islanders of these seas, they made use of other artifices +equally dishonourable. I shall only mention one instance, in which +we discovered, with regret, our friend Koah to be a party principally +concerned. As the chiefs, who brought us presents of hogs, were always +sent back handsomely rewarded, we had generally a greater supply than +we could make use of. On these occasions, Koah, who never failed in +his attendance on us, used to beg such as we did not want, and +they were always given to him. It one day happened, that a pig was +presented us by a man whom Koah himself introduced as a chief, who was +desirous of paying his respects, and we recollected the pig to be +the same that had been given to Koah just before. This leading us to +suspect some trick, we found, on further enquiry, the pretended +chief to be an ordinary person; and on connecting this with other +circumstances, we had reason to suspect, that it was not the first +time we had been the dupes of the like imposition. + +Things continued in this state till the 24th, when we were a good deal +surprised to find that no canoes were suffered to put off from the +shore, and that the natives kept close to their houses. After several +hours suspense, we learned that the bay was _tabooed_, and all +intercourse with us interdicted, on account of the arrival of +Terreeoboo. As we had not foreseen an accident of this sort, the crews +of both ships were obliged to pass the day without their usual supply +of vegetables. The next morning, therefore, they endeavoured, both by +threats and promises, to induce the natives to come along-side; and as +some of them were at last venturing to put off, a chief was observed +attempting to drive them away. A musket was immediately fired over +his head, to make him desist, which had the desired effect, and +refreshments were soon after purchased, as usual. In the afternoon, +Terreeoboo arrived, and visited the ships in a private manner, +attended only by one canoe, in which were his wife and children. He +staid on board till near ten o'clock, when he returned to the village +of Kowrowa. + +The next day, about noon, the king, in a large canoe, attended by +two others, set out from the village, and paddled toward the ships in +great state. Their appearance was grand and magnificent. In the first +canoe was Terreeoboo and his chiefs, dressed in their rich feathered +cloaks and helmets, and armed with long spears and daggers; in the +second, came the venerable Kaoo, the chief of the priests, and his +brethren, with their idols displayed on red cloth. These idols were +busts of a gigantic size, made of wicker-work, and curiously covered +with small feathers of various colours, wrought in the same manner +with their cloaks. Their eyes were made of large pearl oysters, with a +black nut fixed in the centre; their mouths were set with a double row +of the fangs of dogs, and, together with the rest of their features, +were strangely distorted. The third canoe was filled with hogs and +various sorts of vegetables. As they went along, the priests in +the centre-canoe sung their hymns with great solemnity; and, after +paddling round the ships, instead of going on board, as was expected, +they made toward the shore at the beach where we were stationed.[7] + +[Footnote 7: The presents were made to Captain Cook after he went on +shore.] + +As soon as I saw them approaching, I ordered out our little guard to +receive the king; and Captain Cook, perceiving that he was going on +shore, followed him, and arrived nearly at the same time. We conducted +them into the tent, where they had scarcely been seated, when the +king rose up, and in a very graceful manner threw over the captain's +shoulders the cloak he himself wore, put a feathered helmet upon his +head, and a curious fan into his hand. He also spread at his feet five +or six other cloaks, all exceedingly beautiful, and of the greatest +value. His attendants then brought four very large hogs, with +sugar-canes, cocoa-nuts, and bread-fruit; and this part of the +ceremony was concluded by the king's exchanging names with Captain +Cook, which, amongst all the islanders of the Pacific Ocean, is +esteemed the strongest pledge of friendship. A procession of priests, +with a venerable old personage at their head, now appeared, followed +by a long train, of men leading large hogs, and others carrying +plantains, sweet potatoes, &c. By the looks and gestures of +Kaireekeea, I immediately knew the old man to be the chief of the +priests before mentioned, on whose bounty we had so long subsisted. He +had a piece of red cloth in his hands, which he wrapped round Captain +Cook's shoulders, and afterwards presented him with a small pig in +the usual form. A seat was then made for him, next to the king, after +which, Kaireekeea and his followers began their ceremonies, Kaoo and +the chiefs joining in the responses. + +I was surprised to see, in the person of this king, the same infirm +and emaciated old man, that came on board the Resolution when we were +off the north-east side of the island of Mowee; and we soon discovered +amongst his attendants, most of the persons who at that time had +remained with us all night. Of this number were the two younger sons +of the king, the eldest of whom was sixteen years of age, and +his nephew Maiha-Maiha, whom at first we had some difficulty in +recollecting, his hair being plastered over with a dirty brown paste +and powder, which was no mean heightening to the most savage face I +ever beheld. + +As soon as the formalities of the meeting were over. Captain Cook +carried Terreeoboo, and as many chiefs as the pinnace could hold, on +board the Resolution. They were received with every mark of respect +that could be shewn them; and Captain Cook, in return for the +feathered cloak, put a linen shirt on the king, and girt his own +hanger round him. The ancient Kaoo, and about half a dozen old chiefs, +remained on shore, and took up their abode at the priests' houses. +During all this time, not a canoe was seen in the bay, and the natives +either kept within their huts, or lay prostrate on the ground. Before +the king left the Resolution, Captain Cook obtained leave for the +natives to come and trade with the ships as usual; but the women, for +what reason we could not learn, still continued under the effects of +the _taboo_; that is, were forbidden to stir from home, or to have any +communication with us. + + +SECTION II. + +_Farther Account of Transactions with the Natives.--Their +Hospitality.--Propensity to Theft.--Description of a Boxing +Match.--Death of one of our Seamen.--Behaviour of the Priests at +his funeral.--The Wood Work and Images on the Morai purchased.--The +Natives inquisitive about our Departure.--Their Opinion about the +Design of our Voyage.--Magnificent Presents of Terreeoboo to Captain +Cook.--The Ships leave the Island.--The Resolution damaged in a Gale, +and obliged to return._ + +The quiet and inoffensive behaviour of the natives having taken away +every apprehension of danger, we did not hesitate to trust ourselves +amongst them at all times, and in all situations. The officers of both +ships went daily up the country, in small parties, or even singly, +and frequently remained out the whole night. It would be endless to +recount all the instances of kindness and civility which we received +upon those occasions. Wherever we went, the people flocked about us, +eager to offer every assistance in their power, and highly gratified, +if their services were accepted. Various little arts were practised to +attract our notice, or to delay our departure. The boys and girls ran +before, as we walked through their villages, and stopped us at every +opening, where there was room to form a group for dancing. At one +time, we were invited to accept a draught of cocoa-nut milk, or some +other refreshment, under the shade of their huts; at another, we were +seated within a circle of young women, who exerted all their skill and +agility to amuse us with songs and dances. + +The satisfaction we derived from their gentleness and hospitality was, +however, frequently interrupted by the propensity to stealing, which +they have in common with all the other islanders of these seas. This +circumstance was the more distressing, as it sometimes obliged us +to have recourse to acts of severity, which we should willingly have +avoided, if the necessity of the case had not absolutely called for +them. Some of their most expert swimmers were one day discovered under +the ships, drawing out the filling nails of the sheathing, which +they performed very dexterously by means of a short stick, with a +flint-stone fixed in the end of it. To put a stop to this practice, +which endangered the very existence of the vessels, we at first fired +small shot at the offenders; but they easily got out of our reach by +diving under the ship's bottom. It was therefore found necessary to +make an example, by flogging one of them on board the Discovery. + +About this time, a large party of gentlemen, from both ships, set out +on an excursion into the interior parts of the country, with a view of +examining its natural productions. An account of this journey will be +given in a subsequent part of our narrative. It is, therefore, +only necessary at present to observe, that it afforded Kaoo a fresh +opportunity of shewing his attention and generosity. For as soon as he +was informed of their departure, he sent a large supply of provisions +after them, together with orders, that the inhabitants of the country +through which they were to pass, should give them every assistance in +their power. And, to complete the delicacy and disinterestedness of +his conduct, even the people he employed could not be prevailed on +to accept the smallest present. After remaining out six days, our +officers returned, without having been able to penetrate above twenty +miles into the island, partly from want of proper guides, and partly +from the impracticability of the country. + +The head of the Resolution's rudder being found exceedingly shaken, +and most of the pintles either loose or broken, it was unhung, and +sent on shore on the 27th in the morning, to undergo a thorough +repair. At the same time the carpenters were sent into the country, +under conduct of some of Kaoo's people, to cut planks for the head +rail-work, which was also entirely decayed and rotten. + +On the 28th, Captain Clerke, whose ill health confined him, for the +most part, on board, paid Terreeoboo, his first visit, at his hut on +shore. He was received with the same formalities as were observed +with Captain Cook; and, on his coming away, though the visit was quite +unexpected, he received a present of thirty large hogs, and as much +fruit and roots as his crew could consume in a week. + +As we had not yet seen any thing of their sports or athletic +exercises, the natives, at the request of some of our officers, +entertained us this evening with a boxing-match. Though these games +were much inferior, as well in point of solemnity and magnificence, +as in the skill and powers of the combatants, to what we had seen +exhibited at the Friendly Islands; yet, as they differed in some +particulars, it may not be improper to give a short account of them. +We found a vast concourse of people assembled on a level spot of +ground, at a little distance from our tents. A long space was left +vacant in the midst of them, at the upper end of which sat the judges, +under three standards, from which hung slips of cloth of various +colours, the skins of two wild geese, a few small birds, and bunches +of feathers. When the sports were ready to begin, the signal was given +by the judges, and immediately two combatants appeared. They came +forward slowly, lifting up their feet very high behind, and drawing +their hands along the soles. As they approached, they frequently +eyed each other from head to foot, in a contemptuous manner, casting +several arch looks at the spectators, straining their muscles, and +using a variety of affected gestures. Being advanced within reach of +each other, they stood with both arms held out straight before their +faces, at which part all their blows were aimed. They struck, in what +appeared to our eyes an awkward manner, with a full swing of the arm; +made no attempt to parry, but eluded their adversary's attack by an +inclination of the body, or by retreating. The battle was quickly +decided; for if either of them was knocked down, or even fell by +accident, he was considered as vanquished, and the victor expressed +his triumph by a variety of gestures, which usually excited, as was +intended, a loud laugh among the spectators. He then waited for a +second antagonist, and, if again victorious, for a third, till he +was at last, in his turn, defeated. A singular rule observed in these +combats is, that whilst any two are preparing to fight, a third person +may step in, and choose either of them for his antagonist, when the +other is obliged to withdraw. Sometimes three or four followed each +other in this manner, before the match was settled. When the combat +proved longer than usual, or appeared too unequal, one of the chiefs +generally stepped in, and ended it by putting a stick between the +combatants. The same good humour was preserved throughout, which we +before so much admired in the Friendly Islanders. As these games were +given at our desire, we found it universally expected that we should +have borne our part in them; but our people, though much pressed by +the natives, turned a deaf ear to their challenge, remembering full +well the blows they got at the Friendly Islands. + +This day died William Watman, a seaman of the gunner's crew; an event +which I mention the more particularly, as death had hitherto been very +rare amongst us. He was an old man, and much respected on account of +his attachment to Captain Cook. He had formerly served as a marine +twenty-one years; after which, he entered as a seaman on board the +Resolution in 1772, and served with. Captain Cook in his voyage +toward the South Pole. At their return, he was admitted into Greenwich +hospital, through the captain's interest, at the same time with +himself; and being resolved to follow throughout the fortunes of his +benefactor, he also quitted it along with him, on his being appointed +to the command of the present expedition. During the voyage, he had +been frequently subject to slight fevers, and was a convalescent when +we came into the bay, where, being sent on shore for a few days, +he conceived himself perfectly recovered, and, at his own desire, +returned on board; but the day following, he had a paralytic stroke, +which in two days more carried him off. + +At the request of the king of the island, he was buried on the +_morai_, and the ceremony was performed with as much solemnity as our +situation permitted. Old Kaoo and his brethren were spectators, and +preserved the most profound silence and attention, whilst the service +was reading. When we began to fill up the grave, they approached +it with great reverence, threw in a dead pig, some cocoa-nuts, and +plantains; and, for three nights afterward, they surrounded it, +sacrificing hogs, and performing their usual ceremonies of hymns and +prayers, which continued till day-break. + +At the head of the grave we erected a post, and nailed upon it +a square piece of board, on which was inscribed the name of the +deceased, his age, and the day of his death. This they promised not to +remove; and we have no doubt but that it will be suffered to remain as +long as the frail materials of which it is made will permit. + +The ships being in great want of fuel, the captain desired me, on the +2d of February, to treat with the priests, for the purchase of the +rail that surrounded the top of the _morai_. I must confess, I had, +at first, some doubt about the decency of this proposal, and was +apprehensive, that even the bare mention of it might be considered, by +them, as a piece of shocking impiety. In this, however, I found myself +mistaken. Not the smallest surprise was expressed at the application, +and the wood was readily given, even without stipulating for any thing +in return. Whilst the sailors were taking it away, I observed one of +them carrying off a carved image; and, on farther enquiry, I found +that they had conveyed to the boats the whole semicircle.[1] Though +this was done in the presence of the natives, who had not shewn any +mark of resentment at it, but had even assisted them in the removal. +I thought it proper to speak to Kaoo on the subject, who appeared very +indifferent about the matter, and only desired, that we would restore +the centre image I have mentioned before, which he carried into one of +the priests houses. + +[Footnote 1: See description of the _morai_ in the preceding Section.] + +Terreeoboo and his chiefs had for some days past been very inquisitive +about the time of our departure. This circumstance had excited in me a +great curiosity to know what opinion this people had formed of us, and +what were their ideas respecting the cause and objects of our voyage. +I took some pains to satisfy myself on these points; but could never +learn any thing farther, than that they imagined we came from some +country where provisions had failed; and that our visit to them was +merely for the purpose of filling our bellies. Indeed, the meagre +appearance of some of our crew, the hearty appetites with which we sat +down to their fresh provisions, and our great anxiety to purchase, +and carry off, as much as we were able, led them, naturally enough, to +such a conclusion. To these may be added, a circumstance which puzzled +them exceedingly, our having no women with us; together with our quiet +conduct and unwarlike appearance. It was ridiculous enough to see them +stroking the sides, and patting the bellies of the sailors, (who were +certainly much improved in the sleekness of their looks during our +short stay in the island), and telling them, partly by signs, and +partly by words, that it was time for them to go; but if they would +come again the next bread-fruit season, they should be better able to +supply their wants.[2] We had now been sixteen days in the bay; and if +our enormous consumption of hogs and vegetables be considered, it need +not be wondered that they should wish to see us take our leave. It +is very probable, however, that Terreeoboo had no other view in his +enquiries at present, than a desire of making sufficient preparation +for dismissing us with presents suitable to the respect and kindness +with which he had received us. For, on our telling him we should +leave the island on the next day but one, we observed, that a sort of +proclamation was immediately made, through the villages, to require +the people to bring in their hogs and vegetables, for the king to +present to the _Orono_, on his departure. + +[Footnote 2: Let the reader keep this intimation in mind, when he +comes to judge of the melancholy transactions which issued in the +death of Cook. It is most clear, that these people were disposed to +be on good terms with their visitors; but that they were equally +sensible, on the other hand, of the burden which so many half-starved +guests had imposed on their hospitality. Even this, however, it would +seem, they were willing to bear, provided only they had had time to +make arrangements to do so, in a manner consistent with their own +notions of good cheer. It is perfectly easy then to understand, that +when, instead of the necessary absence of the strangers till the next +season of plenty, there elapsed a few days only, as we shall find, it +was impossible for them to form any other conception of the nature +or object of the visit, than what served to give a very different +direction to their feelings. And yet perhaps we shall be induced to +believe, that all their surprise and uneasiness would have quietly +subsided, if an unfortunate, and, in fact, merely partial altercation +had not excited it beyond its original intensity, and produced a +momentary determination to get rid by any means of such troublesome +encroachers.