Captain Cook Part 7

He had ample evidence on this occasion of the savage character of the people by whom he was surrounded. A party of them had gone away on a war expedition, and returned with the body of a youth whom they had killed. Most of the body had been eaten, when one of the officers brought the head and a portion of the flesh on board. This latter was boiled and eaten by one of the natives with avidity, in the presence of Captain Cook and most of the officers and s.h.i.+p's company. This horrid proceeding had such an effect on some of the men, as well as on the captain, as to make them sick. [Note 2.] It had a still greater effect on the native of Otaheite, Oedidee. He at first became perfectly motionless, and looked the personification of horror. When aroused from this state he burst into tears, and continued to weep and scold by turns, telling the New Zealanders that they were vile men, and that he would no longer be their friend. He would not suffer them to touch him.

He used the same language to one of the crew who tasted the flesh, and refused to accept or to touch the knife with which it had been cut. It would be difficult to paint more perfectly than Captain Cook has done, in the above description, the natural horror felt by human beings when first becoming aware of the existence of cannibalism. It must be remembered that the people of Otaheite and those of New Zealand evidently sprang from the same race; and it is remarkable that the latter should have become addicted to such an abominable practice, while the former viewed it with unmitigated horror. Captain Cook says that he did not suppose the New Zealanders to have commenced the practice for want of food, as their coasts supplied a vast quant.i.ty of fish and wild-fowl, and they had also numerous dogs which they ate. They had also some vegetables and many land birds. He was not aware that at the distance of a few days' sail there was a race of men equal, if not superior, in intelligence to the New Zealanders, still more addicted to the horrible practice, the accounts of which, thoroughly authenticated as they are, make the heart sicken at the thought of the depths of depravity to which human nature can sink.

In vain the Adventure was looked-for. The unanimous opinion was that she was not stranded, nor likely to be in any neighbouring harbour; and as no actual rendezvous had been appointed, all hopes of seeing her again during the voyage were abandoned. This, however, did not discourage Cook from pursuing his researches in the South Pacific, in which he intended to occupy the whole of the ensuing summer; while his officers and crew expressed themselves willing to accompany him even without their consort, wherever he might think fit to go.

On the morning of November 26 the Resolution took her departure from Cape Palliser, and steered south, inclining to the east. Heavy gales were soon met with, and on the morning of December 12, in lat.i.tude 62 degrees 10 minutes South and longitude 172 degrees West, the first iceberg was seen, as also were many antarctic birds; while the explorers were greeted with a fresh gale and thick haze and snow, a great sea, rolling up from the north-west and south-west, at the same time showing that there was no continent in that direction, unless at a great distance. Two days afterwards more large ice islands and loose ice were encountered; and with strong gales of wind, a heavy sea, dense snow-storms and fogs, surrounded by ma.s.ses of floating ice, the s.h.i.+p pursued her course to the east. Christmas Day was calm, and, with a hundred ice islands in sight, the s.h.i.+p was allowed to drift quietly on.

Providentially, the weather was clear, with a light air, and as there was continued daylight she was prevented from falling aboard any of the ma.s.ses of ice. Had it been blowing, and as foggy as on the preceding days, a miracle alone could have saved her from being dashed to pieces.

A full description of this part of the voyage would be tedious.

Especially so must the reality have been to the voyagers; and before long all began to feel the effects of the bitter weather to which they were exposed. Cook himself was dangerously ill, though he concealed his malady from the crew.

On January 30, at four in the morning, the clouds over the horizon were perceived to be of an unusual snow-white brightness, denoting a wide extent of ice. By eight the s.h.i.+p was close to its edge, when, from the mast-head, it was seen to extend to the brink of the southern horizon, as well as to the east and west; while ninety-seven ice mountains were counted rising out of it. To penetrate this field was hopeless, and at length the captain, to the satisfaction of all on board, announced his intention of proceeding in search of the island of Juan Fernandez, said to have been discovered a century before, in lat.i.tude 38 degrees, and failing to find it, to look for Easter Island, or Davis Land, which had been unsuccessfully sought for by Byron, Carteret, and Bougainville.

After this he purposed getting within the tropic, and had thoughts of running as far west as the Tierra Austral del Spiritu Santo of Quiros.

In vain the island of Juan Fernandez was looked-for in the lat.i.tude in which it was supposed to lie, and the conclusion arrived at was, that though such an island might be in existence, it could occupy but a small s.p.a.ce in the ocean.

