Publicly accessible
URL: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/collections.html
Copyright 2009, by Victoria University of Wellington
All unambiguous end-of-line hyphens have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
This text originally contained long s and st ligatures which have not been captured in the encoding of the text
Some keywords in the header are a local Electronic Text Centre scheme to aid in establishing analytical groupings.
© Caliban Books 1984
This edition first published 1984
by Caliban Books
25 Nassington Road,
Hampstead, London, N.W.3
Isbn 0 904573 51 6
Parkinson, Sydney, 1745?-1771.
Journal of a voyage to the South Seas in Hms Endeavour.
Reprint. Originally published:
1.
G420.C65P32 1984 910'.45 83-62658Isbn 0-904573-51-6
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior
permission of the copyright owner.
Printed and bound in
A. Wheaton & Co. Ltd.,
The Endeavour:
Faithfully Transcribed
From the Papers of the late Sydney Parkinson,
Draughtsman to Sir Joseph Banks Bart. in his Expedition with
And Embellished
With Twenty-nine Views and Designs, engraved by Capital Artists.
To Which Is Now Added,Remarks on the Preface,
By the late John Fothergill, M.D.F.R.S. &c.
London:
M DCC LXXXIV.
The following Journal of the circumnavigation undertaken in 1768, and completed in 1771, has met with publick approbation. Sydney Parkinson, the author, was draughtsman to Journal, as, perhaps, no plates hitherto published have conveyed a more faithful representation of the originals from whence the drawings were painted. This young artist was a person of unblemished character, and strict veracity; and his Journal may, therefore, be considered as consonant to truth in every relation.
Both before and since the period of the voyage here described, the Journals of other circumnavigators have been published; which, together, form such an ample history of a part of the southern hemisphere, hitherto but little known, that I deemed an abridgment of them would prove a useful appendage to Sydney Parkinson's original work: I employed, therefore, a writer of literary reputation to execute this summary, which is now offered to the publick. To every paragraph are annexed marginal references to the original Journals; which, while they form an accurate epitome of the several voyages, enable the reader to refer to them with the greatest facility and exactness.
The Preface to Sydney Parkinson's Journal was drawn up after his death, at the request of his brother, Stanfield Parkinson, the original editor, by the late Preface, as well as added Remarks upon it, in justification of his conduct.
As controversial performances, I did not think them of sufficient importance to insert them in my edition of Preface, no longer subsisted. The brother of Sydney Parkinson is dead: in his last illness
Since the Doctor's decease, the whole has been conveyed into my possession; and, besides the additions already enumerated, which may be had separately, I have prefixed a geographical chart of the tracts of the late circumnavigators, in order to render the work as complete as possible for those who may not have purchased the original, or who wish to possess an elegant collection of
Comprehending the occurrences that happened from the ship's departure from England to its arrival in the South-Seas; particularly
Comprehending the occurrences met with from leaving Yoolee-Etea to the time of the ship's departure from the coast of New-Zealand.
Comprehending the incidents that happened from the time of the ship's leaving New-Zealand, to its arrival at and departure from
Unqualified to address the public, as a writer, I should have contented myself with giving the following journal to the world, without the formality of preface, had not the circumstances, which have delayed, and the arts that have been practised to suppress, its publication, made some explanation on this head particularly necessary.
The unmerited aspersions which have been cast on me, for asserting a right to pay this tribute to the memory of a deceased brother, and to possess a bequeathed, analienated, pittance of his little fortune, earned at the hazard, and purchased, as I may say, at the expence, of his life, render it indeed incumbent on me to defend a reputation, as injuriously attacked as such dear-bought property has been unjustifiably invaded.
It is yet with regret I find myself reduced to this necessity; as the persons, of whom I complain, are men, from whose superior talents and situation in life better things might be expected; however they have, in this instance, been misemployed in striving to baffle a plain, unlettered, man; who, though he thinks it is his duty to be resigned under the dispensations of providence, thinks it also equally his duty to seek every lawful redress from the oppressive acts of vain and rapacious men.
Sydney Parkinson, from whose papers and drawings the journal, now presented to the public, has been faithfully transcribed and delineated, was the younger son
His recommendation being so effectually confirmed by these proofs of ingenuity and industry, Joseph Banks made him the proposal of going in the capacity of botanical draughtsman, on the then intended voyage to the South-seas. An insatiable curiosity for such researches prevailed over every consideration of danger, that reasonably suggested itself, as the necessary attendant of so long, so perilous, and, to my poor brother, so fatal a voyage! He accordingly accepted Joseph Banks's offer; though by no means an alluring one, if either views of profit, or perhaps even prudence, had influenced his determination. His appointment, for executing such drawings of singular botanical subjects and curious objects of natural history as might occasionally be met with on the voyage, was settled at eighty pounds per annum. In this capacity, and under this moderate encouragement, Sydney Parkinson undertook to accompany
The occurrences and events that attended the expedition are minutely related in the following sheets: the contents of which, though destitute of the embellishments of stile and diction, may serve to shew with what assiduity the curious journalist pursued his observations, and what accuracy he aimed at, not only in the particular walk of his profession of natural history, but also in describing the persons, languages, customs, and manners of the natives of the several islands and continents they visited.
And here let me be indulged in the Spontaneous effusions of a heart still affected with the loss of a loving and a beloved brother, while I declare how I have heard many of the surviving companions of this amiable young man dwell with pleasure on the relation of his singular simplicity of conduct, his sincere regard for truth, his ardent thirst after knowledge, his indefatigable industry to obtain it, and his generous disposition in freely communicating, with the most friendly participation, to others, that information which perhaps none but himself could have obtained. That this is more than probable will appear, on comparing the different manner in which Sydney and his associates passed their time, in the most interesting situations. While many others, for want of a more innocent curiosity or amusement, were indulging themselves in those sensual gratifications, which are so easily obtained among the female part of uncivilized nations, we find him gratifying no other passion than that of a laudable curiosity; which enabled him inoffensively to employ his time, and escape those snares into which the vicious appetites of some others betrayed them. It doth equal honour to his ingenuousness and ingenuity, to find him protected by his own innocence, securely exercising his pleasing art amidst a savage, ignorant, and hostile, people; engaging their attention by the powers of his pencil, disarming them of their native serocity, and rendering them even serviceable to the great end of the voyage, in chearfully furnishing him with the choicest productions of the soil and climate, which neither force nor stratagem might otherwise have procured.
By such honest arts and mild demeanor he soon acquired the confidence of the inhabitants of most places, at which the voyagers went on shore; obtaining thus,
These paved the way also to his success in acquiring a choice and rare collection of curiosities, consisting of garments, domestic utensils, rural implements, instruments of war, uncommon shells, and other natural curiosities, of considerable value: of so much value, indeed., as even to reduce mea of reputed sense, fortune, and character, to attempt, by means unworthy of themselves, to deprive me of what, after the loss sustained in the death of so deserving a brother, one would think none ought to envy me the gain.
It has happened otherwise; and I am now to enter on the disagreeable task of submitting to the public, before whom I have been traduced, a relation of the manner in which the greater part of his effects hath been hitherto detained from me, and the use of those I got denied me, through my implicit confidence in false friends, and the specious arts of covetous and designing strangers.
On the arrival of Joseph Banks in I am, however, since informed, that, it is usual; in such cases, for the captain of the ship to take possession of the effects of the deceased; causing at the same time a regular inventory to. be taken of them before two competent witnesses.
Being soon after informed; that Joseph Banks had told
Several weeks having elapsed without hearing any thing of my legacy, I waited on Joseph Banks, and, as I thought in the civilest terms, desired him to account with me on this head. He was, or affected to be, extremely angry with me, however; saying his own affairs were not yet settled, and, till they were, he could not settle mine. I answered, that I did not insist on a final adjustment immediately, but thought it necessary to make some enquiry about the matter, left there might be some perishable commodities among my brother's effects, which would suffer by being kept so long in the package, and therefore required to be inspected. On this he flew, in a rage, to a bureau, that stood in a room adjoining, and began to uncord it with great violence, and in much apparent confusion. On my remonstrating that what he was doing was at present needless, he desisted, and, calling his servant, gave him a written inventory; telling him at the same time to deliver me the things therein mentioned; contained in a bureau, a large Chinese chest, a trunk with two locks, a Dutch box, and some other smaller chests, jars, and boxes.
They were accordingly delivered me the next day, unlocked and without keys, although the inventory implied that all the locks had keys to them excepting that of a tea-chest. On examining into the contents of the several packages also, I found the things did not agree with the inventory Particularly some linen was found not inventoried, and two New-Zealand arrows were missing. The large chest, instead of being full of curiosities, as mentioned in the inventory, was not a third part full, and most of the things that were in it were damaged or perished. The upper part of the bureau, said to contain curiosities and sundries, contained nothing but a stuffed bird, a few manuscripts and sketches of no great moment, and a parcel of written music; which latter could hardly belong to my brother, who knew nothing of a science, of which his religious profession prohibited him. the study. Perhaps the sundries were his journal and drawings said to be lost; the place of which, these musical manuscripts (undoubtedly belonging to Joseph Banks, who is a connoisseur in the art,) afterwards supplied.
The result of this enquiry afforded no reasons to confirm me in the good opinion I had hitherto entertained of Joseph Banks; in whose integrity and generosity I had before placed the utmost confidence. By one person, who was particularly intimate with my brother, I was informed that he died possessed of several curious drawings of the natives of New-Zealand and other subjects, which he had taken at his leisure hours, in presence of the informant, for his own amusement and particular use; having given several of them away as presents to the officers on-board, and that to the knowledge of Joseph Banks, who never pretended to have the right, he hath since been pleased set up, to all and every the labours, in season and out of season, of his indefatigable draughtsman, It is here to be observed, that Sydney Parkinson was engaged to Joseph Banks as a botanical draughtsman only; so that he was under no obligation to delineate other subjects for Joseph Banks, who took out another draughtsman, one This circumstance was afterwards confirmed to me by the clerk himself. About fifty five gallons. The above account was corroborated by another of the ship's company, who smiled at the relation of the Journal's being lost, and at the enquiry that was pretended to be made concerning it.th of January, 1771, Joseph Banks, attended by : captain's clerk accidentally passing by, they called him, and desired him to take an inventory of the deceased's effects: which he did, by writing down what was dictated.
The reader will observe, that, though I look on these informants to be persons of veracity, and doubt not they would make good their information, if called on in a court of judicature, I do by no means charge Joseph Banks, on hear-fay evidence, with the embezzlement or detention of effects I never saw; he has enough to answer for, as a man of credit and probity, in hitherto detaining from me the things I was afterwards prevailed on to entrust him with, on his promise to return them. The information I received, however, could not fail of alarming my suspicion; which I communicated to some friends, who advised me to file a bill in chancery to compel Joseph Banks to come to a just account. But, having a man of character and fortune to deal with, I was loth to take violent measures, in hopes he might be induced by fair means to do me justice.
At the end of about five weeks, I received a message from him, appointing me to come the next afternoon to settle with him. I waited on him accordingly, at the
At this meeting, therefore, little passed, except the adjustment of the value of some few of my brother's effects, that Joseph Banks chose to keep, or had sold. To this succeeded, indeed, a short, but somewhat warm, altercation, about the abovementioned journal and drawings; to which Joseph Banks claimed a right, in quality of my brother's employer. As I could not be brought to acknowledge this title in him to any thing but the drawings in natural history, which only my brother was employed to execute; he admitted there were in his hands a few manuscripts, which were bequeathed to
Being a good deal flurried with the dispute, and finding nothing could be then determined on, I took no farther notice of them, at that time, than just to observe that the manuscripts were my brother's hand-writing.
I observed however to Joseph Banks, that perusal of his manuscripts. Joseph Banks denied his knowledge of any such circumstance; on which his attorney present asked if he had any written voucher that the papers were bequeathed to
In a day or two after, I took out letters of administration, as next of kin; Elizabeth. Parkinson, the mother of Sydney, having relinquished her right of administering.
During the negotiation, I was informed by
It was not, I own, without some reluctance that I consented to send these things to Joseph Banks's house; but, on
Thirty pieces of the cloth made and worn at
Fifteen ditto of matting and New-Zealand garments.
A great number of fish-hooks, and various utensils and instruments used by the people on the southern islands. These were contained in the wainscot box, which was full of them.
A very large parcel of curious.shells, corals, and other marine productions, many of them beautiful and rare. Besides many other particulars.
Of these curiosities, the shells alone douceur to the family for the loss they sustained in the death of so valuable a relation. There being due to the deceased upwards of a hundred and fifty pounds salary, the sole property of my sister Britannia, and Joseph Banks chusing to keep some of the effects bequeathed to me, as beforementioned, it was agreed, between
Matters being thus settled, a meeting of all parties was agreed on; which took place on the 31st of January, 1772, when I waited on Joseph Banks with my sister Britannia, meeting there It may not be improper to observe here, that I proposed to
While Joseph Banks was gone to fetch the papers, I intimated to
On the examination of the papers, thus delivered to me by Joseph Banks, I found them to be the memorandums and materials, from which, I conceived, my
It was in vain I expected Joseph Banks would keep his word with me. On the 26th of March, 1772, he sent me back, indeed, my drawers and boxes quite empty, without the civility even of a message by the bearers. I complained, of course, to Not that at this time I was furnished with sufficient materials to render it worthy of being laid before the public; having received no drawings or designs of any consequence whatever from Joseph Banks, On application, however, to several of the ship's company, and by a fortunate accident, I recovered soon after other manuscripts of my brother's, together with those drawings which embellish the following sheets: not one of which did I receive from Joseph Banks.
Mr. Parkinson .I shall in the present, as well as at all times, refer the dispute between us to
Dr. Fothergill 's determination: not that I feel conscious of having done any thing amiss, but that I feel loth to endure your scurrilous letters, such as I shall shew him upon this occasion.With this you receive the administration.
Notwithstanding this declaration of his willingness to refer our dispute to the decision of
On hearing of Joseph Banks's intended voyage to Iceland, I thought it necessary, therefore, to pursue the advice of my friends, by endeavouring to come at my brother's journal and drawings, which I had now so much reason to think were concealed from me, and to derive what emolument I could from their publication. To this end I caused the following advertisement to be inserted in the news-papers,
His Majesty's Ship Endeavour.Whereas a Journal was kept on-board the said ship, during her late voyage round the world, by Sydney Parkinson deceased, late draughtsman to Joseph Banks, Esq.- which, from the great variety of particulars it contained relative to the discoveries made during the said voyage, was allowed by the ship's company to be the best and most correct that was taken; and whereas the said Sydney Parkinson had, at his leisure hours, made drawings of many of the natives of the new-discovered islands, and had also taken views of several places in the said islands, which he intended as presents to his friends; which said Journal and Drawings are pretended to have been lost. And whereas there is great reason to think that they have been secreted by some person or persons for his or their own emolument. This is to give Notice, that if any one can give Information where the said Journal and Drawings are so secreted, so that the Heir at Law to the said Sydney Parkinson may come by his lawful property, by applying to Stanfield Parkinson in little
Pulteney Street , they shall receive One Hundred Guineas Reward.N. B. It is supposed that they are not many Miles from New Burlington Street,
By this intimation, it is plain I meant to insinuate, that I thought the Journal was in the hands of Joseph Banks: but I should never have thought of publishing such an advertisement, had I ever meant to have sold him my brother's papers, as
Dr. Fothergill afterwards affirmed I had done.
In consequence of this advertisement, and personal application to several of the officers and others on-board the ship Endeavour, I procured, by purchase, loan, and gift, not indeed the fair copy of my brother's journal, but so many of his manuscripts and drawings, as to enable me to present the following work, in its present form, to the public.
As I made no secret of my design, and was known to have employed the proper artists to execute it, I was now solicited and entreated by Joseph Banks's friends to desist:
To Stanfield Parkinson.
Sir,I have heard of your unaccountable behaviour to my good friend doctor
Fothergill relative to-your intending to publish your brother's papers, after he had passed his word for your making no improper use of them, contrary to the intention of the lender, for theywasonly lent as apeiceof indulgence, which the doctorbegedfor you, the use you intend to make of this indulgence in my opinion carrys with it the colour of an action so fraught with ingratitude and matchless appearence that should you proceed in it, you will bring a lasting stain on your name and family, and may be followed by the ruin of both.I little thought that a brother of my late worthy friend
Sidney Parkinson , could have even thought of such a peice of treachery, it makes me shudder at your vicious turn of mind, while Ilemanteever having had any knowledge of a man of such wretched principles, I advise you to desist, and take shame on you before it istolate, and that you will for the sake of your family save your reputation which once lost is seldom to be recovered.One thing more I must tell you which perhaps you think I did not know, which Is that in you brother's will, that he left with his sister before he went abroad, he left some legacys to my daughter Ann, amongest other things some paintings that
wasin your hands. I have likeways heard there was something left to me in the will Mr. Banks brought home. You have taken no notice of these things to me, I imputed yourfcilenceto your avarice and did not think it. worth my while to disturb you about it. but since I have heard of your determination, I must tell you if you proceed further in your publication I am determined to call you to an account. the papers you are about to publish,isby right mine, I have Mr. Banks's word for it that your brother left them to me, and I willdisputyour title to them, as I have witness's of your brother leaving em to me as my property. Consider the contents of this letter and act like a man of honour, or consider the consequence of doing wrong.Vineyard 26th Nov. 1772. I am, &c.
James Lee .
To this strange epistle I returned the following answer.
James Lee,11th Mo 1772. I received a letter from, thee last Friday, the contents of which, as coming from the friend of my dear brother, greatly amazed me, as thou chargest me therein with crimes of the blackast dye; but as
they are only charges without foundation, the greater part being, according to thy own confession, founded on hearsay evidence, I can easily clear myself from them, and shall therefore answer them in the order in which they appear in thy letter. Thou fayest I intend to publish my brother's papers, notwithstanding
Dr. Fothergill gave his word that I should make no improper use of them, contrary to the intention of the lender—From which I infer that thou art of opinion that by publishing my brother's papers I shall make an improper use of them.—I cannot fee any impropriety at all in publishing what is my own property, not only in my own opinion but that of all my friends. And that my brother's papers were such I shall make appear when I come to answer another part of thy letter: And being my property,Dr. Fothergill had no authority for saying I should not make use of them. He might as well have said I should not sell another piece of furniture out of my shop. That I did not, being present, contradict what the doctor said. was I confess, a fault, but owing to the hurry and confusion I was in at that time through the altercation between J. Banks and myself.I always had, and still have the greatest regard for
Dr. Fothergill , having in many instances experienced his friendship. I should be sorry thy charge of ingratitude in me towards him should be true—I have stated the cafe between him and me, respecting my Intended publication, to many of my friends, and they were all clearly of opinion that the doctor remained entirely excused from any thing he had said' respecting the papers, and the blame, if any, wholly devolved on me.In regard to what thou hast advanced, that the papers were lent as a piece of indulgence which the doctor begged for me, I must beg leave to contradict thee, and to tell thee that thou wert misinformed: the doctor, at the time I was with him at Joseph Banks 's house, never spoke about the papers till I had demanded them as my property, and which I had done several times before. Joseph Banks produced them before the doctor spake about them, and in all probability they would have given me without any condition, as Joseph Banks never requested any.
I had been for a long time past surprized at not hearing from, or feeing, thee, especially as I had wrote to thee of my intentions respecting my brother's Journal; but the great secret, or reason thereof is at last come out. It seems then that thou hast heard that I have kept some legacies bequeath'd to thy daughter Ann, which were left in my brother's will that he deposited in my sister's hands before he went abroad; amongst other things, some paintings that were in my hands: And, that by a will Joseph Banks brought over there was something left to thee, which I have taken no notice of to thee. This is a heavy charge, but from which (as I have already said) I can easily exculpate myself.
In the will left with my sister, a copy of which
Dr. Fothergill has, and to which I have administred, is the following clause."3dly, I desire that my paintings on vellum, &c. may be given to those for whom they are "marked on the back, and whatever utensils that are useful in painting or drawing to
Mr. Lee 's" aughter, my scholar."I have, accordingly, as bound by solemn affirmation at Doctors Commons, sent thy daughter all my brother's drawing and painting utensils, that I received from Joseph Banks or had by me, and have disposed of the paintings as directed by my brother in his own hand writing on the back of them; if any of them had been marked thy daughter she wou'd of course have had them with the utensils.
Among the papers I received from J. Banks there was a copy of the will he left with my sister: If Joseph Banks brought over any other will of my brother's, it is more than I know of. I suppose if he had, it would have been produced before now, as it must of course have set aside that he left at home, and to which J. Banks knew I administered.
I therefore indeed
did not think thouknewestallthat thou hast charged me with on this head.Thou sayest that the papers I am about to publish are thine, and that thou hast Joseph Banks's word for it. If by the papers thou meanest the Manuscript of my brother's Journal, I must tell thee. I have it not, it being in Joseph Banks's possession, to whom I sent it, in order to oblige Dr
Fothergill What I have are indeed taken from my brother's papers, but contain far more than what that manuscript does; the other part thereof I have been furnished with by some friends of my late brother.But allowing that what I am going to publish was no more than what that manuscript contained, thou wouldst find it a difficult matter to perswade me out of my Right of publication, and must bring with thee into a court of Equity something more strong for Evidence than what thou hast mentioned; as I have
Dr. Solander as a witness to the contrary, who said in the presence of Joseph Banks's lawyer, whom I can produce as an Evidence, and in my hearing, that my brother desired that thou. wast to have only theperusalof them. Joseph Banks's lawyer asked him, at that very time, if he had it in writing, that my brother's papers were bequeathed to thee; who answered in the Negative; on which the lawyer pronounced them to be my property. And Joseph Banks was so well satisfied at whatDr. Solander then uttered, that he said he gave it up.I think thou wilt find I have sufficiently cleared myself from thy charges exhibited against me, which I have done: not that I am any ways fearful of thy threats, for I shall be at all times ready to answer thy suits, but that I am desirous of living peaceably with all men.
As for the words,
matchless impudence, treachery, wretched principles, avarice,and such like, which thou haft applied to me, I regard them as wrote in heat of passion; andadvise thee(to make use of thy own phrase)to take shame on 'theefor having written them, as also for having unjustly charged me with crimes I never committed.I always have, and I trust I always shall, act as a man of honour, and I well know the consequence of doing wrong. I hope, after reading this, thou wilt also act as becomes such towards
Stanfield Parkinson.
Persisting still in the preparations for publishing my book, and turning a deaf ear to As a proof how far Dear —This will inform thee thy favours came duely to hand, and that I was not a little surprised at This is not true. The doctor did offer first fifty and afterwards one hundred and fifty pounds.
To delay this design, and, if possible, suppress my book, which was almost ready to appear, afterwards sold to him: even
Put thus to the trouble and expence of defending a suit in chancery, and the publication of my book being delayed when just ready to appear, I had yet no remedy but that of putting in a full answer to the bill, and praying a dissolution of the injunction. This I at length obtained; the reasons for continuing the injunction not appearing satisfactory to the court; and indeed the pretended transfer of the property in my brother's manuscripts, from me to Joseph Banks, and from Joseph Banks to
Be this as it may, such is the fact. Indeed the whole purpose of the bill appears to be litigious, and calculated to answer no other end than to delay my publication, till he should get the start of me and publish his own: and this end, to my great damage and loss, it hath answered. In the mean while, and pending the suit between us, it is said that this prudential author sold the property of his own book, for no less a sum than six thousand pounds: a sum that probably would not have been given for it, had not an injunction been obtained against the publication of mine; which contains an authentic journal of the last and principal voyage, viz that of his majesty's ship The Endeavour.
Having thus given a simple unvarnished narrative of the causes of the delay of this publication, I submit its encouragement to the judgement and candour of the public. I cannot help concluding, however, with a short reflection or two on the conduct of my principal oppressors.
That of It is said this gentleman hath been lately made an East-India director.thou art the man? Would it not be with propriety also that I should look on his friend,
In respect to the comparative merits of his book and mine, it is not for me to say any thing. If I have justified myself in the eye of the impartial world for persisting in this publication, I shall leave the works of my brother to speak his talents; Of those works are all, or most, of the drawings, published in
To an ingenuous mind, however innocent, it is a humiliating circumstance to be accused: even a consciousness of integrity, both in act and intention, cannot always efface the remembrance of unmerited, unjust imputations.
I feel myself no otherways affected by the accusations I am going to refute; and if I have borne them longer than my friends thought I should have done, I neither was indifferent, nor incapable of refuting them.
