On 24th June Cook and Omai joined the ship at the Nore, leaving next day
for Plymouth, arriving there on 30th, three days after the Discovery. On
8th July the final orders, which Cook had helped to draw up, were
received. They were to the effect that he was to proceed by the Cape of
Good Hope; to look for some islands said to have been seen by the French
in latitude 48 degrees, about the longitude of Mauritius; to touch at New
Zealand, if he thought proper; and then to proceed to Otaheite and leave
Omai there, or at the Society Islands, as the latter might wish. Leaving
Otaheite about February he was to strike the North American coast in
about 45 degrees latitude, avoiding, if possible, touching at any of the
Spanish dominions, and proceeding northwards to explore any rivers or
inlets that seemed likely to lead to Hudson's or Baffin's Bay. For the
winter he was to proceed to the Port of St. Peter and St. Paul in
Kamtschatka, or other suitable place, and in the ensuing spring he was
again to try and find a passage either to the east or west; failing that,
the ships were then to return to England. A reward of 20,000 pounds had
been offered to any British merchant ship that discovered a passage
between Hudson's Bay and the Pacific; and now this offer was thrown open
to any ship flying the British flag, and the passage might be to the east
or west so long as it was north of latitude 52 degrees.
On 9th July the marines, who had been carefully selected, embarked under
the command of Lieutenant Molesworth Phillips, and the following day
officers and men were paid up to 30th June, and petty officers and seamen
received in addition two months' advance.
THE RESOLUTION SAILS.
The Resolution sailed on 12th July, the crew looking on it as a lucky
day, being the anniversary of the day they had sailed on the last voyage;
but as Clerke had not yet arrived, the Discovery remained behind. Putting
in to Teneriffe, Cook purchased a supply of wine, which he did not think
as good as that of Madeira, but remarks that the best Teneriffe wine was
"12 pounds a pipe, whereas the best Madeira is seldom under 27 pounds."
Here they met "Captain Baurdat" (the Chevalier de Borda), who was making
observations in order to time two watch machines, and were afforded an
opportunity of comparing them with their own. Looking into Port Praya in
hopes to find the Discovery they crossed the line on 1st September in
longitude 27 degrees 38 minutes West, and sighted the Cape of Good Hope
on 17th October, anchoring in Table Bay the next day. The ship was found
to be very leaky in her upper works, as the great heat had opened up her
seams which had been badly caulked at first. "Hardly a man that could lie
dry in his bed; the officers in the gun-room were all driven out of their
cabin by the water that came in through the sides." The sails were
damaged, some being quite ruined before they could be dried.
The reception accorded by the Dutch was all that could be desired, and
all the resources of the place were at Cook's disposal. Letters were sent
to England and one invalid, Cook wishing afterwards that he had sent one
or two more, but he had at the time hopes of their complete recovery. On
31st October they were unable to communicate with the shore owing to a
heavy south-easterly gale which did not blow itself out for three days,
and the Resolution was the only ship in the bay that rode through it
without dragging her anchors. On the 10th November the Discovery arrived,
having left Plymouth on 1st August. She sighted land above twenty-five
leagues north of Table Bay, but had been blown off the coast in the
storm.
It may be noted here that the French, Spanish, and United States
Governments issued instructions to their naval officers that Captain Cook
and his ships were to be treated with every respect, and as belonging to
a neutral and allied power. An honour to Cook, and also to the nations
who conferred it on him.
When her consort arrived Cook was almost ready for sea, so the refit of
the Discovery was pushed on as quickly as possible, but some delay arose
in the delivery of bread ordered. Cook says he believes the bakers would
not put it in hand till they saw the Discovery safely at anchor. However,
on 30th November Clerke was handed his instructions, and the two Captains
went on board their respective ships to find them fully supplied for a
voyage which was expected to last at least two years. Live stock had been
purchased at the Cape, and one journalist says that on leaving, the
Resolution reminded him of Noah's Ark.
They did not get clear of the coast till 3rd December owing to light
winds, and then on the 6th "a sudden heavy squall" cost the Resolution
her mizzen topmast; not a very serious loss, for they had a spare stick,
and the broken one "had often complained," but Burney says that owing to
the weather it took them three days to complete the repairs. The cold,
rough weather also had a bad effect on the live stock, several of them
perishing.
DENSE FOG.
On 12th December the islands discovered by Marion du Fresne and Crozet in
1772 were sighted, and as they were unnamed in the map, dated 1775, given
by Crozet to Cook, he called them Prince Edward's Islands, and a small
group further to the east was named Marion and Crozet Islands. Then
sailing south through fog so dense that, Burney says, they were often for
hours together unable to see twice the length of the ship, and, though it
was the height of summer, the cold was so intense that the warm clothing
had to be resorted to, they sighted Kerguelen's Land on 24th December.
The Chevalier de Borda had given Cook 48 degrees 26 minutes South, 64
degrees 57 minutes East of Paris as the position of Rendezvous Island;
this Cook took to be an isolated rock they only just weathered in the
fog, to which he gave the name of Bligh's Cap, for he said: "I know
nothing that can Rendezvous at it but fowls of the air, for it is
certainly inaccessible to every other animal." Cook, unaware that
Kerguelen had paid two visits to the place, found some difficulty in
recognising the places described. The country was very desolate, the
coarse grass hardly worth cutting for the animals; no wood, but a good
supply of water was obtained; and here the Christmas Day was spent on the
27th, as the 25th and 26th had been full of hard work. A bottle was found
by one of the crew containing a parchment record of the visit of the
French in 1772; on the back Cook noted the names of his ships and the
year of their visit, and adding a silver twopenny piece of 1772, replaced
it in the bottle which was sealed with lead and hidden in a pile of
stones in such a position that it could not escape the notice of any one
visiting the spot. Running along the coast to the south-east they
encountered very blowy weather, and finding the land even more desolate
than that at Christmas Harbour, they left on the 31st for New Zealand.
