A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 12 by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 12

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We made sail with a fine breeze, and, about one o'clock, saw an island
W. by S., Queen Charlotte's Island at this time bearing E. by N. distant
fifteen miles. At half an hour after three, we were within about three
quarters of a mile of the east end of the island, and ran close along
the shore, but had no soundings. The east and west ends are joined to
each other by a reef of rocks, over which the sea breaks into a lagoon,
in the middle of the island, which, therefore, had the appearance of two
islands, and seemed to be about six miles long, and four broad. The
whole of it is low land, full of trees, but we saw not a single cocoa
nut, nor any huts: We found, however, at the westermost end, all the
canoes and people who had fled, at our approach, from Queen Charlotte's
Island, and some more. We counted eight double canoes, and about
fourscore people, women, and children. The canoes were drawn up on the
beach, the women and children were placed near them, and the men
advanced with their pikes and firebrands, making a great noise, and
dancing in a strange manner. We observed that this island was sandy, and
that under the trees there was no verdure. As the shore was every where
rocky, as there was no anchorage, and as we had no prospect of obtaining
any refreshment here, I set sail at six o'clock in the evening, from
this island, to which I gave the name of _Egmont Island_, in honour of
the Earl of Egmont, who was then first Lord of the Admiralty. It lies in
latitude 19 deg.20'S., longitude, by observation, 138 deg.30'W.

At one o'clock, on the 11th, we saw an island in the W.S.W. and stood,
for it. At four in the afternoon, we were within a quarter of a mile of
the shore, and ran along it, sounding continually, but could get no
ground. It is surrounded on every side by rocks, on which the sea breaks
very high. It is full of trees, but not one cocoa-nut, and has much the
same appearance with Egmont Island, but is much narrower. Among the
rocks, at the west end, we saw about sixteen of the natives, but no
canoes: They carried long pikes or poles in their hands, and seemed to
be, in every respect, the same kind of people that we had seen before.
As nothing was to be had here, and it blew very hard, I made sail till
eight in the evening, and then brought to. To this island, which is
about six miles long, and from one mile to one quarter of a mile broad,
I gave the name of _Gloucester Island_, in honour of his royal highness
the Duke. It lies in latitude 19 deg.11'S., and longitude, by observation,
140 deg.4'W.

At five o'clock in the morning, we made sail, and soon after saw another
island. At ten o'clock, the weather being tempestuous, with much rain,
we saw a long reef, with breakers on each side of the island, and
therefore brought the ship to, with her head off the shore. To this
island, which lies in latitude 19 deg.18'S., longitude, by observation,
140 deg.36'W., I gave the name of _Cumberland Island_, in honour of his
royal highness the Duke. It lies low, and is about the same size as
Queen Charlotte's Island. We found the variation, of the needle here to
be 7 deg.10'E. As I had no hope of finding any refreshment here, I stood on
to the westward.

At day-break, on Saturday the 13th, we saw another small low island, in
the N.N.W. right to windward. It had the appearance of small flat keys.
This place I called _Prince William Henry's Island_, in honour of his
majesty's third son. It lies in latitude 19 deg.S., longitude, by
observation, 141 deg.6' W. I made no stay here, hoping that to the westward
I should find higher land, where the ship might come to an anchor, and
such refreshments as we wanted be procured.

Soon after day-light, on the 17th, we saw land bearing W. by N. and
making in a small round hummock. At noon, when it bore N. 64 deg. W. distant
about five leagues, its appearance greatly resembled the Mewstone in
Plymouth Sound, but it seemed to be much larger. We found the ship this
day twenty miles to the northward of her reckoning, which I imputed to a
great S.W. swell.

At five in the evening, this island bore N.W. distant about eight miles.
I then hauled the wind, and stood on and off all night. At ten, we saw a
light upon the shore, which, though the island was small, proved that it
was inhabited, and gave us hopes that we should find anchorage near it.
We observed with great pleasure, that the land was very high, and
covered with cocoa-trees; a sure sign that there was water.

