SECTION XV.

_Arrival at Ulietea; with an Account of the Reception we met with there,

and the several Incidents which happened during our Stay. A Report of two

ships being at Huaheine. Preparations to leave the Island; and the Regret

the Inhabitants shewed on the Occasion. The Character of Oedidee; with some

general Observations on the Islands._

As soon as we were clear of the harbour, we made sail, and stood over for

the South end of Ulietea. Oree took the opportunity to send a man with a

message to Opoony. Being little wind all the latter part of the day, it was

dark before we reached the west side of the isle, where we spent the night.

The same light variable wind continued till ten o'clock next morning, when

the trade-wind at east prevailed, and we ventured to ply up to the harbour,

first sending a boat to lie in anchorage in the entrance. After making a

few trips, we got before the channel, and with all our sails set, and the

head-way the ship had acquired, shut her in as far as she would go; then

dropped the anchor, and took in the sails. This is the method of getting

into most of the harbours which are on the lee-side of these isles; for the

channels, in general, are too narrow to ply in: We were now anchored

between the two points of the reef which form the entrance; each not more

than two-thirds the length of a cable from us, and on which the sea broke

with such height and violence, as to people less acquainted with the place,

would have been terrible. Having all our boats out with anchors and warps

in them, which were presently run out, the ship warped into safety, where

we dropt anchor for the night. While this work was going forward, my old

friend Oree the chief, and several more, came to see us. The chief came not

empty.

Next day we warped the ship into a proper birth, and moored her, so as to

command all the shores around us. In the mean time a party of us went

ashore to pay the chief a visit, and to make the customary present. At our

first entering his house, we were met by four or five old women, weeping

and lamenting, as it were, most bitterly, and at the same time cutting

their heads, with instruments made of shark's teeth, till the blood ran

plentifully down their faces and on their shoulders. What was still worse,

we were obliged to submit to the embraces of these old hags, and by that

means were all besmeared with blood. This ceremony (for it was merely such)

being over, they went out, washed themselves, and immediately after

appeared as cheerful as any of the company. Having made some little stay,

and given my present to the chief and his friends, he put a hog and some

fruit into my boat, and came on board with us to dinner. In the afternoon,

we had a vast number of people and canoes about us, from different parts of

the island. They all took up their quarters in our neighbourhood, where

they remained feasting for some days. We understood the most of them were

_Eareeoies_.

The 26th afforded nothing remarkable, excepting that Mr Forster, in his

botanical excursions, saw a burying-place for dogs, which they called

_Marai no te Oore_. But I think we ought not to look upon this as one

of their customs; because few dogs die a natural death, being generally, if

not always, killed and eaten, or else given as an offering to the gods.

Probably this might be a _Marai_ or altar, where this sort of offering

was made; or it might have been the whim of some person to have buried his

favourite dog in this manner. But be it as it will, I cannot think it is a

general custom in the nation; and, for my own part, I neither saw nor heard

of any such thing before.

Early in the morning of the 27th, Oree, his wife, son, daughter, and

several more of his friends, made us a visit, and brought with them a good

quantity of all manner of refreshments; little having as yet been got from

any body else. They staid dinner; after which a party of us accompanied

them on shore, where we were entertained with a play, called _Mididij

Harramy_, which signifies the _Child is coming_. It concluded with

the representation of a woman in labour, acted by a set of great brawny

fellows, one of whom at last brought forth a strapping boy, about six feet

high, who ran about the stage, dragging after him a large wisp of straw

which hung by a string from his middle. I had an opportunity of seeing this

acted another time, when I observed, that the moment they had got hold of

the fellow who represented the child, they flattened or pressed his nose.

From this I judged, that they do so by their children when born, which may

be the reason why all in general have flat noses. This part of the play,

from its newness, and the ludicrous manner in which it was performed, gave

us, the first time we saw it, some entertainment, and caused a loud laugh,

which might be the reason why they acted it so often afterwards. But this,

like all their other pieces, could entertain us no more than once;

especially as we could gather little from them, for want of knowing more of

their language.[1]

The 28th was spent by me in much the same manner as the preceding day, viz.

in entertaining my friends, and being entertained by them. Mr Forster and

his party in the country botanizing.

Next morning, we found several articles had been stolen, out of our boats

lying at the buoy, about sixty or seventy yards from the ship. As soon as I

was informed of it, I went to the chief to acquaint him therewith. I found

that he not only knew they were stolen, but by whom, and where they were;

and he went immediately with me in my boat in pursuit of them. After

proceeding a good way along shore, towards the south end of the island, the

chief ordered us to land near some houses, where we did not wait long

before all the articles were brought to us, except the pinnace's iron

tiller, which I was told was still farther off. But when I wanted to go

after it, I found the chief unwilling to proceed; and he actually gave me

the slip; and retired into the country. Without him I knew I could do

nothing. The people began to be alarmed when they saw I was for going

farther; by which I concluded that the tiller was out of their reach also.

I therefore sent one of them to the chief to desire him to return. He

returned accordingly; when we sat down, and had some victuals set before

us, thinking perhaps that, as I had not breakfasted, I must be hungry, and

not in a good humour. Thus I was amused, till two hogs were produced, which

they entreated me to accept. This I did, and then their fears vanished; and

I thought myself not ill off, in having gotten two good hogs for a thing

which seemed to be quite out of my reach. Matters being thus settled, we

returned on board, and had the company of the chief and his son to dinner.

After that we all went ashore, where a play was acted for the entertainment

of such as would spend their time in looking at it. Besides these plays,

which the chief caused frequently to be acted, there was a set of strolling

players in the neighbourhood, who performed everyday. But their pieces

seemed to be so much alike, that we soon grew tired of them; especially as

we could not collect any interesting circumstances from them. We, our ship,

and our country, were frequently brought on the stage; but on what account

I know not. It can hardly be doubted, that this was designed as a

compliment to us, and probably not acted but when some of us were present.

I generally appeared at Oree's theatre towards the close of the play, and

twice at the other, in order to give my mite to the actors. The only

actress at Oree's theatre was his daughter, a pretty brown girl, at whose

shrine, on these occasions, many offerings were made by her numerous

votaries. This, I believe, was one great inducement to her father's giving

us these entertainments so often.

Early in the morning of the 30th, I set out with the two boats, accompanied

by the two Mr Forsters; Oedidee, the chief, his wife, son, and daughter,

for an estate which Oedidee called his, situated at the north end of the

island. There I was promised to have hogs and fruit in abundance; but when

we came there, we found that poor Oedidee could not command one single

thing, whatever right he might have to the _Whenooa_, which was now in

possession of his brother, who, soon after we landed, presented to me, with

the usual ceremony, two pigs. I made him a very handsome present in return,

and Oedidee gave him every thing he had left of what he had collected

during the time he was with us.

After this ceremony was over, I ordered one of the pigs to be killed and

dressed for dinner, and attended myself to the whole operation, which was

as follows:--They first strangled the hog, which was done by three men; the

hog being placed on his back, two of them laid a pretty strong stick across

his throat, and pressed with all their might on each end; the third man

held his hind legs, kept him on his back, and plugged up his fundament with

grass, I suppose to prevent any air from passing or repassing that way. In

this manner they held him for about ten minutes before he was quite dead.

In the mean time, some hands were employed in making a fire, to heat the

oven, which was close by. As soon as the hog was quite dead, they laid him

on the fire, and burnt or singed the hair, so that it came off with almost

the same ease as if it had been scalded. As the hair was got off one part,

another was applied to the fire till they had got off the whole, yet not so

clean but that another operation was necessary; which was to carry it to

the sea side, and there give it a good scrubbing with sandy stones, and

sand. This brought off all the scurf, &c. which the fire had left on. After

well washing off the sand and dirt, the carcase was brought again to the

former place, and laid on clean green leaves, in order to be opened. They

first ripped up the skin of the belly, and took out the fat or lard from

between the skin and the flesh, which they laid on a large green leaf. The

belly was then ripped open, and the entrails taken out, and carried away in

a basket, so that I know not what became of them; but am certain they were

not thrown away. The blood was next taken out, and put into a large leaf,

and then the lard, which was put to the other fat. The hog was now washed

clean, both inside and out, with fresh water, and several hot stones put

into his belly, which were shaken in under the breast, and green leaves

crammed in upon them. By this time the oven was sufficiently heated; what

fire remained was taken away, together with some of the hot stones; the

rest made a kind of pavement in the bottom of the hole or oven, and were

covered with leaves, on which the hog was placed on his belly. The lard and

fat, after being washed with water, were put into a vessel, made just then

of the green bark of the plantain tree, together with two or three hot

stones, and placed on one side the hog. A hot stone was put to the blood,

which was tied up in the leaf, and put into the oven; as also bread-fruit

and plantains. Then the whole was covered with green leaves, on which were

laid the remainder of the hot stones; over them were leaves; then any sort

of rubbish they could lay their hands on; finishing the operation by well

covering the whole with earth. While the victuals were baking, a table was

spread with green leaves on the floor, at one end of a large boat-house. At

the close of two hours and ten minutes, the oven was opened, and all the

victuals taken out. Those of the natives who dined with us, sat down by

themselves, at one end of the table, and we at the other. The hog was

placed before us, and the fat and blood before them, on which they chiefly

dined, and said it was _Mamity_, very good victuals; and we not only

said, but thought, the same of the pork. The hog weighed about fifty

pounds. Some parts about the ribs I thought rather overdone, but the more

fleshy parts were excellent; and the skin, which by the way of our dressing

can hardly be eaten, had, by this method, a taste and flavour superior to

any thing I ever met with of the kind. I have now only to add, that during

the whole of the various operations, they exhibited a cleanliness well

worthy of imitation. I have been the more particular in this account,

because I do not remember that any of us had seen the whole process before;

nor is it well described in the narrative of my former voyage.

While dinner was preparing, I took a view of this _Whenooa_ of

Oedidee. It was a small, but a pleasant spot; and the houses were so

disposed as to form a very pretty village, which is very rarely the case at

these isles, Soon after we had dined, we set out for the ship, with the

other pig, and a few races of plantains, which proved to be the sum total

of our great expectations.

