name, &c. as usual; one was placed at the watering-place, with the Union
flag upon it, and the other in the same manner, on the island of
_Motuara_; and the inhabitants being informed, that these posts were
meant as memorials of the Endeavour having touched at this place,
promised never to destroy them. The Captain then named this inlet _Queen
Charlotte’s Sound_; and took possession of it in the name, and for the
use of his Majesty, and a bottle of wine was drank to the Queen’s
health.
The Captain made the old man some presents; among others there were a
silver three-pence and some spike nails, with the broad arrow upon them.
Topoa being questioned concerning a passage into the eastern sea,
answered, that there certainly was such a passage; and he also informed
the Captain, that the land to the south-west of the streight, where he
then was, consisted of two islands, named _Tovy Poennammoo_, and that it
would take about two days to sail round them; he added, that there was a
third island to the east, called _Eaheinomauwe_, which was of
considerable extent; and that the land contiguous to this inlet was
called _Tiera Witte_.
Towards night, on the 31st, a brisk gale arose, attended with heavy
showers, and the next morning the weather became so very tempestuous,
that the Endeavour had her hawser broke, and several casks of water that
had been left on shore were washed away with the rain.
The 2d, 3d and 4th of February, were chiefly spent in preparing for
their departure, and purchasing fish of the natives, who confirmed the
accounts that Topoa had given, respecting an eastern passage and the
adjacent islands. Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander were in the mean while
chiefly engaged in collecting seeds and shells of different kinds. They
got under sail the 5th, but the wind not continuing, they came again to
an anchor. Topoa visited the gentlemen again to bid them farewel; and
being questioned, whether he had ever heard that such a vessel as the
Endeavour had touched there, he answered in the negative; but added,
there was a tradition of a small vessel coming from a place called
_Ulimaroa_ (a distant country to the north) that there were only four
men in her, and that they were all put to death.
Mr. Banks and the Doctor went again on shore, in search of natural
curiosities, when they met with a very amiable Indian family, among whom
was a widow, and a pretty youth about ten years of age. She had just
lost her husband, and was performing the ceremony of the country upon
the occasion. They behaved with the utmost hospitality and courtesy, and
endeavoured to prevail with the gentlemen to stay all night, but they
expecting the ship to sail, could not accept of the invitation. This
family seemed the most enlightened and intelligent set of Indians the
gentlemen had as yet met with, which made them regret they had not
fallen into their company before, as they would probably have derived
much information from them.
On the 6th of February, in the morning, the Endeavour sailed out of the
bay, which the ship’s company, from an abhorrence of the brutal custom
that prevails here of eating men, called _Cannibal Bay_. They bent their
course to an opening on the east; in the evening, being in the mouth of
the streights, they were becalmed in latitude 41 deg. south, longitude
184 deg. 45 min. west. The two points which form this entrance, were
named cape Koomaroo, and point Jackson. The natives call the land about
it Totarranue; and the harbour, which the Captain named _Ship Cove_, is
very safe and commodious. A ship may enter it either between Motuara and
the island of Hamote, or between the western shore and Motuara. Care,
however, must be taken to attend to the tides; when there is little wind
they flow about nine or ten o’clock at the full and change of the moon,
and rise and fall about seven feet and a half, passing through the
streight from the south-east.
The natives about this sound are not above four hundred in number; they
are scattered along the coast, and live upon fern root and fish; the
latter of which was the only commodity they traded in. They were not
entirely ignorant of the use of iron, bartering their fish for nails,
and often giving them the preference to any other trifles that were
offered them; they soon rejected paper when they found it was not water
proof; nor was the cloth of Otaheite held in much estimation by them;
but the cloths of English manufacture they highly valued. The timber
here is very good, and fit for almost all purposes, except masts;
besides fish, which is in great plenty, here are shags, and some other
kinds of wildfowl, in abundance.
