Less than two years after the discovery of Tahiti by Wallis, Captain
Cook arrived in the _Endeavour_ at the same island. He first saw its
high mountains rise on the horizon on the 11th of June 1769, and soon
afterwards a few canoes came off to the ship, but the natives were timid
at first. They evidently had not forgotten the thundering guns and
crashing shot of the _Dolphin_.
In every canoe there were young plantains and branches of trees, which
latter were intended as tokens of peace and friendship. The people in
one of the canoes ventured to the ship, and handed these branches up the
side, making signals at the same time with great earnestness. At first
the sailors were unable to make out their meaning, but at length,
guessing that they wished those symbols to be placed in some conspicuous
part of the ship, they immediately stuck them about the rigging, upon
which the natives expressed the greatest satisfaction. Cook then
purchased the cargoes of the canoes, consisting of cocoa-nuts and
various kinds of fruits, which, after their long voyage, were most
acceptable.
Next morning the _Endeavour_ was safely anchored in a bay called by the
natives Matavai. Here the visitors were received with much kindness.
The natives regarded them with great respect and awe; the first man who
approached them crouching so low that he almost crept on his hands and
knees. Then two of the chiefs came forward, and each selected his
friend. One chose Cook, and the other selected Mr Banks, and each,
taking off the greater part of his clothes, put them solemnly on his
chosen friend.
On visiting their houses afterwards, they passed through delightful
groves of trees which were loaded with cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit.
These were found to be most excellent food. Before becoming quite ripe
the liquid inside the cocoa-nut is said to resemble lemonade, when riper
it is more like milk; and the bread-fruit nut, when properly dressed, is
like the crumb of wheaten bread; so that it may be said of those
favoured regions, with some degree of truth, that the people find
something like bread and milk growing on the trees! There is indeed
little occasion there for men to work. The fruits of the earth grow
luxuriantly in a wild state; hence the natives, although a strong and
active race, are habitually indolent. It has been proved, however, that
when the blessed influence of the Christian religion is brought to bear
on them, the South-Sea islanders are, in mind and body, good specimens
of mankind.
One of the houses visited by Cook, in company with Messrs. Banks and
Monkhouse, Dr Solander and others, on his first landing, was that of
Tootahah, a middle-aged man, who seemed to be a person of rank. He
received them hospitably, spread mats for the party, desired them to sit
down by his side, and gave them an excellent dinner of bread-fruit,
cocoa-nuts, plantains, and fish--the latter raw as well as dressed.
Cook naturally preferred his fish cooked, but the natives seemed to
relish it raw! Thereafter Tootahah presented Mr Banks and Captain Cook
with a cock and hen, which curious gifts they accepted with many thanks,
and in return gave Tootahah a laced silk neckcloth and a pocket
handkerchief, in which he immediately dressed himself with immense
satisfaction. Mr Banks seems to have been a favourite with the savage
ladies, for they plied him earnestly with cocoa-nut milk. He, as well
as Cook, received a further gift of native cloth, which, although rough
in texture, was agreeably perfumed.
Beads and other ornaments were presented to the women, and altogether
the new friends were becoming mutually delighted with each other when a
sudden interruption to the harmonious meeting was caused by the
discovery that some of the savages had acquired the art of picking
pockets. A snuff-box belonging to Mr Monkhouse disappeared, and an
opera-glass in a shagreen case, the property of Dr Solander, vanished.
To pass over a first act of this kind lightly would have led to
interminable pilferings and quarrellings. Mr Banks therefore started
up angrily and struck the butt of his musket violently on the ground.
Whereupon the most of the natives were panic-stricken, and darted out of
the hut with the utmost precipitation. The chief endeavoured to appease
the wrath of his guests by offering them gifts of cloth; but they were
not thus to be silenced. They insisted on the restoration of the stolen
articles, so the chief went out and shortly after returned with a
beaming countenance--he had found them both; but his countenance fell
when, on opening the case of the opera-glass, the glass itself was not
there. With immense energy he resumed his detective duties, and was so
fortunate as to recover the glass in a short time. Thus peace was
restored, and the natives were taught to feel that their propensity to
steal would prove a source of great annoyance and some danger to them,
should they venture to give way to it in future.
Soon after this Cook selected a spot on the beach, not far from the
ship, and, pitching his tent there, began to arrange for making the
astronomical observations which had brought him to the South Seas. They
had not remained long, however, before they found that the islanders
were all addicted to stealing. Cook tells us that men and women of all
ranks were the "arrantest thieves upon the face of the earth," yet they
seemed to feel that the act of theft was wrong, for if charged with
being guilty when they were in reality innocent, they were often moved
to passionate indignation.
One day, when a large number of natives visited the ship, the chiefs
employed themselves in stealing what they could in the cabin, while
their dependants were no less industrious in other parts of the ship.
They snatched up everything that it was possible for them to secrete
till they got on shore. Two knives had been lost on shore, one of them
belonging to Mr Banks, who taxed a man named Tubourai Tamaide, whom he
suspected, with the theft. The man denied it stoutly, but upon Mr
Banks saying firmly that, no matter who had taken it, he was determined
to have it back, another native, feeling alarmed for his own safety,
stepped forward and produced a rag in which three knives were tied up.
One belonged to Dr Solander, another to Captain Cook; the owner of the
third was not known. Mr Banks continued to charge Tubourai Tamaide
with the theft of his knife, and the poor man continued to deny it
indignantly. Not long after, it was discovered to have been mislaid by
Mr Banks's own servant, who at length found it. Upon this
demonstration of his innocence, Tubourai expressed strong emotions of
mind. The fellow was, doubtless, as great a thief as the rest of his
comrades, but on this occasion he felt himself to be an injured
innocent, and refused to be comforted until Mr Banks expressed great
sorrow for his unjust accusation, and made him a few trifling presents,
whereupon he immediately forgot his wrongs and was perfectly reconciled!
In his dealings with these natives Captain Cook invariably acted with
the gentleness, firmness, and wisdom of a truly great man, and at all
times treated evil-doers with impartial justice.
One day a chief came to the tent on the beach in a state of intense
excitement, and, hastily seizing Mr Banks by the arm, made signs that
he should follow him. Mr Banks immediately complied, and soon came to
a place where they found the ship's butcher with a reaping-hook in his
hand. Here the chief stopped, and in a transport of rage explained, as
well as he could by signs, that the butcher had threatened to cut his
wife's throat with the hook. Mr Banks assured him that, if he could
fully explain the offence, the man should be punished. Upon this he
became calm, and explained that the offender, having taken a fancy to a
stone hatchet which lay in his house, had offered to purchase it of his
wife for a nail; that she having refused to part with it, he had seized
it, and, throwing down the nail, threatened to cut her throat if she
made any resistance. As the nail and hatchet were produced in proof of
this charge, and the butcher had little to say in his defence, there was
no reason to doubt its truth.
On the matter being reported to Cook, he took the opportunity of the
chief and his wives with a number of natives being on board the ship, to
call up the butcher, and, after repeating the charge and proof, he gave
orders that the man should be punished. The natives looked on with
fixed attention while the man was being stripped and tied up to the
rigging, waiting in silent suspense for the event; but as soon as the
first stroke was given they interfered with great agitation, earnestly
entreating that he might be forgiven. Cook, however, did not think it
advisable to agree to this. He would not consent, and, when they found
that their entreaties were of no avail, they gave vent to their pity in
tears.