 Book 2 Chapter 4 of A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume 1 by James Cook. Passage from Amsterdam to Queen Charlotte Sound with an account of an interview with the inhabitants and the final separation of the two ships. 1773 October. About the time we were in a condition to make sail a canoe conducted by four men came alongside with one of those drums already mentioned on which one man kept continually beating. Thinking, no doubt, the music would charm us. I gave them a piece of cloth and a nail for the drum, and took an opportunity to send to my friend to targo some wheat, peas and beans, which I had forgot to give him when he had the other seeds. As soon as this canoe was gone we made sail to the southward, having a gentle gale at southeast by east, it being my intention to proceed directly to Queen Charlotte Sound in New Zealand, there to take in wood and water, and then to go on farther discoveries to the south and east. In the afternoon on the 8th we made the island of Philstatt, varying south-west by west to half-west, distant seven or eight leagues. This island, which was also discovered by Tasman, is situated in the latitude of 22 degrees 26 minutes south, longitude 175 degrees 59 minutes west, and lies in the direction of south 52 degrees west, distant 32 leagues from the south end of Middelburg. It is more conspicuous in height than circuit, having in it two considerable hills, seemingly disjoined from each other by a low valley. After a few hours' calm the wind came to southwest, with which we stretched to the southeast, but on the 10th it veered round by the southeast and east-southeast, and then we resumed our course to the southwest. At five o'clock in the morning of the 21st we made the land of New Zealand, extending from north-west by north to west-south-west. At noon, table-cape bore west, distant eight or ten leagues. I was very desirous of having some intercourse with the natives of this country, as far to the north as possible. That is about Poverty Otolago Bayes, where I apprehended they were more civilized than at Queen Charlotte Sound. In order to give them some hogs, fowls, seeds, roots, etc., which I had provided for the purpose. The wind veering to the northwestern north enabled us to fetch in with the land a little to the north of Portland, and we stood as near the shore as we could with safety. We observed several people upon it, but none attempted to come off to us. Seeing this, we bore away under Portland, where we lay to some time, as well to give time for the natives to come off, as to wait for the adventure. There were several people on Portland, but none seemed inclined to come to us. Indeed, the wind at this time blew rather too fresh for them to make the attempt. Therefore, as soon as the adventure was up with us, we made sail for Cape Kidnappers, which we passed at five o'clock in the morning, and continued our course along shore till nine when. Being about three leagues short off Blackhead, we saw some canoes put off from the shore. Upon this I brought two in order to give them time to come on board, but ordered the adventure by signal to stand on. As I was willing to lose as little time as possible. Those in the first canoe which came alongside were fishers, and exchanged some fish for pieces of cloth and nails. In the next were two men, whom by their dress and behaviour I took to be chiefs. These two were easily prevailed on to come on board, when they were presented with nails and other articles. They were so fond of nails, as to seize on all they could find, and with such eagerness as plainly showed, they were the most valuable things we could give them. To the principle of these two men I gave the pigs, fowls, seeds and roots. I believed first he did not think I meant to give them to him, for he took but little notice of them, till he was satisfied they were for himself. Nor was he then in such a rapture as when I gave him a spiked nail, half the length of his arm. However, at his going away I took notice, that he barely well remembered how many pigs and fowls had been given him, as he took care to have them all collected together, and kept a watchful eye over them, lest any should be taken away. He made me a promise not to kill any, and if he keeps his word and proper care is taken of them, there were enough to stock the whole island at due time, being two boars, two sours, four hens and two cocks. The seeds were such as our most useful, vis, wheat, French and kidney beans, peas, cabbage, turnips, onions, carrots, parsnips and yams, etc. With these articles they were dismissed. It was evident that these people had not forgot the endeavour, being on their coast, for the first words they spoke to us were Mata'au, no te pau pau, we are afraid of the guns. As they could be no strangers to the affair which happened off Cape Kidnappers in my former voyage, experience had taught them to have some regard to these instruments of death. As soon as they were gone we stretched off to the southward, the wind having now veered to the west-south-west. In the afternoon it increased to a fresh scale and blew in squalls, in one of which we lost our four-top gallant mast, having carried the sail a little too long. The fear of losing the land induced me to carry as much sail as possible. At seven in the morning we tacked and stretched inshore, Cape Ternegane, at this time bore about north-west to half-north, distant six or seven leagues. The adventure, being a good way