The Endeavour having left the sound, steered eastward, and about six
o’clock in the evening they were greatly alarmed at their being carried,
by the rapidity of the current, very close to one of the two islands
which lie off Cape Koamaroo, at the entrance of the sounds. The ship was
in such imminent danger, that they expected every minute she would be
dashed to pieces; but letting go an anchor, and veering one hundred and
sixty fathoms of cable, she was brought up, when they were not above two
cables length from the rocks: in this situation they were obliged to
wait for the ebb of the tide, which was not till after midnight; at
three o’clock in the morning they weighed anchor, and a fine breeze
springing up soon after, they were carried through the streight with
great velocity. At the entrance of the streight, on the north-side,
there is a small island, which was named _Entry Island_. The narrowest
part of this streight, which was called _Cooke’s Streight_, is between
Cape Tierawitte and Cape Koamaroo; it is about thirteen miles long and
fourteen broad; the safest passage is on the north-east shore, the other
being rocky and dangerous. The two eastern points of the streight
Captain Cook named _Cape Palliser_ and _Cape Campbell_; the first is in
latitude 41 deg. 44 min. south; longitude 183 deg. 45 min. west; and the
latter in latitude 41 deg. 34 min. south-east, and longitude 183 deg. 58
min. west. The Endeavour was now about three leagues from land, facing a
deep bay, which was called _Cloudy Bay_. Some of the gentlemen on board
expressing a doubt that Eahienomauwe was not an island, the Endeavour
steered south-east, in order to ascertain whether it was or not; upon
the wind’s shifting, she stood eastward, and steered all night
north-east by east. They were off Cape Palliser next morning (the 8th)
when they discovered that the land reached away to the north-east
towards Cape Turnagain. Three canoes came off in the afternoon, with
several people in them; they made a good appearance, and their canoes
were ornamented like those of the Indians of the northern coast. They
came on board without the least hesitation, and behaved very civilly; a
mutual exchange of presents took place, which was the first instance
they met with of such courtesy among any of the Indians. By their asking
for _Whow_, which signified nails, it was imagined they had heard of the
Endeavour’s people from the inhabitants of some other place where she
had touched. They resembled the natives of Tolaga Bay in their dress.
One old man was tataowed in a very remarkable manner; he was likewise
marked with a streak of red paint across the nose, and over both cheeks;
his hair was quite white as well as his beard. His garment was made of
flax, with a wrought border, under which was a kind of petticoat, made
of a cloth called Aooree Waow; his ears were decorated with teeth and
pieces of green stone. His voice was soft and low, and he appeared, upon
the whole, to be a person of distinguished rank. These Indians retired
greatly satisfied with the presents they had received; and the
Endeavour, after parting from them, steered coastwise, till the 9th in
the morning, which being a clear day, it was easily determined that
Eahienomauwe was certainly an island.
On the 14th of February about sixty Indians, in four double canoes, came
within a stone’s cast of the ship, which they beheld with surprise.
Tupia endeavoured to persuade them to approach nearer, which they
refused, and made towards the shore, but did not reach it till after it
was dark. From the behaviour of these people, the place from whence they
came was called the _Island of Lookers-on_. On the 17th of this month
they saw an island, five leagues from the coast of Tovy Poenammoo, which
was called after the name of Mr. Banks. This island appeared to be
inhabited, as they saw a few Indians on it, and in one place beheld the
smoke of a fire. As no farther signs of land appeared to the southward,
they steered to the west on Sunday the 18th, and made various way till
the 23d, when it fell calm. Mr. Banks took this opportunity to go a
shooting in his boat; when he shot some Port Egmont hens, like those
found on the island of Faro, and were the first they had seen on this
coast. On Sunday the 25th they saw a point of land, in 45 deg. 35 min.
south latitude, which Captain Cook named CAPE SAUNDERS, in honour of the
Admiral of that name. They kept at a small distance from the shore,
which is interspersed with hills that are green, and abound in trees;
but they did not see a single inhabitant. They had various winds and
seas till the 4th of March, when they saw several whales and seals.--On
the 9th they saw a ledge of rocks, and soon afterwards another ledge,
three leagues from the shore, which they passed to the north during the
night, and discovered the others under their bow at day-break. Thus they
had a narrow escape from destruction; and these ledges of rocks were
denominated the TRAPS, from their being adapted to entrap the unwary.
