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15 - Life of Captain James Cook by Arthur Octavius Kitson · Life of Captain James Cook

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Speaker 1: Chapter number thirteen, Part two of the Life of Captain
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Speaker 1: James Cook, the Circumnavigator by Arthur Kitson. This LibriVox recording
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Speaker 1: is in the public domain. Chapter number thirteen, seventeen seventy
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Speaker 1: two to seventeen seventy four. The Second Voyage, Part two,
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Speaker 1: New Zealand once more on the seventh of October. Sailing
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Speaker 1: for New Zealand, they were delayed by contrary winds and
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Speaker 1: did not cite the neighborhood of table Cape till the
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Speaker 1: twenty first. They stood in to to Lago and Poverty
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Speaker 1: Bays with the intention of presenting any chiefs who came
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Speaker 1: off with pigs, fows and garden seeds, in hopes of
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Speaker 1: making a commencement in stocking the island, but none were
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Speaker 1: seen till Cape Kidnappers was reached. When two made their appearance,
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Speaker 1: were duly given two boars and two sows, and four
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Speaker 1: hens and two cocks, first obtaining a promise that they
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Speaker 1: should not be killed. To these were added a supply
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Speaker 1: of seeds such as peas, beans, cabbage, turnips, et cetera.
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Speaker 1: Standing on through a series of heavy squalls, in one
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Speaker 1: of which the resolution lost her fore top gallant mast
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Speaker 1: they ran into a violent gale, which lasted for a week,
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Speaker 1: and after a slight moderation, came on with increased fury,
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Speaker 1: and the two vessels parted company. On the third of November,
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Speaker 1: the Resolution reached her old anchorage in ship Cove, Queen
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Speaker 1: Charlotte's Sound, but the adventure was seen no more. During
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Speaker 1: the voyage, Forster was much upset by the stormy weather,
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Speaker 1: the dreadful energy of the language of the sailors, the
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Speaker 1: absence of their consort, which doubled every danger, the shortness
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Speaker 1: of the table supplies, and his own dislike to a
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Speaker 1: further trip to southern latitudes. Hoping the adventure might yet
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Speaker 1: come in, Cook pushed on with his refit and thoroughly
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Speaker 1: overhauled his stores. About four thousand pounds weight of ships
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Speaker 1: bred was found unfit for food, and another three thousand
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Speaker 1: pounds nearly as bad. They were very fortunate therefore, in
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Speaker 1: getting a plentiful supply of scurvy grass and wild celery,
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Speaker 1: and a small quantity of vegetables from the gardens they
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Speaker 1: had previously laid out any doubts it may have been
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Speaker 1: felt about the cannibalism of the New Zealanders were set
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Speaker 1: at rest by some of the officers whose surprised a
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Speaker 1: party engaged in a feast. A human head was purchased
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Speaker 1: from the feasters and taken on board, and a piece
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Speaker 1: of the flesh, being offered to a Maori, was greedily devoured.
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Speaker 1: God a south Sea islander, Arditi, was intensely horrified and
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Speaker 1: refused to touch the knife with which it had been cut,
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Speaker 1: nor would he be in any way friendly with the eater.
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Speaker 1: Cook firmly believed that only enemies killed in battle were eaten,
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Speaker 1: and did not think the custom arose from any shortness
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Speaker 1: of food, enclosing in a bottle which was buried under
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Speaker 1: a marked tree in the garden, a memorandum giving the
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Speaker 1: dates of his arrival and departure, the direction he intended
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Speaker 1: to stare, and other information he thought might be useful
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Speaker 1: to Ferno. Cook sailed on the twenty fifth of November,
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Speaker 1: and as they passed through the straits, guns were continually
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Speaker 1: fired and a sharp lookout kept for signs of the adventure,
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Speaker 1: but nothing was seen, and as no other rendezvous had
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Speaker 1: been appointed, Cook gave up all hope of her rejoining
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Speaker 1: him the resolution when clear bore up for the southeast,
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Speaker 1: but had the course at the first been north of east,
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Speaker 1: the two ships might possibly have met, For the Adventure
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Speaker 1: was then on her way from Ta Lago Bay and
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Speaker 1: arrived in ship Cove four days after the departure of
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Speaker 1: her consort. Cook says his crew were in good spirits
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Speaker 1: and in no way dejected or thought the dangers we
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Speaker 1: had yet to go through were in the least increased
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Speaker 1: by being alone. They were quite ready to go wherever
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Speaker 1: I might think proper to lead them. Even mister Forster
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Speaker 1: had to admit at a little later date that, notwithstanding
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Speaker 1: the constant perils to which our course exposed us in
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Speaker 1: this unexplored ocean, our ship's company were far from being
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Speaker 1: so uneasy as might have been expected. Armor of ice.
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Speaker 1: On the sixth of December, at eight thirty a m.
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Speaker 1: They reckoned they were at the Antipodes, to our friends
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Speaker 1: in London. Consequently, as far removed from them as possible. Here,
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Speaker 1: a swell coming from the southwest showed there was no
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Speaker 1: great body of land in that direction, except at a
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Speaker 1: considerable distance. The first ice was seen on the twelfth
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Speaker 1: of December in sixty two degrees ten minutes south, and
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Speaker 1: on the fifteenth and sixty six degrees south. They were
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Speaker 1: obliged to edge away north, as they were surrounded by
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Speaker 1: large quantities of loose ice, and it was very foggy.
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Speaker 1: Working up to between sixty four and sixty five degrees,
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Speaker 1: they again headed east, still hampered by ice and fog.
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Speaker 1: But in a few days the weather improved a little,
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Speaker 1: and they recovered the Antarctic circle and reached sixty seven
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Speaker 1: degrees thirty one minutes south on the twenty third, the
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Speaker 1: highest south latitude hitherto attained. The rigging was so coated
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Speaker 1: with ice that it was difficult to work the ship,
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Speaker 1: and Cook altered his course to the northeast. Mara says,
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Speaker 1: under the eighteenth of December, icicles frequently hung to the
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Speaker 1: noses of the men, more than an inch long, the
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Speaker 1: men cased in frozen snow as if clad in armor,
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Speaker 1: where the running rigging was being so enlarged by frozen
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Speaker 1: sleet as hardly to be grasped by the largest hand.