to leeward, we supposed did not observe the signal, but stood on. Consequently it was separated from us. During the night, which was spent implying, the wind increased in such a manner as to bring us under our courses. It also veered to south-west and south-west and was attended with rain. At nine o'clock in the morning on the twenty-third the sky began to clear up and the gale to abate, so that we could carry close-leafed tough sails. At eleven o'clock we were close in with Cape Ternegane when we tacked and stood off. At noon the said Cape bore west a little northerly, distant six or seven miles. Latitude observed forty-one degrees thirty minutes south. Soon after the wind falling almost to a calm and flattering ourselves that it would be succeeded by one more favorable, we got up another top gallant mast, rigged top gallant yards, and loosed all the reefs out of the top sails. The event was not equal to our wishes. The wind indeed came something more favorable, that is at west by north, with which we stretched along shore to the southward. But it soon increased in such a manner as to undo what we had but just done, and at last stripped us to our courses and two close-leafed top sails under which sails we continued all night. About daylight the next morning, the gale abating, we were again tempted to loose out the reefs and rigged top gallant yards which proved all lost labour, for by nine o'clock we were reduced to the same sail as before. Soon after the adventure joined us, and at noon Cape Pallas bore west distant eight or nine leagues. This Cape is at the northern point of Iahanae Moe. We continued to stretch to the southward till midnight when the wind debated and shifted to southeast. Three hours after it fell calm, during which we loosed the reefs out, with the vain hopes that the next wind which came would be favourable. We were mistaken. The wind only took this short repose in order to gain strength and fall the heavier upon us. Four at five o'clock in the morning, being the twenty-fifth, a gale sprung up at northwest, with which we stretched to southwest. Cape Pallas at this time bore northwest distant eight or nine leagues. The wind increased in such a manner as obliged us to take in one reef after another, and at last it came on with such fury as made it necessary to take in all our sails with the utmost expedition and to light two under bare poles. The sea rose in proportion with the wind, so that we had a terrible gale and a mountainous sea to encounter. Thus after beating up against a hard gale for two days, and arriving just inside of our port, we had the mortification to be driven off from the land by a furious storm. Two favourable circumstances attended it, which gave us some consolation. It was fair overhead, and we were not apprehensive of a lee shore. The storm continued all day without the least intermission. In the evening we bore down to look for the adventure, she being out of sight to leeward, and after running the distance we supposed her to be off, brought to a gale without seeing her. It being so very hazy and thick in the horizon, that we could not see a mile round us, occasioned by the spray of the sea, being lifted up to a great height by the force of the wind. At midnight the gale abated. Soon after fell little wind, and at last shifted to southwest, when we wore, set the courses and topsoils close reefed, and stood in for the land. Soon after the wind freshened and fixed itself. But as the adventure was some distance astern, we lay by for her till eight o'clock, when we both made all sail and steered north by west or half west, for the straight. At noon observed in forty-two degrees twenty-seven minutes south, Cape Palliser by judgment bore north, distance seventeen leagues. This favorable wind was not of sufficient duration. In the afternoon it fell by little and little, and at length to a calm. This at ten o'clock was succeeded by a fresh breeze from the north, with which we stretched to the westward. At three o'clock next morning we were pretty well in with Cape Campbell on the west side of the straight, when we tacked and stretched over for Cape Palliser, under courses and close reef topsoils, having the wind at north-west a very strong gale and fair weather. At noon we tacked and stretched to southwest, with the last mentioned Cape Bering West, just in four or five leagues. In the afternoon the gale increased in such a manner as brought us under our courses. We continued to stretch to the southwest till midnight, when we wore and said close reef topsoils. On the twenty-eighth that eight o'clock in the morning we wore and stood again to the southwest till noon, when we were obliged to lie to under the foresail. At this time the highland over Cape Campbell bore west, distant ten or twelve leagues. The adventure four or five miles to Leeward. In the afternoon the fury of the gale began to abate. When we set the mainsail, close reef main topsoil, and stood to the windward with a wind at west-northwest and west by north, a strong gale attended with heavy squalls. In the morning of the twenty-ninth the wind abated and shifted to southwest a gentle gale. After this we took immediate advantage, set all our sails and stood for Cape Palliser, which at noon bore west by north to half north, distant about six leagues. The wind continued between the southwest and south till five in the evening when it fell calm. At this time we were about three leagues from the Cape. At seven o'clock the