I must here acquaint the reader, that the preface to Sydney Parkinson's Journal was not written by the person who signs it. That he supplied the materials, I have no doubt; he was indeed "unqualified to address the publick"— "an unlettered man"—and was he capable of answering for himself I might say more. He had the fortune however to find out a person, whose talents and disposition were exactly suitable to such a work, and who has, indeed, "varnished "his materials" admirably. I know the nominal author was incapable of writing a line of it—nay, those letters put down as his own have been corrected; otherwise, a much larger field of Italicks might have appeared than are so invidiously pointed out in a letter, which does the writer's heart great credit with every friend to truth and humanity. It is of consequence to the parties accused, that the reader should know this circumstance, and that whilst the is
Another circumstance the reader ought likewise to be acquainted with—The unfortunate Stanfield Parkinson, who signs this preface, is now insane, in confinement, and must probably remain so for life. Since this was written, he died insane in
A short historical detail of this whole transaction, will perhaps be the most satisfactory means of enabling the reader to judge for himself, whether the parties charged in this preface are guilty, and deserve the censures therein passed upon them; or ought not only to be acquitted, as having acted with honour, but applauded for generosity.
I knew Parkinson's father when I studied at
When I removed from the city, about the year 1767, to my present abode in
The regard I had for the father, led me to inquire into the situation of the son, who I found was an Upholsterer by trade; Sydney Parkinson, whose journal follows, was then in town, and had engaged to accompany Joseph Banks, Esq; as his draughtsman, in his intended voyage to the South Seas. Being introduced to me in this character, I gave him some small proofs that I considered
After he embarked in the Endeavour, I took friendly notice of Stanfield Parkinson, for his father's and brother's sake; I occasionally employed him in some little affairs in the way of his business, lent him money on a pressing emergency, and shewed him every proper mark of regard.
Some time after the return of the Endeavour, he called to inform me, that he thought himself ill used by Joseph Banks; that he could neither obtain brother's effects, nor a settlement of the account, and added many other accusations.
I informed him my engagements were such, that it was not in my power to spare time to inquire into such matters; that the gentleman he complained of would, I doubted not, render him the strictest justice, and more than this, be generous, if he would have patience and allow proper time for adjusting his affairs. I said this on a presumption, which I found afterwards sufficiently justified, that a gentleman of J. Banks's character could never submit to do any thing mean and unbecoming that rank in which he flood with the publick, on account of an undertaking which is yet unequalled.
Stanfield Parkinson repeatedly called upon me, to solicit my assistance in terminating this affair. Even his advocate acknowledges that I dissuaded him from all harsh measures; and this acknowledgment ought to have superseded the insinuation of "officious meddling." But to throw a great deal of dirt, in hopes that some will stick, seems to be the established maxim of this writer. In consequence of these reiterated applications, I wrote to
In answer to this, I received the following letter, which, to my great satisfaction, I lately found amongst my papers, and which, I think, will afford the most convincing proof of our intentions. Another letter or two passed between us on the subject, which, thinking the matter only temporary, were destroyed. The letter follows:
"
Dear Sir,"
I Feelmyself very much obliged to you, for having interested yourself "in settling the disputes between me and the Executors of SydneyParkinson , "deceased; especially, as I always feared that without the good offices of "some disinterested person, equally to be trusted by both parties, they would "inevitably end in a law-suit of the most pettyfogging nature, which would "at once defeat any intention I had of serving them, and lead them into an "useless expence."On leaving England, I agreed to give eighty pounds a year to
S. Parkinson , "besides his living of all kinds, as my draughtsman, to make drawings "for me: of this agreement,£.151. 8s. Id. is now due to his executors, "besides some small sum for such cloths, &c. of his, as I could dispose of, "or make use of in the ship, which I chose rather to do, than bring them "home liable to be damaged, as those which came home were in some "degree."Curiosities of all kinds I gave up to them, and such of his papers as I "had, excepting only some loose sheets of a journal, which seemed to be only "foul copies of a fair journal that I never found, and which is now the chief "object of their enquiry; these foul papers, as all the journal I had, was to "be given to
Mr. Lee , for his reading, byS. Parkinson 's own desire, expressed "toDr. Solander just before he died: the curiosities I offered to purchase at "the time I delivered them, at such price as the executors should put upon "them, but was refused."Now as
S. Parkinson certainly behaved to me, during the whole of his "long voyage, uncommonly well, and with unbounded industry made for me "a much larger number of drawings than I ever expected, I always did and "still do intend to shew to his relations the same gratitude for his good services "as I should have done to himself; the execution of this my intention was only "delayed by the fear of being involved in a vexatious law-suit after all."Now you, sir, in conversation with
Dr. Solander , have been so good as to "suggest a mode of pleasing all parties, which I confess I very much approve "of; the only thing that now remains is, that, as a friend to both, you "think of a certain sum to be paid by me to them, as an acknowledgement of "S. Parkinson 's good services, taking or not the curiosities, & c. just as may "seem to you most proper: in this, if you are good enough to undertake it, "I beg leave to hint, that I do not at all mean to be sparing in my acknowledgment; but to err rather on the other side, that any one who may hear the "transaction may rather say that I have been generous than otherwise."Your obliged, and very
"Affectionate humble servant," Joseph Banks."
Being thus left solely to compromise the difference between the parties, I endeavoured to view them both in the most impartial and dispassionate light. Whether my opinion was the most prudent, is now submitted to others to determine; that it appeared to me the most equitable and impartial, I can safely affert.
I did not find there was any stipulated time reserved for the sole use of Sydney Parkinson during this expedition. His salary was fixed, his support engaged for—and of right, his time was the property of J. Banks, who paid this salary, and gave this support.
It followed then that the whole of
But as it appeared, that he had used extraordinary diligence; had given the most ample satisfaction to J. Banks, both in respect to application and ability; that he was now no more, and could claim from him no farther acknowledgment, I judged that more than barely his wages was due, and embracing the liberty allowed me to propose what was generous, I thought if the sum of £151, which was duè to the executors of this young man, was made up £500, it would be a most ample acknowledgment of his services; and prompt any other person who might attend in a second voyage, (which was then in agitation) in the same station, to exert himself with vigour, when he had before him such an instance of generous attention to extraordinary services. I endeavoured to make it my own case, both one side and the other. J. Banks very readily fell in with the proposal, and settled at the same time a pension upon a black woman, the wife of a faithful black servant who went out with him, and perished by the cold of Terra del Fuego.
With regard to the collection made by Sydney Parkinson, it seemed to approach very near being the property of J. Banks; yet part of it might be purchased—might be given him for particular services—might be collected at times when it would be unreasonable to expect he should be labouring at all. In these things I allowed him to be interested, yet with this reserve, that if he had collected any curiosities, which were not in the general collection, it would
I proposed, therefore, in respect to these things, that J. B. should have the privilege of looking them all over—of selecting from them whatever might be agreeable to him, and returning the rest to Stanfield Parkinson.
When Sydney went out, I requested him, if he met with any rare marine productions, which did not interfere with the general business, that he would be kind enough to reserve a few specimens for me—this he promised, and had he lived would, I doubt not, have gratefully performed.
Stanfield allowed me to look over this part of his collection; requesting me at the same time to lay aside a few of such as I thought rare for his cousin at Newcastle. This I performed; took care in selecting for myself those I thought proper, that the rest of the collection should be as valuable as possible, by leaving duplicates, and in good condition.
At my request, and in pursuance of the opinion, that it was necessary that every curious article not in the general collection, if any such there should be, ought to make a part of it, both the shells I had selected for myself and S. P.'s relation, as well as those from whence they were taken, were all sent back to J. Banks, who after some time returned to me all those I had picked out, and those only. In this part of my negociation I was unfortunate. I had not made myself sufficiently understood. I meant that after J. B. had taken out of Sydney Parkinson's collection, whatever he might think fit to add to his own collection, not only those which I had selected, but the rest likewise should have been returned. Papers, manuscripts, drawings, and whatever related to the object of this voyage, the promotion of knowledge, were unexceptionably to be given up to J. Banks, who thought himself likewise entitled to the rest of the curiosities, as well as the manuscripts, papers, &c. in consideration of the ample satisfaction he had made, having presented the family with £349 more than was due to Parkinson; forty-nine of which he judged to be more than an
After the shells were returned to me, I desired Parkinson to say what would content him for those I had selected. He told me that a dealer, who had seen the whole collection which his brother had made, in his absence, said they were worth two hundred pounds. I never fixed any value upon them. I never saw the whole, nor examined any part of his collection but the shells and corals. It is therefore an absolute untruth that I fixed any price upon this collection.
There is nothing more disagreeable than to fix a value upon another's property; especially where that valuation has no certain standard. Things of this nature are to be rated according to opinion only. Determined therefore to follow the example I had proposed, I paid liberally for those I selected-above twice the real value, as the same kinds have since been sold for at publick auctions. I told him at the time, he must not expect to dispose of the rest on the like terms.
Incapable of feeling the generosity of my conduct, he immediately concluded, that what remained in the hands of J. Banks, were of much greater value than he had suspected; and from that moment, became importunate to have every thing returned: and this, perhaps, was a principal motive to his future ungenerous and ungrateful conduct. The reader of Parkinson's preface, when he has considered these circumstances, will perhaps acquit me of the charge of having acted the part of a "pretended friend." If he does, what name must the man deserve, who had baseness enough to forge the injurious epithet?
The sum of £500, which I had proposed to be paid by J, Banks, to the executors of Sydney £151, was accepted by both parties. I was present at the payment, a witness to the receipt, and hoped the dispute was amicably and honourably terminated.
Stanfield Parkinson then requested he might have the perusal of his deceased brother's papers. J. Banks complied with this request, though not without hesitation; the event too plainly proved, he had stronger reasons for his reluctance than I was aware of: he knew the man much better than I did. Thinking that it must afford Stanfield much satisfaction to peruse these last remains of his brother's industry, I requested it as a favour, engaging, as I thought I might do it safely, that no improper use should be made of them; I meant by printing, or communicating them to the publick in any mode whatsoever. My request was complied with, and he was put in possession of all the papers in J. Banks's custody.
That J. Banks was dissatisfied with the manner, at least, in which Parkinson made the request, was evident, and not without sufficient reason. After such an instance of generosity, as he had just exhibited to Parkinson's family, to have the shadow of a claim urged with heat, was not a little irritating.
By Parkinson's own confession in the preface, as soon as he had got the papers into his hands, it appears, that he immediately set to work to get them transcribed, engravings to be made from some drawings of his brother's, and to put the whole as fast as he could into a form for publication.
Some weeks after the business was, as I thought, happily terminated, I was informed, that Parkinson was preparing his brother's papers for the press. I sent for him immediately, to enquire into the truth of this report, and learned from him, to my astonishment, that the papers were transcribing for this purpose.
I asked, if he had forgot that I pledged myself to J. Banks, that no improper use should be made of them, in his hearing; and that he made not the least objection to my engaging on his behalf in this manner: and told him that it was a piece of the blackest treachery such a transaction could admit of, and he was treating me with no less ingratitude than injustice, silently to acquiesce with
I entreated him, if he had any regard for his own interest and reputation, that he would immediately desist from a project, which would be ruinous in all probability to himself, and leave me exposed to reproaches, on my part wholly undeserved. The reader will much more easily conceive than I can express, what I felt on this occasion.
I urged him to lay aside an intention, which, if carried into execution, might involve us both in an imputation of notorious treachery.—Entreated him to recollect in what manner I had behaved to his brother, and himself, ever since I had known them; the acts of kindness I had repeatedly done to himself, and his family.—That it would be forfeiting, not only my future friendship, but the regard of every one who should be made acquainted with this signal act of ingratitude.—That his conduct would be a reproach to the whole society we belonged to, and that J. Banks, if he was not generous enough to think me incapable of it, might accuse me as a party in his guilt. He then promised to desist, upon my engaging to pay the expences he had incurred, for transcribing and engraving. I ordered him to bring me the amount of his expences, he did so, just as I was preparing to set out for Cheshire—I offered him a draft for the money; but he chose to stay for it till my return from the country. At which time, when I sent for him to finish the affair, I was informed the work was advancing, and that the expences were at least £300.
In vain I represented to him this double aggravation of his criminal conduct. All that I could urge was received with an obstinate resolution to persevere.
He said that
This complaint I told him ought first to have been made to me, as I stood guarantee to J. Banks, that no such use should be made of his papers as was then intended; if J. Banks had withheld any thing that was justly due to him, I was obliged to see justice done him, and should do it, either by application to J. Banks, or out of my own pocket. But all was in vain Can the reader think, as
Finding all my endeavours to put a stop to this unexpected treacherous behaviour ineffectual, I prevailed upon a reputable sensible person, of our persuasion, and a member of the same meeting, to meet Parkinson at my house, to endeavour, if possible, to put an end to this most disagreeable business; we met accordingly. What passed amongst us on this occasion, will probably appear most satisfactorily to the reader, from the mediator's own account of it, which I copied from his memorandum.
Substance of what passed at
Dr. Fothergill 's house, November the 22d, between Stanfield Parkinson andDr. Fothergill , in the presence ofJohn Hatch , who, a few days after, put it down in writing, to assist his memory, if he should be called upon as an evidence in the case.
J. Fothergill requestedJ. Hatch would meet Stanfield Parkinson, at J.F.'s house, which he did Nov. 22, 1772.J.F. then informed
J. Hatch , with the occasion of this appointment. The following is the purport of what passed between J.F. S.Parkinson, andJohn Hatch , on this occasionThat S.P. had a dispute with Joseph Banks, which was likely to be attended with a law-suit; but in order to serve S. P. and prevent so much trouble and expence, J.F. at the desire of S. P. had taken upon him to endeavour to settle the matter between them, which J.F. had effected in the following manner:
That Joseph Banks instead of paying
S. Parkinson the sum of one hundred and forty pounds, or thereabouts, which was due to his deceased brother Sydney Parkinson, should pay Stanfield Parkinson the sum of five hundred pounds: for which S.P. should let J. Banks select. such shells, &c. from his late brother's collection, as to make J. Banks's complete; and that S.P. should make no use of his late brother Sydney Parkinson's papers or drawings: to which agreement Stanfield Parkinson being present made no objection.But J.F. complained, that contrary to this agreement he found S.P. was preparing to publish his brother's observations, which S.P. acknowledged was true, and said he had expended upwards of sixty pounds on that account.
J.F. remonstrated with him on the injustice of such a procedure, and said for the sake of their own credit, and to avoid disputes, he (J. F.) desired S.P. would send him an account of what had been expended in preparing for the publication, and he (J.F.) would pay it him.
Accordingly the bill was sent, amounting to upwards of sixty pounds; this happened to be about the time when J.F. was going into the country for some weeks, who soon after his return sent for S.P. in order to pay the aforesaid bill.
But to his great surprise, S.P. told J.F. the work was still going on, and that the sum of £300 was now expended thereon. J.F. again
remonstrated with S.P. on the great injustice done him as a mediator between them, but to no purpose, S.P. still persisting in publishing. A little while after S.P. was withdrawn, J.F. desired
J. Hatch would let S.P. know that J.F. would pay this farther expence, provided he would drop the publication: to which J.H. replied, thatS. Parkinson told J.H. that the work was carrying on so fast that he could not drop it; on which account J.H. did not carry this proposal to S.P.
Having thus made use of every method in my power, but ineffectually, to prevent the publication of a work obtained from its rightful owner in this treacherous manner, nothing remained for me to do, but to assure my much injured friend J. Banks, that I felt the most poignant distress on this occasion: and that whilst I had been solely intent upon serving both parties, I had been made the instrument of injuring him so materially.
Though I knew Parkinson himself was incapable of publishing the papers which he had thus surreptitiously obtained; yet it was not to be doubted, but he might readily find some needy writer, who would supply his defects, and perhaps rejoice at an opportunity of defaming those who were most justly entitled to commendation.
When the work appeared, this apprehension was fully justified; it was ushered to the publick by a preface professing much specious candour, but containing a sories of falsehood, misrepresentation, and abuse. To these is opposed the explanation here exhibited, and it is now before the publick, and will probably be before posterity, who will have no partial regards to the accuser or defendants: both have the right of appeal to that tribunal, to explain the motives of their conduct, and must submit to the equity of their decision.
That applications were made by a legal process to stop the appearance of this work by the publisher and booksellers concerned in the edition The Natural History of this Voyage.erved for doing justice to his brother's merit, than in a preface filled with invective and unjust insinuations against his brother's warmest friends. Could poor Sydney have foreseen that he was furnishing avarice and malevolence with the means of traducing such men, he would have swerved from the instructions of his cordial and intelligent friend,
It may not be improper here to mention a fact, which, though of no great consequence in itself, is of moment to those who are under the disagreeable necessity of justifying their conduct before the publick.
Parkinson's plea for printing his brother's papers, was, "That Jos. Banks "never returned him any of the clothes, utensils, &c. which were sent to "Jos. Banks for his inspection."
It was stipulated expressly, that every thing of this nature should be put into the hands of Jos. Banks. But it is evident, that Parkinson had reserved many drawings; whence, otherwise, came the plates which appear in this work?
And there are now in my possession, some clothes and instruments which were collected by Sydney Parkinson, which I purchased of Stanfield Parkinson's executors after his decease, and which were never sent to all were promised. Hence it is very evident, this supposed detention, which might readily have been adjusted, was not the sole cause of the unrighteous act —but the hope of acquiring a large sum of money by the sale of this journal.
However artfully the tale was told, yet the publick could not readily adopt the partial and invidious narrative; they could not believe the account was true; it bore too evident marks of partiality, rancour, and injustice. And
But there seems not much reason to apprehend the latter was the case. The reviser seems to have followed his original pretty closely. What errors it contains were chiefly made by the author, and it was not likely the editor could correct them.
Perhaps it may be asked, whence it happened that two persons, whose characters have been thus sharply attacked, could quietly remain so long under such imputations? I shall answer for myself, and in doing that, shall perhaps suggest some reasons why J. Banks was as silent myself.
The consciousness of my innocence, and the disinterestedness of my views in this transaction, with a hope that the general tenour of my life, would prevent my suffering greatly in the opinion of those who knew any thing concerning me, alleviated much the sense of the injuries done to me; and a persuasion, that sensible and impartial people, to whom J.Banks and myself were unknown, would discover in the narrative itself, so many instances of passion and partiality, as would lead them to suspect the charges to be the product of disappointment and malevolence.
Men who wish to pass without blame through life, naturally endeavour to have none imputed to them; not even undeservedly. It is scarcely possible for persons of any feeling, not to wish to leave behind them an unsullied reputation; and this not only for their own sakes, but for the sake of their friends, and their connections. Not forgetting, likewise, that they owe example to the publick.
Two reasons prevented me from attempting the justification I now submit to the reader's consideration before this time. The first, Parkinson and
Agreeable to this fundamental maxim, Parkinson ought first to have applied for justice, had I injured, him, in the usual forms of our procedure. Instead of this, he at once, contrary to all advice, traduced me before the publick, and violated the rules of his profession. Had I followed in a reply, I should have been as guilty as himself; guilty of breaking through a regulation, that has been thought to do credit to our institution. I bore it therefore patiently, till a season might arrive when probably he might be, by the interposition of the society, made sensible of the breach of order, might be induced to reflect on the injustice he had done me, and, from conviction, do justice to a much injured character to the utmost of his power. To endeavour to make people sensible of their mistakes by forbearance, by reason, and the motives drawn from religious considerations, is the method we employ on these occasions.
Soon after the publication of this journal, the society finding one of their members exposed to publick censure, by another of the same profession, could not avoid taking notice of it in due form, and they treated with Parkinson, to make him sensible of the breach he had made in the rules of their discipline. After much labour, he was made to comprehend it so far as to own it, and was sorry for it. A written acknowledgment to be entered in the minutes of the society, is always expected on these occasions; whilst this was framing, such evident marks of insanity appeared, as to render it of no consequence to proceed with him any further.
The result of these proceedings, with those who are guilty of breaches of order, is to accept of their acknowledgment, if it appears to be competent and sincere; and this acknowledgment reinstates the offender in his former state of membership. If he proves refractory, he is declared not to belong to the society, in which case he is open to the common modes of prosecution.
Till, therefore, Parkinson had either reinstated himself in the society, by acknowledging and making proper satisfaction for the breach of a rule, which is not only known to the society itself, but to many intelligent people of other communities; or till he was disowned for refusing this satisfaction— no proper mode of proceeding to do myself justice presented itself. If he remained a member, my application must be to the society. If he refused submission to them, he would be no longer considered as a member, and I should then be left at liberty to seek redress as circumstances might require. It would be tedious and not interesting, to produce undeniable evidence in support of this narrative. So much as is here offered, will, I hope, be received with indulgence, when it is considered I am rescuing myself from charges that must otherwise remain unrefuted, perhaps, as long as letters are esteemed either in this or other nations; for the engravings in this work, as well as the importance of the voyage, will always give the book a place in the libraries of the inquisitive.
It is not improbable, but that a hope of gaining considerably by the sale of this book, might be a very strong inducement to Parkinson to trample in this manner on the laws of friendship, gratitude, and justice. Some of the Endeavour's crew, who soon came about him, after their arrival in England, for their own private ends, buoyed him up with hopes of vast advantage from his brother's labours. This rendered him deaf to all advice; induced him to break the promise he had made me to stop the publication; involved him in many difficulties in respect to his circumstances; and, it is much to be feared, contributed to his ruin. He owned to some of his acquaintance before his faculties were quite disordered, "That he had used me wickedly."
It became necessary soon after his confinement, to look into his affairs, when it appeared, that not much more was left than would barely satisfy his creditors. His wife died a little before he became quite insane, and his children are maintained by the society, of which he was a member.
Amongst his effects were found some remains of his brother's collection of clothes and utensils, though but few, and about four hundred copies of this journal: those who had the management of his concerns, made me an offer of these copies, which I bought at their own price, together with the plates belonging to this work.
There had always appeared to me a great difficulty in respect to a justification of myself from his charges: to do this in a common news-paper, or in a pamphlet, though it might serve the present purpose, yet the calumny would be handed down to posterity; and if an exculpation gained the notice of a few cotemporaries, it stood but little chance of surviving when personal regard was at an end.
I chearfully accepted the offer made me of purchasing the remaining copies, as the possession of them would afford me an opportunity of transmitting to future time, such an account of this transaction as might enable those who perused the charge, to judge of it fairly for themselves.
When the reader reflects on the several circumstances here related, and considers this poor man as necessitous, disappointed in his views, and under the commencement of insanity, it will not be difficult to account for his extraordinary behaviour to persons who had acted in all things towards him with disinterestedness and generosity.
Soon after the publication of
Among the many uses to the publick of a literary review, it cannot be the least, nor out of character, to convey a candid defence against an unjust attack. In virtue of this plea it is that I claim your insertion of this address to you.
A kind of solemn appeal to the publick having been lodged in
Upon the face then of the premises it appears, that douceur to the family, for the loss they sustained in the death of so valuable a relation, and a consideration as well for any distinction that could be set up between the drawings of the hired botanical draughtsman, and those of the draughtsman in general, as for all the vast treasure of cockle shells, plants, stuffed birds, savage garments, utensils, and implements of war, said to have been left, of infinite curiosity, no doubt; but hardly of so much value as to tempt Mr. Banks to cheat
That Mr. Banks, however, imagined that this additional sum of three hundred and fifty pounds gave him a right to a fair and full clearance (and perhaps the reader may imagine so too) stands presumably proved by his having prepared a general release, to be signed by
That
To how poor a prevarication and subterfuge has he recourse in his pitiful chicanery about the expression of making an improper use of his brother's papers! Can he think to impose on any one, that by that "improper use" he did not understand himself precluded from publishing any thing of his brother's, relative to that voyage, which Mr. Banks might wish not to be published?
By all accounts then, not even excluding
Now what that improper use meant, I presume, there is no reader who will not instantly construe and allow that
What the sentiments of an intimate friend of his brother's were, who, in a letter to this Parkinson, accuses him of a treachery and avarice that make him shudder for his treatment of so worthy a person as
Finis
On the 22d of July, 1768, I went on board the ship, Endeavour, then lying in the Galleons Reach, in the river
We continued our course, and met with no material occurrence till the 12th; then we discovered
This country is very mountainous, yet it is cultivated to the very tops of the mountains; and, being covered with vines, citrons, oranges, and many other fine fruit-trees, it appears like one wide, extended; beautiful, garden. During our stay on this island we resided at Fonchiale, which is the capital, Mr. Banks and
A great part of the best provisions used on this island are imported from England and other parts of Europe, especially such as are eaten at dinner; from whence also they import most of their utensils and wearing-apparel; so that many of the necessaries of life bear a very high price amongst them.
While the ship lay in this harbour, we had the misfortune of losing
Having taken in a supply of water, wines, and other necessaries, on the 19th of September we proceeded on our voyage, with the wind at E. S. E. and on the 22d saw the islands of Salvages, at about two leagues and a half distance. They lie between
On the 23d we fell in with the trade-winds at N. E. and on the same day discovered the peak of Teneriffe.