The southermost point of this land they called SOUTH CAPE, and indeed it
proved to be the southern extremity of the whole country.
In the morning they sailed northward, and, on the day following,
discovered a barren rock, about a mile in circumference, very high, and
five leagues from the main land. This was called SOLANDER’S ISLAND. On
the 13th they discovered a bay, which contains several islands, behind
which, if there be depth of water, there must be shelter from all winds.
Captain Cook called this DUSKY-BAY, and it is remarkable for having five
high, peaked rocks, lying off it, which look like the thumb and four
fingers of a man’s hand; whence it was denominated POINT FIVE FINGERS.
Three leagues to the south of Dusky Bay lies the westermost point of
land on the whole coast, which was therefore called WEST-CAPE.
On the 14th they passed a small narrow opening in the land, where there
appeared to be a good harbour, formed by an island. On the land behind
it were mountains covered with snow. On the 16th they passed a point,
consisting of high red cliffs, which received the name of CASCADE POINT,
from a cascade of water which fell down it in several small streams. On
the 18th in the morning they observed the vallies as well as the
mountains covered with snow, which they thought had fallen in the night,
when they had rain at sea. On the 23d they gave the name of _Rock’s
Point_ to a head of land, off which lay some rocks above the water.
They had now almost passed the whole of the north-west coast of Tovy
Poenammoo; the face of the country afforded nothing worth notice, but a
ridge of rocks of a stupendous height, “which Dr. Hawkesworth describes
as totally barren and naked, except where they are covered with snow,
which is to be seen in large patches in many parts of them, and has
probably lain there ever since the creation of the world; a prospect
more rude, craggy, and desolate than this country affords from the sea,
cannot possibly be conceived; for as far inland as the eye can reach,
nothing appears but the summits of rocks, which stand so near together,
that, instead of vallies, there is only fissures between them.”
By the 27th they had sailed round the whole country, and determined to
depart from the coast, as soon as they had taken in a stock of water.
For this purpose the Captain went ashore in the long-boat, and found an
excellent watering-place, and a proper birth for the ship; which being
moored, they began filling their casks; while the carpenter and his crew
were employed in cutting wood. On the 30th the Captain, accompanied by
Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, went in the pinnace to examine the bay, and
the land on its borders, on which the two last mentioned gentlemen found
several plants, of a species they had not seen before. They saw no
inhabitants; but found several Indian huts, which appeared to have been
long deserted. When they returned on board in the evening, the ship was
ready to sail, all the wood and water being on board. A council of the
officers was now held, as to the passage they should take to England;
when it was resolved to return by the East Indies, and with that view to
steer for the east coast of New Holland, and then follow the direction
of that coast to the northward.
This resolution being taken, they sailed at day-break, on Saturday March
31, 1770, and taking their departure from an eastern point, which they
had seen on the 23d, they called it CAPE FAREWELL. The bay from which
they sailed was named ADMIRALTY BAY, and the two Capes thereof CAPE
STEPHENS, and CAPE JACKSON, the names of the then Secretaries to the
Board of Admiralty. Between the island and Cape Farewell is a bay, which
they called BLIND BAY, and which Captain Cook supposes, to be the same
that is distinguished in Tasman’s Voyage, by the name of Murderers Bay.
We shall now proceed to give such an account of the country and its
inhabitants, as could be acquired during the circumnavigation of the
coast. Abel Jansen Tasman, a Dutchman, was the first European that made
a discovery of NEW ZEALAND, to which he gave the name of STAATEN LAND,
that is, the land of the States General. Tasman never went on shore, as
the Indians attacked him soon after he came to an anchor, in the bay to
which he gave the name of Murderers Bay. From the time of Tasman’s
discovery, which was in December 1642, till the present voyage, the
whole country, except that part which Tasman saw, remained totally
unknown, and has been supposed to be part of a southern continent; but
it now proves to be two large islands, separated by a streight, of the
breadth of about twelve miles.