Anderson, the surgeon, on whom Cook relied for his notes on Natural
History, says:
"Perhaps no place hitherto discovered in either hemisphere under the same
parallel of latitude affords so scanty a field for the naturalist as this
barren spot."
The whole catalogue of plants, including lichens, did not exceed sixteen
or eighteen.
A SOUTHERLY BUSTER.
The first part of January 1777 was foggy, and Cook says they "ran above
300 leagues in the dark." On the 19th a squall carried away the fore
topmast and main topgallant mast, and it took the whole day to replace
the first, but they had nothing suitable for the top gallant mast. On
26th January they put into Adventure Bay, Van Diemen's Land, and obtained
a spar; Cook spoke of the timber as being good but too heavy. A few
natives were seen, but did not create a favourable impression, still Cook
landed a couple of pigs in hopes to establish the breed, a hope doomed to
be unsatisfied. The Marquis de Beauvoir relates that in 1866 he saw in
Adventure Bay a tree on which was cut with a knife: Cook, 26th Jan. 1777,
and he was informed it had been cut by the man himself. They seem to have
seen nothing to raise a doubt about Furneaux's conclusion that Van
Diemen's Land formed a part of Australia, so no attempt was made to
settle the question, and they sailed for New Zealand on the 30th, meeting
with a "perfect storm" from the south; the thermometer rose:
"almost in an instant from about 70 degrees to near 90 degrees, but fell
again when the wind commenced, in fact the change was so rapid that there
were some on board who did not notice it."
These storms are of frequent occurrence, and are locally known as
Southerly Busters.
On 10th February Rocks Point, near Cape Farewell, was sighted, and on the
12th they anchored near their old berth in Queen Charlotte's Sound, and a
camp was immediately established. Here they were visited by a few of the
natives, some of whom remembered Cook and were recognised by him. At
first they thought he had come to avenge the Adventure's losses, but
after a time were persuaded to put aside their distrust, and they flocked
down to the shore, every available piece of ground being quickly occupied
by their huts. Cook describes how one party worked. The ground was
selected, the men tearing up the grass and plants, and erected the huts,
whilst the women looked after the canoes, properties, and provisions, and
collected firewood; and he kept the children and some of the oldest of
the party out of mischief by scrambling the contents of his pockets
amongst them. At the same time he noticed that however busy the men might
be, they took care to be within easy reach of their weapons; and he on
his side had a strong party of marines on duty, and any party working at
a distance from the ship was always armed and under the command of an
officer experienced in dealing with the natives. Cook was pleased to
notice his men were not inclined to associate with the Maoris, and he
always tried to discourage familiarity between his crew and the natives
of the islands he visited. It is worthy of remark that two of the
Resolution were on the sick list, whilst the Discovery had a clean bill
of health.
One of their constant visitors was a man Cook calls Kahoura, who was
pointed out as having been the leader at the massacre of the Adventure's
men, and it was a matter of surprise to the natives that having him in
his power Cook did not kill him; but after the fullest possible enquiry
Cook believed it was best to let matters rest, as the attack had
evidently arisen out of a sudden quarrel, and was totally unpremeditated.
Burney thinks the Maoris felt a certain contempt for the English, either
because they were too generous in their dealings, or else because the
murders were unavenged.
The gardens that had been made at the last visit had in some respects
prospered; in particular the potatoes from the Cape had improved in
quality, but as they had been appreciated by the natives, there were few
to be got. Burney, on the other hand, declares that nothing could be
heard of the pigs and fowls that had been left. Omai was anxious to take
a New Zealander away with him, and soon found one to volunteer. It was
explained that he must make up his mind that he would not be able to
return, and as he seemed satisfied he and a boy were taken. When they
were seasick they deeply and loudly lamented leaving their home, but on
recovery they soon became "as firmly attached to us as if they had been
born amongst us."
THE WEEKLY PAPER.
Sailing on 25th February, they crossed the tropic on 27th March, some 9
degrees further west than Cook wished to have done, and had seen nothing
of importance. It is interesting to note that Burney says each ship
published a weekly paper, and on signal being made a boat was sent to
exchange when possible. He says Cook was a "Constant Reader," but not a
"Contributor." It is to be regretted that no copies exist of this,
probably the first oceanic weekly.