In our return to the ship, we put ashore at a place where, in the corner of

a house, we saw four wooden images, each two feet long, standing on a

shelf, having a piece of cloth round their middle, and a kind of turban on

their heads, in which were stuck long feathers of cocks. A person in the

house told us they were _Eatua no te Toutou_, gods of the servants or

slaves. I doubt if this be sufficient to conclude that they pay them divine

worship, and that the servants or slaves are not allowed the same gods as

men of more elevated rank; I never heard that Tupia made any such

distinction, or that they worshipped any visible thing whatever. Besides,

these were the first wooden gods we had seen in any of the isles; and all

the authority we had for their being such, was the bare word of perhaps a

superstitious person, and whom, too, we were liable to misunderstand. It

must be allowed that the people of this isle are in general more

superstitious than at Otaheite. At the first visit I made the chief after

our arrival, he desired I would not suffer any of my people to shoot herons

and wood-peckers; birds as sacred with them as robin-red-breasts, swallows,

&c. are with many old women in England. Tupia, who was a priest, and well

acquainted with their religion, customs, traditions, &c. paid little or no

regard to these birds. I mention this, because some amongst us were of

opinion that these birds are their _Eatuas_, or gods. We indeed fell

into this opinion when I was here in 1769, and into some others still more

absurd, which we had undoubtedly adopted, if Tupia had not undeceived us. A

man of his knowledge and understanding we have not since met with, and

consequently have added nothing to his account of their religion but

superstitious notions.[2]

On the 31st, the people knowing that we should sail soon, began to bring

more fruit on board than usual. Among those who came was a young man who

measured six feet four inches and six-tenths; and his sister, younger, than

him, measured five feet ten inches and a half. A brisk trade for hogs and

fruit continued on the 1st of June. On the 2d, in the afternoon, we got

intelligence that, three days before, two ships had arrived at Huaheine.

The same report said, the one was commanded by Mr Banks, and the other by

Captain Furneaux. The man who brought the account said, he was made drunk

on board one of them, and described the persons of Mr Banks and Captain

Furneaux so well, that I had not the least doubt of the truth, and began to

consider about sending a boat over that very evening with orders to Captain

Furneaux, when a man, a friend of Mr Forster, happened to come on board and

denied the whole, saying it was _wà warre_, a lie. The man from whom

we had the intelligence was now gone, so that we could not confront them,

and there were none else present who knew any thing about it but by report;

so that I laid aside sending over a boat till I should be better informed.

This evening we entertained the people with fire-works, on one of the

little isles near the entrance of the harbour.

I had fixed on the next day for sailing, but the intelligence from Huaheine

put a stop to it. The chief had promised to bring the man on board who

first brought the account; but he was either not to be found, or would not

appear. In the morning, the people were divided in their opinions; but in

the afternoon, all said it was a false report. I had sent Mr Clerke, in the

morning, to the farthest part of the island, to make enquiries there; he

returned without learning any thing satisfactory. In short, the report

appeared now too ill founded to authorize me to send a boat over, or to

wait any longer here; and therefore, early in the morning of the 4th, I got

every thing in readiness to sail. Oree the chief, and his whole family,

came on board, to take their last farewell, accompanied by Oo-oo-rou, the

_Earee di hi_, and Boba, the _Earee_ of Otaha, and several of

their friends. None of them came empty; but Oo-oo-rou brought a pretty

large present, this being his first and only visit. I distributed amongst

them almost every thing I had left. The very hospitable manner in which I

had ever been received by these people, had endeared them to me, and given

them a just title to everything in my power to grant. I questioned them

again about the ships at Huaheine; and they all, to a man, denied that any

were there. During the time these people remained on board, they were

continually importuning me to return. The chief, his wife and daughter, but

especially the two latter, scarcely ever ceased weeping. I will not pretend

to say whether it was real or feigned grief they shewed on this occasion.

Perhaps there was a mixture of both; but were I to abide by my own opinion

only, I should believe it was real. At last, when we were about to weigh,

they took a most affectionate leave. Oree's last request was for me to

return; when he saw he could not obtain that promise, he asked the name of

my _Marai_ (burying-place). As strange a question as this was, I

hesitated not a moment to tell him Stepney; the parish in which I live when

in London. I was made to repeat it several times over till they could

pronounce it; then, Stepney _Marai no Toote_ was echoed through an

hundred mouths at once. I afterwards found the same question had been put

to Mr Forster by a man on shore; but he gave a different, and indeed more

proper answer, by saying, no man, who used the sea, could say where he

should be buried. It is the custom, at these isles, for all the great

families to have burial-places of their own, where their remains are

interred. These go with the estate to the next heir. The _Marai_ at

Oparee in Otaheite, when Tootaha swayed the sceptre, was called _Marai no

Tootaha_; but now it is called _Marai no Otoo_. What greater proof

could we have of these people esteeming us as friends, than their wishing

to remember us, even beyond the period of our lives? They had been

repeatedly told that we should see them no more; they then wanted to know

where we were to mingle with our parent dust. As I could not promise, or

even suppose, that more English ships would be sent to those isles, our

faithful companion Oedidee chose to remain in his native country. But he

left us with a regret fully demonstrative of the esteem he bore to us; nor

could any thing but the fear of never returning, have torn him from us.

When the chief teased me so much about returning, I sometimes gave such

answers as left them hopes. Oedidee would instantly catch at this, take me

on one side, and ask me over again. In short, I have not words to describe

the anguish which appeared in this young man's breast when he went away. He

looked up at the ship, burst into tears, and then sunk down into the canoe.

The maxim, that a prophet has no honour in his own country, was never more

fully verified than in this youth. At Otaheite he might have had any thing

that was in their power to bestow; whereas here he was not in the least

noticed. He was a youth of good parts, and, like most of his countrymen, of

a docile, gentle, and humane disposition, but in a manner wholly ignorant

of their religion, government, manners, customs, and traditions;

consequently no material knowledge could have been gathered from him, had I

brought him away. Indeed, he would have been a better specimen of the

nation, in every respect, than Omai. Just as Oedidee was going out of the

ship, he asked me to _Tatou_ some _Parou_ for him, in order to

shew the commanders of any other ships which might stop here. I complied

with his request, gave him a certificate of the time he had been with us,

and recommended him to the notice of those who might afterwards touch at

the island.

We did not get clear of our friends till eleven o'clock, when we weighed,

and put to sea; but Oedidee did not leave us till we were almost out of the

harbour. He staid, in order to fire some guns; for it being his majesty's

birthday, we fired the salute at going away.

When I first came to these islands, I had some thought of visiting Tupia's

famous Bolabola. But as I had now got on board a plentiful supply of all

manner of refreshments, and the route I had in view allowing me no time to

spare, I laid this design aside, and directed my course to the west; taking

our final leave of these happy isles, on which benevolent Nature has spread

her luxuriant sweets with a lavish hand. The natives, copying the bounty of

Nature, are equally liberal; contributing plentifully and cheerfully to the

wants of navigators. During the six weeks we had remained at them, we had

fresh pork, and all the fruits which were in season, in the utmost

profusion; besides fish at Otaheite, and fowls at the other isles. All

these articles we got in exchange for axes, hatchets, nails, chissels,

cloth, red feathers, beads, knives, scissars, looking-glasses, &c. articles

which will ever be valuable here. I ought not to omit shirts as a very

capital article in making presents; especially with those who have any

connexion with the fair sex. A shirt here is full as necessary as a piece

of gold in England. The ladies at Otaheite, after they had pretty well

stripped their lovers of shirts, found a method of clothing themselves with

their own cloth. It was their custom to go on shore every morning, and to

return on board in the evening, generally clad in rags. This furnished a

pretence to importune the lover for better clothes; and when he had no more

of his own, he was to dress them in new cloth of the country, which they

always left ashore; and appearing again in rags, they must again be

clothed. So that the same suit might pass through twenty different hands,

and be as often sold, bought, and given away.

Before I finish this account of these islands, it is necessary to mention

all I know concerning the government of Ulietea and Otaha. Oree, so often

mentioned, is a native of Bolabola; but is possessed of _Whenooas_ or

lands at Ulietea; which I suppose he, as well as many of his countrymen,

got at the conquest. He resides here as Opoony's lieutenant; seeming to be

vested with regal authority, and to be the supreme magistrate in the

island. Oo-oo-rou, who is the _Earee_ by hereditary right, seems to

have little more left him than the bare title, and his own _Whenooa_

or district, in which I think he is sovereign. I have always seen Oree pay

him the respect due to his rank; and he was pleased when he saw me

distinguish him from others.

Otaha, so far as I can find, is upon the very same footing. Boba and Ota

are the two chiefs; the latter I have not seen; Boba is a stout, well-made

young man; and we were told is, after Opoony's death, to marry his

daughter, by which marriage he will be vested with the same regal authority

as Opoony has now; so that it should seem, though a woman may be vested

with regal dignity, she cannot have regal power. I cannot find that Opoony

has got any thing to himself by the conquest of these isles, any farther

than providing for his nobles, who have seized on best part of the lands.

He seems to have no demand on them for any of the many articles they have

had from us. Oedidee has several times enumerated to me all the axes,

nails, &c. which Opoony is possessed of, which hardly amount to as many as

he had from me when I saw him in 1769. Old as this famous man is, he seems

not to spend his last days in indolence. When we first arrived here, he was

at Maurana; soon after he returned to Bolabola; and we were now told, he

was gone to Tubi.

I shall conclude this account of these islands, with some observations on

the watch which Mr Wales hath communicated to me. At our arrival in Matavai

Bay in Otaheite, the longitude pointed out by the watch was 2° 8' 38" ½ too

far to the west; that is, it had gained, since our leaving Queen

Charlotte's Sound, of its then rate of going, 8' 34" 1/2. This was in about

five months, or rather more, during which time it had passed through the

extremes of cold and heat. It was judged that half this error arose after

we left Easter Island; by which it appeared that it went better in the cold

than in the hot climates.

[1] "The man who acted the part of the woman in labour went through

the gestures which the Greeks were wont to admire in the groves of

Venus-Ariadne, near Amathus, where the same ceremony was acted on the

second day of the month Gorpioeus, in memory of Ariadne, who died in

child-bed. Thus it appears that there is scarcely a practice, though

ever so ridiculous, existing in any corner of the world, that has not

been hit upon by the extravagant fancy of men in some other region. A

tall, stout fellow, dressed in cloth, personated the new-born infant

in such a ludicrous style, that we could not refuse joining in the

plaudits which his countrymen bestowed on him. Anatomists and midwives

would have been surprised to observe, that this overgrown babe had

every necessary character of a child newly born; but the natives were

particularly delighted with his running about the stage, whilst the

rest of the dancers endeavoured to catch him. The ladies were much

pleased with this scene, which, according to the simplicity of their

ideas, had not the least indecency; they looked on, therefore,

unconcernedly, and were not obliged, like some European dames, to peep

through their fans."--G.F.

