woods, and saw four Indians in a canoe, who went on shore, and walked up
without sign of fear. They accepted some beads, and departed,
intimating, that they did not chuse to be followed. The natives being
now become familiar with the ship’s crew, one of them was desired to
throw his lance, which he did with such dexterity and force, that though
it was not above four feet from the ground at the highest, it penetrated
deeply into a tree at the distance of fifty yards. The natives now went
on board the ship, and were well pleased with their entertainment. On
the 19th they saw several of the women, who, as well as the men, were
quite naked. They were this day visited by ten of the natives, who
seemed resolved to have one of the turtle that was on board, which they
repeatedly made signs for, and being as repeatedly refused, they
expressed the utmost rage and resentment; and one of them, in
particular, having received a denial from Mr. Banks, he stamped, and
pushed him away in the most violent manner. At length they laid hands on
two of the turtles, and drew them to the side of the ship where their
canoe lay; but the sailors took them away. They made several similar
attempts, but being equally unsuccessful, they leaped suddenly into
their canoe, and rowed off. At this instant the Captain, with Mr. Banks,
and five or fix seamen, went ashore, where they arrived before the
Indians, and where many of the crew were already employed. As soon as
the Indians landed, one of them snatched a fire-brand from under a pitch
kettle, and running to the windward of what effects were on shore, set
fire to the dry grass, which burnt rapidly, scorched a pig to death,
burnt part of the smith’s forge, and would have destroyed a tent of Mr.
Banks’s, but that some people came from the ship just in time to get it
out of the way of the flames. In the interim the Indians went to a place
where the fishing nets lay, and a quantity of linen was laid out to dry,
and there again set fire to the grass, in spite of all persuasion, and
even of threats. A musket loaded with small shot was now fired, and one
of them being wounded, they ran away, and this second fire was easily
extinguished; but the other burnt far into the woods.
The natives continuing still in sight, a musquet charged with ball was
fired near them; upon hearing which they soon got out of sight: but
their voices being soon heard in the woods, and seeming to come nearer,
the Captain, with a few people, went to meet them. When they were in
sight of each other, both parties stopped, except an old Indian, who
advanced before the rest a little way, but soon halted, and speaking a
few words, retreated to his brethren, and they all retired slowly
together. The English having seized some of their darts, followed them
about a mile, and then sat down, the Indians sitting about an hundred
yards from them. The old man again came forward, having in his hand a
lance with a point. He stopped and spoke several times, on which the
Captain made signs of friendship. The old Indian now turned to his
companions, and having spoken to them, they placed their lances against
a tree, and came forward as in friendship; whereupon their darts which
had been taken were returned, and the whole quarrel seemed to be at an
end. The Indians having accepted some trinkets, walked amicably toward
the coast, intimating, by signs, that they would not fire the grass
again. They sat down opposite the ship, but would not go on board; and
they accepted a few musquet-balls, the use and effect of which the
Captain endeavoured to explain to them. When Captain Cook got on board
he saw the woods burning at the distance of two miles.
The master having been sent to search for a passage to the northward,
returned with an account that he could not find any. By the night of the
20th the fire had extended many miles round them on the hills, which at
night formed an appearance that was very striking. On the 22d they
killed a turtle, through both shoulders of which stuck a wooden harpoon,
which the Indians had striken it with, and the wound was quite healed.
The next day one of the seamen, who had strayed from his company, met
with four Indians at dinner: he was alarmed at this unexpected meeting,
but had prudence enough to conceal his apprehensions, and sitting down
by them, gave them his knife, which having all looked at, they returned:
he would then have left them; but they chose to detain him till, by
feeling his hands and face, they were convinced he was made of flesh and
blood like themselves: they then dismissed him, directing him the
nearest way to the ship.
Mr. Banks having gone on shore in search of plants, found the cloth,
which had been distributed among the natives, lying in a heap, as a
commodity of no value. On the 24th, Messrs. Solander and Banks found
several marking nuts [the _Anacardium orientale_] on the ground; but
their search for the tree that bore them was fruitless. On the 26th Mr.
