_Transactions in Queen Charlotte's Sound: Passage through the Streight
which divides the two Islands, and back to Cape Turnagain: Horrid Custom
of the Inhabitants: Remarkable Melody of Birds: A Visit to a Heppah, and
many other Particulars_.
The shore at this place seemed to form several bays, into one of which I
proposed to carry the ship, which was become very foul, in order to
careen her, and at the same time repair some defects, and recruit our
wood and water.
With this view I kept plying on and off all night, having from eighty to
sixty-three fathom. At day-break the next morning, I stood for an inlet
which runs in S.W.; and at eight I got within the entrance, which may
be known by a reef of rocks, stretching from the north-west point, and
some rocky islands which lie off the south-east point. At nine o'clock,
there being little wind, and what there was being variable, we were
carried by the tide or current within two cables' length of the
north-west shore, where we had fifty-four fathom water, but by the help
of our boats we got clear. Just at this time we saw a sea-lion rise
twice near the shore, the head of which exactly resembled that of the
male which has been described in the account of Lord Anson's voyage. We
also saw some of the natives in a canoe cross the bay, and a village
situated upon the point of an island which lies seven or eight miles
within the entrance. At noon, we were the length of this island, but
there being little wind, the boats were ordered a-head to tow. About one
o'clock we hauled close round the southwest end of the island; and the
inhabitants of the village which was built upon it, were immediately up
in arms. About two, we anchored in a very safe and convenient cove, on
the north-west side of the bay, and facing the southwest end of the
island, in eleven fathom water, with soft ground, and moored with the
stream anchor.
We were about four long cannon-shot distant from the village or Heppah,
from which four canoes were immediately dispatched, as we imagined to
reconnoitre, and, if they should find themselves able, to take us. The
men were all well armed, and dressed nearly as they are represented in
the figure published by Tasman; two corners of the cloth which they
wrapped round the body were passed over the shoulders from behind, and
being brought down to the upper edge of it before, were made fast to it
just under the breast; but few, or none, had feathers in their hair.
They rowed round the ship several times, with their usual tokens of
menace and defiance, and at last began the assault, by throwing some
stones: Tupia expostulated with them, but apparently to very little
purpose; and we began to fear that they would oblige us to fire at them,
when a very old man in one of the boats expressed a desire of coming on
board. We gladly encouraged him in his design, a rope was thrown into
his canoe, and she was immediately alongside of the ship: The old man
rose up, and prepared to come up the ship's side, upon which all the
rest expostulated with great vehemence against the attempt, and at last
laid hold of him, and held him back: He adhered, however, to his
purpose, with a calm but steady perseverance, and having at length
disengaged himself, he came on board. We received him with all possible
expressions of friendship and kindness, and after some time dismissed
him, with many presents, to his companions. As soon as he was returned
on board his canoe, the people in all the rest began to dance, but
whether as a token of enmity or friendship we would not certainly
determine, for we had seen them dance in a disposition both for peace
and war. In a short time, however, they retired to their fort, and soon
after I went on shore, with most of the gentlemen, at the bottom of the
cove, a-breast of the ship.
We found a fine stream of excellent water, and wood in the greatest
plenty, for the land here was one forest, of vast extent. As we brought
the seine with us, we hauled it once or twice, and with such success,
that we caught near three hundred weight of fish, of different sorts,
which was equally distributed among the ship's company.
At day-break, while we were busy in careening the ship, three canoes
came off to us, having on board above a hundred men, besides several of
their women, which we were pleased to see, as in general it is a sign of
peace; but they soon afterwards became very troublesome, and gave us
reason to apprehend some mischief from them to the people that were in
our boats alongside the ship. While we were in this situation, the
long-boat was sent ashore with some water-casks, and some of the canoes
attempting to follow her, we found it necessary to intimidate them, by
firing some small shot: We were at such a distance, that it was
impossible to hurt them, yet our reproof had its effect, and they
desisted from the pursuit. They had some fish in their canoes, which
they now offered to sell, and which, though it stunk, we consented to
buy: For this purpose a man in a small boat was sent among them, and
they traded for some time very fairly. At length, however, one of them,
watching his opportunity, snatched at some paper which our market-man
held in his hand, and missing it, immediately put himself in a posture
of defence, flourishing his patoo-patoo, and making show as if he was
about to strike; some small-shot were then fired at him from the ship, a
few of which struck him upon the knee: This put an end to our trade,
but the Indians still continued near the ship, rowing round her many
times, and conversing with Tupia, chiefly concerning the traditions they
had among them with respect to the antiquities of their country. To this
subject they were led by the enquiries which Tupia had been directed to
make, whether they had ever seen such a vessel as ours, or had ever
heard that any such had been upon their coast. These enquiries were all
answered in the negative, so that tradition has preserved among them no
memorial of Tasman; though, by an observation made this day, we find
that we are only fifteen miles south of Murderer's bay, our latitude
being 41° 5' 32", and Murderer's bay, according to his account, being
40° 50'.
