A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 15 (of 18) by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 15 (of 18)

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As soon as the boats were hoisted in, I made sail again to the
northward, with a light air of wind easterly, intending to try our
fortune at Hervey's Island, which was discovered in 1773, during my last
voyage. Although it was not above fifteen leagues distant, yet we did
not get sight of it till day-break in the morning of the 6th, when it
bore W.S.W. at the distance of about three leagues. As we drew near it,
at eight o'clock, we observed several canoes put off from the shore, and
they came directly toward the ships. This was a sight that indeed
surprised me, as no signs of inhabitants were seen when the island was
first discovered; which might be owing to a pretty brisk wind that then
blew, and prevented their canoes venturing out as the ships passed to
leeward, whereas now we were to windward.

As we still kept on toward the island, six or seven of the canoes, all
double ones, soon came near us. There were from three to six men in each
of them. They stopped at the distance of about a stone's throw from the
ship, and it was some time before Omai could prevail upon them to come
along-side; but no entreaties could induce any of them to venture on
board. Indeed, their disorderly and clamorous behaviour by no means
indicated a disposition to trust us, or treat us well. We afterward
learnt that they had attempted to take some oars out of the Discovery's
boat, that lay along-side, and struck a man who endeavoured to prevent
them. They also cut away, with a shell, a net with meat, which hung over
that ship's stern, and absolutely refused to restore it, though we
afterward purchased it from them. Those who were about our ship behaved
in the same daring manner; for they made a sort of hook of a long
stick, with which they endeavoured openly to rob us of several things,
and, at last, actually got a frock, belonging to one of our people that
was towing, overboard. At the same time they immediately shewed a
knowledge of bartering, and sold some fish they had (amongst which was
an extraordinary flounder, spotted like porphyry, and a cream-coloured
eel, spotted with black) for small nails, of which they were
immoderately fond, and called them _goore_. But, indeed, they caught
with the greatest avidity bits of paper, or any thing else that was
thrown to them; and if what was thrown fell into the sea, they made no
scruple to swim after it.

These people seemed to differ as much in person as in disposition from
the natives of Wateeoo, though the distance between the two islands is
not very great. Their colour was of a deeper cast; and several had a
fierce, rugged aspect, resembling the natives of New Zealand, but some
were fairer. They had strong black hair, which, in general, they wore
either hanging loose about the shoulders, or tied in a bunch on the
crown of the head. Some, however, had it cropped pretty short; and in
two or three of them it was of a brown or reddish colour. Their only
covering was a narrow piece of mat, wrapt several times round the lower
part of the body, and which passed between the thighs; but a fine cap of
red feathers was seen lying in one of the canoes. The shell of a
pearl-oyster polished, and hung about the neck, was the only ornamental
fashion that we observed amongst them, for not one of them had adopted
that mode of ornament so generally prevalent amongst the natives of this
ocean, of puncturing, or _tatooing_, their bodies.

Though singular in this, we had the most unequivocal proofs of their
being of the same common race. Their language approached still nearer to
the dialect of Otaheite than that of Wateeoo or Mangeea. Like the
inhabitants of these two islands, they enquired from whence our ships
came, and whither bound, who was our chief, the number of our men on
board, and even the ship's name. And they very readily answered such
questions as we proposed to them. Amongst other things, they told us
they had seen two great ships like ours before, but that they had not
spoken with them as they sailed past. There can be no doubt that these
were the Resolution and Adventure. We learnt from them, that the name
of their island is Terouggemon Atooa, and that they were subject to
Teerevatooeah, king of Wateeoo.[155] According to the account that they
gave, their articles of food are cocoa-nuts, fish, and turtle; the
island not producing plantains, or bread-fruit, and being destitute of
hogs and dogs. Their canoes, of which near thirty were, at one time, in
sight, are pretty large, and well built. In the construction of the
stern, they bear some resemblance to those of Wateeoo; and the head
projects out nearly in the same manner, but the extremity is turned up
instead of down.

[Footnote 155: The reader will observe, that this name bears little
affinity to anyone of the names of the three chiefs of Wateeoo, as
preserved by Mr Anderson.--D.]