Banks catched a female animal, called the _Opossum_, with two young
ones.
By the 29th the ship was ready for sea; but there was not water
sufficient for her to pass the bar. On the first of August they found
that their pumps were all rotten; but as the ship admitted only an inch
of water in an hour, they hoped she would be stout enough to bear the
voyage. On the 4th of this month they put to sea, the pinnace going
a-head to keep sounding, and at noon came to an anchor, when the Captain
gave the name of CAPE BEDFORD to the northermost point of land in sight,
and that of ENDEAVOUR RIVER to the harbour which they had quitted.
The provisions they obtained while in this harbour, consisted of turtle,
which they went some miles to sea to catch; oysters of three different
sorts, large cavalhe or scomber, large mullets, some flat fish, a great
number of small scombri, and skate or ray fish; purslain, wild beans,
the tops of coccos, and cabbage palms. Of quadrupedes there are goats,
wolves, and pole-cats, and a spotted animal of the viverra kind; and
several kinds of serpents, only some of which are venomous. Dogs are the
only tame animals; the land-fowls are kites, crows, hawks, loriquets,
cockatoos, parrots, pigeons, and small birds of various kinds, the names
of which were not known: the water-fowls are wild geese, curlieus, hens,
whistling ducks, which perch on trees, and some few others. The soil
produces the gum tree, and various other kinds of wood, and coarse
grass: the whole of the country is well watered, and ant hills abound in
every part of it.
On the 4th the Captain ascended to the masthead, to look at some shoals
which threatened great danger; and he saw several of them above the
water. This day such a quantity of fish was catched, as allowed a
dividend of two pounds to each man. During the six following days they
struggled incessantly to sail safely past the shoals and breakers, by
which they were every way surrounded; but, for the present, their
attempts were vain. On the 10th they were between a head-land, and three
islands, which had been discovered on the preceding day; and began to
conceive hopes that they were out of danger; but this not proving the
case, the head-land received the name of CAPE FLATTERY. Some land was
now seen from the mast-head, which was generally taken for the main; but
the Captain judged it to be a cluster of islands; and during this
diversity of opinion, the ship came to an anchor. The Captain now
landed, and ascending a high point, took a survey of the sea coast, by
which he was confirmed in his opinion, that what they had seen was not
any part of the main, but a number of islands. On the point where he
stood were seen the prints of human feet, in white sand of an exquisite
fineness, and the spot was denominated POINT LOOKOUT.
Early on the 11th Mr. Banks and the Captain went to visit the largest of
three islands, which had been seen from the point the preceding day.
Having gained the summit of the highest hill, they beheld a reef of
rocks, on which the sea broke in a frightful manner; but the thickness
of the weather preventing a perfect view, they lodged under a bush
during the night, in the hope of having a better prospect in the
morning; but the weather then proved worse than it had been on the
preceding day; yet, as they saw what had the appearance of a channel
between the reefs, a person was sent to examine it, who found it very
narrow. They now set out to return to the ship, after giving the name of
LIZARD ISLAND to this place, from their having seen no animals but
lizards on it.
On their return they landed on a low sandy island, which abounded in
birds of various kinds, among which were eagles, a nest of the young of
which they took, and called the place EAGLE ISLAND. On this spot they
saw the nest of some bird, which was built with sticks on the ground, it
was near three feet in height, and twenty-six round.
During the interval of their absence from the ship, the master had
landed on several low islands, where he had seen great heaps of
turtle-shells, and found the fins of them which the Indians had left
hanging on the trees, so fresh, that they were dressed and eaten by the
boat’s crew.
After a conversation held among the officers, it was their concurrent
opinion, that it would be best to leave the coast, and stand out to sea:
and in consequence of these sentiments they sailed on the 13th of
August, 1770, and got through one of the channels in the reef; happy to
be once more in an open sea, after having been surrounded by dreadful
shoals and rocks for near three months. They had now sailed above a
thousand miles, during all which run they had been obliged to keep
sounding, without the intermission of a single minute; a circumstance
which, it is supposed, never happened to any ship but the Endeavour.