The situation of these islands is between 34 and 48 degrees of south
latitude, and 181 and 194 degrees of west longitude. The natives call
the northern island Eaheinomauwe, and the southermost Tovy Paenammoo.
Eaheinomauwe, though hilly, and in some places mountainous, is well
stored with wood, and there is a rivulet in every valley. The soil of
the vallies is light, but is so fertile, as to be well adapted for the
plentiful production of all sorts of the fruits, plants, and corn of
Europe; the inhabitants of which, if a settlement should be effected,
might supply themselves with the necessaries and even luxuries of life,
without any extraordinary exertion of their industry. The summer is more
equally warm, though not hotter than in England; and it is imagined,
from the vegetables that were found, that the winter is not so severe.
Dogs and rats are the only quadrupedes that were seen, and of the latter
only a very few. The inhabitants breed the dogs for the sole purpose of
eating them. There are seals and whales on the coast; and they once saw
a sea-lion. The birds are hawks, owls, quails; and there are song-birds,
whose note is wonderfully melodious. There are ducks and shags of
several sorts, not unlike those of Europe; and the gannet, which is
exactly the same. The sea-coast is visited by albatrosses, sheerwaters,
pintados and penguins, descriptions of which have been given in other
voyages. The insects are flesh-flies, beetles, butterflies, sand-flies
and musquitos.
Tovy Poenammoo appears to be a barren country, is very mountainous, and
almost destitute of inhabitants.
The sea which washes these islands abounds with fish, which are equally
delicate and wholesome food. They seldom came to anchor but they catched
enough, with hook and line only, to supply the whole ship’s crew: and,
when they fished with nets, every mess in the ship, except those who
were too indolent, salted as much as supplied them when at sea for
several weeks after. The fish was not less various in kind than
plentiful in quantity: there were many sorts they had never before seen;
but the sailors readily gave names to all of them. They had several
sorts of mackrel, one of which was the same as we eat in England. These
fish were catched by the natives in immense quantities, and sold to the
crew on the most moderate terms: but the richest dainty these seas
afforded was the sea cray-fish, which differ from those seen in England,
by having more prickles on the back, and being red when first catched.
These they purchased of the natives on the north coast, who dive for
them, and find where they lie with their feet. They had several kinds of
skate, and a kind of dog-fish, of a more delicate flavour, though
otherwise similar to the skate eaten in London. Eels, congers, clams,
oysters, cockles, and flat-fish, resembling both soles and flounders,
were likewise found in great plenty on this coast.
This country abounds with forests, filled with very large, strait, and
clean timber. There is one tree about the size of an oak, which was
distinguished by a scarlet flower, that appeared to be composed of
several fibres; and another which grows in swampy ground, very strait
and tall, bearing small bunches of berries, and a leaf resembling that
of the yew tree. About four hundred species of plants were found, all of
which are unknown in England, except garden night-shade, sow-thistle,
two or three kinds of fern, and one or two sorts of grass. They found
wild celery, and a kind of cresses, in great abundance, on the sea
shore; and of eatable plants raised by cultivation, only coccos, yams,
and sweet potatoes. There are plantations of many acres of these yams
and potatoes. The inhabitants likewise cultivate the gourd; and the
Chinese paper mulberry-tree is to be found, but in no abundance. There
is only one shrub or tree in this country which produces fruit, and that
is a kind of berry almost tasteless: but they have a plant which answers
all the uses of hemp and flax. There are two kinds of this plant, the
leaves of one of which are yellow, and the other a deep red, and both of
them resemble the leaves of flags. Of these leaves they make lines and
cordage, and much stronger than any thing of the kind in Europe. These
leaves they likewise split into breadths, and tying the slips together,
form their fishing-nets. Their common apparel, by a simple process, is
made from the leaves, and their finer, by another preparation, is made
from the fibers. This plant is found both on high and low ground, in dry
mould, and in deep bogs; but as it grows largest in the latter, that
seems to be its proper soil.
Our adventurers were of opinion, that no part of this country is peopled
but the sea coast; so that the number of inhabitants is greatly
disproportioned to the extent of country; and the settling a colony
there, is recommended as an object worthy the notice of Great Britain.