The next morning, I sent Lieutenant Furneaux to the shore, with the
boats manned and armed, and all kinds of trinkets, to establish a
traffic with the natives, for such refreshment as the place would
afford. I gave him orders also to find, if possible, an anchoring-place
for the ship. While we were getting out the boats, several canoes put
off from the island, but as soon as the people on board saw them make
towards the shore, they put back. At noon, the boats returned, and
brought with them a pig and a cock, with a few plantains and cocoa-nuts.
Mr Furneaux reported, that he had seen at least an hundred of the
inhabitants, and believed there were many more upon the island; but
that, having been all round it, he could find no anchorage, nor scarcely
a landing-place for the boat. When he reached the shore, he came to a
grappling, and threw a warp to the Indians upon the beach, who caught it
and held it fast. He then began to converse with them by signs, and
observed that they had no weapon among them, but that some of them had
white sticks, which seemed to be ensigns of authority, as the people who
bore them kept the rest of the natives back. In return for the pig and
the cock, he gave them some beads, a looking-glass, a few combs, with
several other trinkets, and a hatchet. The women, who had been kept at a
distance, as soon as they saw the trinkets, ran down in a crowd to the
beach, with great eagerness, but were soon driven away by the men, at
which they expressed much disappointment and vexation. While this
traffic was carrying on, a man came secretly round a rock, and diving
down, took up the boat's grappling, and at the same time the people on
shore who held the warp, made an effort to draw her into the surf. As
soon as this was perceived by the people on board, they fired a musket
over the man's head who had taken up the grappling, upon which he
instantly let it go, with marks of great terror and astonishment; the
people on shore also let go the rope. The boats, after this, lay some
time upon their oars, but the officer, finding that he could get nothing
more, returned on board. Mr Furneanx told me, that both the men and
women were clothed, and he brought a piece of their cloth away with him.
The inhabitants appeared to him to be more numerous than the island
could support, and for this reason, especially as he saw some large
double canoes upon the beach, he imagined there were islands of larger
extent, not far distant, where refreshments in greater plenty might be
procured, and hoped that they might be less difficult of access. As I
thought this a reasonable conjecture, I hoisted in the boats, and
determined to run farther to the westward. To this place, which is
nearly circular, and about two miles over, I gave the name of _Osnaburgh
Island_, in honour of Prince Frederick, who is bishop of that see. It
lies in latitude 17 deg.51'S., and longitude 147 deg.30'W.; the variation here
was 7 deg.10' E.[51]

[Footnote 51: The islands spoken of in this section, with several more,
constitute a pretty considerable cluster, to which Bougainville gave the
name of Dangerous Archipelago; and by this name they are usually
designated in modern maps.--E.]

SECTION V.

_An Account of the Discovery of King George the Third's Island, or
Otaheite, and of several Incidents which happened both on board the
Ship, and on Shore._

At two o'clock, the same day, we bore away, and in about half an hour,
discovered very high land in the W. S.W. At seven in the evening,
Osnaburgh Island bore E. N.E. and the new discovered land, from W.N.W.
to W. by S. As the weather was thick and squally, we brought to for the
night, or at least till the fog should break away. At two in the
morning, it being very clear, we made sail again; at day-break we saw
the land, at about five leagues distance, and steered directly for it;
but at eight o'clock, when we were close under it, the fog obliged us
again to lie to, and when it cleared away, we were much surprised, to
find ourselves surrounded by some hundreds of canoes. They were of
different sizes, and had on board different numbers, from one to ten, so
that in all of them together, there could not be less than eight hundred
people. When they came within pistol-shot of the ship, they lay by,
gazing at us with great astonishment, and by turns conferring with each
other. In the mean time we shewed them trinkets of various kinds, and
invited them on board. Soon after, they drew together, and held a kind
of council, to determine what should be done: Then they all paddled
round the ship, making signs of friendship, and one of them holding up a
branch of the plantain-tree, made a speech that lasted near a quarter of
an hour, and then threw it into the sea. Soon after, as we continued to
make signs of invitation, a fine, stout, lively young man ventured on
board: He came up by the mizen chains, and jumped out of the shrouds
upon the top of the awning. We made signs to him to come down upon the
quarter-deck, and handed up some trinkets to him: He looked pleased, but
would accept of nothing till some of the Indians came along-side, and
after much talk, threw a few branches of plantain-tree on board the
ship; he then accepted our presents, and several others very soon came
on board, at different parts of the ship, not knowing the proper
entrance. As one of these Indians was standing near the gang-way, on the
larboard side of the quarter-deck, one of our goats butted him upon the
haunches: Being surprised at the blow, he turned hastily about, and saw
the goat raised upon his hind-legs, ready to repeat the blow. The
appearance of this animal, so different from any he had ever seen,
struck him with such terror, that he instantly leaped over-board; and
all the rest, upon seeing what had happened, followed his example with
the utmost precipitation: They recovered, however, in a short time, from
their fright, and returned on board. After having a little reconciled
them to our goats and sheep, I shewed them our hogs and poultry, and
they immediately made signs that they had such animals as these. I then
distributed trinkets and nails among them, and made signs that they
should go on shore and bring us some of their hogs, fowls, and fruit,
but they did not seem to understand my meaning: They were, in the mean
time, watching an opportunity to steal some of the things that happened
to lie in their way, but we generally detected them in the attempt. At
last, however, one of the midshipmen happened to come where they were
standing, with a new laced hat upon his head, and began to talk to one
of them by signs: While he was thus engaged, another of them came behind
him, and suddenly snatching off the hat, leaped over the taffarel into
the sea, and swam away with it.