The islands from one of which the passage to the open sea had been
observed, were called the ISLANDS OF DIRECTION. They abound in turtle
and other fish, and on the beach were found bamboos, cocoa nuts,
pumice-stone, and the seeds of plants, which were supposed to be carried
thither by the trade winds, as the plants themselves do not grow in the
country.
Having anchored on the 14th, they steered a westerly course on the
following day, to get sight of the land, that a passage between that
land and New Guinea might not be missed, if there was any such passage.
Early in the afternoon they had sight of land, which had the appearance
of hilly islands, but it was judged to be a part of the main; and they
saw breakers between the vessel and the land, in which was an opening,
to get clear of which they set all their sails, and stood to the
northward till midnight, and then went on a southward tack for about two
miles, when the breeze died away to a dead calm. When day-light came on
they saw a dreadful surf break at a vast height within a mile of the
ship, towards which the rolling waves carried her with great rapidity.
Thus distressed, the boats were sent a-head to tow, and the head of the
vessel was brought about, but not till she was within one hundred yards
of the rock, between which and her there was nothing left but the chasm,
made by the last wave which had washed her side, and which had risen and
broke to a wonderful height on the rock:--but, in the moment they
expected instant destruction, a breeze, hardly discernible, aided the
boats in getting the vessel in an oblique direction from the rock. The
hopes however, afforded by this providential circumference, were
destroyed by a perfect calm which succeeded in a few minutes; yet the
breeze once more returned, before they had lost the little ground which
had been gained.
At this time a small opening was seen in the reef, and a young officer
being sent to examine it, found that its breadth did not much exceed the
length of the ship, but that there was smooth water on the other side of
the rocks. Animated by the hope of preserving life, they now attempted
to pass the opening; but this was impossible; for it having become high
water in the interim, the ebb tide rushed through it with amazing
impetuosity, carrying the ship about a quarter of a mile from the reef,
and she soon reached the distance of near two miles, by the help of the
boats. When the ebb tide was spent, the tide of flood again drove the
vessel very near the rocks, so that their prospect of destruction was
renewed, when they discovered another opening, and a light breeze
springing up, they entered it, and were driven through it with a
rapidity that prevented the ship from striking against either side of
the channel. The ship now came to an anchor, and her crew were grateful
for having regained a station, which they had been very lately most
anxious to quit.
The name of PROVIDENTIAL CHANNEL was given to the opening through which
the ship had thus escaped the most imminent dangers. A high promontory
on the main land in sight, was denominated CAPE WEYMOUTH, and a bay near
it WEYMOUTH BAY. This day the boats went out to fish, and met with great
success, particularly in catching cockles, some of which were of such an
amazing size, as to require the strength of two men to move them. Mr.
Banks likewise succeeded in his search for rare shells, and different
kinds of coral.
On the 18th they discovered several small islands, which were called
FORBES’S ISLANDS, and had sight of a high point of land on the main,
which was named the BOLT HEAD. On the 19th they discovered several other
small islands, the land of which was low, barren, and sandy. A point was
seen, and called CAPE GRENVILLE, and a bay which took the name of TEMPLE
BAY. In the afternoon many other islands were seen, which were
denominated BIRD ISLES, from their being frequented by numerous flocks
of birds.
On the 20th many more small islands were seen, on one of which there
were a few trees, and many Indian huts, supposed to have been erected by
the natives of the main land, as temporary habitations during their
visits to these islands. On the 21st they sailed through a channel, in
which was a number of shoals; and gave the name of YORK CAPE to a point
of the main land which forms the side of the channel. A large bay is
formed to the south of the cape, which was called NEWCASTLE BAY, and in
which are several little islands. On the north side of the cape the land
is rather mountainous, but the low parts of the country abound with
trees. The islands discovered in the morning of this day, were called
YORK ISLES. In the afternoon they anchored between some islands, and
observed, that the channel now began to grow wider: they observed two
distant points, between which no land could be seen, so that the hope of
having at length explored a passage into the Indian sea began to animate
every breast: but, to bring the matter nearer to a certainty, the
Captain took a party, and being accompanied by Messrs. Solander and
Banks, they landed on an island, on which they had seen a number of
Indians, ten of whom were on a hill, one of them carrying a bow, and a
bundle of arrows, the rest armed with lances; and round the necks of two
of them hung strings of mother-of-pearl. Three of these Indians stood on
the shore, as if to oppose the landing of the boat; but they retired
before it reached the beach.