On the 24th we sailed between that peak and the grand Canary islands. In our passage we saw some land birds, and caught two of them, which were very much like our water wag-tail.
On the 29th, we had a view of the island of Bona Vista, at about four leagues distance.
Nothing material occurred from the 29th to the 7th of October; then we had variable winds, with some showers of rain; and the dampness of the air greatly affected all our iron utensils. We caught two sea swallows, and several curious marine animals, of the molusca tribe, such as sea-worms, star-fish, and sea urchins.
On the 21st, we reached the S. E. trade wind, and continued our course without any remarkable occurrence till the 8th of November; then we discovered land at about eight leagues distance, and spoke with the crew of a Portugueze fishing vessel, of whom Mr. Banks bought a great quantity of fish, among which were dolphins and breams, which afforded much speculation to our naturalists. After having left the vessel, we stood in for the land, which proved to be the Brazils; and coasted along the shore till the 13th, and then sailed into the harbour of
The viceroy detained the lieutenant and the mate, and sent back the pinnace with three of his own officers in it (of which one was a colonel) but no pilot. The colonel told us, that our officers would only be detained till the ship should be examined, according to custom: we therefore stood forward into the harbour, and anchored near the north end of Ilhos dos Scobros, or
Our lieutenant had been instructed to evade answering any questions the Portugueze might ask him respecting our destination; or at least to answer them with reserve: the captain thought such questions would be impertinent, as our vessel was a ship of war; and the lieutenant observed these directions.
The viceroy held a council, the result of which was, to prohibit any person coming on shore from our ship; but they condescended to order all necessary
We had plenty of fish from the markets every day, of which they are furnished with a great variety.
We often picked off some curious molusca from the surface of the sea; and also land insects of several kinds alive, which floated round the ship upon the water.
The country, adjacent to the city of Rio de Janeiro, is mountainous, full of wood, and but a very little part of it appears to be cultivated. The soil near the river is a kind of loam, mixt with sand; but farther up in the country we found a fine black mould. All the tropical fruits, such as melons, oranges, mangoes, lemons, limes, cocoa nuts and plantains, are to be met with here in great plenty. The air, it seems, is but seldom extremely hot, as they have a breeze of wind from the sea every morning; and generally a land wind at night S. Parkinson had not been idle from the, time he left England, having, as appeared by a letter from him to his brother, finished 100 drawings on various subjects, and taken sketches of many more; which he intended to have finished if he had lived to return.
On the 7th of December, 1768, our necessary provisions, and other supplies, having been taken on board, we left the harbour of
On the 22d, we saw a great many birds of the procellaria genus, in latitude' 39° 37' S. and longitude 49° 16' W. and we also met with shoals of porpoises of a' very singular species.
On the 23d of December, we observed an eclipse of the moon; and about seven in the morning a bright cloud in the west, from which a stream of fire proceeded: it bore away to the westward, and about two minutes after we heard two loud explosions like that of a cannon; and then the cloud soon disappeared.
On the 24th, we caught a logger-head tortoise, which weighed one hundred and fifty pounds; and shot several birds, one of which was an albatros, that measured, from the tip of one wing to the other, nine feet one inch; and from the beak to the tail two feet one inch and a half. Some time after, we met with some birds of the same kind that measured fourteen feet from the tips of the wings.
The thermometer, in the middle of the day, was from 66 to 69; and in the evening 62, when the air was not so dry.
On the 29th, we saw several parcels of rock weed; and, from this time to the 30th, the weather was very unsettled; the wind sometimes blowing very hard; at others only a moderate gale; and then quite calm.
For several evenings, swarms of butterflies, moths, and other insects, flew about the rigging, which we apprehended had been blown to us from the shore. Thousands of them settled upon the vessel; Mr. Banks ordered the men to gather them
On the 31st, we had much thunder, lightening, and rain, and saw several whales: we saw also some birds about the size of a pigeon, with white breasts and grey beaks.
On the 4th of January, 1769, we saw a cloud which we took for Pepy's Island, and made toward it till we were convinced of our mistake. The air at this time was cold and dry, and we had frequent squalls of wind.
On the 6th, we saw several penguins, with many other sea birds; and, on the 7th, had an exceeding hard gale of wind from S. W. in latitude 51° 25' S. and longitude 62° 44' W. We supposed ourselves not far from
From several circumstances which occurred on the 8th, it was concluded that we had sailed between
On the 11th, we discovered Terra del Fuego; but, having contrary winds, and being apprehensive of danger from the foulness of the ground, which we discovered by sounding, we kept out at sea.
On the 16th, the wind changing in our favour, we approached the land; and at length anchored in Port
On the 17th we left Port
We had not been long arrived before some Indians appeared on the beach at the head of the bay; the captain, Mr. Banks, and
One of the Indians made several long orations to the rest; but they were utterly unintelligible to every one of us. Another of them feeing the leathern cover of a globe lie in the cabin, sound means to steal it, and secrete it under his garment, which was made of a skin of some animal, and carried it ashore, undiscovered; where he had no sooner arrived, than he shewed his prize to the very person it belonged to, and seemed to exult upon the occasion, placing it upon his head, and was highly delighted with it.
The natives make a very uncouth and savage appearance, [see pl. I.] having broad flat faces, small black eyes, low foreheads, and noses much like those of negroes, with wide nostrils, high cheeks, large mouths, and small teeth. Their hair, which is black and streight, hangs over their foreheads and ears, which; most of them had smeared with brown and red paint; but, like the rest of the original inhabitants of America, they have no beard. None of them seemed above five feet ten inches high; but their bodies are thick and robust, though their limbs are small. They wear a bunch of yarn made of guanica's An animal something like a sleep but of the size of a mule, and has a thick fleece.
These poor Indians live in a village [see pl. II.] on the south side of the bay, behind a hill; the number of their huts is about thirteen, and they contain near fifty people, who seem to be. all the inhabitants of this dreary part of the island, where it is very cold, even in the midst of summer.
Their huts are made of the branches of trees, covered with guanica and feal skins; and, at best, are but wretched habitations for human beings to dwell in.
Their food is the flesh of seals and shell-fish, particularly muscles, of which we have seen some very large.
They use bows and arrows with great dexterity. The former are made of a species of wood somewhat like our beech; and the latter of a light yellow wood feathered at one end, and acuated at the other with pieces of clear white chrystal, chipped very ingeniously to a point. [See pl. XXVI. fig. 26.]
There are dogs upon this island two feet high, with sharp ears.
Having seen several rings and buttons upon the natives, we concluded that they must have had some communication with the Indians in the Streights of Magellan; but they appeared to be unacquainted with Europeans.
The Bay of Good Success is about three in extent, from east to west; two miles in breadth is defended from east Staten-land. Near the shore it is
During our stay on this island, the naturalists collected a great many plants, and other curiosities, most of which are non-descript: but an unfortunate accident happened in one of their excursions; Mr. Banks,
Having furnished ourselves with wood and water, and let down our guns and lumber below deck, to be better prepared for the high gales which we expected in going round
The land on both sides, particularly Staten-land, affords a most dismal prospect, being made up chiefly of barren rocks and tremendous precipices, covered with snow, and uninhabited, forming one of those natural views which human nature can scarce behold without shuddering. — How amazingly diversified are the works of the Deity within the narrow limits of this globe we inhabit, which, compared with the vast aggregate of systems that compose the universe, appears but a dark speck in the creation! A curiosity, perhaps, equal to
On the 25th, we saw
The point of the Cape is very low; and at the S. E. extremity there are several islands, called, by the French,
On the 30th, we reached to latitude 60°2' S. and longitude 73° 5' W. variation 24° 54' E. This was our highest southern latitude; and from thence we altered our course, steering W. N. W. with but little variation, having pleasant weather, and short nights, until the 16th of February, when we had hard gales from W. by S. S. by W. and S. and we continued our course N. W. till the 10th; between that time and the 20th, we had very copious dews, like small showers of rain.
On the 21st, we saw a great number of tropic and egg birds, and shot two of the former, which had a very beauteous plumage, being a fine white, mingled with a most lively red: their tails were composed of two long red feathers; and their beaks were of a deep red. We found ourselves at this time in latitude 25° 21' S. and longitude 120° 20' W. having fair weather, with a dry, serene, and salubrious air.
Continuing our course N. westerly, between the Dolphin's first and second track, on the 4th of April, about three o'clock in the afternoon we discovered land; and after two hours failing we approached near to it. It is a flat island, extending a great length from E. to W. describing the form of a crescent; and has a sand-bank joined to it, on which the surf ran very high. In the middle of the island, there is a large salt lagoon, or lake; and at the east end of it are many palm trees. We saw clouds of smoke ascend from different parts, proceeding, as we apprehended, from fires kindled by the natives, and designed as signals to us. Night came on before we could discover the west end of the island; and not knowing but there might be more islands, we lay-to all night, and the next morning we saw another in latitude 18° 23', which, on account of a great salt lagoon in the middle of it, we called Lagoon-Isle: Before noon we made another low island, which we called Thumb-cap Island. It stretched a long way, and is made up of several parcels of land joined together by reefs: it has also a lagoon inclosed with a reef, upon which we discovered many canoes; some having ten people in them, and others a lesser number. As we failed along, the natives followed us, some on the reef, others in canoes, and seemed desirous to have an intercourse with us; but though we beckoned to them, they would not come off. They appeared to be very stout men; their complexion almost black, with short hair, and quite naked, having long lances, or poles, in their hands. Some of them waded up to the neck in water to look at us, but they did not discover any hostile intentions. Their canoes had out-riggers, with mat-fails: and when we put away from the land one of them followed us.
Upon these islands we saw a variety of verdant trees, amongst which were some palms; and upon the coast, rocks of coral appeared above water. We discovered some of their huts, and several fires burning around them. The land formed a large semicircular bay, and the reef before it the fame figure; and the water was as smooth as a mill-pond, and abounded with flying-fish; but, to our surprise, we could not reach the bottom of it with 130 fathom of line, at one mile distance from the shore.
This day we also discovered another low island, which we called
In the morning of the 10th, we saw
The 12th, the sea being mostly calm in the forenoon, we could get very little nearer land; but many of the Indians came off to us in canoes (one of which was double, and had much carved work upon it) bringing with them cocoa nuts, and apples, to truck for nails, buttons, and beads. These canoes were but just wide enough for one person to fit in the breadth: to prevent them from oversetting, they place out riggers, upon the top of which is fixed a bamboe fishing rod. The people in the canoes were of a pale, tawny, complexion, and had long black hair. They seemed to be very good-natured, and not of a covetous disposition; giving us a couple of cocoa nuts, or a basket of apples, for a button, or a nail.
While we lay before these islands, we had squalls of wind, some calms, and heavy showers of rain. Toward night we opened the N. W. point, and discovered the island named by the Dolphin's people,
On the 14th, in the morning, a great number of the natives came to us, round a reef point towards the south, and were very troublesome, attempting to. steal every thing they could lay their hands upon: they brought with them only two or three hogs, which they would not exchange for any thing but hatchets. Among the rest who visited us, there were some people of distinction in double canoes: their cloaths, carriage, and behaviour evinced their superiority. I never beheld statelier men, [see pl. III.] having a pleasant countenance, large black eyes, black hair, and white teeth. They behaved very courteously, and expressed some uneasiness at the conduct of the rest. We entertained them in the cabin, and then bent our sails, taking them with us for guides, till we had doubled the point, where we found a fine bay to anchor in. In the afternoon, a small party of us made an excursion into the country, and the inhabitants followed us in great numbers. At length, being fatigued, we sat down under the shade of some lofty trees, the undulation of whose leaves rendered it very cool and pleasant. The high cocoas, and the low branching fruit trees, formed an agreeable contrast; while the cloud-topt hills, appearing between them, added to the natural grandeur of the prospect. The inhabitants stood gaping around us while we feasted on the cocoanut milk, which afforded us a pleasing repast.
On the 15th, in the morning, several of the chiefs, one of which was very corpulent, came on board from the other point, and brought us some hogs; we presented them with a sheet and some trinkets in return; but some of them took the liberty of stealing the top of the lightening-chain. We went ashore, and pitched the markee: Mr. Banks, the captain, and myself, took a walk in the woods, and were afterwards joined by
A centinel being off his guard, one of the natives snatched a-musket out of his hand, which occasioned the fray. A boy, a midshipman, was the commanding officer, and, giving orders to fire, they obeyed with the greatest glee imaginable, as if they had been shooting at wild ducks, killed one stout man, and wounded many others. What a pity, that such brutality should be exercised by civilized people upon unarmed ignorant Indians!
When Mr. Banks heard of the affair, he was highly displeased, saying, "If we quarreled with those Indians, we should not agree with angels;" and he did all he could to accommodate the difference, going across the river, and, through the mediation of an old man, prevailed on many of the natives to come over to us, bearing plantain-trees, which is a signal of peace amongst them; and, clapping their hands to their breasts, cried Tyau, which signifies friendship. They sat down by us; sent for cocoa nuts, and we drank the milk with them. They laughed heartily, and were very social, more so than could have been expected, considering what they had suffered in the late skirmish.— Have we not reason to conclude, that their dispositions are very flexible; and that resentment, with them, is a short-lived passion?
The horizon not being clear, we could not make any astronomical observations; and therefore did not attempt to go round the point to the other bay. The weather, however, since we arrived here, has generally been clear, with now and then a flight shower of rain, and the wind E. N. E.
Mr.
On the 16th, but few of the Indians came to us in their canoes, being, we apprehended, somewhat alarmed at what had happened the day before. We got the ship moored, and Mr. Banks and the captain went ashore to confer with the natives, and to prevail on them to traffic with us again.
On the 17th, early in the morning,
Two of the chiefs came on board this morning, bringing with them a present of hogs, fowls, plantains, bananas, cocoas, bread-fruit and a fort of yams. At this season the cocoas are young, many of them yielding a quart of fine milk, and the shell is eatable, but they have no kernel.
We pitched one of the ship's tents As we were to make the observation of the transit on this island, we built a temporary fort for our accommodation on shore: [see pl. IV.] It had a foffé, with palisadoes, next the river: guns and sirvivels mounted on the ramparts; and within, we had an observatory, an oven, forge, and pens for our sheep. Centinels were also appointed as usual in garrisons, and military discipline observed. The sandy ground, on which the fort stood, was very troublesome when the wind was high.
On the 18th, in the night, we lay on shore, and were much incommoded with a species of flies with which the island swarms; insomuch that, at dinner time, it was one person's employ to beat them off with a feather fly-flap, the handle of which is made of a hard brown wood, rudely carved, and somewhat resembles a human figure.
On the 20th, one of their chiefs, named Tubora Tumaida, whom we called Lycurgus, with his wife and son, came to visit and dine with us: While we were at dinner, one of his attendants made up a dish with some garbage which they brought with them, mixing it with cocoa nut liquor in a shell, and it tasted like sowens A kind of flummery made of oatmeal.
The mode of dressing their food too is very singular: they make a hole in the ground, and, placing stones in it, kindle a fire upon them; and when they are sufficiently heated, they sweep off the ashes, and then lay their food upon them. At their meals the married women ate apart from the men, and we could not prevail on them to join us. The men, especially, seemed to like the manner of our eating, and handled knives and forks very well. Hogs and fowls are not very plentiful amongst them yams, and the best bananas, are very scarce in this island; the natives bring down but few of either sort, and eat of them very sparingly. When the natives want to make a fire, they take a piece of light wood, make a groove in it, and rub along that with another piece till the small dust catches fire. This is very laborious, and requires a considerable time to effect it.
On the 21st, we went round the point, and met with Lycurgus sitting on the ground, with his wife by his side, having a canoe covering, which he brought there on purpose to be near us: he gave us a hearty welcome; and, to divert us, ordered two of his boys to play on their flutes, while another sang a sort of
The cloth, worn by the natives of this island, is of a very singular kind, being made of the bark of a small tree which contains a glutinous juice, some of which we saw in our excursions. The mode of manufacturing it is very simple, though very laborious, and is mostly performed by women. After the bark has been soaked in water for a few days, they lay it upon a flat piece of timber, and beat it out as thin as they think proper with a kind of mallet of an oblong square, [see pl. XIII. fig. 5.] each side of which is cut into small grooves of four different sizes: they begin with that side where they are the largest, and end with the finest, which
The rates, or terms, on which we trafficked with the natives, were a spike for a small pig; a smaller for a fowl; a hatchet for a hog; and twenty cocoa-nuts, or bread-fruit, for a middling-sized nail.
When the natives beckon to any person at a distance, contrary to our mode they wave their hands downwards; and when they meet a friend, or relation, whom they have not seen for some time, they affect to cry for joy, but it seems to be entirely Ceremonial.
The tide rises and falls scarce a foot in the harbour; but the surf runs high. The inhabitants are very expert swimmers, and will remain in the water a long time, even with their hands full. They keep their water on shore in large bamboos, and in them they also carry up salt-water into the country. The boys drag for fish with a sort of net made of convolvulus leaves; and sometimes catch them with hooks made of mother of pearl oysters, large pinna marina, and other shells; and the shapes of them are very singular. They have also some made of wood, which are very large; [see figures of several of them, pl. XIII. fig. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.] They fifth without bait, but the fish are attracted the soonest by such hooks as are made of glittering shells. When they throw their hooks, they row their canoes as fact as possible: sometimes they make use of a decoy made of the backs of cowries, and other shells, which are perforated, and tied together in the shape of a fish, making a head to it with a small cowrey; and the tail is formed of grafts ingeniously plaited. At a little distance under this decoy, hangs the hook: [see pl. XIII. fig. 15 and 25.] To sink their lines, they make use of bone, or a piece of spar, which they sometimes carve. See ibid. fig. 16, 17.
The chief food of the natives is the bread-fruit and bananas, which they peel and scrape with a sharp shell; but they eat sparingly of flesh, and of fish in general; but of the latter, sometimes alive, or raw; and, as they have no salt, they dip their meat into salt water. The natives, it seems, are very subject to the itch and other The women sometimes row the canoes.
Tobiah, Obereah's favourite, being at dinner with us, and not seeming to like our provision, which was pork-pie, remembering that we had a large cuttle-fish, we ordered it to be brought; Tubora Tumaida coming in the mean time, although he said his belly was full, immediately seized on it as if it had been a dainty morsel, and, with another man, ate much of it quite raw; and having the rest roasted, he ate the greatest part of it; the remainder he put into two cocoa nuts, and sent it home with great care; so that, to all appearance, they value this fish, as much as some Englishmen do turtle, or a haunch of venison. When this fish was dressed it ate like stewed oysters, but not so tender. I have been told that this fish makes excellent soup. These people also are fond of dog's-flesh, and reckon it delicious food, which we discovered by their bringing the leg of a dog roasted to fell. Mr. Banks ate a piece of it, and admired it much. He went out immediately and bought one, and gave it to some Indians to kill and dress it in their manner, which they did accordingly. After having held the dog's mouth down to the pit of his stomach till he was stifled, they made a parcel of stones hot upon the ground, laid him upon them, and singed off the hair, then scraped his skin with a cocoa shell, and rubbed it with coral; after which they took out the entrails, laid them all carefully on the stones, and after they were broiled ate them with great gout; nor did some of our people scruple to partake with them of this indelicate repast. Having scraped and washed the dog's body clean, they prepared an oven of hot stones, covered them with bread-fruit leaves, and laid it upon them, with liver, heart and lungs, pouring a coco-nut full of blood upon them, covering them too with more leaves and hot stones, and inclosed the whole with earth patted down very close to keep in the heat. It was about four hours in the oven, and at night it was served up for supper: I ate a little of it; it had the taste of coarse beef, and a strong disagreeable smell; but
On the 27th, we saw a very odd ceremony performed; Tiropoa, one of Tubora Tumaida's wives, after weeping, and expressing some emotions of sorrow, took a shark's tooth from under her cloaths, and struck it against her head several times, which produced a copious discharge of blood; then, lamenting most bitterly, she articulated some words in a mournful tone, and covered the blood with some pieces of cloth; and, having bled about a pint, she gathered up as much of it as she could, threw it into the sea, and then assumed a chearful countenance, as if nothing had happened. This, it seems, is a ceremony generally performed by widows after the decease of their husbands.
This morning a woman, a fat, bouncing, good-looking dame, whom we found the queen, having a great quantity of their cloth of all colours, made us a visit, and a present.
Tootahau, the king of the island, whom we called
On the 30th, the weather being fair, we made a tour in the country, which was very pleasant, and met with several rare plants, which afforded much agreeable amusement to our botanical gentlemen.
On the 2d of May, we missed the astronomical quadrant it having been brought on shore the day before, in order to make observation of the transit of Venus: several men were immediately dispatched into the country to search for it; and they were informed, by some of the natives, that it had been carried through the woods to the eastward. The captain, ; and in the area many of the natives assembled, having brought with them large baskets of bread-fruit: some of them were employed in dividing them, and others carried away whole baskets full; so that it had the appearance of a market of breadfruit. Near to this opening, there was another long house, where, it seems, they coloured their cloth, of which I bought a few pieces, and returned to the fort. About eight o'clock in the evening, the party, that went out in quest of the quadrant, came back, having happily obtained it by the assistance of Tubora Tumaida. Some of the natives had taken it to pieces, and divided it amongst them, but had done it no material damage. It was stolen by a man named Moroameah, servant to Titaboreah, one of their chiefs. They also found a pistol, which one of the natives had stolen some time before. Tootahau wept while the party was absent, and was much alarmed on the occasion, apprehending that he should be killed if the quadrant could not be found; and had sent for two hogs to appease us. Oboreah, the queen, fled from us; nor would any of the natives come to market. When Tubora Tumaida, and his party, who accompanied Mr. Banks, returned, and saw Tootahau confined, they set up the most doleful lamentation imaginable; but they were soon pacified by the assurances made them that we designed them no injury.
On the 4th, very few people came to market with provisions, having been intimidated by the detention of their king Tootahau.
Some of the natives gave us an account of many neighbouring islands, to the number of nineteen, and shewed us one of them from a hill, which was Yoole Etea.
Most of the natives of this island smell strong of the cocoa oil, and are of a pale brown complexion, mostly having black hair, and that often frizzled; black eyes, flat nose, and large mouth, with a chearful countenance; they all wear their beards, but cut off their mustachios, [see pl. VIII. fig. 1.] are well made, and very sturdy, having their bellies in general very prominent; and are a timorous, merry, facetious, hospitable people. There are more tall men among them than among any people I have
The natives huts are inclosed; by a low fence made of reeds; and the ground within them is very neatly bedded with a kind of straw, upon which they lay mats to sleep on; and, for a pillow, they have a four-legged stool, joined at the bottom, which is made out of a solid piece of wood; and the only tools they have to work. with are made of stones, or shells, as they had no iron upon the island until the Dolphin arrived. [See pl. XIII. fig. 7.]
These huts are built at a considerable distance from each other; so that the island looks like one continued village, and abounds with cocoa I saw some stalks of cocoa-nuts which, were as heavy as. I could lift, which surprised me the more-as the stalks were very slender.
These people go to war in large canoes, at one end of which there is a kind of stage erected, supported by four carved pillars, and is called tootee. Their weapons are a kind of clubs, and long wooden lances. They have also bows and arrows. The former are made of a strong elastic wood. The arrows are a small species of reed, or bamboes, pointed with hard wood, or with the sting of the rayfish, which is a sharp-bearded bone. [See pl. XIII. fig. 13] They also make use of slings, [see ibid. fig. 1.] made of the fibres of the bark of some tree, of which, in general, they make their cordage too: some of them, as well as their slings, are neatly plaited. Their hatchets, or rather adzes, which they call towa, are made by tying a hard black stone, of the kind of which they make their paste-beaters, to the end of a wooden handle; and they look very much like a small garden hoe: and the stone part is ground or worn to an edge. [See pl. XIII. fig. 9.] The making of these stone-instruments must be a work of time, and laborious, as the stone of which they are made is very hard. The natives have maros, or pieces of cloth, which reach up from the waist, to defend them from the lances, or bunches of hair curiously plaited. They also wear teepootas upon their heads, and taowmees, or a kind of breast-plate, hung about their necks; [see pl. XI.] large turbans too, in which they stick a small bunch of parrot's feathers; [see pl. XIII. fig. 12.] and sometimes use what they call a whaow, which is a large cap of a conical figure. In their heivos, or war-dances, they assume various antic motions and gestures, like those practised by the girls when they dance taowree whaow, A kind of diversion. We saw two men who had been pierced through the skull by stones from a fling; the wounds were healed up, but had left a large operculum.
