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diff --git a/old/62507-0.txt b/old/62507-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 77032d2..0000000 --- a/old/62507-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,16538 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the -World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Thi, by James Cook - -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/license - - -Title: The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third Voyage - -Author: James Cook - -Release Date: June 28, 2020 [EBook #62507] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE THREE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN *** - - - - -Produced by Sonya Schermann and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - Transcriber’s Note - - -When italics were used in the original book, the corresponding text has -been surrounded by _underscores_. Superscripted characters are preceded -by ^. - -Some corrections have been made to the printed text. These are listed in -a second transcriber’s note at the end of the text. - -[Illustration: _Canoe of the Sandwich Islands, the rowers masked._] - - - - - THE - - THREE - - VOYAGES - - OF - - CAPTAIN JAMES COOK - - ROUND THE WORLD. - - COMPLETE - - In Seven Volumes. - - _WITH MAP AND OTHER PLATES._ - - VOL. VI. - - BEING THE SECOND OF THE THIRD VOYAGE. - - - - - LONDON: - - PRINTED FOR - LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, - PATERNOSTER-ROW. - - 1821. - - - - - CONTENTS - - OF - - _THE SIXTH VOLUME_. - - THIRD VOYAGE. - - - BOOK III. - - Transactions at Otaheite, and the Society Islands; and Prosecution of - the Voyage to the Coast of North America. - - - CHAP. I. - - An Eclipse of the Moon observed.—The Island Toobouai Page 3 - discovered.—Its Situation, Extent, and Appearance.— - Intercourse with its Inhabitants.—Their Persons, Dresses, - and Canoes, described.—Arrival in 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 - - - CHAP. II. - - Interview with Otoo, King of the Island.—Imprudent Conduct 21 - 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 - - - CHAP. III. - - Conference with Towha.—Heevas described.—Omai and Oedidee 44 - 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 - - - CHAP. IV. - - The Day of sailing fixed.—Peace made with Eimeo.—Debates 58 - 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 - - - CHAP. V. - - Arrival at Eimeo.—Two Harbours there, and an Account of 74 - 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. - - - CHAP. VI. - - Arrival at Huaheine.—Council of the Chiefs.—Omai’s 85 - 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.—Inscriptions 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 - - - CHAP. VII. - - Arrival at Ulietea.—Astronomical Observations.—A Marine 104 - 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 - - - CHAP. VIII. - - Arrival at Bolabola.—Interview with Opoony.—Reasons for 118 - purchasing Monsieur 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 - - - CHAP. IX. - - Accounts of Otaheite still imperfect.—The prevailing Winds.— 131 - 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.— - Connections 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 - - - CHAP. X. - - Progress of the Voyage, after leaving the Society Islands.— 166 - 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 - - - CHAP. XI. - - Some Islands discovered.—Account of the Natives of Atooi, 176 - who come 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 - Oneehow, 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 - - - CHAP. XII. - - The Situation of the Islands now discovered.—Their Names.— 204 - 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 - - - CHAP. XIII. - - Observations made at the Sandwich Islands, on the Longitude, 233 - 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 d’Aguillar’s River, and Juan de Fuca’s pretended - Strait.—An Inlet discovered, where the Ships anchor.— - Behaviour of the Natives - - - BOOK 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. - - - CHAP I. - - The Ships enter the Sound, and moor in a Harbour.— 247 - 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 - - - CHAP. II. - - The Name of the Sound, and Directions for sailing into it.— 264 - 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 - - - CHAP. III. - - Manner of building the Houses in Nootka Sound.—Inside of 287 - 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 - - - CHAP. IV. - - A Storm after sailing from Nootka Sound.—Resolution springs 313 - a Leak.—Pretended Strait of Admiral de Fonte passed - unexamined.—Progress along the Coast of America.—Beering’s - Bay.—Kaye’s Island.—Account of it.—The Ships come to - 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 - - - CHAP. V. - - The Inlet called Prince William’s Sound.—Its Extent.—Persons 336 - of the Inhabitants described.—Their Dress.—Incision of their - 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 - - - CHAP. VI. - - Progress along the Coast.—Cape Elizabeth.—Cape St. 351 - 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 - - - CHAP. VII. - - Discoveries after leaving Cook’s River.—Island of St. 370 - 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 - - - CHAP. VIII. - - Progress northward, after leaving Oonalashka.—The Islands 390 - 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 - - - CHAP. IX. - - Behaviour of the Natives, the Tschutski, on seeing the 409 - 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 Attempts 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 - - - CHAP. X. - - Return from Cape North, along the Coast of Asia.—Views of 427 - 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 St. 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 - - - CHAP. XI. - - Discoveries after leaving Norton Sound.—Stuart’s Island.— 447 - 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 their Dead.—Resemblance of - the Natives on this Side of America to the Greenlanders and - Esquimaux.—Tides.—Observations for determining the Longitude - of Oonalashka - - - CHAP. XII. - - Departure from Oonalashka, and future Views.—The Island 481 - 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 - - - - - A - - VOYAGE - - TO THE - - PACIFIC OCEAN, - - TO DETERMINE - THE POSITION AND EXTENT OF THE WEST SIDE OF NORTH AMERICA; - ITS DISTANCE FROM ASIA; AND THE PRACTICABILITY - OF A NORTHERN PASSAGE TO EUROPE. - - PERFORMED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF - - CAPTAINS COOK, CLERKE, AND GORE, - - IN HIS MAJESTY’S SHIPS THE RESOLUTION AND DISCOVERY, - - IN THE YEARS 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, AND 1780. - - --------------------- - - VOL. II. - - WRITTEN BY CAPTAIN COOK. - - - - - A - - VOYAGE - - TO - - THE PACIFIC OCEAN. - - - - - BOOK III. - -TRANSACTIONS AT OTAHEITE, AND THE SOCIETY ISLANDS; AND PROSECUTION OF - THE VOYAGE TO THE COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. - - - - - CHAP. 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 IN 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 north-east by -north, distant three or four leagues. The wind was now at east, and blew -a fresh gale. With it I stood to the south, 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 ships could be trimmed, on the other -tack, the main-sail and the top-gallant sails were much torn. - -The wind kept between the south-west, and south-east, on the 19th and -20th; afterward it veered to the east, north-east, and north. The night -between the 20th and 21st, an eclipse of the moon was observed as -follows; being then in the latitude of 22° 57-1/2ʹ south: - - Apparent time, A. M. - H. M. S. - Beginning, by Mr. King, at 0 32 50} Mean long. - Mr. Bligh, at 0 33 25} 186° 57-1/2ʹ. - Myself, at 0 33 35} - - End, by Mr. King, at 1 44 56} Mean long. - Mr. Bligh, at 1 44 6} 186° 28-1/2ʹ. - Myself, at 1 44 56} Time keep. - 186° 58-1/2ʹ. - -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 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 east south-east, with the wind at -north-east and north, 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 north. At this time, we were under -single-reefed top-sails, 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 north-west quarter. At -this time, we were in the latitude of 28° 6ʹ south, and our longitude -was 198° 23ʹ east. 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 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-gallantyard; 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, we 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 north, round -by the west to south, and I steered east, and north-east, without -meeting with any thing remarkable, till eleven o’clock in the morning of -the 8th of August, when the land was seen, bearing north north-east, -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 south-east by south; and at -half-past six o’clock in the afternoon, it extended from north by east, -to north north-east 3/4 east, distant three or four leagues. - -The night was spent standing off and on; and, at day-break, the next -morning, I steered for the north-west, or lee-side of the island; and, -as we stood round its south, or south-west 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 -several parts of the coast, walking, or running along 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 intreaties 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 north, and -left them; but not without getting from them, during their vicinity to -our ship, the name of their island, which they called Toobouai. - -It is situated in the latitude of 22° 15ʹ south; and in 210° 37ʹ east -longitude. Its greatest extent, in any direction, exclusive of the reef, -is not above five or six miles. On the north-west side, the reef appears -in detached pieces, between which, the sea seems to break in 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 valleys; 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, hung 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 forepart projected a -little, and had a notch cut across, as if intended to represent the -mouth of some animal. The afterpart 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 incrusted 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. - -After leaving this island, from the discovery of which future navigators -may possibly derive some advantage, I steered to the north, 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 south-east 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 east. 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_[2], and exchange names. Omai accepted -of the honour, and confirmed it with a present of red feathers; and -Ootee, by way of return, sent ashore for a hog. But it was evident to -every one of us, that it was not the man, but his property they were in -love with. Had he not shown them his treasure of red 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 among 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 inquiry, 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 fruit to market. At first, a quantity of -feathers, not greater than what might be got from a tomtit, 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 in -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 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 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 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 be 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 afterwards found, that he was not the same person, though of the same -name with the chief whom I had seen here during my last voyage; but his -brother, a boy of about ten years of age, who had succeeded upon the -death of the elder Waheiadooa, about twenty months before our arrival. -We also learned, that the celebrated Oberea was dead; but that Otoo, and -all our other friends, were living. - -When I returned from viewing the house and cross erected by the -Spaniards, I found Omai holding forth to a large company; and it was -with some 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 89th 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 Clerke 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. - -The next day we began some necessary operations; to inspect the -provisions that were in the main and forehold; 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 connections with them. The person who spoke last, told me, -amongst 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 -fireworks, which both astonished and entertained the numerous -spectators. - -This day, some of our gentlemen, in their walks, found, what they were -pleased to call, a Roman Catholic chapel. Indeed, from their account, -this was not to be doubted; for they described the altar and every other -constituent part of such a place of worship. However, as they 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 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 _Towtow_? and the answer I received was, that he -was _taato 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 came upon them, they knew nobody, not even their most -intimate acquaintances; and that, if any one of them happens to be a man -of property, he will very often give away every moveable he is possessed -of, if his friends do not put them out of his reach; and, when he -recovers, will inquire 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. - -As soon as I got on board, a light breeze springing up at east, we got -under sail, and steered for Matavai Bay[3]; 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. - - - - - CHAP. 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 kind 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 myself lightened of a -very heavy burthen. The trouble and vexation that attended the bringing -of 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 intrusted -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 from off 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 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 -object 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 visitor of -Lima, return to his own native garments. - -In the morning of the 27th, a man came from Oheitepeha, and told us that -two Spanish ships had anchored in that bay the night before; and, in -confirmation of this intelligence, he produced a piece of coarse blue -cloth, which he said he got out of one of the ships; and which, indeed, -in 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 inquiry, 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[4], 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[5], 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. - -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 inquiring into the -cause of the war, we were told, that, some years ago, a brother of -Waheadooa, of Tieraboo, 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 is a relation of Otoo, and chief of the district of Tettaha, -a man of much weight in the island, and who had been commander-in-chief -of the armament fitted out against Eimeo in 1774, happened not to be at -Matavai at this time; and, consequently, was not present at any of these -consultations. It, however, appeared that he was no stranger to what was -transacted; and that he 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 _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. 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. - -[Illustration: _A Morai, or Burying Place, at Otaheite._] - -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 afterwards 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 seashore. -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 of 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 king-fisher 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 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 the attendants dug a hole about two feet deep, into which they -threw the unhappy victim, and covered it with earth and stones. While -they were putting him into the grave, a 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 the -stones for a few minutes; and the body of the dog, after being besmeared -with the blood which had been collected in a cocoa-nut shell, and dried -over the fire, was, with the liver, &c. carried and laid down before the -priests, who sat praying round the grave. They continued their -ejaculations over the dog for some time, while two men, at intervals, -beat on two drums very loud; and a boy screamed as before, in a loud -shrill voice, three different times. This, as we were told, was to -invite the _Eatooa_ to feast on the banquet that they had prepared for -him. As soon as the priests had ended their prayers, the carcase of the -dog, with what belonged to it, were laid on a _whatta_, or scaffold, -about six feet high, that stood close by, on which lay the remains of -two other dogs, and of two pigs which had lately been sacrificed, and at -this time emitted an intolerable stench. This kept us at a greater -distance than would otherwise have been required of us. For after the -victim was removed from the seaside toward the _morai_, we were allowed -to approach as near as we pleased. Indeed, after that, neither -seriousness nor attention were much observed by the 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 stye 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 Waheadooa, 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 fid or sugar-loaf, that is, -roundish, with one end much thicker than the other. We had very often -got small ones from different people, but never knew their use before. - -By this time the pig that had been killed, was cleaned, and the entrails -taken out. These happened to have a considerable share of those -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 inclosed 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 -_towtow_, that is, one of the lowest class of the people. But, after all -my inquiries, 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 sacrifice, 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 apprized 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 towards the top, with a square -area on each side loosely paved with pebble stones, under which the -bones of the chiefs are buried. At a little distance from the end -nearest the sea, is the place where the 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 relics which ignorant -superstition had scattered about this place, such as small stones raised -in different parts of the pavement, some with bits of cloth tied round -them, others covered with it; and, upon the side of the large pile which -fronts the area, are placed a great many pieces of carved wood, which -are supposed to be sometimes the residence of their divinities, and, -consequently, held sacred. But one place, more 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 skulls of all the human sacrifices, which are taken up after -they have been several months under ground. Just above them are placed a -great number of the pieces of wood; and it was also here where the -_maro_, and the other 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 most important -articles of their religious institutions should agree. And, indeed, we -have the most authentic information that human sacrifices continue to be -offered at the Friendly Islands. When I described the _Natche_ at -_Tonge-taboo_, 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 skulls of -former victims lying before the _morai_, where we saw one more added to -the number. And as none of those skulls had as yet suffered any -considerable change from the weather, it may hence be inferred, that no -great length of time had elapsed, since, at least, this considerable -number of 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 show 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 dead bodies as a sacrifice to the _Eatooa_. -Soon after a battle, in which they have been victors, they collect all -the dead that have fallen into their hands, and bring them to the -_morai_, where, with a great deal of ceremony, they dig a hole, and bury -them all in it, as so many offerings to the gods; but their skulls are -never after taken up. - -Their own great chiefs, that fall in battle, are treated in a different -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, and were brought to this _morai_, at -Attahooroo. There their bowels were cut out by the priests, before the -great altar, and the bodies afterwards 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. - - - - - CHAP. 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 a 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 me soon after. - -While Otoo and I were absent from the ships, they had been sparingly -supplied with fruit, and had few visitors. After our return, we again -overflowed with provisions, and with company. - -On the 14th, 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 show. 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 was 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 hung 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 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 Waheadooa 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 inclosed 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 surprized us much more, was, that -putrefaction seemed scarcely to be begun, as there was not the least -disagreeable smell proceeding from it, though the climate is one of the -hottest, and Tee had been dead above four months. The only remarkable -alteration that had happened, was a shrinking of the muscular parts of -the eyes; but the hair and nails were in their original state, and still -adhered firmly; and the several joints 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 -disembowelled, 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 died a natural death, are preserved in this -manner; and that they expose them to public view for a considerable time -after. At first, they are laid out every day, when it does not rain; -afterward, the intervals become greater and greater; and, at last, they -are seldom to be seen. - -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 -surprize 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 visiters 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 -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 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 -Ulietea. 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 -Ulietea; 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 his 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 every thing put in order, I began to think of leaving -the island, that I might have sufficient time to spare for visiting -others in this neighbourhood. With this view, we removed from the shore -our observatories and instruments, and bent the sails. Early the next -morning, Otoo came on board to acquaint me, that all the war canoes of -Matavai, and of the 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 a while about the bay, -assembled ashore near the middle of it. I now went in my boat to take a -view of them. - -Of those with stages on which they fight, or what they call their -war-canoes, there were about sixty, with near as many more of a smaller -size. I was ready to have attended them to Oparre; but, soon after, a -resolution was taken by the chiefs, that they should not move till the -next day. I looked upon this to be a fortunate delay, as it afforded me -a good opportunity to get some insight into their manner of fighting. -With this view, I expressed my wish to Otoo that he would order some of -them to go through the necessary manœuvres. 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 from each other at least a dozen times, the two canoes -closed head to head, or stage to stage; and, after a short conflict, the -troops on our stage were supposed to be all killed, and we were boarded -by Omai and his associates. At that very instant, Otoo and all our -paddlers leaped overboard, as if reduced to the necessity of -endeavouring to save their lives by swimming. - -If Omai’s information is to be 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, 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. - - - - - CHAP. 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 could leave the -island he would join his forces to those of Tiaraboo, and attack Otoo at -Matavai or Oparre. This called upon me to declare, in the most public -manner, that I was 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 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 one of them, they -immediately begin to practise the _romee_ upon his legs; and I have -always found it to have an exceeding good effect.[6] - -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 sunset 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 bench, close -to the canoe in which Towha was. He was then asleep; but his servants -having awaked 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 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[7] arrived; and -she went, with great composure, to repeat the same ceremonies to him, -which he 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. - -“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 sometimes 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 encreased 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 unto. 