calm was succeeded by a gentle breeze from north-northeast, as fair as we could wish, so that we began to reckon what time we should reach the sound of the next day. But at nine the wind shifted to its old quarter-northwest and bore fresh gale, with which we stretched to the southwest under single-reef topsoils and courses with the adventure in company. She was seen until midnight, at which time she was two or three miles astern, and presently after she disappeared, nor was she to be seen at daylight. We suppose she had teched and stood to the northeast, by which maneuver we lost sight of her. We continued to stretch to the westward with the wind at north-northwest, which increased in such a manner as to bring us under our two courses after splitting a new main topsoil. At noon Cape Campbell bore west by north, distant seven or eight leagues. At three in the afternoon the gale began to abate and to veer more to the north, so that we fetched in with the land under the snowy mountains about four or five leagues to windward of the Lookers-on, where there was the appearance of a large bay. I now regretted the loss of the adventure, for had she been with me I should have given up all thoughts of going to Queen Charlotte Sound, to Wood and Water, and to have sought for a place to get these articles farther south, as the wind was now favourable for ranging along the coast. But our separation made it necessary for me to appear to the sound that being the place of rendezvous. As we approached the land we saw smoke in several places along the shore, a sure sign that the coast was inhabited. Our soundings were from forty-seven to twenty-five fathoms, that is, at the distance of three miles from the shore, forty-seven fathoms and twenty-five fathoms of one mile, where we tacked and stood to the eastward, under the two courses and close-roofed topsals. But the latter we could not carry long before we were obliged to hand them. We continued to stand at the eastward all night in hopes of meeting with the adventure in the morning. Seeing nothing hover then we wore and brought two under the foresail and misstay sail, the wind having increased to a perfect storm. But we had not been long in this situation before it abated, so as to permit us to carry the two courses under which we stood to the west, and at noon the snowy mountains bore west-northwest distant twelve or fourteen leagues. At six o'clock in the evening the wind quite ceased, but this proved only a momentary repose, for presently after it began to blow with redoubled fury and obliged us to lie to under the misstay sail, in which situation we continued till midnight, when the storm lessened, and two hours after it fell calm. 1773 November On the first of November at four o'clock in the morning the calm was succeeded by a breeze from the south. This soon after increased to a fresh gale attended with hazy rainy weather, which gave us hopes that the north-west winds were done, for it must be observed that they were attended with clear and fair weather. We were not wanting in taking immediate advantage of this favourable wind by setting all our sails and steering for Cape Campbell, which at noon bore north distant three or four leagues. At two o'clock we passed the Cape and entered the strait with a brisk gale of stern, and so likely to continue that we thought of nothing less than reaching our fourth the next morning. Once more we were to be deceived. At six o'clock, being off Cloudy Bay, our favourable wind was succeeded by one from the north, which soon after veered to northwest and increased to a fresh gale. We spent the night playing. Our attacks proved disadvantageous, and we lost more on the ebb than we gained on the flood. Next morning we stretched over for the shore of Iheina Moe. At sunrise the horizon being extraordinarily clear to Leeward, we looked well out for the adventure, but as we saw nothing of her judged that she had got into the sound. As we approached the above mentioned shore we discovered on the east side of Cape Terawiti a new inlet I had never observed before. Being tied with beating against the northwest winds I resolved to put into this place if I found it practicable or to anchor in the bay which lies before it. The flood being favourable, after making a stretch off we fetched under the Cape and stretched into the bay along the western shore having from thirty-five to twelve fathoms the bottom everywhere good anchorage. At one o'clock we reached the entrance of the inlet just as the tide of ebb was making out. The wind being likewise against us we anchored in twelve fathoms water the bottom of fine sand. The eastern most of the black rocks which lie on the lab at side of the entrance of the inlet bore north by east one mile distance. Cape Terawiti or the west point of the bay west distant about two leagues and the east point of the bay north by east four or five miles. Soon after we had anchored several of the natives came off in their canoes, two from one shore and one from the other. It required but little address to get three or four of them on board. These people were extravagantly fond of nails above every other thing. To one man I gave two cocks and two hens which he received with so much indifference as gave me little hopes he would take proper care of them. We had not been at anchor here above two hours before the wind veered to northeast with which we wade but the anchor was hardly at the boughs before it shifted to the south. With this