The captain was now again taken ill of what he calls a bilious colic, which was so severe as to confine him to his bed, the charge of the s.h.i.+p devolving on Mr Cooper. Mr Patten, the surgeon, proved not only a skilful physician, but an affectionate friend. A favourite dog belonging to Mr Forster fell a sacrifice, it being killed and made into soup for the captain, there being no other fresh meat in the s.h.i.+p. A few fish were afterwards caught, which were very acceptable to him.

Early on the morning of March 11, 1774, land was seen about twelve leagues distant, which, to the joy of all on board, ultimately proved to be the long-sought-for Easter Island. On getting near the coast, off a sandy beach, two men in a canoe came off, and after sending up, by a rope, a bunch of plantains, they returned to sh.o.r.e. This showed the good disposition of the islanders, and gave the voyagers hopes of obtaining refreshments. A better anchorage than this part of the coast afforded having been found, the s.h.i.+p brought up here. On the English landing, a few potatoes, plantains, and sugar-canes were brought to them; but the natives were such expert thieves that those on board could scarcely keep their hats on their heads or anything in their pockets. A supply of potatoes was obtained; indeed, this appeared to be the chief production of the island. The natives had been digging them up as fast as they could from a field close to the landing-place, till a person arrived who appeared to be the rightful owner, and who drove all the rest away.

As Captain Cook was unable to walk any distance, he sent Lieutenants Pickersgill and Edgecombe, with a party of men armed, to explore the country. They were at first pressed on by a crowd of the natives, till a man appeared, tattooed and painted, who drove them away, and then, hoisting a piece of white cloth on a spear, marched forward at the head of the party. A considerable portion of the island was barren and stony, but in other parts were plantations of potatoes, plantains, and sugar-canes. Water was very scarce, and hardly drinkable. Some huts were found, the owners of which came out with roasted potatoes and sugar-canes, and as the party marched in single file on account of the narrow path, gave some to each man as he pa.s.sed by. They distributed water in the same manner. On the east side, near the sea, three ruinous platforms of stone were met with, on each of which had stood four large statues; but most of them had fallen down and been broken. Mr Wales measured an entire one, and found it to be fifteen feet in length and six feet across the shoulders. On the head of each statue was a large cylinder of a red-coloured stone. One of these cylinders, which was measured, was fifty-two inches high, and sixty-six in diameter. There were others, however, very much larger. Some of them were perfectly round, others had a cavity worked out, in the upper edge, for a quarter of the way round.

The opposite side of the island to this, to which their guide conducted them, was full of these gigantic statues, some placed in groups, on masonry, others single, fixed only in the earth. The latter were much larger than the others. One which had fallen down was twenty-seven feet high and eight feet across the shoulders; and yet this was much shorter than one they found standing--its shade being sufficient to shelter their party of nearly thirty persons from the rays of the sun at about two o'clock. Near this place was a hill, from which a view of the whole island was obtained. Not a creek large enough even for a boat was seen, nor any indication of fresh water. In a small hollow on the highest part of the island several cylinders were found, and Mr Wales was of opinion that the quarry had been at that spot, and that after the cylinders had been formed they were rolled down the hill. There must have been great difficulty in raising them to the heads of the statues.

It was conjectured that this was done by raising a mound round each statue and rolling up the stone on it, the mound being afterwards removed. It must have required a considerable amount of mechanical knowledge to bring the statues from the quarry, and to place them upright. The natives knew nothing whatever as to the origin of the statues, nor did they look on them with any respect, nor, indeed, seem interested in any way in them. No quadrupeds were seen on the island, but few birds, and only two sorts of low shrubs.

The party were greatly inconvenienced in their walk by the attempts of the natives to steal from them, and at length one man, who ran off with a bagful of provisions, was fired upon with small shot and wounded slightly. He dropped the bag, and seemed in no way offended at the treatment he received. The people carried short clubs and also spears with flint heads. The dress of the chiefs consisted of two pieces of cloth, one round the waist and the other thrown over the shoulders; but many were almost naked. The men wore their hair and beards short, with a fillet ornamented with feathers round the head; while the women wore the hair long, and had straw caps, shaped like a Scotch bonnet, on their heads. Their habitations were low huts, built with sticks bent overhead, and joined together so as to form an arch. The longest seen was sixty feet long, and only four or five wide. Their canoes were very poor, owing to the want of materials, and very few were seen. Captain Cook considered that there were about six or seven hundred inhabitants on the island. In colour, features, and language they were similar to the inhabitants of the islands to the west, so that it was evident they had sprung from the same race.