--E.] + +We were this day much diverted, at the beach, by the buffooneries of +one of the natives. He held in his hand an instrument, of the sort +described in the last volume; some bits of sea-weed were tied round +his neck, and round each leg a piece of strong netting, about nine +inches deep, on which a great number of dogs' teeth were loosely +fastened in rows. His style of dancing was entirely burlesque, and +accompanied with strange grimaces, and pantomimical distortions of +the face, which, though at times inexpressibly ridiculous, yet, on the +whole, was without much meaning or expression. Mr Webber thought it +worth his while to make a drawing of this person, as exhibiting a +tolerable specimen of the natives; the manner in which the _maro_ +is tied; the figure of the instrument before mentioned, and of the +ornaments round the legs, which, at other times, we also saw used by +their dancers. + +In the evening, we were again entertained with wrestling and +boxing-matches; and we displayed, in return, the few fireworks we had +left. Nothing could be better calculated to excite the admiration +of these islanders, and to impress them with an idea of our great +superiority, than an exhibition of this kind. Captain Cook has already +described the extraordinary effects of that which was made at Hapaee; +and though the present was, in every respect, infinitely inferior, yet +the astonishment of the natives was not less. + +I have before mentioned, that the carpenters, from both ships, had +been sent up the country, to cut planks, for the head rail-work of the +Resolution. This was the third day since their departure; and having +received no intelligence from them, we began to be very anxious for +their safety. We were communicating our apprehensions to old Kaoo, who +appeared as much concerned as ourselves, and were concerting measures +with him, for sending after them, when they arrived all safe. They had +been obliged to go farther into the country than was expected, +before they met with trees fit for their purpose; and it was this +circumstance, together with the badness of the roads, and the +difficulty of bringing back the timber, which had detained them so +long. They spoke in high terms of their guides, who both supplied them +with provisions, and guarded their tools with the utmost fidelity. + +The next day being fixed for our departure, Terreeoboo invited Captain +Cook and myself to attend him on the 3d, to the place where Kaoo +resided. On our arrival, we found the ground covered with parcels of +cloth; a vast quantity of red and yellow feathers, tied to the fibres +of cocoa-nut husks; and a great number of hatchets, and other pieces +of iron-ware, that had been got in barter from us. At a little +distance from these lay an immense quantity of vegetables, of every +kind, and near them was a large herd of hogs. At first, we imagined +the whole to be intended as a present for us, till Kaireekeea informed +me, that it was a gift, or tribute, from the people of that district +to the king; and, accordingly, as soon as we were seated, they +brought all the bundles, and laid them severally at Terreeoboo's feet; +spreading out the cloth, and displaying the feathers, and iron-ware, +before him. The king seemed much pleased with this mark of their duty; +and having selected about a third part of the iron-ware, the same +proportion of feathers, and a few pieces of cloth, these were set +aside, by themselves; and the remainder of the cloth, together with +all the hogs and vegetables, were afterward presented to Captain Cook +and myself. We were astonished at the value and magnitude of this +present, which far exceeded every thing of the kind we had seen, +either at the Friendly or Society Islands. Boats were immediately sent +to carry them on board; the large hogs were picked out, to be salted +for sea-store; and upward of thirty smaller pigs, and the vegetables, +were divided between the two crews. + +The same day, we quitted the _morai_, and got the tents and +astronomical instruments on board. The charm of the _taboo_ was now +removed; and we had no sooner left the place, than the natives rushed +in, and searched eagerly about, in expectation of finding something +of value, that we might have left behind. As I happened to remain the +last on shore, and waited for the return of the boat, several came +crowding about me, and having made me sit down by them, began to +lament our separation. It was, indeed, not without difficulty I was +able to quit them. And here, I hope I may be permitted to relate a +trifling occurrence, in which I was principally concerned. Having had +the command of the party on shore, during the whole time w were in +the bay, I had an opportunity of becoming better acquainted with the +natives, and of being better known to them, than those whose duty +required them to be generally on board. As I had every reason to be +satisfied with their kindness, in general, so I cannot too often, nor +too particularly, mention the unbounded and constant friendship of +their priests. + +On my part, I spared no endeavours to conciliate their affections, and +gain their esteem; and I had the good fortune to succeed so far, +that, when the time of our departure was made known, I was strongly +solicited to remain behind, not without offers of the most flattering +kind. When I excused myself, by saying, that Captain Cook would +not give his consent, they proposed, that I should retire into the +mountains, where, they said, they would conceal me, till after the +departure of the ships; and on my farther assuring them, that the +captain would not leave the bay without me, Terreeoboo and Kaoo +waited upon Captain Cook, whose son they supposed I was, with a formal +request, that I might be left behind. The captain, to avoid giving a +positive refusal, to an offer so kindly intended, told them, that he +could not part with me at that time, but that he should return to the +island next year, and would then endeavour to settle the matter to +their satisfaction. + +Early in the morning of the 4th, we unmoored, and sailed out of the +bay, with the Discovery in company, and were followed by a great +number of canoes. Captain Cook's design was to finish the survey of +Owhyhee, before he visited the other islands, in hopes of meeting with +a road better sheltered than the bay we had just left; and in case of +not succeeding here, he purposed to take a view of the south-east part +of Mowee, where the natives informed us we should find an excellent +harbour. + +We had calm weather all this and the following day, which made our +progress to the northward very slow. We were accompanied by a great +number of the natives in their canoes; and Terreeoboo gave a fresh +proof of his friendship to Captain Cook, by a large present of hogs +and vegetables, that was sent after him. + +In the night of the 5th, having a light breeze off the land, we made +some way to the northward; and in the morning of the 6th, having +passed the westernmost point of the island, we found ourselves abreast +of a deep bay, called by the natives Toe-yah-yah. We had great hopes +that this bay would furnish us with a safe and commodious harbour, +as we saw, to the north-east, several fine streams of water, and the +whole had the appearance of being well sheltered. These observations +agreeing with the accounts given us by Koah, who accompanied Captain +Cook, and had changed his name, out of compliment to us, into +Britannee, the pinnace was hoisted out, and the master, with Britannee +for his guide, was sent to examine the bay, whilst the ships worked up +after them. + +In the afternoon, the weather became gloomy, and the gusts of wind, +that blew off the land, were so violent, as to make it necessary to +take in all the sails, and bring-to, under the mizen stay-sail. All +the canoes left us, at the beginning of the gale; and Mr Bligh, on +his return, had the satisfaction of saving an old woman, and two men, +whose canoe had been overset by the violence of the wind, as they were +endeavouring to gain the shore. Besides these distressed people, we +had a great many women on board, whom the natives had left behind, in +their hurry to shift for themselves. + +The master reported to Captain Cook, that he had landed at the only +village he saw, on the north side of the bay, where he was directed +to some wells of water; but found they would by no means answer our +purpose; that he afterward proceeded farther into the bay, which +runs inland to a great depth, and stretches toward the foot of a +very conspicuous high mountain, situated on the north-west end of the +island; but that, instead of meeting with safe anchorage, as Britannee +had taught him to expect, he found the shores low and rocky, and a +flat bed of coral rocks running along the coast, and extending upward +of a mile from the land; on the outside of which the depth of water +was twenty fathoms, over a sandy bottom; and that, in the mean time, +Britannee had contrived to slip away, being afraid of returning, as we +imagined, because his information had not proved true and successful. + +In the evening, the weather being more moderate, we again made sail; +but, about midnight, it blew so violently, as to split both the fore +and main topsails. On the morning of the 7th, we bent fresh sails, +and had fair weather, and a light breeze. At noon, the latitude, by +observation, was 20° 1' N., the W. point of the island bearing S., 7° +E., and the N.W. point N., 38° E. As we were, at this time, four or +five leagues from the shore, and the weather very unsettled, none +of the canoes would venture out, so that our guests were obliged to +remain with us, much, indeed, to their dissatisfaction; for they were +all sea-sick, and many of them had left young children behind them. + +In the afternoon, though the weather was still squally, we stood in +for the land, and being about three leagues from it, we saw a canoe, +with two men paddling towards us, which we immediately conjectured +had been driven off the shore by the late boisterous weather; and +therefore stopped the ship's way, in order to take them in. These poor +wretches were so entirely exhausted with fatigue, that had not one of +the natives on board, observing their weakness, jumped into the canoe +to their assistance, they would scarcely have been able to fasten it +to the rope we had thrown out for that purpose. It was with difficulty +we got them up the ship's side, together with a child, about four +years old, which they had lashed under the thwarts of the canoe, where +it had lain with only its head above water. They told us, they had +left the shore the morning before, and had been from that time +without food or water. The usual precautions were taken in giving +them victuals; and the child being committed to the care of one of the +women, we found them all next morning perfectly recovered. + +At midnight, a gale of wind came on, which obliged us to double reef +the topsails, and get down the top-gallant yards. On the 8th, at +day-break, we found that the foremast had again given way, the fishes, +which were put on the head, in King George's, or Nootka Sound, on the +coast of America, being sprung, and the parts so very defective, as +to make it absolutely necessary to replace them, and, of course, to +unstep the mast. In this difficulty, Captain Cook was for some time in +doubt, whether he should run the chance of meeting with a harbour in +the islands to leeward, or return to Karakakooa. That bay was not +so remarkably commodious, in any respect, but that a better might +probably be expected, both for the purpose of repairing the masts, +and for procuring refreshments, of which, it was imagined, that the +neighbourhood of Karakakooa had been already pretty well drained. On +the other hand, it was considered as too great a risk to leave a +place that was tolerably sheltered, and which, once left, could not be +regained, for the mere hopes of meeting with a better; the failure of +which might, perhaps, have left us without resource. + +We, therefore, continued standing on toward the land, in order to give +the natives an opportunity of releasing their friends on board from +their confinement; and at noon, being within a mile of the shore, a +few canoes came off to us, but so crowded with people, that there was +not room in them for any of our guests; we therefore hoisted out the +pinnace to carry them on shore; and the master, who went with them, +had directions to examine the south coasts of the bay for water; but +returned, without finding any. + +The winds being variable, and a current setting strong to the +northward, we made but little progress in our return; and at eight +o'clock in the evening of the 9th, it began to blow very hard from the +south-east, which obliged us to close reef the topsails; and at two in +the morning of the 10th, in a heavy squall, we found ourselves close +in with the breakers, that lie to the northward of the west point +of Owhyhee. We had just room to haul off, and avoid them, and fired +several guns to apprise the Discovery of the danger. + +In the forenoon the weather was more moderate, and a few canoes came +off to us; from which we learnt that the late storms had done much +mischief, and that several large canoes had been lost. During the +remainder of the day we kept beating to windward; and, before night, +we were within a mile of the bay; but, not choosing to run on while +it was dark, we stood off and on till day-light next morning, when we +dropt anchor nearly in the same place as before. + + +SECTION III. + +_Suspicious Behaviour of the Natives, on our Return to Karakakooa +Bay.--Theft on Board the Discovery and its Consequences.--The +Pinnace attacked, and the Crew obliged to quit her.--Captain Cook's +Observations on the Occasion.--Attempt at the Observatory.--The Cutter +of the Discovery stolen.--Measures taken by Captain Cook for its +Recovery.--Goes on Shore to invite the King on Board--The King being +stopped by his Wife and the Chiefs, a Contest arises.--News arrives of +one of the Chiefs being killed by one of our People.--Ferment on this +Occasion.--One of the Chiefs threatens Captain Cook, and is shot by +him.--General Attack by the Natives.--Death of Captain Cook. Account +of the Captain's Services, and a Sketch of his Character._[1] + +[Footnote 1: Every reader must feel so deeply interested in the +subject of this section, that he will naturally desire to possess +every information as to all the facts and circumstances in which it +was involved. Captain King's narrative, it may be conceived, is +likely to have every claim to implicit confidence, and to require no +additional statement in order to the most satisfactory conviction +of every mind. Such an opinion is only partially correct; and it is +evident, that the latter assertion is not a necessary inference from +the former. The narrative may be imperfect, though quite consistent +with truth, so far as it goes; and perhaps it cannot be carefully +read, without producing an impression somewhat unfavourable to +the notion of its completeness. This might be pointed out, as we +proceeded, in the usual manner of notes. But a moment's reflection +will suggest, that such interference in a case of the kind would prove +destructive of the general and proper effect of the relation, and +at the same time appear unjust towards the describer. A much better +method, and one more likely to obtain attention, presents itself. That +is, to insert the circumstantial narrative of the whole transaction, +which was drawn up by Mr Samwell, surgeon of the Discovery, and +communicated, with the highest approbation and credit, in the +Biographia Britannica, after having been separately published, by the +advice of the editor of that work, for two years, without experiencing +any objection or a single impeachment. This, therefore, will be given +at the end of the section; and will be found so extremely interesting, +as to justify its reception in an entire form. Its length, however, +and minuteness, in addition to reasons already mentioned, will +preclude both room and occasion for any other notice of the +subject.--E.] + +We were employed the whole of the 11th, and part of the 12th, in +getting out the foremast, and sending it with the carpenters, on +shore. Besides the damage which the head of the mast had sustained, we +found the heel exceedingly rotten, having a large hole up the middle +of it, capable of holding four or five cocoa nuts. It was not, +however, thought necessary to shorten it; and, fortunately, the logs +of red toa-wood, which had been cut at Eimeo for anchor-stocks, were +found fit to replace the sprung part of the fishes. As these repairs +were likely to take up several days, Mr Bayly and myself got the +astronomical apparatus on shore, and pitched our tents on the _morai_; +having with us a guard of a corporal and six marines. We renewed +our friendly correspondence with the priests, who, for the greater +security of the workmen and their tools, _tabooed_ the place where the +mast lay, sticking their wands round it, as before. The sail-makers +were also sent on shore, to repair the damages which had taken place +in their department during the late gales. They were lodged in a house +adjoining to the _morai_ that was lent us by the priests. Such were +our arrangements on shore. I shall now proceed to the account of those +other transactions with the natives, which led, by degrees, to the +fatal catastrophe of the 14th. + +Upon coming to anchor, we were surprised to find our reception very +different from what it had been on our first arrival; no shouts, no +bustle, no confusion; but a solitary bay, with only here and there a +canoe, stealing close along the shore. The impulse of curiosity, which +had before operated to so great a degree, might now indeed be supposed +to have ceased; but the hospitable treatment we had invariably met +with, and the friendly footing on which we parted, gave us some reason +to expect, that they would again have flocked about us with great joy +on our return. + +We were forming various conjectures upon the occasion of this +extraordinary appearance, when our anxiety was at length relieved by +the return of a boat, which had been sent on shore, and brought us +word, that Terreeoboo was absent, and had left the bay under the +_taboo_. Though this account appeared very satisfactory to most of +us, yet others were of opinion, or rather, perhaps, have been led, by +subsequent events, to imagine, that there was something, at this +time, very suspicious in the behaviour of the natives; and that the +interdiction of all intercourse with us, on pretence of the king's +absence, was only to give him time to consult with his chiefs in what +manner it might be proper to treat us. Whether these suspicions were +well founded, or the account given by the natives was the truth, we +were never able to ascertain. For, though it is not improbable that +our sudden return, for which they could see no apparent cause, and the +necessity of which we afterward found it very difficult to make them +comprehend, might occasion some alarm; yet the unsuspicious conduct +of Terreeoboo, who, on his supposed arrival, the next morning, came +immediately to visit Captain Cook, and the consequent return of the +natives to their former friendly intercourse with us, are strong +proofs, that they neither meant nor apprehended any change of conduct. + +In support of this opinion, I may add the account of another accident, +precisely of the same kind which happened to us on our first visit, +the day before the arrival of the king. A native had sold a hog on +board the Resolution, and taken the price agreed on, when Pareea, +passing by advised the man not to part with the hog, without an +advanced price. For this he was sharply spoken to, and pushed away; +and the _taboo_ being soon after laid on the bay, we had at first +no doubt but that it was in consequence of the offence given to the +chief. Both these accidents serve to shew, how very difficult it is +to draw any certain conclusion from the actions of people, with whose +customs, as well as language, we are so imperfectly acquainted; at the +same time, some idea may be formed from them, of the difficulties, +at the first view, perhaps, not very apparent, which those have to +encounter, who, in all their transactions with these strangers, have +to steer their course amidst so much uncertainty, where a trifling +error may be attended with even the most fatal consequences. However +true or false our conjectures may be, things went on in their usual +quiet course till the afternoon of the 13th. + +Toward the evening of that day, the officer, who commanded the +watering-party of the Discovery, came to inform me, that several +chiefs had assembled at the well near the beach, driving away the +natives, whom he had hired to assist the sailors in rolling down the +casks to the shore. He told me, at the same time, that he thought +their behaviour extremely suspicious, and that they meant to give him +some farther disturbance. At his request, therefore, I sent a marine +along with him, but suffered him to take only his side-arms. In a +short time the officer returned, and, on his acquainting me, that +the islanders had armed themselves with stones, and were grown very +tumultuous I went myself to the spot, attended by a marine, with his +musket. Seeing us approach, they threw away their stones; and, on my +speaking to some of the chiefs, the mob were driven away, and those +who chose it were suffered to assist in filling the casks. Having left +things quiet here, I went to meet Captain Cook, whom I saw coming on +shore in the pinnace. I related to him what had just passed; and he +ordered me, in case of their beginning to throw stones, or behave +insolently, immediately to fire a ball at the offenders. I accordingly +gave orders to the corporal, to have the pieces of the sentinels +loaded with ball, instead of small shot. + +Soon after our return to the tents, we were alarmed by a continued +fire of muskets from the Discovery, which we observed to be directed +at a canoe that we saw paddling toward the shore in great haste, +pursued by one of our small boats. We immediately concluded that the +firing was in consequence of some theft, and Captain Cook ordered +me to follow him with a marine armed, and to endeavour to seize the +people as they came on shore. Accordingly, we ran toward the place +where we supposed the canoe would land, but were too late; the people +having quitted it, and made their escape into the country before our +arrival. + +We were at this time ignorant that the goods had been already +restored; and as we thought it probable, from the circumstances we had +at first observed, that they might be of importance, were unwilling to +relinquish our hopes of recovering them. Having, therefore, enquired +of the natives, which way the people had fled, we followed them till +it was near dark, when, judging ourselves to be about three miles from +the tents, and suspecting that the natives, who frequently encouraged +us in the pursuit, were amusing us with false information, we thought +it in vain to continue our search any longer, and returned to the +beach. + +During our absence, a difference of a more serious and unpleasant +nature had happened. The officer, who had been sent in the small boat, +and was returning on board, with the goods which had been restored, +observing Captain Cook and me engaged in the pursuit of the offenders, +thought it his duty to seize the canoe, which was left drawn up on the +shore. Unfortunately, this canoe belonged to Pareea, who, arriving +at the same moment from on board the Discovery, claimed his property, +with many protestations of his innocence. The officer refusing to give +it up, and being joined by the crew of the pinnace, which was waiting +for Captain Cook, a scuffle ensued, in which Pareea was knocked down, +by a violent blow on the head, with an oar. The natives, who were +collected about the spot, and had hitherto been peaceable spectators, +immediately attacked our people with such a shower of stones, as +forced them to retreat, with great precipitation, and swim off to a +rock, at some distance from the shore. The pinnace was immediately +ransacked by the islanders; and, but for the timely interposition of +Pareea, who seemed to have recovered from the blow, and forgot it at +the same instant, would soon have been entirely demolished. Having +driven away the crowd, he made signs to our people, that they might +come and take possession of the pinnace, and that he would endeavour +to get back the things which had been, taken out of it. After their +departure, he followed them in his canoe, with a midshipman's cap, and +some other trifling articles of the plunder, and, with much apparent +concern at what had happened, asked, if the Orono would kill him, and +whether he would permit him to come on board the next day? On being +assured that he would be well received, he joined noses (as their +custom is) with the officers, in token of friendship, and paddled over +to the village of Kowrowa. + +When Captain Cook was informed of what had passed, he expressed much +uneasiness at it; and, as we were returning on board, "I am afraid," +said he, "that these people will oblige me to use some violent +measures; for," he added, "they must not be left to imagine that they +have gained an advantage over us." However, as it was too late to take +any steps this evening, he contented himself with giving orders, that +every man and woman on board should be immediately turned out of the +ship. As soon us this order was executed, I returned on shore; and our +former confidence in the natives being now much abated, by the events +of the day, I posted a double guard on the _morai_, with orders to +call me, if they saw any men lurking about the beach. At about eleven +o'clock, five islanders were observed creeping round the bottom of +the _morai_; they seemed very cautious in approaching us; and at last, +finding themselves discovered, retired out of sight. About midnight, +one of them venturing up close to the