On 29th March, a small island Cook calls Manganouia was discovered in 21
degrees 57 minutes South, 201 degrees 53 minutes East (Burney gives 21
degrees 54 minutes South, 202 degrees 6 minutes East.) but the
landing-places were too dangerous on account of the surf. A native came
on board who was able to converse with Omai, and said they had plenty of
plantains and taro, but neither yams, hogs, nor dogs. He unfortunately
fell over a goat, which he took to be a large bird, and was so frightened
he had to be put ashore. The next day another island was seen, and as
they were very short of fodder for the animals, Gore was sent to see if
trade could be opened up with the inhabitants. In this he was fairly
successful, and obtained a quantity of plantain stems, which were found
to be a satisfactory substitute for grass; but the trading was not brisk,
for the people wished to receive dogs in return, and it was evident that
though they had none, they knew what they were. They were afraid of the
horses and cattle, and took the sheep and goats for some kind of large
birds. A party went ashore and were treated fairly well, but when they
wished to return to their boats all sorts of difficulties were raised,
and Cook credits Omai with their safe return; for it seems he gave
judiciously boastful replies to the many questions that were asked him,
and at the psychological moment exploded a handful of powder, with the
result that opposition to their departure was withdrawn. Burney says Omai
was most useful on a landing party, as he was a good sportsman and cook,
and was never idle. After this experience Cook would not run further
risks, so made for a small uninhabited island where some vegetables were
obtained and branches of trees, which, cut into short lengths, were
eagerly eaten by the cattle, and Cook says: "It might be said, without
impropriety, that we fed our cattle on billet wood." Payment for what had
been taken was left in a deserted village.
On 6th April they reached Hervey's Island, and were somewhat surprised to
be visited by several canoes, as on Cook's previous visit no signs of
inhabitants had been noticed. Omai gathered from one or two natives who
came on board to sell a few fish, that the Resolution and Adventure had
been seen in 1776 when passing the island. King was sent to look for a
landing-place, but, seeing that the women were quietly bringing down arms
to their menfolk on the beach, he thought it better to return to the
ship, and sail was made for the Friendly Islands, the Discovery being
sent on about a league ahead, as she was better able "to claw off a lee
shore than mine." At this time Cook was getting rather short of water, so
he set the still to work, and obtained from "13 to 16 gallons of fresh
water" between 6 A.M. and 4 P.M. "There has lately been made some
IMPROVEMENT, as they are pleased to call it, to this machine, which in my
opinion is much for the worse." Falling in with repeated thunderstorms in
which they caught more water in an hour "than by the still in a month, I
laid it a side as a thing attended with more trouble than profit."
At one of the Palmerston Group they found, amongst other things drifted
over the reef, some planks, one of which was very thick, with trunnell
holes in it, and a piece of moulding from some ship's upper works,
painted yellow, with nail holes showing signs of iron rust: probably the
remains of some wrecked European ship. At Comango, where they anchored on
28th April, Cook notes:
"It was remarkable that during the whole day the Indians would hardly
part with any one thing to anybody but me; Captain Clerke did not get
above one or two hogs."
A supply of water was obtained and wood was cut, but most of the trees
were what Cook calls Manchineel, the sap from which produced blisters on
the men's skin, and Burney says some of them were blind for a fortnight,
having rubbed their faces with their juice-stained hands. One of the
carpenters had a bad fall and broke his leg, but for the rest, says
Burney, they were "in good health; thank God, no appearance of scurvy."
FLOGGING NO GOOD.
Cook again complains of the thefts committed so continually, and says
that no punishment they could devise was effectual, for "flogging made no
more impression than it would have done upon the mainmast." The chiefs
would advise him to kill those caught, but as he would not proceed to
such a length the culprits generally escaped unpunished. Here the
Discovery lost her best bower anchor, the cable having been chafed by the
coral and parted when weighing; Burney describes how by pouring oil on
the water they were able to see and recover it from a depth of seventeen
fathoms. Landing on Happi they were very well received, and obtained
plentiful supplies of fresh food, which was most opportune. An
entertainment of boxing, wrestling, and combats with clubs made from
green coconut boughs was held in their honour; and Cook says that they
were carried on with the greatest good-humour in the presence of some
three thousand spectators, "though some, women as well as men, have
received blows they must feel some time after." When this was over the
chief, Feenough, presented Cook with supplies that required four boats to
take to the ships; it "far exceeded any present I had ever before
received from an Indian Prince." The donor was invited on board to
receive his return present, which proved so satisfactory that on his
return to the shore he forwarded still more in addition to his first
gift, and was amused by a drill of the marines and a display of
fireworks, which, though some were spoilt, were the cause of astonishment
and pleasure to the wondering natives. During one of his walks on shore
Cook saw a woman just completing a surgical operation on a child's eyes.
She was removing a film growing over the eyeballs, and the instruments
used are described as slender wooden probes. He was not able to say if
the operation were successful.
The chief, Feenough, went off to an island about two days' sail away, in
order to obtain some of the feather caps which were held in high
estimation; and Cook promised to wait for his return, but finding the
fresh supplies were running short, he sailed along the south of the reef
and put in to a bay in Lefooga. On the way the Discovery ran on a shoal,
but managed to back off without damage. Although he was not short of
water, Cook went ashore to inspect some well which he had been informed
contained water of a very superior quality, but he found it very bad, and
says: "This will not be the only time I shall have to remark that these
people do not know what good water is." Near these wells was a large
artificial mound about forty feet high, and fifty feet diameter on the
top, on which large trees were growing. At the foot was a hewn block of
coral, four feet broad, two and a half feet thick, and fourteen feet
high, but the natives present said that there was only one half of it
above ground. It was supposed to have been erected to the memory of a
great chief, but how many years ago it was impossible to guess.
KING POLAHO.
Whilst anchored here, a large sailing canoe arrived, having on board a
chief who was treated by the natives with the utmost respect, and the
visitors were given to understand that Tattafee Polaho was the king of
all the islands. He was invited on board, and brought with him as a
present:
"two good fat hogs, though not so fat as himself, for he was the most
corporate, plump fellow we had met with. I found him to be a sedate,
sensible man; he viewed the ship and the several new objects with
uncommon attention, and asked several pertinent questions."