The men of this country are as large as the largest Europeans. Their
complexion is brown, but little more so than that of a Spaniard. They
are full of flesh, but not lazy and luxurious; and are stout and well
shaped. The women possess not that delicacy which distinguishes the
European ladies; but their voice is singularly soft, which, as the dress
of both sexes is similar, chiefly distinguishes them from the men. The
men are active in a high degree; their hair is black, and their teeth
are white and even. The features of both sexes are regular; they enjoy
perfect health, and live to a very advanced age. They are of the
gentlest dispositions, and treat each other with the utmost kindness:
but they are perpetually at war, every little district being at enmity
with all the rest. This is owing, most probably, to the want of food in
sufficient quantities, at certain times. They have neither black cattle,
sheep, hogs, nor goats; so that their chief food being fish, and that
not at all times to be obtained, they are in danger of dying through
hunger. They have a few, and but a very few dogs; and when no fish is to
be got, they have only vegetables, such as yams and potatoes, to feed
on; and if, by any accident, these fail them, their situation must be
deplorable. This will account for their shocking custom of eating the
bodies which are slain in battle; for he who fights through mere hunger,
will not scruple to eat the adversary he has killed.
Notwithstanding this custom respecting their enemies, the circumstances
and temper of these people are in favour of those who shall settle among
them as a colony. They are in need of protection; and their dispositions
are so sweet, that it would be an easy task to attach them by kindness.
Civilization would be a blessing to people, whom nature has barely
furnished with the necessaries of life.
The inhabitants of New Zealand are as modest and reserved in their
behaviour and conversation as the most polite nations of Europe. The
women, indeed, were not dead to the softer impressions; but their mode
of consent was, in their idea, as harmless as the consent to marriage
with us, and equally binding for the stipulated time. If any of the
English addressed one of their women, he was informed, that the consent
of her friends must be obtained, which usually followed, on his making a
present. This done, he was obliged to treat his temporary wife at least
as delicately as we do in England. A gentleman who sailed in the
Endeavour having addressed a family of some rank, received an answer, of
which the following is an exact translation.--“Any of these young ladies
will think themselves honoured by your addresses, but you must first
make me a suitable present, and you must then come and sleep with us on
shore, for daylight must by no means be a witness of what passes between
you.”
These Indians anoint their hair with oil, melted from the fat of fish or
birds. The poorer people use that which is rancid, so that they smell
very disagreeable; but those of superior rank make use of that which is
fresh. They wear combs, both of bone and wood, which is considered as an
ornament when stuck upright in the hair. The men tie their hair in a
bunch on the crown of the head, and adorn it with the feathers of birds,
which they likewise sometimes place on each side of the temples. They
commonly wear short beards. The hair of the women sometimes flows over
the shoulders, and sometimes is cut short. Both sexes, but the men more
than the women, mark their bodies with black stains, called Amoco. In
general the women stain only the lips; but sometimes mark other parts
with black patches: the men, on the contrary, put on additional marks
from year to year, so that those who are very ancient are almost
covered. Exclusive of the amoco, they mark themselves with furrows.
These furrows make a hideous appearance, the edges being indented, and
the whole quite black. The ornaments of the face are drawn in the spiral
form, with equal elegance and correctness, both cheeks being marked
exactly alike; while the paintings on their bodies resemble fillagree
work, and the foliage in old chafed ornaments: but no two faces or
bodies are painted exactly after the same model. The people of New
Zealand frequently left the breech free from these marks; which the
inhabitants of Otaheite adorned beyond any other. These Indians likewise
paint their bodies, by rubbing them with red oker, either dry, or mixed
with oil.
Their dress is formed of the leaves of the flag split into slips, which
are interwoven, and made into a kind of matting, the ends, which are
seven or eight inches in length, hanging out on the upper side. One
piece of this matting being tied over the shoulders, reaches to the
knees: the other piece being wrapped round the waist, falls almost to
the ground. These two pieces are fastened to a string, which, by means
of a bodkin of bone, is passed through, and tacks them together. The men
wear the lower garment only at particular times.