[2] The two Forsters, particularly the father, a man of great sagacity

and of very acute discernment, paid much attention to this interesting

subject. The information they procured is contained in their

respective works, and is, as might be expected, very similar. From

this it would have been easy to add to the contents of the text. But

this has been avoided, principally because we may perhaps present the

reader with the substance of Forster's observations, in a connected

form, on another occasion. That publication indeed is a treasure of

most curious and important matter, deserving to be more extensively

known, than there is reason to believe it now is.--E.

CHAPTER III.

FROM ULIETEA TO NEW ZEALAND.

SECTION I.

_Passage from Ulietea to the Friendly Isles, with a Description of

several Islands that were discovered, and the Incidents which happened in

that Track._

On the 6th, being the day after leaving Ulietea, at eleven o'clock a.m., we

saw land bearing N.W., which, upon a nearer approach, we found to be a low

reef island about four leagues in compass, and of a circular form. It is

composed of several small patches connected together by breakers, the

largest lying on the N.E. part. This is Howe Island, discovered by Captain

Wallis, who, I think, sent his boat to examine it; and, if I have not been

misinformed, found a channel through, within the reef, near the N.W. part.

The inhabitants of Ulietea speak of an uninhabited island about this

situation, called by them Mopeha, to which they go at certain seasons for

turtle. Perhaps, this may be the same; as we saw no signs of inhabitants

upon it. Its latitude is 16° 46' S. longitude 154° 8' W.

From this day to the 16th, we met nothing remarkable, and our course was

west southerly; the winds variable from north round by the east to S.W.,

attended with cloudy, rainy, unsettled weather, and a southerly swell. We

generally brought-to, or stood upon a wind during night; and in the day

made all the sail we could. About half an hour after sun-rise this morning,

land was seen from the top-mast head, bearing N.N.E. We immediately altered

the course, and steering for it, found it to be another reef island,

composed of five or six woody islets, connected together by sand-banks and

breakers inclosing a lake, into which we could see no entrance. We ranged

the west and N.W. coasts, from its southern to its northern-extremity,

which is about two leagues, and so near the shore, that at one time we

could see the rocks under us; yet we found no anchorage, nor saw we any

signs of inhabitants. There were plenty of various kinds of birds, and the

coast seemed to abound with fish. The situation of this isle is not very

distant from that assigned by Mr Dalrymple for La Sagitaria, discovered by

Quiros; but, by the description the discoverer has given of it, it cannot

be the same. For this reason, I looked upon it as a new discovery, and

named it Palmerston Island, in honour of Lord Palmerston, one of the lords

of the Admiralty. It is situated in latitude 18° 4' S. longitude 163° 10'

W.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, we left this isle, and resumed our course

to the W. by S. with a fine steady gale easterly, till noon on the 20th, at

which time, being in latitude 18° 50', longitude 168° 52, we thought we saw

land to S.S.W. and hauled up for it accordingly. But two hours after, we

discovered our mistake, and resumed our course W. by S. Soon after, we saw

land from the mast-head in the same direction; and, as we drew nearer,

found it to be an island, which, at five o'clock, bore west, distant five

leagues. Here we spent the night plying under the topsails; and at day-

break next morning, bore away, steering to the northern point, and ranging

the west coast at the distance of one mile, till near noon. Then perceiving

some people on the shore, and landing seeming to be easy, we brought-to,

and hoisted out two boats, with which I put off to the land, accompanied by

some of the officers and gentlemen. As we drew near the shore, some of the

inhabitants, who were on the rocks, retired to the woods, to meet us, as we

supposed; and we afterwards found our conjectures right. We landed with

ease in a small creek, and took post on a high rock to prevent a surprise.

Here we displayed our colours, and Mr Forster and his party began to

collect plants, &c. The coast was so over-run with woods, bushes, plants,

stones, &c. that we could not see forty yards round us. I took two men, and

with them entered a kind of chasm, which opened a way into the woods. We

had not gone far before we heard the natives approaching; upon which I

called to Mr Forster to retire to the party, as I did likewise. We had no

sooner joined than the islanders appeared at the entrance of a chasm not a

stone's throw from us. We began to speak, and make all the friendly signs

we could think of, to them, which they answered by menaces; and one of two

men, who were advanced before the rest, threw a stone, which struck Mr

Sparrman on the arm. Upon this two muskets were fired, without order, which

made them all retire under cover of the woods; and we saw them no more.

After waiting for some little time, and till we were satisfied nothing was

to be done here, the country being so overrun with bushes, that it was

hardly possible to come to parley with them, we embarked and proceeded down

along shore, in hopes of meeting with better success in another place.

After ranging the coast for some miles, without seeing a living soul, or

any convenient landing-place, we at length came before a small beach, on

which lay four canoes. Here we landed by means of a little creek, formed by

the flat rocks before it, with a view of just looking at the canoes, and to

leave some medals, nails, &c. in them; for not a soul was to be seen. The

situation of this place was to us worse than the former. A flat rock lay

next the sea; behind it a narrow stone beach; this was bounded by a

perpendicular rocky cliff of unequal height, whose top was covered with

shrubs; two deep and narrow chasms in the cliff seemed to open a

communication into the country. In or before one of these lay the four

canoes which we were going to look at; but in the doing of this, I saw we

should be exposed to an attack from the natives, if there were any, without

being in a situation proper for defence. To prevent this, as much as could

be, and to secure a retreat in case of an attack, I ordered the men to be

drawn up upon the rock, from whence they had a view of the heights; and

only myself, and four of the gentlemen, went up to the canoes. We had been

there but a few minutes, before the natives, I cannot say how many, rushed

down the chasm out of the wood upon us. The endeavours we used to bring

them to a parley, were to no purpose; for they came with the ferocity of

wild boars, and threw their darts. Two or three muskets, discharged in the

air did not hinder one of them from advancing still farther, and throwing

another dart, or rather a spear, which passed close over my shoulder. His

courage would have cost him his life, had not my musket missed fire; for I

was not five paces from him when he threw his spear, and had resolved to

shoot him to save myself. I was glad afterwards that it happened as it did.

At this instant, our men on the rock began to fire at others who appeared

on the heights, which abated the ardour of the party we were engaged with,

and gave us time to join our people, when I caused the firing to cease. The

last discharge sent all the islanders to the woods, from whence they did

not return so long as we remained. We did not know that any were hurt. It

was remarkable, that when I joined our party, I tried my musket in the air,

and it went off as well as a piece could do. Seeing no good was to be got

with these people, or at the isle, as having no port, we returned on board,

and having hoisted in the boats, made sail to the W.S.W. I had forgot to

mention in its proper order, that having put ashore a little before we came

to this last place, three or four of us went upon the cliffs, where we

found the country, as before, nothing but coral rocks, all over-run with

bushes, so that it was hardly possible to penetrate into it; and we

embarked again with intent to return directly on board, till we saw the

canoes; being directed to the place by the opinion of some of us, who

thought they heard some people.

The conduct and aspect of these islanders occasioned my naming it Savage

Island. It is situated in the latitude 19° 1' S. longitude 169° 37' W. It

is about eleven leagues in circuit; of a round form, and good height; and

hath deep waters close to its shores. All the sea-coast, and as far inland

as we could see, is wholly covered with trees, shrubs, &c.; amongst which

were some cocoa-nut trees; but what the interior parts may produce we know

not. To judge of the whole garment by the skirts, it cannot produce much;

for so much as we saw of it consisted wholly of coral rocks, all over-run

with woods and bushes. Not a bit of soil was to be seen; the rocks alone

supplying the trees with humidity. If these coral rocks were first formed

in the sea by animals, how came they thrown up to such an height? Has this

island been raised by an earthquake? Or has the sea receded from it? Some

philosophers have attempted to account for the formation of low isles, such

as are in the sea; but I do not know that any thing has been said of high

islands, or such as I have been speaking of. In this island, not only the

loose rocks which cover the surface, but the cliffs which bound the shores,

are of coral stone, which the continual beating of the sea has formed into

a variety of curious caverns, some of them very large: The roof or rock

over them being supported by pillars, which the foaming waves have formed

into a multitude of shapes, and made more curious than the caverns

themselves. In one we saw light was admitted through a hole at the top; in

another place, we observed that the whole roof of one of these caverns had

sunk in, and formed a kind of valley above, which lay considerably below

the circumjacent rocks.

I can say but little of the inhabitants, who, I believe, are not numerous.

They seemed to be stout well-made men, were naked except round the waists,

and some of them had their faces, breasts, and thighs painted black. The

canoes were precisely like those of Amsterdam; with the addition of a

little rising like a gunwale on each side of the open part; and had some

carving about them, which shewed that these people are full as ingenious.

Both these islanders and their canoes agree very well with the description

M. de Bougainville has given of those he saw off the Isle of Navigators,

which lies nearly under the same meridian.

After leaving Savage Island, we continued to steer W.S.W. with a fine

easterly trade-wind, till the 24th in the evening, when, judging ourselves

not far from Rotterdam, we brought-to, and spent the night plying under the

top-sails. At daybreak next morning, we bore away west; and soon after, saw

a string of islands extending from S.S.W. by the west to N.N.W. The wind

being at N.E., we hauled to N.W., with a view of discovering more

distinctly the isles in that quarter; but, presently after, we discovered a

reef of rocks a-head, extending on each bow farther than we could see. As

we could not weather them, it became necessary to tack and bear up to the

south, to look for a passage that way. At noon the southernmost island bore

S.W., distant four miles. North of this isle were three others, all

connected by breakers, which we were not sure did not join to those we had

seen in the morning, as some were observed in the intermediate space. Some

islands were also seen to the west of those four; but Rotterdam was not yet

in sight. Latitude 20° 23' S. longitude 174° 6' W. During the whole

afternoon, we had little wind; so that at sunset, the southernmost isle

bore W.N.W., distant five miles; and some breakers, we had seen to the

south, bore now S.S.W. 1/2 W. Soon after it fell calm, and we were left to

the mercy of a great easterly swell; which, however, happened to have no

great effect upon the ship. The calm continued till four o'clock the next

morning, when it was succeeded by a breeze from the south. At day-light,

perceiving a likelihood of a passage between the islands to the north and

the breakers to the south, we stretched in west, and soon after saw more

islands, both to the S.W. and N.W., but the passage seemed open and clear.