observatory, the sentinel fired +over him; on which the men, fled, and we passed the remainder of the +night without farther disturbance. + +Next morning, at day-light, I went on board the Resolution for +the time-keeper; and, in my way, was hailed by the Discovery, and +informed, that their cutter had been stolen, during the night, from +the buoy where it was moored. + +When I arrived on board, I found the marines arming, and Captain Cook +loading his double-barrelled gun. Whilst I was relating to him +what had happened to us in the night, he interrupted me, with some +eagerness, and acquainted me with the loss of the Discovery's cutter, +and with the preparations he was making for its recovery. It had been +his usual practice, whenever any thing of consequence was lost at +any of the islands in this ocean, to get the king, or some of the +principal _Erees_, on board, and to keep them as hostages, till it was +restored. This method, which had been always attended with success, +he meant to pursue on the present occasion; and, at the same time, had +given orders to stop all the canoes that should attempt to leave the +bay, with an intention of seizing and destroying them, if he could not +recover the cutter by peaceable means. Accordingly, the boats of both +ships, well manned and armed, were stationed across the bay; and, +before I left the ship, some great guns had been fired at two large +canoes that were attempting to make their escape. + +It was between seven and eight o'clock when we quitted the ship +together; Captain Cook in the pinnace, having Mr Phillips and nine +marines with him; and myself in the small boat. The last orders I +received from him, were, to quiet the minds of the natives on our +side of the bay, by assuring them they should not be hurt; to keep my +people together, and to be on my guard. We then parted; the captain +went toward Kowrowa, where the king resided; and I proceeded to the +beach. My first care, on going ashore, was to give strict orders to +the marines to remain within the tent; to load their pieces with ball, +and not to quit their arms. Afterward I took a walk to the huts of old +Kaoo and the priests, and explained to them, as well as I could, the +object of the hostile preparations, which had exceedingly alarmed +them. I found that they had already heard of the cutter's being +stolen; and I assured them, that though Captain Cook was resolved to +recover it, and to punish the authors of the theft, yet that they, and +the people of the village on our side, need not be under the smallest +apprehension of suffering any evil from us. I desired the priests to +explain this to the people, and to tell them not to be alarmed, but to +continue peaceable and quiet. Kaoo asked me, with great earnestness, +if Terreeoboo was to be hurt; I assured him he was not; and both, +he and the rest of his brethren seemed much satisfied with this +assurance. + +In the mean time, Captain Cook having called off the launch, which was +stationed at the north point of the bay, and taken it along with him, +proceeded to Kowrowa, and landed with the lieutenant and nine marines. +He immediately marched into the village, where he was received with +the usual marks of respect; the people prostrating themselves before +him, and bringing their accustomed offerings of small hogs. Finding +that there was no suspicion of his design, his next step was to +enquire for Terreeoboo, and the two boys, his sons, who had been his +constant guests on board the Resolution. In a short time, the boys +returned, along with the natives, who had been sent in search of +them, and immediately led Captain Cook to the house where the king +had slept. They found the old man just awoke from sleep; and, after +a short conversation about the loss of the cutter, from which Captain +Cook was convinced that he was in no wise privy to it, he invited him +to return in the boat, and spend the day on board the Resolution. To +this proposal the king readily consented, and immediately got up to +accompany him. + +Things were in this prosperous train, the two boys being already +in the pinnace, and the rest of the party having advanced near the +water-side, when an elderly woman, called Kanee-kabareea, the mother +of the boys, and one of the king's favourite wives, came after him, +and, with many tears and entreaties, besought him not to go on board. +At the same time, two chiefs, who came along with her, laid hold of +him, and, insisting that he should go no farther, forced him to sit +down. The natives, who were collecting in prodigious numbers along the +shore, and had probably been alarmed by the firing of the great guns, +and the appearances of hostility in the bay, began to throng round +Captain Cook and their king. In this situation, the lieutenant of +marines, observing that his men were huddled close together in the +crowd, and thus incapable of using their arms, if any occasion should +require it, proposed to the captain to draw them up along the rocks, +close to the waters edge; and the crowd readily making way for them +to pass they were drawn up in a line, at the distance of about thirty +yards from the place where the king was sitting. + +All this time, the old king remained on the ground, with the strongest +marks of terror and dejection in his countenance; Captain Cook, +not willing to abandon the object for which he had come on shore, +continuing to urge him, in the most pressing manner, to proceed; +whilst, on the other hand, whenever the king appeared inclined to +follow him, the chiefs, who stood round him, interposed, at first +with prayers and entreaties, but afterward had recourse to force and +violence, and insisted on his staying where he was. Captain Cook, +therefore, finding that the alarm had spread too generally, and +that it was in vain to think any longer of getting him off without +bloodshed, at last gave up the point; observing to Mr Phillips, that +it would be impossible to compel him to go on board, without the risk +of killing a great number of the inhabitants. + +Though the enterprise, which had carried Captain Cook on shore, had +now failed, and was abandoned, yet his person did not appear to have +been in the least danger, till an accident happened which gave a fatal +turn to the affair. The boats, which had been stationed across the +bay, having fired at some canoes that were attempting to get out, +unfortunately had killed a chief of the first rank. The news of his +death arrived at the village where Captain Cook was, just as he had +left the king, and was walking slowly toward the shore. The ferment +it occasioned was very conspicuous; the women and children were +immediately sent off; and the men put on their war-mats, and armed +themselves with spears and stones. One of the natives, having in his +hands a stone, and a long iron pike, (which they call a _pahooa_,) +came up to the captain, flourishing his weapon, by way of defiance, +and threatening to throw the stone. The captain desired him to desist; +but the man persisting in his insolence, he was at length provoked to +fire a load of small shot. The man having his mat on, which the shot +were not able to penetrate, this had no other effect than to irritate +and encourage them. Several stones were thrown at the marines; and one +of the _Erees_ attempted to stab Mr Phillips with his _pahooa_, but +failed in the attempt, and received from him a blow with the butt end +of his musket. Captain Cook now fired his second barrel, loaded with +ball, and killed one of the foremost of the natives. A general attack +with stones immediately followed, which was answered by a discharge of +musketry from the marines, and the people in the boats. The islanders, +contrary to the expectations of every one, stood the fire with great +firmness; and, before the marines had time to reload, they broke in +upon them with dreadful shouts and yells. What followed was a scene of +the utmost horror and confusion. + +Four of the marines were cut off among the rocks in their retreat, and +fell a sacrifice to the fury of the enemy; three more were dangerously +wounded; and the lieutenant, who had received a stab between the +shoulders with a _pahooa_, having fortunately reserved his fire, shot +the man who had wounded him, just as he was going to repeat his blow. +Our unfortunate commander, the last time he was seen distinctly, was +standing at the water's edge, and calling out to the boats to cease +firing, and to pull in. If it be true, as some of those who were +present have imagined, that the marines and boatmen had fired without +his orders, and that he was desirous of preventing any further +bloodshed, it is not improbable, that his humanity, on this occasion, +proved fatal to him: For it was remarked, that whilst he faced the +natives, none of them had offered him any violence, but that having +turned about to give his orders to the boats, he was stabbed in the +back, and fell with his face into the water. On seeing him fall, the +islanders set up a great shout, and his body was immediately dragged +on shore, and surrounded, by the enemy, who, snatching the dagger out +of each other's hands, shewed a savage eagerness to have a share in +his destruction. + +Thus fell our great and excellent commander. After a life of so much +distinguished and successful enterprise, his death, as far as regards +himself, cannot be reckoned premature, since he lived to finish the +great work for which he seems to have been designed, and was rather +removed from the enjoyment, than cut off from the acquisition of +glory. How sincerely his loss was felt and lamented by those who had +so long found their general security in his skill and conduct, and +every consolation, under their hardships, in his tenderness and +humanity, it is neither necessary nor possible for me to describe; +much less shall I attempt to paint the horror with which we were +struck, and the universal dejection and dismay which followed so +dreadful and unexpected a calamity. The reader will not be displeased +to turn from so sad a scene, to the contemplation of his character and +virtues, whilst I am paying my last tribute to the memory of a +dear and honoured friend, in a short history of his life and public +services. + +Captain James Cook was born near Whitby, in Yorkshire, on the 27th +of October, 1728; and, at an early age, was put apprentice to a +shopkeeper in a neighbouring village. His natural inclination not +having been consulted on this occasion, he soon quitted the counter +from disgust, and bound himself, for nine years, to the master of a +vessel in the coal trade. At the breaking out of the war, in 1755, +he entered into the king's service, on board the Eagle, at that time +commanded by Captain Hamer, and afterward by Sir Hugh Palliser, who +soon discovered his merit, and introduced him on the quarter-deck. + +In the year 1758, we find him master of the Northumberland, the +flag-ship of Lord Colville, who had then the command of the squadron +stationed on the coast of America. It was here, as I have often heard +him say, that, during a hard winter, he first read Euclid, and applied +himself to the study of mathematics and astronomy, without any other +assistance than what a few books, and his own industry, afforded him. +At the same time that he thus found means to cultivate and improve +his mind, and to supply the deficiencies of an early education, he was +engaged in most of the busy and active scenes of the war in America. +At the siege of Quebec, Sir Charles Saunders committed to his charge +the execution of services of the first importance in the naval +department. He piloted the boats to the attack of Montmorency; +conducted the embarkation to the Heights of Abraham; examined the +passage, and laid buoys for the security of the large ships in +proceeding up the river. The courage and address with which he +acquitted himself in these services, gained him the warm friendship of +Sir Charles Saunders and Lord Colville, who continued to patronize him +during the rest of their lives, with the greatest zeal and affection. +At the conclusion of the war, he was appointed, through the +recommendation of Lord Colville and Sir Hugh Palliser, to survey the +Gulf of St Laurence and the coasts of Newfoundland. In this employment +he continued till the year 1767, when he was fixed on by Sir Edward +Hawke to command an expedition to the South Seas, for the purpose of +observing the transit of Venus, and prosecuting discoveries in that +part of the globe. From this period, as his services are too well +known to require a recital here, so his reputation has proportionably +advanced to a height too great to be affected by my panegyrick. +Indeed, he appears to have been most eminently and peculiarly +qualified for this species of enterprise. The earliest habits of his +life, the course of his services, and the constant application of +his mind, all conspired to fit him for it, and gave him a degree of +professional knowledge, which can fall to the lot of very few. + +The constitution of his body was robust, inured to labour, and capable +of undergoing the severest hardships. His stomach bore, without +difficulty, the coarsest and most ungrateful food. Indeed, temperance +in him was scarcely a virtue; so great was the indifference with which +be submitted to every kind of self-denial. The qualities of his mind +were of the same hardy, vigorous kind with those of his body. His +understanding was strong and perspicuous. His judgment, in whatever +related to the services he was engaged in, quick and sure. His designs +were bold and manly; and both in the conception, and in the mode of +execution, bore evident marks of a great original genius. His courage +was cool and determined, and accompanied with an admirable presence of +mind in the moment of danger. His manners were plain and unaffected. +His temper might, perhaps, have been justly blamed, as subject to +hastiness and passion, had not these been disarmed by a disposition +the most benevolent and humane. + +Such were the outlines of Captain Cook's character; but its most +distinguishing feature was, that unremitting perseverance in the +pursuit of his object, which was not only superior to the opposition +of dangers, and the pressure of hardships, but even exempt from the +want of ordinary relaxation. During the long and tedious voyages in +which he was engaged, his eagerness and activity were never in the +least abated. No incidental temptation could detain him for a moment; +even those intervals of recreation, which sometimes unavoidably +occurred, and were looked for by us with a longing, that persons, who +have experienced the fatigues of service, will readily excuse, were +submitted to by him with a certain impatience, whenever they could +not be employed in making further provision for the more effectual +prosecution of his designs. + +It is not necessary here to enumerate the instances in which these +qualities were displayed, during the great and important enterprises +in which he was engaged. I shall content myself with stating the +result of those services, under the two principal heads to which they +maybe referred, those of geography and navigation, placing each in a +separate and distinct point of view. + +Perhaps no science ever received greater additions from the labours of +a single man, than geography has done from those of Captain Cook. In +his first voyage to the South Seas, he discovered the Society Islands; +determined the insularity of New Zealand; discovered the straits which +separate the two islands, and are called after his name; and made a +complete survey of both. He afterward explored the eastern coast of +New Holland, hitherto unknown; an extent of twenty seven degrees of +latitude, or upward of two thousand miles. + +In his second expedition, he resolved the great problem of a southern +continent, having traversed that hemisphere, between the latitudes +of 40° and 70°, in such a manner as not to leave a possibility of its +existence, unless near the Pole, and out of the reach of navigation. +During this voyage be discovered New Caledonia, the largest island in +the Southern Pacific, except New Zealand; the island of Georgia; and +an unknown coast, which he named Sandwich Land, the _Thule_ of the +southern hemisphere; and having twice visited the tropical seas, he +settled the situations of the old, and made several new discoveries. + +But the voyage we are now relating is distinguished, above all the +rest, by the extent and importance of its discoveries. Besides several +smaller islands in the Southern Pacific, he discovered, to the north +of the equinoctial line, the group called the Sandwich Islands; which, +from their situation and productions, bid fairer for becoming an +object of consequence, in the system of European navigation, than +any other discovery in the South Sea. He afterward explored what had +hitherto remained unknown of the western coast of America; from the +latitude of 43° to 70° N., containing an extent of three thousand five +hundred miles; ascertained the proximity of the two great continents +of Asia and America; passed the straits between them, and surveyed +the coast, on each side, to such a height of northern latitude, as to +demonstrate the impracticability of a passage in that hemisphere, from +the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean, either by an eastern or a western +course. In short, if we except the sea of Amur, and the Japanese +Archipelago, which still remain imperfectly known to Europeans, he has +completed the hydrography of the habitable globe. + +As a navigator, his services were not, perhaps, less splendid; +certainly not less important and meritorious. The method which he +discovered, and so successfully pursued, of preserving the health of +seamen, forms a new æra in navigation; and will transmit his name to +future ages amongst the friends and benefactors of mankind. + +Those who are conversant in naval history need not be told, at how +dear a rate the advantages which have been sought through the medium +of long voyages at sea, have always been purchased. That dreadful +disorder, which is peculiar to this service, and whose ravages +have marked the tracks of discoverers with circumstances almost too +shocking to relate, must, without exercising an unwarrantable tyranny +over the lives of our seamen, have proved an insuperable obstacle to +the prosecution of such enterprises. It was reserved for Captain +Cook to shew the world, by repeated trials, that voyages might be +protracted to the unusual length of three, or even four years, in +unknown regions, and under every change and rigour of climate, not +only without affecting the health, but even without diminishing the +probability of life in the smallest degree. The method he pursued has +been fully explained by himself in a paper which was read before +the Royal Society in the year 1776;[2] and whatever improvements the +experience of the present age has suggested, are mentioned in their +proper places. + +[Footnote 2: Sir Godfrey Copley's gold medal was adjudged to him on +this occasion.] + +With respect to his professional abilities, I shall leave them to +the judgment of those who are best acquainted with the nature of the +services in which he was engaged. They will readily acknowledge, that, +to have conducted three expeditions of so much danger and difficulty, +of so unusual a length, and in such a variety of situation, with +uniform and invariable success, must have required not only a +thorough and accurate knowledge of his business, but a powerful and +comprehensive genius, fruitful in resources, and equally ready in the +application of whatever the higher and inferior calls of the service +required. + +Having given the most faithful account I have been able to collect, +both from my own observation and the relations of others, of the death +of my ever-honoured friend, and also of his character and services, +I shall now leave his memory to the gratitude and admiration of +posterity; accepting with, a melancholy satisfaction, the honour which +the loss of him hath procured me, of seeing my name joined with his; +and of testifying that affection and respect for his memory, which, +whilst he lived, it was no less my inclination, than my constant +study, to shew him.[3] + +[Footnote 3: We shall not easily find a more excellent specimen of +biographical eulogium than what Captain King has now given us. It does +justice to his subject--and this, be it remembered, is a merit of +the highest kind; and it does justice to himself, to his own sense +of propriety and principle, which, in the warmth of their friendship, +professed admirers are too apt to sacrifice at the shrine of departed +worth. The style is suitable to the sentiments, possessing a dignified +simplicity, and an apparent rectitude of aim, which it is impossible +not to consider, as, in a great degree, resulting from intimacy +with the truly great character whom it so forcibly recommends to our +esteem, and which, therefore, may be held as no mean illustration of +the efficacy of those virtues which so eminently adorned him. In this +respect, then, Cook was peculiarly fortunate, were there no other +record to which posterity might appeal--more fortunate, by much, +indeed, than many, whose lives have been blazoned by vain-glorious +historians. We appeal, therefore, to the feelings of every reader, +whether this very circumstance, so providentially directed towards the +perpetuity of his fame, does not indicate the real superiority of such +a man as Cook over the mass of vulgar conquerors, whom, unfortunately +for the world, it has been so much and so long the fashion to admire? +Shall we ever witness the time, when the wanton destroyers of our +species, under whatever name or trappings they vaunt themselves, shall +inherit the abhorrence and the curses of humanity; and when the only +claim to applause that shall be sanctioned, must be founded, like +that of our navigator, on the ability and the disposition to confer +benefits on society? It has often been regretted, as is said in the +Biographia Britannica, that a monument has not yet been erected to +the memory of Captain Cook in Westminster Abbey. The uneasiness is not +superfluous, in so far as the honour of our country is concerned, to +which, perhaps, his exertions have really contributed as much as those +of almost any individual whose greatness is there embalmed; but to the +reputation of Cook, a monument in Westminster Abbey, we agree with +the work alluded to, would be of little or no consequence. "His fame +stands upon a wider base, and will survive the comparatively perishing +materials of brass, or stone, or marble. The name of Cook will be held +in honour, and recited with applause, so long as the records of human +events shall continue in the earth."