The women in these canoes, and some of the men, had a head-dress which
we had not before seen. It consisted of a bunch of black feathers, made
up in a round form, and tied upon the top of the head, which it entirely
covered, and made it twice as high, to appearance, as it was in reality.
After dinner, I went in the pinnace with Mr Banks, Dr Solander, Tupia,
and some others, into another cove, about two miles distant from that in
which the ship lay: In our way we saw something floating upon the water,
which we took for a dead seal, but upon rowing up to it, found it to be
the body of a woman, which to all appearance had been dead some days. We
proceeded to our cove, where we went on shore, and found a small family
of Indians, who appeared to be greatly terrified at our approach, and
all ran away except one. A conversation between this person and Tupia
soon brought hack the rest, except an old man and a child, who still
kept aloof, but stood peeping at us from the woods. Of these people, our
curiosity naturally led us to enquire after the body of the woman, which
we had seen floating upon the water: And they acquainted us, by Tupia,
that she was a relation, who had died a natural death; and that,
according to their custom, they had tied a stone to the body, and thrown
it into the sea, which stone, they supposed, had by some accident been
disengaged.
This family, when we came on shore, was employed in dressing some
provisions: The body of a dog was at this time buried in their oven, and
many provision baskets stood near it. Having cast our eyes carelessly
into one of these as we passed it, we saw two bones pretty cleanly
picked, which did not seem to be the bones of a dog, and which, upon a
nearer examination, we discovered to be those of a human body. At this
sight we were struck with horror, though it was only a confirmation of
what we had heard many times since we arrived upon this coast. As we
could have no doubt but the bones were human, neither could we have any
doubt that the flesh which covered them had been eaten. They were found
in a provision basket; the flesh that remained appeared manifestly to
have been dressed by fire, and in the gristles at the end, were the
marks of the teeth which had gnawed them: To put an end, however, to
conjecture, founded upon circumstances and appearances, we directed
Tupia to ask what bones they were; and the Indians, without the least
hesitation, answered, the bones of a man: They were then asked what was
become of the flesh, and they replied that they had eaten it; but, said
Tupia, why did you not eat the body of the woman which we saw floating
upon the water: The woman, said they, died of disease; besides, she was
our relation, and we eat only the bodies of our enemies, who are killed
in battle. Upon enquiry who the man was whose bones we had found, they
told us, that about five days before, a boat belonging to their enemies
came into the bay, with many persons on board, and that this man was one
of seven whom they had killed. Though stronger evidence of this horrid
practice prevailing among the inhabitants of this coast will scarcely be
required, we have still stronger to give. One of us asked if they had
any human bones with the flesh remaining upon them, and upon their
answering us that all had been eaten, we affected to disbelieve that the
bones were human, and said that they were the bones of a dog; upon which
one of the Indians with some eagerness took hold of his own fore-arm,
and thrusting it towards us, said, that the bone which Mr Banks held in
his hand had belonged to that part of a human body; at the same time, to
convince us that the flesh had been eaten, he took hold of his own arm
with his teeth, and made shew of eating: He also bit and gnawe'd the
bone which Mr Banks had taken, drawing it through his mouth, and
shewing, by signs, that it had afforded a delicious repast; the bone was
then returned to Mr Banks, and he brought it away with him. Among the
persons of this family, there was a woman who had her arms, legs, and
thighs frightfully cut in several places; and we were told that she had
inflicted the wounds upon herself, in token of her grief for the loss
of her husband, who had been lately killed and eaten by their enemies,
who had come from some place to the eastward, towards which the Indians
pointed.
The ship lay at the distance of somewhat less than a quarter of a mile
from the shore, and in the morning we were awakened by the singing of
the birds: The number was incredible, and they seemed to strain their
throats in emulation of each other. This wild melody was infinitely
superior to any that we had ever heard of the same kind; it seemed to be
like small bells, exquisitely tuned, and perhaps the distance and the
water between, might be no small advantage to the sound. Upon enquiry,
we were informed that the birds here always began to sing about two
hours after midnight, and continuing their music till sunrise, were,
like our nightingales, silent the rest of the day.[67] In the forenoon,
a small canoe came off from the Indian village to the ship, and among
those that were in it, was the old man who had first come on board at
our arrival in the bay. As soon as it came alongside, Tupia renewed the
conversation that had passed the day before, concerning their practice
of eating human flesh, during which they repeated what they had told us
already; but, said Tupia, where are the heads? do you eat them too? Of
the heads, said the old man, we eat only the brains, and the next time I
come I will bring some of them, to convince you that what we have told
you is truth. After some farther conversation between these people and
Tupia, they told him that they expected their enemies to come very
shortly, to revenge the death of the seven men whom they had killed and
eaten.