The natives cut their hair in various forms. When their nearest relations die, some of them cut it off entirely, and go bare-headed; others leave a border all round the head; and others cut it into circles; while some have only a circular piece cut off the crown like a priest's tonsure; others still prefer another mode, leaving the hair upon the crown of the head, and cut off all the rest. All this they perform with a shark's tooth, which cuts it very close: they also shave with a shark's tooth fitted to a piece of coarse shell. The natives are accustomed to mark themselves in a very singular manner, which they call tataowing; [see pl. VII. fig. 1.] this is done with the juice of a plant; and they perform the operation with an instrument having teeth like a comb, dipped in the juice, with which the skin is perforated. [See pl. XIII. fig. 2, 3, and 4.]
Polygamy is not allowed amongst them; but the married women have not a very delicate sense of modesty: their husbands will allow you any liberty with their wives, except the last, which they do not approve. Most of our ship's company procured temporary wives amongst the natives, with whom they occasionally co habited; an indulgence which even many reputed virtuous Europeans allow themselves, in uncivilized parts of the world, with impunity; as if a change of place
It is customary for the women to wear garlands of flowers on their heads, [see pl. VIII. fig. 1, 2.] which are composed of the white palm-leaves gathered from the spathas from which the flower proceeds. They also gather a species of gardenia, as soon as they open, and put them in their ears. Both sexes are very cleanly; they wash themselves in the river three times a day; and their hands and teeth after every meal.
The children of both sexes are remarkably kind to one another, and, if any thing be given them, will, if possible, equally divide it among them.
On the fifth, the captain and Mr. Banks, with some others, went to the west, and waited upon Tootahau, and some other of the chiefs, who, it was supposed, had taken affront, as the people did not bring fruit, as usual, to market. They received them kindly, and entertained them with wrestling-and dancing: when they returned to the ship, Tootahau, their king, came along with them, brought a barbecued-hog, and the captain made him a present.
On the sixth being the next day, the natives brought their fruits to market as usual.
In walking through the woods we saw the corpse of a man laid upon a sort of bier, which had an awning over it made of mats, supported by four sticks; a square piece of ground around it was railed in with bamboos, and the body was covered with cloth. These burial places are called
This day we also saw them polishing their canoes, which was done with the madrepora fungites, a species of coral, or sea mushroom, with which they also polish the beams of their houses.
On the 8th,
We saw a man this day of a very fair complexion, with ruddy nose and cheeks, having the hair of his head, beard, eye-brows, and eye-lashes, quite white; insomuch that he was a lusus naturæ amongst them.
On the 13th, as Mr. Banks sat in the boat, trading with them as usual, we saw a very odd ceremony performed:—Some strangers came up, to whom the rest gave way, making a lane for them to pass through: the first person in the procession presented Mr. Banks with a small bunch of parrot's feathers, with some plantain, and malape-leaves, one after another. A woman passed along the next, having a great many clothes upon her, which she took off, and; spreading them upon the ground, turned round, and exposed herself quite naked: more garments being handed to her, by the company, she spread them also upon the ground, and then exposed herself as before; then the people gathered up all her clothes, took leave, and retired.
On the 14th, we saw a person who had the appearance of an hermaphrodite.
On the 15th, we had but a slight sea breeze, and the weather was very sultry, though the clouds hung upon the mountains, and we expected some rain; we had some puffs of wind from the mountains, that raised the sand in little clouds, which covered every thing, and rendered our situation still more disagreeable. In the evening we saw a remarkable large ring round the moon.
On the 16th, it rained very hard, and there were two rainbows. We hauled the, Sein in several distant places, but caught no-fish.
On the 17th, the centinel fired at one of the natives, who came before it was light with an intent to steal some of the casks, which was the second offence; but the powder flashed in the pan, and the man escaped with his life.
On the 20th, but few of the natives came to market, having been prevented by the rain.
On the 22d, it rained very hard, accompanied with thunder and lightening, more terrible than any I had ever heard, or seen, before. It rained so hard that the water came through the markee, and wetted every thing in it; and we were much afraid the ship would have suffered by the storm, but she providentially escaped.
On the third of June, it being very fair, the astronomers had a good opportunity of making an observation of the transit. Mr. Banks, and a party, went to Eimayo; and another party to the east, to make observations at the same time. Mr. Banks returned with two hogs, which he got from the king of Eimayo.
The following calculation of the Transit, being found amongst Sydney Parkinson's papers, as also a table of the rising and falling of the Thermometer, between the 27th of April, 1769, and the 9th of July following, they are here subjoined for the information of the curious.
On the 12th, we received' an account from the natives respecting two ships that had been on their coast; and we gathered from them that the crew were Spaniards, and that they had introduced the lues venerea amongst them. we afterrwards learned at
On the 15th, the oven-rake was stolen, which, joined to the other things that had been pilfered from us by some of the natives, and the insolent treatment
On the 19th, in the evening after dark; Oboreah, the queen, and several of her attendants, came from Opare, Tootahau's palace, in a double canoe, laden with plantains, bread-fruit, and a hog; but brought none of the stolen things with
This day, the princess Tetroah Mituah's canoes were taken, laden with presents for us; but, as
On the 21st, in the morning, many of the natives came to us with presents of various kinds; but, though called presents, they were all paid for. Our tent was nearly filled with people; and, soon after, Amoa, who is chief of several districts on the other side of the island, also came to us, and brought with him a hog. As soon as he appeared, the natives uncloathed themselves to the waist; which mark of obeisance to their superiors we had not observed before, but judged it was usually shewn to every person of distinguished rank amongst them. This man Oboreah called her husband, and
On the 23d, in the morning, we missed one of our men, a Portugueze, whom we had taken in at
On the 26th, the captain and Mr. Banks set out to make a survey of the island, and began with the west side.
On the 27th, we saw a favourite game, which the young girls divert themselves with in an evening; dividing themselves into two parties, one standing opposite to the other, one party throws apples, which the other endeavours to catch. The right of the game I am not acquainted with; but now-and-then one of the parties advanced, stamping with their feet, making wry mouths, straddling with their legs, lifting up their cloaths, and exposing their nakedness; at the same time repeating some words in a disagreeable tone. Thus are they bred up to lewdness from their childhood, many of them not being above eight or nine years of age.
The 28th; this evening the captain and Mr. Banks returned from their western excursion. And,
On the 29th, early in the morning, they set out for the east part of the island, to make a survey of it.
Provisions of all kinds were, at this time, very scarce; and some of the inhabitants almost famished. This scarcity was principally occasioned by supplying us too liberally with bread-fruit, which obliged the inhabitants to eat ehee, roasted, in its stead, which tastes much like our chesnut: but, as the bread-tree was full of young fruit, we were in hopes that they would soon have another crop to relieve them.
On the first of July, in the evening, the captain and Mr. Banks returned from surveying the island, which they found to be larger than they expected, and brought with them several hogs, and could have obtained more with more hatchets. In their tour round the island, they discovered that it consists of two peninsulas, connected by a low marshy isthmus, through which Mr. Banks supposed canoes might be drawn. From Port-Royal, which is situate at the west end, the coast extends E by S. about nineteen miles to a reef of three small islands, forming a bay, called Society-Bay. From this the land inclines into a deep bay, at the isthmus or juncture of the two divisions, of which the smallest is nearly oval, and surrounded by a reef, which runs parallel to the shore at about two miles distance: This has several apertures, or passages, which afford safe anchorage within The north side of the island is likewise defended by a similar reef; but the ground within is foul, and unsafe for vessels of burthen. The whole length of the island is about fifteen leagues; and its circumference forty leagues. Besides the above-mentioned, they saw several other bays; some of them very good, and one, in particular, in which a large fleet might have rode with ease and safety: the name the natives give it is
They also learned, that the island is divided into two. principalities, one of which, comprehending the largest peninsula, is called
In their voyage they also saw a large monument, of a pyramidal form, of polished stone, which they were told was the moral of Oboreah and Oamo, and the people there said they were brother and sister.
On the 6th of July, in the evening, a young woman came to the entrance of the fort, whom we found to be a daughter of Oamo. The natives complimented her on her arrival, by uncovering their shoulders. We invited her to the tent, but she did not accept of it.
On the 9th, two of our marines being enamoured with a girl, one of the natives deserted from the sort, and fled to the west part of the island, and intended to have staid there. On the same day one of the natives stole a knife from one of our sailors, and wounded him with it in the forehead, almost through his skull: — a fray ensued, and the Indians ran away.
On this day, Mr. Banks and
Most of the materials which composed the fort having been taken down, and put on board the ship, we prepared to set fail.
On the 10th, hearing no tidings of the two men who deserted us, we resolved to seize several of the principal people, and detain them till we could recover them: we also sent a party in the pinnace who apprehended Tcotahau, and brought him to the ship; upon which Oboreah, and several other of the chiefs, sent out their servants, who returned in the evening with one of them, and
During our stay here, Mr. Banks and
The following catalogue exhibits some of the principal botanical subjects, natives of this place, made use of by the inhabitants.
Grows upon the hills; has a very sweet-smelling white flower, which the natives admire much.
The expressed juice of this plant they drink to intoxicate themselves.
Of this cane they make no sugar, but content themselves with sucking the juice out of it.
The stalks of this plant, stripped of their pulp, which they perform with a sharp shell, make a sort of thread used for several common purposes.
The leaves of these two plants are ingredients in their red dye, or mattee, for their cloth
Of the timber of this tree they build their large canoes.
This was originally brought from some other island to
The stalks of this plant they give young children to suck.
Planted and cultivated by the natives, on account of its root, which is the sweet potatoe of the South-sea Islands.
Of this plant they make a sort of seine, which they use in such ground where they cannot use another.
The leaf of this plant is one of the ingredients in their manoe.
This plant has a pretty large white flower like that of an oleander. Of the wood of this tree they make their pahaoos, or drums.
The leaves of this plant they use in making their red dye or mattee.
The leaves of this plant, baked, are eaten as greens.
The root of this tree they use to dye their garments yellow, and eat the fruit of it
Of this plant there are five different sorts, yielding a large root, which is eaten, and counted very good food, by the islanders of the South-seas.
This plant is remarkable for nothing except its name, which signifies the Oopa, or pigeons dung; that bird feeds on the berries, and voids the stones on the trunk of trees, where it-grows.
The root of this plant, properly prepared, makes an excellent strong jelly, like to blanc-mange, of the nature of salop, for which it is very justly admired by these islanders.
The timber of this tree, which grows pretty large at
This plant is used to poison fish, in order to catch them; and, for this purpose, they beat or mash it together and throw it into the rivers and sea within the reefs.
This is the common bamboe, of which these islanders make great use; the large joints they keep to hold water and oil; of the small they make arrows, slutes, cases to hold small things; and, when cut into slips, they serve them for knives, and cut tolerably well.
This plant is one of those which they hang upon their whatta-note-toobapaow, or burial-stand, to be eaten by the soul of the deceased.
This is a tall and stately tree which bears a round flat fruit, covered with a thick tough coat, and, when roasted and stripped of its rind, eats as well as a chesnut.
This is a large stately tree, and often grows to the height of forty and fifty feet: the fruit, which, I believe, is peculiar to these isles, is of an oval shape, yellow when ripe, and grows in bunches of three or four, and is about the size of a middling apple, with a large stringy core: it is a very wholsome and palatable fruit, improving on the taste, which is nearest that of a mangoe; it is strongly impregnated with turpentine, and makes excellent pies when green. The wood serves for building canoes, and for several other purposes.
The fruit of this shrub they lay upon their corpses, and hang it upon their burial
whattas,
This plant is full of a milky juice, with which they dye their garments of an indifferent brown colour.
This tree, which grows to a large size, is often planted in their Morais, and near their houses, for the sake of its agreeable shade; the wood serves to build canoes, make chests, stools and drums: the kernel of the nut which is in the fruit, though small, has a very pleasant taste. [See pl. X.]
This tree, or shrub, grows upon the Tooaroa, or Lower-hills, and is much resorted to by the venee, or small blue parrot, which feeds upon the flowers, and is often caught here, by means of a glewy juice which issues out from the tops of the stalks, when broke by their feeding upon them, and catches them like birdlime:: the flowers are full of beautiful scarlet stamina; the natives stick them in their ears by way of ornament; and the leaves are put in their monoe, when they can get nothing sweeter.
The only use they make of this tree, which has a flower like a myrtle, is to make their totos or clubs, and ewha's, or a sort of lances, being very tough: they call it an eraow paree, or the cunning tree.
This tree grows upon the lower-hills, having great clusters of crimson flowers, full of stamina of the same colour, much like an almond-blossom, but more brilliant: the fruit, when ripe, is red, and as big as one's fist; sweet, very agreeable to the palate, and full of feeds: it is very well known in the East-India islands, where it is esteemed delicious fruit.
This is a most beautiful verdant tree, that grows to a large size, bearing spikes of white flowers: with the juice of the fruit and leaves they dye their garments a pale yellow, which, at the same time, gives them a rich perfume. The wood is greatly valued by them on account of its beauty and duration. They build canoes, make stools, and other utensils of it: it is most likely planted in the Morais, being sacred to their god Tané.
With bundles of this grass, lit up, they allure the fish to the edges of the reefs, carrying them in their hands at night.
This sort of purslain grows very common in the low islands, where the inhabitants bake and eat it, and account it very good food.
This beautiful tree grows to a considerable height, and bears a very large and specious white flower, full of long purple stamina, with which they sometimes deck their heads, and sometimes stick them in their ears: the fruit, powdered, they throw into the water to kill fish; and of the wood they build small canoes.
The flower of this tree is much admired on account of its sweet scent, for which reason they stick them in their ears and hair, and put them among their garments, and into their monoe. The wood is very tough and lasting, and of it they make drums, and thwarts across their canoes.
The juice of this plant, mixed with several others, they use as a plaistcr to cure any sort of wounds.
The stalks of this plant are eaten when they have no better food.
The juice of this plant has not the intoxicating quality of the other, so that they prudently make an offering of it to their Eatooas, on whose altars they hang bunches of it.
The bark of this tree yields an excellent stuff for making all sorts of twine, cord, and ropes. Of the wood they make their bows, beams and pillars of their houses, small canoes, stools, and various other utensils. Of the bark of the plant, when young, they weave a sort of matting, which is very neat, and is called by the fame name as the tree. The wood that remains after the bark is taken off, being very light, serves, instead of cork, to float their seins, and for handles to their fisgigs; and to rub together to get fire.
This plant is pretty much like the last, and is used for the same purposes, but is inserior in quality.
This tree is admired on account of its beautiful scarlet flower, of which the young people make garlands for their hair, stick them in their ears, and rub their lances with them to make them look red.
This is a species of cotton of which they have not yet found out the use.
This beautiful tree is planted in all Morais, being held sacred to Tané: they also make use of it as an emblem of peace; and always bring it in their hands when they meet with strange people. It yields a middling sort of timber, and is made use of for several purposes.
The seeds of this plant are of the nature of a burr, from whence its name, to glue or stick to any thing. The boys play the same tricks with it as the children in Europe with the burr. They also make maro's, or a sort of mat of the bark.
The seed of this plant it the well-known Indian pea with a black spot: of these they form ear-rings, and also stick them on a fillet which they wear on their head.
This is a large tree, and remarkable for its bright scarlet flower, making a most beautiful show. The venee feeds upon its flowers, and is caught with the clammy juice that issues out of it; the women make garlands of them, and put them round their heads.
This shrub grows wild, in great abundance, on the island of
With this plant, beaten small, they poison or stupify fish, throwing it into the water, by which means they are caught.
The stalks of this plant make a very good thread for weaving nets and seins. Of the flowers, which are very pretty, they make garlands for their heads.
Both these plants, bruised, are ingredients in their Erapaow-mai, or plaister to cure sores.
The roots of this plant, of which there are several varieties, are as good as Ignames, and are reckoned very wholesome common food in the South-sea islands. The leaves, when baked, taste as well as greens.
The root of this plant is as good as the last, but considerably larger: the leaves, which are very smooth and extremely large, are used to wrap up, or lay any sort of victuals upon.
This is one of the best woods they have; it is very hard and heavy, and coloured like mahogany. They make their clubs, lances, cloth-beaters, and several other knick-nacks and utensils of it.
Of the wood of this tree they make a sort of very small canoes, and several other necessary utensils.
The fruit of this tree is about the size of a small orange, very hard, and quite round, serving them, instead of bottles, to put their monoe or oil in.
The only thing remarkable about this plant is the leaves, which shut up at night, from whence its name, which signifies sleepy.
This is the shrub from which they make their finest and most beautiful cloth; and is probably the same with that of which they make paper in
Of the stalks of this nettle, beaten out, they make their best lines for their fish-hooks, which has the quality of not rotting with salt-water; they also make belts, or girdles of it, but very seldom garments; their best seins are also made of it.
Of the bark of this tree, soaked in water, they make that gummy substance which they put upon their dark-coloured cloth to make it glossy, and keep out the rain. The fruit of this tree is a sort of nut, which yields a very fat kernel, of which they make their black dye, used in Tataowing, by burning them and receiving the smoke. Strung upon a reed or stick they serve instead of candles, and give a very good light.
This tree, which yields the bread-fruit so often mentioned by the voyagers to the South-seas, may justly be stiled the Staff-of-life to these islanders; for from it they draw most of their support. This tree grows to between thirty and forty feet high, has large palmated leaves, of a deep grass-green on the upper-side, but paler on the under; and bears male and female flowers, which come out single at the bottom or joint of each leaf. The male flower fades and drops off; the female, or cluster of females, swell and yield the fruit, which often weighs three or four pounds, and is as big as a person's head when full grown. It is of a green colour; the rind is divided into a number of polygonical sections; the general shape a little longer than round, and white on the inside, with a pretty large core. The fruit, as well as the whole plant, is full of a white clammy juice, which issues plentifully from any part that is cut: it delights in a rich soil, and seldom grows, if ever, on the low islands: it is a very handsome tree to look at, of a beautiful verdure, and well cloathed with leaves, bearing a vast quantity of fruit, which appears to hang in bunches, and, by its great weight, bends down the branches: it bears fruit a great part of the year, and there are several sorts of it, some smaller and others larger, which are ready to pluck at different seasons. They generally pluck it before it is ripe, using a long stick with a fork at the end of it for this purpose; and, before they roast it, scrape all the rind off with a shell; and then, when large, cut it in quarters; and, having prepared one of their ovens in the ground, with hot stones in it, they lay the fruit upon these, having previously put a layer of the leaves between, and then another layer over them, and, above that, more hot stones, covering up the whole close with earth, and, in two or three hours time, it is done; it then appears very inviting, more so than the finest loaf I ever saw; the inside is very white, and the outside a pale brown; it tastes very farinaceous, and is, perhaps, the most agreeable and best succedaneum for bread ever yet known, and, in many respects, exceeds it. When thus baked, it only keeps three or four days, another contrivance being used for keeping it; they take the baked fruit, cut out all the cores, and, with a stone-mallet, mash it to a pulp in a wooden; trough, or tray. This pulp they put in a hole that is dug in the ground and lined with leaves; this is close covered up, and left a proper time till it ferments and becomes four, at which time they take it up, and make it into little loaves, which they wrap up in the leaves, and, in this state, it is baked, and called by them mahe,
This tree generally grows on the sandy hillocks by the sea-side, and is found in great plenty on all the low islands; the leaves are long, like those of sedge, sawed on the edge; the flowers are male and female, growing upon different trees; those of the male-flower smell very sweet; and, of the bractea of them, which are white, they make a sort of garlands to put round their heads; the fruit is orange colour, and as big as one's head, consisting of a congeries of small cones, like those of the Anana, or Pine-apple, which they much resemble: the bottom of these cones, sucked when full ripe, yield a flat insipid sweetness; and are eaten by the children; but the chief use of this tree is in the leaves, which, when plucked and dried, make excellent thatching for their houses, and various sorts of mats and baskets. This is the Palmetto of the eastern voyagers.
The figs of this tree are one of the chief ingredients in their red-dye for their garments: when they use them they nip or bite off the stalk close to the fruit, at which time a small drop of milky juice issues out; this they either shake upon the tow-leaves, used in this dye, or else into a cocoa-nut shell, with a little water, or cocoanut milk; and then dip the leaves into it, which they roll up in a small bundle, and work or squeeze them between the palm and their fingers, till the red colour is produced by the mixture of the two juices; but, what is very odd, these leaves being beaten in a mortar, and the juice taken from them and mixed with the fig-milk, will not produce the same colour. Of the bark of this tree very good twine is made, which is of particular use for making of seins, and other nets.
This tree is remarkable on account of its trunk, which grows to an enormous size, by the branches hanging down, and taking root again, which makes a very grotesque figure. Of the bark of young plants, raised on purpose, they make a sort of cloth, naturally of a russet-hue, which they call Ora, being worn in the mornings, and much valued by them, especially that which is beaten very fine and thin.
The wood of this tree they make use of for various purposes, such as sterns of canoes, heightening boards for ditto, and beams to beat their cloth upon.
The wood of this tree, which is very tough, serves to make a particular sort of weapon, which they carry in their hand when they dive after sharks, and other large fish.
The root of this is used to make a jelly like the
This is the well-known tropical fruit called Plantains, and Bananas, of which there is a great variety in there islands: they reckon more than twenty sorts which differ in shape and taste; some of these are for eating raw, and others best boiled, and will serve instead of bread: they plant them in a rich soil, and take great pains in their cultivation.
This is another sort of Plantains, which generally grow wild in the mountains and sometimes are planted by them; they are far inferior to the last, have a considerable astringency, and eat best boiled or roasted. There are four different sorts, and the leaves of this and the last, serve to put victuals upon; and the rind of the trunk to make a sort of baskets called Papa-meiya.
This palm, the fruit of which is so well known in all places within the tropics seems to be a native of these islands, being, found every where in the greatest plenty,
Of the leaves of this tree, which are very white and glistering, when dried, they make their evanne-matting, much admired for its beauty.
This grows chiefly in the low islands; of the split leaves they make, their best: mats for garments, to fit, and sleep upon.
This plant is of the nature of osier; of the stalks of it they work their round baskets, which they call Heenei, and in which they keep their victuals, and all their utensils.
With these they dye their poowhirre, or brown cloth.
An eatable root, which I did not see.
A fine eatable fruit, of a red colour, which I did not see.
An elegant flower, which I also did not see.
This plant produces the root so well known by the name of Ignames, all over the East and
This is a fern, which has an extraordinary sweet smell, and, for this reason, it is used by the better sort of people to sleep on.
The wood of this tree, has a very rich and delicious smell; is of a yellow colour, and is the principal ingredient used in perfuming their monoe, being grated small, and put to foak amongst it; as it is very scarce, it is in great request amongst them; we could never get a sight of the tree, but were told it grew on the mountains. They have various other vegetables with which they perfume their monoe, and likewise their cloaths: the names of these are, Pooeva, Maiteeraow, Annee, Noonna, Ehaee, Amea, and Matehooa.
A plant of which they make mat garments.
Taowdee waow, tetatta waow, t'eva heinéa waow, te tanè a waow; teina ye waow, e tottee era waow, e moo era waow, e pai era waow, e tei moore era waow, e tei whattee era waow, é tei niea era waow, e doo doo wai too mahioee, tootromaoo tooaipai toowaiwhatta too te whainè toota pèà tooaimooa e tootre deeree too wai doeo.
The language is very soft, having a great number of vowels, diphthongs, and triphthongs.
Every word, almost, begins with a vowel, which they most commonly drop.
It is also very metaphorical, as I have observed in many instances; as Matapoa, a person blind of an eye, which literally is Night-eye. Mataavai, the name of the bay we anchored in, literally signifies Watery-eye; which appellation is not unapt from the great quantity of rain which falls in the bay. Tehaia, a woman's name, who being lost when a child, her friends went about, crying
The natives could not repeat, after us, the sounds of the letters, Q, X, and Z, without great difficulty; G, K, and S, they could not pronounce at all.
Many of the names of the people of our ship having the G, K, or S, in them, they could not approach nearer the found of them than as follows:
They have various sounds peculiar to themselves, which none of us could imitate; some of them they pronounced like B and L mingled together; others between B and P, and T and D. Some like B h, L h, and D h.
When they mean to speak of a thing somewhat small, they often double the word, as Oorè oorè, a smallish nail.
They also double the word for the superlative, as Teá teá, very white.
They have a whoop, when they call after any person, which they pronounce like
On the 11th, the tents were struck, and we got every thing on board; but, on examining the anchor-stocks, we found them very much worm-eaten, and were obliged to wait till the carpenter had made new ones, which detained us two days longer. None of the Indians came near us till the next day, except
On the 13th, several of the natives came on board to take leave of us, to whom we made some presents; and, at parting with us, they appeared very sorrowful. In the forenoon we weighed anchor, and sailed, with a fine breeze, from the west, fleering our course W. by N. having
Toward night we saw an island called, by
On the 14th, we discovered the isle of
In the afternoon of this day it was almost calm; and we had but little wind till the next day, being the 15th: at noon we had a fine breeze; and at five in the afternoon were within fix leagues of the island of
Wooreede waow, I am angry. However, he told us that we should have wind when the sun arrived at the meridian, and so it happened, though we did not impute to him the gift of prophecy or foresight.