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Speaker 1: Yet under all these hardships, the men cheerful over their grog,
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Speaker 1: and not a man sick but of old scars Cook's,
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Speaker 1: as some of the men suffered from fever brought on
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Speaker 1: by the unavoidable exposure to cold and wet, but it
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Speaker 1: was slight and happily yielded to the simplest remedies. The
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Speaker 1: ship was so surrounded by masses of ice as to
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Speaker 1: cause some apprehension, but by taking advantage of every breath
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Speaker 1: of air, the danger was averted. Christmas Day was passed
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Speaker 1: in constant watchfulness. We were fortunate in having continual daylight
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Speaker 1: and clear weather, for had it been foggy, as in
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Speaker 1: some of the preceding days, nothing less than a miracle
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Speaker 1: could have saved us from being dashed to pieces. On
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Speaker 1: the seventh of January seventeen seventy four, five very successful
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Speaker 1: observations gave the mean longitude as one hundred and twenty
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Speaker 1: three degrees twenty one minutes west. The watch gave it
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Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty three degrees trees forty four minutes,
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Speaker 1: and the dead reckoning as one hundred and twenty three
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Speaker 1: degrees thirty nine minutes. Cook signifies his keen apprehension of
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Speaker 1: the watch machine and says, I must here take notice
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Speaker 1: that our longitude can never be erroneous, or we have
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Speaker 1: so good a guide as mister Kendall's watch, obedient and alert.
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Speaker 1: A further attempt to the south was made, and on
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Speaker 1: the thirtieth of January, the high latitude of seventy one
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Speaker 1: degrees ten minutes south was reached in longitude one hundred
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Speaker 1: and six degrees fifty four minutes west, further progress being
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Speaker 1: stopped by a large and solid field of vice. This
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Speaker 1: record was not beaten till eighteen twenty three by Weddell,
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Speaker 1: and until recent years very few of the attempts on
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Speaker 1: Antarctic discovery had proved as success. Satisfied that there was
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Speaker 1: no continent existing within the Arctic Circle, except so far
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Speaker 1: south as to be practically inaccessible on account of ice,
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Speaker 1: he acknowledged he did not regret he found it impossible
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Speaker 1: to go further, and, thinking that in the unexplored parts
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Speaker 1: of the South Pacific there was room for many large islands,
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Speaker 1: and also that discoveries already made had been imperfectly laid
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Speaker 1: down on the charts, he decided that it was his duty,
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Speaker 1: as he had a well found ship and a healthy crew,
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Speaker 1: to remain in these waters and add what he could
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Speaker 1: to the knowledge of geography. He therefore planned to find
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Speaker 1: the land discovered by Juan Fernandez in thirty eight degrees south,
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Speaker 1: and if unsuccessful, to proceed to Easter Island and fix
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Speaker 1: its position, as it was very uncertain, then to proceed
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Speaker 1: to Otah, where he had a faint hope he might
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Speaker 1: hear from the adventure, and proceeded further west, said all
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Speaker 1: the position of Tira Astrel di Espritu Santu of di Querras. Afterwards,
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Speaker 1: to turn southeast, and reaching Cape Horn in November, he
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Speaker 1: would have the best part of the summer for exploration
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Speaker 1: in the South Atlantic. He says, great as this design
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Speaker 1: appears to be, I, however, thought it possible to be executed,
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Speaker 1: and when I came to communicate it to the offices,
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Speaker 1: I had the satisfaction to find they all heartily concurred
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Speaker 1: in it. I should not do these gentlemen justice if
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Speaker 1: I did not take some opportunity to declare that they
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Speaker 1: always showed the utmost readiness to carry into execution in
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Speaker 1: the most effectual manner every measure I thought proper to.
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Speaker 1: Under such circumstances. It is hardly necessary to say that
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Speaker 1: the seamen were always obedient and alert, and on this
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Speaker 1: occasion they were so far from wishing the voyage at
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Speaker 1: an end that they rejoiced at the prospect of its
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Speaker 1: being prolonged another year, and of soon enjoying the benefits
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Speaker 1: of a milder climate. Mister Forster does not agree with
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Speaker 1: this account, for he says, the long continuance of these
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Speaker 1: cold climates began now to hang heavily on our crew,
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Speaker 1: especially as it banished all hope of returning home this year,
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Speaker 1: which had hitherto supported their spirits. At first, a painful
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Speaker 1: despondence owing to the dreary prospect of another year's cruise
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Speaker 1: to the south seemed painted on every countenance, till by
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Speaker 1: degrees they resigned themselves to their fate with a kind
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Speaker 1: of sullen indifference. It must be owned, however, that nothing
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Speaker 1: could be more dejecting than the entire ignorance of our
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Speaker 1: future destination, which, without any apparent reason, was constantly kept
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Speaker 1: a secret to every person in the ship. It is
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Speaker 1: evident that Cook, in his offices, did not think it
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Speaker 1: necessary to consult mister Forster as to the movements of
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Speaker 1: the ship, or, what is more probable, he was in
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Speaker 1: one of his irritable moods and must say something nasty
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Speaker 1: about some one. The decision to turn northwards was taken
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Speaker 1: none too soon, for on the sixth of February, a
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Speaker 1: furious storm came on, playing havoc with the sails and
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Speaker 1: running rigging, and though it abated somewhat next morning, it
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Speaker 1: blew very strong till the twelfth, and would have been
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Speaker 1: highly dangerous if it had caught them amongst the ice.
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Speaker 1: On the seventeenth Cook judged he had crossed his outward
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Speaker 1: track of seventeen sixty nine, and on the twentieth he
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Speaker 1: notes the thermometer rising to sixty six degrees, the only
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Speaker 1: real summer day they had experienced since leaving New Zealand.