[Footnote 67: This is a vulgar error, though at the same time a poetical
one. It is known that nightingales do sing in the day; but their song is
then less attended to or distinguished, because it forms a part only of
the harmony of the feathered choir.--E.]
On the 18th, the Indians were more quiet than usual, no canoe came near
the ship, nor did we see one of them moving on the shore, their fishing,
and other usual occupations, being totally suspended. We thought they
expected an attack on this day, and therefore attended more diligently
to what passed on shore; but we saw nothing to gratify our curiosity.
After breakfast, we went out in the pinnace, to take a view of the bay,
which was of vast extent, and consisted of numberless small harbours and
coves, in every direction: We confined our excursion, however, to the
western side, and the country being an impenetrable forest where we
landed, we could see nothing worthy of notice: We killed, however, a
good number of shaggs, which we saw sitting upon their nests in the
trees, and which, whether roasted or stewed, we considered as very good
provision. As we were returning, we saw a single man in a canoe fishing;
we rowed up to him, and to our great surprise he took not the least
notice of us, but even when we were alongside of him, continued to
follow his occupation, without adverting to us any more than if we had
been invisible. He did not, however, appear to be either sullen or
stupid: We requested him to draw up his net, that we might examine it,
and he readily complied: It was of a circular form, extended by two
hoops, and about seven or eight feet in diameter: The top was open, and
sea-ears were fastened to the bottom as a bait: This he let down so as
to lie upon the ground, and when he thought fish enough were assembled
over it, he drew it up by a very gentle and even motion, so that the
fish rose with it, scarcely sensible that they were lifted, till they
came very near the surface of the water, and then were brought out in
the net by a sudden jerk. By this simple method, he had caught abundance
of fish, and indeed they are so plenty in this bay, that the catching
them requires neither much labour nor art.
This day, some of our people found in the skirts of the wood, near a
hole or oven, three human hip-bones, which they brought on board; a
farther proof that these people eat human flesh: Mr Monkhouse, our
surgeon, also brought on board, from a place where he saw many deserted
houses, the hair of a man's head, which he had found, among many other
things, tied up to the branches of trees.
In the morning of the 19th, we set up the armourer's forge to repair the
braces of the tiller, and other iron-work, all hands on board being
still busy in careening, and other necessary operations about the
vessel: This day, some Indians came on board from another part of the
bay, where they said was a town which we had not seen: They brought
plenty of fish, which they sold for nails, having now acquired some
notion of their use; and in this traffic no unfair practice was
attempted.
In the morning of the 20th, our old man kept his promise, and brought
on board four of the heads of the seven people who had been so much the
subject of our enquiries: The hair and flesh were entire, but we
perceived that the brains had been extracted; the flesh was soft, but
had by some method been preserved from putrefaction, for it had no
disagreeable smell. Mr Banks purchased one of them, but they sold it
with great reluctance, and could not by any means be prevailed upon to
part with a second; probably they may be preserved as trophies, like the
scalps in America, and the jaw-bones in the islands of the South Seas.
Upon examining the head which had been bought by Mr Banks, we perceived
that it had received a blow upon the temples, which had fractured the
skull. This day we made another excursion in the pinnace, to survey the
bay, but we found no flat large enough for a potatoe garden, nor could
we discover the least appearance of cultivation: We met not a single
Indian, but found an excellent harbour, and about eight o'clock in the
evening returned on board the ship.
On the 21st, Mr Banks and Dr Solander went a-fishing with hook and line,
and caught an immense quantity every where upon the rocks, in between
four and five fathom water: The seine was hauled every night, and seldom
failed to supply the whole ship's company with as much fish as they
could eat. This day all the people had leave to go on shore at the
watering-place, and divert themselves as they should think proper.
In the morning of the 22d, I set out again in the pinnace, accompanied
by Mr Banks and Dr Solander, with a design to examine the head of the
inlet, but after rowing about four or five leagues without so much as
coming in sight of it, the wind being contrary, and the day half spent,
we went on shore on the south-east side, to try what might be discovered
from the hills.
Mr Banks and Dr Solander immediately employed themselves in botanizing
near the beach, and I, taking a seaman with me, ascended one of the
hills: When I reached the summit, I found a view of the inlet
intercepted by hills, which in that direction rose still higher, and
which were rendered inaccessible by impenetrable woods; I was, however,
abundantly compensated for my labour, for I saw the sea on the eastern
side of the country, and a passage leading from it to that on the west,
a little to the eastward of the entrance of the inlet where the ship now
lay. The main land, which lay on the south east of this inlet, appeared
to be a narrow ridge of very high hills, and to form part of the
south-west side of the streight; the land on the opposite side appeared
to trend away east as far as the eye could reach; and to the south-east
there appeared to be an opening to the sea, which washed the eastern
coast: On the east side of the inlet also I saw some islands which I had
before taken to be part of the main land. Having made this discovery, I
descended the hill, and as soon as we had taken some refreshment, we set
out on our return to the ship. In our way, we examined the harbours and
coves which lie behind the islands that I had discovered from the hill;
and in this route we saw an old village, in which there were many houses
that seemed to have been long deserted: We also saw another village
which was inhabited, but the day was too far spent for us to visit it,
and we therefore made the best of our way to the ship, which we reached
between eight and nine o'clock at night.