In return Cook was invited ashore, and when they were seated, the natives
who had been trading submitted the articles they had received for
Polaho's inspection, who enquired what each one had sold, and seemed
pleased with the bargains made. Everything was returned to its owner,
excepting a red glass bowl to which the king had taken a great fancy.
According to Mr. Basil Thomson, who was for some years in the Pacific
Islands, a red glass bowl was given by the King of Tonga to the notorious
Mr. Shirley Baker, as a relic of Captain Cook, but was unfortunately
broken in New Zealand. It was most probably the one in question. Before
leaving, Polaho presented Cook with one of the red feather caps made from
the tail feathers of the bird the Sandwich Islanders call Iiwi (Vestiaria
coicinea), which were evidently considered of extreme value. At the same
time he gave Cook, Clerke, and Omai some of the red feathers of paraquets
which, though much in demand, were not to be purchased.
On 29th May they sailed for Tongatabu, but, the wind failing, they nearly
ran ashore on the 31st on a low sandy island on which the sea was
breaking very heavily. Fortunately all hands had just been engaged in
putting the ship about, "so that the necessary movements were not only
executed with judgment but with alertness, and this alone saved the
ship." Cook confesses that he was tired of beating about in these
dangerous waters, and felt relieved to get back to his old anchorage off
Annamooka. Feenough here rejoined the ship, and his behaviour before
Polaho was sufficient evidence as to the high position held by the
latter, for he made a deep reverence to him, and afterwards would not eat
or drink in his presence, but left the cabin as soon as dinner was
announced.
AN ENTERTAINMENT.
On 6th June they sailed for Tongatabu again, accompanied by some sailing
canoes which could all easily outdistance the two ships. A good anchorage
was found, and Cook's old friends, Otago and Toobough, were soon on board
to greet them. As it was proposed to make a short stay, the cattle were
landed, the observatory set up, and the sail-makers set to work to
overhaul the sails, for much-required repairs. Cook speaks very highly of
the orderly behaviour of the natives, many of whom had never seen a white
man before. Hearing much of an important chief named Mariwaggee, Cook
persuaded the king to escort a party to his residence, which was found to
be pleasantly situated on an inlet where most of the chiefs resided,
surrounded by neatly fenced plantations; but they were informed that
Mariwaggee had gone to see the ships. This was found to be untrue, but
the next day he appeared, accompanied by a large number of both sexes,
and Cook at once landed with some presents for him, only to find he was
accompanied by another chief, to whom something had to be given as well.
Fortunately the two were easily satisfied, and the present was divided
between them. Mariwaggee was found to be the father of Feenough, and the
father-in-law of the king. He gave a grand entertainment of singing and
dancing in honour of the strangers, which commenced about eleven in the
morning and lasted till between three and four in the afternoon, and
wound up with a presentation of a large number of yams, each pair of the
roots being tied to a stick about six feet long, and decorated with fish.
Cook says it was hard to say which was the most valuable, the yams for
food or the sticks for firewood; but, as for the fish, "it might serve to
please the sight, but was very offensive to the smell, as some of it had
been kept two or three days for this occasion." More singing and dancing
then took place, and then the English gave a display of fireworks, which
"astonished and highly entertained" the natives.
Being afraid that some of his live stock might be stolen, Cook tried to
interest some of the chiefs in them by presenting the king with a bull
and cow and some goats; to Feenough a horse and mare, and to Mariwaggee a
ram and two ewes. Some one, however, was not satisfied, and a kid and two
turkey cocks were stolen; and as thefts had been frequent and very
daring, including an attempt to steal one of the anchors of the
Discovery, which would have been successful had not one of the flukes of
the anchor got fixed in one of the chain plates, Cook determined to put
his foot down. He seized three canoes, and, hearing Feenough and some
other chiefs were in a house together, he placed a guard over them and
informed them they would be detained till the stolen goods were returned.
They took the matter coolly, and said that everything should be returned.
Some of the things being produced, Cook invited his prisoners on board
ship to dine, and when they came back the kid and a turkey were brought,
so the prisoners and canoes were released. At one time a small hostile
demonstration was made by the natives, but the landing of a few marines
and an order from the king put an end to it.
SMART WORKMEN.
The following day Cook was invited on shore and found some natives busy
erecting two sets of poles, one on each side of the place set apart for
the guests. Each set consisted of four placed in a square about two feet
apart, secured from spreading by cross pieces, and carried up to a height
of about thirty feet, the intervening space being filled with yams. On
the top of one structure were two baked pigs, and on the other alive one,
with a second tied by its legs about half way up. Cook was particularly
struck by the way the men raised these two towers, and says if he had
ordered his sailors to do such a thing, they would have wanted carpenters
and tools and at least a hundredweight of nails, and would have taken as
many days as it did these people hours. When the erections were
completed, piles of bread-fruit and yams were heaped on either side, and
a turtle and some excellent fish were added, and then the whole was
presented to Cook.
A party of officers from both ships went off to an island without leave,
and returned two days after without their muskets, ammunition, and other
articles which had been stolen. They persuaded Omai to make a private
complaint to the king, which resulted in the chiefs leaving the
neighbourhood. Their disappearance annoyed Cook, and when the affair was
explained to him he severely reprimanded Omai for speaking on the matter
without orders. This put Omai on his mettle, and he managed to persuade
Feenough to return, and informed the king that no serious consequences
should ensue. Matters were then easily smoothed over; most of the stolen
goods, including the missing turkey, were returned, and the king said he
ought not to have been held responsible, for, if he had known that any
one wished to see the island, he would have sent a chief who would have
ensured their safety.