we could but just lead out of the bay and then bore away from the sound under all the sail we could set having the advantage or rather disadvantage of an increasing gale which already blew too hard. We hauled up into the sound just at dark after making two boards in which most of our sails were split and anchored in eighteen fathoms water between the white rocks on the northwest shore. The next morning the gale abated and was succeeded by a few hours calm. After that a breeze sprang up at northwest with which we wade and ran up into Ship Cove where we did not find the adventure as was expected. End of Book 2 Chapter 4 Recording by David Cole Medway, Massachusetts Book 2 Chapter 5 of a voyage towards the south pole and round the world Volume 1 by James Cook This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Recording by David Cole Chapter 5 Recording by David Cole Medway, Massachusetts Book 2 Chapter 5 of a voyage towards the south pole and round the world with which we wade and ran up into the gale and ran up into the gale and ran up into the gale and ran up into the gale and ran up into the gale and ran up into the gale and ran up into the gale what wanted repair. Indeed, both our sails and rigging had sustained much damage in beating off the strait's mouth. We had no sooner anchored than we were visited by the natives, several of whom I remember to have seen when I was here in the endeavour, particularly an old man named Gubaya. In the afternoon I gave orders for all the empty water casks to be landed in order to be repaired, cleaned and filled, tents to be set up for the sail-makers, coopers and others, whose business made it necessary for them to be on shore. The next day we began to cork the ship's sides and decks, to overhaul her rigging, repair the sails, caught wood for fuel, and set up the smith's forge to repair the ironwork, all of which were absolutely necessary. We also made some hauls with the sen, but caught no fish, which deficiency the natives in some measure made up by bringing us a good quantity and exchanging them for pieces of outer heat and cloth, etc. On the fifth, the most part of our bread being in casks, I ordered some to be opened when, to our mortification, we found a good deal of it damaged. To repair this loss in the best manner we could, all the cask were opened, the bread was picked, and the copper oven set up, to bake such parcels of it as, by that means, could be recovered. Sometime this morning the natives stole, out of one of the tents, a bag of clothes belonging to one of the seamen. As soon as I was informed of it I went to them in an adjoining cove, demanded the clothes again, and, after some time spent in friendly application, recovered them. Since we were among thieves and had come off so well, I was not sorry for what had happened, as it taught our people to keep a better look out for the future. With these people I saw the youngest of the two sours, Captain Ferneau, had put on shore in cannibal cove when we were last here. It was lame of one of its hind legs, otherwise in good case and very tame. If we understood these people right, the boar and other sow were also taken away and separated but not killed. We were likewise told that the two goats I had put on shore up the sound had been killed by the old rascal Gubaya. Thus all our endeavours to stock this country with useful animals were likely to be frustrated by the very people we meant to serve. Our gardens had fared somewhat better. Everything in them except the potatoes they had left entirely to nature, who had acted her part so well that we found most articles in a flourishing state. A proof that the winter must have been mild, the potatoes had most of them been dug up. Some, however, still remained, and were growing, though I think it probable that they will never be got out of the ground. Next morning I sent over to the cove where the natives resided to haul the sen and took with me a boar and a young sow, two cocks and two hens, we had brought from the aisles. These I gave to the natives, being persuaded they would take proper care of them, by their keeping Captain Fernando's sow near five months. For I am to suppose it was caught soon after we sailed. We had no better success with the sen than before. Nevertheless we did not return on board quite empty, having purchased a large quantity from the natives. When we were upon this traffic they showed a great inclination to pick my pockets, and to take away the fish with one hand, which they had just given me with the other. This evil one of the chiefs undertook to remove, and with fury in his eyes made a show of keeping the people at a proper distance. I applauded his conduct, but at the same time kept so good a look out as to detect him in picking my pocket of a handkerchief, which I suffered him to put in his bosom before I seemed to know anything of the matter, and then told him what I had lost. He seemed quite ignorant and innocent till I took it from him, and then he put it off with a laugh, acting his part with so much address that it was hardly possible for me to be angry with him, so that we remained good friends and he accompanied me on board to dinner. About that time we were visited by several strangers in four or five canoes who brought with them fish and other articles which they exchanged for cloth, etc. These newcomers took up their quarters in a cove near us, but very early the next morning moved off with six of our small water-casks, and with