Upon drawing near the islands, we sounded, and found forty-five and forty

fathoms, a clear sandy bottom. I was now quite easy, since it was in our

power to anchor, in case of a calm; or to spend the night, if we found no

passage. Towards noon some canoes came off to us from one of the isles,

having two or three people in each; who advanced boldly alongside, and

exchanged some cocoa-nuts, and shaddocks, for small nails. They pointed out

to us Anamocka, or Rotterdam; an advantage we derived from knowing the

proper names. They likewise gave us the names of some of the other isles,

and invited us much to go to theirs, which they called Cornango. The breeze

freshening, we left them astern, and steered for Anamocka; meeting with a

clear passage, in which we found unequal sounding, from forty to nine

fathoms, depending, I believe, in a great measure, on our distance from the

islands which form it.

As we drew near the south end of Rotterdam, or Anamocka, we were met by a

number of canoes, laden with fruit and roots; but as I did not shorten

sail, we had but little traffic with them. The people in one canoe enquired

for me by name; a proof that these people have an intercourse with those of

Amsterdam. They importuned us much to go towards their coast, letting us

know, as we understood them, that we might anchor there. This was on the

S.W. side of the island, where the coast seemed to be sheltered from the S.

and S.E. winds; but as the day was far spent, I could not attempt to go in

there, as it would have been necessary to have sent first a boat to examine

it. I therefore stood for the north side of the island, where we anchored

about three-fourths of a mile from shore; the extremes of it bearing south,

88° E. to S.W.; a cove with a sandy beach at the bottom of it S. 50° E.

SECTION II.

_Reception at Anamocka; a Robbery and its Consequences, with a Variety of

other Incidents. Departure from the Island. A sailing Canoe described. Some

Observations on the Navigation of these Islanders. A Description of the

Island, and of those in the Neighbourhood, with some Account of the

Inhabitants, and nautical Remarks._

Before we had well got to an anchor, the natives came off from all parts in

canoes, bringing with them yams and shaddocks, which they exchanged for

small nails and old rags. One man taking a vast liking to our lead and

line, got hold of it, and, in spite of all the threats I could make use of,

cut the line with a stone; but a discharge of small shot made him return

it. Early in the morning, I went ashore with Mr Gilbert to look for fresh

water. We landed in the cove above-mentioned, and were received with great

courtesy by the natives. After I had distributed some presents amongst

them, I asked for water, and was conducted to a pond of it that was

brackish, about three-fourths of a mile from the landing-place, which I

supposed to be the same that Tasman watered at. In the mean time, the

people in the boat had laden her with fruit and roots, which the natives

had brought down, and exchanged for nails and beads. On our return to the

ship, I found the same sort of traffic carrying on there. After breakfast,

I went ashore with two boats to trade with the people, accompanied by

several of the gentlemen, and ordered the launch to follow with casks to be

filled with water. The natives assisted us to roll them to and from the

pond; and a nail or a bead was the expence of their labour. Fruits and

roots, especially shaddocks and yams, were brought down in such plenty,

that the two boats were laden, sent off, cleared, and laden a second time,

before noon; by which time also the launch had got a full supply of water,

and the botanical and shooting parties had all come in, except the surgeon,

for whom we could not wait, as the tide was ebbing fast out of the cove;

consequently he was left behind. As there is no getting into the cove with

a boat, from between half-ebb to half-flood, we could get off no water in

the afternoon. However, there is a very good landing-place, without it,

near the southern point, where boats can get ashore at all times of the

tide. Here some of the officers landed after dinner, where they found the

surgeon, who had been robbed of his gun. Having come down to the shore some

time after the boats had put off, he got a canoe to bring him on board;

but, as he was getting into her, a fellow snatched hold of the gun, and ran

off with it. After that no one would carry him to the ship, and they would

have stripped him, as he imagined, had he not presented a tooth-pick case,

which they, no doubt, thought was a little gun. As soon as I heard of this,

I landed at the place above-mentioned, and the few natives who were there

fled at my approach. After landing I went in search of the officers, whom I

found in the cove, where we had been in the morning, with a good many of

the natives about them. No step had been taken to recover the gun, nor did

I think proper to take any; but in this I was wrong. The easy manner of

obtaining this gun, which they now, no doubt, thought secure in their

possession, encouraged them to proceed in these tricks, as will soon

appear. The alarm the natives had caught being soon over, they carried

fruit, &c. to the boats, which got pretty well laden before night, when we

all returned on board.

Early in the morning of the 28th, Lieutenant Clerke, with the master and

fourteen or fifteen men, went on shore in the launch for water. I did

intend to have followed in another boat myself, but rather unluckily

deferred it till after breakfast. The launch was no sooner landed than the

natives gathered about her, behaving in so rude a manner, that the officers

were in some doubt if they should land their casks; but, as they expected

me on shore soon, they ventured, and with difficulty got them filled, and

into the boat again. In the doing of this Mr Clerke's gun was snatched from

him, and carried off; as were also some of the cooper's tools; and several

of the people were stripped of one thing or another. All this was done, as

it were, by stealth; for they laid hold of nothing by main force. I landed

just as the launch was ready to put off; and the natives, who were pretty

numerous on the beach, as soon as they saw me, fled; so that I suspected

something had happened. However, I prevailed on many to stay, and Mr Clerke

came, and informed me of all the preceding circumstances. I quickly came to

a resolution to oblige them to make restitution; and, for this purpose,

ordered all the marines to be armed and sent on shore. Mr Forster and his

party being gone into the country, I ordered two or three guns to be fired

from the ship, in order to alarm him; not knowing how the natives might act

on this occasion. These orders being given, I sent all the boats off but

one, with which I staid, having a good many of the natives about me, who

behaved with their usual courtesy. I made them so sensible of my intention,

that long before the marines came, Mr Clerke's musket was brought; but they

used many excuses to divert me from insisting on the other. At length Mr

Edgcumbe arriving with the marines, this alarmed them so much, that some

fled. The first step I took was to seize on two large double sailing

canoes, which were in the cove. One fellow making resistance, I fired some

small shot at him, and sent him limping off. The natives being now

convinced that I was in earnest, all fled; but on my calling to them, many

returned; and, presently after, the other musket was brought, and laid down

at my feet. That moment, I ordered the canoes to be restored, to shew them

on what account they were detained. The other things we had lost being of

less value, I was the more indifferent about them. By this time the launch

was ashore for another turn of water, and we were permitted to fill the

casks without any one daring to come near us; except one man, who had

befriended us during the whole affair, and seemed to disapprove of the

conduct of his countrymen.

On my returning from the pond to the cove, I found a good many people

collected together, from whom we understood that the man I had fired at was

dead. This story I treated as improbable, and addressed a man, who seemed

of some consequence, for the restitution of a cooper's adze we had lost in

the morning. He immediately sent away two men, as I thought, for it; but I

soon found that we had greatly mistaken each other; for instead of the

adze, they brought the wounded man, stretched out on a board, and laid him

down by me, to all appearance dead. I was much moved at the sight; but soon

saw my mistake, and that he was only wounded in the hand and thigh. I,

therefore, desired he might be carried out of the sun, and sent for the

surgeon to dress his wounds. In the mean time, I addressed several people

for the adze; for as I had now nothing else to do, I determined to have it.

The one I applied the most to, was an elderly woman, who had always a great

deal to say to me, from my first landing; but, on this occasion, she gave

her tongue full scope. I understood but little of her eloquence; and all I

could gather from her arguments was, that it was mean in me to insist on

the return of so trifling a thing. But when she found I was determined, she

and three or four more women went away; and soon after the adze was brought

me, but I saw her no more. This I was sorry for, as I wanted to make her a

present, in return for the part she had taken in all our transactions,

private as well as public. For I was no sooner returned from the pond, the

first time I landed, than this old lady presented to me a girl, giving me

to understand she was at my service. Miss, who probably had received her

instructions, wanted, as a preliminary article, a spike-nail or a shirt,

neither of which I had to give her, and soon made them sensible of my

poverty. I thought, by that means, to have come off with flying colours;

but I was mistaken; for they gave me to understand I might retire with her

on credit. On my declining this proposal, the old lady began to argue with

me; and then abuse me. Though I comprehended little of what she said, her

actions were expressive enough, and shewed that her words were to this

effect, sneering in my face, saying, What sort of a man are you, thus to

refuse the embraces of so fine a young woman? For the girl certainly did

not want beauty; which, however, I could better withstand, than the abuses

of this worthy matron, and therefore hastened into the boat. They wanted me

to take the young lady aboard; but this could not be done, as I had given

strict orders, before I went ashore, to suffer no woman, on any pretence

whatever, to come into the ship, for reasons which I shall mention in

another place.

As soon as the surgeon got ashore, he dressed the man's wounds, and bled

him; and was of opinion that he was in no sort of danger, as the shot had

done little more than penetrate the skin. In the operation, some poultice

being wanting, the surgeon asked for ripe plantains; but they brought

sugar-cane, and having chewed it to a pulp, gave it him to apply to the

wound. This being of a more balsamic nature than the other; proves that

these people have some knowledge of simples. As soon as the man's wounds

were dressed, I made him a present, which his master, or at least the man

who owned the canoe, took, most probably to himself. Matters being thus

settled apparently to the satisfaction of all parties, we repaired on board

to dinner, where I found a good supply of fruit and roots, and, therefore,

gave orders to get every thing in readiness to sail.

I now was informed of a circumstance which was observed on board; several

canoes being at the ship, when the great guns were fired in the morning,

they all retired, but one man, who was bailing the water out of his canoe,

which lay alongside directly under the guns. When the first was fired, he

just looked up, and then, quite unconcerned, continued his work. Nor had

the second gun any other effect upon him. He did not stir till the water

was all out of his canoe, when he paddled leisurely off. This man had,

several times, been observed to take fruit and roots out of other canoes,

and sell them to us. If the owners did not willingly part with them, he

took them by force; by which he obtained the appellation of custom-house

officer. One time, after he had been collecting tribute, he happened to be

lying alongside of a sailing canoe which was on board. One of her people

seeing him look another way, and his attention otherwise engaged, took the

opportunity of stealing somewhat out of his canoe; they then put off, and

set their sail. But the man, perceiving the trick they had played him,

darted after them, and having soon got on board their canoe, beat him who

had taken his things, and not only brought back his own, but many other

articles which he took from them. This man had likewise been observed

making collections on shore at the trading-place. I remembered to have seen

him there; and, on account of his gathering tribute, took him to be a man

of consequence, and was going to make him a present; but some of their

people would not let me, saying he was no _Areeke_ (that is, chief).

He had his hair always powdered with some kind of white dust.

As we had no wind to sail this afternoon, a party of us went ashore in the

evening. We found the natives everywhere courteous and obliging; so that,

had we made a longer stay, it is probable we should have had no more reason

to complain of their conduct. While I was now on shore, I got the names of

twenty islands, which lie between the N.W. and N.E., some of them in sight.