An eclipse of the sun was to occur on 5th July, and Cook decided to
remain so as to secure observations, and meanwhile employed himself in
exploring the neighbourhood and studying the customs of the natives. On
one occasion, thinking to see an interesting ceremony, he accompanied
Polaho, who was going to do state mourning for a son who had been dead
some time. The result was disappointing, and the chief impression left
with Cook seems to have been that over their clothing of native cloth,
those present wore old and ragged mats; those of the king being the
raggedest, and "might have served his great-grandfather on some such like
occasion."
July 5th proved dark and cloudy, with heavy showers of rain, and the
observations were unsatisfactory, especially as the clouds came up
thickly in the middle of the eclipse, and the sun was seen no more for
the rest of the day. This failure was not of great importance, for the
longitude had already been satisfactorily ascertained by several very
good lunar observations, so as soon as the eclipse was over everything
was sent on board the ships, including the sheep which had been presented
to Mariwaggee. No one had taken any notice of them since they were
landed, and Cook felt sure they would be killed by the dogs as soon as
the ships left.
A NATIVE CEREMONY.
As the wind proved contrary, and it was understood that the king's son
was to be initiated into the estate of manhood, eating with his father
for the first time, Cook determined to remain a few days longer. A party
of the officers went over to the island of Moa, where the ceremony was to
be held, and found the king in a very dirty enclosure, drinking kava; and
as the method of preparing this beverage was uninviting to Europeans,
they went for a walk till about ten o'clock. Finding large numbers of
people assembling in an open space near a large building they rejoined
the king, taking off their hats and untying their hair, "that we might
appear the more decent" in the eyes of the natives. The proceedings
consisted of marching of men laden with yams tied on to sticks, of
considerable speech-making, and various performances of which the
signification could not be understood, and then the prince made his
appearance. He seated himself with a few of his friends on the ground,
and some women wound a long piece of cloth round them, and after some
more speech-making and mysterious pantomime with sticks representing
yams, the proceedings ended for the day. As there were signs that so many
white onlookers was not altogether acceptable to the natives, some of the
party returned to the ships; but Cook resolved to see it out, and joined
the king at supper, and the latter enjoyed some brandy and water so much
that Cook says "he went to bed quite grogish. "
After breakfast Cook paid a visit to the prince and presented him was
enough English cloth to make a suit, receiving native cloth in return.
After dinner the people mustered for the remains of the ceremony, and
Cook determined to join the principal party, so he seated himself with
it, and would not understand when requested to leave. He was then
requested to bare his shoulders as a mark of respect, and immediately did
so, and was then no further molested. A somewhat similar performance was
gone through as the day before, but the significance of which could not
be ascertained, and then suddenly all the people turned their backs on
king and prince, who, Cook was afterwards informed, had had pieces of
roast yam given them to eat. An exhibition of boxing and wrestling was
then given, and after a speech or two the proceedings terminated. Cook
was informed that in about three months a much greater affair would take
place at which ten men would be sacrificed.
On 10th July the ships sailed through a very difficult passage, arriving
off Middleburg on the 12th, where they were visited by their old friend
Taoofa. The country appeared flourishing, and they obtained some turnips
raised from seed sown at Cook's last visit. An exhibition of boxing was
given, and was to have been repeated the following night, but
unfortunately some of the natives fell upon a sailor and stripped him of
his clothes. Cook thereupon seized two canoes and a pig, demanding that
the culprits should be given up. A man who had the shirt and trousers was
brought, and so the canoes were returned and the pig paid for, and next
day the thief was liberated. The remainder of the sailor's clothes were
afterwards found, but so much torn as to be worthless.
They left the Friendly Islands on the 17th, after a stay of more than two
months, during which time they had been living almost entirely on food
they had purchased from the natives, with whom they had been on fairly
good terms. The 29th brought them into a very heavy squall which cost the
Resolution a couple of staysails and her consort a main topmast and main
topgallant yard, springing the head of her main-mast so badly that the
rigging of a jury-mast was attended with some danger, but it was at
length accomplished, a spare jibboom being furnished for the purpose by
the Resolution. Otaheite was reached on 12th August, and amongst the
first visitors on board were Omai's brother-in-law and others who knew
him before he went away; they treated him as if he was an Englishman and
a stranger, but when he took his brother-in-law to his cabin and gave him
some of the valuable red feathers a change came over them all, and they
expressed the greatest interest in him. Cook says Omai "would take no
advice, but permitted himself to be made the dupe of every designing
knave." Of these red feathers Cook says they were of such value that "not
more than might be got from a tomtit, would purchase a hog of 40 or 50
pounds weight." Nails and beads were not looked at, although they had
previously been very acceptable.
SPANISH SHIPS.
Two ships from Lima were found to have visited the island twice since
Cook's last call, and the first time the Spaniards built a house with
material they had with them. They left four men in charge, and were away
for about ten months. At the second visit their Commodore died, and was
buried near the house which was left at their departure, and the natives
built a shade over it to protect it from the weather. It consisted of two
rooms, furnished with table, bed, bench, and a few other trifles, and the
timbers were found to have been carefully marked to facilitate erection.
Near by was a cross having the following inscription cut on it:
CHRISTUS VINCIT,
CAROLUS III. IMPERAT, 1774.