Having but very little wind, it was one o'clock before we drew near the
N.W. part of the island, the only part where there seemed to be any
probability of finding anchorage for our ships, or a landing-place for
our boats. In this position I sent Lieutenant King, with two armed
boats, to sound and reconnoitre the coast, while we stood off and on
with the ships. The instant the boats were hoisted out, our visitors in
the canoes, who had remained alongside all the while, bartering their
little trifles, suspended their traffic, and, pushing for the shore as
fast as they could, came near us no more.

At three o'clock the boats returned, and Mr King informed me, "That
there was no anchorage for the ships, and that the boats could only land
on the outer edge of the reef, which lay about a quarter of a mile from
the dry land. He said that a number of the natives came down upon the
reef, armed with long pikes and clubs, as if they intended to oppose his
landing. And yet, when he drew near enough, they threw some cocoa-nuts
to our people, and invited them to come on shore, though, at the very
same time, he observed that the women were very busy bringing down a
fresh supply of spears and darts. But, as he had no motive to land, he
did not give them an opportunity to use them."

Having received this report, I considered, that, as the ships could not
be brought to an anchor, we should find that the attempt to procure
grass here would occasion much delay, as well as be attended with some
danger. Besides, we were equally in want of water; and though the
inhabitants had told us that there was water on their island, yet we
neither knew in what quantity, nor from what distance we might be
obliged to fetch it. And, after all, supposing no other obstruction, we
were sure, that to get over the reef would be an operation equally
difficult and tedious.

Being thus disappointed at all the islands we had met with since our
leaving New Zealand, and the unfavourable winds, and other unforeseen
circumstances, having unavoidably retarded our progress so much, it was
now impossible to think of doing any thing this year in the high
latitudes of the northern hemisphere, from which we were still at so
great a distance, though the season for our operations there was already
begun. In this situation it was absolutely necessary to pursue such
measures as were most likely to preserve the cattle we had on board in
the first place; and, in the next place, (which was still a more capital
object,) to save the stores and provisions of the ships, that we might
be better enabled to prosecute our northern discoveries, which could not
now commence till a year later than was originally intended.

If I had been so fortunate as to have procured a supply of water and of
grass at any of the islands we had lately visited, it was my purpose to
have stood back to the S. till I had met with a westerly wind. But the
certain consequence of doing this, without such a supply, would have
been the loss of all the cattle, before we could possibly reach
Otaheite, without gaining any one advantage with regard to the great
object of our voyage.

I therefore determined to bear away for the Friendly Islands, where I
was sure of meeting with abundance of every thing I wanted; and it being
necessary to run in the night as well as in the day, I ordered Captain
Clerke to keep about a league a-head of the Resolution. I used this
precaution because his ship could best claw off the land; and it was
very possible we might fall in with some in our passage.

The longitude of Hervey's Island, when first discovered, deduced from
Otaheite, by the time-keeper, was found to be 201 deg. 6' E., and now, by
the same time-keeper, deduced from Queen Charlotte's Sound, 200 deg. 56' E.
Hence I conclude, that the error of the time-keeper, at this time, did
not exceed twelve miles in longitude.

When we bore away, I steered W. by S. with a fine breeze easterly. I
proposed to proceed first to Middleburgh, or Eooa, thinking, if the wind
continued favourable, that we had food enough on board for the cattle to
last till we should reach that island. But, about noon next day, those
faint breezes that had attended and retarded us so long, again returned;
and I found it necessary to haul more to the N. to get into the
latitude of Palmerston's and Savage Islands, discovered in 1774, during
my last voyage, that, if necessity required it, we might have recourse
to them.

This day, in order to save our water, I ordered the still to be kept at
work from six o'clock in the morning to four in the afternoon, during
which time we procured from thirteen to sixteen gallons of fresh water.
There has been lately made some improvement, as they are pleased to call
it, of this machine, which, in my opinion, is much for the, worse.

These light breezes continued till the 10th, when we had, for some
hours, the wind blowing fresh from the N. and N.N.W., being then in the
latitude of 18 deg. 38', and longitude 198 deg. 24' E. In the afternoon we had
some thunder squalls from the S. attended with heavy rain; of which
water we collected enough to fill five puncheons. After these squalls
had blown over, the wind came round to the N.E. and N.W., being very
unsettled both in strength and in position till about noon the next day,
when it fixed at N.W. and N.N.W. and blew a fresh breeze, with fair
weather.