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 this vessel, all at the same time; and drew together -as many people to look at her, as a man-of-war would, dressed, in a -European port. These streamers of Omai were a mixture of English, -French, Spanish, and Dutch, which were all the European colours that he -had seen. When I was last at this island, I gave to Otoo an English jack -and pendant, and to Towha a 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 he had got a -canoe, which he desired I would take with me, and carry home, as a -present from him to the _Earee rahie no 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 _ivahah_, 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 intentions; 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 he also -bid us farewell, and went ashore in his canoe. - -The frequent visits we have lately paid to this island, seem to have -created a full persuasion, that the intercourse will not be -discontinued. It was strictly enjoined to me by Otoo, to request, in his -name, the _Earee rahie no Pretane_, to send him, by the next ships, red -feathers, and the birds that produce them; axes; half a dozen muskets, -with powder and shot; and, by no means, to forget horses. - -I have occasionally mentioned my receiving considerable presents from -Otoo, and the rest of the family, 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 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 inquired into this matter, -the more we were convinced of the inability of most of these people to -remember, or note the time, when past events happened; especially if it -exceeded ten or twenty months. It, however, appeared, by the date of the -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 afterwards 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 that 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 islands, four Spaniards remained behind. Two -were priests, one a servant, and the fourth made himself very popular -among the natives, who distinguish him by the name of Mateema. He seems -to have been a person who had studied their language; or, at least, to -have spoken it so as to be understood; and to have taken uncommon pains -to impress the minds of the islanders with the most exalted ideas of the -greatness of the Spanish nation, and to make them think meanly of the -English. He even went so far as to assure them, that we no longer -existed as an independent nation; that _Pretane_ was only a small -island, which they, the Spaniards, had entirely destroyed; and for me, -that they had met with me at sea, and, with a few shot, had sent my -ship, and every soul in her, to the 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 staid 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 our’s. 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 -benefited 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. - -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. - - - - - CHAP. 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 show 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 -with 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, and of which a sketch has been made -for the use of those who may follow us in such a voyage. - -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. - -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 Otaheiteans; these -people not being able to comprehend how we can be friends with any one, -without adopting, at the same time, his cause against his enemies. -Maheine was accompanied by his wife, who, as I was informed, is sister -to Oamo of Otaheite, of whose death we had an account while we were at -this island. I made presents to both of them, of such things as they -seemed to set the highest value upon; and after a stay of about half an -hour, they went away. Not long after, they returned with a large hog, -which they meant as a return for 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 -over-burthened 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, in 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 expence of -other islands 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 showed 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 none 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 further 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 them 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, ran 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 surprizing the party who were -bearing off the prize. But when we had got to the uppermost plantation -on 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 showed 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 surprize, 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. - -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 fire-wood. 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 amongst 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 of 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 particulars 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 -Ulietea. - -[Illustration: _View of Huaheine._] - - - - - CHAP. 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.—INSCRIPTIONS ON HIS - HOUSE.—HIS BEHAVIOUR ON THE SHIP’S 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 south-west by west, -half west, to west by north. At noon we anchored at the north entrance -of Owharre harbour[8], 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 his business. Omai -dressed himself very properly on the occasion; and prepared a handsome -present for the chief himself, and another for his _Eatooa_. Indeed, -after he had got clear of the gang that surrounded him at Otaheite, he -behaved with such prudence as to gain respect. Our landing drew most of -our visitors from the ships; and they, as well as those that were on -shore, assembled in a large house. The concourse of people, on this -occasion, was very great; and amongst them, there appeared to be a -greater proportion of personal 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 Wateeo. 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_[9], were mentioned in -every one of them. When Omai’s offerings and prayers were finished, the -priest took each article, in the same order in which it had been laid -before him, and after repeating a prayer, sent it to the _morai_; which, -as Omai told us, was at a great distance, otherwise the offerings would -have been made there. - -These religious ceremonies having been performed, Omai sat down by me, -and we entered upon business, by giving the young chief my present, and -receiving his in return; and, all things considered, they were liberal -enough on both sides. Some 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 at 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 -enterprize, 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 ran 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 desired 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 operation 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 honeycomb. They were particularly -destructive to birds, which had been stuffed and preserved as -curiosities; and, what was worse, were uncommonly fond of ink; so that -the writing on the labels, fastened to different articles, was quite -eaten out; and the only thing that preserved books from them, was the -closeness of the binding, which prevented these devourers getting -between the leaves. According to Mr. Anderson’s observations, they were -of two sorts, the _blatta orientalis_ and _germanica_. 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 _orientales_, 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, -inasmuch 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 laid the sextant; but, as it was now dark, he 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 done any -culprit before. Besides having his head and beard shaved, I ordered both -his ears to be cut off, and then dismissed him. - -This, however, did not deter him from giving us 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; and he publicly threatened -to kill him, and to burn his house, as soon as we should leave the -island. To prevent the fellow’s doing me and Omai any more mischief, I -had him seized and confined 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 chief’s 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 black-jack. And, -therefore, he very wisely disposed of as many of these articles of -English furniture for the kitchen and pantry, as he could find -purchasers for, amongst the people of the ships; receiving from them, in -return, hatchets, and other iron tools, which had a more intrinsic value -in this part of the world, and added more to his distinguishing -superiority over those with whom he was to pass the remainder of his -days. - -In the long list of the presents 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 bilboo-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. - -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 encrease 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 second of November, at four in the afternoon, I took the -advantage of a breeze, which then sprung up at east, 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 connexion with us. I -do not by this mean, that, because he has tasted the sweets of civilised -life, he must become more miserable from being obliged to abandon all -thoughts of continuing them. I confine myself to this single -disagreeable 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 among 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, may be -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 at Otaheite. As we advanced, however, on our -voyage, he became more sensible of his error; and, by the time we -reached the Friendly Islands, had even such apprehensions of his -reception at home, that, as I have mentioned in my journal, he would -fain have 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 is not a little spurred by the -coat of mail he brought from England; clothed in which, and in -possession of some fire-arms, he fancies that he shall 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 expect that Omai will be able to -introduce many of our arts and customs among 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 world -for provisions. - -Omai’s return, and the substantial proofs he brought back with him of -our liberality, encouraged many to offer themselves as volunteers to -attend me to _Pretane_. I took every 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 any ship being again sent -to New Zealand, I would have brought the two youths of that country home -with me, as both of them were very desirous of continuing with us. -Tiarooa, the eldest, was an exceedingly well disposed young man, with -strong natural sense, and capable of receiving any instruction. He -seemed to be fully sensible of the 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. - - - - - CHAP. 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.[10] 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 east, 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, we observed an -occultation of ς _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 to the -board; and I made use of my own reflector, of eighteen inches. There was -also an immersion of π _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 quickly up to it, lest the -sight of the boats 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 down 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 had 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 proceeding; and I had desired to hear from him. -Accordingly, about a fortnight after our arrival at Ulietea, he sent two -of his people in a canoe; who brought me the satisfactory intelligence, -that he remained undisturbed by the people of the island, and that 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 Dollond’s three and a half feet -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 people, in not only assisting these two men to escape, but -in being, even at this very time, assiduous in enticing others to follow -them, would justify 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 make 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 us from the -Discovery, and told us that a party of the natives had seized Captain -Clerke and Mr. Gore, who had walked out a little way from the ships. -Struck with the boldness of this plan of retaliation, which seemed to -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 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[11]; for at -that very instant, a party of the natives armed with clubs were -advancing toward them; and on hearing the report of the muskets, they -dispersed. - -This 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 -transaction of the day before seemed to be forgotten on both sides. - -The following night, the wind blew in hard squalls from south to east, -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 down the next day with the ships. This was my -intention; but the wind which kept us in the harbour, brought Oreo back -from Bolabola with the two deserters. They had reached Otaha the same -night they deserted; but finding it impossible to get to any of the -islands to the eastward (which was their 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 reason before-mentioned, and to save the -son of a brother officer from being lost to his country. - -The wind continued constantly between the north and west, 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 north-east, 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.[12] I could -account for his improving in health as he grew older, only from his -drinking less copiously of the _ava_ in his present station as a private -gentleman, than he had been accustomed to do when he was regent. - - - - - CHAP. VIII. - -ARRIVAL AT BOLABOLA.—INTERVIEW WITH OPOONY.—REASONS FOR PURCHASING - MONSIEUR 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. - - -As soon as we had got clear of the harbour, we took leave of Ulietea, -and steered for Bolabola. The chief if not sole object I had in view by -visiting that island, was to procure from its monarch, Opoony, one of -the anchors which Monsieur de Bougainville had lost at Otaheite. This -having afterward 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 boats -for an island, lying at the north side of the entrance into the harbour, -where the anchor had been deposited. I found it to be neither so large, -nor so perfect, as I expected. It had originally weighed seven hundred -pounds, according to the mark that was upon it; but the ring, with part -of the shank, and the two points, were now wanting. I was no longer at a -loss to guess the reason of Opoony’s refusing my present. He doubtless -thought that it so much exceeded the value of the anchor in its present -state, that I should be 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. - -While the boats were hoisting in, some of the natives came off, in three -or four canoes, to see the ships, as they said. They brought with them a -few cocoa-nuts, and one pig, which was the only one we got at the -island. I make no doubt, however, that, if we had stayed till the next -day, we should have been plentifully supplied with provisions; and, I -think, the natives would feel themselves 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 proper place -for the reception of ships.[13] - -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, -towards the sea, are covered with cocoa-palms and bread fruit trees, -like the other islands of this ocean; and the many little islets that -surround 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 achieve 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 inquiries, 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[14] by themselves. - -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 inquiries 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 see marks of recent -hostilities[15] having been committed upon that island. Some additional -light may be thrown upon this inquiry, by attending to the age of -Teereetareea, the present chief of Huaheine. His looks showed, that he -was not above ten or twelve years old; and we were informed, that his -father had been killed at 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 inquiries, could -scarcely remember the first battles; and I have already mentioned, that -Omai’s countrymen, whom we found at Wateeoo, 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 shown to them, and that it was a ram. It seldom -happens but that some good arises out of evil; and if our two men had -not deserted, I should not have known this. In consequence of their -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 neighbourhood, -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 bones -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 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 of them knows, or will give himself the trouble to inquire -the reason of your coming. - -I own, I cannot avoid expressing it as my real opinion, that it would -have been far better for these poor people, never to have known our -superiority in the accommodations and arts that make life comfortable, -than, after once knowing it, to be again left and abandoned to their -original incapacity of improvement. Indeed, they 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 -conveniencies which we have introduced among them, and have given them a -predilection for. The want of such occasional supplies will, probably, -be very heavily felt by them, when it may be too late to go back to -their old less perfect 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 chissel of bone, or stone, is not to be seen. Spike-nails -have supplied the place of the last; and they are weak enough to fancy, -that they have got an inexhaustible store of them; for these were not -now at all sought after. Sometimes, however, nails, much smaller than a -spike, would still be taken in exchange for fruit. Knives happened, at -present, to be in great esteem at Ulietea; and axes and hatchets -remained unrivalled by any other of our commodities at all the islands. -With respect to articles of mere ornament, these people are as -changeable as any of the polished nations of Europe; so that what -pleases their fancy, while a fashion is 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. - -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 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, 17° 29-1/4ʹ 210° 22ʹ 28ʺ 5° 34ʹ East 29° 12ʹ - Otaheite - - Owharree Harbour, 16 42-3/4 208 52 24 5 13-1/2 28 28 - Huaheine East - - Ohamaneno Harbour, 16 45-1/2 208 25 22 6 19 East 29 5 - Ulietea - -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 201° 27ʹ 30ʺ. The difference, -it appears, is only of 5ʹ 2ʺ; 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° 22ʹ -28ʺ, or, which is the same thing, 208° 25ʹ 22ʺ, will be the longitude we -shall reckon from with the time-keeper, allowing it to be losing, on -mean time, 1.ʺ69 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° 18ʹ 58ʺ - { Tongataboo rate, 0° 16ʹ 40ʺ - -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 Mean time Perpendicular - the Water at stand, of rise. - Month. from to High Water. Inches. - - No. 6. 11^h 15^m 12^h 20^m 11^h 48^m 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 10 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 -pursues the following chapter, for which I am indebted to Mr. Anderson. - - - - - CHAP. 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.—CONNECTIONS 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, Monsieur 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 inquiries; -more of us were unable to direct our inquiries 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 amongst them. - -The wind, for the greatest part of the year, blows from between east -south-east, and east north-east. 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 -south-east, or south south-east, it then blows more gently, with a -smooth sea, and is called _Maoai_. 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 west north-west, or -north-west. 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 _Erapotaia_; which they feign to be the -wife of the _Toerou_; who, according to their mythology, is a male. - -The wind from south-west, and west south-west, 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 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 south-east 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 outdo this in the strength and beauty of vegetation. -Nature has been no less liberal in distributing rivulets, which are -found in every valley; and as they approach the sea, often divide into -two or three branches, fertilizing the flat lands through which they -run. The habitations of the natives are scattered, without order, upon -the 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 inquired 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 run 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 to return from -which takes three or four days. It is remarkable for its depth, and has -eels of an enormous size in it; which are sometimes caught by the -natives, who go upon this water in little floats of two or three wild -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 Otaheitans; -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 in 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 amongst -the _Erreoes_, or unmarried men of some consequence, to undergo a kind -of physical operation to render them fair. This is done by remaining a -month or two in the house; during which time they wear a great 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 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 chanting 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 favourable 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 him with such eagerness on each side, as to -command all my attention. At first I imagined 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 overlooked 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 _choroee_, 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 show 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.[16] -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 warmth and bold -images. For instance, the Otaheitans 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 surprize, “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. - -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 the growing flesh. In -as many more days, it is generally entirely covered; after which, when -the patient has acquired some strength, he bathes in the water, and -recovers. We know that wounds will heal over leaden bullets; and -sometimes, though rarely, over other extraneous bodies. But what makes -me entertain some doubt of the truth of so extraordinary skill, as in -the above instance, is, that in other cases which fell under my own -observation, they are far from being so dexterous. I have seen the stump -of an arm, which was taken off after 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 be fairly 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 _ehoee_. 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_[17] 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 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. - -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 -inquiring 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 it should be so. - -In other customs respecting the females, there seems to be no such -obscurity; especially as to their connections 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 connection -with the mother, or leave her. But if he should adopt the child, and -suffer it to live, the parties are then considered as in the married -state, and they commonly live together ever after. However, it is -thought no crime in the man to join a more youthful partner to his first -wife, and to live with both. The custom of changing their connections -is, however, much more general than this last; and it is a thing so -common, that they speak of it with great 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 connections, -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.[18] 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. - -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 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 fore-skin 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 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 any 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 Tiaraboo, where, in -the room of the two divinities formerly honoured there, Oraa[19], god of -Bolabola, has 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. - -Their assiduity in serving their gods is remarkably conspicuous. Not -only the _whattas_, or offering places of the _morais_, are commonly -loaded with fruit and animals, but there are few houses where you do not -meet with a small place of the same sort near them. Many of them are so -rigidly scrupulous, that they will not begin a meal without first laying -aside a morsel for the _Eatooa_; and we had an opportunity, during this -voyage, of seeing their superstitious zeal 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 chant, much after the -manner of the songs in their festive entertainments. And the women, as -in other cases, are also obliged to show their inferiority in religious -observances; for it is 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 invincible 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 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 connection 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 his wife is known to -him on its arrival in the land of spirits. They resume their former -acquaintance in a spacious house, called _Tourooa_, where the souls of -the deceased assemble to 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 recreating 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 -inquires, 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 afterward 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, -agreeable 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 foretel future -events; but this kind of knowledge is confined to particular people. -Omai pretended to have this gift. He told us, that the soul of his -father had intimated to him in a dream, on the 26th of July, 1776, that -he should go on shore, at some place, within three days; but he was -unfortunate in this first attempt to persuade us that he was a prophet; -for it was the 1st of August before we got into Teneriffe. Amongst them, -however, the dreamers possess a 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 a -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. Otai is killed, and Oroo marries a god, -her son, called Teorraha, whom she orders to create more land, the -animals, and all sorts of food upon the earth; as also the sky, which is -supported by men called Teeferei. The spots 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 -afterwards 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 intreated 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 he 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 land 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 intitled 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 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 connections 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 inform 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 those, 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 it is -remarkable for producing great quantities of that delicious fruit we -called 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 Tiarraboo, though joining it. 