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Speaker 1: Having arrived at the position laid down for the land
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Speaker 1: supposed to have been seen by Juan Fernandez, he cruised
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Speaker 1: about but found no signs, so on the twenty fifth
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Speaker 1: stood away for Easter Island. Cook was now taken seriously
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Speaker 1: ill and was confined to his bed for several days
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Speaker 1: by what he calls the bilious colic, during which time
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Speaker 1: mister Patten the surgeon was to me not only a
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Speaker 1: skillful physician, but an affectionate nurse. He recovered very slowly,
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Speaker 1: and the want of fresh food told against him when
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Speaker 1: it came to the question of gathering strength. The only
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Speaker 1: fresh meat on board was a dog belonging to mister Forster,
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Speaker 1: which was duly sacrificed and made into soup. Thus I
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Speaker 1: received nourishment and strength from food which would have made
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Speaker 1: most people in Europe sick. Mara's journal says under the
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Speaker 1: twenty third of February, this day the captain was taken ill,
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Speaker 1: to the grief of all the ship's company. Twenty eighth February,
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Speaker 1: the captain this day much better, which each might read
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Speaker 1: in the countenance of the other, from the highest officer
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Speaker 1: to the meanest boy on board the ship. Fourth March,
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Speaker 1: the captain perfectly recovered from his illness, to the great
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Speaker 1: joy of the ship's company. Easter Island. At eight a m.
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Speaker 1: On the eleventh of March, Easter Island was sighted from
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Speaker 1: the masthead, and shortly afternoon some of the jaike antic
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Speaker 1: statues mentioned in Rogewin's voyages were clearly distinguished through the glasses.
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Speaker 1: The position of the ship at noon had been fixed
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Speaker 1: as twenty seven degrees three minutes south, one hundred and
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Speaker 1: nine degrees forty six minutes west, standing on and off
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Speaker 1: till next morning. Fair anchorage was found in thirty six fathoms,
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Speaker 1: but it proved too near the edge of a bank,
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Speaker 1: and they were driven off it in the night. One
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Speaker 1: of two canoes came out to meet them as they
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Speaker 1: were working back, from which plantains were purchased, and Cook
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Speaker 1: proceeded ashore, where he was immediately surrounded by natives. Indeed
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Speaker 1: some even swam out to meet him. Many of them
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Speaker 1: possessed European hats, jackets, handkerchiefs, et cetera, which they were
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Speaker 1: said to have obtained from the Spaniards in seventeen seventy.
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Speaker 1: Language was very similar to that of O Tahiti, and
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Speaker 1: Oditi was able to understand them fairly well. There were
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Speaker 1: no trees exceeding ten feet in height, and the land
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Speaker 1: was described as extremely parched and dreary, though a few
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Speaker 1: plantations were seen. Some remarkable pieces of stone work were
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Speaker 1: noticed enclosing small areas of ground, and some of which
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Speaker 1: were the statues already mentioned. These were not looked upon
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Speaker 1: by the natives as objects of worship, although they did
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Speaker 1: not like the pavements by which they were surrounded, being
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Speaker 1: walked over or the statues being closely examined. Mister Forster
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Speaker 1: regarded the enclosures as burial grounds, and the statues portions
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Speaker 1: of some of them are at the British Museum as
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Speaker 1: monuments to chiefs. The water's supply being found very bad,
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Speaker 1: though Gonzales is said to have found good springs and
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Speaker 1: the fresh food for sale but scanty. The day was
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Speaker 1: cut short, and on the sixteenth of March sale was
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Speaker 1: made for the marquisis discovered by Mendanna in fifteen ninety five.
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Speaker 1: The next day, according to Mara, the fresh provisions obtained
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Speaker 1: were served out to the crew at the captain's expense,
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Speaker 1: namely two pounds of potatoes a man and a bunch
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Speaker 1: of bananas to each mess, and this without reducing their
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Speaker 1: ordinary allowance, an act of generosity which produced its effect.
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Speaker 1: It preserved the crew in health and encouraged them to
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Speaker 1: undergo cheerfully the hardships that must unavoidably happen in the
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Speaker 1: course of so long a voyage. Markets spoilt. The Marquises
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Speaker 1: were reached on the seventh of April, and after a
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Speaker 1: narrow escape from running on the rocks, satisfactory anchorage was
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Speaker 1: obtained and they were visited by some of the natives,
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Speaker 1: from whom bread, fruit and fish were purchased. The next day,
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Speaker 1: further trading was done nails being the chief medium of exchange,
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Speaker 1: but the natives were inclined to be smart in their dealings,
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Speaker 1: and on several occasions obtained payment without delivery. Cook Hair
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Speaker 1: suffered from a relapse, but was able to get about,
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Speaker 1: and after warning the officer on watch to keep a
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Speaker 1: smart lookout or something of importance would be stolen, he
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Speaker 1: took his seat in a boat to go in search
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Speaker 1: of a better anchorage. He was then informed that a
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Speaker 1: stanchion had been stolen from the gangway and the thief
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Speaker 1: had got away to his canoe on the other side
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Speaker 1: of the ship. He ordered a shot to be fired
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Speaker 1: over the canoes, but no one was to be hurt,
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Speaker 1: and he would pull around and secure the thief. The
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Speaker 1: order was apparently misunderstood, for the thief was killed and
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Speaker 1: the rest of the natives hurried ashore. Soon after, trading recommenced,
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Speaker 1: and the lesson a paired forgotten, for an attempt was
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Speaker 1: made to steal the kedge anchor by which the ship
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Speaker 1: was being warped Nearer the shore, cook landed and the
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Speaker 1: trading went on as if nothing out of the common
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Speaker 1: had occurred. And some pigs so small that it required
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Speaker 1: forty or fifty to provide one meal for the crew,
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Speaker 1: and fruit were purchased, but in the afternoon, when the
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Speaker 1: boats went in for water, all the natives had disappeared.
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Speaker 1: This Cook attributed to not being with them for the
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Speaker 1: next morning, when he landed, trading was resumed. A short
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Speaker 1: trip was made in the boats along the coast, and
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Speaker 1: when they returned it was found the market was closed.
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Speaker 1: It seemed one of the young gentlemen had given a
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Speaker 1: small handful of red feathers he had obtained at Tonga
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Speaker 1: for a small pig, and now nothing else would be accepted.
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Speaker 1: So they sailed for O Tahiti on the eleventh. Cook
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Speaker 1: was very much annoyed at the ill success in obtaining
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Speaker 1: fresh provisions, for though none of the crew were ill,
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Speaker 1: he thought they stood in need of a change of food.
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Speaker 1: He describes the inhabitants as the finest race he had
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Speaker 1: seen in the South Seas, almost as fair as Europeans,
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Speaker 1: and their language very similar to that of O Tahiti.
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Speaker 1: Their arms consisted of clubs, spears and slings, the two
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Speaker 1: former very neatly made, with the latter they threw stones
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Speaker 1: a considerable distance, but without accuracy. Mister Forster managed to
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Speaker 1: secure a quantity of small birds with very beautiful plumage.