As we had no anchorage here, we stood along the shore, sending the boats
at the same time to sound at a less distance. As none of these canoes
had sails, they could not keep up with us, and therefore soon paddled
back towards the shore. The country has the most delightful and romantic
appearance that can be imagined: Towards the sea it is level, and is
covered with fruit trees of various kinds, particularly the cocoa-nut.
Among these are the houses of the inhabitants, consisting only of a
roof, and at a distance having greatly the appearance of a long barn.
The country within, at about the distance of three miles, rises into
lofty hills, that are crowned with wood, and terminate in peaks, from
which large rivers are precipitated into the sea. We saw no shoals, but
found the island skirted by a reef of rocks, through which there are
several openings into deep water. About three o'clock in the afternoon,
we brought-to a-breast of a large bay, where there was an appearance of
anchorage. The boats were immediately sent to sound it, and while they
were thus employed, I observed a great number of canoes gather round
them. I suspected that the Indians had a design to attack them; and as I
was very desirous to prevent mischief, I made the signal for the boats
to come on board, and at the same time, to intimidate the Indians, I
fired a nine-pounder over their heads. As soon as the cutter began to
stand towards the ship, the Indians in their canoes, though they had
been startled by the thunder of our nine-pounder, endeavoured to cut her
off. The boat, however, sailing faster than the canoes could paddle,
soon got clear of those that were about her; but some others, that were
full of men, way-laid her in her course, and threw several stones into
her, which wounded some of the people. Upon this, the officer on board
fired a musket, loaded with buck-shot, at the man who threw the first
stone, and wounded him in the shoulder. The rest of the people in the
canoe, as soon as they perceived their companion wounded, leapt into the
sea, and the other canoes paddled away in great terror and confusion. As
soon as the boats reached the ship, they were hoisted on board, and just
as she was about to stand on, we observed a large canoe, under sail,
making after us. As I thought she might have some chief on board, or
might have been dispatched to bring me a message from some chief, I
determined to wait for her. She sailed very fast, and was soon alongside
of the ship, but we did not observe, among those on board, any one that
seemed to have an authority over the rest. One of them, however, stood
up, and having made a speech, which continued about five minutes, threw
on board a branch of the plantain-tree. We understood this to be a token
of peace, and we returned it, by handing over one of the branches of
plantain that had been left on board by our first visitors: With this
and some toys, that were afterwards presented to him, he appeared to be
much gratified, and after a short time, went away.

The officers who had been sent out with the boats, informed me that they
had sounded close to the reef, and found as great a depth of water as at
the other islands: However, as I was now on the weather-side of the
island, I had reason to expect anchorage in running to leeward. I
therefore took this course, but finding breakers that ran off to a great
distance from the south end of the island, I hauled the wind, and
continued turning to windward all night, in order to run down on the
east side of the island.