The Resolution left Easter Island on March 16, and stood north-west-by-north, and north-north-west, for the Marquesas, with a fine easterly gale. Having reached the lat.i.tude of the group, the course was changed to west. On April 5 first one island and then others in succession were seen; and the explorers were satisfied that they had reached the Marquesas, discovered by the Spaniards in 1595. The first island seen was called Hood's Island, after the mids.h.i.+pman who discovered it, and the others were Saint Pedro, Dominica, and Saint Christina. The s.h.i.+p, after being nearly driven on the rocks, brought up in port in the last-mentioned island. Directly afterwards, thirty or forty natives came off in ten or twelve canoes, in the bow of each of which a heap of stones was observed, while all the men had slings fastened to their hands. It required some address to get them alongside, but at last a hatchet and some spike-nails induced the people in one canoe to venture under the quarter-galley. The rest then followed, exchanging bread-fruit and fish for small nails. At sunset they all returned to the sh.o.r.e. The next morning the natives returned in greater numbers, with plantains, bread-fruit, and a pig, but soon showed themselves ready to cheat, and to be expert thieves. Captain Cook was going into the boat to look for a convenient place to moor the s.h.i.+p, when, seeing too many natives on board, he warned one of the officers on deck, saying that something would be stolen. Just then he was told that an iron stanchion had been carried off from the opposite gangway. He therefore ordered the officer to fire over the canoe till he could get round in the boat, but to be careful not to kill any one.

But the noise made by the natives prevented this last warning from being heard, and at the third shot the unhappy thief was killed. Two other natives who were in the canoe leaped overboard, but soon got in again, and threw away the stanchion. One of them sat baling the blood and water out of the canoe, uttering a kind of hysteric laugh, while the other, a youth of fifteen, looked at the dead body with a serious and dejected countenance. The latter was found to be the son of the man who had been killed. Immediately on this, the natives took to flight, but on being followed by the captain into the bay the people in one canoe were persuaded to come alongside the boat, and to receive some nails.

This restored their confidence in some degree, but soon afterwards they attempted to carry off the buoy of the kedge anchor. A musket-shot on this was fired at them, but it fell short, and they took no notice of it; but a second bullet pa.s.sing over them, they immediately let go the buoy and made for the sh.o.r.e.

The natives undoubtedly were bold fellows, for, notwithstanding the effects of the firearms which they had witnessed, before long some more ventured off. One of them appeared to be a person of consequence. His dress was similar to that of the chiefs of Otaheite. Bound his head was a fillet with the tail feathers of birds fixed in it, and standing upright. He also wore ornaments of feathers round his legs and arms.

The women wore a petticoat of native cloth, and a broad fillet made of the fibre of the cocoanut husk, with a piece of mother-of-pearl sh.e.l.l the size of a tea-saucer in front. On either side were other ornaments of tortoisesh.e.l.l and mother-of-pearl, with feathers in the upper part.

The chief brought a pig, and was persuaded to come up to the side, but soon went away.

The party from the Resolution who went on sh.o.r.e were received with courtesy by the natives; the captain was disappointed in not obtaining the number of pigs he had expected. Some of the young officers, it seemed, gave away thoughtlessly several articles which the natives valued more than the nails, and thus spoilt the trade. Among those highly coveted objects were some of the red feathers obtained at Tonga.

The productions of the Marquesas Islands were similar to those of Otaheite; the habitations were of a like character, but not so well built, and the habits of the people were not so cleanly. The people were considered the handsomest that had been met with during the whole voyage. The men were generally tattooed, but the women and children, who were not so, were thought to be as fair as many Europeans. Hogs were the only quadrupeds, and c.o.c.ks and hens the only tame fowls seen, and these were not procured in any great number. Notwithstanding the length of time the crew had been at sea previous to their arrival at the Marquesas, yet, owing to the abundant supply of anti-s...o...b..tic food, and the watchful care of the surgeon, there was not a man seriously ill on board. Captain Cook therefore determined to proceed on his voyage without further delay.