Cook caused to be cut on the back:
GEORGIUS TERTIUS REX.
ANNIS 1767, 69, 73, 74, ET 78.
At the end of their first visit the Spaniards took away four natives to
Lima; one died, one remained at Lima, and the other two returned with the
ships; but Cook thinks they were not improved by their experience, and
had not added to their respectability in the eyes of their countrymen.
In view of the cold climate to be faced in the near future, Cook was
desirous to save his stock of spirits, and mustered the crew of the
Resolution in order to explain the position; he pointed out that the
supply of coconuts was abundant, and the benefit of the spirits would be
appreciated amongst the cold winds and ice of the north, but left the
decision to them. He was gratified to find the crew was willing to accept
his suggestion, and ordered Clerke to put the matter before the crew of
the Discovery, when it was again well received. An order was accordingly
issued to stop:
"serving grog except on Saturday nights, when they had full allowance to
drink to their female friends in England, lest amongst the pretty girls
of Otaheite, they should be wholly forgotten."
During a state visit paid by the chief of the district, at which Omai
attended "dressed in a strange medley of all he was possessed of," Cook
was informed that the Spaniards laid claim to the country, and had given
instructions that Cook was not to be allowed to land if he returned.
However, the chief executed a formal surrender of his province to Cook,
and presents were exchanged, the whole ceremony ending with a display of
fireworks which "both pleased and astonished" the natives. Some of the
civilians reported that they had discovered a Roman Catholic chapel in
their walks; but on inspection it proved to be what Cook at once
suspected, the grave of a chief decorated with different coloured cloths
and mats, and a piece of scarlet broadcloth which had been given by the
Spaniards.
RED FEATHERS.
On the 23rd August the two ships arrived in Matavai Bay, where they were
well received by Otoo, who was gratified by a present of a fine linen
suit, a hat with a gold band, some tools, a feather helmet from the
Friendly Islands, and, what he seemed to value most, a large bunch of the
celebrated red feathers. In return he sent on board the ships enough food
to have lasted both crews for a week, if it had only been possible to
keep it good for that length of time. The royal family dined on board the
Resolution; and after dinner Cook and Omai called on Oparee, taking with
them a peacock and peahen sent to the island by Lord Bessborough, a
turkey cock and hen, a gander and three geese, a drake and four ducks to
make a start in stocking the island. A gander was seen, which the natives
said had been left by Wallis ten years previously; several goats and a
bull left by the Spaniards were also seen, so Cook landed three cows as
company for the last. The horses and sheep were also landed, and Cook
remarks that getting rid of all these animals lightened him:
"of a very heavy burden; the trouble and vexation that attended the
bringing these animals thus far is hardly to be conceived. But the
satisfaction I felt in having been so fortunate as to fulfil His
Majesty's design in sending such useful animals to two worthy nations
sufficiently recompensed me for the many anxious hours I had on their
account."
Whilst here, the two ships were thoroughly overhauled and everywhere put
into as good a state of repair as the appliances available would permit.
The stores were found to be in a better state than had been expected, and
very little of the bread was damaged. Gardens were laid out and planted
with potatoes, melons, pineapples, etc.; but Cook was not very sanguine
of their success, for he had seen how a vine planted by the Spaniards had
been spitefully trampled down, as the natives, tasting the grapes before
they were ripe, had concluded it was poisonous. It was carefully pruned
into proper shape again, and Omai was instructed to set forth its merits
and how it should be cultivated.
Towards the end of the month a man reported that the two Spanish ships
had returned, and showed a piece of cloth he said he had obtained from
them, so Cook, not knowing if England and Spain were on friendly terms,
prepared for the worst, and the two ships made ready for defence if
necessary. Lieutenant Williamson was despatched in a boat for news, but
could see no ships, nor signs of any having been on the coast since the
English left their last port of call.
A HUMAN SACRIFICE.
At their last visit an expedition was being prepared against the revolted
island of Eimeo, but it did not seem to have been very successful in its
object, for there were still disturbances going on between the two
nations, and on 30th August news came that the Otaheitans had been driven
up into the hills. A grand meeting was held to discuss matters, and great
efforts were made to enlist the services of Cook; but he would not assist
in any way, as he did not understand the cause of the quarrel, and he had
always found the inhabitants of Eimeo friendly towards him. Having heard
that a chief named Towha had killed a man as a sacrifice to their God,
Cook obtained permission to witness the remaining ceremonies as he
thought it offered an opportunity to learn something of the religion of
this people. He therefore started with Dr. Anderson, Mr. Webber, and the
chief Potatow in a boat, accompanied by Omai in a canoe, for the scene of
action. On their arrival the sailors were instructed to remain in the
boat, and the gentlemen were requested to remove their hats as soon as
they reached the Morai where the ceremonial was to take place. When they
got there the body of the victim was seen in a small canoe in front of
the Morai and just in the wash of the sea, in charge of four priests and
their attendants, the king and his party some twenty or thirty paces
away, and the rest of the spectators a little further still. Two priests
came forward to Otoo, one placing a young plantain tree in front of him,
and the other touching his foot with a bunch of red feathers, and then
rejoining the others, who immediately went off to a smaller Morai near,
and, seating themselves facing the sea, one commenced reciting a long
prayer, occasionally sending one of his attendants to place a young
plantain on the body. Whilst this recitation was going on an attendant
stood near holding two small bundles "seemingly of cloth; in one, as we
afterwards found, was the Royal Maro, and the other, if I may be allowed
the expression, was the ark of the Eatua" [God].