them all the people we found here on our arrival. The precipitate retreat of these last, we supposed, was owing to the theft the others had committed. They left behind them some of their dogs, and the boar I had given them the day before, which I now took back again as I had not another. Our casks were the least lost we felt by these people leaving us. While they remained we were generally well supplied with fish at a small expense. We had fair weather with the wind at northeast on the ninth, which gave us some hopes of seeing the adventure, but these hopes vanished in the afternoon when the wind shifted to the westward. The next morning our friends the natives returned again and brought with them a quantity of fish, which they exchanged for two hatchets. Fair weather on the twelfth enabled us to finish picking, airing and baking our biscuit, 4,292 pounds of which we found totally unfit to eat, and about 3,000 pounds more could only be eaten by people in our situation. On the thirteenth clear and pleasant weather, early in the morning the natives brought us a quantity of fish, which they exchanged as usual, but their greatest branch of trade was the green talc or stone, called by them Po Nam Mu, a thing of no great value. Nevertheless it was so much sought after by our people that there was hardly a thing they would not give for a piece of it. The fifteenth being a pleasant morning, a party of us went over to the east bay and climbed one of the hills which overlooked the eastern part of the strait in order to look for the adventure. We had a fatiguing walk to little purpose, for when we came to the summit we found the eastern horizon so foggy that we could not see above two miles. Mr. Forster, who was one of the party, profited by this excursion in collecting some new plans. I now began to despair of seeing the adventure any more, but was totally at a loss to conceive what was become of her. Till now I thought she had put into some port in the strait, when the wind came to north-west the day we anchored in the cove, and waited to complete her water. This conjecture was reasonable enough at first, but it was now hardly probable that she could be twelve days in our neighborhood, without our either hearing or seeing something of her. The hill we now mounted is the same that I was upon in 1770, when I had the second view of the strait. We then built a tower with the stones we found there which we now saw had been leveled to the ground, no doubt by the natives with a view of finding something hidden in it. When we returned from the hill we found a number of them collected round our boat. After some exchanges and making them some presence we re-embark in order to return on board, and in our way visited others of the inhabitants by whom we were kindly received. Our friends the natives employed themselves on the seventeenth in fishing in our neighborhood, and as fast as they caught the fish came and disposed of them to us, in so much that we had more than we could make use of. From this day to the twenty-second nothing remarkable happened, and we were occupied in getting everything in readiness to put to sea, being resolved to wait no longer than the assigned time for the adventure. The winds were between the south and west stormy with rain till the twenty-third, when the weather became settled, clear and pleasant. Very early in the morning we were visited by a number of the natives in four or five canoes, very few of whom we had seen before. They brought with them various articles, curiosities, which they exchanged for Otehitan cloth, etc. At first the exchanges were very much in our favor, till an old man, who was no stranger to us, came and assisted his countrymen with his advice, which in a moment turned the trade above a thousand percent against us. After these people were gone I took four hogs, that is, three thousand one bore, two cocks and two hens, which I landed in the bottom of the West Bay, carrying them a little way into the woods, where we left them with as much food as would serve them ten or twelve days. This was done with a view of keeping them in the woods, lest they should come down to the shore in search of food and be discovered by the natives, which, however, seemed not probable, as this place had never been frequented by them, nor were any traces of them to be seen near it. We also left some cocks and hens in the woods in Ship Cove, but these will have a chance of falling into the hands of the natives, whose wandering way of life will hinder them from breeding, even suppose they should be taken proper care of. Indeed, they took rather too much care of those which I had already given them, by keeping them continually confined for fear of losing them in the woods. The sow-peak we had not seen since the day they had her from me, but we were now told she was still living, as also the old boy and sow given them by Captain Fernau, so that there is reason to hope they may succeed. It will be unfortunate indeed if every method I have taken to provide this country with useful animals should be frustrated. We were likewise told that the two goats were still alive and running about, but I gave more credit to the first story than this. I should have replaced them by leaving behind the only two I had left, but had the misfortune to lose the ram soon after our arrival here, in a manner we could hardly account for. They were both put ashore at the tents, where they seemed to thrive very well. At last the ram was