--E. + +The following particulars, respecting the death of Captain Cook, +are taken from Mr Samwell's Narrative, as given in the Biographia +Britannica; to which, also, we are indebted for the most minute and +satisfactory account of this illustrious man ever yet published, and +to which, therefore, we refer the more inquisitive reader. + +"On the 6th of February, we were overtaken by a gale of wind; and the +next night, the Resolution had the misfortune of springing the head +of her foremast, in such a dangerous manner, that Captain Cook was +obliged to return to Keragegooah,[1] in order to have it repaired; for +we could find no other convenient harbour on the island. The same +gale had occasioned much distress among some canoes that had paid us a +visit from the shore. One of them, with two men and a child on board, +was picked up by the Resolution, and rescued from destruction; the +men, having toiled hard all night in attempting to reach the land, +were so much exhausted that they could hardly mount the ship's side. +When they got upon the quarter-deck, they burst into tears, and +seemed much affected with the dangerous situation from which they had +escaped; but the little child appeared lively and cheerful. One of +the Resolution's boats was also so fortunate as to save a man and two +women, whose canoe had been upset by the violence of the waves. They +were brought on board, and, with the others, partook of the kindness +and humanity of Captain Cook. + +"On the morning of Wednesday, the 10th, we were within a few miles of +the harbour; and were soon joined by several canoes, in which appeared +many of our old acquaintance, who seemed to have come to welcome us +back. Among them was Coo,aha, a priest; he had brought a small pig +and some cocoa nuts in his hand, which, after having chaunted a +few sentences, he presented to Captain Clerke. He then left us, +and hastened on board the Resolution, to perform the same friendly +ceremony before Captain Cook. Having but light winds all that day, +we could not gain the harbour. In the afternoon, a chief of the first +rank, and nearly related to Kariopoo, paid us a visit on board the +Discovery. His name was Ka,mea,mea: He was dressed in a very rich +feathered cloak, which he seemed to have brought for sale, but would +part with it for nothing except iron daggers. These the chiefs, some +time before our departure, had preferred to every other article; for, +having received a plentiful supply of hatchets and other tools, they +began to collect a store of warlike instruments. Kameamea procured +nine daggers for his cloak; and, being pleased with his reception, he +and his attendants slept on board that night. + +"In the morning of the 11th of February, the ships anchored again in +Keragegooah bay, and preparation was immediately made for landing +the Resolution's foremast. We were visited but by few of the Indians, +because there were but few in the bay. On our departure, those +belonging to other parts had repaired to their several habitations, +and were again to collect from various quarters before we could +expect to be surrounded by such multitudes as we had once seen in that +harbour. In the afternoon, I walked about a mile into the country to +visit an Indian friend, who had, a few days before, come near twenty +miles, in a small canoe, to see me, while the ship lay becalmed. As +the canoe had not left us long before a gale of wind came on, I was +alarmed for the consequence; however, I had the pleasure to find that +my friend had escaped unhurt, though not without some difficulties. I +take notice of this short excursion, merely because it afforded me +an opportunity of observing that there appeared no change in the +disposition or behaviour of the inhabitants. I saw nothing that could +induce me to think that they were displeased with our return, or +jealous of the intention of our second visit. On the contrary, that +abundant good-nature, which had always characterised them, seemed +still to glow in every bosom, and to animate every countenance.[2] The +next day, February the 12th, the ships were put under a taboo by the +chiefs; a solemnity, it seems, that was requisite to be observed, +before Kariopoo, the king, paid his first visit to Captain Cook, after +his return. He waited upon him the same day, on board the Resolution, +attended by a large train, some of which bore the presents designed +for Captain Cook; who received him in his usual friendly manner, and +gave him several articles in return. This amicable ceremony being +settled, the taboo was dissolved; matters went on in the usual train; +and the next day, February the 13th, we were visited by the natives in +great numbers. The Resolution's mast was landed, and the astronomical +observatories erected on their former situation. I landed, with +another gentleman, at the town of Kavaroah, where we found a great +number of canoes, just arrived from different parts of the island, +and the Indians busy in erecting temporary huts on the beach for their +residence during the stay of the ships. On our return on board the +Discovery, we learned, that an Indian had been detected in stealing +the armourer's tongs from the forge; for which he received a pretty +severe flogging, and was sent out from the ship. Notwithstanding the +example made of this man, in the afternoon another had the audacity +to snatch the tongs and a chisel from the same place, with which he +jumped overboard, and swam for the shore. The master and a midshipman +were instantly dispatched after him in the small cutter. The Indian, +seeing himself pursued, made for a canoe; his countrymen took him on +board, and paddled as swift as they could towards the shore; we fired +several muskets at them, but to no effect, for they soon got out of +the reach of our shot. Pareah, one of the chiefs, who was at that time +on board the Discovery, understanding what had happened, immediately +went ashore, promising to bring back the stolen goods. Our boat was +so far distanced, in chacing the canoe which had taken the thief on +board, that he had time to make his escape into the country. Captain +Cook, who was then ashore, endeavoured to intercept his landing; but +it seems that he was led out of the way by some of the natives, who +had officiously intruded themselves as guides. As the master was +approaching near the landing-place, he was met by some of the Indians +in a canoe. They had brought back the tongs and chisel, together with +another article that we had not missed, which happened to be the lid +of the water-cask. Having recovered these things, he was returning on +board, when he was met by the Resolution's pinnace, with five men in +her, who, without any orders, had come from the observatories to his +assistance. Being thus unexpectedly reinforced, he thought himself +strong enough to insist upon having the thief, or the canoe which took +him in, delivered up as reprisals. With that view he turned back; and +having found the canoe on the beach, he was preparing to launch it +into the water, when Pareah made his appearance, and insisted upon his +not taking it away, as it was his property. The officer not regarding +him, the chief seized upon him, pinioned his arms behind, and held him +by the hair of his head; on which one of the sailors struck him with +an oar. Pareah instantly quitted the officer, snatched the oar out of +the man's hand, and snapped it in two across his knee. At length +the multitude began to attack our people with stones. They made some +resistance, but were soon overpowered, and obliged to swim for safety +to the small cutter, which lay farther out than the pinnace. The +officers, not being expert swimmers, retreated to a small rock in the +water, where they were closely pursued by the Indians. One man darted +a broken oar at the master, but his foot slipping at the time, he +missed him, which fortunately saved that officer's life. At last, +Pareah interfered, and put an end to their violence. The gentlemen, +knowing that his presence was their only defence against the fury of +the natives, entreated him to stay with them till they could get off +in the boats; but that he refused, and left them. The master went +to seek assistance from the party at the observatories; but the +midshipman chose to remain in the pinnace. He was very rudely treated +by the mob, who plundered the boat of every thing that was loose on +board, and then began to knock her to pieces for the sake of the +iron work; but Pareah fortunately returned in time to prevent +her destruction. He had met the other gentleman on his way to the +observatories, and, suspecting his errand, had forced him to return. +He dispersed the crowd again, and desired the gentlemen to return on +board. They represented that all their oars had been taken out of the +boat; on which he brought some of them back, and the gentlemen were +glad to get off, without farther molestation. They had not proceeded +far, before they were overtaken by Pareah, in a canoe. He delivered +the midshipman's cap, which had been taken from him in the scuffle, +joined noses with them, in token of reconciliation, and was anxious +to know if Captain Cook would kill him for what had happened. They +assured him of the contrary, and made signs of friendship to him in +return. He then left them, and paddled over to the town of Kavaroah, +and that was the last time we ever saw him. Captain Cook returned on +board soon after, much displeased with the whole of this disagreeable +business; and the same night sent a lieutenant on board the Discovery +to learn the particulars of it, as it had originated in that ship. It +was remarkable, that in the midst of the hurry and confusion +attending this affair, Kanynah (a chief who had always been on terms +particularly friendly with us) came from the spot where it happened, +with a hog to sell on board the Discovery; it was of an extraordinary +large size, and he demanded for it a pahowa, or dagger, of an unusual +length. He pointed to us, that it must be as long as his arm. Captain +Clerke not having one of that length, told him, he would get one made +for him by the morning; with which being satisfied, he left the +hog, and went ashore without making any stay with us. It will not +be altogether foreign to the subject, to mention a circumstance that +happened to-day on board the Resolution. An Indian chief asked Captain +Cook at his table if he was a _Tata Toa_, which mean's a fighting man, +or a soldier. Being answered in the affirmative, he desired to see his +wounds; Captain Cook held out his right-hand, which had a scar +upon it, dividing the thumb from the finger the whole length of the +metacarpal bones. The Indian being thus convinced of his being a Toa, +put the same question to another gentleman present, but he happened to +have none of those distinguishing marks; the chief then said, that he +himself was a Toa, and shewed the scars of some wounds he had received +in battle. Those who were on duty at the observatories were disturbed, +during the night, with shrill and melancholy sounds, issuing from +the adjacent villages, which they took to be the lamentations of the +women. Perhaps the quarrel between us might have filled their minds +with apprehensions for the safety of their husbands; but, be that as +it may, their mournful cries struck the sentinels with unusual awe and +terror. + +"To widen the breach between us, some of the Indians, in the night, +took away the Discovery's large cutter, which lay swamped at the buoy +of one of her anchors; they had carried her off so quietly, that we +did not miss her till the morning, Sunday, February the 14th. Captain +Clerke lost no time in waiting upon Captain Cook, to acquaint him with +the accident; he returned on board, with orders for the launch and +small cutter to go, under the command of the second lieutenant, and +lie off the east point of the bay, in order to intercept all canoes +that might attempt to get out, and, if he found it necessary, to fire +upon them. At the same time, the third lieutenant of the Resolution, +with the launch and small cutter, was sent on the same service, to the +opposite point of the bay; and the master was dispatched in the large +cutter in pursuit of a double canoe, already under sail, making the +best of her way out of the harbour. He soon came up with her, and by +firing a few muskets, drove her on shore, and the Indians left her; +this happened to be the canoe of Omea, a man who bore the title of +Orono. He was on board himself, and it would have been fortunate if +our people had secured him, for his person was held as sacred as that +of the king. During this time, Captain Cook was preparing to go ashore +himself, at the town of Kavaroah, in order to secure the person of +Kariopoo, before he should have time to withdraw himself to another +part of the island, out of our reach. This appeared the most effectual +step that could be taken on the present occasion for the recovery of +the boat. It was the measure he had invariably pursued, in similar +cases, at other islands in these seas, and it had always been attended +with the desired success; in fact, it would be difficult to point out +any other mode of proceeding on these emergencies, likely to attain +the object in view.[3] We had reason to suppose, that the king and his +attendants had fled when the alarm was first given; in that case, it +was Captain Cook's intention to secure the large canoes which were +hauled up on the beach. He left the ship about seven o'clock, attended +by the lieutenant of marines, a serjeant, corporal, and seven private +men; the pinnace's crew were also armed, and under the command of Mr +Roberts. As they rowed towards the shore, Captain Cook ordered the +launch to leave her station at the west point of the bay, in order to +assist his own boat. This is a circumstance worthy of notice; for +it clearly shews, that he was not unapprehensive of meeting with +resistance from the natives, or unmindful of the necessary preparation +for the safety of himself and his people. I will venture to say, that +from the appearance of things just at that time, there was not +one, beside himself, who judged that such precaution was absolutely +requisite; so little did his conduct on the occasion bear the marks of +rashness, or a precipitate self-confidence! He landed with the marines +at the upper end of the town of Kavaroah; the Indians immediately +flocked round as usual, and shewed him the customary marks of +respect, by prostrating themselves before him. There were no signs of +hostilities, or much alarm among them. Captain Cook, however, did not +seem willing to trust to appearances, but was particularly attentive +to the disposition of the marines, and to have them kept clear of the +crowd. He first enquired for the king's sons, two youths who were much +attached to him, and generally his companions on board. Messengers +being sent for them, they soon came to him, and informing him that +their father was asleep at a house not far from them, he accompanied +them thither, and took the marines along with them. As he passed +along, the natives every where prostrated themselves before him, and +seemed to have lost no part of that respect they had always shewn to +his person. He was joined by several chiefs, among whom was Kanynah, +and his brother Koohowrooah. They kept the crowd in order, according +to their usual custom; and, being ignorant of his intention in +coming on shore, frequently asked him, if he wanted any hogs or other +provisions; he told them that he did not, and that his business was +to see the king. When he arrived at the house, he ordered some of the +Indians to go in and inform Kariopoo, that he waited without to speak +with him. They came out two or three times, and instead of returning +any answer from the king, presented some pieces of red cloth to him, +which made Captain Cook suspect that he was not in the house; he +therefore desired the lieutenant of marines to go in. The lieutenant +found the old man just awaked from sleep, and seemingly alarmed at the +message; but he came out without hesitation. Captain Cook took him by +the hand, and in a friendly manner asked him to go on board, to which +he very readily consented. Thus far matters appeared in a favourable +train, and the natives did not seem much alarmed or apprehensive +of hostility on our side, at which Captain Cook expressed himself +a little surprised, saying, that as the inhabitants of that town +appeared innocent of stealing the cutter, he should not molest them, +but that he must get the king on board. Kariopoo sat down before his +door, and was surrounded by a great crowd; Kanynah and his brother +were both very active in keeping order among them. In a little time, +however, the Indians were observed arming themselves with long spears, +clubs, and daggers, and putting on thick mats, which they use as +armour. This hostile appearance increased, and became more alarming, +on the arrival of two men in a canoe from the opposite side of the +bay, with the news of a chief, called Kareemoo, having been killed by +one of the Discovery's boats. In their passage across, they had also +delivered this account to each of the ships. Upon that information, +the women who were sitting upon the beach at their breakfasts, and +conversing familiarly with our people in the boats, retired, and +a confused murmur spread through the crowd. An old priest came to +Captain Cook, with a cocoa-nut in his hand, which he held out to him +as a present, at the same time singing very loud. He was often desired +to be silent, but in vain; he continued importunate and troublesome, +and there was no such thing as getting rid of him or his noise; it +seemed as if he meant to divert their attention from his countrymen, +who were growing more tumultuous, and arming themselves in every +quarter. Captain Cook being at the same time surrounded by a great +crowd, thought his situation rather hazardous; he therefore ordered +the lieutenant of marines to march his small party to the water-side, +where the boats lay within a few yards of the shore; the Indians +readily made a lane for them to pass, and did not offer to interrupt +them. The distance they had to go might be about fifty or sixty yards; +Captain Cook followed, having hold of Kariopoo's hand, who accompanied +him very willingly; he was attended by his wife, two sons, and several +chiefs. The troublesome old priest followed, making the same savage +noise. Keowa, the younger son, went directly into the pinnace, +expecting his father to follow, but just as he arrived at the +water-side, his wife threw her arms about his neck, and, with the +assistance of two chiefs, forced him to sit down by the side of a +double canoe. Captain Cook expostulated with them, but to no purpose; +they would not suffer the king to proceed, telling him, that he would +be put to death if he went on board the ship. Kariopoo, whose conduct +seemed entirely resigned to the will of others, hung down his head, +and appeared much distressed. + +"While the king was in this situation, a chief, well known to us, +of the name of Coho, was observed lurking near, with an iron dagger, +partly concealed under his cloak, seemingly, with the intention +of stabbing Captain Cook, or the lieutenant of marines. The latter +proposed to fire at him, but Captain Cook would not permit it. Coho +closing upon them, obliged the officer to strike him with his piece, +which made him retire. Another Indian laid hold of the serjeant's +musquet, and endeavoured to wrench it from him, but was prevented by +the lieutenant's making a blow at him. Captain Cook, seeing the tumult +increase, and the Indians growing more daring and resolute, observed, +that if he were to take the king off by force, he could not do it +without sacrificing the lives of many of his people. He then paused a +little, and was on the point of giving his orders to reimbark, when a +man threw a stone at him, which he returned with a discharge of small +shot (with which one barrel of his double piece was loaded.) The +man having a thick mat before him, received little or no hurt; he +brandished his spear, and threatened to dart it at Captain Cook, who +being still unwilling to take away his life, instead of firing with +ball, knocked him down with his musket. He expostulated strongly with +the most forward of the crowd, upon their turbulent behaviour. He had +given up all thoughts of getting the king on board, as it appeared +impracticable; and his care was then only to act on the defensive, and +to secure a safe embarkation for his small party, which was closely +pressed by a body of several thousand people. Keowa, the king's son, +who was in the pinnace, being alarmed on hearing the first fire, was, +at his own entreaty, put on shore again; for even at that time, Mr +Roberts, who commanded her, did not apprehend that Captain Cook's +person was in any danger; otherwise he would have detained the prince, +which, no doubt, would have been a great check on the Indians. One +man was observed, behind a double canoe, in the action of darting +his spear at Captain Cook, who was forced to fire at him in his own +defence, but happened to kill another close to him, equally forward in +the tumult; the serjeant observing that he had missed the man he aimed +at, received orders to fire at him, which he did, and killed him. By +this time, the impetuosity of the Indians was somewhat repressed; +they fell back in a body, and seemed staggered; but being pushed on +by those behind, they returned to the charge, and poured a volley of +stones among the marines, who, without waiting for orders, returned it +with a general discharge of musquetry, which was instantly followed by +a fire from the boats. At this Captain Cook was heard to express his +astonishment; he waved his hand to the boats, called to them to cease +firing, and to come nearer in to receive the marines. Mr Roberts +immediately brought the pinnace as close to the shore as he could, +without grounding, notwithstanding the showers of stones that fell +among the people; but ----, the lieutenant, who commanded in the +launch, instead of pulling in to the assistance of Captain Cook, +withdrew his boat farther off, at the moment that every thing seems to +have depended upon the timely exertions of those in the boats. By +his own account, he mistook the signal; but be that as it may, this +circumstance appears to me to have decided the fatal turn of the +affair, and to have removed every chance which remained with Captain +Cook, of escaping with his life. The business of saving the marines +out of the water, in consequence of that, fell altogether upon the +pinnace; which thereby became so much crowded, that the crew were, in +a great measure, prevented from using their fire-arms, or giving what +assistance they otherwise might have done, to Captain Cook; so that +he seems, at the most critical point of time, to have wanted the +assistance of both boats, owing to the removal of the launch. For, +notwithstanding that they kept up a fire on the crowd, from the +situation to which they removed in that boat, the fatal confusion +which ensued on her being withdrawn, to say the least of it, must have +prevented the full effect, that the prompt co-operation of the two +boats, according to Captain Cook's orders, must have had, towards the +preservation of himself and his people.