Transactions amongst the Natives of North America; Discoveries along
that Coast and the Eastern Extremity of Asia, Northward to Icy Cape;
and Return Southward to the Sandwich Islands.
CHAP I.
The Ships enter the Sound, and moor in a Harbour.— 247
Intercourse with the Natives.—Articles brought to barter.—
Thefts committed.—The Observatories erected, and Carpenters
set to work.—Jealousy of the Inhabitants of the Sound to
prevent other Tribes having Intercourse with the Ships.—
Stormy and rainy Weather.—Progress round the Sound.—
Behaviour of the Natives at their Villages.—Their Manner of
drying Fish, &c.—Remarkable Visit from Strangers, and
introductory Ceremonies.—A second Visit to one of the
Villages.—Leave to cut Grass, purchased.—The Ships sail.—
Presents given and received at parting
CHAP. II.
The Name of the Sound, and Directions for sailing into it.— 264
Account of the adjacent Country.—Weather.—Climate.—Trees.—
Other vegetable Productions.—Quadrupeds, whose Skins were
brought for Sale.—Sea Animals.—Description of a Sea Otter.—
Birds.—Water Fowl.—Fish.—Shell-fish, &c.—Reptiles.—Insects.—
Stones, &c.—Persons of the Inhabitants.—Their Colour.—Common
Dress and Ornaments.—Occasional Dresses and monstrous
Decorations of Wooden Masks.—Their general Dispositions.—
Songs.—Musical Instruments.—Their Eagerness to possess Iron
and other Metals
CHAP. III.
Manner of building the Houses in Nootka Sound.—Inside of 287
them described.—Furniture and Utensils.—Wooden Images.—
Employments of the Men.—Of the Women.—Food, Animal and
Vegetable.—Manner of preparing it.—Weapons.—Manufactures and
Mechanic Arts.—Carving and Painting.—Canoes.—Implements for
Fishing and Hunting.—Iron Tools.—Manner of procuring that
Metal.—Remarks on their Language, and a Specimen of it.—
Astronomical and Nautical Observations made in Nootka Sound
CHAP. IV.
A Storm after sailing from Nootka Sound.—Resolution springs 313
a Leak.—Pretended Strait of Admiral de Fonte passed
unexamined.—Progress along the Coast of America.—Beering’s
Bay.—Kaye’s Island.—Account of it.—The Ships come to
Anchor.—Visited by the Natives.—Their Behaviour.—Fondness
for Beads and Iron.—Attempt to plunder the Discovery.—
Resolution’s Leak stopped.—Progress up the Sound.—Messrs.
Gore and Roberts sent to examine its Extent.—Reasons against
a Passage to the North through it.—The Ships proceed down
it, to the open Sea
CHAP. V.
The Inlet called Prince William’s Sound.—Its Extent.—Persons 336
of the Inhabitants described.—Their Dress.—Incision of their
under Lip.—Various other Ornaments.—Their Boats.—Weapons,
fishing and hunting Instruments.—Utensils.—Tools.—Uses Iron
is applied to.—Food.—Language, and a Specimen of it.—
Animals.—Birds.—Fish.—Iron and Beads, whence received
CHAP. VI.
Progress along the Coast.—Cape Elizabeth.—Cape St. 351
Hermogenes.—Accounts of Beering’s Voyage very defective.—
Point Banks.—Cape Douglas.—Cape Bede.—Mount St. Augustin.—
Hopes of finding a Passage up an Inlet.—The Ships proceed up
it.—Indubitable Marks of its being a River.—Named Cook’s
River.—The Ships return down it.—Various Visits from the
Natives.—Lieutenant King lands, and takes possession of the
Country.—His Report.—The Resolution runs aground on a
Shoal.—Reflections on the Discovery of Cook’s River.—The
considerable Tides in it accounted for
CHAP. VII.
Discoveries after leaving Cook’s River.—Island of St. 370
Hermogenes.—Cape Whitsunday.—Cape Greville.—Cape Barnabas.—
Two-headed Point.—Trinity Island.—Beering’s Foggy Island.—A
beautiful Bird described.—Kodiak, and the Schumagin
Islands.—A Russian Letter brought on board by a Native.—
Conjectures about it.—Rock Point.—Halibut Island.—A Volcano
Mountain.—Providential Escape.—Arrival of the Ships at
Oonalaschka.—Intercourse with the Natives there.—Another
Russian Letter.—Samganoodha Harbour described
CHAP. VIII.