Early on the 16th, we were close to the shore of the island of
This country affords a more pleasing prospect than
On the 17th, several of the inhabitants came on board, and brought with them some cocoa-nuts; and one of them, a friend of mine from
During the short time we were upon the coast of this island, we purchased twenty-four hogs and pigs, besides fowls, fruits, and roots, at reasonable rates; but they raised the price of their commodities before we left them.
This island, the extent of which we had not time to-learn, is considerably longer than broad; and, to all appearance, very fruitful in cocoas, bread-fruit, plantains, and eatable-roots, such as taro, eape, and the sweet potatoe. These roots, with different sorts of paste, are their principal food when there is no bread-fruit They have a plenty of cuttle-fish, but not so many of other kinds as are to be found at
We found great quantities of a bastard sort of shagreen upon the island, and many pearls of an indifferent sort.
The natives of this island are not of such a dark complexion as those of Huaheine, the name of this island, means also a wife.
On the 19th, in the afternoon, we set fail for Yoolee-Etea, and the next morning, being the 20th, we cast anchor in a bay, which is formed by a reef, on the north side of this island. Two canoes of people came to us from the shore; and brought with them two small hogs; they took but little notice of us, and expressed as little surprize at any thing they saw. The captain went on shore and took possession of the island for the king; he saw but few inhabitants, and scarce any of distinguished rank amongst them. They behaved so coolly that the captain did not know what to make of them
On the 21st, some of us went on shore, and bought many plantains, and cocoanuts. The plantains were mostly green, and, boiled or roasted, ate as well as a potatoe.
In the afternoon we went on shore again, and saw but few of the natives in the country, which, though very pleasant, looks, like an uninhabited or deserted place. We saw some morais, [see pl. X.] or burial places, which are similar in all these islands; and went into one of them, in which there was a whatee, or altar, with a roasted hog, and fish upon it, designed as an offering to the Ethooa, or god. Near to the whatee, or altar, there was a large house, which contained the coongdrums used at their solemnities: and; adjoining to this house, were several large cages of wood, having awnings of palm-leaves upon them. These cages are called Oro, and rested upon beams laid upon others that stood upright, and seemed intended for the reception of the birds sacred to Ethooa, of which there are two that fly about their morais, the grey heron, and a blue and brown king-fisher. These morais are paved, or rather covered with a sort of coral, and planted with various sorts of flowering shrubs, such as nonoah, etoa, and hibiscus. At the front of the morai, which faces the sea, they have built a sort of amphitheatre, of large rough stones; and, among these stones, there are a great many long boards fet up, carved in various figures, according to their fancy. Every family of note has one of these morais ornamented as much as they can afford A kind of priest, [see pl. XI.] called heiva, attends these Morais, cloathed in a feather garment, ornamented with round pieces of mother-of-pearl, and a very high cap on his head, made of cane, or bamboo; the front of which is feather-work; the edges beset with quills stripped of the plumage. He has also a sort of breast-plate, of a semicircular shape, made of a kind of wickerwork on which they weave their plaited twine in a variety of figures: over this they put feathers of a green pigeon in rows; and between the rows is a semicircular row of shark's teeth. The edge of the breast-plate is fringed with fine white dog's hair. This priest is commonly attended with two boys, painted black, who assist him in placing the hog and fish for the Ethooa; as also in strewing the body of the defunct with leaves and flowers of bamboo; and, for two or three days after, is constantly employed in ranging the adjacent fields and wood, from which every one retires on his approach. The relations, in the mean time, build a temporary house near the
On the 24th, in the afternoon, we went out at the west end of the bay, which the natives call Opou, but found our passage very difficult on account of the shoals one of which we narrowly escaped: the man, who founded, crying out Two fathom, we wore ship directly, or we should have been on a bank. At length however, we cleared the shoals; but not being able to get out in time, anchored over-against a deep bay; and some of our men went on shore to look, for hogs. This island is, in many respects, much like
On the 25th, we set fail from the bay of Owhare, and steered our course to the westward, designing to go to
The island of
In the evening, at sun-set, we discovered the island of
On the 28th, the wind blowing full from the west, and being often becalmed, we could not weather the point, the wind hauling round the island, and meeting us as we tacked about.
In the evening, Mr. Banks,
This island is but thinly inhabited, and some parts of it very barren.—We had a great swell among these islands.
On the 30th, we went round to
On the 1 st of August, after so long beating to windward, we at last got alongside of Yoolee-Etea; but even then we could not get into the bay which we designed to enter; and, the wind being against us, we were obliged to cast anchor at the entrance of it, between two reefs. In the afternoon we attempted to warp the ship into the bay, but endeavouring to heave the anchor, we found it was fastened to some rock, where we left it till the next morning. The natives came off to us in great numbers, and we bought of them ten hogs, for ten spikes each, with plenty of cocoas, and plantains, and they seemed very joyful at our arrival.
Early on the 2d, we attempted again to get up the anchor; with some difficulty happily succeeded; and, afterwards, warpt the ship into the bay, which is called Amameenee, and moored her in a proper station, about a mile from shore. The natives flocked to us again; appeared highly delighted, and were so fond of
On the 4th, we went on shore, and took a walk up into the country, which is very pleasant, and saw a great quantity of
There are several Morais in this part of the island; in one of which we saw a string of jaw-bones hung up on the Afale, or house, of the Ethooa, with several skulls laid in rows: and we met a man of a fair complexion, whose hair was white as milk; also their Aree Dehei, or king, who is called Oorea, and his son; the former appeared to be a very modest sort of a man, and the latter as handsome a youth as I ever saw. Opoone, who is king of
The border of low land round the hills is very narrow here, and not very populous; but several of the inhabitants are comely, and in a much more flourishing
There is a great number of boat-houses all round the bays, [see pl. XII.] built with a Catanarian arch, thatched all over; and the boats kept in them are very long, bellying out on the sides, with a very high peaked stern, and are used only at particular seasons.
We had a great quantity of fish brought on board in the afternoon of this day, and three pounds and a half were served to each man of the ship's company.
On the 7th, in the afternoon, Mr. Banks and myself went to see an entertainment called an Heivo. We passed over four bays E. and were carried, by the natives, till we came to the bottom of a bay called Tapeeoee, where a number of people was assembled. A large mat was laid upon the ground, and they began to dance upon it, putting their bodies into strange motions, writhing their mouths, and shaking their tails, which made the numerous plaits that hung about them flutter like a peacock's train. Sometimes they stood in a row one behind another, and then they fell down with their faces to the ground, leaning on their arms, and shaking only their tails, the drums beating all the while, with which they kept exact time. An old man stood by as a prompter, and roared out as loud as he could at every change. These motions they continued till they were all in a sweat; they repeated them three times alternately, and, after they had done, the girls began. In the interval, between the several parts of the drama, some men came forward, who seemed to act the part of drolls; and, by what I could distinguish, they attempted to represent the Conquest of Yoolee-etea, by the men of
The people, in the part where this farce was performed, are chiefly
It is remarkable, that, notwithstanding the people of these islands cannot pronounce the sound of the letter K, yet I have met with a great number in Yoolee-etea, who, having a bec in their speech, continually substitute it instead of that of their favourite letter T.
The Utensils of the inhabitants of the island of
On the 9th of August we weighed anchor, and proceeded from this bay to the southward, to see what discoveries we could make there, pursuant to the directions of the admiralty, and carried with us as many hogs from this island as we could stow, with a great number of Plantains,
On the 13th, at noon, having had a brisk wind for three days, we discovered high land, and, toward night, approached near it.
We hauled in our wind, and, on the 14th, in the morning, bore down to the island, and hoisted out the pinnace, in which Mr. Banks and
These people are very tall, well proportioned, and have long hair, which they tie up, [see pl. VIII. fig. 5 and 6.] and are tataowed, or marked on different parts of their bodies, but not on their posteriors, like the people of the other islands. On one of our boats approaching them, they began to talk to
This island does not shoot up into high peaks, like the others, but is more even and uniform, divided into small hillocks, like England, which are here and there covered with tufts of trees. At the water's edge there are many clists almost perpendicular. We saw no bread-fruit, and very few cocoas; but all along the edge of the beach was thick planted with Etoa, which served to shelter their houses and plantations of Meiya from the wind.
This island is situate in 22° 23' south latitude, and 150° 5' west longitude, and has no reef surrounding it, like the other islands.
On the 15th, in the morning, we passed the tropic of Capricorn, having a fine breeze from the north, with clear pleasant weather; and saw several tropic birds.
On the 16th, we saw the appearance of several high peaks of land, which deceived us all: we bore away for them, but, the sky clearing up, we found our mistake, and so resumed our course to the south. Thermometer 72, and a cold air.
On the 17th, we were becalmed most part of the day, and had a great swell from the west in latitude 26° 25' S. Thermometer 70.
On the 20th, we had light breezes, and were often becalmed; but, toward night, we had a brisk breeze from the north, which increasing, we brought the ship to, under the two topsails, and remained so all night, and had a continual swell, which made the ship roll very much.
On the 21st, we had a stiff gale all day, with hazy weather, and some thunder and lightening from the west; we scudded before the wind, having the foresail and two topsails close-reefed set. The swell was so great that the ship rolled prodigiously, and every thing was thrown down. We saw several Pintado birds, and Shear-waters.
On the 22d, we had fine clear weather, and the wind much abated. We saw some Albatrosses, and several Pintado birds. This bird is barred on the wing with black and white, from whence the name in Spanish, a Cheque-board. We also saw several parcels of sea-weed. Latitude 31° 3' S. Wind S.W. and by W.
On the 23d, we had light breezes, and it was calm most part of the day. Toward night, it rained very hard, with the wind to the north. We saw a grampus, or young whale, and an albatross. Lat. 32° 5'.
On the 24th, we had heavy squalls, with rain, from the south, and saw a water-spout. The wind still continuing to blow very hard, we lay-to under our main-fail; and, in the night, the wind was excessive cold.
On the 25th, we had fair weather, but the air was still sharp, though the wind was moderate, and came about to the S. W. Lat. 32° 3'. Thermometer 62.
On the 26th, we had variable weather, with a westerly wind, and saw a grampus and an albatross. Latitude 32° 15'.
On the 27th, we had clear weather, with the wind at north, but, toward the evening, it was squally. We saw several albatrosses, pintados, and shear-waters. Latitude 33° 35'.—On the same day we killed a dog, and dressed him, which we brought from Yoolee-Etea: he was excessively fat, although he had eaten nothing while he had been on board.
On the 28th, we had hazy weather, and a drizzling rain all day, with a faint breeze from the north, and saw a great many birds called Shear-coots. This morning,
On the 30th, we had a brisk breeze, and a great swell from the west, with fair clear weather, but very cold. The Thermometer, in open air, was at 52. One of Mr. Banks's servants saw a bird of a fine green colour, and likewise some sea-weed. In the night, we had heavy showers of hail, and sudden gusts of wind, which were very piercing, and so violent, that we were obliged to lay the ship to under the foresail. The same weather continued all the next day, the 31st, accompanied with a high swell from the west, which made the ship run gunnel-to under water. A vast number of birds, of different kinds, followed us all day, sporting on the surface of the water. These were Pintados, (a bird of a silver colour, such as we saw in the
On the 1st of September, we had hard piercing gales and squalls from the W. and N.W. with violent showers of hail and rain. The sea ran mountain-high; and tossed the ship upon the waves: she rolled so much, that we could get no rest, or scarcely lie in bed, and almost every moveable on board was thrown down, and rolled about from place to place. In brief, a person, who has not been in a storm at sea, cannot form an adequate idea of the situation we were in. The wind still increasing, we laid the ship to under the foresail. The heavens, however, being clear, at four in the morning, we saw the comet again between Aldebaran and Orion. Latitude, by account, 40° and odd; and Thermometer 44.
On the 2d, we had hard gales, and squally weather. About noon we set the mainsail, and bore away N. N. W. the captain having, pursuant to his orders, gone in search of the continent as far as 40° south latitude, and determined to stand to the southward, to see what discoveries he could make in that quarter, apprehending that, if we continued much longer in these high latitudes, we should not have sails enough, to carry us home: besides, the weather was so tempestuous, that, had we made land, it would not have been safe to have approached near it.—The course which we have steered to the southward, has been mostly between 147 and 150 degrees, west longitude.
On the 3d, we had dark and gloomy weather, with a light westerly breeze, and the air was very cold.
On the 5th, we had variable weather, with some rain: we saw some Albatrosses with white beaks, and others all white, except the tips of their wings.
On the 6th, we had hard gales from the west, which obliged us to go under our courses; but the weather was clear, though cold.
On the 8th, we were becalmed most part of the morning; but, in the afternoon, the wind came about easterly, and brought with it some rain.
On the 9th, we had a fine breeze, all day, from the south, with clear weather; and, toward night, saw some parcels of sea-weed.—This day a whole allowance of beef was given to the ship's company.
On the 10th, we had squally weather, with the wind at S.S.W. saw some sea-weed, and had several white squalls, which looked as is we had been near land.
On the 11th, we had some squalls, with light showers of rain, and the wind at S.W.
On the 12th, the wind varied between S. and W. and we had agreeable clear weather, with some few squalls. Latitude 33° 18'. Thermometer 57.
On the 14th, we had moderate, though variable, weather, with the wind at north. We saw several Albatrosses flying about the ship, and two very large ones, quite white, swimming upon the water.
On the 15th, we had hard gales of wind from the E. and S.E. the weather very hazy, with some rain, and saw a few Pintados.
On the 16th, the weather was squally, but clear, and the wind S.W.
On the 18th, we were becalmed most part of the day; however, the weather was clear, and the wind S.W.
On the 19th, it was calm till the afternoon, and then we had a short breeze from the east. Mr. Banks went in the boat, and shot some Pintados, and caught some Molusca, Doris, Phyllodore, and the fine purple Limax, which were swimming upon the water. At night the water was full of flashes of light, occasioned by the Molusca. Latitude 29° S. Longitude 159 W. and we had a great swell from the S.W.
On the 21st, we had a smart breeze from the S.E. supposed to be the tail of the trade winds, with clear weather. This breeze continued till the 24th, with fair and moderate weather. We steered S.S.W. in hopes of discovering the continent. Latitude 31° 24' south, and 162 west longitude.
On that day the wind came about to the east: we saw some sea-weeds, and a log of wood about three feet long.
On the 26th, we had a fresh breeze from the north, with the weather gloomy. We saw several parcels of sea-weed, of that kind called Leather-weed, in latitude 35º 53' S. 162 longitude. In the night we had a very hard gale from the north, with heavy showers of rain.
On the 27th, early in the morning, the wind was moderate, but the sea ran very high, and the ship rolled so much that every moveable on board was thrown about; and it was with great difficulty that we saved ourselves from being tossed out of our cots. The night came on while we were in this situation, which proved very dark, and every thing conspired to make it dismal, and aggravate our distress. The next morning, however, was fair; the heavens cloudless; the sun rose peculiarly bright, and we had a fine breeze from the west. In the afternoon the wind veered to the north, and we saw many parcels of sea-weed of different sorts. We also saw a seal, and concluded that we were not far from land. Latitude 37º 30' south.
On the 28th, we had a fresh gale from the west, which continued till noon, and then chopped about to the S. W. We altered our course to W.N.W. having run to the south as far as 40º latitude, and longitude 166º west; met with some sea-weed; and saw several black-beaked Albatrosses and Shear-waters.
On the 29th, we had a smart breeze from the south, with clear, though sharp weather; thermometer 54;—saw several parcels of sea-weed, and a land-bird that flew like a plover; with a great number of Pintados, Shear-waters, and large white Albatrosses, with the tips of their wings black. We founded, but found no bottom, with 120 fathoms of line. The captain apprehended that we were near
On the 1st of October, the weather was fair, but very cold, and almost calm. In the morning, we saw a seal asleep upon the surface of the water, which had, at first, the appearance of a log of wood; we put the ship about to take it up, but it waked, and dived out of sight. Great stocks of Shear-waters flew about the ship, and several parcels of sea-weed floated by the side of it. We found, by this day's observation, that we had gone ten leagues farther to the northward, than what appeared by the log-account. The master was sent in quest of a current, but could find none. Latitude 37° 45' south, and 172º longitude, west from
Though we had been so long out at sea, in a distant part of the world, we had a roasted leg of mutton, and French-beans for dinner; and the fare of Old England afforded us a grateful repast.
This day we founded, and found no bottom at 120 fathoms.
On the 2d, the sea was as smooth as the
On the 4th, we had light breezes from the S.E. with clear sharp weather. In the morning we saw some rock-weed; and, in the evening, a great shoal of bottle-nosed porpoises swam along side of the ship, with a great number of other porpoises, having sharp white snouts, and their sides and bellies of the same colour.
On the 5th, we had light breezes from the N.E. and pleasant weather: about two o'clock in the afternoon one of our people, As we have, in pl. XXV. given a map of the coast of
On the 8th, we had light breezes and dead calms all day, and could not get in nearer the land than two or three leagues; but it appeared, at this distance, to be of considerable extent, with many small islands around it; and had rising hills like the coast of
On the 9th, early in the morning, the wind being favourable, we stood in nearer land, where it seemed to open and form a deep bay; [see pl. XIV.] but, on approaching it, we discovered low land, and it was much shallower than we expected. Upon entering we had regular soundings all the way, from twenty-six to six fathoms, and cast anchor on the east side in ten fathoms water, about two or three miles from the shore, over-against the land on the right, where there was the appearance of a river. At the entrance of the bay, which is a very large one, being about three leagues in breadth, and two in depth, are several chalky cliffs, from which runs a low ridge of land that ends in a hillock: at a little distance from the hillock, there is a small high island, and, on the top of it, an inclosure of pales. Abundance of white cliffs are seen all along the coast; and the hills appear to be covered with small wood and bushes, affording but an indifferent landscape. We discovered several houses by our glasses. They seemed to be thatched, and the caves of them reached to the ground. Within the bay there are many hills one behind another; though most part of the bay is surrounded by a valley in which is a number of trees; from whence, as well as other parts of the country, we saw some smoke arise. We also
The water in the river was found to be brackish, in which we were disappointed; but they shot some wild ducks of a very large size, and our botanical gentlemen gathered a variety of curious plants in flower.
In the ensuing night, while we were all on board, the natives assembled on the shore, which was about three miles distance, talked loud, and were very clamorous. We ordered a strict watch to be kept all the night, left they should come off in their canoes and surprise us.
Early on the morning of the 10th, the, long-boat, pinnace, and yaul, went on shore again; landed near the river where they had been the night before, and attempted to find a watering place. Several of the natives came toward them, and, with much entreating, we prevailed on some of them to cross the river, to whom we gave several things, which they carried back to their companions on the other side of the river, who seemed to be highly pleased with them, and testified their joy by a war-dance. Appearing to be so pacifically disposed, our company went over to them, and were received in a friendly manner. Some of the natives were armed with lances, and others with a kind of stone truncheon; through the handle of it was a string, which they twisted round the hand that held it when they attempted to strike at any person. [See pl. XV.] We would have purchased some of their weagons, but could not prevail on them to part with them on any of bec, which some of the people of Yoolee-Etea have in their speech.
On the 11th, in the morning, the boats went on shore again, and carried the three men whom we had taken, dressed up very finely. The men did not seem willing to land, and when we left them, they cried, and said that the people on that side of the bay would eat them. While a party of our men went to cut wood, these men hid themselves in the bushes, and many of the natives appeared on the other side of the river. We beckoned to them, and, at length, one man, of more courage than the rest, ventured over to us without arms, with whom we conferred,
These men, while on board, ate an immoderate quantity of every thing that was set before them, taking pieces at one time into their mouths six times larger than we did, and drank a quart of wine and water at one draught. They informed us, that there was
The natives on this side of the bay were tataowed, or marked, in various forms on their faces; and their garments, wrought of rushes, reached down below their knees, and were very thick and rough. They tie their foreskins to their girdle with a string, and have holes pierced in their ears, which shews that they sometimes wear some sort of ear-rings: they have also some bracelets; necklaces they well knew the use of; but they did not like our iron wares. We saw a piece of wood which looked as smooth as if it had been cut with an axe; but of what materials the instruments are composed, which they use for that purpose, we could not learn. We went into some of their houses, which were very meanly thatched, having a hole in the center of the roof to let out the smoke; but we saw nothing in them except a few cockles, limpets, and muscle-shells.
We found here a sort of long-pepper, which tasted very much like mace; a Fulica, or bald Coot, of a dark blue colour; and a Black-bird, the flesh of which was of an orange colour, and tasted like stewed shell-fish. A vast quantity of pumice-stone lies all along upon the shore, within the bay, which indicates that there is a volcano in this island.
On the 12th, early in the morning, we weighed anchor, and attempted to find' some better anchoring-place, as this bay (which, from the few necessaries we could procure, we called
In the afternoon we were becalmed, and fix canoes came off' to us, filled with; people; some of them-armed with bludgeons made of wood, and of the bone of a-large animal. They were a spare thin people, and had garments wrap about them made of a silky flax, wove in the same manner as the cotton hammocks of
On the 13th, two canoes came off' to us, and one of the natives came on board of our ship, but, being much intimidated could not be prevailed on to stay long. He was
In the afternoon, more canoes came to us. Some of the people in them were disfigured in a very strange manner; they brandished their arms, and shewed signs of contempt, while the rest paddled hard to overtake us; and, at length, attempted to board us. The captain ordered one of the men to fire a musket over them, which they did not regard. A great gun, loaded with grape shot, was fired, which made them drop astern; but whether any of them were wounded, we could not discover. Several of the canoes had outriggers; and one of them had a very curious piece of ornamental carving at the head of it.
At this time we were doubling the west point of the land, formed by a small high island, and got into very foul ground, the sounding being from seven to thirteen fathoms, and were afraid of running upon it, but we happily escaped. After we had doubled this island, which was called
On the 14th, we made for the inlet, which we saw the night before, and, on coming up to it, found that it was not sheltered, having only some low land at the bottom of it. Ten canoes, filled with people, chased us; but our ship sailing too fast for them, they were obliged to give over the pursuit.
We sailed round most part of the bay without finding any opening; and the soundings, all along the shore, were very regular. The country appeared more fertile hereabout, and well covered with wood, the sea-shore making in clayey cliffs, upon which the surf broke very high. This bay was called Hawke's Bay.
In the afternoon, a canoe followed us, with eighteen people in her, armed with lances; but as they could not keep pace with us, they gave up their expedition.
In sailing along, we could plainly distinguish land that was cultivated, parceled out into square compartments, having some sorts of herbs growing upon them.
On the 15th, in the morning, we bent our course round a small peninsula, which was joined to the main land by a low isthmus, on which were many groves of, tall strait trees, that looked as if they had been planted by art; and, withinside of it, the water was quite smooth. We saw some very high ridges of hills streaked with snow; and, when we had doubled the point of this peninsula, the low isthmus appeared again, stretching a long way by the sea-side. The country looked very pleasant, having fine sloping hills, which stretched out into beautiful green lawns, though not covered with wood, as other parts of the coast are.
In the morning, while we were on the other side of the peninsula, nine canoes came to us, in which were one hundred and sixty of the natives: they behaved in a very irresolute manner, sometimes seeming as if they would attack us; then taking fright, and retreating a little; one half paddling one way, and the other half paddling another, shaking their lances and bone bludgeons at us, talking very loud and blustering, [see pl. XVII.] lolling out their tongues, and making other signs of distance. We did all we could to make them peaceable, but to no purpose, for they seemed, at length, resolved to do us some mischief; coming along-side of the ship again, and threatening us, we fired one of our guns, loaded with grape sh'ot, over their heads: they looked upon us for some time with astonishment, and then hastened away as fast as they could. By this time two other canoes came toward us, but stopped a little, and held a conference with those that were returning, and then made up to us, leaving the rest at some distance, who seemed to Pieces of this kind of stone were brought home in the Endeavour; on examination it appears to be a fine fort of Nephritic stone. This remark will serve for all their ornaments hereafter mentioned, said to be made of a green stone.
The weather was remarkably fine for some time before and after we came to this island, having light breezes, and clear weather, with some calms.
On the 16th, we had several fisher canoes come to us; and, after much persuasion, they gave us some fish for cloth and trinkets; but none of their fish was quite fresh, and some of it flank intolerably They went away very well satisfied, and then a larger canoe, full of people, came up to us, having their faces shockingly besmeared with some paint. An old man, who sat in the stern, had on a garment of some beast's skin, with long hair, dark brown and white border, which we would have purchased, but they were not willing to part with any thing. When the captain threw them a piece of red baize for it, they paddled away immediately; held a conference with the fisher's boats, and then returned to the ship.We had laid a scheme to trepan them, intending to have thrown a running bow line about the head of the canoe, and to have hoisted her up to the anchor; but, just as we had got her a-head for that purpose, they seized
The speech of these people was not so guttural as the others, for they spoke more like the Otaheiteans. Many of them had good faces; their noses rather high than flat; and some of them had their hair most curiously brought up to their crowns, rolled round, and knotted.