The Resolution therefore left the Marquesas on April 12, 1774; and ten days afterwards she reached Otaheite, and anch.o.r.ed once more in Matavai Bay. In the course of this pa.s.sage several low coral islands or islets had been pa.s.sed, and one of them had been visited. This was the Island of Tioakea, first of all discovered by Captain Byron, and formed one of a group, called Saint George's Islands. After pa.s.sing these, the Resolution had fallen in with four other smaller islands, not set down in any chart; and these Captain Cook had named Palliser's Isles, in honour of his particular friend, Sir Hugh Palliser.

Captain Cook's object in visiting Matavai Bay was that Mr Wales, the astronomer, might correct the chronometers of the s.h.i.+p by a known longitude. The first thing done, therefore, was to erect tents, and to land the instruments required in this operation.

As soon as the arrival of the voyagers was known, many of their old friends paid them a visit, expressing great joy at seeing them. Among others came Otoo, the king, with several chiefs, and a train of attendants, who brought with them a dozen large hogs and a quant.i.ty of fruit, which made them very welcome. A supply of red parrots' feathers having been collected at Tonga, these were shown to the natives, and took their fancy to such a degree that the princ.i.p.al people of both s.e.xes brought hogs, fruit, and everything the island afforded, in order to obtain them. So exhausted was his stock-in-trade that, had it not been for these feathers, Cook says he should have found it difficult to supply his s.h.i.+p with the necessary refreshments. He had intended remaining here only long enough to allow Mr Wales to take the observations he desired, but he found so great an improvement in the state of the country, and provisions so abundant, that he resolved at once to repair and refit his s.h.i.+p.

When Captain Cook on one occasion went to Opparree to pay King Otoo a visit, a formidable fleet of three hundred double war canoes was found drawn up along the beach, while a number of armed men were seen on the sh.o.r.e. What could be the object of this armament it was difficult to conjecture. The Englishmen, however, on landing, were received with great courtesy; but Otoo was not to be found, and, greatly disappointed, they returned on board. At length they were told that this fleet was part of an armament intended to be sent against Eimeo, whose chief had declared himself independent of Otaheite.

The chief next in consequence to Otoo was Towha, who seemed to be a very sensible man, and most friendly to the English. He showed it on a trying occasion. A native had been caught stealing a water-cask, and having been kept in irons on board, was returned on sh.o.r.e to be flogged.

Otoo, his sister, and others, begged that the man might be set at liberty; but Cook explained that as he flogged any of his people who stole from them, or behaved ill in any way, so in justice, and to preserve peace between them, he must punish any natives who behaved ill to him. The sentence was carried out, the natives looking on. On the culprit being set at liberty, the people were going away, when Towha called them back and addressed them, recapitulating what had been said to Otoo, condemning their present bad habits, and advising a reformation in future. The gracefulness of action and the attention with which he was heard showed that he was no mean orator. After this the marines went through their exercises and loaded and fired in volleys, to the utter amazement of the natives, especially to those who had seen nothing of the kind before.

The next morning a small portion of the fleet of war canoes was observed exercising, and Mr Hodges had the opportunity of sketching them. The largest had about thirty rowers, the smaller only eighteen. The warriors stood on the stage, and encouraged the rowers, or paddlers rather, to exert themselves. Some youths were seated high up on the carved stem above the steersman, with white wands in their hands, apparently to look out and give notice of what they saw. The warriors were completely equipped for war, and the quant.i.ty and weight of cloth they had on them made it difficult to conceive how they could stand up under it when fighting. A large quant.i.ty was wrapped round their heads as turbans of helmets, to guard them from the blows of their enemies.

The turbans of some of the warriors were surmounted by small bunches of shrubs covered with white feathers, intended as ornaments. On returning to the sh.o.r.e all the rowers leaped out the moment the canoe touched the ground, and, with the a.s.sistance of those on sh.o.r.e, hauled it up on the beach. Each man then walked off with his paddle, and so rapidly was everything done, that in less than five minutes there was no sign of the canoes having been lately afloat. Afterwards, at the dockyard of King Otoo, among many large canoes, two were seen in the course of building a hundred and eight feet long. They were to be united so as to form one double canoe; the largest, Cook says, he had seen in those seas.

