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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About one o'clock we made sail to the westward, and about half an hour
after three we saw land again to the N.W. We got up with it at sun-set;
and it proved to be a low woody island, of a circular form, and not much
above a mile in compass. We discovered no inhabitants, nor could we
distinguish any cocoa-nut trees, though we were within half a mile of
the shore. The land, however, was covered with verdure of many hues. It
lies in latitude 18 deg. 35' S. and longitude 139 deg. 48' W. and is distant
from Lagoon Island, in the direction of N. 62 W. about seven leagues. We
called it _Thrumb-Cap_. I discovered, by the appearance of the shore,
that at this place it was low water; and I had observed at Lagoon
Island, that it was either high-water, or that the sea neither ebbed nor
flowed. I infer, therefore, that a S. by E. or S. moon makes high water.

We went on with a fine trade-wind and pleasant weather; and on the 5th,
about three in the afternoon, we discovered land to the westward. It
proved to be a low island, of much greater extent than either of those
that we had seen before, being about ten or twelve leagues in compass.
Several of us remained at the mast-head the whole evening, admiring its
extraordinary figure. It was shaped exactly like a bow; the arch and
cord of which were land, and the space between them water; the cord was
a flat beach, without any signs of vegetation, having nothing upon it
but heaps of sea-weed, which lay in different ridges, as higher or lower
tides had left them. It appeared to be about three or four leagues long,
and not more than two hundred yards wide: but as a horizontal plane is
always seen in perspective, and greatly foreshortened, it is certainly
much wider than it appeared: The horns, or extremities of the bow, were
two large tufts of cocoa-nut trees; and much the greater part of the
arch was covered with trees of different height, figure, and hue; in
some parts, however, it was naked and low like the cord. Some of us
thought they discovered openings through the cord into the pool or lake,
that was included between that and the bow; but whether there were or
were not such openings is uncertain. We sailed abreast of the low beach
or bowstring, within less than a league of the shore, till sun-set, and
we then judged ourselves to be about half-way between the two horns.
Here we brought-to, and sounded, but found no bottom with one hundred
and thirty fathom; and as it is dark almost instantly after sun-set in
these latitudes, we suddenly lost sight of the land; and making sail
again, before the line was well hauled in, we steered by the sound of
the breakers, which were distinctly heard till we got clear of the
coast.

We knew this island to be inhabited, by smoke which we saw in different
parts of it, and we gave it the name of _Bow Island_. Mr Gore, my second
lieutenant, said, after we had sailed by the island, that he had seen
several of the natives, under the first clump of trees, from the deck;
that he had distinguished their houses, and seen several canoes hauled
up under the shade; but in this he was more fortunate than any other
person on board. The east end of this island, which, from its figure, we
called the Bow, lies in latitude 18 deg. 23' S. and longitude 141 deg. 12' W. We
observed the variation of the compass to be 5 deg. 38' E.

On the next day, Thursday the 6th, about noon, we saw land again to the
westward, and came up with it about three. It appeared to be two
islands, or rather groups of islands, extending from N.W. by N. to S.E.
by S. about nine leagues. Of these, the two largest were separated from
each other by a channel of about half-a-mile broad, and were severally
surrounded by smaller islands, to which they were joined by reefs that
lay under water.

These islands were long narrow strips of land, ranging in all
directions, some of them ten miles or upwards in length, but none more
than a quarter of a mile broad, and upon all of them there were trees of
various kinds, particularly the cocoa-nut. The south-eastermost of them
lies in the latitude of 18 deg. 12' S. and longitude 142 deg. 42' W. and at the
distance of twenty-five leagues in the direction of W.1/2 N. from the
west end of Bow Island. We ranged along the S.W. side of this island,
and hauled into a bay which lies to the N.W. of the southermost point of
the Group, where there was a smooth sea, and the appearance of
anchorage, without much surf on the shore. We sounded, but we found no
bottom with one hundred fathom, at the distance of no more than three
quarters of a mile from the beach, and I did not think it prudent to go
nearer.