Two of them, which lie most to the west, viz. Amattafoa and Oghao, are

remarkable on account of their great height. In Amattafoa, which is the

westernmost, we judged there was a volcano, by the continual column of

smoke we saw daily ascending from the middle of it.

Both Mr Cooper and myself being on shore at noon, Mr Wales could not wind

up the watch at the usual time; and, as we did not come on board till late

in the afternoon, it was forgotten till it was down. This circumstance was

of no consequence, as Mr Wales had had several altitudes of the sun at this

place, before it went down; and also had opportunities of taking some

after.

At day-break on the 29th, having got under sail with a light breeze at

west, we stood to the north for the two high islands; but the wind,

scanting upon us, carried us in amongst the low isles and shoals; so that,

we had to ply, to clear them. This gave time for a great many canoes to get

up with us. The people in them brought for traffic various articles; some

roots, fruits, and fowls, but of the latter not many. They took in exchange

small nails, and pieces of any kind of cloth. I believe, before they went

away, they stripped the most of our people of the few clothes the ladies at

Otaheite had left them; for the passion for curiosities was as great as

ever. Having got clear of the low isles, we made a stretch to the south,

and did but fetch a little to windward of the south end of Anamocka; so

that we got little by this day's plying. Here we spent the night, making

short boards over that space with which we had made ourselves acquainted

the preceding day.

On the 30th at day-break, stretched out for Amattafoa, with a gentle breeze

at W.S.W. Day no sooner dawned than we saw canoes coming from all parts.

Their traffic was much the same as it had been the day before, or rather

better; for out of one canoe I got two pigs, which were scarce articles

here. At four in the afternoon, we drew near the island of Amattafoa, and

passed between it and Oghao, the channel being two miles broad, safe, and

without soundings. While we were in the passage, we had little wind and

calms. This gave time for a large sailing double canoe, which had been

following us all the day, as well as some others with paddles, to come up

with us. I had now an opportunity to verify a thing I was before in doubt

about, which was, whether or no some of these canoes did not, in changing

tacks, only shift the sail, and so proceed with that end foremost, which

before was the stern. The one we now saw wrought in this manner. The sail

is latteen, extending to a latteen yard above, and to a boom at the foot;

in one word, it is like a whole mizzen, supposing the whole foot to be

extended to a boom. The yard is slung nearly in the middle, or upon an

equipoise. When they change tacks they throw the vessel up in the wind,

ease off the sheet, and bring the heel or tack-end of the yard to the other

end of the boat, and the sheet in like manner; there are notches, or

sockets, at each end of the vessel in which the end of the yard fixes. In

short, they work just as those do at the Ladrone Islands, according to Mr

Walter's description.[1] When they want to sail large, or before the wind,

the yard is taken out of the socket and squared. It most be observed, that

all their sailing vessels are not rigged to sail in the same manner. Some,

and those of the largest size, are rigged, so as to tack about. These have

a short but pretty stout mast, which steps on a kind of roller that is

fixed to the deck near the fore-part. It is made to lean or incline very

much forward; the head is forked; on the two points of which the yard

rests, as on two pivots, by means of two strong cleats of wood secured to

each side of the yard, at about one-third its length from the tack or heel,

which, when under sail, is confined down between the two canoes, by means

of two strong ropes, one to and passing through a hole at the head of each

canoe; for it must be observed, that all the sailing vessels of this sort

are double. The tack being thus fixed, it is plain that, in changing tacks,

the vessels must be put about; the sail and boom on the one tack will be

clear of the mast, and on the other it will lie against it, just as a whole

mizzen. However, I am not sure if they do not sometimes unlace that part of

the sail from the yard which is between the tack and mast-head, and so

shift both sail and boom leeward of the mast. The drawings which Mr Hodges

made of these vessels seem to favour this supposition. The outriggers and

ropes used for shrowds, &c. are all stout and strong. Indeed, the sail,

yard, and boom, are all together of such an enormous weight, that strength

is required.

The summit of Amattafoa was hid in the clouds the whole day, so that we

were not able to determine with certainty whether there was a volcano or

no; but every thing we could see concurred to make us believe there was.

This island is about five leagues in circuit. Oghao is not so much; but

more round and peaked. They lie in the direction of N.N.W. 1/2 W. from

Anamocka, eleven or twelve leagues distant; they are both inhabited, but

neither of them seemed fertile.

We were hardly through the passage before we got a fresh breeze at south.

That moment all the natives made haste to be gone, and we steered to the

west; all sails set. I had some thoughts of touching at Amsterdam, as it

lay not much out of the way; but as the wind was now, we could not fetch

it; and this was the occasion of my laying my design aside altogether.

Let us now return to Anamocka, as it is called by the natives. It is

situated in the latitude of 20° 15' S.; longitude 174° 31' W., and was

first discovered by Tasman, and by him named Rotterdam. It is of a

triangular form, each side whereof is about three and a half or four miles.

A salt-water lake in the middle of it occupies not a little of its surface,

and in a manner cuts off the S.E. angle. Round the island, that is, from

the N.W. to the S., round by the N. and E., lie scattered a number of small

isles, sand-banks, and breakers. We could see no end to their extent to the

N.; and it is not impossible that they reach as far S. as Amsterdam or

Tongatabu. These, together with Middleburg or Eaoowee, and Pylstart, make a

group, containing about three degrees of latitude and two of longitude,

which I have named the Friendly Isles or Archipelago, as a firm alliance

and friendship seems to subsist among their inhabitants, and their

courteous behaviour to strangers entitles them to that appellation; under

which we might, perhaps, extend their group much farther, even down to

Boscawen and Keppell's Isles discovered by Captain Wallis, and lying nearly

under the same meridian, and in the latitude of 15° 53'; for, from the

little account I have had of the people of these two isles they seem to

have the same sort of friendly disposition we observed in our Archipelago.

The inhabitants, productions, &c. of Rotterdam, and the neighbouring isles,

are the same as at Amsterdam. Hogs and fowls are, indeed, much scarcer; of

the former having got but six, and not many of the latter. Yams and

shaddocks were what we got the most of; other fruits were not so plenty.

Not half of the isle is laid out in inclosed plantations as at Amsterdam;

but the parts which are not inclosed, are not less fertile or uncultivated.

There is, however, far more waste land on this isle, in proportion to its

size, than upon the other; and the people seem to be much poorer; that is,

in cloth, matting, ornaments, &c. which constitute a great part of the

riches of the South-Sea islanders.

The people of this isle seem to be more affected with the leprosy, or some

scrophulous disorder, than any I have seen elsewhere. It breaks out in the

face more than any other part of the body. I have seen several whose faces

were ruined by it, and their noses quite gone. In one of my excursions,

happening to peep into a house where one or more of them were, one man only

appeared at the door, or hole, by which I must have entered, and which he

began to stop up, by drawing several parts of a cord across it. But the

intolerable stench which came from his putrid face was alone sufficient to

keep me out, had the entrance been ever so wide. His nose was quite gone,

and his whole face in one continued ulcer; so that the very sight of him

was shocking. As our people had not all got clear of a certain disease they

had contracted at the Society Isles, I took all possible care to prevent

its being communicated to the natives here; and I have reason to believe my

endeavours succeeded.

Having mentioned a house, it may not be amiss to observe, that some here

differ from those I saw at the other isles: being inclosed or walled on

every side, with reeds neatly put together, but not close. The entrance is

by a square hole, about two feet and a half each way. The form of these

houses is an oblong square; the floor or foundation every way shorter than

the eve, which is about four feet from the ground. By this construction,

the rain that falls on the roof, is carried off from the wall, which

otherwise would decay and rot.

We did not distinguish any king or leading chief, or any person who took

upon him the appearance of supreme authority. The man and woman before

mentioned, whom I believed to be man and wife, interested themselves on

several occasions in our affairs; but it was easy to see they had no great

authority. Amongst other things which I gave them as a reward for their

service, was a young dog and bitch, animals which they have not, but are

very fond of, and know very well by name. They have some of the same sort

of earthen pots we saw at Amsterdam; and I am of opinion they are of their

own manufacture, or that of some neighbouring isle.

The road, as I have already mentioned, is on the north side of the isle,

just to the southward of the southernmost cove; for there are two on this

side. The bank is of some extent, and the bottom free from rocks, with

twenty-five and twenty fathoms water, one or two miles from the shore.

Fire-wood is very convenient to be got at, and easy to be shipped off; but

the water is so brackish that it is not worth the trouble of carrying it on

board; unless one is in great distress for want of that article, and can

get no better. There is, however, better, not only on this isle, but on

others in the neighbourhood; for the people brought us some in cocoa-nut

shells which was as good as need be; but probably the springs are too

trifling to water a ship.

I have already observed, that the S.W. side of the island is covered by a

reef or reefs of rocks, and small isles. If there be a sufficient depth of

water between them and the island, as there appeared to be, and a good

bottom, this would be a much securer place for a ship to anchor in, than

that where we had our station.[2]

[1] See Lord Anson's Voyages.

[2] Mr G.F. has given a few particulars respecting the subjects of

this and the preceding sections, in addition to Captain Cook's

account, but they are not important enough to warrant quotation.--E.

SECTION III.