On another occasion an example was given of the way the warriors, in attacking a place, are thrown on sh.o.r.e. Four or more canoes were lashed side by side, and then each division paddled in so judiciously that they formed one unbroken line along the sh.o.r.e. To do this they were directed by a man who stood in the fore part of the centre vessel, with a long wand in his hand, directing all their movements. The fleet was attended by some small double canoes, called marias. On the fore part of each was a sort of bed place with one division, capable of holding the body of a man, intended for the reception of any chief who might be killed in battle. Cook estimated, from the number of canoes he saw furnished by each district, that the whole island could raise and equip one thousand seven hundred and twenty war canoes, requiring sixty-eight thousand men, calculating forty for each canoe. As these would not amount to a third of the number of people in the island, he considered that it could not contain less than two hundred and four thousand inhabitants. He was convinced, from the vast swarms of people he met wherever he went, that this estimate was not too great. This is possible; but war, disease, and vicious habits had fearfully decreased the population before Christianity was established among them.

Otoo and his chiefs at first appeared very anxious that Captain Cook should accompany them in their proposed expedition, and they begged him to help them against their enemies. This he very properly declined doing, but would have been glad to have accompanied them to witness the mode in which they carried on their naval operations. It would have been more in accordance with the character of a Christian people had the English tried to reconcile the contending parties, and to prove to them the advantages and blessings of peace. But such a thought does not appear to have entered the mind of the sagacious navigator, or of his companions.

Cook's endeavours to benefit the islanders in other respects appeared likely to be successful. Two goats had been left by Captain Furneaux.

They had had two kids, now nearly full grown, and the mother was also again with kid. The animals were in excellent condition, and the people seemed very fond of them. One of two sheep had, however, died, but twenty cats were given to the natives, though it is difficult to understand how they were likely to prove useful, unless mice had threatened to overrun the island.

During this visit a man from a distant part of the island made off with a musket and effected his escape. The dread of the consequences to themselves caused Otoo and several other chiefs to run away and hide themselves, and the people were afraid to bring down provisions to the s.h.i.+p. After a considerable amount of negotiations, and the delay of nine days, the musket and some other articles which had been stolen were, by the intervention of the chiefs, brought back to the tents, and confidence was restored.

Preparations were now made for leaving Otaheite. On May 11 a large supply of fruit arrived from all parts, some of it sent by Towha, the admiral of the fleet, with orders to his servants to receive nothing in return. However, the captain thought fit to send an equivalent present by Oedidee. That young native had come to the resolution of remaining at Otaheite, but was persuaded to go on in the s.h.i.+p to Ulietea, his native island. Nothing but Captain Cook's warning that it was very probable he would be unable to return to the Pacific would have induced him to leave the s.h.i.+p, so great was his affection for the English, and his desire to visit their country.

On the 12th old Oberea, who had been supposed by Captain Wallis to be the queen of the island, came on board, and brought a present of pigs and fruit, and soon afterwards Otoo appeared with a retinue and a large quant.i.ty of provisions. Handsome presents were made in return, and the visitors were entertained in the evening with fireworks. A succession of broadsides from the great guns on another occasion must have still more astonished the natives.

Captain Cook waited in vain for the sailing of the fleet on the proposed warlike expedition. It was evident that the chiefs considered, since they could not obtain the a.s.sistance of the English, that they should be more at liberty to act if left alone, and therefore, as long as the Resolution remained, they continued to make excuses for not setting out.

Otoo's large canoe had been called, at Cook's request, the Britannia, and he had presented to the king a grappling-iron, a rope, and an English Jack and pendant for her.

Several natives were anxious to accompany Captain Cook, but he firmly resisted all their solicitations, from motives of humanity, knowing the great probability that they would never return to their native land. At length, on May 14, 1774, the anchor was hove up, and the s.h.i.+p proceeded out of the harbour, Otoo remaining in his canoe alongside till the s.h.i.+p was under sail. At that juncture, all the boats being hoisted in, a gunner's mate, a good swimmer, slipped overboard, hoping to reach the sh.o.r.e and remain behind. He was, however, seen before he got clear of the s.h.i.+p; a boat was lowered, and he was brought back. He was an Irishman by birth, but he had been long-absent from home, and he was without any tie of kindred; Captain Cook says that he could not be surprised at his wish to remain where he could enjoy not only all the necessaries, but all the luxuries of life, in ease and plenty; and that had he asked permission to remain it might, perhaps, have been granted.

He had formerly been in the Dutch service, and had come on board the Endeavour at Batavia during the former voyage.