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, _Oroo._ - Otaha, _Tanne._ - Bolabola, _Oraa._ - Mourooa, _Otoo, ee weiahoo._ - Toobaee, _Tamouee_. - Tabooymanoo, or } - Saunders’s Island, } _Taroa_. - which is subject } - to Huaheine, } - Eimeo, _Oroo hadoo_. - {Otaheite } _Ooroo_. - { nooe, } - Otaheite, { { whom they have - {Tiaraboo { _Opoonoa_, and { lately changed - { _Whatooteeree_ { 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 two days’ sail with a fair wind. They were thus named to me: - - Mataeeva, - Oanaa, called Oanna 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 Mataeevans -fell upon them; but these warlike people killed three times their own -number; though with the loss of all their party except five. These hid -themselves in the woods, and took an opportunity, when the others were -burying their dead, to enter some houses, where, having provided -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 Mataeeva, 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[20] he mentions; for I found, that it -is reckoned a sort of prodigy, that a canoe once driven by a storm from -Otaheite, should have fallen in with Mopeeha, or Howe’s Island, though -so near, and directly to leeward. The knowledge they have of other -distant islands is no doubt traditional, and has been communicated to -them by the natives of those islands, driven accidentally upon their -coasts, who besides giving them the names, could easily inform them of -the direction in which the places lie from whence they came, 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[21] 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. - - - - - CHAP. 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 hawled, 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 north -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 -inquiring of the inhabitants, if there were any islands in a N. or a -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[22], discovered an island which he named Isla de Jesus, in latitude -6° 45ʹ S., and 1450 leagues from Callao, which is 200° E. longitude from -Greenwich. We crossed this latitude nearly 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. - -In the night, between the 22d and 23d, we crossed the line in the -longitude of 203° 15ʹ E. Here the variation of the compass was 6° 30ʹ 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 turtle; for the -island seemed to be a likely place to meet with them, and to be without -inhabitants. Accordingly, we dropped anchor in thirty fathoms; and then -a boat was 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 intrusted 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 -north, 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 turtle; -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 -turtle. 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 turtle. 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 turtle were caught; -so that, by sending the boats thither, the trouble would be saved of -carrying them over the land to the inside of the _lagoon_, as had been -hitherto done. The boats were accordingly 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 was clear when the eclipse ended, the -time of which was observed as follows: - - H. M. S. - { Mr. Bayly} { 0 26 3 } Apparent Time - By { Mr. King } at { 0 26 1 } 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 south-east 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, he had -recourse to the singular expedient of killing turtle, 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. - -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 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 turtle 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 turtle, 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 incontestable 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 too 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 to be 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 south east 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 -blackish. So that a ship touching here, must expect nothing but fish and -turtle; 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 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 the 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 north and south points; which bear from -each other nearly north by east, and south by west, 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° -59ʹ north, and in the longitude of 202° 30ʹ east, determined by a -considerable number of lunar observations, which differed only 7ʹ from -the time-keeper; it being so much less. The variation of the compass was -6° 22-1/2ʹ E.; and the dip of the north end of the needle 11° 54ʹ. - -Christmas Island, like most others in this ocean, is bounded by a reef -of coral rocks, which extends but a little way from the shore. Farther -out than this reef, on the west side, is a bank of sand, extending a -mile into the sea. On this bank is good 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 east, or east by south, 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. - - - - - CHAP. XI. - -SOME ISLANDS DISCOVERED.—ACCOUNT OF THE NATIVES OF ATOOI, WHO COME 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 ONEEHOW, - 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 north; having fine weather, and a gentle breeze at east, -and east-south-east, till we got into the latitude of 7° 45ʹ N. and the -longitude of 205° E., where we had one calm day. This was succeeded by a -north-east by east, and east-north-east wind. At first it blew faint, -but freshened as we advanced to the north. 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 -turtle. 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 north-east by east; and, -soon after, we saw more land bearing north, and entirely detached from -the former. Both had the appearance of being high land. At noon, the -first bore north-east by east, half east, by estimation about eight or -nine leagues distant; and an elevated hill, near the east end of the -other, bore north, half west. Our latitude, at this time, was 21° 12ʹ -N.; and longitude 200° 41ʹ 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 sunrise, the island first seen, bore east 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 west -north-west, as far distant as land could be seen. We had now a fine -breeze at east by north; and I steered for the east end of the second -island; which at noon extended from north, half east, to west -north-west, a quarter west, 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 -alongside; but no intreaties 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 cast 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 south-east 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 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 this side of the island, or rather nearer the north-west 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 with 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, where they should sit down, whether -they might 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 stolen 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 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 afterward -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. - -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, muskets, 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 hundred 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. - -[Illustration: _A Morai in Atooi._] - -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 rather obelisks; and one of these, which I guessed to -be at least fifty feet high, was very conspicuous from the ship’s -anchoring station, and seemed to be at no great distance up this valley. -To have a nearer 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 -show that it had originally been covered with a thin, light, grey cloth; -which these people, it should seem, consecrate to religious purposes; as -we could see a good deal of it hanging in different parts of the -_morai_; and some of it had been forced upon me when I first landed. On -each side of 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.[23] -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 nor 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 -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 _Taata_ (_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 _jejee_ -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 on shore. 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 of 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 afterward 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 hereby -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 -anti-putrescent substances.[24] - -In the night and all the morning of 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 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 east and north-east; but, in the evening, it veered -back again to the south south-east, 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 -north-east, 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 east, 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 north-east, without -forming a creek, or cove, to shelter a vessel from the force of the -swell, which rolled in from the north, and broke upon the shore in a -prodigious surf; so that all hopes of finding a harbour here vanished. - -Several canoes came off in the 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 inquiries about this. A small wooden instrument, beset -with shark’s 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 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.” - -At seven o’clock in the evening, the boats returned with the 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 north-west and north; so that the -west end of the island, upon which we had been, called Atooi by the -natives, bore east, one league distant; another island, called Oreehoua, -west by south; and the high land of a third island, called Oneeheow, -from south-west by west, to west south-west. Soon after, a breeze sprung -up at north; 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 south-east, till day-break in the morning of the 25th, -when we tacked and stood in for Atooi road, which bore about north 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 south-east point of the island bore S., 65° E., three miles -distant; the other extreme of the island bore north by east, about two -or three miles distant; a peaked hill, inland, N. E., a quarter 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 inquiry whether they were cannibals; and the subject -did not take its rise from any question 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 soon 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 among others, they named -Otaeaio and Terarotoa. Amongst other things which these people now -brought off; was a small drum, almost like those of Otaheite. - -About ten or eleven o’clock at night, the wind veered to the south, and -the sky seemed to forbode 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. 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 south-east head, or -point of the island, to try if he could land under it. He returned with -a favourable report; but it was too late, now, to send for our party -till the next morning; and thus they had another night to improve their -intercourse with the natives. - -Encouraged by the master’s report, I sent a boat to the south-east -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 other side of the valley, -where I landed, calling to her countryman 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 oraison. This ceremony being performed, we proceeded; and, -presently, met people coming from all parts, who, on being called to by -the 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 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 -_doee dooe_ for lights in the night, as at Otaheite; and that they baked -their hogs in ovens; but, contrary to the practice of the Society and -Friendly Islands, split their carcases through their whole length. They -met with a positive proof of 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 [25]teeth; for which old -custom, when asked the reason, the only answer that could be got was, -that it was _teeha_, which was also the reason assigned for another of -their practices, the giving a lock of their hair. - -After the water-casks had been filled and conveyed into the boat, and we -had purchased from the natives a few roots, a little salt, and some -salted fish, I returned on board with all the people, intending to visit -the island the next day. But about 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 chapter. - - - - - CHAP. 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, Oreehoua, and Tahoora. The last is -a small elevated island, lying four or five leagues from the south-east -point of Oneeheow, in the direction of south, 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° 30ʹ, and 22° 15ʹ N., and -between the longitude of 199° 20ʹ, and 201° 30ʹ East. - -Of Woahoo, the most easterly of these islands seen by us, which lies in -the latitude of 21° 36ʹ, we could get no other intelligence, but that it -is high land, and is inhabited. - -We had opportunities of knowing some particulars about Oneeheow, which -have been mentioned already. It lies several leagues to the westward of -our anchoring place at Atooi; and is not above fifteen leagues in -circuit. Its chief vegetable produce is yams; if we may judge from what -was brought to 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 south-east 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 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 north-east, on one side of -the island, and at east south-east, or south-east, 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 sebastina_), that grow about their villages, or a sort -called _dooe dooe_, that grow farther up the country. - -[Illustration: _Inland View in Atooi._] - -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 its 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 _atoo_, 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 mackerel, 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 among -the women than the men; but it was chiefly amongst the latter that -personal defects were observed, though, if any of them can claim a share -of beauty, it was most conspicuous amongst the young men. - -They are vigorous, active, and most expert swimmers; leaving their -canoes upon the most trifling occasion; diving under them, and swimming -to others though at a great distance. It was very common to see women, -with infants at the breast, when the surf was so high that they could -not land in the canoes, leap overboard, and without endangering their -little ones, swim to the shore, through a sea that looked dreadful. - -They seem to be blest with a frank, cheerful disposition; and were I to -draw any comparisons, I should say, that they are equally free from the -fickle levity which distinguishes the natives of Otaheite, and the -sedate cast observable amongst many of those of Tongataboo. They seem to -live very sociably in their 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 -should suppose that, including the straggling houses, there might be, -upon the whole island, sixty such villages, as that before which we -anchored; and that, allowing five persons to each house, there would be, -in every village, 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.[26] - -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 close 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 forepart 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 seem to be very considerable. The great number of fishing-hooks -found among them, showed, 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 in 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 stay, several were -discovered. The dances, at which they use 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 exceeding 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 the 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 knew, 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 feet 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 for 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 ava, 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 core 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 jaw-bone, and others to a thin wooden -handle of the same shape, and at the other end there is a bit of string -fastened through a small perforation. These serve as knives -occasionally, and are, perhaps, used in carving. - -The only iron tools, or rather bits of iron, seen amongst them, and -which they had before our arrival, were a piece of iron hoop about two -inches long, fitted into a wooden handle[27], 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 ever having 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 Magellan led the way into it; for no discoverer, -immediately after his voyage, ever found any of this metal in their -possession; though, in the course of our late voyages it has been -observed, that the use of it was known at several islands, to which no -former European ships had ever, as far as we know, found their way. At -all the places where Mendana 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 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[28], -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 Paulaho -received it, lies some degrees to the N. W. 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 mediation of those neighbouring Islands where it had been -originally left. Indeed, they acknowledge that this was actually the -case, and they have told us since, that they held it in such estimation -before Captain Wallis’s arrival, that a chief of Otaheite who had got -two nails into his possession, received no small emolument by letting -out the use of these to his neighbours for the purpose of boring holes, -when their own methods failed or were thought too tedious.[29] The men -of the Society Islands whom we found at Wateeoo had been driven thither -long after the knowledge and use of iron had 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. - -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 -shown 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 Magellan’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, maybe 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 an -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 side-boards join each other side by side -for more than a foot. But Mr. Webber’s drawing will explain their -construction more accurately than my description in words. 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 -out-riggers, 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, extended 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 -inclosed 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 greater 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 those latter -not being in a thriving state, which will sufficiently account for the -preference given to the culture of the other article, though more labour -be required to produce them. But notwithstanding this skill in -agriculture, the general appearance of the island showed 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 production 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 show -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 gang-way. 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, showed 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 his 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 at 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 at close fight, and it seems well -adapted to the purpose. Some of these may be called double daggers, -having a handle in the middle, with which they are better enabled to -strike different ways. They have also bows and arrows; but, both from -their 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 religious 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 show 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 afterwards 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 -show, was _taboo_, or, as they pronounced the word, _tafoo_? The _maia_, -_raa_, 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 circumstance with which we -are not as yet sufficiently acquainted, to be decisive about; and I -shall only just observe, to show 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 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 Otaheiteans 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, 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 our pronouncing it to be, though perhaps not the most -numerous, certainly, by far, the most extensive nation upon earth.[30] - -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, in 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? - - - - - CHAP. 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 - AGUILLAR’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 E.; 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° 13ʹ 0ʺ E. - Time-keeper { Greenwich rate, 202 0 0 - { Ulietea rate, 200 21 0 - - The latitude of the road, by the } - mean of two meridian observations } 21 56 15 N. - 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 best seen by casting an eye on the -following table. - - East Mean - Time. Latitude. Longitude. Compass. Variation. Variation. - - Jan. { Gregory’s 10° 10ʹ 10ʺ } - 18th. A. M. 21° 12ʹ 200° 41ʹ { Knight’s 9 20 5 } 9° 51ʹ 38ʺ - { Martin’s 10 4 40 } - - 19th. P. M. 21 51 200 20 { Knight’s 10 2 10 } 10 37 20 - { Gregory’s 11 12 30 } - - { Gregory’s 9 1 20 } - 28th. A. M. 21 22 199 56 { Knight’s 9 1 25 } 9 26 57 - { Martin’s 10 18 5 } - - { Gregory’s 11 21 15 } - 28th. P. M. 21 36 199 50 { Knight’s 10 40 0 } 11 12 50 - { Martin’s 11 37 50 } - - Means of } 21 29 200 12 } - - 10 17 11 - the above} } - On Jan. 18th. 21 12 200 41 the north end of - the needle dipped 42° 1ʹ 7ʺ. - -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 N. W. and S. E., 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 N. W. - -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 south and west, to -north-east and east north-east. I then tacked, and stood to the -northward, our latitude being 30° N. and our longitude 206° 15ʹ 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 south-east; and I was enabled again to -steer to the east, inclining to the north. We had, on the 25th, reached -the latitude of 42° 30ʹ, 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° 49ʹ N., and our -longitude 228° E., we had one calm day. This was succeeded by a wind -from the north, with which I stood to the east close hauled, in order to -make the land. According to the charts, it ought not to have been far -from us. It was remarkable that we should still be attended with such -moderate and mild weather, so far to the northward, and so near the -coast of an extensive continent, at this time of the year. The present -season either must be 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.[31] 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.[32] 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. - -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 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 back, 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° 10ʹ N., and the -longitude of 234-1/2° E., we saw two sails and several whales; and at -day-break, the next morning, the long-looked-for coast of New Albion[33] -was seen, extending from north-east to south-east, distant ten or twelve -leagues. At noon our latitude was 44° 33ʹ N., and our longitude 235° 20ʹ -E.; and the land extended from north-east half north, to south-east by -south, 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 -east 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° 55ʹ N., -and in the longitude of 235° 54ʹ E. - -We had variable light airs and calms till eight o’clock in the evening, -when a breeze sprung up at south-west. With it I stood to the -north-west, under an easy sail, waiting for day-light to range along the -coast. But at four, next morning, the wind shifted to north-west, and -blew in squalls, with rain. Our course was north-east, 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 south-west. At -this time, Cape Foulweather bore north-east by north, 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° 15ʹ 26ʺ E., which was 14° 11ʹ 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 north-west, 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 east north-east. The wind and weather -continued the same; but, in the evening, the former veered more to the -west, 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 land, which, at six, extended from -north-east half east, to south-east by south, 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 north by east, half east, -to south, half east; each extreme about seven leagues distant. Seeing no -signs of a harbour, and the weather being still unsettled, I tacked and -stretched off south-west, 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 toward 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° 6ʹ N., and in the longitude of -235° 52ʹ E. The southern extreme before us, I named _Cape Gregory_.