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Speaker 1: On the seventeenth of April they sighted the George Islands,
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Speaker 1: discovered by Byron native name t Yukia, but after sending
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Speaker 1: the master to report on the lagoon, Cook decided it
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Speaker 1: was too dangerous to enter, and mister Cooper went off
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Speaker 1: with two boats to see if it were possible to trade.
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Speaker 1: He obtained a few dogs and cocoanuts, but the attitude
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Speaker 1: of the natives was so uncertain he would not land
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Speaker 1: and returned to the ship. One of the sailors exchanged
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Speaker 1: a platain for a dog, so it was concluded the
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Speaker 1: fruit was unknown. On the nineteenth four more islands were
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Speaker 1: discovered and named Palliser Islands, and on rounding one a
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Speaker 1: strong swell rolling in from the south was encountered, a
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Speaker 1: sure sign that we were clear of these low islands.
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Speaker 1: On the twenty first, land a little to the east
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Speaker 1: of Point Venus was sighted, and next morning they anchored
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Speaker 1: at Matave Bay, being immediately visited by the natives, who
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Speaker 1: seemed greatly pleased to see them again. The old camp
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Speaker 1: was reoccupied, the observatory set up for mister Wales, and
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Speaker 1: Cook had again the pleasure to record he had no
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Speaker 1: one on the sick list. The King O Tu came
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Speaker 1: to visit the camp, bringing as his present a dozen
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Speaker 1: pigs and some fruit, and then with some of his
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Speaker 1: friends went on board ship to dinner and to receive
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Speaker 1: the return present. It was then found that the red
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Speaker 1: feathers were greatly valued, a very fortunate thing, as articles
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Speaker 1: of trade were running short. Cook, after the disappointment in
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Speaker 1: securing supplies at the last visit, intended to make a
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Speaker 1: very short stay, but the place now appeared to be
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Speaker 1: very thriving. Houses and canoe whose were being built in
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Speaker 1: all directions, and there was every sign of prosperity, so
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Speaker 1: he decided to remain and refit. On the twenty fifth
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Speaker 1: of April, they had a thunderstorm lasting three hours, such
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Speaker 1: as no one on board had experienced before. The O
23:19
Speaker 1: Tahitian fleet going to visit O Too on the next day,
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Speaker 1: Cook was surprised to see a large number of fully
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Speaker 1: manned canoes ranged along the coast, and a large body
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Speaker 1: of armed men on the land near them. On landing,
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Speaker 1: he was surrounded by people and seized by two chiefs,
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Speaker 1: one of whom wanted to carry him off to see
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Speaker 1: the king, and the other to see the fleet, and
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Speaker 1: between the two I was like to be pulled to pieces,
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Speaker 1: the crowd making way with cries of tia non tuti.
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Speaker 1: He was gradually drawn towards the fleet, but refused to
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Speaker 1: go on board, and after a time was allowed to
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Speaker 1: return to his own boats. When he found his companions
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Speaker 1: had been subject to similar treatment, they put out from
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Speaker 1: shore in order to have a good look at the fleet,
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Speaker 1: and counted one hundred and sixty large double canoes, all
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Speaker 1: well equipped and fully manned. The chiefs were swathed in
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Speaker 1: vast quantities of cloth, so that to the Englishmen it
24:31
Speaker 1: seemed almost a miracle they were able to move. The
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Speaker 1: vessels were decorated with flags and streamers and made a
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Speaker 1: very fine appearance. These were the first line, and in
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Speaker 1: addition there were one hundred and seventy smaller double canoes,
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Speaker 1: each having a small house or castle on it, which
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Speaker 1: were thought to be transports and storeships, as the larger ones,
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Speaker 1: as far as could be se carried no supplies on board.
25:03
Speaker 1: The number of men on board was estimated to be
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Speaker 1: no less than seven thousand, five hundred, and it was
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Speaker 1: ascertained the Somada was intended for the subjugation of Imio,
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Speaker 1: which had lately rebelled against O Tahiti. Cook was informed
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Speaker 1: O Tu was waiting at the camp for him, but
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Speaker 1: on going there he found he had not been there,
25:28
Speaker 1: and on looking for him again in the afternoon, he
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Speaker 1: was still invisible. The fleet had also gone away, and
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Speaker 1: then it was discovered that some of Cook's clothes had
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Speaker 1: been stolen from the wash, and the king and admiral
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Speaker 1: were both in dread of his anger. However, Cook sent
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Speaker 1: word he should not take any steps to recover the
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Speaker 1: stolen articles, and things resumed a friendly aspect. The admiral
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Speaker 1: tofa sending Cook a present of two large pigs and
26:00
Speaker 1: some fruit, giving orders to the bearers that they were
26:04
Speaker 1: to receive nothing in exchange. He soon after paid a
26:08
Speaker 1: visit to the ship, and as it was his first,
26:12
Speaker 1: he examined everything with great curiosity and appeared greatly impressed
26:18
Speaker 1: with what he saw. One of the natives having been
26:22
Speaker 1: caught making off with a small water cask, Cook determined
26:27
Speaker 1: he should be punished and made a ceremonial affair of it.
26:31
Speaker 1: The culprit was first sent on board and put in irons.
26:36
Speaker 1: The natives and the crew mustard, and then the thief
26:40
Speaker 1: was taken on shore and trysd up. Cook then made
26:44
Speaker 1: a short speech in which he pointed out that when
26:48
Speaker 1: his men were caught stealing from the natives, they were
26:51
Speaker 1: always punished, but the natives were always stealing from the
26:55
Speaker 1: ship and crew and getting away unpunished. Therefore ordered the
27:01
Speaker 1: man to be given two dozen lashes. These were duly administered,
27:05
Speaker 1: and tofar made a speech in which he was understood
27:09
Speaker 1: to admit the justice of Cook's action. The marines were
27:13
Speaker 1: then put through their drill and fired a few volleys
27:17
Speaker 1: with ball, and the proceedings terminated, But Cook declares he
27:21
Speaker 1: did not know whether the natives were pleased or frightened
27:25
Speaker 1: by the ceremony. The king's brother then took some of
27:29
Speaker 1: the officers out to see part of their fleet at exercise,
27:33
Speaker 1: and they were just in time to see the conclusion
27:36
Speaker 1: and the landing of the men. Cook says, the canoes
27:39
Speaker 1: were handled very smartly, and five minutes after putting ashore,
27:44
Speaker 1: you could not tell anything of the kind had been
27:47
Speaker 1: going forward. The sea stores were again overhauled, and although
27:53
Speaker 1: the greatest care had been taken with the packing, large
27:57
Speaker 1: quantities of bread were found to be unedible, rendering the
28:01
Speaker 1: purchase of fresh food at every opportunity of the greatest
28:05
Speaker 1: importance a state, as it was paid on board by
28:09
Speaker 1: OTU's father and some other members of the royal family,
28:14
Speaker 1: who presented Cook with a complete mourning dress, a curiosity
28:19
Speaker 1: we most valued. In return, I gave him whatever he desired,
28:25
Speaker 1: which was not a little, and having distributed red feathers
28:29
Speaker 1: to all the others, conducted them ashore in my boat.