While this was doing, several of the inhabitants assembled upon the
shore, and some came out in their canoes as far as the reefs, but would
not pass them: When we saw this, we ranged, with an easy sail, along the
shore; but just as we were passing the end of the island, six men, who
had for some time kept abreast of the ship, suddenly launched two canoes
with great quickness and dexterity, and three of them getting into each,
they put off, as we imagined, with a design to come on board us; the
ship was therefore brought-to, but they, like their fellows, stopped at
the reef; we did not however immediately make sail, as we observed two
messengers dispatched to them from the other canoes, which were of a
much larger size: We perceived that these messengers made great
expedition, wading and swimming along the reef; at length they met, and
the men on board the canoes making no dispositions to pass the reef,
after having received the message, we judged that they had resolved to
come no farther. After waiting, therefore, some little time longer, we
stood off; but when we were got about two or three miles from the shore,
we perceived some of the natives following us in a canoe with a sail; we
did not, however, think it worth while to wait for her, and though she
had passed the reef, she soon after gave over the chace.

According to the best judgment that we could form of the people, when we
were nearest the shore, they were about our size, and well-made. They
were of a brown complexion, and appeared to be naked; their hair, which
was black, was confined by a fillet that went round the head, and stuck
out behind like a bush. The greater part of them carried in their hands
two weapons; one of them was a slender pole, from ten to fourteen feet
long, on one end of which was a small knob, not unlike the point of a
spear; the other was about four feet long, and shaped like a paddle, and
possibly might be so, for some of their canoes were very small: Those
which we saw them launch seemed not intended to carry more than the
three men that got into them. We saw others that had on board six or
seven men, and one of them hoisted a sail, which did not seem to reach
more than six feet above the gunwale of the boat, and which, upon the
falling of a slight shower, was taken down and converted into an awning
or tilt. The canoe which followed us to sea hoisted a sail not unlike an
English log-sail, and almost as lofty as an English boat of the same
size would have carried.

The people, who kept abreast of the ship on the beach, made many
signals; but whether they were intended to frighten us away, or invite
us on shore, it is not easy to determine. We returned them by waving our
hats and shouting, and they replied by shouting again. We did not put
their disposition to the test by attempting to land; because, as the
island was inconsiderable, and as we wanted nothing that it could
afford, we thought it imprudent as well as cruel to risk a contest, in
which the natives must have suffered by our superiority, merely to
gratify an idle curiosity; especially as we expected soon to fall in
with the island where we had been directed to make our astronomical
observation, the inhabitants of which would probably admit us without
opposition, as they were already acquainted with our strength, and might
also procure us a ready and peaceable reception among the neighbouring
people, if we should desire it.

To these islands we gave the name of _The Groups_.

On the 7th, about half an hour after six in the morning, being just at
day-break, we discovered another island to the northward, which we
judged to be about four miles in circumference. The land lay very low,
and there was a piece of water in the middle of it; there seemed to be
some wood upon it, and it looked green and pleasant; but we saw neither
cocoa-trees nor inhabitants: It abounded, however, with birds, and we
therefore gave it the name of _Bird-Island_.

It lies in latitude 17 deg. 48' S. and longitude 143 deg. 35' W. at the distance
of ten leagues, in the direction W. 1/2 N. from the west end of the
Groups. The variation here was 6 deg. 32' E.

On the 8th, about two o'clock in the afternoon, we saw land to the
northward, and about sun-set came abreast of it, at about the distance
of two leagues. It appeared to be a double range of low woody islands
joined together by reefs, so as to form one island, in the form of an
ellipsis or oval, with a lake in the middle of it. The small islands and
reefs that circumscribe the lake have the appearance of a chain, and we
therefore gave it the name of _Chain Island_. Its length seemed to be
about five leagues, in the direction of N.W. and S.E. and its breadth
about five miles. The trees upon it appeared to be large, and we saw
smoke rising in different parts of it from among them, a certain sign
that it was inhabited. The middle of it lies in latitude 17 deg. 23' S. and
longitude 145 deg. 54' W. and is distant from Bird Island forty-five
leagues, in the direction of W. by N. The variation here was, by several
azimuths, found to be 4 deg. 54' E.