The 23d I employed in carrying on a survey of the place; and upon one of
the islands where I landed, I saw many houses which seemed to have been
long deserted, and no appearance of any inhabitant.
On the 24th, we went to visit our friends at the Hippah or village on
the point of the island near the ship's station, who had come off to us
on our first arrival in the bay. They received us with the utmost
confidence and civility, shewing us every part of their habitations,
which were commodious and neat. The island or rock on which this town is
situated, is divided from the main by a breach or fissure so narrow,
that a man might almost leap from one to the other: The sides of it are
every where so steep as to render the artificial fortification of these
people almost unnecessary: There was, however, one slight pallisade, and
one small fighting-stage, towards that part of the rock where access was
least difficult.
The people here brought us out several human bones, the flesh of which
they had eaten, and offered them to sale; for the curiosity of those
among us who had purchased them as memorials of the horrid practice,
which many, notwithstanding the reports of travellers, have professed
not to believe, had rendered them a kind of article of trade. In one
part of this village we observed, not without some surprise, a cross
exactly like that of a crucifix; it was adorned with feathers, and upon
our enquiring for what purpose it had been set up, we were told that it
was a monument for a man who was dead: We had before understood that
their dead were not buried, but thrown into the sea; but to our enquiry
how the body of the man had been disposed of, to whose memory this cross
had been erected, they refused to answer.
When we left these people, we went to the other end of the island, and
there taking water, crossed over to the main, where we saw several
houses but no inhabitants, except a few in some straggling canoes, that
seemed to be fishing. After viewing this place, we returned on board the
ship to dinner.
During our visit to the Indians this day, Tupia being always of our
party, they had been observed to be continually talking of guns, and
shooting people: For this subject of their conversation we could not at
all account; and it had so much engaged our attention, that we talked of
it all the way back, and even after we got on board the ship: We had
perplexed ourselves with various conjectures, which were all given up in
their turn; but now we learnt, that on the 21st one of our officers,
upon pretence of going out to fish, had rowed up to the Hippah, and that
two or three canoes coming off towards his boat, his fears suggested
that an attack was intended, in consequence of which three muskets were
fired, one with small shot, and two with ball, at the Indians, who
retired with the utmost precipitation, having probably come out with
friendly intentions, for such their behaviour both before and afterwards
expressed, and having no reason to expect such treatment from people who
had always behaved to them not only with humanity, but kindness, and to
whom they were not conscious of having given offence.
On the 25th, I made another excursion along the coast, in the pinnace,
towards the mouth of the inlet, accompanied by Mr Banks and Dr Solander,
and going on shore at a little cove, to shoot shags, we fell in with a
large family of Indians, whose custom it is to disperse themselves among
the different creeks and coves, where fish is to be procured in the
greatest plenty, leaving a few only in the Hippah, to which the rest
repair in times of danger. Some of these people came out a good way to
meet us, and gave us an invitation to go with them to the rest of their
party, which, we readily accepted. We found a company of about thirty,
men, women, and children, who received us with all possible
demonstrations of friendship: We distributed among them a few ribbands
and beads, and in return, received the kisses and embraces of both
sexes, both young and old: They gave us also some fish, and after a
little time we returned, much pleased with our new acquaintance.
In the morning of the 26th, I went again out in the boat, with Mr Banks
and Dr Solander, and entered one of the bays, which lie on the east side
of the inlet, in order to get another sight of the streight, which
passed between the eastern and western seas. For this purpose, having
landed at a convenient place, we climbed a hill of a very considerable
height, from which we had a full view of it, with the land on the
opposite shore, which we judged to be about four leagues distant; but as
it was hazy in the horizon, we could not see far to the south-east: I
resolved however to search the passage with the ship, as soon as I
should put to sea. Upon the top of this hill we found a parcel of loose
stones, with which we erected a pyramid, and left in it some
musket-balls, small shot, beads, and other things, which we happened to
have about us, that were likely to stand the test of time, and not being
of Indian workmanship, would convince any European who should come to
the place and pull it down, that other natives of Europe had been there
before him. When this was done we descended the hill, and made a
comfortable meal of the shags and fish which our guns and lines had
procured us, and which were dressed by the boat's crew in a place that
we had appointed: In this place we found another Indian family, who
received us, as usual, with strong expressions of kindness and pleasure,
shewing us where to procure water, and doing us such other good offices
as were in their power. From this place we went to the town, of which
the Indians had told us, who visited us on the 19th: This, like that
which we had seen before, was built upon a small island or rock, so
difficult of access, that we gratified our curiosity at the risk of our
necks. The Indians here also received us with open arms, carried us to
every part of the place, and shewed us all that it contained: This town,
like the other, consisted of between eighty and an hundred houses, and
had only one fighting-stage. We happened to have with us a few nails and
ribbands, and some paper, with which our guests were so gratified, that
at our coming away they filled our boat with dried fish, of which we
perceived they had laid up great quantities.