28:34
Speaker 1: Musket stolen On the seventh of May, the King expressed
28:40
Speaker 1: a wish to see Cook, so the latter went ashore,
28:43
Speaker 1: but found his Majesty and many of his leading men
28:46
Speaker 1: had disappeared, and the sergeant of marines reported that one
28:51
Speaker 1: of his men had had his musket stolen whilst on duty.
28:56
Speaker 1: Cook gave orders that if the musket was returned, nothing
28:59
Speaker 1: for there was to be said, and returned to his ship.
29:04
Speaker 1: Suspicion was attracted to six canoes laden with fruit and baggage,
29:09
Speaker 1: so Cook gave chase in his own boat. One of
29:12
Speaker 1: the canoes then made for the ship, and the occupants,
29:16
Speaker 1: women whom he recognized, informed him they were taking some
29:20
Speaker 1: things to the resolution, and that the king was at
29:24
Speaker 1: point venus. Cook went to the camp to find this
29:28
Speaker 1: was only a story to put him off, and he
29:31
Speaker 1: once again gave chase, ordering another boat to follow. A
29:36
Speaker 1: few shots were fired over the canoes, and five out
29:39
Speaker 1: of the six surrendered, the one he had spoken with
29:43
Speaker 1: getting away. He was now told that the gun had
29:47
Speaker 1: been stolen by a native of Tiarabou, and therefore Otu
29:52
Speaker 1: was unable to get it back. So after a little discussion,
29:56
Speaker 1: he decided to put up with the loss and sent
29:59
Speaker 1: word to the cab that he would say no more
30:01
Speaker 1: about it. In the evening, however, the musket and some
30:06
Speaker 1: articles that had not been missed were returned, and the
30:10
Speaker 1: men who brought them were duly rewarded. Cook says it
30:14
Speaker 1: was remarkable how many had been actively engaged in their recovery.
30:20
Speaker 1: One man in particular described most vividly how he had
30:24
Speaker 1: followed up, attacked, and killed the thief of the musket.
30:28
Speaker 1: But at the same time everyone was well aware that
30:32
Speaker 1: this hero had never been away from his own house
30:35
Speaker 1: Throughout the day, a state call was made to Oto,
30:40
Speaker 1: and with the usual exchange of presents, the old footing
30:44
Speaker 1: was re established. On the return from this visit, a
30:48
Speaker 1: stop was made at the dockyards, for such they deserved
30:52
Speaker 1: to be called, and the canoes in construction were inspected,
30:57
Speaker 1: two of them being the largest the English wishmen had
31:00
Speaker 1: yet seen. The King soon after returned the visit and
31:05
Speaker 1: requested that the big gun should be fired, but Cook
31:09
Speaker 1: thinks it was very doubtful. If the experience was enjoyed.
31:14
Speaker 1: A display of fireworks in the evening was much more
31:17
Speaker 1: to the native taste. Referring to the numerous robberies that
31:21
Speaker 1: had been committed, Cook says he found it far the
31:25
Speaker 1: best to deal mildly with the delinquents, and the regulations
31:29
Speaker 1: he made were, as a rule, well kept by the natives.
31:34
Speaker 1: He was now better pleased with his reception, and concluded
31:38
Speaker 1: that the island was in a more prosperous condition than
31:43
Speaker 1: at his last visit. When the ship was ready to
31:46
Speaker 1: resume her voyage, several young natives volunteered to accompany her,
31:51
Speaker 1: and mister Forster was most anxious to take one as
31:55
Speaker 1: a servant, but as Cook could see no prospect of
31:58
Speaker 1: returning them to their homes, he would not permit one
32:02
Speaker 1: to go Mara deserts. When the anchor was weighed on
32:08
Speaker 1: the fourteenth of May. Mara, the gunner's mate, whose journal
32:13
Speaker 1: has been quoted, quietly slipped into the water and endeavored
32:17
Speaker 1: to reach a canoe which was hanging about to pick
32:21
Speaker 1: him up, but he was seen and taken on board again.
32:25
Speaker 1: In his notes he expresses his regret that the scientific
32:29
Speaker 1: world thus lost the chance of having the experiences of
32:34
Speaker 1: a prolonged residence amongst these people placed before it. At
32:39
Speaker 1: the time of leaving, there was great talk of the
32:42
Speaker 1: expedition against Emio, and Cook would have liked to have
32:46
Speaker 1: watched the proceedings, but he soon saw that nothing would
32:50
Speaker 1: be done whilst he remained in the vicinity. On their
32:54
Speaker 1: arrival at Huihne on the fifteenth, the ship was immediately
32:59
Speaker 1: boarded by Cook's old friend Orie with the usual present,
33:04
Speaker 1: and he and his friends were invited to dine on board.
33:08
Speaker 1: He was asked what he would like for the return present,
33:12
Speaker 1: and named axes and nails, which were given him, with
33:16
Speaker 1: the request that he should distribute them amongst his people,
33:21
Speaker 1: as he did at once to the apparent satisfaction of all.