Progress northward, after leaving Oonalashka.—The Islands 390
Oonella and Acootan.—Ooneemak.—Shallowness of the Water
along the Coast.—Bristol Bay.—Round Island.—Calm Point.—Cape
Newenham.—Lieutenant Williamson lands, and his Report.—
Bristol Bay, and its extent.—The Ships obliged to return, on
account of Shoals.—Natives come off to the Ships.—Death of
Mr. Anderson; his Character; and Island named after him.—
Point Rodney.—Sledge Island, and Remarks on landing there.—
King’s Island.—Cape Prince of Wales, the western Extreme of
America.—Course westward.—Anchor in a Bay on the Coast of
Asia
CHAP. IX.
Behaviour of the Natives, the Tschutski, on seeing the 409
Ships.—Interview with some of them.—Their Weapons.—Persons.—
Ornaments.—Clothing.—Winter and Summer Habitations.—The
Ships cross the Strait to the Coast of America.—Progress
northward.—Cape Mulgrave.—Appearance of Fields of Ice.—
Situation of Icy Cape.—The Sea blocked up with Ice.—
Sea-horses killed, and used as Provisions.—These Animals
described.—Dimensions of one of them.—Cape Lisburne.—
Fruitless Attempts to get through the Ice, at a Distance
from the Coast.—Observations on the Formation of this Ice.—
Arrival on the Coast of Asia.—Cape North.—The Prosecution of
the Voyage deferred to the ensuing Year
CHAP. X.
Return from Cape North, along the Coast of Asia.—Views of 427
the Country.—Burney’s Island.—Cape Serdze Kamen, the
northern Limit of Beering’s Voyage.—Pass the East Cape of
Asia.—Description and Situation of it.—Observations on
Muller.—The Tschutski.—Bay of St. Laurence.—Two other Bays,
and Habitations of the Natives.—Beering’s Cape
Tschukotskoi.—Beering’s Position of this Coast accurate.—
Island of Saint Laurence.—Pass to the American Coast.—Cape
Darby.—Bald Head.—Cape Denbigh, on a Peninsula.—Besborough
Island.—Wood and Water procured.—Visits from the Natives.—
Their Persons and Habitations.—Produce of the Country.—Marks
that the Peninsula had formerly been surrounded by the Sea.—
Lieutenant King’s Report.—Norton Sound.—Lunar Observations
there.—Stæhlin’s Map proved to be erroneous.—Plan of future
Operations
CHAP. XI.
Discoveries after leaving Norton Sound.—Stuart’s Island.— 447
Cape Stephens.—Point Shallow-water.—Shoals on the American
Coast.—Clerke’s Island.—Gore’s Island.—Pinnacle Island.—
Arrival at Oonalashka.—Intercourse with the Natives and
Russian Traders.—Charts of the Russian Discoveries,
communicated by Mr. Ismyloff.—Their Errors pointed out.—
Situation of the Islands visited by the Russians.—Account of
their Settlement at Oonalashka.—Of the Natives of the
Island.—Their Persons.—Dress.—Ornaments.—Food.—Houses, and
domestic Utensils.—Manufactures.—Manner of producing Fire.—
Canoes.—Fishing and hunting Implements.—Fishes, and Sea
Animals.—Sea and Water Fowls, and Land Birds.—Land Animals
and Vegetables.—Manner of burying their Dead.—Resemblance of
the Natives on this Side of America to the Greenlanders and
Esquimaux.—Tides.—Observations for determining the Longitude
of Oonalashka
CHAP. XII.
Departure from Oonalashka, and future Views.—The Island 481
Amoghta.—Situation of a remarkable Rock.—The Strait between
Oonalashka and Oonella repassed.—Progress to the South.—
Melancholy Accident on board the Discovery.—Mowee, one of
the Sandwich Islands discovered.—Intercourse with the
Natives.—Visit from Terreeoboo.—Another Island, called
Owhyhee, discovered.—The Ships ply to windward to get round
it.—An Eclipse of the Moon observed.—The Crew refuse to
drink Sugar-cane Beer.—Cordage deficient in Strength.—
Commendation of the Natives of Owhyhee.—The Resolution gets
to windward of the Island.—Her Progress down the South-east
Coast.—Views of the Country, and Visits from the Natives.—
The Discovery joins.—Slow Progress westward.—Karakakooa Bay
examined by Mr. Bligh.—Vast Concourse of the Natives.—The
Ships anchor in the Bay
A
VOYAGE
TO THE
PACIFIC OCEAN,
TO DETERMINE
THE POSITION AND EXTENT OF THE WEST SIDE OF NORTH AMERICA;
ITS DISTANCE FROM ASIA; AND THE PRACTICABILITY
OF A NORTHERN PASSAGE TO EUROPE.
PERFORMED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF
CAPTAINS COOK, CLERKE, AND GORE,
IN HIS MAJESTY’S SHIPS THE RESOLUTION AND DISCOVERY,
IN THE YEARS 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, AND 1780.
---------------------
VOL. II.
WRITTEN BY CAPTAIN COOK.
A
VOYAGE
TO
THE PACIFIC OCEAN.