Thus were we persecuted with a wind in our teeth whichever way we
directed our course; and we had the additional mortification to find
here those very winds which we had reason to expect 8 deg. or 10 deg. farther S.
They came too late, for I durst not trust their continuance; and the
event proved that I judged right.

At length, at day-break in the morning of the 13th, we saw Palmerston
Island, bearing W. by S. distant about five leagues. However, we did not
get up with it till eight o'clock the next morning. I then sent four
boats, three from the Resolution and one from the Discovery, with an
officer in each, to search the coast for the most convenient
landing-place. For now we were under an absolute necessity of procuring
from this island some food for the cattle, otherwise we must have lost
them.

What is comprehended under the name of Palmerston's Island, is a group
of small islets, of which there are in the whole nine or ten, lying in a
circular direction, and connected together, by a reef of coral rocks.
The boats first examined the south-easternmost of the islets which
compose this group, and, failing there, ran down to the second, where we
had the satisfaction to see them land. I then bore down with the ships
till abreast of the place, and there we kept standing off and on; for no
bottom was to be found to anchor upon, which was not of much
consequence, as the party who had landed from our boats were the only
human beings upon the island.

About one o'clock one of the boats came on board, laden with
scurvy-grass and young cocoa-nut trees, which, at this time, was a feast
for the cattle. The same boat brought a message from Mr Gore, who
commanded the party, informing me that there was plenty of such produce
upon the island, as also of the wharra tree, and some cocoa-nuts. This
determined me to get a good supply of these articles before I quitted
this station, and, before evening, I went ashore in a small boat,
accompanied by Captain Clerke.

We found every body hard at work, and the landing place to be in a small
creek, formed by the reef, of something more than a boat's length in
every direction, and covered from the force of the sea by rocks
projecting out on each side of it. The island is scarcely a mile in
circuit, and not above three feet higher than the level of the sea. It
appeared to be composed entirely of a coral sand, with a small mixture
of blackish mould, produced from rotten vegetables. Notwithstanding this
poor soil, it is covered with trees and bushes of the same kind as at
Wanooa-ette, though with less variety; and amongst these are some cocoa
palms. Upon the trees or bushes that front the sea, or even farther in,
we found a great number of men-of-war birds, tropic birds, and two sorts
of boobies, which at this time were laying their eggs, and so tame, that
they suffered us to take them off with our hands. Their nests were only
a few sticks loosely put together; and the tropic birds laid their eggs
on the ground, under the trees. These differ much from the common sort,
being entirely of a most splendid white, slightly tinged with red, and
having the two long tail-feathers of a deep crimson or blood colour. Of
each sort our people killed a considerable number; and, though not the
most delicate food, they were acceptable enough to us who had been long
confined to a salt diet, and who, consequently, could not but be glad of
the most indifferent variety. We met with vast numbers of red crabs,
creeping about every where amongst the trees; and we caught several
fish that had been left in holes upon the reef when the sea retired.

At one part of the reef, which looks into, or bounds, the lake that is
within, there was a large bed of coral, almost even with the surface,
which afforded, perhaps, one of the most enchanting prospects that
nature has any where produced. Its base was fixed to the shore, but
reached so far in that it could not be seen; so that it seemed to be
suspended in the water, which deepened so suddenly, that at the distance
of a few yards there might be seven or eight fathoms. The sea was at
this time quite unruffled; and the sun shining bright, exposed the
various sorts of coral in the most beautiful order; some parts branching
into the water with great luxuriance; others lying collected in round
balls, and in various other figures;--all which were greatly heightened
by spangles of the richest colours, that glowed from a number of large
clams, which were every where interspersed: But the appearance of these
was still inferior to that of the multitude of fishes that glided gently
along, seemingly with the most perfect security. The colours of the
different sorts were the most beautiful that can be imagined, the
yellow, blue, red, black, &c. far exceeding any thing that art can
produce. Their various forms, also, contributed to increase the richness
of this submarine grotto, which could not be surveyed without a pleasing
transport, mixed however with regret, that a work so stupendously
elegant should be concealed in a place where mankind could seldom have
an opportunity of rendering the praises justly due to so enchanting a
scene.[156]

[Footnote 156: How beautifully does Captain Cook's description
illustrate those lines of Dr Young--

--Such blessings Nature pours,
O'erstock'd mankind enjoy but half her stores;
In distant wilds, by human eyes unseen,

She rears her flowers, and spreads her velvet green:
Pure gurgling rills the lonely desert trace,
And waste their music on the savage race.