The Captain and his company now ascended a hill, from whence they had a
view of near forty miles, in which space there was nothing that
threatened to oppose their passage; so that the certainty of a channel
seemed to be almost ascertained. Previous to their leaving the island,
Captain Cook displayed the English colours, and took possession of all
the eastern coast of the country, from the 38th degree of
south-latitude, to the present spot, by the name of NEW SOUTH WALES, for
his Sovereign the King of Great Britain; and three vollies of small arms
being fired, and answered by an equal number from the _Endeavour_, the
place received the name of POSSESSION ISLAND.
The next morning they saw three naked women collecting shell-fish on the
beach; and weighing anchor, gave the name of CAPE CORNWALL to the
extreme point of the largest island on the north-west side of the
passage: some low islands near the middle of the channel receiving the
name of WALLIS’S ISLES; soon after which the ship came to an anchor, and
the long-boat was sent out to sound.
Towards evening they sailed again, and the Captain landed with Mr. Banks
on a small island, which was frequented by immense numbers of birds, the
majority of which being boobies, the place received the name of BOOBY
ISLAND. They were now advanced to the northern extremity of New Holland,
and had the satisfaction of viewing the open sea to the westward. The
north-east entrance of the passage is formed by the main land of New
Holland, and by a number of islands which took the name of the PRINCE OF
WALES’S ISLANDS, and which Captain Cook imagines may reach to New
Guinea: these islands abound with trees and grass, and were known to be
inhabited, from the smoke that was seen ascending in many places.
To the passage which they had sailed through, Captain Cook gave the name
of ENDEAVOUR STREIGHTS; we shall now proceed to a more accurate
description of the country they had discovered; with an account of its
productions, and of the manners and language of its inhabitants.
New South Wales is a much larger country than any hitherto known, which
is not deemed a continent, being larger than all Europe; which is proved
by the Endeavour having coasted more than two thousand miles, even if
her tract was reduced to a strait line. Northward of the latitude of
thirty-three degrees, the country is hilly, but not mountainous; but to
the southward of that latitude, it is mostly low and even ground. The
hills in general are diversified by lawns and woods, and many of the
vallies abound with herbage; though, on the whole, it cannot be deemed a
fertile country. To the northward the grass is not so rich, nor the
trees so high as in the southern parts; and almost every where, even the
largest trees grow at a distance of not less than thirteen yards
asunder. In all those places where the land forms a bay, the shore is
covered with mangroves, which grow about a mile inland, in a stinking
ground, which the spring tides always overflow. In some parts there are
bogs, covered with thick grass, and there is plenty of underwood in the
vallies: the soil in general seems unfit for cultivation, though there
are many spots where the arts of tillage might be attended with success.
Salt creeks run in many directions through the country, which likewise
abounds in springs and brooks of fresh water, but has no rivers of any
considerable size; yet it is supposed to be upon the whole well watered,
as the time when the ship was on the coast, was the driest season of the
year. All parts of the country produce the gum tree, which yields a
resin like the _sanguis draconis_.