[34] -Its latitude is 43° 30ʹ, and its longitude 235° 57ʹ E. It is a -remarkable point; the land of it rising almost directly from the sea to -a tolerable height, while that on each side of it is low. - -I continued standing off till one in the afternoon. Then I tacked, and -stood in, hoping to have the wind off from the land in the night. But in -this I was mistaken; for at five o’clock it began to veer to the west -and south west; which obliged me, once more, to stand out to sea. At -this time, Cape Perpetua bore north-east by north; and the farthest land -we could see to the south of Cape Gregory, bore south by east, perhaps -ten or twelve leagues distant. If I am right in this estimation, its -latitude will be 43° 10ʹ, and its longitude 235° 55ʹ east, which is -nearly the situation of Cape Blanco, discovered or seen by Martin -d’Agular, 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.[35] - -The wind, as I have observed, had veered to the south-west 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 west -north-west, and soon increased to a very hard gale, with heavy squalls, -attended with sleet or snow. There was no choice now; and we were -obliged to stretch to the southward, in order to get clear of the coast. -This was done under courses, and two close-reefed topsails; being rather -more sail than the ships could safely bear; but it was necessary to -carry it to avoid the more pressing danger of being forced on shore. -This gale continued till eight o’clock in the morning of the 13th; 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° 45ʹ, and in the longitude of 233° 30ʹ. - -The wind continued at west, and north-west; 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 south-west. 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 -unprofitably 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 north-east to east, nine leagues -distant. At this time we were in the latitude of 47° 5ʹ north, and in -the longitude of 235° 10ʹ east. - -I continued to stand to the north with a fine breeze at west, and west -north-west, 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 north to south -east half east, and a small round hill, which had the appearance of -being an island, bore north three quarters east, 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° 15ʹ north, and in the longitude of 235° 3ʹ east. 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. We saw nothing like it; nor is there -the least probability that ever any such thing existed.[36] - -I stood off to the southward till night, when I tacked, and steered to -the north-west, with a gentle breeze at south-west, 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 topsails, 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 we -had 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 south south-east, and was attended with rain and sleet. It -seldom lasted above four or six hours, before it was succeeded by -another gale from the north-west, 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 north-east, we again saw the land, which, at noon, -extended from north-west by west, to east south-east, the nearest part -about six leagues distant. Our latitude was now 49° 29ʹ north, and our -longitude 232° 29ʹ east. 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° 15ʹ north, and in the longitude of 233° 20ʹ east; -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 south-west, 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 north-west, and the other in the north-east corner of the -bay. As I could not fetch the former, I bore up to the latter, and -passed some breakers, or sunken rocks, that lay a league or more from -the shore. We had 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 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 north-west, with which we were enabled -to stretch up into an arm of the inlet, that was observed by us to run -in to the north-east. There we were again becalmed, and obliged to -anchor in eighty-five fathoms’ water, and so near the shore as to reach -it with a hawser. The wind failed the Discovery before she got within -the arm, where she 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[37]; and some of his companions threw handfuls of -red dust or powder in the same manner. The person who played the orator, -wore the skin of some animal, and held in each hand something which -rattled as he kept shaking it. After tiring himself with his repeated -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 show the least surprise or distrust. Some -of them, now and then got up, and said something after the manner of -their first harangues; and one sung a very agreeable air, with a degree -of softness and melody which we could not have expected; the word -_haela_, being often repeated as the burden of the song. The breeze -which soon after sprung up, bringing us nearer to the shore, the canoes -began to come off in greater numbers; and we had, at one time, -thirty-two of them near the ship, carrying from three to seven or eight -persons each, both men and women. Several of these stood up in their -canoes haranguing, and making gestures after the manner of our first -visitors. One canoe was remarkable for a singular head, which had a -bird’s eye and bill, of an enormous size, painted on it; and a person -who was in it, who seemed to be a chief, was no less remarkable for his -uncommon appearance; having many feathers hanging from his head, and -being painted in an extraordinary manner.[38] 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. - -Though our visitors behaved very peaceably, and could not be suspected -of any hostile intention, we could not prevail upon any of them to come -on board. They showed great readiness, however, to part with 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 along-side 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. - - - - - BOOK 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. - - - - - CHAP. 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 north-west 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 north-west 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 topmasts to be struck, and the -foremast of the Resolution to be unrigged, in order to fix a new bib, -one of the old ones being decayed. - -A great many canoes, filled with the natives, were about the ships all -day; and a trade commenced betwixt us and them, which was carried on -with the strictest honesty on both sides. The articles which they -offered to sale were skins of various animals, such as bears, wolves, -foxes, deer, racoons, polecats, martins; and, in particular, of the sea -otters, which are found at the islands east of Kamtschatka. Besides the -skins in their native shape, they also brought garments made of them, -and another sort of clothing made of the bark of a tree, or some plant -like hemp; weapons, such as bows, arrows, and spears; fish-hooks, and -instruments of various kinds; wooden 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 chissels, 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, -chissels, 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 calk 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 foremast. But, 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 south -point of the cove, where they stopped, and lay drawn up in line of -battle, a negociation 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 -along-side 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 -foremast; 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 foremast 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 foremast, 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 -south-east, 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 foremast, 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 showed 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 -foremast. In the evening the wind, which had been for some time -westerly, veered to the south-east, 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 west. - -The fore-mast being, by this time, finished, we hauled it along-side; -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 surprize, 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 an 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 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, -candlesticks, 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 west -point, where I found a large village, and before it a very snug harbour, -in which was from nine to four fathoms’ water, over a bottom of fine -sand. The people of this village, who were numerous, and to most of whom -I was well known, received me very courteously, every one pressing me to -go into his house, or rather his apartment; for several families live -under the same roof. I did not decline the invitations; and my -hospitable friends, whom I visited, spread a mat for me to sit upon, and -showed 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 north north-west; 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 weirs; but I saw nobody attending -them. These weirs were composed of pieces of wicker-work made of small -rods, some closer than others, according to the size of the fish -intended to be caught in them. These pieces of wicker-work (some of -whose _superfices_ 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 hours’ -extent, covered with the largest pine-trees that I ever saw. This was -the more remarkable, as the elevated ground, 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 north north-east, 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 south-east, 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 the day 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 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 -wherever 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.[39] - -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 make no doubt, that whoever comes after me to this -place, will find the natives prepared accordingly, with no -inconsiderably supply of an article of trade, which they could observe -we were eager to possess, and which we found could be purchased to great -advantage. - -Such particulars about the country and its inhabitants as came to our -knowledge during our short stay, and have not been mentioned in the -course of the narrative, will furnish materials for the two following -chapters. - - - - - CHAP. 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 E. corner of Hope Bay, in the -latitude of 49° 33ʹ N., and in the longitude of 233° 12ʹ E. The E. 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; but -the chart or sketch of the sound here annexed, though it has no -pretensions to accuracy, will, with all its imperfections, convey a -better idea of these islands, and of the figure, and the extent of the -sound, than any written description. The depth of water in the middle of -the sound, and even close home to some parts of its shore, is from -forty-seven to ninety fathoms, and perhaps more. The harbours and -anchoring-places within its circuit are numerous; but we had no time to -survey them. The cove in which our ships lay is on the east side of the -sound, and on the east side of the largest of the islands. It is covered -from the sea, but has little else to recommend it, being exposed to the -south-east winds, which we found to blow with great violence; and the -devastation they make sometimes was apparent in many places. - -The land bordering upon the sea-coast is of a middling height and level; -but within the Sound it rises almost 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 breaches 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 north and west, the weather was fine and clear; but if to the -southward of west, 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 first two make up almost two thirds of -the whole; and, at a distance, might be mistaken for the same tree, as -they both run up into pointed spire-like tops; but they are easily -distinguished on coming nearer, from their colour, the cypress being of -a much paler green, or shade, than the other. The trees, in general, -grow with great vigour, and are all of a large size. - -There is but little variety of other vegetable 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 rasberry, 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, the 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 south-east 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.[40] 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, and squirrels are of the common -sort; but the latter is rather smaller than ours, and has a deeper rusty -colour running along the back. - -We were clear as to the existence of all the animals already mentioned; -but there are two others besides, which we could not distinguish with -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 thickness, they were -generally concluded to belong to the elk, or moose-deer; though some of -them, perhaps, might belong to the buffalo. The other animal, which -seems by no means rare, was guessed to be a species of the wild cat or -_lynx_. The length of the skins, without the head, which none of them -had, was about two feet two inches. They are covered with a very fine -wool or fur, of a very light brown or whitish yellow colour, 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 me -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 the 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 their black colour, and -assume a deep brown or sooty colour; but have then a greater quantity of -very fine fur, and scarcely any long hairs. Others, which we suspected -to be still older, were of a 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 discovery 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.[41] - -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 hear; the -Canadian, or migrating thrush; and a considerable number of brown -eagles, with white heads and tails; which, though they seem principally -to frequent the coast, come into the Sound in bad weather, and 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 first two 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 last two 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 Straits of Magellan, -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 skate, 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 came into the sound wore necklaces of a -small bluish _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 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 first two are probably found near the spot, -as they seemed to be in considerable quantities, but the latter seems to -be brought from a greater distance, or is very scarce, for our visitors -always parted with it reluctantly. Some of the pieces were octangular, -and had the appearance of being formed into that shape by art. - -The persons of the natives 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 large prominent cheeks; and above these, the face is frequently -much depressed, or seems fallen in quite across between the temples, the -nose also flattening at its base, with pretty wide nostrils, and a -rounded point. The forehead rather low, the eyes small, black, and -rather languishing than sparkling, the mouth round with large 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, and 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.[42] Their eye-brows are also scanty and -always narrow, but the hair of the head is in great abundance, very -coarse and strong, and without a single exception, black, straight, and -lank, or hanging down over the shoulders; the neck is short; the arms -and body have no particular mark of beauty or elegance in their -formation, but are rather clumsy; and the limbs in all are very small in -proportion to the other parts, and crooked or ill made, with large feet -badly shaped and projecting ankles. This last defect seems, in a great -measure, to arise from their sitting so much on their hams or knees, -both in their canoes and houses. - -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 are 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 latter edge, by fringes -or tassels. It passes under the left arm, and is tied over the right -shoulder by a string before and one behind, near its middle, by which -means both arms are free, and it hangs evenly, covering the left side, -but leaving the right open, except from the loose part of the edges -falling upon it, unless when the mantle is fastened by a girdle (of -coarse matting or woollen) round the waist, which is often done. Over -this, which reaches below the knees, is worn a small cloak of the same -substance, likewise fringed at the lower part. In shape this resembles a -round dish-cover, being quite close, except in the middle, where there -is a hole just large enough to admit the head, and then, resting upon -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 a bunch of -leathern 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 bright 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 wear bracelets or bunches of white bugle beads, -made of a conic shelly substance; bunches of thongs, with tassels; or a -broad black shining horny substance, of one piece. And about their -ankles they also frequently wear many folds of leathern thongs, or the -sinews of animals twisted to a considerable thickness. - -Thus far of their ordinary dress and ornaments; but they have some that -seem to be used only on extraordinary occasions; either when they -exhibit themselves as strangers, in visits of ceremony, or when they go -to war. Amongst the first may be considered the skins of animals, such -as wolves or bears, tied on in the usual manner, but ornamented at the -edges with broad borders of fur, or of the woollen stuff manufactured by -them, ingeniously wrought with various figures. These are worn either -separately, or over their other 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 _cupressus 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 wooden 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.[43] - -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 loud rattling noise, almost equal to that of many -small bells. It seems doubtful, however, whether this part of their garb -be intended to strike terror in war, or only is to be 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 be 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 -different 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 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. - - - - - CHAP. 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. - - -The two towns or villages mentioned in the course of my Journal seem to -be the only inhabited parts 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 -be rather 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[44], 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 -are also tied; but within are some larger poles placed aslant. The -height of the sides and ends of these habitations is seven or eight -feet, but the back part is a little higher, by which means the planks -that compose the roof, slant forward, and are laid on loose, so as to be -moved about, either to be put close to exclude the rain, or in fair -weather to be separated, to let in the light, and carry out the smoke. -They are, 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, 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. - -On the inside, one may frequently see from one end to the other of these -ranges of buildings 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 frieze-work and figures of birds or -animals as decorations. Their other domestic utensils are mostly square -and oblong pails or buckets to hold water and other things, round wooden -cups and bowls, and small shallow wooden troughs about two feet long, -out of which they eat their food, and baskets of twigs, bags of matting, -&c. Their fishing implements and other things also, lie or hang up in -different parts of the house, but without the least order, so that the -whole is a complete scene of confusion; and the only places that do not -partake of this confusion are the sleeping-benches, that have nothing on -them but the mats, which are also cleaner or of a finer sort than those -they commonly have to sit on in their boats. - -The 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, will convey 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.[45] It was natural, from these circumstances, for us to -think that they were representatives of their gods, or symbols of some -religious or superstitious object; and yet we had proofs of the little -real estimation they were in, for with a small quantity of iron or -brass, I could have purchased all the gods (if their images were such) -in the place. I did not see one that was not offered to me; and I -actually got two or three of the very smallest sort. - -The chief employment of the men seems to be that of fishing and killing -land or sea animals for the sustenance of their families, for we saw few -of 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 should -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 exceedingly 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.[46] 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 dependance 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-fowls, 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 mildish -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 up 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 seemed 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 broiling, unless we allow that of -preparing their porpoise broth is such; and indeed their vessels being -all of wood, are quite insufficient for this purpose. - -Their manner of eating is exactly 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 -pickaxe, 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 skulls 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 ranked 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 the 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 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 frieze-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 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 the 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, shews 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 are fastened about two or three fathoms of rope; and to throw this -harpoon, they use a shaft of about twelve or fifteen feet long, to which -the line or rope is made fast; and to one end of which the harpoon is -fixed, so as to separate from the shaft, and leave it floating upon the -water as a buoy, when 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[47]; as they frequently throw 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. - -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 make 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 is now universally used in -their various wooden works. The chisel and the knife are the only forms, -as far as we saw, that iron assumes amongst them. The chisel is a long -flat piece, fitted into a handle of wood. A stone serves for a mallet, -and a piece of fish-skin for a polisher. I have seen some of these -chisels that were eight 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 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 inquiries, by signs, on our arrival, -if we meant to settle amongst them; and if we came as friends: -signifying, at the same time, that they gave the wood and water freely, -from friendship. This not only proves, that they considered the place as -entirely their property, without fearing any superiority; but the -inquiry would have been an unnatural 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 musket; till one day, upon -their endeavouring to make us sensible, that their arrows and spears -could not penetrate the hide-dresses, one of our gentlemen shot a musket -ball through one of them, folded six times. At this they were so much -staggered, that they plainly discovered their ignorance of the effect of -fire arms. This was very often confirmed 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 accounts 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.[48] 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 may be supposed to come from some constant -source, by way of traffic, and that not of a very late date; for they -are as dexterous in using their tools as the longest practice can make -them. The most probable way, 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. - -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 manufactured 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.[49] - -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 the language, than to ask -the names of things, without being able to hold any conversation with -the natives, that might instruct us as to their institutions 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 skull. - _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, to -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.”