[4] At that time, it was to the +boats alone, that Captain Cook had to look for his safety; for, when +the marines had fired, the Indians rushed among them, and forced them +into the water, where four of them were killed; their lieutenant was +wounded, but fortunately escaped, and was taken up by the pinnace. +Captain Cook was then the only one remaining on the rock; he was +observed making for the pinnace, holding his left hand against the +back of his head, to guard it from the stones, and carrying his +musquet under the other arm. An Indian was seen following him, +but with caution and timidity; for he stopped once or twice, as if +undetermined to proceed. At last he advanced upon him unawares, and +with a large club,[5] or common stake, gave him a blow on the back of +the head, and then precipitately retreated. The stroke seemed to have +stunned Captain Cook; he staggered a few paces, then fell on his hand +and one knee, and dropped his musquet. As he was rising, and before he +could recover his feet, another Indian stabbed him in the back of the +neck with an iron dagger. He then fell into a bite of water about +knee deep, where others crowded upon him, and endeavoured to keep him +under: but struggling very strongly with them, he got his head up, and +casting his look towards the pinnace, seemed to solicit assistance. +Though the boat was not above five or six yards distant from him, yet +from the crowded and confused state of the crew, it seems, it was not +in their power to save him. The Indians got him under again, but in +deeper water; he was, however, able to get his head up once more, and +being almost spent in the struggle, he naturally turned to the rock, +and was endeavouring to support himself by it, when a savage gave him +a blow with a club, and he was seen alive no more. They hauled him up +lifeless on the rocks, where they seemed to take a savage pleasure in +using every barbarity to his dead body, snatching the daggers out of +each other's hands, to have the horrid satisfaction of piercing the +fallen victim of their barbarous rage. + +"I need make no reflection on the great loss we suffered on this +occasion, or attempt to describe what we felt. It is enough to say, +that no man was ever more beloved or admired; and it is truly painful +to reflect, that he seems to have fallen a sacrifice merely for want +of being properly supported; a fate, singularly to be lamented, as +having fallen to his lot, who had ever been conspicuous for his care +of those under his command, and who seemed, to the last, to pay as +much attention to their preservation, as to that of his own life. If +any thing could have added to the shame and indignation universally +felt on this occasion, it was to find, that his remains had been +deserted, and left exposed on the beach, although they might have +been brought off. It appears, from the information of four or five +midshipmen, who arrived on the spot at the conclusion of the fatal +business, that the beach was then almost entirely deserted by the +Indians, who at length had given way to the fire of the boats, and +dispersed through the town; so that there seemed no great obstacle +to prevent the recovery of Captain Cook's body; but the lieutenant +returned on board without making the attempt. It is unnecessary to +dwell longer on this painful subject, and to relate the complaints +and censures that fell on the conduct of the lieutenant. It will be +sufficient to observe, that they were so loud as to oblige Captain +Clerke publicly to notice them, and to take the depositions of his +accusers down in writing. The captain's bad state of health and +approaching dissolution, it is supposed, induced him to destroy these +papers a short time before his death. It is a painful task, to be +obliged to notice circumstances, which seem to reflect upon the +character of any man. A strict regard to truth, however, compelled me +to the insertion of these facts, which I have offered merely as +facts, without presuming to connect with them any comment of my own; +esteeming it the part of a faithful historian, 'to extenuate nothing, +nor set down aught in malice.' The fatal accident happened at eight +o'clock in the morning, about an hour after Captain Cook landed. It +did not seem, that the king, or his sons, were witnesses to it; but +it is supposed that they withdrew in the midst of the tumult. The +principal actors were the other chiefs, many of them the king's +relations and attendants; the man who stabbed him with the dagger was +called Nooah. I happened to be the only one who recollected his person +from having on a former occasion mentioned his name in the journal I +kept. I was induced to take particular notice of him, more from his +personal appearance than any other consideration, though he was of +high rank, and a near relation of the king; he was stout and tall, +with a fierce look and demeanour, and one who united in his figure the +two qualities of strength and agility, in a greater degree, than ever +I remembered to have seen before in any other man. His age might be +about thirty, and by the white scurf on his skin, and his sore eyes, +he appeared to be a hard drinker of kava. He was a constant companion +of the king, with whom I first saw him, when he paid a visit to +Captain Clerke. The chief who first struck Captain Cook with the club, +was called Karimano, craha, but I did not know him by his name. These +circumstances I learnt of honest Kaireekea, the priest, who added, +that they were both held in great esteem on account of that action; +neither of them came near us afterwards. When the boats left the +shore, the Indians carried away the dead body of Captain Cook and +those of the marines, to the rising ground, at the back of the town, +where we could plainly see them with our glasses from the ships. This +most melancholy accident appears to have been altogether unexpected +and unforeseen, as well on the part of the natives as ourselves. I +never saw sufficient reason to induce me to believe, that there was +any thing of design, or a pre-concerted plan, on their side, or that +they purposely sought to quarrel with us; thieving, which gave rise +to the whole, they were equally guilty of, in our first and second +visits. It was the cause of every misunderstanding that happened +between us; their petty thefts were generally overlooked, but +sometimes slightly punished; the boat, which they at last ventured +to take away, was an object of no small magnitude to people in our +situation, who could not possibly replace her, and therefore not +slightly to be given up. We had no other chance of recovering her, +but by getting the person of the king into our possession; on our +attempting to do that, the natives became alarmed for his safety, and +naturally opposed those whom they deemed his enemies. In the sudden +conflict that ensued, we had the unspeakable misfortune of losing +our excellent commander, in the manner already related. It is in this +light the affair has always appeared to me, as entirely accidental, +and not in the least owing to any previous offence received, or +jealousy of our second visit entertained by the natives. Pareah seems +to have been the principal instrument in bringing about this fatal +disaster. We learnt afterwards, that it was he who had employed some +people to steal the boat; the king did not seem to be privy to it, or +even apprized of what had happened, till Captain Cook landed. It +was generally remarked, that, at first, the Indians shewed great +resolution in facing our fire-arms; but it was entirely owing to +ignorance of their effect. They thought that their thick mats would +defend them from a ball, as well as from a stone; but being soon +convinced of their error, yet still at a loss to account how such +execution was done among them, they had recourse to a stratagem, +which, though it answered no other purpose, served to shew their +ingenuity and quickness of invention. Observing the flashes of the +musquets, they naturally concluded, that water would counteract their +effect, and therefore, very sagaciously, dipped their mats, or armour, +in the sea, just as they came on to face our people; but finding this +last resource to fail them, they soon dispersed, and left the beach +entirely clear. It was an object they never neglected, even at the +greatest hazard, to carry off their slain; a custom, probably owing to +the barbarity with which they treat the dead body of an enemy, and the +trophies they make of his bones."[6]] + +[Footnote 1: It is proper to take notice, that Mr Samwell spells the +names of several persons and places differently from what is done +in the history of the voyage. For instance, Karakakooa, he +calls Ke,rag,e,goo,ah; Terreeoboo, Kariopoo; Kowrowa, Kavaroah; +Kaneecabareea, Kaneekapo berei; Mahai mahai, Ka,mea,mea.] + +[Footnote 2: Mr King relates, that our voyagers, upon coming to +anchor, were surprised to find their reception very different from +what it had been on their first arrival. He acknowledges, however, +that the unsuspicious conduct of Terreeoboo, who, the next morning, +came immediately to visit Captain Cook, and the consequent return of +the natives to their former friendly intercourse with the English, are +strong proofs, that they neither meant nor apprehended any change of +conduct. "Things," says Mr King, "went on in their usual quiet course +till the afternoon of the 13th."] + +[Footnote 3: Mr King acknowledges, that he was always fearful, that +the degree of confidence which Captain Cook had acquired from his +long and uninterrupted course of success, in his transactions with the +natives of these seas, might, at some unlucky moment, put him too much +off his guard.] + +[Footnote 4: I have been informed, on the best authority, that, in +the opinion of Captain Philips, who commanded the marines, and whose +judgment must be of the greatest weight, it is extremely doubtful +whether any thing could successfully have been done to preserve the +life of Captain Cook, even if no mistake had been committed on the +part of the launch.] + +[Footnote 5: I have heard one of the gentlemen who were present +say, that the first injury he received was from a dagger, as it is +represented in the voyage; but, from the account of many others, who +were also eye-witnesses, I am confident, in saying, that he was first +struck with a club. I was afterwards confirmed in this, by Kaireekea, +the priest, who particularly mentioned the name of the man who gave +him the blow, as well as that of the chief, who afterwards struck him +with the dagger. This is a point not worth disputing about; I mention +it, as being solicitous to be accurate in this account, even in +circumstances, of themselves, not very material.] + +[Footnote 6: Samwell's Narrative of the Death of Captain James Cook, +p. 2-20.] + + +SECTION IV. + +_Transactions at Owhyhee subsequent to the Death of Captain +Cook.--Gallant Behaviour of the Lieutenant of Marines.--Dangerous +Situation of the Party at the Morai.--Bravery of one of the +Natives.--Consultation respecting future Measures.--Demand of the +Body of Captain Cook.--Evasive and insidious Conduct of Koah and +the Chiefs.--Insolent Behaviour of the Natives.--Promotion +of Officers.--Arrival of two Priests with Part of the +Body.--Extraordinary Behaviour of two Boys.--Burning of the Village +of Kakooa.--Unfortunate Destruction of the Dwellings of the +Priests.--Recovery of the Bones of Captain Cook.--Departure from +Karakakooa Bay._ + +It has been already stated, that four of the marines, who attended +Captain Cook, were killed by the islanders on the spot. The rest, with +Mr Phillips, their lieutenant, threw themselves into the water, and +escaped, under cover of a smart fire from the boats. On this occasion, +a remarkable instance of gallant behaviour, and of affection for his +men, was shewn by that officer; for he had scarcely got into the boat, +when, seeing one of the marines, who was a bad swimmer, struggling in +the water, and in danger of being taken by the enemy, he immediately +jumped into the sea to his assistance, though much wounded himself; +and, after receiving a blow on the head from a stone, which had nearly +sent him to the bottom, be caught the man by the hair, and brought him +safe off. + +Our people continued for some time to keep up a constant fire from the +boats (which, during the whole transaction, were not more than twenty +yards from the land,) in order to afford their unfortunate companions, +if any of them should still remain alive, an opportunity of escaping. +These efforts, seconded by a few guns that were fired at the same time +from the Resolution, having forced the natives at last to retire, a +small boat, manned by five of our young midshipmen, pulled toward the +shore, where they saw the bodies, without any signs of life, lying +on the ground; but judging it dangerous to attempt to bring them off, +with so small a force, and their ammunition being nearly expended, +they returned to the ships, leaving them in possession of the +islanders, together with ten stands of arms. + +As soon as the general consternation, which the news of this calamity +occasioned throughout both crews, had a little subsided, their +attention was called to our party at the _morai_, where the mast +and sails were on shore, with a guard of only six marines. It is +impossible for me to describe the emotions of my own mind, during the +time these transactions had been carrying on at the other side of the +bay. Being at the distance of only a short mile from the village of +Kowrowa, we could see distinctly an immense crowd collected on the +spot where Captain Cook had just before landed. We heard the firing +of the musketry, and could perceive some extraordinary bustle and +agitation in the multitude. We afterwards saw the natives flying, +the boats retire from the shore, and passing and repassing, in great +stillness, between the ships. I must confess, that my heart soon +misgave me. Where a life so dear and valuable was concerned, it was +impossible not to be alarmed, by appearances both new and threatening. +But, besides this, I knew that a long and uninterrupted course of +success, in his transactions with the natives of these seas, had given +the captain a degree of confidence, that I was always fearful might, +at some unlucky moment, put him too much off his guard; and I now saw +all the dangers to which that confidence might lead, without receiving +much consolation from considering the experience that had given rise +to it.[1] + +[Footnote 1: This is a very happy reflection, and implies a +discriminating power and good sense, of which, it is justice to his +talents to say, Captain King has exhibited no few or inconsiderable +examples.--E.] + +My first care, on hearing the muskets fired, was, to assure the +people, who had assembled in considerable numbers round the wall of +our consecrated field, and seemed equally at a loss with ourselves how +to account for what they had seen and heard, that they should not be +molested; and that, at all events, I was desirous of continuing on +peaceable terms with them. We remained in this posture till the boats +had returned on board, when Captain Clerke, observing through his +telescope, that we were surrounded by the natives, and apprehending +they meant to attack us, ordered two four-pounders to be fired at +them. Fortunately, these guns, though well aimed, did no mischief, +and yet gave the natives a convincing proof of their power. One of +the balls broke a cocoa-nut tree in the middle, under which a party +of them were sitting; and the other shivered a rock that stood in an +exact line with them. As I had just before given them the strongest +assurances of their safety, I was exceedingly mortified at this act of +hostility; and, to prevent a repetition of it, immediately dispatched +a boat to acquaint Captain Clerke, that, at present, I was on the +most friendly terms with the natives; and that, if occasion should +hereafter arise for altering my conduct toward them, I would hoist +a jack, as a signal for him to afford us all the assistance in his +power. + +We expected the return of the boat with the utmost impatience; and, +after remaining a quarter of an hour under the most torturing anxiety +and suspense, our fears were at length confirmed by the arrival of Mr +Bligh, with orders to strike the tents as quickly as possible, and to +send the sails that were repairing on board. Just at the same moment, +our friend Kaireekeea, having also received intelligence of the death +of Captain Cook, from a native who had arrived from the other side +of the bay, came to me, with great sorrow and dejection in his +countenance, to enquire if it was true. + +Our situation was, at this time, extremely critical and important; not +only our own lives, but the event of the expedition, and the return of +at least one of the ships, being involved in the same common danger. +We had the mast of the Resolution, and the greatest part of our sails, +on shore, under the protection of only six marines: Their loss would +have been irreparable; and though the natives had not as yet shewn the +smallest disposition to molest us, yet it was impossible to answer +for the alteration which the news of the transaction at Kowrowa might +produce. I therefore thought it prudent to dissemble my belief of +the death of Captain Cook, and to desire Kaireekeea to discourage +the report; lest either the fear of our resentment, or the successful +example of their countrymen, might lead them to seize the favourable +opportunity, which at this time offered itself, of giving us a second +blow. At the same time I advised him to bring old Kaoo and the rest of +the priests, into a large house that was close to the _morai_; partly +out of regard to their safety, in case it should have been found +necessary to proceed to extremities; and, partly, to have him near us, +in order to make use of his authority with the people, if it could be +instrumental in preserving peace. + +Having placed the marines on the top of the _morai_, which formed +a strong and advantageous post, and left the command with Mr Bligh, +giving him the most positive directions to act entirely on the +defensive, I went on board the Discovery, in order to represent to +Captain Clerke the dangerous situation of our affairs. As soon as I +quitted the spot, the natives began to annoy our people with stones; +and I had scarcely reached the ship, before I heard the firing of the +marines. I therefore returned instantly on shore, where I found things +growing every moment more alarming. The natives were arming, and +putting on their mats; and their numbers increased very fast. I could +also perceive several large bodies marching toward us, along the cliff +which separates the village of Kakooa from the north side of the bay, +where the village of Kowrowa is situated. + +They began at first to attack us with stones, from behind the walls +of their enclosures; and finding no resistance on our part, they +soon grew more daring. A few resolute fellows, having crept along the +beach, under cover of the rocks, suddenly made their appearance at the +foot of the _morai_, with a design, as it seemed, of storming it on +the side next the sea, which was its only accessible part; and were +not dislodged, till after they had stood a considerable number of +shot, and seen one of their party fall. + +The bravery of one of these assailants well deserves to be +particularly mentioned; for, having returned to carry off his +companion, amidst the fire of our whole party, a wound which he +received made him quit the body and retire; but, in a few minutes, he +again appeared, and being again wounded, he was obliged a second +time to retreat. At this moment I arrived at the _morai_, and saw him +return the third time, bleeding and faint; and being informed of what +had happened, I forbade the soldiers to fire, and he was suffered to +carry off his friend; which he was just able to perform, and then fell +down himself, and expired. + +About this time a strong reinforcement from both ships having landed, +the natives retreated behind their walls; which, giving me access to +our friendly priests, I sent one of them to endeavour to bring their +countrymen to some terms, and to propose to them, that if they would +desist from throwing stones, I would not permit our men to fire. This +truce was agreed to; and we were suffered to launch the mast, and +carry off the sails, and our astronomical apparatus, unmolested. As +soon as we had quitted the _morai_, they took possession of it, and +some of them threw a few stones, but without doing us any mischief. + +It was half an hour past eleven o'clock when I got on board the +Discovery, where I found no decisive plan had been adopted for our +future proceedings. The restitution of the boat, and the recovery of +the body of Captain Cook, were the objects which, on all hands, we +agreed to insist on; and it was my opinion that some vigorous steps +should be taken, in case the demand of them was not immediately +complied with. + +Though my feelings, on the death of a beloved and honoured friend, may +be suspected to have had some share in this opinion, yet there were +certainly other reasons, and those of the most serious kind, that had +considerable weight with me. The confidence which their success in +killing our chief, and forcing us to quit the shore, must naturally +have inspired; and the advantage, however trifling, which they had +obtained over us the preceding day, would, I had no doubt, encourage +them to make some further dangerous attempts; and the more especially, +as they had little reason, from what they had hitherto seen, to dread +the effects of our fire-arms. Indeed, contrary to the expectations +of every one, this sort of weapon had produced no signs of terror in +them. On our side, such was the condition of the ships, and the state +of discipline amongst us, that had a vigorous attack been made on +us in the night, it would have been impossible to answer for the +consequences. + +In these apprehensions, I was supported by the opinion of most of the +officers on board; and nothing seemed to me so likely to encourage the +natives to make the attempt, as the appearance of our being inclined +to an accommodation, which they could only attribute to weakness or +fear. + +In favour of more conciliatory measures, it was justly urged, that +the mischief was done, and irreparable; that the natives had a +strong claim to our regard, on account of their former friendship and +kindness; and the more especially, as the late melancholy accident did +not appear to have arisen from any premeditated design; that, on +the part of Terreeoboo, his ignorance of the theft, his readiness to +accompany Captain Cook on board, and his having actually sent his +two sons into the boat, must free him from the smallest degree of +suspicion; that the conduct of his women and the _Erees_ might easily +be accounted for, from the apprehensions occasioned by the armed force +with which Captain Cook came on shore, and the hostile preparations +in the bay; appearances so different from the terms of friendship and +confidence, in which both parties