taken with fits bordering on madness. We were at a loss to tell whether it was occasioned by anything he had eaten, or by being stung with nettles, which were in plenty about the place, but supposed it to be the latter, and therefore did not take the care of him we ought to have done. One night while he was lying by the sentinel he was seized with one of these fits and ran headlong into the sea, but soon came out again and seemed quite easy. Presently after he was seized with another fit and ran along the beach with the she-goat after him. Sometime after she returned, but the other was never seen more. Dillige and search was made for him in the woods to no purpose. We therefore supposed he had run into the sea a second time and had been drowned. After this accident it would have been in vain to leave the she-goat, as she was not with kid, having kidded but a few days before we arrived, and the kids did. Thus the reader will see how every method I have taken to stock this country with sheep and goats has proved ineffectual. When I returned on board in the evening I found our good friends the natives had brought us a large supply of fish. Some of the officers visiting them at their habitations saw among them some human thigh bones from which the flesh had been but lately picked. This and other circumstances led us to believe the people whom we took for strangers this morning were of the same tribe, that they had been out on some more expedition and that those things they sold us were the spoils of their enemies. Indeed, we had some information of this salt the day before, for a number of women and children came off to us in a canoe, from whom we learnt that a party of men were then out, for whose safety they were under some apprehension. But this report found little credit with us, as we soon after saw some canoes come in from fishing, which we judged to be them. Having now got the ship in a condition for sea, and to encounter the southern latitudes, I ordered the tents to be struck, and everything to be got on board. The boson, with a party of men, being in the woods cutting broom, some of them found a private hut of the natives in which was deposited most of the treasure they had received from us, as well as other articles of their own. It is very probable some were set to watch this hut, as, soon after it was discovered, they came and took all away. But missing some things, they told our people they had stolen them, and in the evening came and made their complaint to me, pitching upon one of the party as the person who had committed the theft. Having ordered this man to be punished before them, they went away seemingly satisfied, although they did not recover any of the things they had lost. Nor could I by any means find out what had become of them, though nothing was more certain than that something had been stolen by some of the party, if not by the very man the natives had pitched upon. It was ever a maxim with me to punish the least crimes any of my people committed against these uncivilized nations. There robbing us with impunity is, by no means a sufficient reason, why we should treat them in the same manner. A conduct we see, they themselves cannot justify. They found themselves injured and sought for redress in a legal way. The best method, in my opinion, to preserve a good understanding with such people is, first by showing them the use of firearms, to convince them of the superiority they give you over them, and then to be always upon your guard. When once they are sensible of these things, a regard for their own safety will deter them from disturbing you, or from being unanimous in forming any plan to attack you. And strict honesty and gentle treatment on your part will make it their interest not to do so. Calm or light airs from the north all day on the twenty-third hindered us from putting to sea as intended. In the afternoon some of the officers went on shore to amuse themselves among the natives, where they saw the head and bowels of a youth who had lately been killed lying on the beach, and the heart stuck on a forked stick which was fixed to the head of one of the largest canoes. One of the gentlemen bought the head and brought it on board, where a piece of the flesh was broiled and eaten by one of the natives, before all the officers and most of the men. I was unsure at this time, but soon after returning on board was informed of the above circumstances, and found the quarter-deck crowded with the natives and the mangled head rather part of it, for the under jaw and lip were wanting lying on the taff rail. The skull had been broken on the left side just above the temples, and the remains of the face had all the appearance of a youth under twenty. The sight of the head and the relation of the above circumstances struck me with horror, and filled my mind with indignation against these cannibals. Curiosity, however, dot the better of my indignation, especially when I considered that it would avail but little, and being desirous of becoming an eyewitness of a fact which many doubted. I ordered a piece of the flesh to be broiled and brought to the quarter-deck, where one of these cannibals edit with surprising avidity. This had such an effect on some of our people as to make them sick. OEDE, who came on board with me, was so affected with the sight as to become perfectly motionless, and seemed as if metamorphosed into the statue of horror. It is utterly impossible for art to describe that passion with