[50] - -The large vocabulary of the Nootka language, collected by Mr. Anderson, -shall be reserved for another place[51], 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. - _Atslepoo_, Seven. - _Atlaquolthl_, Eight. - _Tsawaquulthl_, Nine. - _Haeeoo_, Ten. - -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._ - - - { Sun 49° 36ʹ 1ʺ,15ʺʹ - The latitude of the observatory{ { South 49 36 8, 36 - by { Stars { North 49 36 10, 30 - --------------- - The mean of these means - 49 36 6, 47 north. - - _Longitude._ - - - The longitude, { Twenty sets taken on the } 233° 26ʹ 18ʺ, 7ʺʹ - by { 21st and 23d of March } - lunar observations{ Ninety-three 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-keeper, and adding } 233° 17ʹ 30ʺ, 5ʺʹ - them up with those made on the spot, } - the mean of the 137 sets will be } - - Longitude by the { Greenwich rate 235° 46ʹ 51ʺ, 0ʺʹ - time-keeper { Ulietea rate 233 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, 7ʺ; and the 16th of April, she was too slow for mean time, by -16^h 0^m 58ʺ, 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._ - - April { A. M. } Observatory, { 15° 57ʹ 48-1/2ʺ } 15° 49ʹ 25ʺ east. - 4th { P. M. } Mean of 4 needles { 15 41 2 } - - 5th. { A. M. } On board the ship,{ 19 50 49 } 19 44 57-1/2 - 17th. { P. M. } Mean of 4 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 11-3/4 points from its -proper direction. - - _Inclination of the dipping Needle._ - - April - 5th. On board with { Marked } End North { 71° 26ʹ 22-1/2ʺ } 71° 40ʹ 22-1/2ʺ - balanced needle { Unmarked } and dipping { 71 54 22-1/2 } - - The same needle { Marked } End North { 72 3 45 } 70 0 0 - at the observatory { Unmarked } and dipping { 71 56 15 } - - 18th. Ditto { Marked } End North { 71 58 20 } 72 7 15 - { Unmarked } and dipping { 72 16 10 } - - 5th. Spare needle at { Marked } End North { 72 32 30 } 72 49 15 - the observatory { Unmarked } and dipping { 73 6 0 } - - 18th. Ditto { Marked } End North { 72 55 0 } 73 11 45 - { Unmarked } and dipping { 73 28 30 } - - 22d. Spare needle on { Marked } End North { 73 28 38 } 73 11 0 - board { Unmarked } and dipping { 72 53 30 } - - Hence the mean dip, with both needles, on shore, was 72 32 3-3/4 - On board 72 25 41-1/4 - -This is as near as can be expected; and shows 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 new and full 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 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 N. W., -S. W., or S. E. I think it does not come from the last quarter; but this -is only conjecture, founded upon the following observations: The S. E. -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. - - - - - CHAP. 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.—BEERING’S BAY.—KAYE’S ISLAND.—ACCOUNT OF IT.—THE - SHIPS COME TO 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 N. E. to S. E. by E., and increased to a strong gale with squalls -and rain, and so dark a sky that we could not see the length of the -ship. Being apprehensive, from the experience I had since our arrival on -this coast, of the wind veering more to the S., which would put us in -danger of a lee-shore, we got the tacks on board, and stretched off to -the S. W., under all the sail the ships could bear. Fortunately the wind -veered no farther southerly than S. E., 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 N. W., in which direction I -supposed the coast to lie. The wind was at S. E., 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 S., 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° 1ʹ; longitude 229° 26ʹ.[52] 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[53] 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. The same day at noon we were in the latitude of 53° 22ʹ, -and in the longitude of 225° 14ʹ. - -The next morning, being the first 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 was 54° 43ʹ, -and our longitude 224° 44ʹ. At seven in the evening, being in the -latitude of 55° 20ʹ, 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.[54] - -At this time the northern point of an inlet, or what appeared to be one, -bore E. by S. It lies in the latitude of 56°, and from it to the -northward, the coast seemed to be much broken, forming bays and 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° -48ʹ, and off, or rather to the northward of, the S. point of a large -bay. An arm of this bay, in the northern part of it, seemed to extend in -toward the N., behind a round elevated mountain that lies between it and -the sea. This mountain I called _Mount Edgecumbe_, and the point of land -that shoots out from it, _Cape Edgecumbe_. The latter lies in the -latitude of 57° 3ʹ, and in the longitude of 224° 7ʹ, and at noon it bore -N. 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 Edgecumbe 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 Edgecumbe to -trend to north and north easterly for six or seven leagues, and there -form a large bay. In the entrance of that bay are some islands; for -which reason I named it the _Bay of Islands_. It lies in the latitude of -57° 20ʹ[55]; 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 Edgecumbe, and make the land of that cape an island. At eight -o’clock in the evening, the cape bore south-east half south; 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., half W., and N. W. by W., as the coast trended, with a fine -gale at N. E., and clear weather. - -At half an hour past four in the morning, on the 3d, Mount Edgecumbe -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 Fair Weather_, 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 south east point of -this sound is a high promontory, which obtained the name of _Cross -Cape_. It lies in the latitude of 57° 57ʹ, and its longitude is 223° -21ʹ. At noon it bore south-east; and the point, under the peaked -mountain, which was called _Cape Fair Weather_, north by west a quarter -west, distant thirteen leagues. Our latitude at this time was 58° 17ʹ, -and our longitude 222° 14ʹ; 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° 11ʹ to 26° 11ʹ E. - -Here the north-east wind left us, and was succeeded by light breezes -from the north-west, which lasted for several days. I stood to the -south-west, and west-south-west, till eight o’clock the next morning, -when we tacked and stood toward the shore. At noon the latitude was 58° -22ʹ, and the longitude 220° 45ʹ. Mount Fair Weather, 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° -52ʹ, 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 -north-west entrance of Cross Sound, and extend to the north-west 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[56]. At five in the -afternoon, our latitude being then 58° 53ʹ, and our longitude 220° 52ʹ; -the summit of an elevated mountain appeared above the horizon, being N. -26° W.; and, as was afterward found, forty leagues distant. We supposed -it to be Beering’s Mount St. Elias; and it stands by that name in our -chart. - -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 upper part of the wings with a black band; and the rest -blueish 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° 8ʹ, and in the -longitude of 220° 19ʹ. Mount Fair Weather bore S., 63° E., and Mount -Elias N., 30° W.; the nearest land about eight leagues distant. In the -direction of north, 47° E. from this station, there was the appearance -of a bay, and an island off the south point of it, that was covered with -wood. It is here where I suppose Commodore Beering to have anchored. The -latitude, which is 59° 18ʹ, corresponds pretty well with the map of his -voyage[57], 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 twenty fathoms’ water over a muddy -bottom. The calm was succeeded by a light breeze from the north, with -which we stood to the westward; and at noon the next day we were in the -latitude of 59° 27ʹ, and the longitude of 219° 7ʹ. In this situation, -Mount Fair Weather bore S., 70ʹ E.; Mount St. Elias N. half 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. - -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° 30ʹ, 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° 27ʹ, 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° 51ʹ, and our longitude 215° -56ʹ, being no more than three leagues from the coast of the continent, -which extended from east half north, to north-west half west, 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 north-east 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 -north-east, shifted to north. 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 twopenny pieces of his Majesty’s -coin, of the date 1772. These, with many others, were furnished me by -the Reverend Dr. Kaye[58]; 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 north-east and -south-west; but its breadth is not above a league, or a league and a -half, in any part of it. The south-west point, which lies in the -latitude of 59° 49ʹ, and the longitude of 216° 58ʹ, 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 valleys 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 valleys are filled with -pine-trees, which grow down close to the entrance, but only to about -half way up the higher or middle part of the island. The woody part also -begins 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.[59] - -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. 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 quebrantahuesses, 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. - -I returned on board at half past two in the afternoon; and, with a light -breeze easterly, steered for the south-west 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 north-west half north. On the -north-west side of the north-east end of Kaye’s Island, lies another -island, stretching south-east and north-west about three leagues, to -within the same distance of the north-west 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 -east a quarter south. At this time, we were about four or five leagues -from the main; and the most western part in sight bore north-west half -north. We had now a fresh gale at east-south-east; and as we advanced to -the north-west, we raised land more and more westerly; and, at last, to -the southward of west; so that at noon, when the latitude was 61° 11ʹ, -and the longitude 213° 28ʹ, the most advanced land bore from us -south-west by west half west. At the same time, the east point of a -large inlet bore west-north-west, three leagues distant. - -From Comptroller’s Bay to this point, which I name _Cape Hinchingbroke_, -the direction of the coast is nearly east and west. 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 north; and that the land to the west and south-west was nothing -but a group of islands. Add to this, that the wind was now at -south-east, 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 south by west half west, one league -distant; the west point of the inlet south-west by west, distant five -leagues; and the land on that side extended as far as west by north. -Between this point and north-west by west, 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 north shore, bore north -north-west half west, two leagues distant. Between this point and the -shore under which we were at anchor is a bay about three leagues deep; -on the south-east side of which there are two or three coves, such as -that before which we had anchored; and in the middle some rocky islands. - -To these islands Mr. Gore was sent in a boat, in hopes of shooting some -eatable birds. But he had hardly got to them, before about twenty -natives made their appearance in two large canoes; on which he thought -proper to return to the ships, and they followed him. They would not -venture along-side, but kept at some distance, holloing 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 along-side, 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 south south-east, 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 north-west 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 south-east, 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.[60] - -The treatment these men met with, induced many more to visit us between -one and two the next morning, in both great and small canoes. Some -ventured on board the ship; but not till some of our people had stepped -into their boats. Amongst those who came on board, was a good-looking -middle-aged man, whom we afterward found to be the chief. He was clothed -in a dress made of the sea-otter’s skin; and had on his head such a cap -as is worn by the people of King George’s Sound, 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 upon the -chief to trust himself below the upper deck; nor did he and his -companions remain long on board. But while we had their company, it was -necessary to watch them narrowly, as they soon betrayed a thievish -disposition. At length, after being about three or four hours alongside -the Resolution, they all left her, and went to the Discovery; none -having been there before, except 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 -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 a 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 musket fired, unless at birds. - -Just as we were going to weigh the anchor, to proceed farther up the -bay, it began to blow and to rain as hard as before; so that we were -obliged to bear 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 overboard 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 -seven 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 east-north-east; 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 north-west 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 he 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 north-east; 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[61], 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°.[62] Who could expect to find a passage or strait of such extent? - -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 south-west 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 -north-east and south-west; to which I gave the name of _Montagu Island_. - -In this south-west 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 south-west, and -south-west by south, 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 within, or 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 became 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. - - - - - CHAP. V. - -THE INLET CALLED PRINCE WILLIAM’S SOUND.—ITS EXTENT.—PERSONS OF THE - INHABITANTS DESCRIBED.—THEIR DRESS.—INCISION OF THEIR 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 direction which they seemed to take, as also the situation -and magnitude of the several islands in and about it, will be best seen -in the sketch, which is delineated with as much accuracy as the short -time and other circumstances would allow. - -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 strong-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 younger -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 clothed alike) is a -kind of close frock, or rather robe; reaching generally to the ankles, -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-beaters’ -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.[63] - -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 their 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 -tubulose 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 become 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 within, 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.[64] 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[65] 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.[66] 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 -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 butter-boat 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 platted. 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.[67] - -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 strong 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 shoemakers’ 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, platting 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 uncivilised or rude state 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, is 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[68], 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. - - 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_. - - Ooonaka, _Of_, or _belonging to me_.—_Will you barter for this - that belongs to me?_ - - Manaka, - - Ahleu, _A spear._ - - Weena, _or_ _Stranger—calling to one._ - Veena, - - Keelashuk, _Guts of which they make jackets._ - - Tawuk, _Keep it._ - - Amilhtoo, _A piece of white bear’s skin_, or _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[69], _Four?_ - - Koeheene, _Five?_ - - Takulai, _Six?_ - - Keichilho, _Seven?_ - - Klu, _or_ _Eight?_ - Kliew, - -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 ermins, 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 of -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 a hair of a -whitish colour at the edges. It is no doubt the same with those called -spotted field-mice by Mr. Stæhlin[70], 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 moose nor of the common deer. - -Of the birds mentioned at Nootka, we found here only the white-headed -eagle; the shag; the _alcyon_, or great king-fisher, which had very -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-fowl 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 sea-pyes, 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-fowl 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 white 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.[71] - -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 clothing, and send others, which they esteemed less valuable, -as being of their own animals, eastward, till they reach the traders -from Europe. - - - - - CHAP. 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 south-west, with -a gentle breeze at north north-east; which, at four o’clock the next -morning, was succeeded by a calm; and soon after, the calm was succeeded -by a breeze from south-west. This freshening, and veering to north-west, -we still continued to stretch to the south-west, and passed a lofty -promontory, situated in the latitude of 59° 10ʹ, and the longitude of -207° 45ʹ. 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 west south-west. - -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 west, ten leagues distant. At the same time, a -new land was seen, bearing south 77° west, which was supposed to connect -Cape Elizabeth with the land we had seen to the westward. - -The wind continued at west, 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 22d. It here formed a point that bore west north-west. -At the same time, more land was seen extending to the southward, as far -as south south-west; the whole being twelve or fifteen leagues distant. -On it was seen a ridge of mountains covered with snow, extending to the -north-west, 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° 15ʹ, and in the longitude of -207° 42ʹ; and by what I can gather from the account of Beering’s voyage, -and the chart that accompanies it in the English edition[72], 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. - -On the north side of Cape St. Hermogenes, the coast turned toward the -north-west, 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 latter account published by Mr. Stæhlin, who makes Cape St. -Hermogenes, and all the land that Beering discovered to the south-west -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 -south-west. - -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 north-east we -steered north-north-west 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 one league broad. A -league and a half to the north of this island lie some rocks, above -water; on the north-east side of which we had from thirty to twenty -fathoms water. - -At noon, the island of St. Hermogenes bore south-east, eight leagues -distant; and the land to the north-west of it extended from south 1/2 -west to near west. 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° 41ʹ, and its longitude 207° 44ʹ. In this -situation, the land, which was supposed to connect Cape Elizabeth with -this south-west land, was in sight, bearing north-west 1/2 north. 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. It is situated in the latitude of 58° 56ʹ, and in the longitude -of 206° 10ʹ, ten leagues to the westward of Barren Isles, and twelve -from Point Banks, in the direction of N. W. by W. 1/2 W. - -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 Saint 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 north side of Cape Elizabeth, between it -and a lofty promontory, named _Cape Bede_[73], 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. - -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 appearing 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° 51ʹ; -the low land above mentioned extended from N. E. to S. 75° E., the -nearest part two 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 -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° 8ʹ; 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 now 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 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 the 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° 37ʹ. - -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 upward. 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 suppose 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 ran 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 north-east 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 -of the flood, and, having a faint breeze at north-east, 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 -with boats, I dispatched two, under the command of Lieutenant King, to -examine the tides, and to make such observations as might give us some -insight into the nature of the river. - -At ten o’clock, finding the ebb begun, 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; the 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, any more 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° 30ʹ, and the longitude of 201°; which is seventy leagues, or -more, from its entrance, without seeing the least appearance of its -source. - -If the discovery of this great river[74], 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 Bays less probable, or, -at least, showed 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. - -In the afternoon I sent Mr. King again, with two armed boats, with -orders to land on the northern point of the low land, on the south-east -side of the river; there to display the flag, and 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 were 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 south, 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 -show that they were without weapons. On Mr. King’s and the gentlemen -with him landing with muskets 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 surprize 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, elders, 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 doing of which, by the -inattention and neglect of the man at the lead, the Resolution struck, -and stuck fast on the 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° 23ʹ; and 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 surprize, -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. A view of the chart will illustrate this. - -The variation of the compass was 25° 40ʹ E. - - - - - CHAP. 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 west south-west, and south south-west, 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 west, with which -we got under sail, and, at eight, passed the Barren Isles, and stretched -away for Cape St. Hermogenes. At noon this cape bore south south-east, -eight leagues distant; and the passage between the island of that name, -and the main land, bore south. 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 north-west 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 -south half east to south south-east, a quarter east; and the rocks that -lie on the north side of it bore south-east, 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 north, four leagues distant. At this time, the -southernmost point of the main land, within or to the westward of St. -Hermogenes, lay north half west, distant five leagues. This promontory, -which is situated in the latitude of 58° 15ʹ, and in the longitude of -207° 24ʹ was named, after the day, _Cape Whitsunday_. A large bay, which -lies to the west of it, obtained the name of _Whitsuntide Bay_. The land -on the east side of this bay, of which Cape Whitsunday is the 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 straight or -passage that separates it from the main land. - -Between one and two in the afternoon, the wind, which had been at -north-east, shifted at once to the southward. It was unsettled till six, -when it fixed at south, 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 west south-west. In -this situation, we tacked in thirty-five fathoms water, the island of -St. Hermogenes bearing north, 20° E., and the southernmost land in -sight, south. - -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° 52-1/2ʹ; Cape St. Hermogenes -bore north, 30° W. eight leagues distant, and the southernmost part of -the coast in sight, the same that was seen before, bore south-west, ten -leagues distant. The land here forms a point, which was named _Cape -Greville_. It lies in the latitude of 57° 33ʹ, and in the longitude of -207° 15ʹ; and is distant fifteen leagues from Cape St. Hermogenes, in -the direction of south, 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 -south-east by south, and south south-east, 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 south-west, in the -evening of the 12th, we had a sight of the land bearing west, 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° 13ʹ bore -north-east half east, ten miles distant; and the coast extended from -north, 42° E. to west south-west. The north-east extreme was lost in a -haze; but the point to the south-west, 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 -incumbered 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 south-west by west, 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 south, 69° W.; and without it other -land, that had the appearance of an island, bore south, 59° W. - -At noon, on the 13th, being in latitude 56° 49ʹ, Cape St. Barnabas bore -north, 52° E.; Two-headed Point north, 14° W. seven or eight miles -distant; and the coast of the continent extended as far as south, -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 east and west. 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° 36ʹ, 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_[75]; but its situation so near -the main does not suit his chart. - -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 west north-west. 