On the 15th the Resolution anch.o.r.ed in O'Wharre Harbour, in the island of Huaheine, and immediately old Oree, the chief, and several natives came on board, when the former presented a hog and some other articles with the usual forms. A friendly intercourse was kept up with Oree the whole time of the visit, but several of the officers and men were robbed on sh.o.r.e. There appeared to exist a gang of banditti who set their chief at defiance, and robbed every one they met. Captain Cook, however, landed and quietly took possession of a house with two chiefs in it, who were kept as hostages till the articles were returned. On another occasion, at the request of Oree, he, with a strong party of armed men, landed, and went in pursuit of the thieves; but Oedidee, who was with them, became alarmed, and warned the captain that they were being led into an ambush to be destroyed. From the strict discipline, however, kept up by the party, this (even should the natives have intended treachery) was rendered impossible. In spite of these drawbacks the people brought cocoanuts and other fruits, and two young chiefs presented to the captain a pig, a dog, and some young plantain trees, the usual peace offerings. Notwithstanding this good feeling, he caused several volleys to be fired to show the natives the power and effect of musketry, for the young officers and others who went on sh.o.r.e shooting with muskets were so very inexpert in their use that they had brought firearms somewhat into contempt.

On the 21st a fleet of sixty canoes was seen steering for Ulietea. The people on board them were Eareeoies, going to visit their brethren in the neighbouring islands. They formed a secret society, and seemed to have customs which they would not explain. Infanticide appeared to be almost universal among them, and they had many other practices of a most abominable character. Cava-drinking and acting plays seemed to be the princ.i.p.al amus.e.m.e.nts of the chiefs of this island.

Early on the morning of the 23rd the s.h.i.+p put to sea. The good old chief Oree was the last man who left her. When told by the captain that he should see him no more, he wept, and said, "Let your sons come; we will treat them well."

The next day, it having been calm all night, the Resolution reached Ulietea. While warping into a secure berth, the captain's old friend, Oreo, with several other persons, came off, bringing presents. On returning the visit, the captain and his companions were met at the door of the house by five old women, who had been cutting their heads with sharks' teeth, and now, while the blood was streaming down their faces, insisted on saluting their visitors. Directly afterwards they went out, washed themselves, and returned, appearing as cheerful as any of the company. A large number of people had collected on sh.o.r.e near the s.h.i.+p; they were said to be Eareeoies, and they continued feasting for several days. There, as at the other islands, plays were acted for the amus.e.m.e.nt of the visitors.

Ulietea was Oedidee's native island, and here he took leave of his English friends, whom he left "with a regret fully demonstrative of his esteem and affection; nor could anything have torn him from them but the fear of never returning." The captain declares that he had not words to describe the anguish of this young man when he went away. "He looked up at the s.h.i.+p, burst into tears, and then sank down into the canoe."

This young South Sea Islander is described as "a youth of good parts, and of a docile, gentle, and humane disposition," and as one who would have been--physically at least--a better specimen of the people than Omai. It is to be feared that he returned to his home, after his lengthened cruise with his English patrons, without having received any real benefit from the intercourse. So far as can be learned, "no man had cared for his soul."

After leaving Ulietea, the Resolution proceeded westward on her voyage, being cautiously navigated at night, and having all sails set in the daytime. The first land seen was Howe Island, previously discovered by Captain Wallis; the next was an island before unknown, to which was given the name of Palmerston.

On June 20 more land was in sight. This proved to be an island about eleven leagues in circuit, and standing well out of the sea, having deep water close into its sh.o.r.es. As this island was perceived to be inhabited, Captain Cook was induced to go on sh.o.r.e with a party of explorers, and endeavoured to open communication with the natives. They were found, however, to be fierce and intractable, furiously attacking the visitors with stones and darts. Two or three muskets discharged in the air did not hinder them from advancing still nearer, and one of them threw a long dart or spear which narrowly missed the captain, pa.s.sing close over his shoulder. The boldness and fury of this man nearly cost him his life, for, aroused by the instinct of self-preservation, and probably also by, momentary anger, Captain Cook raised a musket he carried, and pointing it at his a.s.sailant, who was only a few paces off, he pulled the trigger. Happily, the weapon missed fire, and the English commander was spared the after-remorse of needless bloodshed, for the explorers, or the invaders and intruders, as the natives considered them, reached their boat, and afterwards their s.h.i.+p, unharmed.

In consequence of the apparent disposition and the behaviour of the people, the island received from Cook the name of Savage Island, a name it still bears, although the inhabitants no longer merit the appellation of Savage Islanders.