Gray has a similar thought in His inimitable elegy, which every reader
will immediately recollect. Can it be imagined, that nature, which does
nothing in vain, nor indeed without a reference to the being who is
eminently signalized as lord of the lower creation, has been at pains to
decorate these spots, but in anticipation, if one may use the
expression, of the praise and enjoyment which their loveliness will some
time or other occasion? He that remembers the nature and formation of
the coral isles in the southern-ocean, will at once conjecture that the
Great Architect is raising up the materials of a new world, which, from
aught we can yet perceive, will not less indicate his power and goodness
than that which we now inhabit. How readily, then, can imagination
fashion out the future destiny of our globe, on the supposition that the
conflagration by which its presently inhabited portions are expected to
be destroyed, shall not be so complete as to annihilate it from the
universe! Or, believing what is usually understood, by that event, on
the authority of scripture, how clearly can reason deduce from present
appearances certain minor, but nevertheless immense, changes, which it
may undergo previous to this final dissolution! But the reader, it is
probable, will not chuse to venture on so terrific an excursion, and
there is a motive for caution with respect to it, with which it may not
be amiss to apprise the too zealous enquirer. The fact is, that none of
the causes which we know to be now operating on our globe, seem at all
adequate to account for all the changes it has already undergone. We
may, therefore, very fairly infer, that an indefinite allowance must be
granted to exterior interference of some sort or other, the agency of
which may altogether subvert whatever is now known to exist.--See
Cuvier's Essay, lately published at Edinburgh.--E.]

There were no traces of inhabitants having ever been here, if we except
a small piece of a canoe that was found upon the beach, which, probably,
may have drifted from some other island. But, what is pretty
extraordinary, we saw several small brown rats on this spot, a
circumstance, perhaps, difficult to account for, unless we allow that
they were imported in the canoe of which we saw the remains.

After the boats were laden I returned on board, leaving Mr Gore, with a
party, to pass the night on shore, in order to be ready to go to work
early the next morning.

That day, being the 15th, was accordingly spent as the preceding one had
been, in collecting and bringing on board food for the cattle,
consisting chiefly of palm-cabbage, young cocoa-nut trees, and the
tender branches of the wharra tree. Having got a sufficient supply of
these by sun-set, I ordered every body on board. But having little or no
wind, I determined to wait, and to employ the next day by endeavouring
to get some cocoa-nuts for our people from the next island to leeward,
where we could observe that those trees were in much greater abundance
than upon that where we had already landed, and where only the wants of
our cattle had been relieved.

With this view I kept standing off and on all night, and in the morning,
between eight and nine o'clock, I went with the boats to the W. side of
the island, and landed with little difficulty. I immediately set the
people with me to work to gather cocoa-nuts, which we found in great
abundance. But to get them to our boats was a tedious operation, for we
were obliged to carry them at least half a mile over the reef up to the
middle in water. Omai, who was with me, caught, with a scoop net, in a
very short time, as much fish as served the whole party on shore for
dinner, besides sending some to both ships. Here were also great
abundance of birds, particularly men-of-war and tropic birds, so that we
fared sumptuously. And it is but doing justice to Omai to say, that in
these excursions to the uninhabited islands he was of the greatest use;
for he not only caught the fish, but dressed these, and the birds we
killed, in an oven with heated stones, after the fashion of his country,
with a dexterity and good-humour that did him great credit. The boats
made two trips before night, well laden: With the last I returned on
board, leaving Mr Williamson, my third lieutenant, with a party of men,
to prepare another lading for the boats, which I proposed to send next
morning.

I accordingly dispatched them at seven o'clock; and they returned laden
by noon. No time was lost in sending them back for another cargo; and
they carried orders for every body to be on board by sunset. This being
complied with, we hoisted in the boats and made sail to the westward,
with a light air of wind from the N.