At five o'clock in the morning, we made sail, the land bearing N.W. by
W. distant ten leagues; and there seemed to be land five leagues beyond
it, to the N.E.; a remarkable peak, like a sugar loaf, bore N.N.E. when
we were about two leagues from the shore, which afforded a most
delightful prospect, and was full of houses and inhabitants. We saw
several large canoes near the shore, under sail, but they did not steer
towards the ship. At noon, we were within two or three miles of the
island, and it then bore from S.3/4 W. to N.W. by N. We continued our
course along the shore, sometimes at the distance of half a mile, and
sometimes at the distance of four or five miles, but hitherto had got no
soundings. At six o'clock in the evening, we were a-breast of a fine
river, and the coast having a better appearance here than in any other
part that we had seen, I determined to stand off and on all night, and
try for anchorage in the morning. As soon as it was dark, we saw a great
number of lights all along the shore. At daybreak, we sent out the boats
to sound, and soon after, they made the signal for twenty fathom. This
produced an universal joy, which it is not easy to describe, and we
immediately ran in, and came to an anchor in seventeen fathom, with a
clear sandy bottom. We lay about a mile distant from the shore, opposite
to a fine run of water; the extremes of the land bearing from E.S.E. to
N.W. by W. As soon as we had secured the ship, I sent the boats to sound
along the coast, and look at the place where we saw the water. At this
time, a considerable number of canoes came off to the ship, and brought
with them hogs, fowls, and fruit in great plenty, which we purchased for
trinkets and nails. But when the boats made towards the shore, the
canoes, most of which were double, and very large, sailed after them. At
first they kept at a distance, but as the boats approached the shore,
they grew bolder, and at last three of the largest ran at the cutter,
staved in her quarter, and carried away her out-rigger, the Indians
preparing at the same time to board her, with their clubs and paddles in
their hands. Our people being thus pressed, were obliged to fire, by
which one of the assailants was killed, and another much wounded. Upon
receiving the shot, they both fell overboard, and all the people who
were in the same canoe, instantly leaped into the sea after them: The
other two canoes dropped a-stern, and our boats went on without any
farther interruption. As soon as the Indians, who were in the water, saw
that the boats stood on without attempting to do them any farther hurt,
they recovered their canoe, and hauled in their wounded companions. They
set them both upon their feet to see if they could stand, and finding
they could not, they tried whether they could sit upright: One of them
could, and him they supported in that posture, but perceiving that the
other was quite dead, they laid the body along at the bottom of the
canoe. After this some of the canoes went ashore, and others returned
again to the ship to traffic, which is a proof that our conduct had
convinced them that while they behaved peaceably they had nothing to
fear, and that they were conscious they had brought the mischief, which
had just happened, upon themselves.

The boats continued sounding till noon, when they returned with an
account that the ground was very clear; that it was at the depth of five
fathom, within a quarter of a mile of the shore; but that there was a
very great surf where we had seen the water. The officers told me, that
the inhabitants swarmed upon the beach, and that many of them swam off
to the boat with fruit, and bamboos filled with water. They said that
they were very importunate with them to come on shore, particularly the
women, who came down to the beach, and stripping themselves naked,
endeavoured to allure them by many wanton gestures, the meaning of which
could not possibly be mistaken. At this time, however, our people
resisted the temptation.

In the afternoon, I sent the boats again to the shore, with some
barecas, or small casks, which are filled at the head, and have a handle
by which they are carried, to endeavour to procure some water, of which
we began to be in great want. In the mean time many of the canoes
continued about the ship, but the Indians had been guilty of so many
thefts, that I would not suffer any more of them to come on board.

At five in the evening, the boats returned with only two barecas of
water, which the natives had filled for them; and as a compensation for
their trouble, they thought fit to detain all the rest. Our people, who
did not leave their boat, tried every expedient they could think of to
induce the Indians to return their water-vessels, but without success;
and the Indians, in their turn, were very pressing for our people to
come on shore, which they thought it prudent to decline. There were many
thousands of the inhabitants of both sexes, and a great number of
children on the beach, when our boats came away.

The next morning, I sent the boats on shore again for water, with nails,
hatchets, and such other things as I thought most likely to gain the
friendship of the inhabitants. In the mean time, a great number of
canoes came off to the ship, with bread-fruit, plantains, a fruit
resembling an apple, only better, fowls, and hogs, which we purchased
with beads, nails, knives, and other articles of the like kind, so that
we procured pork enough to serve the ship's company two days, at a pound
a man.