[Illustration: THE ISLAND OF OTAHEITE]

On the 10th, having had a tempestuous night, with thunder and rain, the
weather was hazy till about nine o'clock in the morning, when it cleared
up, and we saw the island to which Captain Wallis, who first discovered
it, gave the name of Osnaburgh Island, called by the natives _Maitea_,
bearing N.W. by W. distant about five leagues. It is a high round
island, not above a league in circuit; in some parts it is covered with
trees, and in others a naked rock. In this direction it looked like a
high-crowned hat; but when it bears north, the top of it has more the
appearance of the roof of a house. We made its latitude to be 17 deg. 48' S.
its longitude 148 deg. 10' W. and its distance from Chain Island 44 leagues,
in the direction of W. by S.[85]

[Footnote 85: The islands mentioned in this section, with some others
since discovered, constitute what has been called Dangerous Archipelago.
This is the name which Bougainville gave to this cluster.--E]

SECTION VIII.

_The Arrival of the Endeavour at Otaheite, called by Captain Wallis,
King George the Third's Island. Rules established for Traffic with the
Natives, and an Account of several Incidents which happened in a Visit
to Tootahah and Toubourai Tamaida, two Chiefs.[86]_

[Footnote 86: It would have been easy to have contributed largely to the
information respecting Otaheite, contained in this section and several
of the succeeding ones; but, on the whole, it did not seem eligible to
anticipate the events and incidents which fall to be elsewhere related.
Notes are therefore very sparingly given, and only for specific
purposes. Some modifications also, and some omissions of the text, have
been made, in order to correspond with what has been already narrated,
or what will be afterwards given in a better manner.--E.]

About one o'clock, on Monday the 10th of April, some of the people who
were looking out for the island to which we were bound, said they saw
land ahead, in that part of the horizon where it was expected to appear;
but it was so faint, that, whether there was land in sight or not,
remained a matter of dispute till sun-set. The next morning, however, at
six o'clock, we were convinced that those who said they had discovered
land were not mistaken; it appeared to be very high and mountainous,
extending from W. by S. 1/2 S. to W. by N. 1/2 N. and we knew it to be
the same that Captain Wallis had called King George the Third's Island.
We were delayed in our approach to it by light airs and calms, so that
in the morning of the 12th we were but little nearer than we had been
the night before; but about seven a breeze sprung up, and before eleven
several canoes were seen making towards the ship. There were but few of
them, however, that would come near; and the people in those that did,
could not be persuaded to come on board. In every canoe there were young
plantains, and branches of a tree which the Indians call _E'Midho_;
these, as we afterwards learnt, were brought as tokens of peace and
amity; and the people in one of the canoes handed them up the ship's
side, making signals at the same time with great earnestness, which we
did not immediately understand; at length we guessed that they wished
these symbols should be placed in some conspicuous part of the ship; we,
therefore, immediately stuck them among the rigging, at which they
expressed the greatest satisfaction. We then purchased their cargoes,
consisting of cocoa-nuts, and various kinds of fruit, which, after our
long voyage, were very acceptable.

We stood on with an easy sail all night, with soundings from twenty-two
fathom to twelve; and about seven o'clock in the morning we came to an
anchor in thirteen fathom in Port-Royal Bay, called by the natives
Matavai. We were immediately surrounded by the natives in their canoes,
who gave us cocoa-nuts, fruit resembling apples, bread-fruit, and some
small fishes, in exchange for beads and other trifles. They had with
them a pig, which they would not part with for any thing but a hatchet,
and therefore we refused to purchase it; because, if we gave them a
hatchet for a pig now, we knew they would never afterwards sell one for
less, and we could not afford to buy as many as it was probable we
should want at that price. The bread-fruit grows on a tree that is about
the size of a middling oak: Its leaves are frequently a foot and an half
long, of an oblong shape, deeply sinuated like those of the fig-tree,
which they resemble in consistence and colour, and in the exuding of a
white milky juice upon being broken. The fruit is about the size and
shape of a child's head, and the surface is reticulated not much unlike
a truffle: It is covered with a thin skin, and has a core about as big
as the handle of a small knife: The eatable part lies between the skin
and the core; it is as white as snow, and somewhat of the consistence of
new bread. It must be roasted before it is eaten, being first divided
into three or four parts. Its taste is insipid, with a slight sweetness
somewhat resembling that of the crumb of wheaten-bread mixed with a
Jerusalem artichoke.[87]