had hitherto lived, that the arming +of the natives was evidently with a design to resist the attempt, +which they had some reason to imagine would be made, to carry off +their king by force, and was naturally to be expected from a people +full of affection and attachment to their chiefs. + +To these motives of humanity, others of a prudential nature were +added; that we were in want of water and other refreshments; that +our foremast would require six or eight days work before it could +be stepped; that the spring was advancing apace; and that the speedy +prosecution of our next northern expedition ought now to be our sole +object; that, therefore, to engage in a vindictive contest with the +inhabitants, might not only lay us under the imputation of unnecessary +cruelty, but would occasion an unavoidable delay in the equipment of +the ships. + +In this latter opinion Captain Clerke concurred; and though I was +convinced, that an early display of vigorous resentment would more +effectually have answered every object both of prudence and humanity, +I was not sorry that the measures I had recommended were rejected. +For, though the contemptuous behaviour of the natives, and their +subsequent opposition to our necessary operations on shore, arising, +I have no doubt, from a misconstruction of our lenity, compelled us at +last to have recourse to violence in our own defence; yet I am not so +sure that the circumstances of the case would, in the opinion of +the world, have justified the use of force on our part in the first +instance. Cautionary rigour is at all times invidious; and has this +additional objection to it, that the severity of a preventive course, +when it best succeeds, leaves its expediency the least apparent. + +During the time we were thus engaged, in concerting some plan for +our future conduct, a prodigious concourse of natives still kept +possession of the shore; and some of them came off in canoes, and +had the boldness to approach, within pistol-shot of the ships, and to +insult us by various marks of contempt and defiance. It was with great +difficulty we could restrain the sailors from the use of their arms +on these occasions; but as pacific measures had been, resolved on, the +canoes were suffered to return unmolested. In pursuance of this plan, +it was determined, that I should proceed toward the shore, with the +boats of both ships, well manned and armed; with a view to bring the +natives to a parley, and, if possible, to obtain a conference with +some of the chiefs. + +If this attempt succeeded, I was to demand the dead bodies, and +particularly that of Captain Cook; to threaten them with our vengeance +in case of a refusal; but by no means to fire, unless attacked; and +not to land on any account whatever. These orders were delivered to me +before the whole party, and in the most positive manner. + +I left the ships about four o'clock in the afternoon; and, as we +approached the shore, I perceived every indication of a hostile +reception. The whole crowd of natives was in motion; the women and +children retiring; the men putting on their war-mats, and arming +themselves with long spears and daggers. We also observed, that since +the morning they had thrown up stone breast-works along the beach +where Captain Cook had landed, probably in expectation of an attack at +that place; and as soon as we were within reach, they began to throw +stones at us with slings, but without doing any mischief. Concluding, +therefore, that all attempts to bring them to a parley would be in +vain, unless I first gave them some ground for mutual confidence, I +ordered the armed boats to stop, and went on in the small boat alone, +with a white flag in my hand, which, by a general cry of joy from the +natives, I had the satisfaction to find was instantly understood. The +women immediately returned from the side of the hill, whither they had +retired; the men threw off their mats, and all sat down together +by the water-side, extending their arms, and inviting me to come on +shore. + +Though this behaviour was very expressive of a friendly disposition, +yet I could not help entertaining some suspicions of its sincerity. +But when I saw Koah, with a boldness and assurance altogether +unaccountable, swimming off toward the boat, with a white flag in his +hand, I thought it necessary to return this mark of confidence, and +therefore received him into the boat, though armed; a circumstance +which did not tend to lessen my suspicions. I must confess I had long +harboured an unfavourable opinion of this man. The priests had always +told us that he was of a malicious disposition, and no friend of ours; +and the repeated detections of his fraud and treachery had convinced +us of the truth of their representations. Add to all this, the +shocking transaction of the morning, in which he was seen acting a +principal part, made me feel the utmost horror at finding myself so +near him; and as he came up to me, with feigned tears, and embraced +me, I was so distrustful of his intentions, that I could not help +taking hold of the point of the _pahooah_, which he held in his hand, +and turning it from me. I told him, that I had come to demand the +body of Captain Cook; and to declare war against them, unless it +was instantly restored. He assured me this should be done as soon as +possible; and that he would go himself for that purpose; and, after +begging of me a piece of iron, with as much assurance as if nothing +extraordinary had happened, he leaped into the sea, and swam ashore, +calling out to his countrymen that we were all friends again. + +We waited near an hour, with great anxiety, for his return; during +which time the rest of the boats had approached so near the shore +as to enter into conversation with a party of the natives, at some +distance from us; by whom they were plainly given to understand, that +the body had been cut to pieces, and carried up the country; but of +this circumstance I was not informed till our return to the ships. + +I began now to express some impatience at Koah's delay; upon which the +chiefs pressed me to come on shore; assuring me, that if I would go +myself to Terreeoboo, the body would certainly be restored to me. When +they found they could not prevail on me to land, they attempted, under +a pretence of wishing to converse with more ease, to decoy our boat +among some rocks, where they would have had it in their power to cut +us off from the rest. It was no difficult matter to see through these +artifices; and I was, therefore, strongly inclined to break off all +further communication with them, when a chief came to us, who was +the particular friend of Captain Clerke, and of the officers of the +Discovery, on board which ship he had sailed when we last left the +bay, intending to take his passage to _Mowee_. He told us, that he +came from Terreeoboo, to acquaint us, that the body was carried up the +country; but that it should be brought to us the next morning. There +appeared a great deal of sincerity in his manner; and being asked if +he told a falsehood, he hooked his two fore-fingers together, which is +understood amongst these islanders as the sign of truth; in the use of +which they are very scrupulous. + +As I was now at a loss in what manner to proceed, I sent Mr Vancouver +to acquaint Captain Clerke with all that had passed; that my opinion +was they meant not to keep their word with us; and were so far from +being sorry at what had happened, that, on the contrary, they were +full of spirits and confidence on account of their late success, and +sought only to gain time, till they could contrive some scheme for +getting us into their power. Mr Vancouver came back with orders for me +to return on board; having given the natives to understand, that, +if the body was not brought the next morning, the town should be +destroyed. + +When they saw that we were going off, they endeavoured to provoke us +by the most insulting and contemptuous gestures. Some of our people +said they could distinguish several of the natives parading about +in the clothes of our unfortunate comrades; and among them a chief, +brandishing Captain Cook's hanger, and a woman holding the scabbard. +Indeed, there can be no doubt but that our behaviour had given them a +mean opinion of our courage, for they could have but little notion of +the motives of humanity that directed it. + +In consequence of the report I made to Captain Clerke, of what I +conceived to be the present temper and disposition of the islanders, +the most effectual measures were taken to guard against any attack +they might make in the night. The boats were moored with top-chains; +additional sentinels were posted on both ships; and guard-boats were +stationed to row round them, in order to prevent the natives from +cutting the cables. During the night we observed a prodigious number +of lights on the hills, which made some of us imagine they were +removing their effects back into the country, in consequence of our +threats. But I rather believe them to have been sacrifices that were +performing on account of the war in which they imagined themselves +about to be engaged; and, most probably, the bodies of our slain +countrymen were at that time burning. We afterwards saw fires of the +same kind, as we passed the island of Morotoi; and which, we were told +by some natives then on board, were made on account of the war they +had declared against a neighbouring island. And this agrees with what +we learned amongst the Friendly and Society Isles, that, previous +to any expedition against an enemy, the chiefs always endeavoured to +animate and inflame the courage of the people by feasts and rejoicings +in the night. + +We remained the whole night undisturbed, except by the howlings and +lamentations which were heard on shore; and early the next morning +Koah came alongside the Resolution, with a present of cloth and a +small pig, which he desired leave to present to me. I have mentioned +before, that I was supposed, by the natives, to be the son of Captain +Cook; and as he, in his lifetime, had always suffered them to believe +it, I was probably considered as the chief after his death. As soon as +I came on deck, I questioned, him about the body; and on his returning +me nothing but evasive answers, I refused to accept his presents; +and was going to dismiss him, with some expressions of anger and +resentment, had not Captain Clerke, judging it best, at all events, to +keep up the appearance of friendship, thought it more proper that he +should be treated with the usual respect. + +This treacherous fellow came frequently to us, during the course of +the forenoon, with some trifling present or other; and, as I always +observed him eyeing every part of the ship with great attention, I +look care he should see we were well prepared for our defence. + +He was exceedingly urgent, both with Captain Clerke and myself, to go +on shore, laying all the blame of the detention of the bodies on the +other chiefs; and assuring us that every thing might be settled to +our satisfaction by a personal interview with Terreeoboo. However, +his conduct was too suspicious to make it prudent to comply with this +request; and indeed a fact came afterward to our knowledge, which +proved the entire falsehood of his pretences: For we were told, that, +immediately after the action, in which Captain Cook was killed, the +old king had retired to a cave in the steep part of the mountain that +hangs over the bay, which was accessible only by the help of ropes, +and where he remained for many days, having his victuals let down to +him by cords. + +When Koah returned from the ships, we could perceive that his +countrymen, who had been collected, by break of day, in vast crowds on +the shore, thronged about him with great eagerness; as if to learn the +intelligence he had acquired, and what was to be done in consequence +of it. It is very probable, that they expected we should attempt to +put our threats in execution; and they seemed fully resolved to stand +their ground. During the whole morning we heard conchs blowing in +different parts of the coast; large parties were seen marching over +the hills; and, in short, appearances were so alarming, that we +carried out a stream-anchor, to enable us to haul the ship abreast +of the town, in case of an attack; and stationed boats off the north +point of the bay, to prevent a surprise from that quarter. + +The breach of their engagement to restore the bodies of the slain, and +the warlike posture in which they at this time appeared, occasioned +fresh debates amongst us concerning the measures next to be pursued. +It was at last determined, that nothing should be suffered to +interfere with the repair of the mast, and the preparations for our +departure; but that we should, nevertheless, continue our negotiations +for the recovery of the bodies. + +The greatest part of the day was taken up in getting the fore-mast +into a proper situation on deck, for the carpenters to work upon it; +and in making the necessary alterations in the commissions of the +officers. The command of the expedition having devolved on Captain +Clerke, he removed on board the Resolution, appointed Lieutenant Gore +to be captain of the Discovery, and promoted Mr Harvey, a midshipman, +who had been with Captain Cook in his two last voyages, to the vacant +lieutenancy. During the whole day we met with no interruption from the +natives; and at night the launch was again moored with a top-chain; +and guard-boats stationed round both ships as before. + +About eight o'clock, it being very dark, a canoe was heard paddling +toward the ship; and as soon as it was seen both the sentinels on +deck fired into it. There were two persons in the canoe, and they +immediately roared out "_Tinnee!_" which was the way in which they +pronounced my name, and said they were friends, and had something +for me belonging to Captain Cook. When they came on board, they threw +themselves at our feet, and appeared exceedingly frightened. Luckily, +neither of them was hurt, notwithstanding the balls of both pieces had +gone through the canoe. One of them was the person, whom I have before +mentioned under the name of the _Taboo man_, who constantly attended +Captain Cook with the circumstances of ceremony I have already +described; and who, though a man of rank in the island, could scarcely +be hindered from performing for him the lowest offices of a menial +servant. After lamenting, with abundance of tears, the loss of the +_Orono_, he told us, that he had brought us a part of his body. He +then presented to us a small bundle, wrapped up in cloth, which he +brought under his arm; and it is impossible to describe the horror +which seized us, on finding in it a piece of human flesh, about nine +or ten pounds weight. This, he said, was all that remained of the +body; that the rest was cut to pieces, and burnt; but that the head +and all the bones, except what belonged to the trunk, were in the +possession of Terreeoboo and the other _Erees_; that what we saw had +been allotted to Kaoo, the chief of the priests, to be made use of +in some religious ceremony; and that he had sent it as a proof of his +innocence and attachment to us. + +This afforded an opportunity of informing ourselves whether they were +cannibals; and we did not neglect it. We first tried, by many indirect +questions, put to each of them apart, to learn in what manner the rest +of the bodies had been disposed of; and finding them very constant in +one story, that, after the flesh had been cut off, it was all burnt, +we at last put the direct question, whether they had not eat some of +it? They immediately shewed as much horror at the idea as any European +would have done; and asked, very naturally, if that was the custom +amongst us? They afterward asked us, with great earnestness and +apparent apprehension, "When the _Orono_ would come again; and what he +would do to them on his return?" The same enquiry was frequently made +afterward by others; and this idea agrees with the general tenor of +their conduct toward him, which shewed that they considered him as a +being of a superior nature. + +We pressed our two friendly visitors to remain on board till morning, +but in vain. They told us, that if this transaction should come to the +knowledge of the king, or chiefs, it might be attended with the most +fatal consequences to their whole society; in order to prevent which +they had been obliged to come off to us in the dark; and that the same +precaution would be necessary in returning on shore. They informed +us farther, that the chiefs were eager to revenge the death of their +countrymen; and particularly cautioned us against trusting Koah, who, +they said, was our mortal and implacable enemy; and desired nothing +more ardently than an opportunity of fighting us; to which the blowing +of the conchs, we heard in the morning, was meant as a challenge. + +We learned from these men, that seventeen of their countrymen were +killed in the first action at Kowrowa, of whom five were chiefs; +and that Kaneena and his brother, our very particular friends, were +unfortunately of that number. Eight, they said, were killed at the +observatory, three of whom were also of the first rank. + +About eleven o'clock our two friends left us, and took the precaution +to desire, that our guard-boat might attend them, till they had passed +the Discovery, lest they should again be fired upon, which might alarm +their countrymen on shore, and expose them to the danger of +being discovered. This request was complied with; and we had the +satisfaction to find, that they got safe and undiscovered to land. + +During the remainder of this night, we heard the same loud howling +and lamentations, as in the preceding one. Early in the morning, +we received another visit from Koah. I must confess, I was a little +piqued to find, that notwithstanding the most evident marks of +treachery in his conduct, and the positive testimony of our friends +the priests, he should still be permitted to carry on the same farce, +and to make us at least appear to be the dupes of his hypocrisy. +Indeed our situation was become extremely awkward and unpromising; +none of the purposes for which this pacific course of proceeding had +been adopted, having hitherto been in the least forwarded by it. No +satisfactory answer whatever had been given to our demands; we did not +seem to be at all advanced toward a reconciliation with the islanders; +they still kept in force on the shore, as if determined to resist +any attempts we might make to land; and yet the attempt was become +absolutely necessary, as the completing our supply of water would not +admit of any longer delay. + +However, it must be observed, in justice to the conduct of Captain +Clerke, that it was very probable, from the great number of the +natives, and from the resolution with which they seemed to expect us, +an attack could not have been made without some danger; and that the +loss of a very few men might have been severely felt by us, during the +remaining course of our voyage. Whereas the delaying the execution of +our threats, though on the one hand it lessened their opinion of our +power, had the effect of causing them to disperse on the other. For +this day, about noon, finding us persist in our inactivity, great +bodies of them, after blowing their conchs, and using every mode of +defiance, marched off over the hills, and never appeared afterward. +Those, however, who remained, were not the less daring and insolent. +One man had the audacity to come within musket-shot a-head of the +ship; and, after slinging several stones at us, he waved Captain +Cook's hat over his head, whilst his countrymen on shore were exulting +and encouraging his boldness. Our people were all in a flame at this +insult, and coming in a body on the quarter-deck, begged they might +no longer be obliged to put up with these repeated provocations; and +requested me to obtain permission for them from Captain Clerke, to +avail themselves of the first fair occasion of revenging the death of +their commander. On my acquainting him with what was passing, he gave +orders for some great guns to be fired at the natives on shore; and +promised the crew, that if they should meet with any molestation at +the watering-place the next day, they should then be left at liberty +to chastise them. + +It is somewhat remarkable, that before we could bring our guns to +bear, the islanders had suspected our intentions, from the stir they +saw in the ship, and had retired behind their houses and walls. +We were therefore obliged to fire, in some measure, at random; +notwithstanding which, our shot produced all the effects that could +have been desired; for, soon after, we saw Koah paddling toward us, +with extreme haste, and on his arrival we learned, that some people +had been killed, and amongst the rest, Maiha-maiha, a principal chief, +and a near relation of the king.