33:26
Speaker 1: The thieving propensities of the natives were still as bad
33:29
Speaker 1: as ever. A shooting party was robbed of its stock
33:33
Speaker 1: of trade goods, and the day after three offices were
33:37
Speaker 1: seized and stripped. So Cook took an armed party ashore,
33:41
Speaker 1: captured two of the leading chiefs and a large house,
33:45
Speaker 1: and said he should keep them till the things stolen
33:48
Speaker 1: were returned. This had the desired effect, and everything was
33:52
Speaker 1: soon brought back. On the twenty third of May, they
33:56
Speaker 1: sailed foot Wullytia, and on their arrival the next day,
34:01
Speaker 1: were well received, though it was evident provisions were rather scarce.
34:07
Speaker 1: They were informed here that two ships had arrived at Houyhney,
34:12
Speaker 1: one commanded by Banks and the other by Ferno, and
34:17
Speaker 1: their informant describes both captains so well that it was
34:21
Speaker 1: some time before Cook ventured to reject the tale as
34:25
Speaker 1: too improbable. It is possible that there was some foundation
34:30
Speaker 1: for the story, that ships had been seen for it.
34:34
Speaker 1: Afterwards became known that Monsieur Saint Denis had been in
34:38
Speaker 1: the South Pacific about this time with two vessels. Notwithstanding
34:43
Speaker 1: pressing invitations from the natives to stay, Cook sailed for
34:48
Speaker 1: Lord Howe's Island, discovered by Wallace, reaching it on the
34:52
Speaker 1: sixth of June, but as it seemed uninhabited, it offered
34:57
Speaker 1: no inducement for any stay. On the sixteenth a chain
35:02
Speaker 1: of sand banks and islets surrounding a lagoon into which
35:06
Speaker 1: no practicable entrance could be seen was named Palmerston's Islands,
35:12
Speaker 1: and on the twentieth a landing was effected on Savage Island,
35:17
Speaker 1: but as the natives were very threatening and the country
35:21
Speaker 1: enabled them to approach closely without exposing themselves, the party
35:26
Speaker 1: retired to the boats. A few spares were thrown, and
35:30
Speaker 1: Maras says that one would have struck Cook had he
35:34
Speaker 1: not seen it coming, and stooped in time to avoid it,
35:38
Speaker 1: and then aimed with his gun loaded with small shot
35:41
Speaker 1: at the thrower, but it missed fire. A short time
35:46
Speaker 1: afterwards he again tried it, aiming in the air, and
35:50
Speaker 1: it was discharged. Forster attributes the constant misfires to the
35:55
Speaker 1: bad quality of the flints supplied by the government, and
35:59
Speaker 1: says that English flints had a very unsatisfactory reputation on
36:04
Speaker 1: the continent. More thieving. The course was now set for Rotterdam,
36:11
Speaker 1: where they arrived on the twenty sixth of June and
36:15
Speaker 1: were fairly well received by the natives, who brought supplies
36:19
Speaker 1: of fruit. Before the anchorage had been reached, but they
36:23
Speaker 1: soon began to play the old game of trying to
36:26
Speaker 1: annex anything that took their fancy. One seized the lead
36:30
Speaker 1: which was in use, whilst a second tried to cut
36:34
Speaker 1: the line with a stone and was only persuaded to
36:38
Speaker 1: desist by a charge of small shot fired at his legs.
36:42
Speaker 1: A small party of sailors went ashore for water, and
36:46
Speaker 1: a quantity was obtained, but again the natives became too
36:51
Speaker 1: pressing in their attentions. The doctor's musket was stolen, then
36:57
Speaker 1: mister Clerk's, than some other things, a cooper's ads, and cook,
37:02
Speaker 1: though at first inclined to take no notice, felt compelled
37:07
Speaker 1: to seize two canoes and himself wounded a man who
37:11
Speaker 1: had rendered himself conspicuous by his disorderly conduct, with a
37:16
Speaker 1: charge of small shot, and it was at first rumored
37:20
Speaker 1: he was killed. This cook would not believe, as he
37:24
Speaker 1: had been very careful not to fire at a vital spot.
37:28
Speaker 1: After a time, the muskets and some of the other
37:31
Speaker 1: things were given up, so the canoes were returned to
37:35
Speaker 1: their owners, and the ads was demanded instead of the ads. However,
37:41
Speaker 1: the reported corpse was brought on board and proved on
37:45
Speaker 1: examination by the doctor to be very little, the worse
37:49
Speaker 1: for his experience, having a slight wound on the thigh
37:53
Speaker 1: and a second one on the wrist. He was soon
37:57
Speaker 1: on his feet and the ads was then produced the
38:01
Speaker 1: next day. The people were very civil and the crew
38:04
Speaker 1: were able to water without interruption. On the sixteenth of July,
38:09
Speaker 1: they sighted Aurora Island, discovered by Bogainville, but it came
38:15
Speaker 1: on to blow hard, so they did not attempt to anchor.
38:19
Speaker 1: The natives came down fully armed as if to oppose
38:23
Speaker 1: a landing, and the ship passed on to whit Sunday
38:26
Speaker 1: Island off Malacolo. Good anchorage was found, and the natives
38:32
Speaker 1: came on board and were so pleased with their reception.
38:36
Speaker 1: They returned the next day in greater numbers, and whilst
38:41
Speaker 1: Cook was in his cabin was some who appeared to
38:44
Speaker 1: be chiefs. A great noise arose on deck. A boatkeeper
38:49
Speaker 1: had declined to allow a native to get into his boat,
38:53
Speaker 1: and the islander was fitting an arrow to his bow.
38:56
Speaker 1: As Cook came on deck with the intention of shooting
39:00
Speaker 1: the sailor. Cook shouted at him, and he at once
39:04
Speaker 1: diverted his aim to the captain, but the latter was
39:08
Speaker 1: too quick and peppered him with small shot, spoiling his aim.
39:14
Speaker 1: He was not much hurt and proceeded to fit another
39:17
Speaker 1: arrow to his bow, when Cook gave him the second
39:20
Speaker 1: barrel and induced him to retire. Some of the others
39:25
Speaker 1: also discharged a few arrows, so a musket was fired
39:29
Speaker 1: over them, without any effect. A four pound gun was tried,
39:35
Speaker 1: and the effect was truly marvelous. The natives in the
39:39
Speaker 1: rigging and on deck threw themselves into the water, whilst
39:43
Speaker 1: those in the cabin jumped from the ports, and the
39:46
Speaker 1: ship was left in peace. Cook was not favorably impressed
39:51
Speaker 1: by these Islanders, and describes him as, in general the
39:56
Speaker 1: most ugly, ill proportioned people I ever saw. Forster, however,
40:02
Speaker 1: thought though a very intelligent, they were judged to be
40:05
Speaker 1: a different race from the society or friendly islanders, and
40:10
Speaker 1: spoke a different language. Poisonous fish. After leaving, many of
40:17
Speaker 1: those on board were very ill for a week or
40:20
Speaker 1: ten days from having eaten of a fish which force
40:25
Speaker 1: to cause a red sea bream, and Cook believed to
40:30
Speaker 1: be the same as those which poisoned Dequerros's people, and
40:34
Speaker 1: in his account says the fish had eaten of poisonous plants.