_The Passage from the Friendly Isles to the New Hebrides, with an Account

of the Discovery of Turtle Island, and a Variety of Incidents which

happened, both before and after the Ship arrived in Port Sandwich, in the

Island of Mallicollo. A Description of the Port, the adjacent Country, its

Inhabitants, and many other Particulars._

On the first of July, at sun-rise, Amattafoa was still in sight, bearing

N.E., distant twenty leagues. Continuing our course to the west, we, the

next day at noon, discovered land bearing N.W. by W., for which we steered;

and, upon a nearer approach, found it to be a small island. At four o'clock

it bore from N.W. half W. to N.W. by N., and, at the same time, breakers

were seen from the masthead, extending from W. to S.W. The day being too

far spent to make farther discoveries, we soon after shortened sail, hauled

the wind, and spent the night, making short boards, which, at day-break, we

found had been so advantageous that we were farther from the island than we

expected, and it was eleven o'clock before we reached the N.W. or lee-side,

where anchorage and landing seemed practicable. In order to obtain a

knowledge of the former, I sent the master with a boat to sound, and, in

the mean time, we stood on and off with the ship. At this time four or five

people were seen on the reef, which lies round the isle, and about three

times that number on the shore. As the boat advanced, those on the reef

retired and joined the others; and when the boat landed they all fled to

the woods. It was not long before the boat returned, when the master

informed me that there were no soundings without the reef, over which, in

one place only, he found a boat channel of six feet water. Entering by it,

he rowed in for the shore, thinking to speak with the people, not more than

twenty in number, who were armed with clubs and spears; but the moment he

set his foot on shore, they retired to the woods. He left on the rocks some

medals, nails, and a knife, which they no doubt found, as some were seen

near the place afterwards. This island is not quite a league in length, in

the direction of N.E. and S.W., and not half that in breadth. It is covered

with wood, and surrounded by a reef of coral rocks, which in some places

extend two miles from the shore. It seems to be too small to contain many

inhabitants; and probably the few whom we saw, may have come from some isle

in the neighbourhood to fish for turtle; as many were seen near this reef,

and occasioned that name to be given to the island, which is situated in

latitude 19° 48' south, longitude 178° 21' west.[1]

Seeing breakers to the S.S.W., which I was desirous of knowing the extent

of before night, I left Turtle Isle, and stood for them. At two o'clock we

found they were occasioned by a coral bank, of about four or five leagues

in circuit. By the bearing we had taken, we knew these to be the same

breakers we had seen the preceding evening. Hardly any part of this bank or

reef is above water at the reflux of the waves. The heads of some of the

rocks are to be seen near the edge of the reef, where it is the shoalest;

for in the middle is deep water. In short, this bank wants only a few

little islets to make it exactly like one of the half-drowned isles so

often mentioned. It lies S.W. from Turtle Island, about five or six miles,

and the channel between it and the reef of that isle is three miles over.

Seeing no more shoals or islands, and thinking there might be turtle on

this bank, two boats were properly equipped and sent thither; but returned

without having seen one.

The boats were now hoisted in, and we made sail to the west, with a brisk

gale at east, which continued till the 9th, when we had for a few hours, a

breeze at N.W., attended with squalls of rain. This was succeeded by a

steady fresh gale at S.E., with which we steered N.W., being at this time

in the latitude of 20° 20' S. longitude 176° 8' E.

On the 15th at noon, being in the latitude of 15° 9' south, longitude 171°

16' east, I steered west. The next day the weather was foggy, and the wind

blew in heavy squalls, attended with rain, which in this ocean, within the

tropics, generally indicates the vicinity of some high land. This was

verified at three in the afternoon, when high land was seen bearing S.W.

Upon this we took in the small sails, reefed the top-sails, and hauling up

for it, at half-past five we could see it extend from S.S.W. to N.N.W. half

W. Soon after we tacked and spent the night, which was very stormy, in

plying. Our boards were disadvantageous; for, in the morning, we found we

had lost ground. This, indeed, was no wonder, for having an old suit of

sails bent, the most of them were split to pieces; particularly a fore-top-

sail, which was rendered quite useless. We got others to the yards, and

continued to ply, being desirous of getting round the south ends of the

lands, or at least so far to the south as to be able to judge of their

extent in that direction. For no one doubted that this was the Australia

del Espiritu Santo of Quiros, which M. de Bougainville calls the Great

Cyclades, and that the coast we were now upon was the east side of Aurora

Island, whose longitude is 168° 30' E.

The gale kept increasing till we were reduced to our low sails; so that, on

the 18th, at seven in the morning, I gave over plying, set the top-sails

double-reefed, bore up for, and hauled round the north end of Aurora

Island, and then stretched over for the Isle of Lepers, under close-reefed

topsails and courses, with a very hard gale at N.E.; but we had now the

advantage of a smooth sea, having the Isle of Aurora to windward. At noon

the north end of it bore N.E. 1/2 N., distant four leagues; our latitude,

found by double altitudes, and reduced to this time, was 15° 1' 30" south,

longitude 168° 14' east. At two o'clock p.m. we drew near the middle of the

Isle of Lepers, and tacked about two miles from land; in which situation we

had no soundings with a line of seventy fathoms. We now saw people on the

shore, and many beautiful cascades of water pouring down the neighbouring

hills. The next time we stood for this isle, we came to within half a mile

of it, where we found thirty fathoms a sandy bottom; but a mile off we

found no soundings at seventy fathoms. Here two canoes came off to us, in

one of which were three men, and in the other but one. Though we made all

the signs of friendship, we could not bring them nearer than a stone's

throw; and they made but a short stay before they retired ashore, where we

saw a great number of people assembled in parties, and armed with bows and

arrows. They were of a very dark colour; and, excepting some ornaments at

their breast and arms, seemed to be entirely naked.

As I intended to get to the south, in order to explore the land which might

lie there, we continued to ply between the Isle of Lepers and Aurora; and

on the 19th, at noon, the south end of the last-mentioned isle bore south

24° east, and the north end north, distant twenty miles. Latitude observed

15° 11'. The wind continued to blow strong at S.E., so that what we got by

plying in the day, we lost in the night. On the 20th, at sun-rise, we found

ourselves off the south end of Aurora, on the N.W. side of which, the coast

forms a small bay. In this we made some trips to try for anchorage; but

found no less than eighty fathoms water, the bottom a fine dark sand, at

half a mile from shore. Nevertheless, I am of opinion that, nearer, there

is much less depth, and secure riding; and in the neighbourhood is plenty

of fresh water and wood for fuel. The whole isle, from the sea-shore to the

summits of the hills, seemed to be covered with the latter; and every

valley produced a fine stream of the former.[2] We saw people on the shore,

and some canoes on the coast, but none came off to us. Leaving the bay just

mentioned, we stretched across the channel which divides Aurora from

Whitsuntide Island. At noon we were abreast the north end of this latter,

which bore E.N.E., and observed in 15° 28' 1/2. The isle of Aurora bore

from N. to N.E. 1/2 east, and the Isle of Lepers from N. by W. 1/2 W. to

west. Whitsuntide Isle appeared joined to the land to the S. and S.W. of

it; but in stretching to S.W. we discovered the separation. This was about

four o'clock p.m., and then we tacked and stretched in for the island till

near sun-set, when the wind veering more to the east, made it necessary to

resume our course to the south. We saw people on the shore, smokes in many

parts of the island, and several places which seemed to be cultivated.

About midnight, drawing near the south land, we tacked and stretched to the

north, in order to spend the remainder of the night.

At day-break on the 21st, we found ourselves before the channel that

divides Whitsuntide Island from the south land, which is about two leagues

over. At this time, the land to the southward extended from S. by E. round

to the west, farther than the eye could reach, and on the part nearest to

us, which is of considerable height, we observed two very large columns of

smoke, which, I judged, ascended from volcanoes. We now stood S.S.W., with

a fine breeze at S.E.; and, at ten o'clock, discovered this part of the

land to be an island, which is called by the natives Ambrym. Soon after an

elevated land appeared open off the south end of Ambrym; and after that,

another still higher, on which is a high peaked hill. We judged these lands

to belong to two separate islands. The first came in sight at S.E.; the

second at E. by S., and they appeared to be ten leagues distant. Holding on

our course for the land ahead, at noon it was five miles distant from us,

extending from S.S.E. to N.W. by W., and appeared to be continued. The

islands to the east bore from N.E. by E. to S.E. by E., latitude observed

16° 17' south. As we drew nearer the shore we discovered a creek, which had

the appearance of being a good harbour, formed by a low point or peninsula,

projecting out to the north. On this a number of people were assembled, who

seemed to invite us ashore; probably with no good intent, as the most of

them were armed with bows and arrows. In order to gain room and time to

hoist out and arm our boats, to reconnoitre this place, we tacked and made

a trip off, which occasioned the discovery of another port about a league

more to the south. Having sent two armed boats to sound and look for

anchorage, on their making the signal for the latter, we sailed in S.S.W.,

and anchored in eleven fathoms water, not two cables' length from the S.E.

shore, and a mile within the entrance.

We had no sooner anchored than several of the natives came off in canoes.

They were very cautious at first; but, at last, trusted themselves

alongside, and exchanged, for pieces of cloth, arrows; some of which were

pointed with bone, and dipped in some green gummy substance, which we

naturally supposed was poisonous. Two men having ventured on board, after a

short stay, I sent them away with presents. Others, probably induced by

this, came off by moon-light; but I gave orders to permit none to come

alongside, by which means we got clear of them for the night.

Next morning early, a good many came round us, some in canoes, and others

swimming. I soon prevailed on one to come on board, which be no sooner did,

than he was followed by more than I desired; so that not only our deck, but

rigging, was presently filled with them. I took four into the cabin, and

gave them various articles, which they shewed to those in the canoes, and

seemed much pleased with their reception. While I was thus making friends

with those in the cabin, an accident happened that threw all into

confusion, but in the end, I believe, proved advantageous to us. A fellow

in a canoe having been refused admittance into one of our boats that lay

alongside, bent his bow to shoot a poisoned arrow at the boat-keeper. Some

of his countrymen prevented his doing it that instant, and gave time to

acquaint me with it. I ran instantly on deck, and saw another man

struggling with him; one of those who had been in the cabin, and had leaped

out of the window for this purpose. The other seemed resolved, shook him

off, and directed his bow again to the boat-keeper; but, on my calling to

him, pointed it at me. Having a musquet in my hand loaded with small shot,

I gave him the contents. This staggered him for a moment, but did not

prevent him from holding his bow still in the attitude of shooting. Another

discharge of the same nature made him drop it, and the others, who were in

the canoe, to paddle off with all speed. At this time, some began to shoot

arrows on the other side. A musquet discharged in the air had no effect;

but a four-pound shot over their heads sent them off in the utmost

confusion. Many quitted their canoes and swam on shore; those in the great

cabin leaped out of the windows; and those who were on the deck, and on

different parts of the rigging, all leaped overboard. After this we took no

farther notice of them, but suffered them to come off and pick up their

canoes; and some of them even ventured alongside of the ship. Immediately

after the great gun was fired, we heard the beating of drums on shore;

which was, probably, the signal for the country to assemble in arms. We now

got every thing in readiness to land, to cut some wood, which we were in

want of, and to try to get some refreshments, nothing of this kind having

been seen in any of the canoes.