The 27th and 28th were spent in refitting the ship for the sea, fixing a
transom for the tiller, getting stones on board to put into the bottom
of the bread-room, to bring the ship more by the stern, in repairing the
casks, and catching fish.
On the 29th, we received a visit from our old man, whose name we found
to be _Topaa_, and three other natives, with whom Tupia had much
conversation. The old man told us, that one of the men who had been
fired upon by the officer who had visited their Hippah, under pretence
of fishing, was dead; but to my great comfort I afterwards discovered
that this report was not true, and that if Topaa's discourses were taken
literally, they would frequently lead us into mistakes. Mr Banks and Dr
Solander were several times on shore during the last two or three days,
not without success, but greatly circumscribed in their walks by
climbers of a most luxuriant growth, which were so interwoven together,
as to fill up the space between the trees about which they grew, and
render the woods altogether impassable. This day also I went on shore
again myself, upon the western, point of the inlet, and from a hill of
considerable height, I had a view of the coast to the N.W. The farthest
land I could see in that quarter, was an island which has been mentioned
before, at the distance of about ten leagues, lying not far from the
main: Between this island and the place where I stood, I discovered,
close under the shore, several other islands, forming many bays, in
which there appeared to be good anchorage for shipping. After I had set
off the different points for my survey, I erected another pile of
stones, in which I left a piece of silver coin, with some musket-balls
and beads, and a piece of an old pendant flying on the top. In my return
to the ship, I made a visit to several of the natives, whom I saw along
the shore, and purchased a small quantity of fish.
On the 30th, early in the morning, I sent a boat to one of the islands
for celery, and while the people were gathering it, about twenty of the
natives, men, women, and children, landed near some empty huts: As soon
as they were on shore, five or six of the women sat down, upon the
ground together, and began to cut their legs, arms, and faces, with
shells, and sharp pieces of talc or jasper, in a terrible manner. Our
people understood that their husbands had lately been killed by their
enemies; but while they were performing this horrid ceremony, the men
set about repairing the huts, with the utmost negligence and unconcern.
The carpenter having prepared two posts to be left as memorials of our
having visited this place, I ordered them to be inscribed with the
ship's name, and the year and month; one of them I set up at the
watering-place, hoisting the union flag upon the top of it; and the
other I carried over to the island that lies nearest to the sea, called
by the natives _Motuara_. I went first to the village or Hippah,
accompanied by Mr Monkhouse and Tupia, where I met with our old man, and
told him and several others, by means of Tupia, that we were come to set
up a mark upon the island, in order to show to any other ship which
should happen to come thither, that we had been there before. To this
they readily consented, and promised that they never would pull it down:
I then gave something to every one present; and to the old man I gave a
silver threepence, dated 1736, and some spike nails, with the king's
broad arrow cut deep upon them; things which I thought most likely to
remain long among them: I then took the post to the highest part of the
island, and after fixing it firmly in the ground, I hoisted upon it the
union-flag, and honoured this inlet with the name of _Queen Charlotte's
Sound_, at the same time taking formal possession of this and the
adjacent country, in the name and for the use of his majesty King George
the Third. We then drank a bottle of wine to her majesty's health, and
gave the bottle to the old man who had attended us up the hill, and who
was mightily delighted with his present.
While the post was setting up, we enquired of the old man concerning the
passage into the eastern sea, the existence of which he confirmed; and
then asked him about the land to the S.W. of the streight, where we were
then situated: This land, he said, consisted of two Whennuas or islands,
which might be circumnavigated in a few days, and which he called _Tovy
Poenammoo_; the literal translation of this word is, "the water of green
talc:" and probably, if we had understood him better, we should have
found that Tovy Poenammoo was the name of some particular place where
they got the green talc or stone of which they make their ornaments and
tools, and not a general name for the whole southern district: He said,
there was also a third Whennua, on the east side of the streight, the
circumnavigation of which would take up many moons: This he called
_Eaheinomauwe_; and to the lands on the borders of the streight he gave
the name of _Tiera Witte_. Having set up our post, and procured this
intelligence, we returned on board the ship, and brought the old man
with us, who was attended by his canoe, in which, after dinner, he
returned home.