40:39
Speaker 1: All parts of the flesh became empoisoned. The ship appeared
40:44
Speaker 1: like the hospital of a city which had the plague.
40:48
Speaker 1: There was none who could stand on their feet, owing
40:52
Speaker 1: to the care of the surgeons. However, or were recovered.
40:56
Speaker 1: The next land scene was a small group of violins
41:00
Speaker 1: named Shepherd's Islands in honor of my worthy friend, the
41:05
Speaker 1: plumbing in professor of astronomy at Cambridge, and mister Forster
41:10
Speaker 1: complains that Cook's rashness and reliance on good fortune became
41:15
Speaker 1: the principal roads to fame by being crowned with great
41:19
Speaker 1: and undeserved success. This was very out of place at
41:24
Speaker 1: the time, for Cook was exercising the very greatest precautions,
41:29
Speaker 1: as he fully recognized the dangers by which they were surrounded.
41:34
Speaker 1: He always stood off and on during the night, and
41:37
Speaker 1: only proceeded through unknown waters by day. Several of these
41:42
Speaker 1: islets were of a peculiar formation, and one high columnar
41:47
Speaker 1: rock was named the monument forced to give its height
41:51
Speaker 1: at one hundred and forty yards, and other accounts are
41:55
Speaker 1: satisfied with feet. Many of the group were inhabited, but
42:00
Speaker 1: no favorable opportunity for landing occurred on the first of August,
42:05
Speaker 1: a fire broke out on board and forced rights. Confusion
42:10
Speaker 1: and horror appeared in all our faces at the bare
42:13
Speaker 1: mention of it, and it was some time before proper
42:17
Speaker 1: measures were taken to stop its progress, for in these
42:21
Speaker 1: moments of danger, few are able to collect their faculties
42:25
Speaker 1: and act with cool deliberation. After about half a page
42:30
Speaker 1: of this on fires in general, he observes providentially, the
42:35
Speaker 1: fire of this day was very trifling and extinguished in
42:39
Speaker 1: a few moments. Then a few days after a marine
42:44
Speaker 1: who had fallen overboard was smartly picked up, and, being
42:48
Speaker 1: well looked after by his comrades, was soon showing no
42:52
Speaker 1: ill effects of his accident, thus giving mister Forster an
42:56
Speaker 1: opportunity to write of it as an example of the
43:00
Speaker 1: result of an esprit de corps, to which sailors at
43:04
Speaker 1: present are utter strangers, an utterly unwarranted sneer. At Irimango,
43:12
Speaker 1: on the fourth of August, Cook went in with the boats,
43:16
Speaker 1: and the natives tried to induce him to come on shore,
43:19
Speaker 1: but something roused suspicion after he and one man got
43:23
Speaker 1: into the water, so making signs that he would come
43:26
Speaker 1: back later. He stepped back. The natives then rushed the boats,
43:31
Speaker 1: trying to drag them on to the beach, and succeeded
43:35
Speaker 1: in stealing two oars at the same time, wounding several
43:39
Speaker 1: of the boat's crews, amongst them mister Gilbert the master.
43:44
Speaker 1: With a shower of stones, spears and arrows, Cook attempted
43:48
Speaker 1: to give one of the chiefs a charge of small shot,
43:52
Speaker 1: but his gun missed fire, and he was obliged very
43:56
Speaker 1: reluctantly to order the marines to fire, with the result
44:00
Speaker 1: that several of the natives were wounded. Under the circumstances,
44:05
Speaker 1: it was not considered worth while remaining, so the ship
44:09
Speaker 1: left for Tanner, some twelve leagues to the south. A
44:14
Speaker 1: bright light had been noticed in that direction the night before,
44:18
Speaker 1: which proved to have been caused by a volcanic eruption.
44:23
Speaker 1: A good anchorage was found at Tanner, and the ship
44:26
Speaker 1: walked close in. Several natives coming on board to trade
44:31
Speaker 1: soon developed the usual propensity to carry off anything that
44:35
Speaker 1: took their fancy. On this occasion, the anchor boys were
44:39
Speaker 1: the special attraction. Muskets were fired over their head to
44:44
Speaker 1: no purpose, so a four pounder was discharged, which for
44:48
Speaker 1: a time had a good result, but soon they were
44:52
Speaker 1: as bad as ever, so two or three musketoons were
44:55
Speaker 1: fired close to them, and though none were hurt, the
44:59
Speaker 1: crew able to get their dinner in peace. Hot springs.
45:06
Speaker 1: An old man called by Cook Paowang, appeared to be
45:11
Speaker 1: inclined to be friendly, so Cook landed with a strong
45:15
Speaker 1: party to look for water under his guidance, and met
45:19
Speaker 1: with some of the elders, exchanging presents with them. The
45:23
Speaker 1: next day the ship was warped in and three boats
45:27
Speaker 1: went ashore, but the natives were very threatening, and after
45:31
Speaker 1: some futile attempts to put things on a peaceable footing,
45:35
Speaker 1: a signal was given to the ship and several guns
45:38
Speaker 1: were fired when all the natives ran away, except for Paowang,
45:43
Speaker 1: who was suitably rewarded for his confidence. After a time,
45:48
Speaker 1: permission was obtained to get wood, water and ballast, and
45:53
Speaker 1: whilst trying to lift a stone out of a pool
45:56
Speaker 1: below high water mark, one of the crews scolded as
45:59
Speaker 1: head and badly. The pool proved to be one of
46:03
Speaker 1: a series of springs running down a spur of the
46:06
Speaker 1: volcano into the sea. Several were tested with the thermometer,
46:12
Speaker 1: and as much as two hundred and two degrees fahrenheit
46:15
Speaker 1: was attained. Forced to found a number of cracks on
46:19
Speaker 1: the ridge, from which sulfurous vapor and smoke issued, and
46:24
Speaker 1: one of the crew, who had been suffering severely from rheumatism,
46:28
Speaker 1: received great temporary benefit from bathing in one of the springs.