About nine o'clock, we put off in two boats, and landed in the face of four

or five hundred people, who were assembled on the shore. Though they were

all armed with bows and arrows, clubs and spears, they made not the least

opposition. On the contrary, seeing me advance alone, with nothing but a

green branch in my hand, one of them, who seemed to be a chief, giving his

bow and arrows to another, met me in the water, bearing also a green

branch, which having exchanged for the one I held, he then took me by the

hand, and led me up to the crowd. I immediately distributed presents to

them, and, in the mean time, the marines were drawn up upon the beach. I

then made signs (for we understood not a word of their language) that we

wanted wood; and they made signs to us to cut down the trees. By this time,

a small pig being brought down and presented to me, I gave the bearer a

piece of cloth, with which he seemed well pleased. This made us hope that

we should soon have some more; but we were mistaken. The pig was not

brought to be exchanged for what we had, but on some other account,

probably as a peace-offering. For, all we could say or do, did not prevail

on them to bring down, after this, above half a dozen cocoa-nuts, and a

small quantity of fresh water. They set no value on nails, or any sort of

iron tools; nor indeed on any thing we had. They would, now and then,

exchange an arrow for a piece of cloth; but very seldom would part with a

bow. They were unwilling we should go off the beach, and very desirous we

should return on board. At length, about noon, after sending what wood we

had cut on board, we embarked ourselves; and they all retired, some one way

and some another. Before we had dined, the afternoon was too far spent to

do any thing on shore; and all hands were employed, setting up the rigging,

and repairing some defects in it. But seeing a man bring along the strand a

buoy, which they had taken in the night from the kedge-anchor, I went on

shore for it, accompanied by some of the gentlemen. The moment we landed,

it was put into the boat, by a man who walked off again without speaking

one word. It ought to be observed, that this was the only thing they took,

or even attempted to take from us, by any means whatever. Being landed near

one of their plantations and houses, which were just within the skirts of

the wood, I prevailed on the man to conduct me to them; but, though they

suffered Mr Forster to go with me, they were unwilling any more should

follow. These houses were something like those of the other isles; rather

low, and covered with palm thatch. Some were enclosed, or walled round with

boards; and the entrance to those was by a square hole at one end, which at

this time was shut up, and they were unwilling to open it for us to look

in. There were here about six houses, and some small plantations of roots,

&c., fenced round with reeds as at the Friendly Isles. There were,

likewise, some bread-fruit, cocoa-nut, and plaintain trees; but very little

fruit on any of them. A good many fine yams were piled up upon sticks, or a

kind of raised platform; and about twenty pigs, and a few fowls, were

running about loose. After making these observations, having embarked, we

proceeded to the S.E. point of the harbour, where we again landed and

walked along the bench till we could see the islands to the S.E. already

mentioned. The names of these we now obtained, as well as the name of that

on which we were. This they called Mallicollo;[3] the island that first

appeared over the south end of Ambrym is called Apee; and the other with

the hill upon it Paoom. We found on the beach a fruit like an orange,

called by them Abbimora; but whether it be fit for eating, I cannot say, as

this was decayed.

Proceeding next to the other side of the harbour, we there landed, near a

few houses, at the invitation of some people who came down to the shore;

but we had not been there five minutes before they wanted us to be gone. We

complied, and proceeded up the harbour in order to sound it, and look for

fresh water, of which, as yet, we had seen none, but the very little that

the natives brought, which we knew not where they got. Nor was our search

now attended with success; but this is no proof that there is not any. The

day was too far spent to examine the place well enough to determine this

point. Night having brought us on board, I was informed that no soul had

been off to the ship; so soon was the curiosity of these people satisfied.

As we were coming on board, we heard the sound of a drum, and, I think, of

some other instruments, and saw people dancing; but us soon as they heard

the noise of the oars, or saw us, all was silent.

Being unwilling to lose the benefit of the moon-light nights, which now

happened, at seven a.m. on the 23d, we weighed; and, with a light air of

wind, and the assistance of our boats, proceeded out of the harbour, the

south end of which, at noon, bore W.S.W., distant about two miles.

When the natives saw us under sail, they came off in canoes, making

exchanges with more confidence than before, and giving such extraordinary

proofs of their honesty as surprised us. As the ship, at first, had fresh

way through the water, several of them dropped astern after they had

received our goods, and before they had time to deliver theirs in return.

Instead of taking advantage of this, as our friends at the Society Isles

would have done, they used their utmost efforts to get up with us, and to

deliver what they had already been paid for. One man, in particular,

followed us a considerable time, and did not reach us till it was calm, and

the thing was forgotten. As soon as he came alongside he held up the thing

which several were ready to buy; but he refused to part with it, till he

saw the person to whom he had before sold it, and to him he gave it. The

person, not knowing him again, offered him something in return, which he

refused, and shewed him what he had given him before. Pieces of cloth, and

marble paper, were in most esteem with them; but edge-tools, nails, and

beads, they seemed to disregard. The greatest number of canoes we had

alongside at once did not exceed eight, and not more than four or five

people in each, who would frequently retire to the shore all on a sudden,

before they had disposed of half their things, and then others would come

off.

At the time we came out of the harbour, it was about low water, and great

numbers of people were then on the shoals or reefs which lie along the

shore, looking, as we supposed., for shell and other fish. Thus our being

on their coast, and in one of their ports, did not hinder them from

following the necessary employments. By this time they might be satisfied

we meant them no harm; so that, had we made a longer stay, we might soon

have been upon good terms with this ape-like nation. For, in general, they

are the most ugly, ill-proportioned people I ever saw, and in every respect

different from any we had met with in this sea. They are a very dark-

coloured and rather diminutive race; with long heads, flat faces, and

monkey countenances. Their hair mostly black or brown, is short and curly;

but not quite so soft and woolly as that of a negroe. Their beards are very

strong, crisp, and bushy, and generally black and short. But what most adds

to their deformity, is a belt or cord which they wear round the waist, and

tie so tight over the belly, that the shape of their bodies is not unlike

that of an overgrown pismire. The men go quite naked, except a piece of

cloth or leaf used as a wrapper.[4]

We saw but few women, and they were not less ugly than the men; their

heads, faces, and shoulders, are painted red; they wear a kind of

petticoat; and some of them had something over their shoulders like a bag,

in which they carry their children. None of them came off to the ship, and

they generally kept at a distance when we were on shore. Their ornaments

are ear-rings, made of tortoise-shell and bracelets. A curious one of the

latter, four or five inches broad, wrought with thread or cord, and studded

with shells, is worn by them just above the elbow. Round the right wrist

they wear hogs' tusks, bent circular, and rings made of shells; and round

their left, a round piece of wood, which we judged was to ward off the bow-

string. The bridge of the nose is pierced, in which they wear a piece of

white stone, about an inch and a half long. As signs of friendship they

present a green branch, and sprinkle water with the hand over the head.

Their weapons are clubs, spears, and bows and arrows. The two former are

made of hard or iron-wood. Their bows are about four feet long, made of a

stick split down the middle, and are not circular. The arrows, which are a

sort of reeds, are sometimes armed with a long and sharp point, made of the

hard wood, and sometimes with a very hard point made of bone; and these

points are all covered with a substance which we took for poison. Indeed

the people themselves confirmed our suspicions, by making signs to us not

to touch the point, and giving us to understand that if we were prickled by

them we should die. They are very careful of them themselves, and keep

them, always wrapped up in a quiver. Some of these arrows are formed with

two or three points, each with small prickles on the edges, to prevent the

arrow being drawn out of the wound.

The people of Mallicollo seemed to be a quite different nation from any we

had yet met with, and speak a different language. Of about eighty words,

which Mr Forster collected, hardly one bears any affinity to the language

spoken at any other island or place I had ever been at. The letter R is

used in many of their words; and frequently two or three being joined

together, such words we found difficult to pronounce. I observed that they

could pronounce most of our words with great ease. They express their

admiration by hissing like a goose.

To judge of the country by the little water we saw of it, it must be

fertile; but I believe their fruits are not so good as those of the Society

or Friendly Isles. Their cocoa-nut trees, I am certain, are not; and their

bread-fruit and plantains did not seem much better. But their yams appeared

to be very good. We saw no other animals than those I have already

mentioned. They have not so much as a name for a dog, and consequently have

none, for which reason we left them a dog and a bitch; and there is no

doubt they will be taken care of, as they were very fond of them.[5]

After we had got to sea, we tried what effect one of the poisoned arrows

would have on a dog. Indeed we had tried it in the harbour the very first

night, but we thought the operation was too slight, as it had no effect.

The surgeon now made a deep incision in the dog's thigh, into which he laid

a large portion of the poison, just as it was scraped from the arrows, and

then bound up the wound with a bandage. For several days after we thought

the dog was not so well as it had been before, but whether this was really

so, or only suggested by imagination, I know not. He was afterwards as if

nothing had been done to him, and lived to be brought home to England.

However, I have no doubt of this stuff being of a poisonous quality, as it

could answer no other purpose. The people seemed not unacquainted with the

nature of poison, for when they brought us water on shore, they first

tasted it, and then gave us to understand we might with safety drink it.

This harbour, which is situated on the N.E. side of Mallicollo, not far

from the S.E. end, in latitude 16° 25' 20" S., longitude 167° 57' 23" E., I

named Port Sandwich. It lies in S.W. by S. about one league, and is one-

third of a league broad. A reef of rocks extends out a little way from each

point, but the channel is of a good breadth, and hath in it from forty to

twenty-four fathoms water. In the port, the depth of water is from twenty

to four fathoms; and it is so sheltered that no winds can disturb a ship at

anchor there. Another great advantage is, you can lie so near the shore, as

to cover your people, who may be at work upon it.

[1] Some large single rocks of coral, we are told by Mr G.F., near

fifteen feet above the surface of the water, narrow at the base, and

spreading out at the top, were observed, on standing along the reef of

this island. That gentleman, however, does not venture to assign any

cause for so curious a fact--E.

[2] "On approaching the Isle of Aurora, we observed a fine beach, and

the most luxuriant vegetation that can be conceived. The whole country

was woody; numberless climbers ran up the highest trees, and, forming

garlands and festoons between them, embellished the scene. A neat

plantation fenced with reeds, stood on the slope of the bill; and a

beautiful cascade poured down through the adjacent forest."--G.F.

[3] Or Mallicolla. Some of our people pronounced it Manicolo or

Manicola, and thus it is also writ in Quiros' Memorial, as printed by

Dalrymple, vol. ii. p. 146.

[4] The particular manner of applying the wrapper may be seen in

Wafer's voyage, who mentions this singular custom as existing, though

with some little variation, amongst the Indians of the Isthmus of

Darien. See Wafer's Voyage, p. 140.

Mr G.F. tells us that these people increased their disagreeable

appearance, by painting their faces and breasts with a black colour. A

few of them, he says, had a small cap on the head, made of matted

work. This gentleman speaks highly of the extensive faculties and

quick apprehension of these people, low enough as they must be ranked

in the scale of personal beauty; he admits, however, that their skill

in the arts is inconsiderable, and their civilization very

imperfect.--E.