On the 31st, having completed our wooding, and filled all our water
casks, I sent out two parties, one to cut and make brooms, and another
to catch fish. In the evening, we had a strong gale from the N.W. with
such a heavy rain, that our little wild musicians on shore suspended
their song, which till now we had constantly heard during the night,
with a pleasure which it was impossible to lose without regret.
On the 1st, the gale increased to a storm, with heavy gusts from the
high land, one of which broke the hawser, that we had fastened to the
shore, and obliged us to let go another anchor. Towards midnight, the
gale became more moderate, but the rain continued with such violence,
that the brook which had supplied us with water overflowed its banks,
and carried away ten small casks which had been left there full of
water, and notwithstanding we searched the whole cove, we could never
recover one of them.
On the 3d, as I intended to sail the first opportunity, I went over to
the Hippah on the east side of the Sound, and purchased a considerable
quantity of split and half-dried fish, for sea stores. The people here
confirmed all that the old man had told us concerning the streight and
the country, and about noon I took leave of them: Some of them seemed to
be sorry, and others glad that we were going: The fish which I bought
they sold freely, but there were some who shewed manifest signs of
disapprobation. As we returned to the ship, some of us made an excursion
along the shore to the northward, to traffic with the natives for a
farther supply of fish; in which, however, they had no great success. In
the evening, we got every thing off from the shore, as I intended to
sail in the morning, but the wind would not permit.
On the 4th, while we were waiting for a wind, we amused ourselves by
fishing, and gathering shells and seeds of various kinds; and early in
the morning of the 5th, we cast off the hawser, hove short on the bower,
and carried the kedge-anchor out in order to warp the ship out of the
cove, which having done about two o clock in the afternoon, we hove up
the anchor and got under sail; but the wind soon failing, we were
obliged to come to an anchor again a little above Motuara. When we were
under sail, our old man Topaa came on board to take his leave of us, and
as we were still desirous of making farther enquiries whether any memory
of Tasman had been preserved among these people, Tupia was directed to
ask him whether he had ever heard that such a vessel as ours had before
visited the country. To this he replied in the negative, but said, that
his ancestors had told him there had once come to this place a small
vessel, from a distant country, called _Ulimaroa_, in which were four
men, who, upon their coming on shore, were all killed: Upon being asked
where this distant land lay, he pointed to the northward. Of Ulimaroa we
had heard something before from the people about the Bay of Islands, who
said that their ancestors had visited it; and Tupia had also talked to
us of Ulimaroa, concerning which he had some confused traditionary
notions, not very different from those of our old man, so that we could
draw no certain conclusion from the accounts of either.
Soon after the ship came to an anchor the second time, Mr Banks and Dr
Solander went on shore, to see if any gleanings of natural knowledge
remained, and by accident fell in with the most agreeable Indian family
they had seen, which afforded them a better opportunity of remarking the
personal subordination among these people, than had before offered. The
principal persons were a widow, and a pretty boy about ten years old:
The widow was mourning for her husband with tears of blood, according to
their custom, and the child, by the death of its father, was become
proprietor of the land where we had cut our wood. The mother and the son
were sitting upon matts, and the rest of the family, to the number of
sixteen or seventeen, of both sexes, sat round them in the open air, for
they did not appear to have any house, or other shelter from the
weather, the inclemencies of which, custom has probably enabled them to
endure without any lasting inconvenience. Their whole behaviour was
affable, obliging, and unsuspicious; they presented each person with
fish, and a brand of fire to dress it, and pressed them many times to
stay till the morning, which they would certainly have done if they had
not expected the ship to sail, greatly regretting that they had not
become acquainted with them sooner, as they made no doubt but that more
knowledge of the manners and disposition of the inhabitants of this
country would have been obtained from them in a day, than they had yet
been able to acquire during our whole stay upon the coast.
On the 6th, about six o'clock in the morning, a light breeze sprung up
at north, and we again got under sail, but the wind proving variable, we
reached no farther than just without Motuara; in the afternoon, however,
a more steady gale at N. by W. set us clear of the Sound, which I shall
now describe.
The entrance of Queen Charlotte's Sound is situated in latitude 41° S.
longitude 184° 45' W. and near the middle of the south-west side of the
streight in which it lies. The land of the south-east head of the Sound,
called by the natives _Koamaroo_, off which lie two small islands and
some rocks, makes the narrowest part of the streight. From the
north-west head a reef of rocks runs out about two miles, in the
direction of N.E. by N.; part of which is above the water, and part
below. By this account of the heads, the Sound will be sufficiently
known: At the entrance, it is three leagues broad, and lies in S.W. by
S.S.W. and W.S.W. at least ten leagues, and is a collection of some of
the finest harbours in the world, as will appear from the plan, which is
laid down with all the accuracy that time and circumstances would admit.