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 north-east of it, nor does the 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 south; -and we had reason to expect, that it would soon be at south-east. -Experience having taught us, that a south-easterly wind was 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 -south south-east; which, before midnight, veered to the south-east; 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 west north-west, 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 north-west, 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 got sight of the coast -again, extending from west by south to north-west, 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 west south-west to north-east by north; -and some elevated land, bearing south-east half south; by estimation -eight or nine leagues distant. The north-east 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° 31ʹ. At this time, having -but little wind all night, a breeze sprung up at north-west. 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° 10ʹ, and in the longitude of 220° -45ʹ; 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 -north by west; a point, with three or four pinnacle rocks upon it, which -was called _Pinnacle Point_, bore north-west by west; and a cluster of -small islets, or rocks, lying about nine leagues from the coast south -south-east. - -At noon, when our latitude was 56° 9ʹ, and our longitude 201° 45ʹ, these -rocks bore south, 58° E., ten miles distant; Pinnacle Point, north -north-west, distant seven leagues; the nearest part of the main land -north-west by west, six leagues distant; and the most advanced land to -the south-west, which had the appearance of being an island, bore west, -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 south-west to north north-east; the nearest part about -eight leagues distant. - -On the 17th, the wind was between west and north-west, a gentle breeze, -and sometimes almost calm. The weather was clear, and the air sharp and -dry. At noon, the continent extended from south-west to north by east; -the nearest part seven leagues distant. A large group of islands lying -about the same distance from the continent, extended from south 26° W., -to south 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° 27ʹ 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 south-west 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 monochora_ of Steller, mentioned -in the history of Kamtschatka.[76] 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 other large fish. - -In the afternoon, we got a light breeze of wind southerly, which enabled -us to steer west 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° 18ʹ, 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_[77], according to the information we afterward received. I left -the rest of them without names. I believe them to be the same that -Beering calls Schumagin’s Islands[78]; or those islands 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° 15ʹ 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 showed themselves between the innermost islands, -were quite covered with it. - -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. 3° 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 two miles astern, fired three guns, -and brought to, and made the 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 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 north-east; and at -two o’clock next morning, some breakers were seen within us, at the -distance of two miles. Two hours after others were seen ahead; 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 several -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° -44ʹ, and in the longitude of 198°. The nearest land, being an elevated -bluff point, which was called _Rock Point_, bore north, 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. 65° 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° -27ʹ, 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. - -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° 48ʹ, and the -longitude of 195° 45ʹ. 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 upward 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, he 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 above-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 the 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 -lip 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 again 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 E. and W. 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 W., 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. - -Daylight 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 the -Discovery, she being close to 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 tolerably good grass and several -other small plants, one of which was like purslain, and ate very well, -either in soups or as a salad. 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 daybreak the next morning, we weighed with a light breeze at S., -which carried us up the passage, when it was succeeded by variable light -airs from all directions; but as there ran 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 there taken a new -direction, which was much in our favour. Being in want of water, and -perceiving that we ran some risk of driving about in a rapid tide, -without wind to govern the ship, I stood for a harbour lying on the -south 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 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 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 worn 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. - -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 53° 55ʹ, in the longitude of 193° -30ʹ; 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. - - - - - CHAP. 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 south south-east, we steered -to the north, meeting with nothing to obstruct us in this course; for, -as I observed before, the Island of Oonalashka, on the one side, tended -south-west, and on the other, no land was to be seen in a direction more -northerly than north-east; the whole of which land 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 north-east side -of the passage through which we came, is called _Oonella_, and is about -seven leagues in circumference. Another island, to the north-east 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 south-west point of which opened off the -north-east point of Acootan, in the direction of north, 60° east; 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 _Oonemak_, and lies -in the latitude of 54° 30ʹ, and in the longitude of 192° 30ʹ. 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 east 2° north, 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 next morning, when the watch on deck -thought they saw land ahead. Upon this we wore, and stood to the -south-west for two hours, and then resumed our course to the -east-north-east. - -At six o’clock land was seen ahead, bearing south-east, 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 south-south-west to east; the nearest part five or six -leagues distant. Our latitude at this time was 55° 21ʹ, and our -longitude 195° 18ʹ. This coast is on the north-west 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 east by -north 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 east-south-east, and appeared as a high round -hummock, seemingly detached from the main. - -Having continued to steer east-north-east all night, at eight in the -morning of the 4th the coast was seen from south-south-west, and east by -south, 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 fine 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 south by -west to east by south. The hummock, seen the preceding evening, bore -south-west by south, ten leagues distant. Our latitude was now 55° 50ʹ, -and our longitude 197° 3ʹ. A great hollow swell from west-south-west -assured us that there was no main land near, in that direction. I stood -to the north till six in the afternoon, when the wind having veered to -the south-east enabled us to steer east-north-east. 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 south-south-west to east by north, 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 south-west; -and that such places as we sometimes took for inlets or bays are only -vallies between the mountains. - -On the morning of the 9th, with a breeze at north-west, we steered east -by north, to get nearer the coast. At noon, we were in the latitude of -57° 49ʹ, and in the longitude of 201° 33ʹ, and about two leagues from -the land, which extended from south by east to east-north-east; 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 north-east, 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 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 south-east by east, twenty-one leagues -distant. Some other mountains, belonging to the same chain, and much -farther distant, bore east 3° north. The coast extended as far as -north-east half north, 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 north-west by west, 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 north-east half east, 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 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 south-east and the -hills to the north-west. 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° 27ʹ, and in the -longitude of 201° 55ʹ. - -Having spent the night in making short boards, at daybreak, on the -morning of the 10th, we made sail to the west-south-west, with a gentle -breeze at north-east. At eleven o’clock we thought the coast to the -north-west terminated in a point, bearing north-west by west; 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 north-east, three or four miles; but finding there -was a strong tide or current setting to the west-south-west, 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 south-west, 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 south-east shore, in -sight, bearing south-east half south; and the westernmost land on the -other shore north-west. We had, in the course of the day, seen high -land, bearing north 60° west, by estimation twelve leagues distant. - -Having weighed next morning, at two o’clock, with a light breeze at -south-west by west, 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 south-west. 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 south-west quarter, in the morning -of the 12th, we stood to the north-west, and at ten saw the continent. -At noon, it extended from north-east by north, to north-north-west, a -quarter west; and an elevated hill bore north-north-west, 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° 37ʹ, and in the -longitude of 200° 6ʹ, 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 extremities of -the coast bearing east-south-east half east, and west. The wind veering -to the north-west 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 58° 13ʹ, and the longitude 199°. Round -Island bore north, 5° east; and the west extreme of the coast north, 16° -west, 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 -north-west 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. - -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 north, -72° east, and a point eight leagues from it, in the direction of west, -bore north, 3° east, 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 north-west side of this -last point, between it and an elevated promontory, which, at this time, -bore north, 36° west, 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 north-west 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 -were 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° 42ʹ, and in the longitude of 197° 36ʹ. 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 her 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 -south-south-west. - -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 -north-east 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 north-east 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° 16ʹ. - -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 -south, 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 north by east. 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 south-west 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° 45ʹ 48ʺ - - - By the time-keeper it was 197 26 48 - - Our latitude was 59 37 30 - - Variation by the} } mean 22° - mean of three } A. M. 23° 34ʹ 3ʺ } 56ʹ 51ʺ - compasses, } P. M. 22 19 40 } east. - -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 along-side; 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 wood. 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 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 -north-west, 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° 7ʹ, -and in the longitude of 194° 22ʹ. Three leagues to the westward of this -station we had twenty-eight fathoms water, and then steered west -north-west, 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° 29ʹ, -and our longitude 191-1/2° 37ʹ. 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 sun-shine; during which we made -several lunar observations. The mean result of them, reduced to noon, -when the latitude was 59° 55ʹ, gave 190° 6ʹ longitude; and the -time-keeper gave 189° 59ʹ. The variation of the compass was 18° 40ʹ -east. Continuing our westerly course, the water having now deepened to -thirty-six fathoms, at four o’clock next morning we discovered land, -bearing north-west by west, 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 north north-west. It was -the south-east extremity, and formed a perpendicular cliff of -considerable height; on which account it was called _Point Upright_, and -lies in the latitude of 60° 17ʹ, and in the longitude of 187° 30ʹ. 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 west by south; -and this seemed to be entirely separated from the other. Here we met -with an incredible number of birds, all as the hawk 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. - -At four in the afternoon of the 30th, Point Upright bore north-west by -north, six leagues distant. About this time a light breeze springing up -at north north-west, we stood to the north-east till four o’clock next -morning, when the wind veering to the eastward, we tacked and steered to -the north-west. Soon after the wind came to the south-east, and we -steered north-east by north; 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° 58ʹ, and in the longitude of 191°. The -wind now veering to north-east, I first made a stretch of ten leagues to -the north-west; 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 south-east 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° 34ʹ, 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 of 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 shown that he was not unworthy of this commendation.[79] 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. - -On the 4th, at three in the afternoon, land was seen, extending from -north north-east to north-west. 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° 27ʹ, and in the longitude of 194° 18ʹ. At intervals, -we could see the coast extending from east to north-west, and a pretty -high island, bearing west by north, 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 tide, there was a westerly current. - -At ten in the morning of the 5th, with the wind at south-west, we ran -down and anchored, between the island and the continent, in seven -fathoms water. Soon after, I landed upon the island, and, 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 -north-west half west, 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° 30ʹ, and in the longitude of 193° 57ʹ, 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 the 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. 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 whale-bone, 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 -altitude, 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 south, 51° -east, 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 north, 40° east, to north, 30° west, -apparently disjoined from the coast, under which we were at anchor, and -seemed to trend away north-east. At the same time, an island was seen -bearing north 81° west, 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 -north-west. The weather clearing up toward the evening, we got sight of -the north-west land, extending from north by west, to north-west by -north, 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 in the morning of the 8th, we had again a sight of the -north-west 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° 36ʹ, and in -longitude 192° 18ʹ. A breeze at north-east springing up at eight -o’clock, we weighed, and stood to the south-east, in hopes of finding a -passage between the coast on which we had anchored on the 6th in the -evening, and this north-west 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 north-west 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 west by south; another -island to the north of it, and much larger, bore west by north; the -peaked hill above mentioned, south east by east; and the point under it, -south, 32° east. Under this hill lies some low land, stretching out -toward the north-west, the extreme point of which, bore north-east by -east, 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° 46ʹ, and in the longitude -of 191° 45ʹ. 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 north north-west, to west by south, 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° 24ʹ, it -extended from south, 72° west to north, 41° east. Between the south-west -extreme, and a point which bore west, 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 point of the bay bore south, 58° west; the -north point north, 43° east; the bottom of the bay north, 60° west, two -or three leagues distant; and the two islands we had passed the -preceding day, north, 72° east, distant fourteen leagues. - - - - - CHAP. 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 ATTEMPTS 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. - - -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 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 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 a spear slung over their 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 their 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 the 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 underground; 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 their 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 exceeding 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. - -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 north-east, -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 43° 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° -5-1/4ʹ; the longitude 191° 19ʹ; 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 failing, 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 north, we weighed and stood to the -westward, which course soon brought us into deep water; and, during the -12th, we plied to the north, 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 south, 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 east by south to east by north; 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 north to -south-east; the nearest part three or four leagues distant. The coast -here forms a point, named _Point Mulgrave_, which lies in the latitude -of 67° 45ʹ; and in the longitude of 194° 51ʹ. 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° 18ʹ. 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 land-larks, and others seen no bigger than -hedge-sparrows. Some shags were also seen; so that we judged ourselves -to be not far from the 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° 33ʹ, gave 197° 41ʹ. The time-keeper, for the same time, -gave 198°; and the variation was 35° 1ʹ 22ʺ 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° 41ʹ; not being able to -stand on any farther. For the ice was quite impenetrable, and extended -from west by south to east by north, 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 the 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° 44ʹ; 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 south to south-east by east, 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 79° 29ʹ, and its longitude 198° 20ʹ. 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 south-west. 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 south-west, and south-west by west. - -At eight in the morning of the 19th, the wind veering back to west, I -tacked to the northward; and at noon the latitude was 70° 6ʹ, and the -longitude 196° 42ʹ. In this situation we had a good deal of drift-ice -about us; and the main ice was about two leagues to the north. At half -past one we got in with the edge of it. It was not so compact as that -which we had seen to the northward; but it was too close, and in too -large pieces, to attempt forcing the ships through it. On the ice lay a -prodigious number of sea-horses; and as we were in want of fresh -provisions, the boats from each ship were sent to get some. - -By 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 ate 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 been once fired at. Then they would tumble one -over the other into the sea, in the utmost confusion. And if we did not, -at the first discharge, kill those we fired at, we generally lost them, -though mortally wounded. They did 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 expence 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. 335[80], 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 -Gulph of St. Lawrence, and there called sea-cow. It is certainly more -like a cow than a horse, but this likeness consists in nothing but the -snout. In short, it is an animal like a seal, but incomparably larger. -The dimensions and weight of one which was none of the largest, were as -follow: - - Feet. Inches. - - Length from the snout to the tail 9 4 - Length of the neck, from the snout to } 2 6 - the shoulder-bone } - 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 - Weight of the carcase, without } 854 lb. - the head, skin, or entrails } - Head 41-1/2 - Skin 205 - -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 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 N. till ten o’clock, when the wind veering -to the northward, we directed our course to the W. 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° 32ʹ, and in the -longitude of 195° 48ʹ; 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° 5ʹ, and in the longitude -of 194° 42ʹ, and appeared to be pretty high land, even down to the sea. -But there may be low land under it, which we might not see, being not -less than ten leagues from it. 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 N. near -the coast, on account of the ice, I resolved to try what could be done -at a distance from it; and as the wind seemed to be settled at N., I -thought it a good opportunity. - -As we advanced to the W., the water deepened gradually to twenty-eight -fathoms, which was the most we had. With the northerly wind the air was -raw, sharp, and cold; and we had fogs, sunshine, showers of snow and -sleet, by turns. At ten in the morning of the 26th, we fell in with the -ice. At noon it 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 of 69° 36ʹ, and in the longitude of 184°, so that it now -appeared we had no better prospect of getting to the N. 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 to fifty yards in extent to -four or five; and I judged that the larger pieces reached thirty feet or -more under the surface of the water. It also appeared to me very -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 is not seen for several days in succession. It is the wind, or -rather the waves raised by the wind, that bring down the bulk of these -enormous masses, by grinding one piece against another, and by -undermining and washing away those parts that lie 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 should not have -believed that there was a sufficient weight of ice above the surface, to -have sunk the other so much below it. Thus it may happen, that more ice -is destroyed in one stormy season than is formed in 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. - -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° 17ʹ, -our longitude 183°; the variation, by the morning azimuths, 25° 56ʹ 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 E., 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 south-west by west. Presently after this, -more land showed itself, bearing west. It showed 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 south, 30° east, to north, 60° west. 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 south-east, 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 north-west. -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° 56ʹ, and in the longitude of 180° 51ʹ. 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 offshore -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. - - - - - CHAP. 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 ST. LAURENCE.—TWO OTHER - BAYS, AND HABITATIONS OF THE NATIVES.—BEERING’S CAPE TSCHUKOTSKOI.— - BEERING’S POSITION OF THIS COAST ACCURATE.—ISLAND OF ST. 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 south-west, 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 -south south-west, four miles distant; to the east 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 south-east to north-west by -west. 