[2] + +[Footnote 2: The word _matee_ is commonly used, in the language of +these islands, to express either killing or wounding; and we were +afterwards told, that this chief had only received a slight blow on +the face from a stone, which had been struck by one of the balls.] + +Soon after the arrival of Koah, two boys swam off from, the _morai_ +toward the ships, having each a long spear in his hand; and after +they had approached pretty near, they began to chant a song in a very +solemn manner, the subject of which, from their often mentioning +the word _Orono_, and pointing to the village where Captain Cook was +killed, we concluded to be the late calamitous disaster. Having sung +in a plaintive strain for about twelve or fifteen minutes, during the +whole of which time they remained in the water, they went on board the +Discovery and delivered their spears, and after making a short stay, +returned on shore. Who sent them, or what was the object of this +ceremony, we were never able to learn. + +At night, the usual precautions were taken for the security of the +ships; and as soon as it was dark, our two friends, who had visited +us the night before, came off again. They assured us, that though the +effects of our great guns, this afternoon, had terrified the chiefs +exceedingly, they had by no means laid aside their hostile intentions, +and advised us to be on our guard. + +The next morning, the boats of both ships were sent ashore for water, +and the Discovery was warped close to the beach, in order to cover +that service. We soon found that the intelligence which the priests +had sent us, was not without foundation; and that the natives were +resolved to take every opportunity of annoying us, when, it could be +done without much risk. + +Throughout all this group of islands, the villages, for the most part, +are situated near the sea; and the adjacent ground is enclosed with +stone walls, about three feet high. These, we at first imagined, were +intended for the division of property; but we now discovered, that +they served, and probably were principally designed, for a defence +against invasion. They consist of loose stones, and the inhabitants +are very dexterous in shifting them with great quickness, to such +situations, as the direction of the attack may require. In the sides +of the mountain, which hangs over the bay, they have also little +holes, or caves, of considerable depth, the entrance of which is +secured by a fence of the same kind. From behind both these defences, +the natives kept perpetually harassing our waterers with stones; nor +could the small force we had on shore, with the advantage of muskets, +compel them to retreat. + +In this exposed situation, our people were so taken up in attending +to their own safety, that they employed the whole forenoon in filling +only one ton of water. As it was therefore impossible to perform this +service, till their assailants were driven to a greater distance, +the Discovery was ordered to dislodge them with her great guns, +which being effected by a few discharges, the men landed without +molestation. However, the natives soon after made their appearance +again, in their usual mode of attack; and it was now found absolutely +necessary to burn down some straggling houses near the well, behind +which they had taken shelter. In executing these orders, I am sorry to +add, that our people were hurried into acts of unnecessary cruelty +and devastation. Something ought certainly to be allowed to their +resentment of the repeated insults and contemptuous behaviour of the +islanders, and to the natural desire of revenging the loss of their +commander. But, at the same time, their conduct served strongly to +convince me, that the utmost precaution is necessary in trusting, +though but for a moment, the discretionary use of arms in the hands +of private seamen or soldiers on such occasions. The rigour of +discipline, and the habits of obedience, by which their force is +kept directed to its proper objects, lead them naturally enough to +conceive, that whatever they have the power; they have also the right +to do. Actual disobedience being almost the only crime for which they +are accustomed to expect punishment, they learn to consider it as the +only measure of right and wrong; and hence are apt to conclude, that +what they can do with impunity, they may do with justice and honour. +So that the feelings of humanity, which are inseparable from us all, +and that generosity toward an unresisting enemy, which at other times +is the distinguishing mark of brave men, become but weak restraints +to the exercise of violence, when opposed to the desire they naturally +have of shewing their own independence and power.[3] + +[Footnote 3: In the preceding remarks, we have another strong +confirmation, if any additional one were wanting, of the opinions +formerly given respecting the character and usual conduct of sailors. +Nor are they less imperative, as to the expediency of modifying the +education and treatment of that useful class of subjects, than what +we ventured, on another occasion, to suggest. They have, however, the +recommendation of experience, to which, in general, more regard is +properly enough shewn, than can be expected towards arguments drawn +from merely abstract opinions, too often so remote from the common +track of life as to be quite inapplicable to the diversities and +complicated relations of human societies.--E.] + +I have already mentioned, that orders had been given to burn only a +few straggling huts, which afforded shelter to the natives. We were +therefore a good deal surprised to see the whole village on fire; and +before a boat, that was sent to stop the progress of the mischief, +could reach the shore, the houses of our old and constant friends, the +priests, were all in flames. I cannot enough lament the illness that +confined me on board this day. The priests had always been under my +protection; and unluckily the officers who were then on duty, having +been seldom ashore at the _morai_, were not much acquainted with +the circumstances of the place. Had I been present myself, I might +probably have been, the means of saving their little society from +destruction. + +Several of the natives were shot, in making their escape from the +flames; and our people cut off the heads of two of them, and brought +them on board. The fate of one poor islander was much lamented by us +all. As he was coming to the well for water, he was shot at by one of +the marines. The ball struck his calibash, which he immediately threw +from him and fled. He was pursued into one of the caves I have before +described, and no lion could have defended his den with greater +courage and fierceness, till at last, after having kept two of our +people at bay for a considerable time, he expired, covered with +wounds. It was this accident that first brought us acquainted with the +use of these caverns. + +At this time, an elderly man was taken prisoner, bound, and sent on +board in the same boat with the heads of his two countrymen. I never +saw horror so strongly pictured, as in the face of this man, nor so +violent a transition to extravagant joy, as when he was untied, +and told he might go away in safety. He shewed us he did not want +gratitude, as he frequently afterward returned with presents of +provisions, and also did us other services. + +Soon after the village was destroyed, we saw, coming down the hill, +a man, attended by fifteen or twenty boys, holding pieces of white +cloth, green boughs, and plantains, &c. in their hands. I know not how +it happened, that this peaceful embassy, as soon as they were within +reach, received the fire of a party of our men. This, however, did not +stop them. They continued their procession, and the officer on duty +came up in time to prevent a second discharge. As they approached +nearer, it was found to be our much-esteemed friend Kairekeea, who had +fled on our first setting fire to the village, and had now returned, +and desired to be sent on board the Resolution. + +When he arrived, we found him exceedingly grave and thoughtful. We +endeavoured to make him understand the necessity we were under of +setting fire to the village, by which his house, and those of his +brethren, were unintentionally consumed. He expostulated a little with +us on our want of friendship, and on our ingratitude. And, indeed, it +was not till now, that we learnt the whole extent of the injury we had +done them. He told us, that relying on the promises I had made them, +and on the assurances they had afterward received from the men, who +had brought us the remains of Captain Cook, they had not removed their +effects back into the country with the rest of the inhabitants, but +had put every thing that was valuable of their own, as well as what +they had collected from us, into a house close to the _morai_, where +they had the mortification to see it all set on fire by ourselves.[4] + +[Footnote 4: How painful, on the other hand, must this occurrence +have proved to a man of King's refined feelings and sentiments! But it +ought not to be forgotten, that even such an event, though not at all +intended, was almost a necessary consequence of the conduct, which, in +a moment of irritation, not however totally disjoined from every plea +of prudence, he himself had thought right to prescribe. So impolitic, +and so blind in the distribution of mischief, is revenge, though +apparently sanctioned by the hope and calculation of advantage.--E.] + +On coming on board, he had seen the heads of his countrymen lying on +the deck, at which he was exceedingly shocked, and desired, with great +earnestness, that they might be thrown overboard. This request Captain +Clerke instantly ordered to be complied with. + +In the evening, the watering party returned on board, having met +with no farther interruption. We passed a gloomy night; the cries and +lamentations we heard on shore being far more deadful than ever. Our +only consolation was, the hope that we should have no occasion, in +future, for a repetition of such severities. + +It is very extraordinary, that amidst all these disturbances, the +women of the island who were on board, never offered to leave us, nor +discovered the smallest apprehensions either for themselves or their +friends ashore. So entirely unconcerned did they appear, that some of +them, who were on deck when the town was in flames, seemed to admire +the sight, and frequently cried out, that it was _maitai_, or very +fine. + +The next morning, Koah came off as usual to the ships. As there +existed no longer any necessity for keeping terms with him, I was +allowed to have my own way. When he approached toward the side of +the ship, singing a song, and offering me a hog and some plantains, I +ordered him to keep off, cautioning him never to appear again without +Captain Cook's bones, lest his life should pay the forfeit of his +frequent breach of promise. He did not appear much mortified with this +reception, but went immediately on shore, and joined a party of his +countrymen, who were pelting the waterers with stones. The body of the +young man who had been killed the day before, was found this morning, +lying at the entrance of the cave; and some of our people went and +threw a mat over it; soon after which, they saw some men carrying him +off on their shoulders, and could hear them singing, as they marched, +a mournful song. + +The natives, being at last convinced that it was not the want of +ability to punish them, which had hitherto made us tolerate their +provocations, desisted from giving us any farther molestation; and, in +the evening, a chief called Eappo, who had seldom visited us, but whom +we knew to be a man of the very first consequence, came with presents +from Terreeoboo to sue for peace. These presents were received, and he +was dismissed with the same answer which had before been given, that +until the remains of Captain Cook should be restored, no peace would +be granted. We learned from this person, that the flesh of all the +bodies of our people, together with the bones of the trunks, had been +burnt, that the limb bones of the marines had been divided amongst the +inferior chiefs, and that those of Captain Cook had been disposed of +in the following manner: The head to a great chief called Kahoo-opeon, +the hair to Maiha-maiha, and the legs, thighs, and arms to Terreeoboo. +After it was dark, many of the inhabitants came off with roots and +other vegetables, and we also received two large presents of the same +articles from Kaireekeea. + +The 19th was chiefly taken up in sending and receiving the messages +which passed between Captain Clerke and Terreeoboo. Eappo was very +pressing that one of our officers should go on shore; and, in the mean +time, offered to remain as a hostage on board. This request, however, +it was not thought proper to comply with; and he left us with a +promise of bringing the bones the next day. At the beach, the +waterers did not meet with the least opposition from the natives; who, +notwithstanding our cautious behaviour, came amongst us again, without +the smallest appearance of diffidence or apprehension. + +Early in the morning of the 20th, we had the satisfaction of getting +the foremast stepped. It was an operation attended with great +difficulty and some danger, our ropes being so exceedingly rotten, +that the purchase gave way several times. + +Between ten and eleven o'clock, we saw a great number of people +descending the hill, which is over the beach, in a kind of procession, +each man carrying a sugar-cane or two on his shoulders, and +bread-fruit, _taro_, and plantains in his hand. They were preceded +by two drummers; who, when they came to the water-side, sat down by +a white flag, and began to beat their drums, while those who had +followed them, advanced one by one, and having deposited the presents +they had brought, retired in the same order. Soon after, Eappo came +in sight, in his long feathered cloak, bearing something with great +solemnity in his hands; and having placed himself on a rock, he made +signs for a boat to be sent to him. + +Captain Clerke, conjecturing that he had brought the bones of Captain +Cook, which proved to be the fact, went himself in the pinnace to +receive them, and ordered me to attend him in the cutter. When we +arrived at the beach, Eappo came into the pinnace, and delivered +to the captain the bones wrapped up in a large quantity of fine new +cloth, and covered with a spotted cloak of black and white feathers. +He afterward attended us to the Resolution, but could not be prevailed +upon to go on board, probably not choosing, from a sense of decency, +to be present at the opening of the bundle. We found in it both the +hands of Captain Cook entire, which were well known from a remarkable +scar on one of them, that divided the thumb from the fore-finger, the +whole length of the metacarpal bone; the skull, but with the scalp +separated from it, and the bones that form the face wanting; the +scalp, with the hair upon it cut short, and the ears adhering to it; +the bones of both arms, with the skin of the fore-arms hanging to +them; the thigh and leg-bones joined together, but without the feet. +The ligaments of the joints were entire, and the whole bore evident +marks of having been in the fire, except the hands, which had the +flesh left upon them, and were cut in several places, and crammed with +salt, apparently with an intention of preserving them. The scalp had a +cut in the back part of it, but the skull was free from any fracture. +The lower jaw and feet, which were wanting, Eappo told us, had been +seized by different chiefs, and that Terreeoboo was using every means +to recover them. + +The next morning, Eappo and the king's son came on board, and brought +with them the remaining bones of Captain Cook, the barrels of his gun, +his shoes, and some other trifles that belonged to him. Eappo took +great pains to convince us that Terreeoboo, Maiha-maiha, and himself, +were most heartily desirous of peace; that they had given us the +most convincing proof of it in their power; and that they had been +prevented from giving it sooner by the other chiefs, many of whom were +still our enemies. He lamented, with the greatest sorrow, the death of +six chiefs we had killed, some of whom, he said, were amongst our best +friends. The cutter, he told us, was taken away by Pareea's people, +very probably in revenge for the blow that had been given him, and +that it had been broken up the next day. The arms of the marines which +we had also demanded, he assured us had been carried off by the common +people, and were irrecoverable; the bones of the chief alone having +been preserved, as belonging to Terreeoboo and the Erees. + +Nothing now remained but to perform the last offices to our great and +unfortunate commander. Eappo was dismissed with orders to _taboo_ +all the bay; and in the afternoon, the bones having been put into a +coffin, and the service read over them, they were committed to the +deep with the usual military honours. What our feelings were on this +occasion I leave the world to conceive; those who were present know +that it is not in my power to express them. + +During the forenoon of the 22d, not a canoe was seen paddling in the +bay; the _taboo_ which Eappo had laid on it the day before, at our +request, not being yet taken off. At length Eappo came off to us. +We assured him that we were now entirely satisfied; and that as the +_Orono_ was buried, all remembrance of what had passed was buried with +him. We afterward desired him to take off the _taboo_, and to make +it known, that the people might bring their provisions as usual. The +ships were soon surrounded with canoes, and many of the chiefs came +on board, expressing great sorrow at what had happened, and their +satisfaction at our reconciliation. Several of our friends, who +did not visit us, sent presents of large hogs and other provisions. +Amongst the rest came the old treacherous Koah, but was refused +admittance. + +As we had now every thing ready for sea, Captain Clerke imagining, +that if the news of our proceedings should reach the islands to +leeward before us, it might have a bad effect, gave orders, to unmoor. +About eight in the evening we dismissed all the natives, and Eappo +and the friendly Kaireekeea took an affectionate leave of us. We +immediately weighed, and stood out of the bay. The natives were +collected on the shore in great numbers; and, as we passed along, +received our last farewells with every mark of affection and +good-will.[5] + +[Footnote 5: Would it not be generally advantageous for mankind +to consider, when they are about to engage, or are engaged, in +hostilities against each other, that it is highly probable, nay +in most cases certain, that they shall one day come to a good +understanding, and regret that their altercation had been so mutually +destructive? Would not a notion of this kind, far enough indeed from +being any effect or symptom of weakness, contribute essentially to +what is surely always a good thing, the moderation of men's passions; +and have, therefore, the beneficial tendency, at really the least +expence and suffering, to accomplish the only legitimate and avowed +end of war, a safe and honourable peace? But no termination of a +struggle is entitled to be called either the one or the other, which, +resulting merely from the experience of common exhaustion and mutual +inability, leaves the parties to grumble over the relics of their +animosity, and to brood on their misfortunes, till new means and +spirits be produced to resume the conflict. There is much wisdom in +the language which a deceased statesman used, when he spoke of "making +peace in the spirit of peace," as the only remedy for the political +disorders of the world. But this disposition, it seems morally +certain, cannot exist, unless in union with the anticipation of the +comforts and vastly superior benefits which such a consummation can +afford,--E.] + + +SECTION V. + +_Departure from Karakakooa in Search of a Harbour on the South-East +Side of Mowee.--Driven to Leeward by the Easterly Winds and +Current.--Pass the Island of Tahoorowha.--Description of the +South-West Side of Mowee.--Run along the Coasts of Ranai and +Morotoi to Woahoo.--Description of the North-East Coast of +Woahoo.--Unsuccessful Attempt to Water.--Passage to Atooi.--Anchor in +Wymoa Bay.--Dangerous Situation of the Watering Party on Shore.--Civil +Dissensions in the Islands.--Visit from the contending Chiefs.--Anchor +off Oneeheow.--Final Departure from the Sandwich Islands._ + +We got clear of the land about ten; and, hoisting in the boats, stood +to the northward, with an intention of searching for a harbour on the +S.E. side of Mowee, which we had heard frequently mentioned by the +natives. The next morning we found ourselves driven to leeward by a +heavy swell from the N.E., and a fresh gale springing up from the +same quarter, carried us still farther to the westward. At midnight we +tacked, and stood to the S. for four hours, in order to keep clear of +the land; and at day-break, we found ourselves standing toward a small +barren island, called Tahoorowa, which lies seven or eight miles to +the S.W. of Mowee. + +All prospect of examining more nearly the S.E. parts of Mowee being +now destroyed, we bore away, and ran along the S.E. side of Tahoorowa. +As we were steering close round its western extremity, with an +intention of fetching the W. side of Mowee, we suddenly shoaled our +water, and observed the sea breaking on some detached rocks almost +right a-head. This obliged us to keep away a league and a half, when +we again steered to the northward; and, after passing over a bank, +with nineteen fathoms water, stood for a passage between Mowee and an +island called Ranai. At noon the latitude was by observation, 20° 42' +N., and the longitude 203° 22' E.; the southern extremity of Mowee +bearing E.S.E. 1/4 E.; the southern extremity of Ranai W.N.W. 1/4 W.; +Morotoi, N.W. and by N.; and the western extremity of Tahoorowa, S. +by E., seven miles distant. Our longitude was accurately deduced from +observations made by the time-keeper before and after noon, compared +with the longitude found by a great many distances of the moon from +the sun and stars, which were also observed the same day. + +In the afternoon, the weather being calm, with light airs from the W., +we stood on to the N.N.W.; but at sun-set, observing a shoal, which +appeared to stretch to a considerable distance from the W. point +of Mowee, toward the middle of the passage, and the weather being +unsettled, we tacked, and stood toward the S. + +The S.W. side of this island, which we now had passed without being +able to get near the shore, forms the same distant view with the N.E., +as seen on our return from the N., in November 1778; the mountainous +parts, which are connected by a low flat isthmus, appearing at first +like two separate islands. This deception continued on the S.W. side, +till we approached within eight or ten leagues of the coast, which, +bending inward to a great depth, formed a fine capacious bay. The +westernmost point, off which the shoal we have just mentioned runs, is +made remarkable by a small hillock, to the southward of which there +is a fine sandy bay, with several huts on the shore, and a number of +cocoa-nut trees growing about them. + +During the course of the day, we were visited by several of the +natives, who came off to sell provisions, and we soon found that they +had heard of our late unfortunate transactions at Owhyhee. They were +very curious to learn the particulars from a woman who had concealed +herself on board the Resolution, in order to take her passage to +Atooi; enquiring eagerly after Pareea and some other chiefs, and +appearing much shocked at the death of Kaneena and his brother. We +had, however, the satisfaction to find that, in whatever light the +woman might have represented this business, it had no bad effect on +their behaviour, which was remarkably civil and submissive. + +The weather continued variable during the night; but in the morning +of the 25th, having the wind at E., we ran along the S. side of Ranai, +till near noon; after which, we had calms and baffling winds till +evening, when we steered, with a light easterly breeze, for the W. +part of Morotoi. In the course of the day, the current, which, from +the time we left Karakakooa Bay, had set from the N.E., changed its +direction to the S.E. + +During the night, the wind was again variable; but early next morning +it settled at E., and blew so fresh as to oblige us to double-reef +the top-sails. At seven, in hauling round the W. point of Morotoi, we +opened a small bay, at the distance of about two leagues, with a fine +sandy beach; but seeing no appearance of fresh water, we stood on to +the N., in order to get to the windward of Woahoo, an island which we +had seen at our first visit in January 1778. + +At two in the afternoon, we saw the land bearing W. by N., eight +leagues distant; and having tacked as soon as it was dark, we again +bore away at day-light on the 27th; and at half-past ten, were within +a league of the shore, near the middle of the N.E. side of the island. + +The coast to the northward is formed of detached