There are palm-trees of three kinds, two of which are found only in the
northern district. One of these produces nuts resembling chesnuts, the
hulls of which being found near where the natives had made fires, it was
supposed that they were eatable; but some of the seamen having eaten of
them, were taken very ill: upon which they were given to the hogs, but
two of these died in about a week, and it was a work of difficulty to
recover the rest. The second sort of palm is much like the true cabbage
tree of the West Indies, and yields a large cabbage of a tolerable
flavour. The third sort, which abounds in the southward parts, produces
a small cabbage of the most agreeable taste; and its nuts, which are
fine food for hogs, grow in the greatest abundance. This country also
produces a tree, on which grows a kind of purple apple, which tastes
like a damascen, after keeping it a few days:--a fig-tree, the fruit of
which tastes very indifferently:--and a tree, the fruit of which is flat
on the sides like a cheese, but its colour is that of a plumb.
Among the plants there is one, the leaves of which are like those of the
bulrush, which yields a bright yellow resin, exactly like gambouge, but
it does not stain: this plant had a very agreeable smell, but it is not
known to what uses it might be applied. There are two kinds of yams, one
round, and covered with stringy fibres, and the other shaped like a
radish; but both of them are pleasant to the taste: besides these, the
country produces purslain, and a kind of wild parsley. A fruit of a bad
taste was found, which resembled a pine-apple, and another, the kernel
of which was soft, but it was otherwise like a cherry.
Besides the quadrupedes already mentioned, there is one, the belly of
which is totally white, and the back brown, with white spots: it is much
like a polecat, and the Indians call it _Quoll_.--There are vast numbers
of beautiful pigeons, many of which were shot by the seamen; and the
other land-birds are eagles, hawks, cranes, herons, bustards, crows,
quails, doves, parrots, paroquets, cockatoos, and some other birds of
very elegant plumage.
The insects are few in number, among which the musquito and the ant are
the chief. The ants are of four kinds. The first are perfectly green,
and live on trees, in which they build curious nests, by bending down
the leaves, and gluing them together with an animal juice: thousands of
them joined to keep the leaf in its proper position, while many others
were employed in the gluing them. Being disturbed in their work, the
leaves, which are four or five inches in breadth, flew back with a force
which was thought much superior to the united strength of these insects.
Those who disturbed them paid for their curiosity, by being stung in a
very severe manner.
The second kind of ants are quite black, and live in the inside of the
branches of trees, after they have worked out the pith. Some of the
branches being gathered, millions of these animals issued from every
broken twig.
The third sort took up their lodging in the root of a plant that twines
round the trunk of other trees. This root, which they hollowed for their
purpose, was cut into great numbers of passages which ran across each
other; yet the plant appeared not to have been injured. These were not
more than half the size of the red ant of this country, but, upon being
disturbed, they crawled over the body in thousands, and put their
disturbers to the pain arising from exquisite tickling.
The fourth kind were like the white ants of the East Indies; and had one
sort of nests, as big as an half peck loaf, hanging from the boughs of
the trees, and composed of several minute parts of vegetables, stuck
together by a glutinous matter, supposed to have been supplied from
their own bodies. The cells had a communication with each other, and had
openings which led to other nests on the same tree: they had likewise a
hollow covered passage to another nest on the ground, at the root of a
different tree from that on which the former nest was suspended. The
ground nests are six feet in height, and almost as much in breadth; the
outside being plaistered with clay of near two inches in thickness:
these have a subterraneous passage to the roots of the trees near which
they stand; from whence the ants ascend, by covered ways, up the trunk
and branches. As these ground-built houses are proof against the
invasion of the rain, it is supposed that the ants retire to them during
the wet season.
The seas in these parts produce variety and plenty of fish, among which
are mullets, sea-crayfish, and crabs. On the shoals are found the rock,
pearl, and other oysters; and the most delicate green turtle, besides
those enormous cockles which have been already mentioned. Alligators are
found in the rivers and salt creeks.
This country does not appear to be inhabited by numbers any way
proportioned to its great extent: not above thirty being ever seen
together but once, which was when those of both sexes and all ages got
together on a rock off Botany-bay, to view the ship. None of their
villages consisted of more huts than would afford shelter for fourteen
or fifteen men; and these were the largest numbers that ever assembled
with a view to attack the English. No part of the country appeared to be
cultivated; whence there must necessarily be fewer inhabitants inland,
than on the sea coast.