46:34
Speaker 1: Many good plantations of yams, sugar cane, and plantains were seen,
46:39
Speaker 1: but they could purchase very little as their articles of
46:43
Speaker 1: trade were not appreciated. The natives did not understand the
46:47
Speaker 1: use of iron and did not require cloth, as they
46:51
Speaker 1: went almost entirely naked. Though no direct signs of cannibalism
46:56
Speaker 1: had been found, Cook was convinced that the practice was
47:00
Speaker 1: not unknown. After leaving Tana, the western coast of the
47:05
Speaker 1: different islands were followed up till de Bougainville's passage was reached.
47:11
Speaker 1: When the course was set for Espiritu Santo in passing Malacolo,
47:17
Speaker 1: canoes put off for the ship, but the wind being favorable,
47:21
Speaker 1: Cook would not delay and gave force to the opportunity
47:25
Speaker 1: to remark that the main object of the voyage, that is,
47:29
Speaker 1: the obtaining of knowledge of the natural history of the
47:32
Speaker 1: Islands was made subservient to the production of a new
47:37
Speaker 1: track on the chart of the Southern Hemisphere Cardinal Moran's geography.
47:44
Speaker 1: On the twenty fifth of August, they entered the bay
47:48
Speaker 1: which Cook believed to be that discovered by Diqueriras and
47:53
Speaker 1: named by him the Bay of Saint Philip and Saint
47:56
Speaker 1: Diago in the Tierra austral del Isa Espritu Santo, now
48:01
Speaker 1: known as the New Hebrides. In this conclusion, Cook has
48:06
Speaker 1: the support of Dalrymple and modern geographers, but Forster, for
48:11
Speaker 1: some reason which is not quite clear, felt compelled to differ.
48:16
Speaker 1: Cardinal Moran, the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, also believes Cook
48:21
Speaker 1: to have been mistaken for. In his history of the
48:24
Speaker 1: Catholic Church in Australia, he places Dequerras's discovery in Port Curtis, Queensland,
48:32
Speaker 1: where he claims that the first Catholic service ever celebrated
48:36
Speaker 1: in Australia was held. He puts aside the fact that
48:41
Speaker 1: the latitude of Port Curtis twenty four degrees south does
48:45
Speaker 1: not agree with that given by Dequiras fifteen degrees twenty
48:50
Speaker 1: minutes south, by saying that the positions of newly discovered
48:54
Speaker 1: places where in those days often purposely concealed lest other
48:59
Speaker 1: navigators might appropriate to themselves and their respective countries the
49:05
Speaker 1: results of the discovery. He quotes details given in Dequerus's
49:11
Speaker 1: petitions to the King of Spain and says all these
49:15
Speaker 1: details fit inadmirably with Port Curtis on the Queensland coast. Now.
49:21
Speaker 1: Dequerras says the country he discovered was thickly inhabited by
49:26
Speaker 1: a people who were armed with bows and arrows, possessed
49:30
Speaker 1: vessels of earthenware, lived in houses of wood roofed with
49:35
Speaker 1: palm leaves, were amply supplied with oranges, limes, pears, almonds
49:41
Speaker 1: larger than those of Spain, hogs, fowls, goats, capons, et cetera.
49:47
Speaker 1: That in the bay where he anchored there was no
49:50
Speaker 1: sandy barren ground, no mangroves, no ants, no mosquitoes, and
49:55
Speaker 1: that his anchorage lay between two considerable rivers. How these
50:00
Speaker 1: details fitting with Port Curtis may be evident to his eminence,
50:05
Speaker 1: but is not apparent to less distinguished mortals. The district
50:10
Speaker 1: of Port Curtis, when discovered, was thinly populated and shows
50:15
Speaker 1: no signs of ever having been. Otherwise, bows and arrows
50:20
Speaker 1: and earthenware vessels were absolutely unknown throughout Australia. Houses did
50:26
Speaker 1: not exist, except in the form of temporary shelters of branches, leaves,
50:31
Speaker 1: and bark. The fruits and animals mentioned were unknown, and
50:35
Speaker 1: sandy barren country with mangroves, ants and mosquitoes does exist
50:41
Speaker 1: inconsiderable quantity. The anchorage, had de Quiros ever been, there
50:47
Speaker 1: might have been between two rivers, the Boyne and Kalliope,
50:52
Speaker 1: both of small size, but Cardinal Moran to make this detail,
50:57
Speaker 1: Fitten admirably recourse to the bold measure of moving the
51:03
Speaker 1: mouth of the Burnet River from Wide Bay to Port Curtis,
51:08
Speaker 1: some two and a half degrees to the north of
51:10
Speaker 1: its real position. On the other hand, Cook's description of
51:15
Speaker 1: the New Hebrides fits in with much greater accuracy. The
51:20
Speaker 1: latitude was found to be fifteen degrees five minutes south,
51:24
Speaker 1: and mister Cooper, who went ashore with the boats, reported
51:28
Speaker 1: that he landed near a fine stream of fresh water,
51:32
Speaker 1: probably one of those mentioned by de Querras, and if
51:36
Speaker 1: we were not deceived, we saw the other. The country
51:40
Speaker 1: was described by Cook thus an uncommonly luxuriant vegetation was
51:47
Speaker 1: everywhere to be seen. The sides of the hills were
51:50
Speaker 1: checkered with plantations, and every valley watered by a stream.
51:56
Speaker 1: Of all the productions of nature, this country was adorned
51:59
Speaker 1: with the cocoa nut trees were the most conspicuous. A
52:04
Speaker 1: few canoes ventured near enough to have some presents thrown
52:08
Speaker 1: to them, But here the intercourse ended. For Cook felt that,
52:14
Speaker 1: notwithstanding the inviting appearance of the place, he had no
52:18
Speaker 1: time to spare from the great object of the expedition,
52:22
Speaker 1: namely the exploration of the Southern Ocean, and as the
52:26
Speaker 1: wind was favorable, sailed for New Zealand for a refit.
52:32
Speaker 1: End of Chapter thirteen, Part two