hills, rising +perpendicularly from the sea, with ragged and broken summits, the +sides covered with wood, and the vallies between them of a fertile and +well-cultivated appearance. To the southward we saw an extensive bay, +bounded by a low point of land to the S.E., which was covered with +cocoa-nut trees, and off it stood a high insulated rock, about a +mile from the shore. The haziness of the weather prevented our seeing +distinctly the land to the southward of the point, we could only +perceive that it was high and broken. + +As the wind continued to blow very fresh, we thought it dangerous to +entangle ourselves with a lee-shore, and therefore did not attempt to +examine the bay, but hauled up, and steered to the northward in the +direction of the coast. At noon, we were abreast of the N. point of +the island, about two leagues from the land, which is low and flat, +and has a reef stretching off it to the distance of near a mile and a +half. The latitude, by observation, 21° 50' N., longitude 202° 15' E., +the extreme parts of the island in sight bearing S.S.E. 1/4 E., and +S.W. by S. 3/4 W. + +Between the N. point and a distant head-land which we saw to the S.W., +the land bends inward considerably, and appeared likely to afford a +good road. We therefore directed our course along the shore, at the +distance of about a mile, carrying regular soundings from twenty to +thirteen fathoms. At a quarter past two, the sight of a fine river, +running through a deep valley, induced us to come to an anchor in +thirteen fathoms water, with a sandy bottom; the extreme points of the +bay bearing S.W. by W. 1/2 W., and N.E. by E. 3/4 E., and the mouth of +the river S.E. 1/2 E., one mile distant. In the afternoon I attended +the two captains on shore, where we found but few of the natives, and +those mostly women; the men, they told us, were gone to Morotoi to +fight Tahyterree, but that their chief, Perreeoranee, who had stayed +behind, would certainly visit us as soon as he heard of our arrival. + +We were much disappointed to find the water had a brackish taste for +two hundred yards up the river, owing to the marshy ground through +which it empties itself into the sea. Beyond this it was perfectly +fresh, and formed a fine running stream, along the side of which I +walked till I came to the conflux of two small rivulets, that branched +off to the right and left of a remarkably steep and romantic mountain. +The banks of this river, and indeed the whole we saw of the N.W. part +of Woahoo, are well cultivated, and full of villages; and the face of +the country is uncommonly beautiful and picturesque. + +As the watering at this place would have been attended with great +labour, I was sent to examine the coast to leeward; but not being able +to land, on account of a reef of coral which stretched along the shore +to the distance of half a mile, Captain Clerke determined, without +farther loss of time, to proceed to Atooi. At eight in the morning we +weighed, and stood to the northward till day-light on the 28th, when +we bore away for that island, which we were in sight of by noon; and +about sun-set, were off its eastern extremity, which shews itself in a +fine green flat point. + +It being too late to run for the road on the S.W. side of the island, +where we had been the last year, we passed the night in plying on and +off, and at nine the next morning, came to an anchor in twenty-five +fathoms water, and moored with the best bower in thirty-eight fathoms, +the bluff-head on the west side of the village, bearing N.E. by N. 3/4 +E., two miles distant; the extremes of the island, N.W. by W. 3/4 W., +and S.E. by E. 1/2 E.; the island Oneeheow W. by S. 1/2 W. In running +down to the road, from the S.E. point of the island, we saw the +appearance of shoal water in several places, at a considerable +distance from the land; and when we were about two miles to the +eastward of the anchoring-place, and two or three miles from the +shore, we got into four and a half fathoms water, although our +soundings had usually been seven and eight fathoms. + +We had no sooner anchored in our old station, than several canoes came +along-side of us; but we could observe that they did not welcome us +with the same cordiality in their manner, and satisfaction in their +countenances, as when we were here before. As soon as they got on +board, one of the men began to tell us, that we had left a disorder +amongst their women, of which several persons of both sexes had died. +He was himself afflicted with the venereal disease, and gave a very +full and minute account of the various symptoms with which it had been +attended. As there was not the slightest appearance of that disorder +amongst them on our first arrival, I am afraid it is not to be denied +that we were the authors of this irreparable mischief. + +Our principal object here was to water the ships with the utmost +expedition; and I was sent on shore early in the afternoon, with the +pinnace and launch laden with casks. The gunner of the Resolution +accompanied me to trade for provisions, and we had a guard of five +marines. We found a considerable number of people collected upon the +beach, who received us at first with great kindness; but as soon as +we got the casks on shore, began to be exceedingly troublesome. Former +experience having taught me how difficult it was to repress this +disposition, without having recourse to the authority of their chiefs, +I was very sorry to find that they were all at another part of the +island. Indeed we soon felt the want of their assistance; for it was +with great difficulty I was able to form a circle, according to our +usual practice, for the convenience and security of the trading party, +and had no sooner done it, and posted guards to keep off the crowd, +than I saw a man laying hold of the bayonet of one of the soldiers' +muskets, and endeavouring, with all his force, to wrench it out of his +hand. On my coming up to them, the native let go his hold and retired, +but returned in a moment, with a spear in one hand and a dagger in the +other; and his countrymen had much ado to restrain him from trying +his prowess with the soldier. This fray was occasioned by the latter's +having given the man a slight prick with his bayonet, in order to make +him keep without the line. + +I now perceived that our situation required great circumspection and +management; and accordingly gave the strictest orders that no one +should fire, nor have recourse to any other act of violence, without +positive commands. As soon as I had given these directions, I was +called to the assistance of the watering party, where I found the +natives equally inclined to mischief. They had demanded from our +people a large hatchet for every cask of water, and this not being +complied with, they would not suffer the sailors to roll them down to +the boats. + +I had no sooner joined them than one of the natives advanced up to me, +with great insolence, and made the same claim. I told him that, as a +friend, I was very willing to present him with a hatchet, but that I +should certainly carry off the water without paying any thing for +it; and I immediately ordered the pinnace men to proceed in their +business, and called three marines from the traders to protect them. + +Though this shew of spirit succeeded so far as to make the natives +desist from any open attempt to interrupt us, they still continued to +behave in the most teazing and provoking manner. Whilst some of them, +under pretence of assisting the men in rolling down the casks, turned +them out of their course, and gave them a wrong direction; others were +stealing the hats from off the sailors' heads, pulling them backward +by their clothes, or tripping up their heels; the whole crowd, +all this time, shouting and laughing, with a strange mixture of +childishness and malice. They afterward found means to steal the +cooper's bucket, and took away his bag by force; but the objects +they were most eager to possess themselves of were the muskets of the +marines, who were every instant complaining of their attempts to force +them out of their hands. Though they continued, for the most part, to +pay great deference and respect to me, yet they did not suffer me to +escape without contributing my share to their stock of plunder. One +of them came up to me with a familiar air, and with great management +diverted my attention, whilst another, wrenching the hanger, which I +held carelessly in my hand, from me, ran off with it like lightning. + +It was in vain to think of repelling this insolence by force; guarding +therefore against its effects, in the best manner we were able, we had +nothing to do but to submit patiently to it. My apprehensions were, +however, a little alarmed, by the information I soon after received +from the serjeant of marines, who told me that, turning suddenly +round, he saw a man behind me holding a dagger in the position of +striking. In this he might possibly be mistaken; yet our situation was +certainly alarming and critical, and the smallest error on our side +might have been fatal to us. As our people were separated into three +small parties, one at the lake filling casks; another rolling them +down to the shore; and the third, at some distance, purchasing +provisions; it had once occurred to me, that it might be proper to +collect them altogether, and to execute and protect one duty at a +time. But on second thoughts, I judged it more advisable to let them +continue as they were. In case of a real attack, our whole force, +however advantageously disposed, could have made but a poor +resistance. On the other hand, I thought it of some consequence to +shew the natives that we were under no fears; and, what was still more +material, the crowd was by this means kept divided, and a considerable +part of them fully employed in bartering provisions. + +It is probable that their dread of the effects of our arms was the +principal cause of their backwardness in attacking us; and, indeed, +the confidence we appeared to place in this advantage, by opposing +only five marines to their whole force, must have raised in them a +very high idea of our superiority. It was our business to keep up this +opinion as much as possible; and in justice to the whole party, I must +observe, that no men could possibly behave better, for the purpose of +strengthening these impressions. Whatever could be taken in jest, they +bore with the utmost temper and patience; and whenever any serious +attempt was made to interrupt them, they opposed it with bold looks +and menaces. By this management we succeeded so far as to get all the +casks down to the water side without any material accident. + +While we were getting them into the launch, the natives, perceiving +the opportunity of plundering would soon, be over, became every moment +more daring and insolent. On this occasion I was indebted to the +serjeant of marines, for suggesting to me the advantage that would +arise from sending off his party first into the boats; by which means +the muskets of the soldiers, which, as I have already mentioned, were +the objects the islanders had principally in view, would be removed +out of their reach; and in case of an attack, the marines themselves +might be employed more effectually in our defence, than if they were +on shore. + +We had now got every thing into the boats, and only Mr Anderson the +gunner, a seaman of the boat's crew, and myself, remained on shore. +As the pinnace lay beyond the surf, through which we were obliged +to swim, I told them to make the best of their way to it, and that I +should follow them. With this order I was surprised to find them +both refuse to comply; and the consequence was a contest among us who +should be the last on shore. It seems that some hasty words I had just +before used to the sailor, which he thought reflected on his courage, +was the cause of this odd fancy in him; and the old gunner, finding a +point of honour started, thought he could not well avoid taking a part +in it. In this ridiculous situation we might have remained some time, +had not our dispute been soon settled by the stones that began to +fly about us, and by the cries of the people from the boats, to make +haste, as the natives were following us into the water with clubs +and spears. I reached the side of the pinnace first, and finding Mr +Anderson was at some distance behind, and not yet entirely out of +danger, I called out to the marines to fire one musket. In the hurry +of executing my orders, they fired two; and when I had got into the +boat I saw the natives running away, and one man, with a woman sitting +by him, left behind on the beach. The man made several attempts to +rise without being able; and it was with much regret, I perceived +him to be wounded in the groin. The natives soon after returned, and +surrounded the wounded man, brandishing their spears and daggers at +us, with an air of threatening and defiance; but before we reached +the ships, we saw some persons, whom we supposed to be the chiefs, now +arrived, driving them away from the shore. + +During our absence, Captain Clerke had been under the greatest anxiety +for our safety. And these apprehensions were considerably increased, +from his having entirely mistaken the drift of the conversation he had +held with some natives who had been on board. The frequent mention +of the name of Captain Cook, with other strong and circumstantial +descriptions of death and destruction, made him conclude, that the +knowledge of the unfortunate events at Owhyhee had reached them, and +that these were what they alluded to; whereas all they had in view +was, to make known to him the wars that had arisen, in consequence of +the goats that Captain Cook had left at Oneeheow, and the slaughter +of the poor goats themselves, during the struggle for the property of +them. Captain Clerke, applying this earnestness of conversation, and +these terrible representations, to our calamitous transactions at +Owhyhee, and to an indication of revenge, kept his telescope fixed +upon us, and the moment he saw the smoke of the muskets, ordered the +boats to be manned and armed, and to put off to our assistance. + +The next morning I was again ordered on shore, with the watering +party. The risk we had run the preceding day, determined Captain +Clerke to send a considerable force from both ships for our guard, +amounting in all to forty men under arms. This precaution, however, +was now unnecessary; for we found the beach left entirely to +ourselves, and the ground between the landing-place and the lake +_tabooed_ with small white flags. We concluded, from this appearance, +that some of the chiefs had certainly visited this quarter; and that +not being able to stay, they had kindly and considerately taken this +step, for our greater security and convenience. We saw several men +armed with long spears and daggers, on the other side of the river, +on our right; but they did not offer to give us the least molestation. +Their women came over, and sat down on the banks close by us, and at +noon we prevailed on some of the men to bring hogs and roots for our +people, and to dress them for us. As soon as we had left the beach, +they came down to the sea-side, and one of them threw a stone at us; +but his conduct seeming to be highly disapproved of by all the rest, +we did not think it proper to shew any resentment. + +The next day we completed our watering, without meeting with any +material difficulty. On our return to the ships, we found that several +chiefs had been on board, and had made excuses for the behaviour of +their countrymen, attributing their riotous conduct to the quarrels +which subsisted at that time amongst the principal people of +the island, and which had occasioned a general want of order and +subordination amongst them. The government of Atooi was in dispute +between Toneoneo, who had the supreme power when we were here last +year, and a boy named Teavee. They are both, by different fathers, +the grandsons of Perreeorannee, king of Woahoo, who had given the +government of Atooi to the former, and that of Oneeheow to the latter. +The quarrel had arisen about the goats we had left at Oneeheow the +last year; the right of property in which was claimed by Toneoneo, on +the pretence of that island's being a dependency of his. The friends +of Teavee insisting on the right of possession, both parties prepared +to maintain their pretensions by force; and a few days before our +arrival, a battle had been fought, in which Toneoneo had been worsted. +The consequence of this victory was likely to affect Toneoneo in a +much deeper manner than by the mere loss of the objects in dispute; +for the mother of Teavee having married a second husband, who was +a chief of Atooi, and at the head of a powerful faction there, he +thought that the present opportunity was not to be neglected, of +driving Toneoneo entirely out of the island, and of advancing his +son-in-law to the government. I have already had occasion to mention, +that the goats, which had increased to the number of six, and would +probably in a few years have stocked all these islands, were destroyed +in the contest. + +On the 4th, the mother and sister of the young prince and his +father-in-law, with many other chiefs of that party, came on board the +Resolution, and made several curious and valuable presents to Captain +Clerke. Amongst the former, were some fish-hooks, which they assured +us were made of the bones of our old friend Terreeoboo's father, who +had been killed in an unsuccessful descent upon the island of Woahoo; +and a fly-flap, presented to him by the prince's sister, the handle +of which was a human bone, that had been given her as a trophy by her +father-in-law. Young Teavee was not of the company, being engaged, as +we were told, in performing some religious ceremonies, in consequence +of the victory he had obtained, which were to last twenty days. + +This and the two following days were employed on shore, in completing +the Discovery's water; and the carpenters were busy on board, in +caulking the ships, and in making other preparations for our next +cruise. The natives desisted from giving us any further disturbance, +and we procured from them a plentiful supply of pork and vegetables. + +At this time, an Indian brought a piece of iron on board the +Discovery, to be fashioned into the shape of a _pahooah_. It was +carefully examined both by the officers and men, and appeared to be +the bolt of some large ship-timbers. They were not able to discover to +what nation it belonged; but from the pale colour[1] of the iron, and +its not corresponding in shape to our bolts, they concluded that it +certainly was not English. This led them to make a strict enquiry of +the native, when and where he got it; and, if they comprehended him +right, it had been taken out of a piece of timber, larger than the +cable-bit, to which he pointed. This piece of wood, they farther +understood from, him, to have been driven upon their island, since we +were here in January 1778. + +[Footnote 1: It was evident, that the iron we found in possession of +the natives at Nootka Sound, and which was mostly made into knives, +was of a much paler sort than ours.] + +On the 7th, we were surprised with a visit from Toneoneo. When +he heard the dowager-princess was in the ship, it was with great +difficulty we could prevail on him to come on board, not from any +apprehension that he appeared to entertain of his safety, but from an +unwillingness to see her. Their meeting was with sulky and lowering +looks on both sides. He staid but a short time, and seemed much +dejected; but we remarked, with some surprise, that the women, both at +his coming and going way, prostrated themselves before him; and that +he was treated by all the natives on board with the respect +usually paid to those of his rank. Indeed, it must appear somewhat +extraordinary, that a person who was at this time in a state of actual +hostility with Teavee's party, and was even prepared for another +battle, should trust himself almost alone within the power of his +enemies. It is therefore to be observed, that the civil dissentions, +which are very frequent throughout all the South-Sea Islands, seem to +be carried on without much acrimony or bloodshed; and that the deposed +governor still continues to enjoy the rank of an _Eree_, and is left +to make use of such means as may arise for the regaining his lost +consequence. But I shall have occasion to speak more particularly on +this subject in the next section; in which the best account will be +given, which we were able to collect, of the political state of those +countries. + +On the 8th, at nine in the morning, we weighed, and sailed toward +Oneeheow; and at three in the afternoon anchored in twenty fathoms +water, nearly on the same spot as in the year 1778. We moored with the +other anchor in twenty-six fathoms water. The high bluff, on the south +end of the island, bore E.S.E.; the north point of the road, N. 1/2 E; +and a bluff head to the south of it, N.E. by N. During the night, we +had a strong gale from the eastward; and, in the morning of the 9th, +found the ship had driven a whole cable's length, and brought both +anchors almost ahead. We shortened in the best bower-cable; but the +wind blowing too fresh to unmoor, we were obliged to remain this and +the two following days with the anchors still ahead. + +On the 12th, the weather being moderate, the master was sent to the +north-west side of the island, to look for a more convenient place for +anchoring. He returned in the evening, having found, close round the +west point of the road where we now lay, which is also the westernmost +point of the island, a fine bay, with good anchorage, in eighteen +fathoms water, a clear sandy bottom, not a mile from the beach, on +which the surf beats, but not so as to hinder landing. The direction +of the points of the bay were N. by E., and S. by W.; and, in that +line, the soundings seven, eight, and nine fathoms. On the north +side of the bay was a small village; and a quarter of a mile to the +eastward were four small wells of good water; the road to them level, +and fit for rolling casks. Mr Bligh went afterward so far to the +north as to satisfy himself, that Oreehoua was a separate island from +Oneeheow, and that there was a passage between them, which before we +only conjectured to exist. + +In the afternoon we hoisted in all the boats, and made ready for going +to sea in the morning. + +END OF VOLUME SIXTEENTH. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A General History and Collection of +Voyages and Travels, Volume 16, by Robert Kerr + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A GENERAL HISTORY AND *** + +***** This file should be named 16471-8.txt or 16471-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/6/4/7/16471/ + +Produced by Robert Connal, Alison Hadwin and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. +Produced from images generously made available by the +Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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