In the evening, we were over-against a point of land, which, from the circumstance of stealing the boy, we called
On the 17th, we sailed along the coast, near as far as forty-one degree, bat, not meeting with any convenient harbour to anchor in, the land lying N. and S. when we came abreast of a round bluff cape, we turned back, being apprehensive that we should want water if we proceeded farther to the southward. We saw no canoes, but several villages, and, in the night, some fires burning upon the land. The coast appeared more barren than any we had seen before. There was clear ground, and good anchorage upon the coast, two or three miles from the shore; and from eight to twenty fathoms water. This cape we named
On the 19th, in the afternoon, we were off Hawke's Bay, which we could not enter, the wind being foul. A canoe came to us with five people in it, who seemed to place great confidence in us: they came on board, and said they would stay all night. The man, who seemed to be the chief, had a new garment, made of the white silky flax, which was very strong, and thick, with a beautiful border of black, red, and white round it.
On the 20th, early in the morning, having a fine breeze, we made
On the 21st, we anchored in a very indifferent harbor, in eight fathoms and a half water, about one mile and a half from the shore, having an island on our left hand, which somewhat sheltered us. Many canoes came off to us, and two old men, of their chiefs, came on board. These people seemed very peaceably inclined, and were willing to trade with us for several trifles which they had brought with them. We saw many houses, and several tracts of land, partly hedged in and cultivated, which formed an agreeable view from the harbor, called, by
On the 22d, in the morning, the boats went on shore again for wood and water; and, a short time after, Mr. Banks and some others followed them; and, while they were absent, the natives came on board and trafficked with us; having brought some parcels of Oomarra, and exchanged them with us for
The surf running high, the men who went on shore found great difficulty in getting the water into the long-boat, and, in coming off, the boat was swampt; we therefore enquired of the natives for a more convenient watering-place, and they pointed to a bay bearing S. W. by W. On receiving this information we weighed anchor; but, the wind being against us, we stood off and on till the next morning, the 23d, and then bore away to leeward, and looked into the bay which we had passed before. About noon we dropped anchor, and one of our boats went into a little cove where there was smooth landing and fresh water, and we moored the ship about one mile and a half from the shore. This bay is called, by the natives, Tolaga, and is very open, being exposed to all the violence of the cast wind. Several canoes came along-side of the ship, of whom we got some fish, Oomarras, or sweet potatoes, and several other things; but the natives were very indifferent about most of the things we offered them, except white cloth and glasses, which suited their fancy, so that we found it difficult to trade with them. They had some green stone axes and car-rings but they would not part with
The country about the bay is agreeable beyond description, and, with proper cultivation, might be rendered a kind of second Paradise. The hills are covered with beautiful flowering shrubs, intermingled with a great number of tall and stately palms, which fill the air with a most grateful fragrant perfume.
We saw the tree that produces the cabbage, which ate well boiled. We also found some trees that yielded a fine transparent gum: and, between the hills, we discovered some fruitful valleys that are adapted either to cultivation or pasturage. The country abounds with different kinds of herbage fit for food; and, among such a variety of trees as are upon this land, there are, doubtless, many that produce eatable fruit. Our botanists were agreeably employed in investigating them, as well as many other lesser plants with which the country abounds. Within land there were many scandent ferns and parasaitic plants; and, on the sea shore, Salicornias, Misembrean, Mums, and a variety of Focus's. The plant, of which they make their cloth, is a sort of Hemerocallis, and the leaves yield a very strong and glossy flax, of which their garments and ropes are made. Adjoining to their houses are plantations of Koomarra A sweet potatoe, which the Otaheiteans call Oomarra. Yams.
The natives, who are not very numerous in this part of the country, behaved very civil. to us: they are, in general, lean and tall, yet well shaped; have faces like Europeans; and, in general, the aquiline nose, with dark-coloured eyes, black hair, which is tied up on the crown of the head, and beards of a middling length. As to their tataowing, it is done very curiously in spiral and other figures; and, in many places, indented into their skins, which looks like carving; though, at a distance, it appears as if it had been only smeared with a black paint. This tataowing is peculiar to the principal men among them: servants and women content themselves with besmearing their faces with red paint or ochre; and, were it not for this nasty custom, would make no despicable appearance. Their cloth is white, and as glossy as silk, worked by hands, and wrought as even as if it had
The men have a particular, taste for carving: their boats, paddles, boards to put on their houses, tops of walking sticks, and even their boats valens, are carved in a variety of flourishes, turnings and windings, that are unbroken; but their favorite figure seems to be a volute, or spiral, which they vary many ways, single, double, and triple, and with as much truth as if done from mathematical draughts: yet the only instruments we have seen are a chizzel, and an axe made of stone. Their fancy, indeed, is very wild and extravagant, and I have seen no imitations of nature in any of their performances, unless the head, and the heart-shaped tongue hanging out of the mouth of it, may be called natural, [See pl. XXVI. fig. 16.]
The natives build their huts on rising ground under a tuft of trees; they are of an oblong square, and the eaves reach to the ground. The door is on one side, and very low; their windows are at one end, or both. The walls are composed of several layers of reeds covered with thatch, and are of considerable thickness. Over the beams, that compose the eaves, they lay a net made of grass, which is also thatched very close and thick. Their fires are made in the center upon the floor, and the door serves them for a chimney. Their houses, therefore, of course, must be full of smoke; and we observed that every thing brought out of them smelt strong of it; but use, which is a kind of second nature, makes them
We saw many beautiful parrots, and birds of various kinds, one in particular that had a note very much like our blackbird; but we found no ground fowl, or domestic poultry. Of quadrupeds we saw no other than dogs, which were like those on the island of
This bay abounds in a variety of fish, particularly shell and cray-fish; some of the latter, which we caught, weighed eleven pounds; these are found in great plenty, and seemed to be the principal food of the inhabitants, at this season of the year, though they have a kind of fern, the roots of which, roasted, make a good substitute for bread, especially when their Koomarra is young and unfit for use.
Most of the rocks, which are many on the sea shore, are composed of a sandy stone, through which the surf had worn several passages. One of them, in particular, was very romantic it had the appearance of a large arch which led from the sea-side into the vallies, and through it ran a stream of water. The whole formed a very uncommon view, [see pl. XX.] peculiarly striking to a curious spectator.
From the view which we had of the coast, and the observations made, we might judge that the country is well situated, naturally fertile, and capable of great improvement by cultivation, especially as the climate is distinguishably mild and favorable.
We had clear and fair weather all the time we were upon the coast, excepting one day, and, though the weather was hot, yet it seemed, by what we observed, that a sea breeze constantly set in about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, which moderated it.
On the 30th, having obtained a sufficient quantity of wood and water, we left the bay, and, sailing along the coast, about noon came up with a point of land before an island: this point we called
On the 31st, we sailed along the coast, and had light breezes, and pleasant weather. In the forenoon seven canoes came off to us in a hostile manner, brandishing their lances, and waving their paddles. One of these canoes was very large, and had between fifty and sixty people in her; some of them gave us an heivo; and one of them, a priest, as we supposed, talked very much. They kept paddling about us, calling out to us Kaka kee, no Tootwais, barre yoota patta pattoo; that is to say, if we would go on shore they would beat us with their patta pattoos; and, being apprehensive that if we suffered them to approach nearer to us, we might be obliged to offer violence to them, the captain ordered a gun, loaded with grape-shot, to be fired over their heads, the report of which terrified them so much, that they paddled away till they had got, as they supposed, out of our reach, and then they stopped, and held a consultation; after which they seemed as if they intended to return, and we fired another gun loaded with ball, and then they made as fast as possible to the shore. These were the same sort of people, and their canoes of the same kind with those we had seen before. Being at this time off a cape, we named it, from the hasty retreat of the natives, Cape Run-away. This day we discovered land to the N.E. of us.
On the Ist of November, a great number of canoes came off to us, one of which had part of a human skull to throw out the water with. We prevailed on some of the natives to come along-side of the ship, and traded with them for cloth, crayfish, and muscles. They gave us severl Heivos, but some of them seemed to threaten us. A breeze springing up, we left them; and, a little farther on the coast, another squadron of fisher-boats came off to us, with whom also we had some traffic. These, as well as the rest, were very ready to snatch any thing they could lay their hands on; and, watching an opportunity, they stole a pair of sheets that were tied by a line at the ship's stern, and were going off with them, upon which we fired several muskets, but they did not much regard them; we then fired some grape-shot amongst them, and they paddled away something faster, till they imagined themselvcs out of our reach, and then they held up their paddles, and seemed to defy us. We fired another gun loaded with round and grape-shot, which passed between two canoes, and narrowly missed them; on which they hesitated no longer, but repaired immediately to the shore.
Toward night, we were near a small high island, called by the natives Mowtohora, about three leagues from the land. In going between this and the main land, a canoe came off to us from the island. This canoe was double, and differed in other respects from those we had seen before. After we had talked with the people which came in it a considerable time, they gave us several heivos, then looked at us very stedfastly, and, having threatened us, they stood off toward the main land. Opposite to this there is a high peaked hill, which we named
On the 2d, in the morning, we discovered three sorts of land; but, as the weather was hazy, could not make many observations. We also passed three other islands: one of them was rocky, high and barren, which we called
We sailed along with a moderate breeze, and passed an island, or cluster of rocks, which we called the Court of Aldermen: and, from the vicinity of one of the three last mentioned islands to them, we gave it the name of The Mayor.
This cluster of rocks lies off a point of land, and terminates the bounds of this large bay to the N.W. which, from the number of canoes that came off to us, bringing provisions, we named The
The coast hereabout appeared very barren, and had a great number of rocky islands, from which circumstance we named the point, Barren Point. The land is very grotesque, being cleft, or torn into a variety of strange figures, and has very few trees upon it. About noon, several canoes came off to us, and the people in them were so daring as to throw a lance into the ship, but we fired a musket, and they paddled away from us. Their canoes were formed out of one tree, and shaped like a butcher's tray, without any ornament about them. The people, who were naked, excepting one or two, were of a very dark complexion, and made a mean appearance. We stood in for a bay, and, at night, anchored in it, having seven fathoms water. Several canoes, like the former, followed us; the people in then;
This bay, which the inhabitants call Opoorangee, is the best harbour we have found, being well land-locked; and we found good landing at the watering-place, in a salt-water river, which winds a great way up into the country. At the bottom of the bay there is another river, which also seems to extend very far within land. The name the natives gave to the country, about the bay, is Konigootaoivrao.
On the 4th, early in the morning, we were visited by several canoes; the people in them, about one hundred and thirty-five in number, had a few arms, but seemed unresolved what to do; sometimes staring at us in a wild manner, and then threatening us: but, at last, they traded with us, exchanging the few trifles they had brought for cloth. They were very sly, and attempted to cheat us. We fired several muskets at them, and wounded two of them; the rest, however, did not seem to be alarmed till the captain shot through one of the canoes, which struck them with a panic; and, on firing a great gun, they made off to land.
On the 5th, in the morning, two of the natives came on board, and seemed to be very peaceably inclined: we made them some presents; they exchanged what trifles they had for small pieces of cloth, which they were very fond of, and went away highly pleased, promising to bring us some fish. Some people, it seemed, came to them now-and-then from the north, plundered them of every thing they could find, and carried their wives and children away captives; and not knowing who we were, nor our design in visiting their coast, was the reason that they were at first so shy of us. To secure themselves from these free-booters, they build their houses near together on the tops of rocks, which, it seems, they can easily defend against the assaults of their enemies; but, being so subject to the ravages of those ruffians, they are much dispirited, and that may be the principal cause of their poverty and wretchedness.
We sent the pinnace to haul the seine, and caught a large draught of mullets, and other kind of fish. In the mean time the yaul drudged for shell-fish, and met with indifferent success.
On the 9th, a great number of the natives came in canoes about the ship, and brought us a large quantity of fish, mostly of the mackrel kind, with a few
Some of these canoes came from another part of the country, which were larger, and of a better sort than the rest: the people in them, too, had a better appearance; among whom there were some of superior rank, furnished with good garments, dressed up with feathers on their heads, and had various things of value amongst them, which they readily exchanged for
The weather being clear all day, we made a good observation of the passage of Mercury over the sun's disk, while
On the 11th, it blew very hard all day from the N. and N. by E. and a great swell tumbled into the bay, which rendered our situation a very favourable
While we lay in this bay the natives brought us a great number of cray-fish, of an enormous size, which were very good. These were caught by women, who dived for them in the surf amongst the rocks. A long-boat full of rock oysters, too, were brought on board of us at one time, which were good food, and tasted deliciously. A little way up the river there were banks entirely composed of them. We also got abundance of parsley for the ship's use; and, at the place where we watered, we found a great quantity of fern, the root of which partakes much of a farinaceous quality: the natives dry it upon the fire, then beat it upon a stone, and eat it instead of bread.
On the 16th, in the morning, the weather being very fair, we weighed anchor, and stood out to sea, but, having a strong breeze from the west, which was against us all this day and the next, being the 17th, we did nothing but beat to windward. The country in view appeared rather barren, and had but few signs of inhabitants. We saw several islands, which we named Mercury islands.
On the 18th, in the morning, we passed between the main and an island which appeared to be very fertile, and as large as Yoolee-Etea. Two canoes came to us from the main, having carved heads, like those we had seen in the bay of Opoorangee: one of them was longer than the other, and had sixty of the natives in her: they gazed at us awhile, and then gave us several heivos; but the breeze freshening, they were obliged to drop astern, and we soon left them. The coast hereabout is full of islands: the name of the largest is Waootaia; and one of the small ones is called Matoo Taboo. After we had passed this island, (the passage between which and the main we named Port
On the 19th, in the morning, several of the natives came on board of us: their canoes were the largest we had seen, and the people in them behaved very friendly. By what we could learn, they had got intelligence of us from the people that inhabit the country about
We failed along till we came to six fathoms water, and then let go our anchor. The weather being hazy, we could not have so good a view of the land upon the coast as we wished to have; but it appeared to be well covered with wood, and some parts of it cultivated. This day we caught a considerable quantity of fish, with hook and line, of the scienna or bream kind. The natives call this harbour Ooahaowragee.
On the 20th, early in the morning, the Captain, Mr. Banks, and
In the afternoon we weighed anchor, proceeded down the gulph with the tide, the wind blowing hard from N. N. W. and, toward night anchored pretty near the shore.
On the 22d, in the evening, several canoes, full of people, some of whom we saw the night before, came on board, brought us some provisions, and parted very readily with their cloaths, and any thing they had about them, for pieces of waste paper and
The wind being still against us, we were obliged to tide it down the river, and anchored between tides, and passed a point of land which we called Point
The next day, being the 23d, we had heavy rains, accompanied with thunder.
On the 24th, we had a smart breeze from the S. W. and, failing along shore, passed between the main and a number of islands of several sizes. The appearance of the coast was very different at different places; well cloathed and verdant in some parts, and barren in others; but we saw no signs of inhabitants in any. We anchored in an open buy, and caught a great number of large fishes of the scienna or bream kind; we therefore named this
On the 25th, we had clear weather, with the wind at S. W. The coast we passed. along that day was mostly level, having, but few signs of inhabitants:
On the 26th, many canoes visited us. The people in them were much the same as the former. They had a variety of things on board, and about them, but were 10th to part with any of them excepting fish, of which we obtained a large quantity.
The coast we sailed along this day, was generally barren, and broke into a number of small islands, among which we presumed there might be safe and good anchorage. We had calm and pleasant weather.
On the 27th, we were among a parcel of small broken islands, which we called the Poor Knights; and many canoes came along side of us, but the people in them seemed to be half mad. We asked them for some fish, and they took them up by handfuls and threw them at us, not regarding whether they had any thing from us in return: more canoes coming up, they began to behave very rudely, and heaved stones at us. One man, in particular, more active than the rest, took up a stick and threw it at one of our men on the taffel. A musket loaded with small shot was fired at him, upon which he clapped his hands to his face and fell flat in
The wind having been against us for several days, and as we could get no farther with our heavy ship, on the 29th, in the morning, having weathered a long point of land, which we named
On the 5th of December, we weighed anchor, but were becalmed at the entrance of the bay, which we called the
The natives (being more sensible of our power) behaved very civil, and brought us a great many fish; and while we lay here, we caught some ourselves with hook and line.
A canoe came into the bay that had eighty people in her, most of whom paddled; the chiefs wore garments of dogs skins, and were very much tataowed; the men upon their hips, and the women on their breast, necks, and bellies. We saw many plantations of the Koomarra, and some of the Eaowte, or cloth trees.
At night, again, it was almost calm, and we were near the shore. We designed to tack about, but were hurried, by an eddy-tide, upon the breakers, off a point of land called, by us, Point Pococke, before we were aware of it, which threw us into a panic, and occasioned great confusion. Not having room to anchor, we hoisted out the pinnace to tow her off: we thought we had seen a whale, but it proved to be a rock, and we struck upon it twice. We got clear of it again, and streamed the buoy, but luckily did not let go the anchor. Soon after we saw several small islands, which we named
We beat to windward four days, and made but little way, having continual breezes from the west; and, on the 19th, many canoes came off to us, of which we bought a good quantity of fish. The land hereabout looked very barren, and tends away to the north.
On the 10th, the wind was N.W. we beat to windward, and made but little way. The land in fight was very low, and very barren, being mostly sandy, having here and there a few bushes, but scarce a tree to be seen, yet it appeared to be inhabited.
On the 13th, the N. W. wind still prevailing, we could do nothing but lie on and off the land, without. making any way. It blew very hard, and we had some fierce squalls, attended with heavy showers of rain, which drove us back to where we had been four days before.
On the 14th, we were quite out of sight of land; the wind continued to blow very strong; we had great swells from the west; and our sails being very tender, many of them were much torn in the gale.
On the 17th, in the morning, we were near land again, which seemed to be the farthest north, the land tending away from this point, which we called the
On the 20th, the wind still continuing westerly, we got no farther than the last bluff point. We had some violent squalls of wind, with heavy rains, thunder, and lightening.
On the 21st, in the morning, the wind came about to the south; but, as we were a considerable distance from shore, we could only stand to the westward without being able to get near the land.
On the 24th, after having beat about for three days, we discovered land, which we supposed was the island of the Three Kings, though we could not bring it to appear any thing like the described figure of that island in
On the 27th, in the morning, it blew very hard from the east, all day, accompanied with, heavy showers of rain, and we brought the ship to under a reef main-fail.
On the 28th, the wind veered about to the S.W. and blew from that quarter fiercer than it had done the day before from the east; the sea also ran very high, and we brought to under a balanced mizen, and a mizen stay-fail.
On the 30th, we discovered land to leeward of us, which we took for
On the 31st, the wind blowing from the S. W. we did not approach the shore, but, in the afternoon, we saw the land very plain, and discovered a mountain which we had seen on the other side of the land; we called it Mount Camel, from its likeness to that animal: to the north of which it appears very sandy and barren, having only here and there a green plat. The same neck of land we saw on the other side, which reaches to
On the 3d of January, 1770, in the forenoon, we saw the land again; this was high flat table land, and tended away to the S. E. where we lost sight of it; the wind still continued between the south and west.
On the 4th, we stood along shore: the coast appeared very low, sandy, and barren. About noon, the wind began to frisk and blow from the S. W. and fearing if it should blow fresher, that we might get soul on a lee-shore, we tacked about, and proceeded to the N. W. Before we tacked, we observed a bending of the land which we thought might be a bay, but it proved otherwise, and we therefore named it False Bay.
On the 7th, we had light breezes and calms for several days, with fair weather, and were out of sight of land. On that day we saw a sun-fish, very short and thick, having scarce any tail, but two large sins; it was as big as a shark, and of the same colour.
On the 9th, we had a pleasant breeze from the N. E. the weather gloomy; the land in view low and level, tending away to the S. E. In the evening it appeared higher, and tended suddenly to the west; but we were not near enough to distinguish any thing upon it.
On the 10th, we had a fine breeze from the north, and passed a high sloping land, covered with wood, where we had seen some smoke. A few leagues farther from this point, which we called Woody Point, we saw a small flat island, or rock, which was almost covered with gannets, or soland geese; and therefore called it Gannet Island. Soon after we passed a point of land, at which time, seeing a number of albatrosses on the sea, we named it Albatross Point: This point stretched out a great way, and formed a small harbour. As we proceeded on our course, the land, though level, appeared much higher, and pretty well cloathed with verdure. We saw a point of land which we called, from its appearance, Sugar-Loaf Point, near which are several small islands; and, from their vicinity to the point, we named them Sugar-Loaf
On the 11th, in the evening, we discovered a very peaked hill, which appeared to be as high as the peak of Teneriffe; [see pl. XXII.] and all the bottom part of it was covered with clouds in the same manner; we named it Mount
The next morning, on the 12th, we approached nearer to it, but could not see the top of it, which was lost in the clouds. From this peak the land declined gradually to a point on each side, one ending in the sea, and the other stretching to the coast north of it, which was, in general, low and level, but covered with trees, as were also both sides of the peak. When we were abreast of it we had very heavy showers of rain, with thunder and lightening; and, at length, the peak itself was totally inveloped in darkness. In the night we saw a large fire. The point off this peak we called
On the 13th, early in the morning, we descried the top of the peak, which was streaked with snow, and, finding the land tended away to the east, we. concluded that we were in a large bay.
On the 14th, we saw land ahead of us, and still apprehended we were in a large bay. We also discovered several islands and very deep breaks in the land: The coast hereabout is very high, and the tops of the hills are covered with clouds; but, the weather being hazy, we saw nothing on the land excepting a fire lit up at night.
On the 15th, in the forenoon, having reached to the farther end of the supposed bay, we entered into a smaller, or rather a harbour, it being land-locked on every side. At the entrance of this harbour there are two islands, on the smallest of which, we discovered a Hippa: we passed very near it, and the natives flocked in crouds to gaze at us. We stood in for a little cove, and anchored within two cables length of the shore, opposite to a small rivulet which ran into the sea. Some of our people went on shore, and shot some birds: we also hauled the sein, and caught a large draught of fishes, some of which weighed twenty-one pounds; and, on the shore, we found muscles, and other sorts of shell-fish, in great plenty.
All the coves of this bay teem with fish of various kinds, such as cuttle-fish, large breams, (some of which weighed twelve pounds, and were very delicious food, having the taste of fine salmon,) small grey breams, small and large baracootas, flying gurnards, horse-mackarel, dog-fish, soles, dabs, mullets, drums, scorpenas or rock-fish, cole-fish, the beautiful fish called chimera, and shaggs.
The manner in which the natives of this bay catch their fish is as follows:— They have a cylindrical net, extended by several hoops at the bottom, and contracted at the top; within the net they stick some pieces of fish, then lot it down from the side of a canoe, and the fish, going in to feed, are caught with great ease.
The country, about the cove where we lay, is entirely covered with wood, and so full of a sort of supple-jack, that it is difficult to pass through it: there is also a little sand-fly which is very troublesome; and the bite of it is venomous, raising a bump upon the skin which itches very much. The tops of some of the hills, which at first appeared to be bare, we found covered with the fern plant, which grows up to about a man's height. The hills decline gently to the water's-edge, and leave no flat land excepting one place.
The woods abound with divers kinds of birds, such as parrots, wood-pigeons, water-hens; three sorts of birds having wattles; hawks; with a variety of birds that sing all night. We also found a great quantity of a species of
The air of the country, one would imagine, is very moist, and endued with some peculiar putrescent qualities, as we found maggots in birds a few hours after they had been shot.
The natives came to us sometimes, and behaved peaceably; but, to our surprise, we had adequate proofs that they are Cannibals. Some of our people, in the pinnace, went into a little cove, where one family resided, and saw several human bones which appeared to have been lately dressed and picked; and were told, that a little while before, six of their enemies had fallen into their hands; four they killed and ate; the other two jumped into the water and escaped from them, but they were unfortunately drowned, and our people saw one of their bodies floating upon the water. The natives also brought us several human bones on board, and offered them to sale, sucking them in their mouths, and, by the signs which they made to us, evinced that they thought human flesh delicious food. One day, in particular, they brought four skulls to sell; but they rated
The natives, in this part of
When these people are pleased on any particular occasion, they express it by crying Ai, and make a clack with their tongues not unlike a hen's when she calls her chickens.