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 west to -south-east by south. At eight, the eastern part bore south, and proved -to be an island; which at noon bore south-west half south, four or fives -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° 45ʹ, 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 main height of the mercury in -the thermometer had been very little above the freezing point, and often -below it; so that the water in the vessels upon the deck was frequently -covered with a sheet of ice. - -I continued to steer south south-east, nearly in the direction of the -coast, till five in the afternoon, when land was seen bearing south, 50° -east, 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 north to north-east. At half an hour past eight, the -eastern extreme above mentioned bore south by east, six or seven miles -distant. At the same time, a head-land appeared in sight, bearing east -by south, half south; 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 -south, 37° east. I was now well assured of what I had believed before, -that this was the country of the Tschutski, or the north-east 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 of a heart. It is a pretty lofty promontory, with a steep -rocky cliff facing the sea; and lies in the latitude of 67° 3ʹ, and in -the longitude of 188° 11ʹ. To the eastward of it, the coast is high, and -bold; but to the westward it is low, and trends north north-west, and -north-west by west; 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 -south-east, bore south, 25° east; 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° 37ʹ. Cape Serdze -Kamen bore north, 52° west, thirteen leagues distant; the southernmost -point of land in sight south, 41° east; 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 -south-west. 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 -south-west. - -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[81], 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 shows a steep rocky cliff next the -sea; and off the very point are some rocks like spires. It is situated -in the latitude of 66° 6ʹ, and in the longitude of 190° 22ʹ; and is -distant from Cape Prince of Wales, on the American coast, thirteen -leagues, in the direction of north, 53° west. The land about this -promontory is composed of hills and valleys. The former terminate at the -sea in steep rocky points, and the latter in low shores. The hills -seemed to be naked rocks; but the valleys had a greenish hue, but -destitute of tree or shrub. - -After passing the cape, I steered south-west half west, for the northern -point of St. Lawrence 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_[82] is, at least, five leagues broad at the -entrance, and four leagues deep, narrowing toward the bottom, where it -appeared to be tolerably well sheltered from the sea-winds, provided -there be sufficient depth of water for ships. I did not wait to examine -it, although I was very desirous of finding an harbour in those parts, -to which I might resort next spring. But I wanted one where wood might -be got, and I knew that none was to be found here. From the south point -of this bay, which lies in the latitude of 65° 30ʹ, the coast trends -west by south, for about nine leagues, and there forms a deep bay, or -river; or else the land there is so low that we could not see it. - -At one in the afternoon, in the direction of our course, we saw what was -first taken for a rock; but it proved to be a dead whale, which some -natives of the Asiatic coast had killed, and were 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 north-west, in order to get a -nearer view of the inlet seen the preceding day; but the wind soon after -veering to that direction, I gave up the design; and, steering to the -southward along the coast, passed two bays, each about two leagues deep. -The northernmost lies before a hill, which is remarkable by being -rounder than any other upon the coast. And there is an island lying -before the other. It may be doubted, whether there be a sufficient depth -for ships in either of these bays, as we always met with shoal water, -when we edged in for the shore. The country here is exceedingly hilly -and naked. In several places on the low ground, next the sea, were the -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° 38ʹ, and the longitude 188° 15ʹ; the -southernmost point of the main in sight bore south 48° W.; and the -nearest shore about three or four leagues distant. By this time, the -wind had veered again to the north, and blew a gentle breeze. The -weather was clear, and the air cold. I did not follow the direction of -the coast, as I found that it took a westerly direction toward the Gulf -of Anadir, into which I had no inducement to go, but steered to the -southward, in order to get a sight of the Island of St. Laurence, -discovered by Beering; which accordingly showed itself, and at eight -o’clock in the evening, it bore south 20° E.; by estimation, eleven -leagues distant. At the same time, the southernmost point of the main -land bore south 83° W., distant twelve leagues. I take this point 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 the Tschutski. I make its latitude to -be 64° 13ʹ, and its longitude 186° 36ʹ. - -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[83], 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 three quarters east, 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 north, 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 -east by north, 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 east, and -east half south. At seven in the evening, we were abreast of a point, -lying in the latitude of 64° 21ʹ, 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 this 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 north-east half north; 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 farther to the north. In this -situation, two boats were sent to sound before the ships; and I ordered -the Discovery to lead, keeping nearly in the mid-channel, between the -coast on our larboard, and the northernmost island on our starboard. -Thus we proceeded till three in the afternoon; when, having passed the -island, we had not more than three fathoms and an 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 north by -west, one league distant. The coast beyond it extended as far north-east -by north, 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 north-east, 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 north-east, 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 south, 26° W.; and Bald Head north, 60° E., nine leagues distant. -Cape Denbigh bore south, 72° E., twenty-six miles distant; and the -island under the east shore, to the southward of Cape Denbigh, named -_Besborough Island_, south 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 among 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.[84] Before night we had got -the ships amply supplied with wood, and had carried on board about -twelve tons of water to each. - -On the 14th, a party of men were sent on shore to cut brooms, which we -were in want of, and the branches of spruce trees for brewing beer. -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[85]. Next day the ships -removed over to the bay, which is on the south-east side of Cape -Denbigh, where we anchored in the afternoon. Soon after, a few of the -natives came off in their small canoes, and bartered some dried salmon -for such trifles as our people had to give them. - -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 north-west 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. - -In honour of Sir Fletcher Norton[86], Speaker of the House of Commons, -and Mr. King’s near relation, I named this inlet _Norton’s Sound_. It -extends to the northward as far as latitude of 64° 55ʹ. The bay, in -which we were now at anchor, lies on the south-east 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 -north and north-east 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 17th inclusive. The mean result of -these made the longitude of the anchoring-place, on the west side of the -sound, to be - - 197° 13ʹ - - Latitude 64 31 - - Variation of the 25 45 east. - compass - - Dip of the needle 76 25 - -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, and 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 supplied, 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. - - - - - CHAP. 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 THEIR 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° 37ʹ. 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° 35ʹ, 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° 33ʹ, and in longitude 197° 41ʹ. 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 the depth of -five fathoms, sheltered from westerly, southerly, and easterly winds. -But this station would be wholly exposed to the northerly winds, the -land, in that direction, being at too great a distance to afford any -security. 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 lying off and on. At the time we tacked, the -southernmost point of land, the same which is mentioned above, and was -named _Point Shallow Water_, bore S. 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 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 larger vessels, it would require some time to find -them; and I am of opinion that they must be looked for near the coast. -From the mast head, the sea within us appeared to be chequered with -shoals; the water was very much 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. - -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 N., with showers of hail and snow at -intervals, and a pretty high sea, so that we got clear of the shoals but -just in time. As I now found that the land before us lay too far to the -westward to be Anderson’s Island, I named it _Clerke’s Island_. It lies -in the latitude of 63° 15ʹ, and in the longitude of 190° 30ʹ. 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. - -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 N., with showers of sleet and snow. I remarked that as soon as -we opened the channel which separates the two continents, cloudy -weather, with snow showers, immediately commenced, whereas all the time -that we were in Norton Sound, we had, with the same wind, clear weather. -Might not this be occasioned by the mountains to the north of that place -attracting the vapours, and hindering them to proceed any further? - -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 north of this latitude. Four leagues from Cape Upright, -in the direction of S., 72° W., lies a small island, whose elevated -summit terminates in several pinnacle 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. - -We continued to stretch to the eastward till eight o’clock in the -morning of the 25th, when, in the latitude of 58° 32ʹ, and in the -longitude of 191° 10ʹ, 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 north-west 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 the 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 were 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 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 any thing -we had beside; 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, in order to gain some farther information, with orders, -that if he met with any Russians, he should endeavour to make them -understand that we were English, the friends and allies of their nation. - -On the 10th, Lediard returned with three Russian seamen, or furriers, -who, with some others, resided at 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 -Spangenberg; but they seemed to know no more of Lieutenant Syndo[87], or -Synd, than his name. 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 was represented, and said, that he -had cruised 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. 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. - -On the 15th, in the evening, while Mr. Webber and I were at a village at -a small distance from Samganoodha, a Russian landed there, who, I found, -was the principal person amongst his countrymen in this and the -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 Nos, 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 of late. 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[88], and yet he wrote down the year, and marked -the islands on the chart. 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 he 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 Petersburg; 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. - -The next morning he would fain have made me a present of a sea-otter -skin, which he said was worth eighty roubles 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.[89] 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 _Penshinskian 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 -Irkechoff, 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 Penshinskian Sea, except Okotsk, -till we come to the river Amur. The Kurile islands afford only one -harbour; and that is on the north-east side of Mareekan, in the latitude -of 47-1/2°; where, as I have before observed, the Russians have a -settlement. - -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 his 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 east by south, or east -south-east, lies _Maidenoi Ostroff_, or the Copper Island. The next -island is _Atakou_, laid down in 52° 45ʹ of latitude, and in 15° or 16° -of longitude. This island is about eighteen leagues in extent, in the -direction of east and west; 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 east north-east. - -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° -30ʹ, and 28° of longitude from Awatska; and its extent, east and west, -is four degrees. These are the isles that Mr. Ismyloff said were to be -removed four degrees to the east, which is here 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° 45ʹ, and 4° of longitude to the west) -was brought. - -Nothing more need be said to show 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 may be said -to extend as far as Halibut Isles, which are forty leagues from -Oonalashka toward the east north-east. 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. - -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_[90], the largest of Schumagin’s Islands; for it had no name -upon the chart produced by him. The names of all the other islands were -taken from it, and we wrote them down as pronounced by him. He said, -they were all such as the natives 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 not existence. - -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 Ooneemak, 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 -map_[91]. Indeed, it is a map to which the most illiterate of his -illiterate sea-faring countrymen would have been ashamed to have set his -name. - -Mr. Ismyloff remained with us till the 21st, in the evening, when he -took his final leave. To his care I entrusted a letter to the Lords -Commissioners of the Admiralty; in which was enclosed 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 Petersburgh 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 south-east, 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[92]; 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. - -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 were, at this -time, about twenty of these, who could be looked upon in no other light -than as children. They all live in the same house; the Russians at the -upper end, the Kamtschadales in the middle; and the natives at the lower -end; where is fixed a 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, Ismyloff 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 -inquire after any other animal; though those, whose skins are of -inferior value, are also made part of their cargoes. I never thought to -ask how long they have had a settlement upon Oonalashka, and the -neighbouring isles; but, to judge from the great subjection the natives -are under, this cannot be of a very late date.[93] 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. - -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[94], 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. - -[Illustration: _Natives of Oonalashka and their Habitations._] - -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 -the frock, the men wear another made of gut, which resists water; and -has a hood to it, which draws over the head. Some of them wear boots; -and all of them have a kind of oval-snouted cap, made of wood, with a -rim to admit the head. 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 off 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.[95] 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 a concave trench, which is dug all round the -inside of the house, and covered with mats; so that this part is kept -tolerably decent. But the middle of the house, which is common to all -the families, is far otherwise. For, although it be 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 clothing, -mats, and skins. - -Their household furniture consists of bowls, spoons, buckets, piggins or -cans, matted baskets, and perhaps a Russian kettle or pot. All these -utensils are very neatly made, and well formed; and yet we saw no other -tools among them but the knife and the hatchet; that is, a small 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 taylors, -shoemakers, 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 stick they press upon the -other, whirling it nimbly round as a drill; thus producing fire in a few -minutes. This method is common in many parts of the world. It is -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 authorize 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. - -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 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 other 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, sword-fish, halibut, cod, salmon, -trout, soals, 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 Krasheninikoff.[96] 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. - -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 bull-finch, 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, or reptiles, that I saw, but lizards. There are no deer -upon Oonalashka, nor 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 Krasheninikoff[97]. 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. - -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 other 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 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. - -There are a great variety of plants at Oonalashka; and most of them were -in flower the latter end of June. Several of them are such as we find in -Europe, and in other parts of America, particularly in Newfoundland; and -others of them, which are also met with in Kamtschatka, are eat by the -natives both there and here. Of these Krasheninikoff has given us -descriptions. The principal one is the _saranne_, or lily root; which is -about the size of a root of garlick, 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 valleys, is plenty of grass, which grows very thick, -and to a great length. I am of opinion that cattle might subsist at -Oonalashka all the year round, without being housed. And the soil, in -many places, seemed capable of producing grain, roots, and 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 of Oonemak. As to the stones -about the shore and hills, I saw nothing in them that was uncommon. - -The people of Oonalashka bury their dead on the summits of hills, and -raise a little hillock over the grave. In a walk into the country, one -of the natives who attended me pointed out several of these 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, and will be inserted in the -course of this work.[98] It must be 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. - -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.[99] - -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 } 53° 5ʹ 0ʺ - meridian altitudes of the sun } - { By the mean of twenty sets of lunar } - { observations, with the sun east of the } 193 47 45 - The longitude { moon } - { By the mean of fourteen sets, with the } 193 11 45 - { sun and stars 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 8ʺ, } - 8 each day; and on the last of these days, was } - too slow for mean time 13^h 46^m 43^s, 98. Hence } 200 58 27 - the time-keeper must have been too slow, on } - the 4th, the day after our arrival, by 13^h 44^m } - 36^s, 62.; and the longitude, by Greenwich } - rate, will be 13^h 23^m 53^s, 8 } - - By King George’s (or Nootka) Sound rate 12^h } 194 10 6 - 56^m 40^s, 4 } - - The 30th June, the time-keeper, by the same rate } 193 12 0 - gave } - - 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, } 0 57 54 - was } - - On the 12th of Oct. } A. M. 20° 17ʹ 2ʺ } - the variation } } - } } Mean 19° 59ʹ 15ʺ E. - By the mean of } P. M. 19 41 27 } - three compasses } } - - Dip of the { Unmarked end } Dipping { 68° 45ʹ } Face { 69° 30ʹ - needle { Marked end } face east { 69 55 } West { 69 17 - - Mean of the dip of the north end of the needle 69° 23ʹ 30ʺ. - - - - - CHAP. 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° 17ʹ, and the latitude 53° 38ʹ. 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[100]; 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. - -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° 57ʹ, and in the longitude of -191° 2ʹ, and hath no place in the Russian map.[101] We must have passed -very near it in the night. We could judge of its steepness from this -circumstance, that the sea, which now ran very high, broke 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. - -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° 12ʹ, and in the -longitude of 201° 26ʹ, the variation was 17° 15ʹ E. The next morning, -our latitude being 41° 20ʹ, and our longitude 202°, a shag, or -cormorant, flew several times round the ship. As these birds are seldom, -if ever, known to fly far out of sight of land, I judged that some was -not far distant. However, we could see none. In the afternoon, there -being but little wind, Captain Clerke came on board, and informed me of -a melancholy accident that happened on board his ship, the second night -after we left Samganoodha. The main tack gave way, killed one man, and -wounded the boatswain and two or three more. In addition to this -misfortune, I now learned, that on the evening of the 3d, his sails and -rigging received considerable damage; and that the guns which he fired -were the signal to bring to. - -On the 8th, the wind was at north; 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 south, 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° 14ʹ, and in the -longitude of 206° 17ʹ, the wind returned back to the northward; and, on -the 15th, in the latitude of 33° 30ʹ, it veered to the east. 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 9th, when a -squall of wind and rain brought it at once round by the west to the -north. This was in the latitude of 32° 26ʹ, and in the longitude of 207° -30ʹ. - -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 east, -and east south-east. - -I continued to steer to the southward, till daylight in the morning of -the 25th, at which time we were in the latitude of 20° 55ʹ. I now spread -the ships, and steered to the west. In the evening, we joined; and at -midnight brought to. At day-break, next morning, land was seen extending -from south south-east to west. We made sail, and stood for it. At eight, -it extended from south-east half south, to west; 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° 59ʹ; and the longitude 203° 50ʹ. 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 of them on their island, as also hogs and fowls. In the -evening, the horizon being clear to the westward, we judged the -westernmost land in sight to be an island, separated from that off which -we now were. Having no doubt that the people would return to the ships -next day, with the produce of their country, I kept plying off all -night, and in the morning stood close in shore. At first, only a few of -the natives visited us; but, 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 -north-east 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 -south 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 these 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: - - 6^h 3ʹ 25ʺ beginning of the } Longitude { 204° 40ʹ 45ʺ - eclipse } { - 8^h 27ʹ 25ʺ end of the eclipse } { 204° 25ʹ 15ʺ - --------------- - Mean 204° 35ʹ 0ʺ - --------------- - -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 time of 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 to 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 may be 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 _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 { _Arietis_ 204° 22ʹ 7ʺ } mean 204° 21ʹ 5ʺ - { _Pollux_ 204° 20ʹ 4ʺ } - Mr. King { _Arietis_ 204° 27ʹ 45ʺ } mean 104° 18ʹ 29ʺ - with { _Pollux_ 204° 9ʹ 12ʺ } - ------------- - Mean of the two means 204° 19ʹ 47ʺ - The time-keeper, at 4^h 30ʹ, to which } - time all the lunar observations are } 204° 4ʹ 45ʺ - 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 the next morning, when we had a -considerable number of visitors; and we lay to, trading with them till -two in the forenoon. 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 this sugar-cane beer, whenever we could get -materials for brewing it. A few hops, of which we had some on board, -improved it much. It has the taste of new malt beer; and I believe no -one will doubt of its being very 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. - -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 south-east by south, and -south-south-east, I thought this a good time to stretch to the eastward, -in order to get round, or, at least, to get a sight of the south-east -end of the island. The wind continued at south-east by south, most part -of the 16th. It was variable between south and east 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 east by south, and we -stood to the southward, close hauled, under an easy sail, as the -Discovery was at some distance astern. At this time the south-east point -of the island bore south-west by south, 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 toward 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 south by -east, blowing in squalls, with rain. We stood to the north-east, -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 north by west, to south-west by west; 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 canvass, ruined by their -giving way. I wish also, that I did not think there is room for -remarking, that the cordage and canvass, 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.