This prayer being ended, the priests returned to the beach, and more
prayers were said, the plantains being moved, one by one, from the body
and placed in front of the priests. Then the body, wrapped in leaves, was
put on the beach, with the feet to the sea, and the priests gathered
round, some sitting, some standing, the prayers still going on. The
leaves were then stripped off the body, and it was turned sideways on to
the sea, and one priest standing at the feet repeated another long prayer
in which he was occasionally joined by the others. Each priest at this
time held in his hand a bunch of the red feathers. Some hair was now
pulled from the head of the corpse, and an eye taken out, wrapped in
leaves and presented to Otoo, who did not touch them, but sent them back
with a bunch of feathers, soon after sending a second bunch he had asked
Cook to put in his pocket for him when starting. At this time a
king-fisher made a noise in some trees near, and Otoo remarked, "That is
the Eatua," evidently looking on it as a good omen.
The body was now moved away to the foot of one of the small Morais, the
two bundles of cloth being placed on the Morai at its head and the tufts
of feathers at its feet, the priests surrounding the body and the people
gathering in closer. More speeches were made, and a second lock of hair
plucked from the head and placed on the Morai. Then the red feathers were
placed on the cloth bundles, which were carried over to the great Morai
and laid against a pile of stones, to which the body was also brought,
and the attendants proceeded to dig a grave, whilst the priests continued
their recitations. The body was then buried, and a dog Towha had sent
over (a very poor one, says Cook) was partially cooked and presented to
the priests, who called on Eatua to come and see what was prepared for
him, at the same time putting it on a small altar on which were the
remains of two dogs and three pigs, which smelt so intolerably that the
white men were compelled to move further away than they wished. This
ended the ceremony for the day.
THE KING'S MARO.
Next morning they all returned to the Morai; a pig was sacrificed and
placed on the same altar, and about eight o'clock the priests, Otoo, and
a great number of people assembled. The two bundles were still in the
same place as on the previous night, but two drums were now standing in
front of them between which Otoo and Cook seated themselves. The priests,
placing a plantain tree in front of the king, resumed their praying, each
having his bunch of feathers in his hand. They then moved off to a place
between the Morai and the king and placed the feathers bunch by bunch on
the bundles, the prayers still going on. Four pigs were then produced,
one immediately killed, and the others put in a sty for future use. The
bundle containing the king's Maro was now untied and spread carefully on
the ground before the priests. The Maro was about five yards long by
fifteen inches broad, composed of red and yellow feathers, chiefly
yellow. At one end was a border of eight pieces about the size and shape
of horse-shoes fringed with black pigeon's feathers; the other end was
forked, the ends being of unequal length. The feathers were arranged in
two rows and had a very good effect. They were fastened on a piece of
native cloth, and then sewn to the English pendant which Wallis left
flying when he sailed from Matavai Bay. After the priests had repeated
another prayer, the emblem of royalty was carefully folded up and
replaced on the Morai, and then one end of what Cook called the Ark of
the Eatua was opened, but the visitors were not permitted to see what it
contained. The entrails of the pig were then prayed over, and one of the
priests stirred them gently with a stick, evidently trying to draw a
favourable omen from their movements. They were then thrown on the fire,
the partly-cooked pig was deposited on the altar, and when the bunches of
feathers that had been used had been placed in the Ark, the ceremony was
over.
The meanings of all this could not be discovered, but it was found that
when a victim was wanted, a chief picked him out and sent his servants to
kill him. This was done without any warning to the man who was to suffer,
usually by a blow with a stone on the head, and it appeared that at the
subsequent ceremony the presence of the king was absolutely
indispensable. Chiefs of an enemy's tribe who were killed in battle were
buried with some state in the Morais, the common men at the foot.
On the way back to the ship Cook called on Towha, who had supplied the
victim. He was anxious to ascertain Cook's opinion of the affair, and was
not pleased to learn that Cook thought such a proceeding was more likely
to offend the Deity than to please him. He then enquired if the English
ever practised such ceremonies, and was very angry when he was informed
that if the greatest chief in England killed one of his men he would be
hanged; and Cook says they left him "with as great a contempt for our
customs as we could possibly have for theirs." The servants evidently
listened to Omai with great interest and a different opinion on the
subject than that of their master.
They went to inspect the body of a chief who had been embalmed; they were
not allowed to examine it very closely, but it was so well done that they
were unable to perceive the slightest unpleasant smell, though the man
had been dead some months. All chiefs who died a natural death were
preserved in this manner, and from time to time were exposed to public
view, the intervals between the exposures gradually extending till at
length they were hardly ever seen. The method of preservation was not
ascertained, and was probably a secret of the priests.
EQUESTRIAN EXERCISE.
Cook and Clerke astonished the natives by riding the horses that had been
brought out; their progress through the country was always watched with
great interest, and Cook thought that this use of the animals impressed
the people more than anything else done by the whites. Omai tried his
powers on several occasions, but as he was always thrown before he got
securely into the saddle, his efforts only produced entertainment for the
spectators. It is curious to note that forty years afterwards the people
had so thoroughly lost even the tradition of such use of the horse that
Mr. Ellis relates how, when one was landed for the use of Pomare, the
natives assisted to get it ashore, but when once landed they ran away and
hid in fear of the "man-carrying pig." About this time Cook suffered from
a bad attack of rheumatism in the legs, and was successfully treated by
Otoo's mother, three sisters, and eight other women. The process he
underwent, called Romy, consisted of squeezing and kneading from head to
foot, more especially about the parts affected. Cook says he was glad to
escape from their ministrations after about a quarter of an hour, but he
felt relief, and, after submitting to four operations of the kind he was
completely cured.