We heard a great cry, or howling, at the Hippa every night, and, most likely, at that time they were cutting and slashing themselves, according to their custom, which is done with a piece of green stone, shell, or shark's tooth, which they drive into their flesh, and draw it along, beginning at their feet and continuing it to their heads.
While we lay here, some of our people went toward the Hippa in a boat; several of the natives came out to welcome them; most likely they took it to be a traverse, and
There are many small islands around that appear to be entirely barren; and we saw no inhabitants upon this excepting those that belong to the Hippa; and they neither sow nor plant any thing, but live chiefly on fish, and on their neighbours when they can catch them.
We saw one of their Hippas which was situated on a very high rock, hollow underneath, forming a most grand natural arch, one side of which was connected with the land; the other rose out of the sea. Underneath this arch a small vessel might have sailed [See pl. XXIV.] It was near a pleasant bay, and almost inaccessible: one of the natives came out and waved a large garment, or piece of cloth, to us as we passed along.
Their canoes were very stately ones: very few of the natives are tataowed: we asked them if their ancestors had not told them of such a ship as ours that they had seen in their time, but they appeared to be entirely ignorant of it. These cannibals told us, that the people, who belonged to those they had slain and eaten, were coming to them, over the hills, to kill them the next day, but it proved a false alarm.
On the 1st of February, we had a strong wind from the N.E. The hawser with which we moored the ship was broke by the strain of the sea, it being fastened on shore to a tree, and we were obliged to let go another bower. It rained all this day and part of the next, continuing, without intermission for thirty-two hours.
On the 6th, we left the bay, which we called
On the 7th, we weighed anchor, and proceeded along the straits with the tide and a fine breeze, which set us through with great rapidity. At the entrance into the straits, from the north, there is a small island on the north side, near a point of land on the main; this island we called
On the 8th, we sailed along the southern coast of this island: the weather was hazy, but we discovered many extensive lawns, with some high hills, the tops of
We observed a great difference betwixt the inhabitants on this side of the land, north of
On the 9th, at noon, latitude south, we had a good view of
On the 14th, we passed Or the Land of Poonamoo, which is the name by which the natives distinguish the southern division of this island, and where the Poonamoo, or
In the afternoon, four double canoes, in which were fifty-seven people, came off to us; they had some leaves about their heads, but few cloths on their bodies, and seemed to be poor wretches. They kept aloof from us, nor could we persuade them to traffic with us.
On the 16th, we sailed along shore, and had frequent calms. About noon we passed a broad opening which seemed to divide the land; on the N. W. side of which is a small bay, which we named
On the 17th, we saw more land which still tended away to the S.W. and, it is probable, the straits we saw is a passage between the main or land we sailed along the day before and the island or land we saw this day; or this may, perhaps, be a continuation of the larger. About the middle of this island, which we called Banks's Island, there seems to be a fine large bay. We hauled in our wind, and stood to the east, one of the lieutenants being persuaded that he saw land in that quarter; but, in the evening, we bore away to the south, and, on the 18th, Latitude 45º 16', we hauled in our wind, and stood to the west, being certain that we could not miss the land if there was any so far to the south. In the evening we saw vast shoals of grampusses and bottle-nosed porpoises.
On the 19th, standing still to the westward, with a brisk breeze, in the forenoon, we discovered high land southward of us, being then, by our reckoning,
On the 20th, in the morning, we were near the land, which formed an agreeable view to the naked eye. The hills were of a moderate height, having flats that extended from them a long way, bordered by a perpendicular rocky cliff next to the sea; but, when viewed through our glasses, the land appeared very barren, having only a few trees in the valleys, or furrows of the hills, and had no signs of inhabitants. The air was very sharp and cold.
Having beat to windward for several days without gaining any way, with the weather gloomy and very cold, on Saturday, the 24th, we had a fresh breeze from the north, which carried us round the outermost point, which we called
The next day, the 25th, we had variable winds and calms till the afternoon; and then we had the wind from the S. W. which was directly against us: it blow very violently, and we were obliged to go under fore and main sails; and tore our fore-sail in pieces. The land thereabout was pretty high, indifferently well covered with trees, but had no signs of inhabitants.
On the 27th, it continued blowing hard from the S. W. we lay to all day: at length the wind abated, but continued still in our teeth. Thermometer 46.
On the 4th of March, after having beat about near a week, by the favour of a breeze from the north, we got fight of land again, which tended away to the S. W. and by W. and appeared to be of great extent. We had a continual rolling swell from the S. W. and saw the appearance of a harbour, which we named Moulineux's Harbour, after the name of the master of our ship. We had light breezes and calms till the ninth; and, at the dawn of that day, we narrowly escaped running the ship upon a ledge, or parcel of craggy rocks; some of which were but just seen above water. They were luckily discovered by the midshipman's going to the mast head. The breeze being moderate, we put the helm a-lee, and were delivered from this imminent danger by the good providence of God. The land,
On the 10th, we stood out a considerable way to sea; and, on the 11th, in the morning, fetched the land, and approached near it. It had the appearance of a cluster of islands, or a bay with a large break, being divided by a number of valleys and peaked hills, many of which were pretty well covered with wood, and had some snow on the tops of them; but we saw no signs of inhabitants. We called this bay
On the 13th, we sailed along the western coast with a very brisk breeze from the south. The land appeared very romantic, having mountains piled on mountains to an amazing height; but they seemed to be uninhabited. We saw the appearance of some good harbours, one of which, larger than the rest, we
On the 14th, we sailed along shore with a pleasant breeze; the land rose immediately from the water's edge to a very great height. Some of the highest hills were covered with snow, and the others with wood; but we saw no signs of inhabitants. We passed several breaks in the land, which might be good harbours, but we did not enter into any of them. We saw, this day, a great number of albatrosses.
On the 16th, having a breeze, we sailed along the shore of the land we had passed the day before, which appeared as wild and romantic as can be conceived. Rocks and mountains, whose tops were covered with snow, rose in view one above another from the water's edge: and those near the shore were cloathed with wood, as well as some of the valleys between the hills, whose summits reached the clouds. We saw a break in the land which we thought might be a good harbour, but it proved only a small open bay, we therefore called it Mistaken Bay. As we sailed along we passed a broken point, that had a flat top, from which the water poured down into the sea, and formed three grand natural cascades. This point we named Cascades Point. On the N. E. side of it there was a bay which we called
On the 20th, we met with contrary winds, which carried us away to the west-ward; but, the wind coming favourable again, we resumed our former course, and came up with a head of land which we named
On the 24th, we saw a point of land which we called Rock's Point, and soon after met with a Cape; and, when we got round it, found ourselves in a large bay, but did not anchor in it. The land tended away to the S. E. and, at the bottom of the bay, there is probably a river. We continued our course to the S. E. and came up with a large tract of land stretching a good way from the main to a point, near which there is a small island. We named this point
On the 26th, in the evening, we anchored in the Bay, which, we found was about ten leagues N.W. of The Map annexed, in which the ship's track is accurely marked, will give the reader an idea of the fatigue and danger which attended our traverse. [See. XXV.]
In this bay we saw some deserted houses, but no inhabitants; and the land about it is more wild and not so flat as
The captain having fulfilled his orders, it was at his option to stay as much longer in these seas as the safety of the ship and provisions would admit; and to return home either by the
Something has already been mentioned respecting the language of the New-Zealanders, and of its affinity to that of the people of
Having given a plate, containing principally the figures of the New-Zealand household and warlike Instruments, it may be proper here to give a description of them. [See pl. XXVI]
on the 31st, in the morning, we weighed anchor, having a fine breeze from the S. E. left the coast of
On the 20th, we sailed along shore with a fine brisk breeze, but we found no harbour. The land appeared rather level, with here and there a gentle ascent covered entirely with wood, some of which appeared large. About noon we saw some smoke ascending out of a wood near the sea side. Latitude 36° 51'.
On the 21st, we had fine clear weather, and a brisk gale: the coast appeared much the same as it did the day before, excepting that it was rather lower. In the evening the land appeared very low and strait, stretching away to the N.E. and was well covered with trees. We saw some clouds of smoke rising from them a good way up the country, but we found no harbour. Latitude 35° 51'.
On the 22d, the coast made a good view, being flat, level, and covered with verdure. The hills within land were remarkably flat: we discovered five men upon them, through our glasses, who were quite naked. It is probable they live upon the produce of the earth, as we did not see any canoes, and the coast seems to be unfavourable for fishing. Latitude 35° 27'.
On the 25th, we were in latitude 34° 22'. The weather was very fine, but we were often becalmed. The land appeared still flat, remarkably level, and strait on the top. We saw several fires along the coast lit up one after another, which might have been designed as signals to us.
On the 27th, in the morning, the wind being against us, we stood off and on shore. At noon, being about one mile from land, some of our men were sent on shore in a boat, which soon returned, not being able to land for the surf,
On the 28th, we got into a fine bay, and some of our people went on shore on one side of it, where we saw some houses. On our approaching the shore, two men, with different kinds of weapons, came out and made toward us. Their countenance bespoke displeasure; they threatened us, and discovered hostile inten tions, often crying to us, Warra warra wai. We made signs to them to be peaceable, and threw them some trinkets; but they kept aloof, and dared us to come on shore. We attempted to frighten them by firing off a gun loaded with small shot; but attempted it in vain. One of them repaired to a house immediately, and brought out a shield, of an oval figure, painted white in the middle, with two holes in it to fee through, and also a wooden sword, and then they advanced boldly, [see p1. XXVII.] gathering up stones as they came along, which they threw at us. After we had landed, they threw two of their lances at us; one of which fell between my feet. Our people fired again, and wounded one of them; at which they took the alarm and were very frantic and furious, shouting for assistance, calling Hala, hala; mae; that is, (as we afterwards learned,) Come hither; while their wives and children set up a most horrid howl. We endeavoured to pacify them, but to no purpose, for they seemed implacable, and, at length, ran howling away, leaving their wives and children, who hid themselves in one of the huts behind a piece of bark. After looking about us a little while, we left some nails upon the spot and embarked, taking with us their weapons; and then pro ceeded to the other side of the bay, where we had seen a number of people, as we came in, round a fire, some of whom were painted white, having a streak round their thighs, two below their knees, one like a sash over their shoulders, which ran diagonally downwards, and another across their foreheads. Both men and wo men were quite naked, very lean and raw-boned; their complexion was dark, their hair black and frizzled, their heads unadorned, and the beards of the men
The natives often reconnoitred us, but we could not prevail on them to come near us or to be social; for, as soon as we advanced, they fled as nimbly as deer, excepting at one time, when they seemed determined to face us: then they came armed with spears, having their breasts painted white; but, as soon as they saw our boat go off from the ship, they retreated. Constrained by hunger, they often came into the bay to fish; but they kept in the shallows, and as near as possible to the shore. In one of their houses, at the top of the bay, we had laid some nails, pieces of cloth, and various trinkets; and though the natives had been there in our absence, yet they had not taken any of them.
This bay is in latitude 34°6', and makes a good harbour, being only two or three points open to the eastward; but the water is in general shallow; and it has several arms extending from it, which are also shallow. On these shallows we found a great number of rays, some shell-fish, and a few sharks. The rays are of an enormous size: one of them which we caught weighed two hundred and thirty-nine pounds, and another three hundred and twenty-six. They tasted very much like the European rays, and the viscera had an agreeable flavour, not unlike stewed turtle. These rays, and shell-fish, are the natives chief food.
The country is very level and fertile; the foil, a kind of grey sand; and the climate mild: and though it was the beginning of winter when we arrived, every thing feemed in perfection. There is a variety of flowering shrubs; a tree that yields gum; and a species of palm, [Borasus flabellifer,] the berries of which are of two sorts; one small, eaten by the hogs, and the other, as large as a cherry, has a stone in it; it is of a pale crimson colour, and has the taste of a sweet acid. We also found a species of Salvia Fortea.
We met with but one quadruped on the island, which was about the size of a hare: we found also the skin of a snake, and saw a great number of birds of a beautiful plumage; among which were two sorts of parroquets, and a beautiful loriquet: we shot a few of them, which we made into a pie, and they ate very well. We also met with a black bird, very much like our crow, and shot some of them too, which also tasted agreeably. From the number of curious plants we met with on shore, we called the bay
Having got on board a good stock of hay for our sheep, on the 6th of May we weighed anchor, and left this bay. On this day,
Having only moderate breezes from the N. and N.E. we made but little way till the 9th. In the evening of that day we saw two of the most beautiful rainbows my eyes ever beheld: the colours were strong, clear, and lively; those of the inner one were so bright as to reflect its shadow on the water. They formed a complete semicircle; and the space between them was much darker than the rest of the sky.
In latitude 32° 51', on the 10th, the land appeared considerably higher, and more broken, very sandy, and less fertile. We saw several clusters of islands; among which, it is probable, there may be some good harbours.
On the 11th, we passed high broken land, having several distinct peaks and hills, an extensive flat along the shore covered with pretty large trees, and a sandy beach. We saw also many snakes, and three remarkable hills, which we called The Three Brothers. Latitude 32° 2'.
On the 14th, latitude 30° 22', the land appeared high, and well covered with wood; but, being three or four leagues from it, we could not distinguish many particulars upon it, though we saw clouds of smoke arise from different distant parts of the country. The wind was very variable after our leaving the last bay, and we had some calms. The wind hangs mostly between the N. and E. on this coast, blows very gently, and then dies away to a stark calm; but this day we had a fresh breeze from the S.W.
On the 15th, we were in the latitude of 28° 40'. The breeze continued brisk from the S. W. the land appeared very uneven; and we saw a remarkable high peak, with three points at the top: behind it were three other hills, with round tops; and the nearest land was well covered with wood. We saw fix men, quite naked, walking upon a strait, white, sandy beach; and, in the evening, having a low point of land a-head, we discovered several breakers, at a considerable distance from the shore. The wind freshening, we stood to the east; and, soon after dark, brought to, continued founding every half-hour, and found thirty fathoms water.
On the 16th, we were in latitude 27° 40', and saw a vast tract, of low land, with, here and there, a rising hill.
On the 17th, the land appeared higher, having many remarkable peaks; one of which was like a glass-house: we also saw some smoke, and the appearance of a large river; the water of which was of a pale green colour. Latitude 26° 28'.
On the 18th, in latitude 25° 36', the land appeared to rise perpendicular, of an unequal height, and looked like a wall along the coast, without having any break; which prevented us from seeing the back land; and it was covered with great patches of white sand and stinted shrubs. The sea was full of a sort of orange-coloured powder, like that we saw on the coast of
On the 20th, in the forenoon, we were a-breast of a point which seemed to be the last of the land to the north, and tended away abruptly to the south. From this point there runs a very large shoal, on several parts of which the water broke. We sailed along-side of it, and had from seventeen to nine fathoms water. Before night came on, we got round it, and kept our course westward, as we had seen the looming of land in that quarter. The barren sandy land continued to this point, and was uninhabited. We saw a large turtle, some large grampusses that leaped out of the water, a great number of porpoises, many sharks which would not take bait, and several men-of-war birds. Latitude 24° 24'.
On the 21st, in the forenoon, we discovered land again, extending a great way and forming a curve. It was very flat, level, and covered with trees, with a few hills within-land. We sailed along it, to look for a harbour, to the N. W. There was no appearance of land to the S. W. so that it is very probable there is a river in that part. We found no current, and our course was very shallow, as we had but from seven to twenty fathoms water at a great distance from land.
On the 22d, in the evening, we anchored in an open road or bay, round the north cape of the great bay. As we failed along, this day, the country appeared very barren and sandy, having only a few low shrubs. This day the captain's clerk had his ears cut off, and his cloaths also cut off his back. The captain and officers offered, some time after, at
On the 23d, the captain and some others went on shore, and saw a few of the natives, but could not get near them. We saw, too, about twenty of them from the ship, who stood gazing at us upon the beach; also smoke arising out of the woods, which, perhaps, was only an artifice of theirs, to make us think they were numerous. We observed nothing worthy of note on land, excepting a great variety of plants; one of which bore a fruit like a small crab-apple, having a large stone in it, the Eawharra of
On the 24th, in the morning, we weighed anchor, and left this bay. At noon we were becalmed, and caught, with hook and line, several sorts of beautiful-coloured fishes. We saw some very large pelicans, which were near five feet high, and the tail of some quadruped, which we supposed might be a guanica. In latitude 23° 51' the land tended away from the sandy point in the great bay to the north-west.
On the 25th, in the forenoon, we crossed the tropic of Capricorn. The land appeared very desolate, being little else than sand and rocks, parcelled out into several islands and ragged points. We came to at night, in a sort of bay formed by the turning of the land, and found a considerable tide flowing into it. There was the appearance of an opening in the land, which may possibly be the mouth of a river.
On the 26th, we got in among a parcel of islands, to get clear of which we proposed going by a passage to the north-west, which was next to the main; but, finding our water shoal very much, we sent some men in a boat a-head of us, to sound, and came into three and two and a half fathom water. They returned with an account that there was hardly water enough; so we tacked about and stood out. The next morning, we had a fine breeze, and went through a passage to the north-east, between two islands: in this sound, the tide fell thirteen feet. Our people, who went off in the boat, saw many of the natives upon one of the islands, and they hallooed to them: they were of the same sort as those we had seen before. On the land round about, we saw both high and low ridges, with some peaks: part of it was well covered; though there appeared some large patches of white sand. Latitude 22° 52'.
On the 28th, resolving to keep the main close aboard, which continued tending away to the west, we got into another cluster of islands; where we were much alarmed, having but three fathoms water, on a sudden, in a ripling tide: we put about, and hoisted out the boats, to seek for deeper water; after which, as it was very gloomy and blew fresh, we kept an easy sail to the west, sounding all the way; and, at night, came to the entrance of a bay. This cluster of islands is very much
On the 29th, in the morning, we passed into the bay, which appears to be the entrance into some river, by the strong tide that runs into the channel, which fell twelve feet in fix hours. The captain intended to ground the ship here, in order to clean her bottom; but,
On the 31st, we left this bay, not being able to find any fresh water, or any kind of provisions, not even fish. The bay is open to the north; is very large and deep, and capable of containing a navy at anchor. There were many creeks, that seemed to end in a lagoon; but the captain could not determine whether the inlet, that led into the country, was a river. The country about the bay is but indifferently cloathed; the trees are small; and the soil on the hills is very stony, and bare of grass under the trees. That part of the shore, which I saw, seemed to be a rock, composed of broken stones, cemented together with mud. On our first view of this coast, we conceived the most pleasing hopes, but were unhappily disappointed. We saw only two of the Indians, but the marks of many more, and the footsteps of an animal that had a cloven hoof. We saw also many of the Yam-trees, the greater part of them having been stripped of the bark; and several sorts of ants, some of which build their nests of earth against the side of a tree, while others make them of leaves, glued together and hung upon the branches.
From a hill, at the entrance into the bay, we had thirty islands in view. Through this labyrinth of islands we passed with some difficulty, on account of the number of shoals which we met with; one of which we should have been upon, had not the men in the boat given us timely notice. We were encouraged to attempt a passage through them, from an expectation, we had formed, of finding one to the north side of the land.
On the 2d of June, we were in the latitude of 20° 56', and still among islands, through which we were obliged to steer with great caution, keeping a boat out ahead, and coming to every night: we yet narrowly escaped a bank, the foundings
On the 3d, in the morning, we had land on every quarter, excepting at south-east, and stood to north-west; where there appeared to be an opening, which carried us into a strait, in which we found deep water. This strait lies almost north and south; is about seven leagues long, and one and a half broad. On the west of it lies the main, and, on the east, a row of islands which extend a considerable way to the south. The land on both sides looked much better than that which we had seen before; being high, abounding in trees, and not sandy. We discovered three persons through our glasses, and a canoe with out-riggers, like those of
On the 4th, we cleared the straits and islands, and got into an open sea. The land upon the coast was full of very high hills, whose bowels are probably rich in ore; but their surface is poor indeed, being more barren, and fuller of stones, than any land we had seen. We had clear and pleasant weather, and the land still tended away to the west. Latitude 19° 48'.
On the 7th, we were between a parcel of islands and the main. The main-land looked very barren and dreary: the hills upon it looked like a heap of rubbish, on which nothing was to be seen, excepting a few low bushes: but the islands made a better appearance. We saw a few people in canoes, striking fish, some smoke on the main, and some palm-trees. Latitude 18°48'.
On the 8th, the main land appeared still higher, and very barren. We discovered several islands that looked like so many heaps of rubbish, which had lain long enough to have a few weeds and bushes grow on them. On one of them, which is not more than two miles in circumference, we saw a company of the natives, entirely naked, and of a dark complexion, standing quite still, and beholding the ship with astonishment. At night we saw a fire, which yielded a very grateful odour, not unlike that produced by burning the wood of gum benjamin.
On the 10th, we continued our course to the north-west; and, about nine o'clock in the morning, we sailed down a reef of coral-rocks. Our water shoaled very soon, from twenty-one to eight fathoms; which alarmed us very much: every countenance expressed surprize, and every heart felt some trepidation. About eleven, the ship struck upon the rocks, and remained immoveable. We were, at this period, many thousand leagues from our native land, (which we had left upwards of two years,) and on a barbarous coast, where, if the ship had been wrecked, and we had escaped the perils of the sea, we should have fallen into the rapacious hands of savages. Agitated and surprised as we were, we attempted every apparent eligible method to escape, if possible, from the brink of destruction. The sails were immediately handed, the boats launched, the yards and topmasts struck, and an anchor was carried to the southward: the ship striking hard, another anchor was dispatched to the south-west. Night came on, which providentially was moon-light; and we weathered it out as patiently as possible, considering the dreadful suspense we were in.
On the 11th, early in the morning, we lightened the ship, by throwing overboard our ballast, fire-wood, some of our stores, our water-casks, all our water, and fix of our great guns; and set the pumps at work, at which every man on board assisted, the Captain, Mr. Banks, and all the officers, not excepted; relieving one another every quarter of an hour. About noon, the ship heaved much on one side; upon which five anchors were carried out, and dropt at different parts; while all the hands on board plied the pumps incessantly, hoping to have heaved her off the rock, but hoping in vain. At four o'clock in the afternoon it was low water, and the ship, in several places, grounded on the rock. Between nine and ten, the tide rose four feet, and the ship righted again; and, about ten, after some farther attempts to clear her, she providentially got off. This desirable event gave us spirits; which, however, proved but the transient gleam of sun-shine, in a tempestuous day; for they were soon depressed again, by observing that the water increased in the hold, faster than we could throw it out; and we expected, every minute, that the ship would sink, or that we should be obliged to run her again upon the rocks.
In the midst of these gloomy prospects and alarming apprehensions, we found means to stop the leak, by a method suggested to us by an officer, who had, in a former voyage, made use of it with success: we sewed a great quantity of hair and oakum to a large piece of canvas, which we let down by two ropes, one on each side of the bow of the ship: in making way, the sucked this under, close to her bottom; and, when it reached the leak, it was forced in by the intruding water, and obstructed its passage so much, that we kept it under with a single pump. Providentially, too, at this instant, a breeze sprang up, and we steered towards the land, the boats going before, in quest of a harbour, which they also happily found, at about two or three leagues distance. On the 14th of June, we dropped anchor in the mouth of it; but the entrance into it was so narrow, that we were obliged to place buoys all the way, to steer by. While we lay on the rock, it was calm; and, from the time we left it, till this day, it blew gently; but now it began to blow hard, which prevented us from getting into the bay till the 18th; when we reached the desired haven, though not without some danger, the ship having several times-touched the ground.
When we threw the guns overboard, we fixed buoys to them, intending, if we escaped, to have heaved them up again; but, on attempting it, we found it was impracticable.
Soon after we arrived in the bay, we laid the ship on a steep bank, on the side of a river; set up tents on shore, unloaded her, carried all the cargo and provisions into them, and there lodged and accommodated our sick.
On the 22d, we examined the ship's bottom, and found a large hole, through the planks into the hold, which had a piece of coral-rock, half a yard square, sticking in it: the same rock, therefore, that endangered us, yielded us the principal means of our redemption; for, had not this fragment intruded into the leak, in all probability the ship would have sunk.
We lost no time, but immediately set about repairing the ship's bottom, and in a few days made it sound again. In the mean time, the boats were sent out, in
On the 4th of July, the ship was carried to the other side of the river, and examined thoroughly; but, being found in good condition, she was soon placed in her former station; where she was loaded, and properly fitted to proceed on the voyage.