[102] - -As soon as daylight 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 south-east, 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 -south 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 south-east point bore south, three leagues -distant; the snowy hills west-north-west; and we were about four miles -from the nearest shore. In the afternoon, some of the natives came 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 of 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 ashore again. - -On the 22d, at eight in the morning, we tacked to the southward, with a -fresh breeze at east by north. At noon, the latitude was 20° 28ʹ 30ʺ; -and the snowy peak bore south-west half south. 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 south-east till -midnight, then tacked to the north till four in the morning, when we -returned to the south-east tack; and, as the wind was at north-east by -east, 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 north, 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 -afterward found, and continued standing to the north; 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 north-east 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 north to join or look for the Discovery. At noon we were, by -observation, in the latitude of 19° 55ʹ, and in the longitude of 205° -3ʹ; the S. E. point of the island bore S. by E. a quarter E., six -leagues distant; the other extreme bore N., 60° W.; and we were two -leagues from the nearest shore. At six in the evening, the southernmost -extreme of the island bore S. W., the nearest shore seven or eight miles -distant; so that we had now succeeded in getting to the 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 cruising off -this south-east point of the island, which lies in the latitude of 19° -34ʹ, and in the longitude of 205° 6ʹ, till I was satisfied that Captain -Clerke could not join me here. I now conjectured that he had not been -able to weather the north-east 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 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 south-east side -of the island. For during the nights we stood off and on; and part of -each day was employed in lying to, in order to furnish an opportunity to -the natives of trading with us. They sometimes came on board, while we -were five leagues from the shore. But whether from a fear of losing -their goods in the sea, or from the uncertainty of 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° 54ʹ; 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 still had 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 here and there interspersed. Between ten and eleven we -saw with pleasure the Discovery coming round the south point of the -island; and, at one in the afternoon, she joined us. Captain Clerke then -coming on board, 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° 1ʹ, and the -longitude, by the time-keeper, was 203° 26ʹ; 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 south-west 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° 1ʹ, and our longitude, by the -time-keeper, was 203° 13ʹ; the south-west point of the island bearing 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 toward 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 south 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 west. A mile from the shore, and -to the north-east of the south point of the island, having tried -soundings, we found ground at fifty-five fathoms depth; the bottom a -fine sand. At five in the evening we stood to the 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 -alongside with some hogs, but without any vegetables, which articles we -most wanted. We had now made some progress; for, at noon, the south -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° 56ʹ, -and our longitude, by the time-keeper, 203° 40ʹ. We had got the length -of the south-west 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 south-west point of the -island, some canoes came off; but they brought nothing that we were in -want of. We had now neither fruit nor roots, and were under a necessity -of making use of some of our sea-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 not fewer than a thousand about the two -ships, most of them crowded with people, and well laden with hogs and -other productions of the island. We had the most satisfying proof of -their friendly intentions; for we did not see a single person who had -with him a weapon of any sort. Trade and curiosity alone had brought -them off. Among such numbers as we had, at times, on board, it is no -wonder that some should betray a thievish 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 show 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 surprized 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 north-east shore. -In this situation, the south point of the bay bore south by west, and -the north point west half north. We moored with the stream-anchor and -cable to the northward, unbent the sails, and struck the 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 -voyages, 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. - -[ [Illustration of hand] _Here Captain Cook’s journal ends. The -remaining transactions of the voyage are related by Captain King, in the -last volume._] - - - - - END OF THE SIXTH VOLUME. - - - - - LONDON: - - Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode, - New-Street-Square. - - - - - Footnotes - - -Footnote 1: - - See the conclusion of chap. ix. book ii. - -Footnote 2: - - Friends. - -Footnote 3: - - See a plan of this bay, in Hawkesworth’s Collection, vol. ii. p. 248. - -Footnote 4: - - Morea, according to Dr. Forster, is a district in Eimeo. See his - _Observations_, p. 217. - -Footnote 5: - - See Cook’s Voyage, vol. iii. chap. 13. - -Footnote 6: - - See Captain Wallis’s account of the same operation performed on - himself, and his first lieutenant, in _Hawkesworth’s Collection_, vol. - i. p. 463. Lond. edit. - -Footnote 7: - - Terridiri is Oberea’s son. See an account of the royal family of - Otaheite in _Hawkesworth’s Collection_, vol. ii. p. 154. - -Footnote 8: - - See a plan of this harbour in Hawkesworth’s Collection, vol. ii. p. - 248. - -Footnote 9: - - Cook and Clerke. - -Footnote 10: - - See a plan of this harbour, in Hawkesworth’s Collection, vol. ii. p. - 248. - -Footnote 11: - - 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 in Mr. Anderson’s journal; but is - here mentioned on the authority of Captain King. - -Footnote 12: - - Captain Cook had seen Oree in 1769, when he commanded the Endeavour; - also twice during his second voyage in 1772. - -Footnote 13: - - See a chart of the island Bolabola in _Hawkesworth’s Collection_, vol. - ii. p. 249. Though we have no particular drawing of the harbour, its - situation is there distinctly represented. - -Footnote 14: - - For this, as for many other particulars about these people, we are - indebted to Mr. Anderson. - -Footnote 15: - - These are taken notice of in _Hawkesworth’s Collection_, vol. ii. p. - 256, &c. - -Footnote 16: - - See this vocabulary, at the end of the second volume of Captain Cook’s - second voyage. Many corrections and additions to it were now made by - this indefatigable inquirer; but the specimens of the language of - Otaheite, already in the hands of the public, seem sufficient for - every useful purpose. - -Footnote 17: - - 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. - -Footnote 18: - - That the Caroline Islands are inhabited by the same tribe or nation, - whom Captain Cook found, at 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 further 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 _Erroes_, - 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 jeunes gens qui vivent avec des maitresses, sans vouloir - s’engager dans les liens du marriage_. 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 _Erroes_ (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 & 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, a 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, & 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, & tient le peuple dans un abaisement qu’on ne - pourroit imaginer en Europe, &c._ 3. The diversions of the natives at - Wateeoo, 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, & - éprouver leurs forces. Ils prennent grand plaisir à raconter les - avantures de leurs ancêtres, & 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 douze ou treize femmes en - rond, débout, sans se remuer. Dans cette attitude elles chantent les - vers fabuleux de leurs poëtes avec un agrêment, & une justesse qui - plairoit en Europe. L’accord de leur voix est admirable, & 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, & animent leur chants, avec une action si vive, - & des gestes si expressives, qu’elles charment ceux qui les voient, & - qui les entendent._ 5. We read, in Hawkesworth’s account of Captain - Cook’s first voyage, vol. ii. p. 235. that 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 éleve toujours un sur le lieu où le corps est - enterré, ou dans le voisinage; on le charge de fleurs, de branches de - palmiers, de coquillages, & de tout ce qu’ils ont de plus precieux._ - 6. It is the custom at Otaheite [See Hawkesworth, vol. ii. p. 236.] - not to bury the sculls 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, _qu’ils gardent les cranes en leur maisons_, that - they put these sculls into little baskets (_petites corbeilles_); and - that these dead chiefs are the _Anitis_ to whom their priests address - their invocations. 7. The people of 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 [See Hawkesworth, vol. ii. p. 239, 240.] 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 [Vol. i. p. 403.] 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’âme. Ils - reconnoissent même un Paradis & 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 [Vol. i. p. 138.], we find, that, according to them, the - soul of the man that 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 malheur - de mourir de mort violente, on a l’enfer pour leur partage._ - - 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 Isles 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. - -Footnote 19: - - We have here another instance of the same word being differently - pronounced by the people. Captain Cook, as appears above, speaks of - _Olla_, as the Bolabola god. - -Footnote 20: - - 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. - -Footnote 21: - - Hawkesworth’s Collection, vol. ii. p. 278. - -Footnote 22: - - See Dalrymple’s Collection, vol. i. b. 45. - -Footnote 23: - - See the description of the _morai_, in Otaheite, where the human - sacrifice was offered, at which Captain Cook was present. - -Footnote 24: - - It is a 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 presenterent - plusieurs especes d’oiseaux, aussi élégants par leur forme, que - brillants par le 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 préparant 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 paradis) _n’a - point de pattes_. Les Hollandois out accrédité ces fables, qui, en - jetant du merveilleux sur l’objet dont ils traffiquoient, étoient - propres à le rendre plus précieux, et à en rechausser lavaleur.”— - _Voyage à la Nouvelle Guinée_, p. 154. - -Footnote 25: - - 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. - -Footnote 26: - - The print of Horn Island, which we meet with in Mr. Dalrymple’s - account of Le Maire and Schouten’s voyages, 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. - -Footnote 27: - - Captain King purchased this, and has it now in his possession. - -Footnote 28: - - See Vol. V. chap. x. - -Footnote 29: - - 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 sont un - fond dont le Tamole tire un revenu considérable, car il les donne à - louage, et ce louage se paye assez cher,” p. 314. - -Footnote 30: - - See more about the great extent of the colonies of this nation, in the - Introductory Preface. - -Footnote 31: - - See the account of Sir Francis’s voyage, in Campbell’s edition of - Harris, vol. i. p. 18, and other collections. - -Footnote 32: - - 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. - -Footnote 33: - - This part of the west side of North America was so named by Sir - Francis Drake. - -Footnote 34: - - In our calendar, the 7th of March is distinguished by the name of - Perpetua M. and the 12th by that of Gregory B. - -Footnote 35: - - See the History of California. Eng. Trans. vol. ii. p. 292. - -Footnote 36: - - 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. - -Footnote 37: - - 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. - -Footnote 38: - - 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. - -Footnote 39: - - Similar to the behaviour of the natives of Nootka on this occasion, - was that of another tribe of Indians farther north, in latitude 57° - 18ʹ, 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. - -Footnote 40: - - See _Virginian deer_: Pennant’s Hist. Quad. vol. i. N^o. 46; and - Arctic Zool. N^o. 6. - -Footnote 41: - - Mr. Coxe, on the authority of Mr. Pallas, informs us that the old and - middle-aged sea-otter skins are sold at Kiachta, by the Russians to - the Chinese, from 80 to 100 rubles a skin; that is, from 16l. to 20l. - each. See _Coxe’s Russian Discoveries_, p. 13. - -Footnote 42: - - 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 _Récherches - sur les Américains_, 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 among the American Indians far up in the country. His - words are as follow: “From minute inquiries 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 vizor 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 M. 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. - -Footnote 43: - - 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. - -Footnote 44: - - 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, _Decouvertes_, p. 255. - -Footnote 45: - - 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 parted with every single - button, and when he saw that he had completely stripped me, I met with - no farther obstruction.” - -Footnote 46: - - This operation is represented by Mr. Webber, in his drawing of the - inside of a Nootka house. - -Footnote 47: - - One of the methods of catching the sea-otter, when ashore, in - Kamtschatka, is with nets. See _Cox’s Russian Discoveries_, p. 13. - 4to. Edition. - -Footnote 48: - - 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° 7ʹ; in latitude 47° 21ʹ; and in latitude - 57° 18ʹ. 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. - -Footnote 49: - - Though the two silver table-spoons, found at Nootka Sound, most - probably came from the Spaniards in the south, there seem to be - sufficient grounds for believing, that the regular supply of iron - comes from a different quarter. It is remarkable, that the Spaniards, - in 1775, found at _Puerto de la Trinidad_, in latitude 41° 7ʹ, _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.” - -Footnote 50: - - 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? - -Footnote 51: - - It will be found at the end of the last volume. - -Footnote 52: - - As in the remaining part of this volume, 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 53: - - See De Lisle’s _Carte Générale des Découvertes de l’Amiral de Fonte_, - &c. Paris, 1752; and many other maps. - -Footnote 54: - - 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 des Russes_, p. 248, 254. - The Spaniards, in 1775, found two good harbours on this part of the - coast; that called _Gualoupe_, in latitude 57° 11ʹ, and the other, _De - los Remedios_, in latitude 57° 18ʹ. - -Footnote 55: - - 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. - -Footnote 56: - - According to Muller, Beering fell in with the coast of North America - in latitude 58° 28ʹ; and he describes its aspect thus: “_L’aspect du - pays étoit affrayant par ses hautes montagnes couvertes de neige._” - 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 des Russes_, p. - 248-254. - -Footnote 57: - - Probably Captain Cook means Muller’s map, prefixed to his History of - the Russian Discoveries. - -Footnote 58: - - Then Sub-almoner, and Chaplain to his Majesty, afterwards Dean of - Lincoln. - -Footnote 59: - - See Muller, p. 256. - -Footnote 60: - - 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 Américains - septentrionaux présentent en signe de paix. Ceux-ci en tenoient de - pareils en main. C’étoient des bâtons avec _ailes de faucon_ attachés - au boul.” _Découvertes_, p. 268. - -Footnote 61: - - 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. - -Footnote 62: - - On what evidence Captain Cook formed his judgment as to this, is - mentioned in the Introduction. - -Footnote 63: - - Crantz’s History of Greenland, vol. i. p. 136-138. The reader will - find in Crantz many striking instances, in which the Greenlanders and - Americans of Prince William’s Sound resemble each other, besides those - mentioned in this chapter 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. - -Footnote 64: - - Vol. i. p. 138. - -Footnote 65: - - See Crantz, vol. i. p. 150. - -Footnote 66: - - Vol. i. p. 146. He has also given a representation of them on a plate - there inserted. - -Footnote 67: - - 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. - -Footnote 68: - - We are also indebted to him for many remarks in this chapter, - interwoven with those of Captain Cook, as throwing considerable light - on many parts of his journal. - -Footnote 69: - - 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. - -Footnote 70: - - In his Account of Kodjak, p. 32, 34. - -Footnote 71: - - 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 peut 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? - -Footnote 72: - - Captain Cook means Muller’s; of which a translation had been published - in London, some time before he sailed. - -Footnote 73: - - In naming this and Mount St. Augustin, Captain Cook was directed by - our Calendar. - -Footnote 74: - - 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_. - -Footnote 75: - - _Tamannoi-ostrow_, c’est-à-dire, _L’isle Nebuleuse_. Muller, p. 261. - -Footnote 76: - - P. 153. Eng. Trans. - -Footnote 77: - - See an account of Kodiak, in Stæhlin’s New Northern Archipelago, p. - 30. 39. - -Footnote 78: - - See Muller’s _Decouvertes des Russes_, p. 262. 277. - -Footnote 79: - - Mr. Anderson’s Journal seems to have been discontinued for about two - months before his death; the last date in his M. S. being of the third - of June. - -Footnote 80: - - Mr. Pennant, since Captain Cook wrote this, has described this animal - in a new work, which he calls _Arctic Zoology_, now ready for - publication. We have been favoured with his obliging communications on - this, and other particulars; and, therefore, refer the reader to the - _Arctic Zoology_, N^o. 72. - -Footnote 81: - - Avec le vent le plus favorable, on peut aller par mer de cette pointe - (des Tschuktschis) jusqu’à l’Anadir en trois fois 24 heures; & par - terre le chemin ne peut guère être plus long. Muller, p. 13. - -Footnote 82: - - 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. - -Footnote 83: - - Vol. ii. p. 1016, &c. - -Footnote 84: - - Captain King has communicated the following account of his 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 this 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 apprized - 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’ distance we came to - their open skin-boat, which was turned on its side, the convex part - toward 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; afterward, 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 a 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.” - -Footnote 85: - - 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. - - “_To Lieutenant King._” - - “JAMES COOK.” - - “Our cutter being hoisted out, and the signal made for the - Discovery’s, at eight 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 got 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 Bald Head, 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 Bald Head 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 Bald Head, 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 Bald Head and a projecting point to - the eastward.” - -Footnote 86: - - Afterwards Lord Grantley. - -Footnote 87: - - See the little that is known of Synd’s voyage, accompanied with a - chart, in Mr. Coxe’s Russian Discoveries, p. 300. - -Footnote 88: - - The latest expedition of this kind, taken notice of by 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. - -Footnote 89: - - English translation, p. 83, 84. - -Footnote 90: - - A Russian ship had been at Kodiack, in 1776; as appears from a MS. - obligingly communicated by Mr. Pennant. - -Footnote 91: - - Stæhlin’s New Northern Archipelago, p. 15. - -Footnote 92: - - 36lb. - -Footnote 93: - - The Russians began to frequent Oonalashka in 1762. See _Coxe’s Russian - Discoveries_, ch. viii. p. 80. - -Footnote 94: - - See the particulars of hostilities between the Russians and natives, - in Coxe, as cited above. - -Footnote 95: - - 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 - différents Peuples soumis à la Domination des Russes_, par M. - Levesque, tom. i. p. 40, 41. - -Footnote 96: - - History of Kamtschatka. Eng. Trans. p. 160. - -Footnote 97: - - History of Kamtschatka, p. 99. - -Footnote 98: - - It will be found, amongst other vocabularies, at the end of the - seventh volume. - -Footnote 99: - - Cook’s River. - -Footnote 100: - - 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 call Amuckta, is - laid down, not very far from the place assigned to Amoghta by Captain - Cook. - -Footnote 101: - - 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. The 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. - -Footnote 102: - - 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. - - - - - Transcriber’s Note - - -This book uses inconsistent spelling and hyphenation, which were -retained in the ebook version. Some corrections have been made to the -text, including normalizing punctuation. Further corrections are noted -below: - - p. 4: veered to to the east -> veered to the east - p. 6: parts of the the coast -> parts of the coast - p. 7: and and having already -> and having already - p. 9: morning of of the 12th -> morning of the 12th - p. 14: and and the extent -> and the extent - p. 14: he sovereign of Tiaraboo -> the sovereign of Tiaraboo - p. 22: a party of us acompanied -> a party of us accompanied - p. 46: and and several other women -> and several other women - p. 52: and some otheir chiefs -> and some other chiefs - p. 62: a small pig, and a plaintain-tree -> a small pig, and a - plantain-tree - p. 63: the principal priest uncoverd -> the principal priest uncovered - p. 76: apprehensions of mishief from us -> apprehensions of mischief - from us - p. 87: waited some some time -> waited some time - p. 96: He had picked up at Otatheite -> He had picked up at Otaheite - p. 97: to enclose it intirely -> to enclose it entirely - p. 110: till we sould arrive -> till we should arrive - p. 111: My. Bayly -> Mr. Bayly - p. 113: a great plan of opertions -> a great plan of operations - p. 121: of of its inhabitants -> of its inhabitants - p. 128: The foregoing narative -> The foregoing narrative - Footnote 18: Captain Cook’s first vogage -> Captain Cook’s first voyage - p. 139 I met with with -> I met with - p. 148: large share of its happines -> large share of its happiness - p. 160: of a less geneneral nature -> of a less general nature - p. 169: which lies betwen the two channels -> which lies between the two - channels - p. 177: I immediatey brought-to -> I immediately brought-to - p. 211: appear to to have -> appear to have - p. 215: or there position -> or their position - p. 215: wich is laid on slender poles -> which is laid on slender poles - p. 217: though a disagreable mess -> though a disagreeable mess - p. 222: should find a a bit of iron -> should find a bit of iron - p, 222: of those neigbouring Islands -> of those neighbouring Islands - p. 229: expose any other anima -> expose any other animal - p. 233: After the discovery had joined us -> After the Discovery had - joined us - p. 265: the ills that bounded it -> the hills that bounded it - p. 310: was loosing on mean time -> was losing on mean time - p. 328: stepped into into their boats -> stepped into their boats - p. 357: down the the inlet -> down the inlet - p. 358: in every repect -> in every respect - p. 373: Two-headed headed Point -> Two-headed Point - p. 385: In the afternooon -> In the afternoon - p. 386: extended to to the S. W. -> extended to the S. W. - p. 387: near the the southern shore -> near the southern shore - p. 396: for their was no wind -> for there was no wind - p. 398: it was was narrow -> it was narrow - p. 399: we seered back to the southward -> we steered back to the - southward - p. 402: Mr. Stæehlin -> Mr. Stæhlin - p. 406: both were detrmined -> both were determined - p. 409: OF THE VOVAGE -> OF THE VOYAGE - p. 434: the chart prefixed to his cook -> the chart prefixed to his book - p. 440: cut this foot very much -> cut his foot very much - p. 449: So that beteen this latitude -> so that between this latitude - p. 453: and once a a halibut -> and once a halibut - p. 459: had been had been corrected -> had been corrected - p. 459: in the bottom of the the gulf -> in the bottom of the gulf - p. 500: plying off and and on -> plying off and on - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Three Voyages of Captain Cook -Round the World. Vol. VI. 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