[Footnote 87: "Among all the labours of life," says Mr Bryan Edwards, in
his History of the West Indies, "if there is one pursuit more replete
than any other with benevolence, more likely to add comforts to existing
people, and even to augment their numbers by augmenting their means of
subsistence, it is certainly that of spreading abroad the bounties of
creation, by transplanting from one part of the globe to another such
natural productions as are likely to prove beneficial to the interests
of humanity. In this generous effort, Sir Joseph Banks has employed a
considerable part of his time, attention, and fortune; and the success
which, in many cases, has crowned his endeavours, will be felt in the
enjoyments, and rewarded by the blessing of posterity." The reader will
at once acknowledge the justice of this eulogium, when he is informed,
that, to the beneficent president of the Royal Society, the inhabitants
of the West Indies are most materially indebted for the introduction
among them, of that invaluable production the bread-fruit tree here
described. It was principally by his warm and unwearied exertions that
this at last was accomplished in January 1793, by the arrival at St
Vincent of his majesty's ship Providence, Captain Bligh, and the
Assistant brig, Captain Portlocke, from the South Seas, having on board
many hundreds of those trees, and a vast number of other plants, likely
to augment the comforts and supply the wants of the colonies. How
pleasing would be the records of discoveries, and how animating to every
humane sentiment, if they presented us with no other pictures than of
such like labours in the cause of our common nature!--E.]

Among others who came off to the ship was an elderly man, whose name, as
we learnt afterwards, was _Owhaw_, and who was immediately known to Mr
Gore, and several others who had been here with Captain Wallis; as I was
informed that he had been very useful to them, I took him on board the
ship with some others, and was particularly attentive to gratify him, as
I hoped he might also be useful to us.

As our stay here was not likely to be very short, and as it was
necessary that the merchandise which we had brought for traffic with the
natives should not diminish in its value, which it would certainly have
done, if every person had been left at liberty to give what he pleased
for such things as he should purchase; at the same time that confusion
and quarrels must necessarily have arisen from there being no standard
at market; I drew up the following rules, and ordered that they should
be punctually observed.

/#
_Rules to be observed by every person in or belonging to his
Majesty's bark the Endeavour, for the better establishing a regular
and uniform trade for provision, &c. with the inhabitants of King
George's Island._

I. To endeavour, by every fair means, to cultivate a friendship
with the natives; and to treat them with all imaginable humanity.

II. A proper person or persons will be appointed to trade with the
natives for all manner of provisions, fruit, and other productions
of the earth; and no officer or seaman, or other person belonging
to the ship, excepting such as are so appointed, shall trade or
offer to trade for any sort of provision, fruit, or other
production of the earth, unless they have leave so to do.

III. Every person employed on shore, on any duty whatsoever, is
strictly to attend to the same; and if by any neglect he loseth any
of his arms, or working tools, or suffers them to be stolen, the
full value thereof will be charged against his pay, according to
the custom of the navy in such cases, and he shall receive such
farther punishment as the nature of the offence may deserve.

IV. The same penalty will be inflicted on every person who is found
to embezzle, trade, or offer to trade, with any part of the ship's
stores of what nature soever.

V. No sort of iron, or any thing that is made of iron, or any sort
of cloth, or other useful or necessary articles, are to be given in
exchange for any thing but provision.

J. COOK.
#/

As soon as the ship was properly secured, I went on shore with Mr Banks
and Dr Solander, a party of men under arms, and our friend Owhaw. We
were received from the boat by some hundreds of the inhabitants, whose
looks at least gave us welcome, though they were struck with such awe,
that the first who approached us crouched so low that he almost crept
upon his hands and knees. It is remarkable, that he, like the people in
the canoes, presented to us the same symbol of peace that is known to
have been in use among the ancient and mighty nations of the northern
hemisphere,--the green branch of a tree. We received it with looks and
gestures of kindness and satisfaction; and observing that each of them
held one in his hand, we immediately gathered every one a bough, and
carried it in our hands in the same manner.