Otoo was very desirous to send a present of a canoe to King George, and
Cook was very willing to take it, but when he found it was a large double
canoe he was obliged to decline from want of space. As the desire to send
it was quite spontaneous on Otoo's part, and as the canoe was a very fine
specimen of native work, the refusal was given with great regret.
In a journal published by Newbery, the anonymous writer says that two
officers fought a duel whilst the ships were at Otaheite. He does not
give the cause, but says three shots were exchanged, resulting in one hat
being spoiled, and then the antagonists shook hands and were better
friends afterwards. The story is not confirmed by any of the other
journals.
On 29th September, after giving Otoo a short run out to sea and back, the
two ships sailed for the north side of Eimeo, arriving the next day, and
were greeted by a chief, Maheine, who was bald-headed. Of this defect he
seemed much ashamed, and always appeared with his head covered with a
sort of turban. Cook thinks perhaps this shame rose from the fact that
natives caught stealing on the ships were often punished by having their
heads shaved, and adds that "one or two of the gentlemen whose heads were
not overburdened with hair, lay under violent suspicions of being titos
(thieves)."
One of the few remaining goats was stolen, but after threats of serious
reprisals was given up, together with the thief, who was eventually
discharged with a caution; but on a second one disappearing and not being
found after careful search, Cook felt that he must make an example, or
nothing would be safe, so he ordered one or two houses and canoes to be
destroyed, and sent word to Maheine that he would not leave a canoe on
the island if the goat was not returned. The goat was recovered, and the
next day the people were as friendly as if nothing had occurred. Cook was
particularly annoyed, for he had sent a present of red feathers to Otoo,
and requested him to send in return a couple of goats to Eimeo.
OMAI SETTLED.
On 11th October the ships sailed for Huaheine, and when they arrived Cook
was so ill he had to be landed from the ship, but he makes no mention of
it in his Journal. He thought this island would be more suitable for Omai
than Otaheite, and as Omai was agreeable a piece of ground was obtained
from the chief and a small house erected and a garden laid out and
planted. The interest of the different chiefs of the neighbourhood was
sought on Omai's behalf, and as it was seen that some of the natives were
inclined to take advantage of his good nature, Cook let it be understood
that if, should he return and find Omai in an satisfactory condition,
some one would feel the weight of his displeasure. Then the most serious
thing that can be brought against Cook's treatment of the natives
occurred. In extenuation it must be remembered that he admits that he was
inclined to be hot-tempered, though it did not last; he had been
constantly irritated by repeated losses, and he was at the time really
seriously ill, and also when all was over he sincerely regretted he had
taken such strong measures.
Mr. Bayley's sextant was stolen from the observatory: Cook at once
demanded from the chiefs that it should be returned, but they paid no
attention. The thief, however, was pointed out, seized, and taken on
board ship; the sextant was recovered, but Cook says, finding the thief
to be "a hardened scoundrel, I punished him with greater severity than I
have ever done any one before, and then dismissed him." He is said to
have had his head shaved and his ears cut off, but Gilbert (midshipman on
the Discovery) says this was not done till he had been rearrested for
damaging Omai's garden, trying to set fire to the house, and threatening
to kill Omai as soon as the ships left. Cook had intended to remove him
from the island, but, being in irons, he stole the keys from a sleeping
guard and made his escape. Omai found that many of the articles which
were practically useless to him, would be appreciated on the ships, so he
very wisely changed them for hatchets and other useful articles. A notice
of the visit with the names of the ships was cut on the end of Omai's
house, and, after firing a salute of five guns, the ships sailed on 2nd
November. Omai accompanied them for a short way, and Mr. King says that
when he parted from Cook he completely broke down and cried all the way
ashore. Cook speaks well of him, saying he seldom had to find fault with
him, that he had many good qualities, but, like the rest of his race, he
lacked powers of observation, application, and perseverance.
DESERTIONS.
On the 3rd they were off Ulietea, and as they were able to run in close
to the shore a staging was erected, and the ballast ports were opened so
as to give the rats, which had become very troublesome, a chance of going
ashore. One of the marines also took the opportunity to desert, taking
his musket with him, but after a little trouble was arrested; and having
previously borne a very good character, he was let off with a short
imprisonment. A second desertion occurred from the Discovery, Mr. Mouat,
midshipman, and a seaman getting away. Cook says the affair gave him more
trouble than both men were worth, but he insisted on getting them back to
prevent others following their example, and "to save the son of a brother
officer from being lost to the world." They were found to have gone off
in a canoe to another island, and Cook ordered Clerke to detain the
chief, his son, daughter, and son-in-law on the Discovery, where they had
gone to dine, and to inform them they would be kept as hostages till the
runaways were returned. Three days afterwards the deserters were brought
back, and the hostages were at once released. It was afterwards found out
that there had been a plot to seize Cook in retaliation, when he went for
his usual bath in the evening, but, as it happened, he was so much
worried that he put it off and so escaped. Burney notes that Cook could
not swim. Before leaving they received a message from Omai, saying he was
all right, but asking for another goat as one of his was dead. Clerke was
able to oblige him with two kids, one of each sex.