After leaving this island, the s.h.i.+p's course was west-south-west, and on June 25 a string of islands was seen ahead when the wind dropped. The next morning more islands were seen and soundings found. The islands in sight proved to be those of the Tonga group to which Cook had given the name of the Friendly Islands. A canoe came boldly off, and the people in her pointed out Anamocka, or Rotterdam, towards which the s.h.i.+p proceeded, and anch.o.r.ed on the north side of the island. The natives came off in their canoes in great numbers, and exchanged yams and shaddocks for nails and old rags; but, as usual, some began to pilfer, and one man got hold of the lead-line, which he would not relinquish till fired at.

On the captain and some of the officers going on sh.o.r.e, they were received with great courtesy by the natives, who a.s.sisted in filling the water-casks and rolling them down to the beach, contented with a few nails as payment. When, however, the surgeon was afterwards out shooting by himself, having been left on sh.o.r.e, a fellow seized his fowling-piece and made off with it. Afterwards, when the watering party were on sh.o.r.e, Mr Gierke's gun was s.n.a.t.c.hed from him, and several of the cooper's tools were carried off. This style of proceeding, if allowed, would have hazarded the safety of all on board; the captain, therefore, who had been summoned, sent off for the marines, while two or three guns were fired from the s.h.i.+p to alarm Mr Forster, who was on sh.o.r.e. Several of the natives remained, who acted with their usual courtesy, and long before the marines arrived Mr Clerke's gun was brought back. As the other was not restored, two large double sailing-canoes were seized by the marines on their landing; and one man, making resistance, was fired at with small shot. This showed the natives that the English were in earnest, and the musket was returned; but an adze had also been carried off, and it was insisted that this also should be brought back. The chiefs thought that the captain wanted the man who had been wounded, and whom they said was dead. Soon afterwards he was brought up, stretched out on a board, and apparently lifeless. Captain Cook was very much shocked at first, till, examining the body, he found that the man was alive and only slightly hurt. His wounds were dressed by the surgeon, who soon afterwards arrived, and a poultice of sugar-cane was applied to prevent inflammation. A present recompensed to some extent what the poor man suffered. No person of any consequence was seen by the voyagers while they remained here. Several lofty islands were seen in the group--among them Amattagoa, whose summit was veiled in clouds, and was rightly supposed to be a volcano. Many of the islands in the South Seas are volcanic, and in some of them the volcanoes are in full activity. That of Kilanea, in the Sandwich Islands, often presents a spectacle of awful fury and grandeur.

After leaving the Friendly Islands, and calling, on July 1, at Turtle Island, a brisk gale carried the s.h.i.+p on for some distance, till, on the 15th, high land was seen to the south-west. This was the _Australia del Espirito Santo_ of Quiros; it also went by the name of the great Cyclades. After exploring the coast for some days, the captain came to an anchor in a harbour in the island of Mallicollo, where one of his objects was to open friendly communication with the natives.

A number of these came off, some in canoes, others swimming. They exchanged arrows tipped with bone for pieces of cloth, while two who ventured on deck received presents. The next morning so many made their appearance, and with such increased confidence, that after a large number had boarded the s.h.i.+p it was found necessary to refuse admittance to others. Upon this one of the repulsed natives threatened to shoot a boat-keeper in one of the boats. In the confusion that ensued Captain Cook came on deck, when the savage turned his arrow toward him. Upon this the captain, who had a gun in his hand loaded with small shot, fired at his a.s.sailant, who, being but slightly wounded, still kept his bow bent in a threatening att.i.tude. Receiving the contents of a second musket, however, he dropped his bow and paddled off with all speed.

By this time others of the natives had begun to discharge their arrows; neither did a musket fired over their heads frighten them. It was not till they heard the thunder of a four-pounder that they were seriously alarmed; then the natives on deck and in the cabin leaped overboard, and, with those in the canoes, made their escape as fast as they could.

Directly after the gun was fired drums were heard beating on sh.o.r.e, probably to summon the people to arms.

The next day the captain landed with a green branch in his hand, and was met by a chief who also carried one, and these being exchanged a friendly intercourse was established. The English made signs that they wished to cut down wood, and permission was granted to them by the natives to do so. These people, however, set no value on nails or anything their visitors possessed. They seemed unwilling that any one should advance beyond the beach, and were only anxious to get rid of the strangers. When the English left the sh.o.r.e the natives retired in different directions. In the afternoon a man was seen to bring to the beach a buoy which had been taken in the night from the kedge anchor.