They marched with us about half a mile towards the place where the
Dolphin had watered, conducted by Owhaw; they then made a full stop, and
having laid the ground bare, by clearing away all the plants that grew
upon it, the principal persons among them threw their green branches
upon the naked spot, and made signs that we should do the same; we
immediately showed our readiness to comply, and to give a greater
solemnity to the rite, the marines were drawn up, and marching in order,
each dropped his bough upon those of the Indians, and we followed their
example. We then proceeded, and when we came to the watering-place it
was intimated to us by signs, that we might occupy that ground, but it
happened not to be fit for our purpose. During our walk they had shaken
off their first timid sense of our superiority, and were become
familiar: they went with us from the watering-place and took a circuit
through the woods; as we went along, we distributed beads and other
small presents among them, and had the satisfaction to see that they
were much gratified. Our circuit was not less than four or five miles,
through groves of trees, which were loaded with cocoa-nuts and
bread-fruit, and afforded the most grateful shade. Under these trees
were the habitations of the people, most of them being only a roof
without walls, and the whole scene realized the poetical fables of
Arcadia. We remarked, however; not without some regret, that in all our
walk we had seen only two hogs, and not a single fowl. Those of our
company who had been here with the Dolphin told us, that none of the
people whom we had yet seen were of the first class; they suspected that
the chiefs had removed, and upon carrying us to the place where what
they called the Queen's Palace had stood, we found that no traces of it
were left. We determined therefore to return in the morning, and
endeavour to find out the _Noblesse_ in their retreats.

In the morning, however, before we could leave the ship, several canoes
came about us, most of them from the westward, and two of them were
filled with people, who by their dress and deportment appeared to be of
a superior rank: two of these came on board, and each singled out his
friend; one of them, whose name we found to be _Matahah_, fixed upon Mr
Banks, and the other upon me: this ceremony consisted in taking off
great part of their clothes and putting them upon us. In return for
this, we presented each of them with a hatchet and some beads. Soon
after they made signs for us to go with them to the places where they
lived, pointing to the S.W.; and as I was desirous of finding a more
commodious harbour, and making farther trial of the disposition of the
people, I consented.

I ordered out two boats, and with Mr Banks and Dr Solander, the other
gentlemen, and our two Indian friends, we embarked for our expedition.
After rowing about a league, they made signs that we should go on shore,
and gave us to understand that this was the place of their residence. We
accordingly landed, among several hundreds of the natives, who conducted
us into a house of much greater length than any we had seen. When we
entered, we saw a middle-aged man, whose name was afterwards discovered
to be _Tootahah_; mats were immediately spread, and we were desired to
sit down over against him. Soon after we were seated, he ordered a cock
and hen to be brought out, which he presented to Mr Banks and me; we
accepted the present, and in a short time each of us received a piece of
cloth, perfumed after their manner, by no means disagreeably, which
they took great pains to make us remark. The piece presented to Mr Banks
was eleven yards long and two wide; in return for which, he gave a laced
silk neckcloth, which he happened to have on, and a linen pocket
handkerchief: Tootahah immediately dressed himself in this new finery,
with an air of perfect complacency and satisfaction. But it is now time
that I should take some notice of the ladies.

Soon after the interchanging of our presents with Tootahah, they
attended us to several large houses, in which we walked about with great
freedom: they shewed us all the civility of which, in our situation, we
could accept; and, on their part, seemed to have no scruple that would
have prevented its being carried farther. The houses, which as I have
observed before, are all open, except a roof, afforded no place of
retirement; but the ladies, by frequently pointing to the mats upon the
ground, and sometimes seating themselves and drawing us down upon them,
left us no room to doubt of their being much less jealous of observation
than we were.

We now took leave of our friendly chief, and directed our course along
the shore; when we had walked about a mile, we met, at the head of a
great number of people, another chief, whose name was _Toubourai
Tamaide_, with whom we were also to ratify a treaty of peace, with the
ceremony of which we were now become better acquainted. Having received
the branch which he presented to us, and given another in return, we
laid our hands upon our left breasts, and pronounced the word _Taio_,
which we supposed to signify friend; the chief then gave us to
understand, that if we chose to eat, he had victuals ready for us. We
accepted his offer, and dined very heartily upon fish, breadfruit,
cocoa-nuts and plantains, dressed after their manner; they eat some of
their fish raw, and raw fish was offered to us, but we declined that
part of the entertainment.