We found this islet near a half larger than the other, and almost
entirely covered with cocoa-palms, the greatest part of which abounded
with excellent nuts, having often both old and young on the same tree.
They were, indeed, too thick in many places to grow with freedom. The
other productions were, in general, the same as at the other islet. Two
pieces of board, one of which was rudely carved, with an elliptical
paddle, were found on the beach. Probably these had belonged to the same
canoe, the remains of which were seen on the other beach, as the two
islets are not above half a mile apart. A young turtle had also been
lately thrown ashore here; as it was still full of maggots. There were
fewer crabs than at the last place; but we found some scorpions, a few
other insects, and a greater number of fish upon the reefs. Amongst
these were some large eels, beautifully spotted, which, when followed,
would raise themselves out of the water, and endeavour with an open
mouth to bite their pursuers. The other sorts were chiefly parrot-fish,
snappers, and a brown spotted rock-fish, about the size of a haddock, so
tame, that instead of swimming away, it would remain fixed and gaze at
us. Had we been in absolute want, a sufficient supply might have been
had; for thousands of the clams, already mentioned, stuck upon the reef,
some of which weighed two or three pounds. There were, besides, some
other sorts of shell-fish, particularly the large periwinkle. When the
tide flowed several sharks came in over the reef, some of which our
people killed, but they rendered it rather dangerous to walk in the
water at that time.

The party who were left on shore with Mr Williamson, were a good deal
pestered (as Mr Gore's had been) with musquitoes in the night. Some of
them, in their excursions, shot two curlews, exactly like those of
England, and saw some plovers, or sand-pipers, upon the shore; but in
the wood no other bird, besides one or two of the cuckoos that were seen
at Wenooa-ette.

Upon the whole, we did not spend our time unprofitably at this last
islet, for we got there about twelve hundred cocoa-nuts, which were
equally divided amongst the whole crew, and were, doubtless, of great
use to them, both on account of the juice and of the kernel. A ship,
therefore, passing this way, if the weather be moderate, may expect to
succeed as we did. But there is no water upon either of the islets where
we landed. Were that article to be had, and a passage could be got into
the lake, as we may call it, surrounded by the reef, where a ship could
anchor, I should prefer this to any of the inhabited islands, if the
only want were refreshment. For the quantity of fish that might be
procured would be sufficient, and the people might roam about unmolested
by the petulance of any inhabitants.

The nine or ten low islets, comprehended under the name of Palmerston's
Island, may be reckoned the heads or summits of the reef of coral rock
that connects them together, covered only with a thin coat of sand, yet
clothed, as already observed, with trees and plants, most of which are
of the same sorts that are found on the low grounds of the high islands
of this ocean.

There are different opinions amongst ingenious theorists concerning the
formation of such low islands as Palmerston's. Some will have it, that
in remote times these little separate heads or islets were joined, and
formed one continued and more elevated tract of land, which the sea, in
the revolution of ages, has washed away, leaving only the higher
grounds; which, in time also, will, according to this theory, share the
same fate. Another conjecture is, that they have been thrown up by
earthquakes, and are the effect of internal convulsions of the globe. A
third opinion, and which appears to me as the most probable one,
maintains, that they are formed from shoals or coral banks, and, of
consequence, increasing. Without mentioning the several arguments made
use of in support of each of these systems, I shall only describe such
parts of Palmerston's Island as fell under my own observation when I
landed upon it.

The foundation is every where a coral rock; the soil is coral sand, with
which the decayed vegetables have but in a few places intermixed, so as
to form any thing like mould. From this a very strong presumption may be
drawn, that these little spots of land are not of very ancient date, nor
the remains of larger islands now buried in the ocean; for, upon either
of these suppositions, more mould must have been formed, or some part of
the original soil would have remained. Another circumstance confirmed
this doctrine of the increase of these islets. We found upon them, far
beyond the present reach of the sea even in the most violent storms,
elevated coral rocks, which, on examination, appeared to have been
perforated in the same manner that the rocks are that now compose the
outer edge of the reef. This evidently shews that the sea had formerly
reached so far; and some of these perforated rocks were almost in the
centre of the land.