The land forming the harbour or cove in which we lay, is called by the
natives _Totarranue_: The harbour itself, which I called _Ship Cove_, is
not inferior to any in the Sound, either for convenience or safety: It
lies on the west side of the Sound, and is the southermost of three
coves, that are situated within the island of Motuara, which bears east
of it. Ship Cove may be entered, either between Motuara and a long
island, called by the natives _Hamote_, or between Motuara and the
western shore. In the last of these channels are two ledges of rocks,
three fathom under water, which may easily be known by the sea-weed that
grows upon them. In sailing either in or out of the Sound, with little
wind, attention must be had to the tides, which flow about nine or ten
o'clock at the fall and change of the moon, and rise and fall between
seven and eight feet perpendicularly. The flood comes in through the
streight from the S.E. and sets strongly over upon the north-west head,
and the reef that lies off it: The ebb sets with still greater rapidity
to the S.E. over upon the rocks and islands that lie off the south-east
head. The variation of the compass we found from good observation to be
13° 5' E.
The land about this Sound, which is of such a height that we saw it at
the distance of twenty leagues, consists wholly of high hills and deep
vallies, well stored with a variety of excellent timber, fit for all
purposes except masts, for which it is too hard and heavy. The sea
abounds with a variety of fish, so that without going out of the cove
where we lay, we caught every day, with the seine and hooks and lines, a
quantity sufficient to serve the whole ship's company: And along the
shore we found plenty of shags, and a few other species of wild-fowl,
which those who have long lived upon salt provisions will not think
despicable food.
The number of inhabitants scarcely exceeds four hundred, and they live
dispersed along the shores, where their food, consisting of fish and
fern roots, is most easily procured; for we saw no cultivated ground.
Upon any appearance of danger, they retire to their Hippahs, or forts;
in this situation we found them, and in this situation they continued
for some time after our arrival. In comparison of the inhabitants of
other parts of this country, they are poor, and their canoes are without
ornament; the little traffic we had with them was wholly for fish, and
indeed they had scarcely any thing else to dispose of. They seemed,
however, to have some knowledge of iron, which the inhabitants of some
other parts had not; for they willingly took nails for their fish, and
sometimes seemed to prefer it to every thing else that we could offer,
which had not always been the case. They were at first very fond of
paper; but when they found that it was spoiled by being wet, they would
not take it: Neither did they set much value upon the cloth of Otaheite;
but English broad-cloth, and red kersey, were in high estimation; which
shewed that they had sense enough to appreciate the commodities which we
offered by their use, which is more than could be said of some of their
neighbours, who made a much better appearance. Their dress has been
mentioned already, particularly their large round head-dresses of
feathers, which were far from being unbecoming.
As soon as we got out of the Sound I stood over to the eastward, in
order to get the streight well open before the tide of ebb came on. At
seven in the evening, the two small islands which lie off Cape Koamaroo,
the south-east head of Queen Charlotte's Sound, bore east, distant about
four miles: At this time it was nearly calm, and the tide of ebb setting
out, we were, in a very short time, carried by the rapidity of the
stream close upon one of the islands, which was a rock rising almost
perpendicularly out of the sea: We perceived our danger increase every
moment, and had but one expedient to prevent our being dashed to pieces,
the success of which a few minutes would determine. We were now within
little more than a cable's length of the rock, and had more than
seventy-five fathom water; but upon dropping an anchor, and veering
about one hundred and fifty fathom of cable, the ship was happily
brought up: This, however, would not have saved us, if the tide which
set S. by E. had not, upon meeting with the island, changed its
direction to S.E. and carried us beyond the first point. In this
situation, we were not above two cables' length, from the rocks; and
here we remained in the strength of the tide, which set to the S.E.
after the rate of at least five miles an hour, from a little after seven
till near midnight, when the tide abated, and we began to heave. By
three in the morning the anchor was at the bows, and having a light
breeze at N.W. we made sail for the eastern shore; but the tide being
against us, we made but little way: The wind however afterwards
freshened, and came to N. and N.E. with which, and the tide of ebb, we
were in a short time hurried through the narrowest part of the straight,
and then stood away for the southermost land we had in sight, which bore
from us S. by W. Over this land appeared a mountain of stupendous
height, which was covered with snow.
The narrowest part of the streight, through which we had been driven
with such rapidity, lies between Cape Tierawitte, on the coast of
Eaheinomawe, and Cape Koamaroo: The distance between them I judged to be
between four or five leagues, and notwithstanding the tide, now its
strength is known, may be passed without much danger. It is however
safest to keep on the north-east shore, for on that side there appeared
to be nothing to fear; but on the other shore there are not only the
islands and rocks which lie off Cape Koamaroo, but a reef of rocks
stretching from these islands six or seven miles to the southward, at
the distance of two or three miles from the shore, which I had
discovered from the hill when I took my second view of the streight from
the east to the western sea. The length of the streight we had passed I
shall not pretend to assign, but some judgment may be formed of it from
a view of the chart.