When the boats returned, they brought us only a few calibashes of water,
for the number of people on the beach was so great, that they would not
venture to land, though the young women repeated the allurements which
they had practised the day before, with still more wanton, and, if
possible, less equivocal gestures. Fruit and provisions of various kinds
were brought down and ranged upon the beach, of which our people were
also invited to partake, as an additional inducement for them to leave
the boat. They continued, however, inexorable, and shewing the Indian's
the barecas on board, made signs that they should bring down those which
had been detained the day before: To this the Indians were inexorable in
their turn, and our people therefore weighed their grapplings, and
sounded all round the place, to see whether the ship could come in near
enough to cover the waterers, in which case they might venture on shore,
in defiance of the whole island. When they put off, the women pelted
them with apples and bananas, shouting, and shewing every mark of
derision and contempt that they could devise. They reported, that the
ship might ride in four fathom water, with sandy ground, at two cables'
length from the shore, and in five fathom water at three cables' length.
The wind here blew right along the shore, raising a great surf on the
side of the vessel, and on the beach.

At day-break, the next morning, we weighed, with a design to anchor off
the watering-place. As we were standing off, to get farther to windward,
we discovered a bay about six or eight miles to leeward, over the land,
from the mast-head, and immediately bore away for it, sending the boats
a-head to sound. At nine o'clock, the boats making the signal for twelve
fathom, we hauled round a reef, and stood in, with a design to come to
an anchor; but when we came near the boats, one of which was on each
bow, the ship struck. Her head continued immoveable, but her stern was
free; and, upon casting the lead, we found the depth of water, upon the
reef or shoal, to be from seventeen fathom to two and a half: We clewed
all up as fast as possible, and cleared the ship of what lumber there
happened to be upon the deck, at the same time getting out the
long-boat, with the stream and kedge anchors, the stream-cable and
hauser, in order to carry them without the reef, that when they had
taken ground, the ship might be drawn off towards them, by applying a
great force to the capstern, but unhappily without the reef we had no
bottom. Our condition was now very alarming, the ship continued beating
against the rock with great force, and we were surrounded by many
hundred canoes, full of men; they did not, however, attempt to come on
board us, but seemed to wait in expectation of our shipwreck. In the
anxiety and terror of such a situation we continued near an hour,
without being able to do any thing for our deliverance, except staving
some water-casks in the fore-hold, when a breeze happily springing up
from the shore, the ship's head swung off. We immediately pressed her
with all the sail we could make; upon which she began to move, and was
very soon once more in deep water.

We now stood off, and the boats being sent to leeward, found that the
reef ran down to the westward about a mile and a half, and that beyond
it there was a very good harbour. The master, after having placed a boat
at the end of the reef, and furnished the long-boat with anchor and
hausers, and a guard to defend her from an attack of the Indians, came
on board, and piloted the ship round the reef into the harbour, where,
about twelve o'clock, she came to an anchor in seventeen fathom water,
with a fine bottom of black sand.

The place where the ship struck appeared, upon farther examination, to
be a reef of sharp coral rock, with very unequal soundings, from six
fathom to two; and it happened unfortunately to lie between the two
boats that were placed as a direction to the ship, the weathermost boat
having twelve fathom, and the leewardmost nine. The wind freshened
almost as soon as we got off, and though it soon became calm again, the
surf ran so high, and broke with such violence upon the rock, that if
the ship had continued fast half an hour longer, she must inevitably
have been beaten to pieces. Upon examining her bottom, we could not
discover that she had received any damage, except that a small piece was
beaten off the bottom of her rudder. She did not appear to admit any
water, but the trussel-trees, at the head of all the masts, were broken
short, which we supposed to have happened while she was beating against
the rock. Our boats lost their grapplings upon the reef, but as we had
reason to hope that the ship was sound, they gave us very little
concern. As soon as the ship was secured, I sent the master, with all
the boats manned and armed, to sound the upper part of the bay, that if
he found good anchorage we might warp the ship up within the reef, and
anchor her in safety. The weather was now very pleasant, a great number
of canoes were upon the reef, and the shore was crowded with people.