[5] "The productions of Mallicollo are less remarkable and striking at

first sight than the race of its inhabitants. To judge of their

numbers from the crowd we saw at Port Sandwich, I should conclude,

that they are far from inconsiderable; but considering the great size

of the island, I cannot suppose it to be very populous. Fifty thousand

is, I think, the greatest number we can admit, and these are not

confined to the skirts of the hills, as at Otaheite, but dispersed

over the whole extent of more than six hundred square miles. We ought

to figure their country to ourselves as one extensive forest: They

have only begun to clear and plant a few insulated spots, which are

lost in it, like small islands in the vast Pacific Ocean. Perhaps if

we could ever penetrate through the darkness which involves the

history of this nation, we might find that they have arrived in the

South Sea much later than the natives of the Friendly and Society

Isles. So much at least is certain, that they appear to be of a race

totally distinct from these. Their form, their language, and their

manners, strongly and completely mark the difference. The natives on

some parts of New Guinea and Papua, seem to correspond in many

particulars with what we have observed among the Mallicollese. The

black colour and woolly hair in particular are characteristics common

to both nations. The slender form of the Mallicolese is a character,

as far as I know, peculiar to them and the New Zealanders; but that

nation hath nothing in common with them in all other respects. The

features of these people, though remarkably irregular and ugly, yet

are full of great sprightliness, and express a quick comprehension.

Their lips, and the lower part of their face, are entirely different

from those of African negroes; but the upper part, especially the

nose, is of very similar conformation, and the substance of the hair

is the same. The climate of Mallicollo, and the adjacent islands, is

very warm, but perhaps not at all times so temperate as at Otaheite,

because the extent of land is vastly greater. However, during our

short stay, we experienced no unusual degree of heat, the thermometer

being at 76° and 78°, which is very moderate in the torrid zone."--

G.F.

SECTION IV.

_An Account of the Discovery of several Islands, and an Interview and

Skirmish with the Inhabitants upon one of them. The Arrival of the Ship at

Tanna, and the Reception we met with there._

Soon after we got to sea, we had a breeze at E.S.E. with which we stood

over for Ambrym till three o'clock in the afternoon, when the wind veering

to the E.N.E. we tacked and stretched to the S.E. and weathered the S.E.

end of Mallicolo, off which we discovered three or four small islands, that

before appeared to be connected. At sun-set the point bore S. 77° W.,

distant three leagues, from which the coast seemed to trend away west. At

this time, the isle of Ambrym extended from N. 3° E. to N. 65° E. The isle

of Paoon from N. 76° E. to S. 88° E.; and the isle of Apee from S. 83° E.

to S. 43° E. We stood for this last isle, which we reached by midnight, and

then brought-to till day-break on the 24th, when we made sail to the S.E.,

with a view of plying up to the eastward on the south side of Apee. At sun-

rise we discovered several more islands, extending from the S.E. point of

Apee to the south as far as S.E. by S. The nearest to us we reached by ten

o'clock, and not being able to weather it, we tacked a mile from its shore

in fourteen fathoms water. This island is about four leagues in circuit, is

remarkable by having three high peaked hills upon it, by which it has

obtained that name. In the p.m. the wind veering more to the north, we

resumed our course to the east; and having weathered Threehills, stood for

the group of small isles which lie off the S.E. point of Apee. These I

called Shepherd's Isles, in honour of my worthy friend Dr Shepherd, Plumian

professor of astronomy at Cambridge. Having a fine breeze, I had thoughts

of going through between them; but the channels being narrow, and seeing

broken water in the one we were steering for, I gave up the design, and

bore up, in order to go without, or to the south of them. Before this could

be accomplished, it fell calm, and we were left to the mercy of the

current, close to the isles, where we could find no soundings with a line

of an hundred and eighty fathoms. We had now land or islands in every

direction, and were not able to count the number which lay round us. The

mountain on Paoon was seen over the east end of Apee, bearing N.N.W. at

eight o'clock. A breeze at S.E. relieved us from the anxiety the calm had

occasioned; and we spent the night in making short boards.

The night before we came out of Port Sandwich, two reddish fish, about the

size of large bream, and not unlike them, were caught with hook and line.

On these fish most of the officers, and some of the petty officers, dined

the next day. The night following, every one who had eaten of them was

seized with violent pains in the head and bones, attended with a scorching

heat all over the skin, and numbness in the joints. There remained no doubt

that this was occasioned by the fish being of a poisonous nature, and

having communicated its bad effects to all who partook of them, even to the

hogs and dogs. One of the former died about sixteen hours after; it was not

long before one of the latter shared the same fate; and it was a week or

ten days before all the gentlemen recovered. These must have been the same

sort of fish mentioned by Quiros,[1] under the name of pargos, which

poisoned the crews of his ships, so that it was some time before they

recovered; and we should, doubtless, have been in the same situation, had

more of them been eaten.

At day break on the 25th, we made a short stretch to the east of Shepherd's

Isles till after sun-rise, when seeing no more land in that direction, we

tacked and stood for the island we had seen in the south, having a gentle

breeze at S.E. We passed to the east of Threehills, and likewise of a low

isle, which lies on the S.E. side of it, between a remarkable peaked rock

which obtained the name of Monument, and a small island named Twohills, on

account of two peaked hills upon it, disjoined by a low and narrow isthmus.

The channel between this island and the Monument is near a mile broad, and

twenty-four fathoms deep. Except this rock, which is only accessible to

birds, we did not find an island on which people were not seen. At noon, we

observed, in latitude 17° 18' 30"; longitude, made from Port Sandwich, 45'

E. In this situation, the Monument bore N. 16° E. distant two miles;

Twohills bore N. 25° W. distant two miles, and in a line with the S.W. part

of Threehills; and the islands to the south extended from S. 16° 30' E. to

S. 42° W.

Continuing our course to the south, at five p.m. we drew near the southern

lands, which we found to consist of one large island, whose southern and

western extremities extended beyond our sight, and three or four smaller

ones lying off its north side. The two northernmost are much the largest,

have a good height, and lie in the direction of E. by S. and W. by N. from

each other, distant two leagues; I named the one Montagu and the other

Hinchinbrook, and the large island Sandwich, in honour of my noble patron

the Earl of Sandwich. Seeing broken water ahead, between Montagu and

Hinchinbrook isles, we tacked; and soon after it fell calm. The calm

continued till seven o'-clock the next morning, when it was succeeded by a

breeze from the westward. During the calm, having been carried by the

currents and a S.E. swell, four leagues to the W.N.W., we passed

Hinchinbrook Isle, saw the western extremity of Sandwich Island, bearing

S.S.W., about five leagues distant, and at the same time discovered a small

island to the west of this direction. After getting the westerly breeze, I

steered S.E. in order to pass between Montagu Isle and the north end of

Sandwich Island. At noon we were in the middle of the channel, and observed

in latitude 17° 31' S. The distance from one island to the other is about

four or five miles; but the channel is not much above half that breadth,

being contracted by breakers. We had no soundings in it with a line of

forty fathoms.

As we passed Montagu Isle several people came down to the sea-side, and, by

signs, seemed to invite us ashore. Some were also seen on Sandwich Island,

which exhibited a most delightful prospect, being spotted with woods and

lawns, agreeably diversified over the whole surface. It hath a gentle slope

from the hills, which are of a moderate height, down to the sea coast. This

is low, and guarded by a chain of breakers, so that there is no approaching

it at this part. But more to the west, beyond Hinchinbrook Island, there

seemed to run in a bay sheltered from the reigning winds. The examining it

not being so much an object, with me as the getting to the south, in order

to find the southern extremity of the Archipelago, with this view I steered

S.S.E., being the direction of the coast of Sandwich Island. We had but

just got through the passage, before the west wind left us to variable

light airs and calms; so that we were apprehensive of being carried back

again by the currents, or rather of being obliged to return, in order to

avoid being driven on the shoals, as there was no anchorage, a line of an

hundred and sixty fathoms not reaching to the bottom. At length a breeze

springing up at S.W. we stood to S.E., and at sun-set the Monument bore N.

14° 30' W., and Montagu Island N. 28° W. distant three leagues. We judged

we saw the S.E. extremity of Sandwich Island, bearing about S. by E.

We continued to stand S.E. till four a.m. on the 27th, when we tacked to

the west. At sun-rise, having discovered a new land bearing south, and

making in three hills, this occasioned us to tack and stand towards it. At

this time Montagu Isle bore N. 52° W., distant thirteen leagues; at noon it

was nearly in the same direction, and the new land extended from S. 1/2 E.

to S. by W., and the three hills seemed to be connected. Our latitude by

observation, was 18° 1' S., and the longitude, made from Port Sandwich, 1°

23' E. We continued to stand to the S.E., with a gentle breeze at S.W. and

S.S.W. till the 28th at sun-rise, when, the wind veering to the south, we

tacked and stood to the west. The three hills mentioned above, we now saw,

belonging to one island, which extended from S. 35° to 71° W. distant about

ten or twelve leagues.[2]

Retarded by contrary winds, calms, and the currents, that set to N.W., we

were three days in gaining this space; in which time we discovered an

elevated land to the south of this; It first appeared in detached hummocks,

but we judged it to be connected. At length, on the 1st of August, about

ten a.m. we got a fine breeze at E.S.E., which soon after veered to N.E.,

and we steered for the N.W. side of the island. Reaching it about two p.m.,

we ranged the west coast at one mile from shore, on which the inhabitants

appeared in several parts, and by signs invited us to land. We continued to

sound without finding bottom, till we came before a small bay, or bending

of the coast, where, near a mile from shore, we found thirty and twenty-two

fathoms water, a sandy bottom. I had thoughts of anchoring here, but the

wind almost instantly veered to N.W.; which being nearly on shore, I laid

this design aside. Besides, I was unwilling to lose the opportunity that

now offered of getting to the south-east, in order first to explore the

lands which lay there. I therefore continued to range the coast to the

south, at about the same distance from shore; but we soon got out of

soundings. About a league to the south of this bay, which hath about two

miles extent, is another more extensive. Towards the evening, the breeze

began to abate, so that it was sun-set before we got the length of it. I

intended not to stop here, and to stand to the south under an easy sail all

night; but at eight o'clock, as we were steering S.S.E. we saw a light

ahead. Not knowing but it might be on some low detached isle, dangerous to

approach while dark, we hauled the wind, and spent the night standing off

and on, or rather driving to and fro; for we had but very little wind.