During the time we staid here, we picked up a great many natural curiosities from the reef we struck upon, consisting of a variety of curious shells, most of which were entirely new to Mr. Banks and
On shore we were not less successful. Of vegetables, we found Glycine rosea, which yields a sort of bean purslain, that eats very well, boiled; Cicas circinalis, the kernels of which, roasted, tasted like parched pease; but it made some of our people sick, who ate of it: of this fruit, they make a kind of sago in the
Of birds, we found grey pigeons, with red beaks and reddish brown crests, which ate very well; two sorts of small, doves; two sorts of. beautiful perroquets; a very uncommon hawk, pied black and white; several other sorts of hawks; large black cocatoes, with scarlet and orange-coloured feathers on their tails, and some white spots between the beak and the ear, as well as one on each
Of quadrupeds, there are goats, wolves, a small red animal about the size of a squirrel; a spotted one of the viverra kind; and an animal of a kind nearly approaching the mus genus, about the size of a grey-hound, that had a head like a fawn's; lips and ears, which it throws back, like a hare's; on the upper jaw fix large teeth; on the under one two only; with a short and small neck, near to which are the fore-feet, which have five toes each, and five hooked claws; the hinder legs are long, especially from the last joint, which, from the callosity below it, seems as if it lies flat, on the ground when the animal descends any declivity; and each foot had four long toes, two of them behind, placed a great way back, the inner one of which has two claws; the two other toes were in the middle, and resembled a hoof, but one of them was much larger than the other. The tail, which is carried like a grey-hound's, was almost as long as the body,
Mr. Banks found, in the woods, an Opossum This creature has a membraneous bag near the stomach in which it conceals and carries its young when it is apprehensive of danger.
There were many alligators on the coast, some of them very large, and we frequently saw them swimming round the ship.
We found also several sorts of snakes, ants, and a small culex, or fly, which is not bigger than a grain of sand; the bite or sting of which was venomous, and caused protuberances on the skin, which itched violently.
Of fish, we found many different sorts, and a variety of beautiful shell-fish; among them three sorts of oysters; some were found in lagoons; some adhering to the mangrove; and others along the shore: large cavalhe, or scomber; large mullets, some flat-fish, a great number of small scombri; and skate or ray-fish; one of which, that we caught, was curiously marked on the back with polygons finely coloured; and another of an orbicular figure, with a blue grey-coloured back, and white belly, which tasted like veal; some other parts like beef; and the entrails as agreeable as turtle. We caught also turtles of a bright green colour, some of which weighed near four hundred pounds On opening a turtle that we caught we found part of a wooden lance in it, which had gone in by the breast before the calapee.
The natives, who were naked, though of a diminutive size, ran very swistly, and were very merry and facetious. Their bones were so small, that I could more than span their ancles; and their arms too, above the elbow joint. The tallest we saw measured but five feet nine inches; though their slimness made
They had lances and levers, very neatly made of a reddish wood; and had two pieces of bone, joined together with pitch, that stood out at the end of them. To polish their lances they made use of the ficus riduola, which served the purpose of a rasp. Their canoes were made out of the trunks of trees; had an outrigger; and eight outriggers on which they laid their lances. Their paddles were long in the blade. To throw the water out of their canoes, they used a large shell called the Persian-crown.
Their language was not harsh, as may be seen by the following vocabulary, and they articulated their words very distinctly, though, in speaking, they made a great motion with their lips, and uttered their words vociferously, especially when they meant to shew their dissent or disapprobation. When they were pleased, and would manifest approbation, they said Hee, with a long flexion of the voice,
Cabeeleelce, coyelaillo, halle-cutta, yerba, ycrbe, yerga, are words they frequently made use of, but the meaning of them we could not find out.
As a mark of dissent, they said Aipa, several times, and this was the only word, that we could distinguish, to accord With the Otaheitean language.
On our arrival, the natives shewed themselves, on the land opposite to us, by degrees; and, after having thrown them some fish, they ventured to approach us in a canoe; landed by us; laid down their lances, and came forward to meet us, shewing signs of amity as they came along; but they were so much abashed at first, that they took but little notice of us, or of any thing about us, though they did not seem to be apprehensive of danger. We made them some presents, which they accepted, but did not shew much fondness for them. They became, at length, more free when only three of us were present, and made signs for us to take off some of our garments, which we did accordingly. They viewed them with surprize; but they seemed to have had no idea of cloaths; nor did they express a desire for any; and a shirt, which we gave them, was found afterwards torn into rags.
The natives shewed a great antipathy to our tame birds, and attempted to throw one of them over-board; and, a little before we left the land, they set fire to the grass round the spot where we had pitched our tent; but, luckily for us, most of our things were on-board, or they would, in all probability, have been consumed, as the fire burnt very fiercely, and had like to have destroyed a litter of pigs, and some other things. We shot at one of them, who ran up the hill with a firebrand, and wounded him. Several of them came to us afterwards, and made peace with us.
They seem to live mostly on shell-fish, the remains of which we frequently saw about their fires, which they procure by twirling a piece of wood in a hole, made in another piece, till it is lit up into a flame.
Some of our people, in a pinnace, went in search of a passage to go out of the bay, and landed on a coral reef, where they met with a great number of shells; and, among the rest, the spondylus, and a large sort of trochus, or top-shell, with which they loaded the boat.
On the 4th of August, in the morning, we weighed anchor, left the harbour, and steered N. E. till we were near the Turtle Reefs; there we anchored again, and sent the boats on shore, which returned with a turtle, a large skate, and a great number of clams, a sort of cockle, some of them very large.
On the 5th, it blew so hard that we could not weigh anchor till afternoon, and then we stood to the N. E. but, meeting with several shoals, we were obliged to cast anchor again, as the wind blew fresh, and were detained till the 10th. On the morning of which we weighed anchor again, but the wind blowing hard from the S. S. E. we drove, and were obliged at length to let go two anchors, and rode by the first with near two hundred fathoms of cable.
We had chiefly strong gales of wind after the sun's approach toward us from the tropic of Capricorn; and, on account of the many shoals hereabout, we did not go directly out to sea, but kept near the shore, and passed by some low islands well covered with trees.
We also saw three high islands, and sailed betwixt them and the main: the latter appeared very low, barren, and sandy.
Toward evening we were on a sudden alarmed by the appearance of land all round us: the weather being hazy, and the wind blowing fresh, we hauled in our wind, and came to under a bluff point of the main.
On the 13th, in the morning, we weighed anchor, and stood to the eastward, close to one of the high islands which we had passed before, and so on through a break of the reef, which was about half a mile wide, This reef, which the captain
On the 15th, about noon, we saw land again in latitude 13° S. also a continuation of the reef which ran along-side of it. In the evening, standing right in for land, we were alarmed by suddenly discovering that reef extended to leeward of us, upon which we hauled in our wind, and crouded all the sail we could, that we might be able to weather the farthest point of it. The wind was easterly this day, more moderate, and the swell of the sea less.
On the 16th, at the dawn of day, we had a reef under our lee, at about a mile distance, which alarmed us much. When it was quite light, we saw breakers all round us excepting to windward, where we came in. The wind sailing us about midnight, we tacked about, being afraid to stand any farther; and the wind's still sailing was the cause that we drove on the reef, which we now neared apace. In this dilemma, we first hoisted out our small boats (the long boat being stowed, and the pinnace repairing) to tow her off, and got a pair of sweeps rigged out of the gun-room ports, to turn her head about. A slight puff of wind gave us some hopes of effecting it; but that sailing, we approached so near the breakers, that there was but one heave of the swell between them and the ship. However, with our pulling, the alteration of the tide, and another flight puff of wind, we cleared her a little more from the reef, and stood to where we saw a break in the reef to leeward, there we hoped, at least, to find ground to anchor upon; but, when we got to the entrance of it, we were driven off by a ripple of the tide that set out with great force; which, however, proved very providential, as we afterward found there were rocks in the passage, and that it was not a proper break. We then stood to windward, intending either to get out as we came in or a little farther down to leeward, where the reef seemed detached; but, perceiving, soon after, the tops of some rocks in the passage, we declined attempting it. The wind again dying away, we were at a loss what to do for the best; but, at last determined on sending some of our people in the boat to examine into the
On the 17th, in the morning, we sent some men in the boat to the reef for turtles and clams, but they returned without any of the former, and with but few clams, though they were of a large size.
The reefs were covered with a numberless variety of beautiful corallines of all colours and figures, having here and there interstices of very white sand. These made a pleasing appearance under water, which was smooth on the inside of the reef, while it broke all along the outside, and may be aptly compared to a grove of shrubs growing under water. Numbers of beautiful coloured fishes make their residence amongst these rocks, and may be caught by hand on the high part of the reef at low water. There are also crabs, molusca of various sorts, and a great variety of curious shell-fish, which adhere to the old dead coral that forms the reef.
On the 18th, we weighed anchor, and stood along shore on the inside of the reef, thinking that would be the safest and best way of finding the passage between New-Guinea and this land: we met with a great many islands, shoals, and reefs, and came to at night. We kept along shore till the 21st, and, at noon, in latitude 10° 36', we came to a great number of islands near the main land, which tended away to the S.W. We stood through between two of these islands, to the west, and found a very strong tide, which carried us along briskly, and gave us hopes that this was a passage between
We were obliged to keep a constant look-out while we passed between the reef and the land, as it was full of shoals, reefs, sandy keys, and small islands; and had we not come in again, we should not have sound a passage.
On the 23rd, we had light breezes from the N. and S.W. with some calms, and were certain of being in a strait, which seemed to be not very remote from the river Van Speult in Carpentaria; the land to the north being made up of a cluster of islands. We found shallow water all through this strait, which we named Endeavour; Straits; and went over a bar that had only three fathoms and a half water. About noon, we saw a small island covered with birds-dung of a white colour, and some of our people went off in a boat, and shot a score of birds called Boobies,
On the 24th, in the morning, the cable broke in weighing up the anchor, which obliged us to drop another, and detained us all day sweeping for it with much trouble; but, the next morning, we got it up, and soon after were underway, and stood on to the N.W. with a fine breeze from the east. About two o'clock, in the afternoon, we were much alarmed by finding ourselves amongst a parcel of small shoals. These shoals were discovered by the water's appearing a little brownish. They consisted of rocks upon which there were only two and three fathoms water; and, though there was a pretty large swell, they did not break. There was one not half a cable's length, from the ship. We had not more than from six to eleven fathoms water in this sea when we were out of sight of land. After examining around for the safest way to get clear of these shoals, we weighed anchor and stood out, first southerly, and then to the west, till we deepened our water to eleven
On the 26th, we steered west all day, with a fine breeze from the east, and deepened our water to twenty-five fathoms, in latitude 10° 10'.
On the 27th, steering northward for the coast of
On the 28th, about noon, we got into very broken ground, the foundings being, on a sudden, from three fathoms to ten, and continued very irregular all the afternoon, with hard ground. This, however, did not prevent us from making all the fail we could, and without a boat ahead. About four o'clock in the afternoon, we saw low land. Toward the evening it blew very hard from the S. E. and we stood E. N. E. and were in great danger of striking. As the water was so shoal, we stood backwards and forwards all night; and, through the good providence of God, met with no accident. Latitude 8° 54'.
On the 29th, we stood in for the land of
On the 30th, we coasted along about three or four leagues from the land, which was very flat. Our soundings were much the same as the day before. This sand-bank extends about, a league farther out to sea, as we judged from the dark-coloured water which we saw from the ship. In the evening, the land seemed to end in a point, and tend away to the north. The sea was very full of some stuff like chaff, and we saw some smoke upon land. Latitude 8° 39'.
On the 31st, in the night, a current carried us away so far to westward, that it was evening, the next day, before we made land again. We were now pretty certain that we had got round
After beating about for three days in quest of land, being prevented getting in with it by the wind setting east; on the 3d, in the morning, we made the coast again, and approached to within three or four leagues of the shore: A party of our people went, in the pinnace, to examine the country while we stood off and on. They soon returned with an account that a great number of the natives threatened them on the beach, who had pieces of bamboo, or canes, in their hands, out of which they puffed some smoke, and then threw some darts at them about a fathom long, made of reeds, and pointed of Etoa wood, which were barbed, but very blunt. Our people fired upon them, but they did not appear to be intimidated; our men, therefore, thought proper to embark. They observed that these people were not negroes, as has been reported, but are much like the natives of
On the 5th, in the morning, which was moon-light, about one o'clock, we passed two low island, which, we supposed, are the southernmost of the Arow
The Arow
On the 6th, in the forenoon, in latitude of 8° 15', we saw an island to the N.W. of us, of considerable extent, being about six or seven leagues of flat level land; and, by the latitude we were in, we supposed it was
On the 7th, we had a fresh trade-wind from the east, with clear weather, latitude 9° 31', and saw abundance of very small flying-fish, and some porpoises.
On the 9th, we had light breezes, or calms, all day. Mr. Banks went out in the small boat, and shot between thirty and forty large boobies, which prey upon the flying-fish. In the evening we saw land to the N. W. of us, and supposed it to be about twenty leagues distant, which being very high, we thought, at first, it had been clouds. Latitude 9° 46'.
On the 10th, we had light breezes or calms all day, and were still at a great distance from land. We made an observation of the sun this day, and of moon at night, to determine the longitude, and found ourselves in 233° 33' west from ' south, by which we were certain that a current had driven us to the south, as we kept our course to the west. We saw several sharks, dolphins, and barracootas, about the ship, and caught a 'large shark.
On the 12th, in the morning, we had light breezes from the west, but, in the afternoon, it veered round to the south. We were on the east side of
On the 15th, after having been troubled several days with light breezes from the S. W. we had the wind N. E. and E. and stood southward to weather it. The land, this day, appeared very scabby to the naked eye, but, viewed through our glasses, we discovered these to be clear places, many of which were fenced about, and had houses upon them, the eaves of which reached to the ground. We saw also a great many palm-trees on the beach, as well as on the hills, some parts of which were cultivated. We had a bold shore, with hardly any beach. Toward evening the land near the shore appeared much flatter and more level; behind which, at a great distance, we discovered many high hills. Latitude 10° 1'.
On the 16th, in the morning, we had a brisk trade-wind from the east, and a view of the island of Rotté, which lies off the south end of
On the 17th in the morning, we saw a small island, which, by its appearance, promised nothing, being brown, and almost bare, excepting of palms, and a few other trees. On our approaching nearer to it, we saw several sorts of cattle, which induced us to steer to leeward and send the boat on shore; in the mean time, standing off and on, several of the natives came to them on horseback, who spoke a little Portugueze, and told them there was a bay on the other side of the next point where the ship might anchor, and we might meet with a supply of provisions. We pursued our course round the point, and anchored in a very large bay. In the evening we saw a village, situate on the side of a hill, that had Dutch colours hoisted in it. The next morning some of us went on shore, and waited on the Raja, or king, who received us very graciously, and promised to supply us with every thing, if the Dutchman pleased: The Dutchman vouchsafed to consent, and made us a visit on board, in company with the Raja and his attendants: they dined with us; were very ceremonious, and left us, after having made specious professions of friendship. The next day some of our people returned the visit, and dined with them. After much shuffling on their part, we made shift to obtain a large number of fowls, eight bullocks, several goats, hogs, a great quantity of syrup, and a few fruits.
They informed us that they had been without rain in the country for seven months, and that the herbage was almost burnt up.
This island, which is divided into five districts, is about thirty miles long; is called Savoo, and lies south of
As we were not permitted to examine the country, or its products, the Dutchman not suffering us to go any where without a strong guard, I amused myself in picking up, from the natives of the island, what particulars I could learn in respect to their language, from which I afterwards formed the following vocabulary.
After a stay of two or three days, we left Savoo, and, on the lst of October, in the morning, discovered
On the 2d, we failed up as far as Angor Point, where we were becalmed, and waited for the current, which sets to the south till the monsoon shifts. We saw two Indiamen at anchor in
On the 3d, we got up near to Bantam Point, or Point
In the afternoon, some people came off to us, in a boat, from Angor-Point, to enquire who we were, and brought plantains, pumplenoses, oranges, turtles, parrots, domestic poultry, some small birds, and monkeys, which they offered to sale. They told us that the
In the evening we weighed anchor, but, having only a light breeze, we made no way.
On the 4th, we had a northerly wind, which was directly against us, and the current ran very strong. Finding that we had lost ground, we anchored at night off Pulo Pisane; and, while we lay at anchor, some of our people went on shore in a boat, and bought some cocoas, and Paddy, or rice in the husk. On the evening of the next day, a light breeze sprang up from the West; but we were soon becalmed, and dropped anchor again. The weather was very sultry. Thermometer 86.
On the 7th, we weighed and dropped anchor several times, having light breezes and calms: however, the tide shifting in our favour, we reached, that day, as far as Pulo Babi, which lies in the bay of Bantam, and passed Pulo Panjang.
On the 8th, having light breezes, with calms, and the current running strong against us, we made but very little way. This day we failed between the
On the 10th, we anchored in the road of
The Dutch commodore sent a messenger on-board of us, to enquire who we were; and by him we learned that the Falmouth man-of-war fell to pieces in this road about four months before we arrived.
The houses in the city are mostly built of brick, and plaistered over; many of them are very spacious, and furnished very sumptuously, especially on the ground-floor; the bed-chambers, in general, having but little, furniture in them. There are five gates to the city, with draw-bridges to each, which are shut at night. The suburbs, which surround the town, cover a large piece of ground, but are meanly built. The Campan
The public buildings, in this city, are the castle, a town-hall, and several churches. The castle is square, surrounded by a ditch, and consists of several square courts, in one of which is deposited a great number of warlike instruments, especially of guns and balls.
The town-hall and the great church are handsome edifices. The church is of an octagon figure, having a dome and lanthorn of the same form, and has a very fine organ. Ruyter's kirk, belonging to the Lutherans, is small, but a very neat building. The Portuguese church is of an oblong square; and the priests, belonging to it, preach in the Malay as well as the Portuguese language.
The streets of
This city is the seat of the Dutch-governor-general and council of the Indies, and is, with several neighbouring settlements of that nation, immediately under their direction; and to them all the other governments, belonging to their
The Dutch, by their industry, have done more here than any other power in Europe has done in
Their manner of living is pretty much the same in all seasons of the year. They rise as soon as it is light, and drink tea or coffee; then transact their business, either within or without doors, till nine o'clock in the morning, at which time it is too hot to be in the open air; and they negotiate business, or divert themselves otherwise, within doors, till about noon, and then dine. After dinner, they strip themselves of every thing, except a pair of drawers and a short cotton gown, and go to bed. At four or five o'clock in the afternoon they rise again, drink tea, and, if they have no business to transact, as there are no public places of diversion, they take an airing in their carriages; come home, sup, and go to bed again about eleven at night. Those born here of European parents, who are not many and are of a mixed breed, generally follow the Malay customs.
The inhabitants are mostly Chinese, and their number is very great both in town and country. The
The Chinese in and about
They form two sects, and keep mostly to their own customs. One of them wears all their own hair; and the other, which is by far the most numerous, shaves all the head except the crown. These different modes arise from a peculiar religious tenet held amongst them. When a rich man has a child, and thinks he can maintain it, independent of any servile employment, he suffers the hair on its head to grow, which is wound up, tied upon the crown, and ornamented with a gold bodkin or two, and it must never afterwards be shaven; these are of high rank amongst them. The other children have their heads shaven nine months after their birth, and on every ninth day afterwards, till they attain a certain age; and then they are at liberty either to wear it growing or have it shaved: the lock of hair, left on the crown of some of their heads, grows to a great length, reaching down to their posteriors. Their dress is excellently adapted to a hot climate, being generally white taffety, or callico; and consists of a pair of trowsers, over which they wear a frock with wide sleeves, which buttons before: a purse, wrought with silk, hangs beneath the upper garment; and a pair of Chinese pampouches completes their dress. The old men sometimes wear a sort of white boots, that reach up to their knees; and they always carry a fan in their hands, to shade their heads from the sun. Their usual salutation is, Adda bai ké, how do you do, sir? and they are very courteous in their address and behaviour, especially to Britons, whose generosity, I suppose, they have often experienced. The hawkers, amongst them, who outdo the Jews in low artifice, will ask twenty dollars for a thing, and take one; and have acquired, even among themselves, the character of great cheats.
Before the rebellion in 1740, the Chinese were intirely governed by two of their own nation, who were judges in all cases, and sat in council. At present, they have a captain and two lieutenants, one of whom sits every forenoon, with a jury of twelve, in a hall they have for that purpose, to hear and make up suits and quarrels, which happen amongst them, if possible, before they go before a Dutch court of judicature; and this the Chinese must do, if they design to live in harmony with their community. To the said hall they all repair, the three first days of the month, to pay their head-money; at which time there is a Dutch ensign hoisted on a staff before the gate.
The Chinese have four pagodas, or places of worship, in
There is, it seems, but one Chinese woman in
The Malays of both sexes, who are mostly slaves, are very numerous: Every white man keeps a number of them; and they are the only servants employed within-doors and without. Under this name are compréhended many sorts of people, who come from
The dress of the male Malays, who are slaves, is very simple; consisting of a pair of short drawers, and a long shirt, or frock, above, made of striped or plain cotton, which buttons about the wrist with six small buttons; and those who can afford it have two or three gold buttons at the neck. They are accustomed to hold one hand on their heads, placed in a particular manner. The free-men are better clad, and affect, in some respects, the European dress and customs, having black sattin breeches, and waistcoats with sleeves, and carry their hats under their arms; but they wear neither shoes nor stockings.
The women-slaves wear a long piece of cotton check wrapped about their loins, which serves instead of petticoats; and, over that, a very short white callico jacket, which buttons at the wrist, and is close before. They have remarkable good hair, which they tie upon the tops of their heads, and stick two or three silver or gold bodkins into it; this, with a silver peenang box which hangs to a girdle, and a handkerchief, with fearee, put over their shoulders, makes them appear very gaudy. The free-women, who are called Noonga Cabaia, wear a long chintz banjan, called a Cabai, which reaches down to their heels; and they have square-toed slippers, turned up at the points very high, with which they make shift to hobble along.
The Malays, and many of the white people, bathe in the river at least once in the day, and sometimes twice. The men are much addicted to gaming; and all of them chew the Penang and Searee, which blackens their teeth; but they have an expeditious method of cleaning them with betle: They also chew tobacco, cardamums, and gaimbre. They are reckoned to be an indolent revengeful people; and, when they think themselves injured, they repair to a gaming-house, and smoak opium till they are mad-drunk, and then sally out, with a creess in their hand, to seek their enemy; attempting to kill every person that opposes them; and are often killed themselves, before they are apprehended: This is called an Amock, and is very common in
The Malays are Mahometans, and have several mosques about
There is another set of people called Portuguese; whom the Malays call Orrang
Other people, of which there are many to be seen at
The best fruits they have at
All the ships, which are careened and hove-down here, go to a small island in the bay, called Unrust, about seven miles from At this place our ship was examined; and we found that many of her planks, and her keel, were much damaged; one part of her not being above one-eighth of an inch thick, which was luckily before one of the timbers, or, in all probability, she would have sunk long before we reached the bay of
The island of
The westerly monsoon sets. in about Oćtober or November, and sometimes later; and then the rainy season comes on: the easterly sets in about April or May.
The general language spoken at
They keep their accounts at
As for the Malays and Chinese, they count with sawangs, satalees, soocoos, rupees, and reals.
One of our midshipmen ran away from us here, and it was suspected that he was the person who cut off
On the 26th of December, we weighed anchor, and failed from the bay of
This side of the island is pretty high, and covered with wood, excepting plantations of rice, upon which we saw several houses. The other side is plain flat ground, and abounds with plantations of pisang, calappa, and other fruits. The people who are upon it have been there between three and four years, and came from the main land of Here ends
On the 16th of January, we took our departure from this island; and, a few days after, the disorder with which several of our company had been attacked, and died at
On our arrival at the Cape, we were in great distress, not having more than six men capable of duty; but, providentially for us, the Pocock
The next day, the Captain, Mr. Banks,
After the sick had recovered, and we had taken in all necessary supplies, and had engaged some Portugueze to supply the loss of our sailors, we left the Cape, and proceeded on our voyage homeward. Three days after we left the Cape,
After a passage of eighteen days, during which time nothing remarkable happened, we arrived at
Twelve days after we left
About sixteen days after we left the schooner, we got into soundings; and, in a few more days, beat into the Chops of the Channel; and the wind, which had been before at N. E. coming about to the S.W. we proceeded directly to the Downs, where we arrived on the 12th of July, 1771, after having been absent from England within a few days of three years. We immediately sent our sick on shore; and, after staying three days, received orders to proceed round to Woolwich, where we anchored on the 20th of the same month.
It may not be amiss to inform the curious in natural subjects, that Mr. Banks and
They have also described a great variety of birds and beasts, heretofore unknown, or but indifferently treated of; and above three hundred new species of fish, and have brought home with them many of the several kinds; with about one hundred species of new shells; and a great number of curious infects, some of them of a new genus; and corals; also of other marine animals, particularly of the Molusca tribe.
Copious descriptions of all there curiosities, with elegant engravings annexed, are now preparing to be published to the world by the above-mentioned gentlemen.
[An inner garment or shirt.]