About nine leagues north from Cape Tierawitte, and under the same shore,
is a high and remarkable island which may be distinctly seen from Queen
Charlotte's Sound, from which it is distant about six or seven leagues.
This island, which was noticed when we passed it on the 14th of January,
I have called _Entry Isle_.
On the east side of Cape Tierawitte, the land trends away S.E. by E.
about eight leagues, where it ends in a point, and is the southermost
land on Eaheinomawe. To this point I have given the name of _Cape
Palliser_, in honour of my worthy friend Captain Palliser. It lies in
latitude 41° 34,' S. longitude 183° 56' W. and bore from us this day at
noon S. 79 E. distant about thirteen leagues, the ship being then in the
latitude of 41° 27' S.; Koamaroo at the same time bearing N. 1/2 E.
distant seven or eight leagues. The southermost land in sight bore S. 16
W. and the snowy mountain S.W. At this time we were about three leagues
from the shore, and abreast of a deep bay or inlet, to which I gave the
name of _Cloudy Bay_, and at the bottom of which there appeared low land
covered with tall trees.
At three o'clock in the afternoon we were abreast of the southermost
point of land that we had seen at noon, which I called Cape Campbell; it
lies S. by W. distant between twelve and thirteen leagues from Cape
Koamaroo, in latitude 41° 44' S. longitude 185° 45' W.; and with Cape
Palliser forms the southern entrance of the streight, the distance
between them being between thirteen and fourteen leagues W. by S. and E.
by N.
From this cape we steered along the shore S.W. by S. till eight o'clock
in the evening, when the wind died away. About half an hour afterwards,
however, a fresh breeze sprung up at S.W. and I put the ship right
before it. My reason for this was a notion which some of the officers
had just started, that Eaheinomauwe was not an island, and that the
land might stretch away to the S.E. from between Cape Turnagain and Cape
Palliser, there being a space of between twelve and fifteen leagues that
we had not seen. I had indeed the strongest conviction that they were
mistaken, not only from what I had seen the first time I discovered the
streight, but from many other concurrent testimonies that the land in
question was an island; but being resolved to leave no possibility of
doubt with respect to an object of such importance, I took the
opportunity of the wind's shifting, to stand eastward, and accordingly
steered N.E. by E. all the night. At nine o'clock in the morning we were
abreast of Cape Palliser, and found the land trend away N.E. towards
Cape Turnagain, which I reckoned to be distant about twenty-six leagues:
However, as the weather was hazy, so as to prevent our seeing above four
or five leagues, I still kept standing to the N.E. with a light breeze
at south; and at noon Cape Palliser bore N. 72 W. distant about three
leagues.
About three o'clock in the afternoon, three canoes came up to the ship
with between thirty and forty people on board, who had been pulling
after us with great labour and perseverance for some time: They appeared
to be more cleanly, and a better class, than we had met with since we
left the Bay of Islands, and their canoes were also distinguished by the
same ornaments which we had seen upon the northerly part of the coast.
They came on board with very little invitation; and their behaviour was
courteous and friendly: Upon receiving presents from us, they made us
presents in return, which had not been done by any of the natives that
we had seen before. We soon perceived that our guests had heard of us,
for as soon as they came on board, they asked for _whow_, the name by
which nails were known among the people with whom we had trafficked: but
though they had heard of nails, it was plain they had seen none; for
when nails were given them, they asked Tupia what they were. The term
_whow_, indeed, conveyed to them the idea not of their quality, but only
of their use; for it is the same by which they distinguish a tool,
commonly made of bone, which they use both as an auger and a chisel.
However, their knowing that we had _whow_ to sell was a proof that their
connections extended as far north as Cape Kidnappers, which was distant
no less than forty-five leagues; for that was the southermost place on
this side the coast where we had had any traffic with the natives. It is
also probable, that the little knowledge which the inhabitants of Queen
Charlotte's Sound had of iron, they obtained from their neighbours at
Tierawitte; for we had no reason to think that the inhabitants of any
part of this coast had the least knowledge of iron or its use before we
came among them, especially as when it was first offered they seemed to
disregard it, as of no value. We thought it probable, that we were now
once more in the territories of Teratu; but upon enquiring of these
people, they said that he was not their king. After a short time, they
went away, much gratified with the presents that we had made them; and
we pursued our course along the shore to the N.E. till eleven o'clock
the next morning. About this time the weather happening to clear up, we
saw Cape Turnagain, bearing N. by E. 1/2 E. at the distance of about
seven leagues: I then called the officers upon deck, and asked them,
whether they were not now satisfied, that Eahienomauwe was an island;
they readily answered in the affirmative, and all doubts being now
removed, we hauled our wind to the eastward.