half the force that it appeared in his countenance. When roused from this state by some of us, he burst into tears, continued to weep and scald by turns, told them they were vile men, and that he neither was nor would be any longer their friend. He even would not suffer them to touch him. He used the same language to one of the gentlemen who caught off the flesh, and refused to accept or even touch the knife with which it was done. Such was OEDE's indignation against the vile custom, and worthy of imitation by every rational being. I was not able to find out the reason for their undertaking this expedition. All I could understand for certain was that they went from hence into Admiralty Bay, the next inlet to the West, and therefore their enemies, many of whom they killed. They counted to me fifty, a number which exceeded probability, as they were not more if so many themselves. I think I understood them clearly that this youth was killed there, and not brought away prisoner, and afterwards killed. Nor could I learn that they had brought away any more than this one, which increased the improbability of their having killed so many. We had also reason to think that they did not come off without loss. For a young woman was seen, more than once, to cut herself, as is the custom when they lose a friend or relation, that the New Zealanders are cannibals can now no longer be doubted. The account given of this in my former voyage, being partly founded on circumstances, was, as I afterwards understood, discredited by many persons. Few consider what a savage man is in his natural state, and even after he is in some degree civilized. The New Zealanders are certainly in some state of civilization. Their behavior to us was manly and mild, showing on all occasions a readiness to oblige. They have some arts among them which they execute with great judgment and on wearied patience. They are far less addicted to thieving than the other islanders of the South Sea. And I believe those in the same tribe, or such as are at peace one with another, are strictly honest among themselves. This custom of eating their enemies slain in battle. For I firmly believe they eat the flesh of no others. Has undoubtedly been handed down to them from the earliest times. And we know it is not an easy manner to wean a nation from their ancient customs. Let them be ever so inhuman and savage, especially if that nation has no manner of connection or commerce with strangers. For it is by this that the greatest part of the human race has been civilized. An advantage which the New Zealanders, from their situation, never had. An intercourse with foreigners would reform their manners and polish their savage minds. Or were they more united under a settled form of government, they would have fewer enemies, consequently this custom would be less in use, and might in time be in a manner forgotten. At present they have but little idea of treating others as themselves would wish to be treated, but treat them as they expect to be treated. If I remember right, one of the arguments they made use of to Topia, who frequently expostulated with them against this custom, was that there could be no harm in killing and eating the man who would do the same by them if it was in his power. For said they, can there be any harm in eating our enemies whom we have killed in battle, would not those very enemies have done the same for us? I have often seen them listen to Topia with great attention, but I never found his arguments have any weight with them, or that with all his rhetoric he could persuade any one of them that this custom was wrong. And when Oedid I, and several of our people, showed their abhorrence of it, they only laughed at them. Among many reasons which I have heard a sign for the prevalence of this horrid custom, the want of animal food has been worn. But how far this is deducible, either from facts or circumstances, I shall leave those to find out who advanced it. In every part of New Zealand where I have been, fish was in such plenty that the natives generally caught as much as served both themselves and us. They have also plenty of dogs, nor is there any want of wild fowl which they know very well how to kill, so that neither this nor the want of food of any kind can in my opinion be the reason. But whatever it may be I think it was but too evident that they have a great liking for this kind of food. I must here observe that Oedid soon learnt to converse with these people, as I am persuaded he would have done with the people of Amsterdam had he been a little longer with them, for he did not understand the New Zealanders at first any more or not so much as he understood the people of Amsterdam. At four o'clock in the morning on the twenty-fourth we unmoored with an intent to put to sea, but the wind being it north and northeast without and blowing strong puffs into the cove made it necessary for us to lie fast. While we were unmooring some of our old friends came on board to take their leave of us and afterwards left the cove with all their effects. But those who had been out on the late expedition remained and some of the gentlemen having visited them found the heart still sticking on the canoe and the intestines lying on the beach but the liver and lungs were now wanting. Probably they had eaten them after the carcass was all gone. On the twenty-fifth early in the morning we weighed with a small breeze out of the cove which carried us no farther than between Motuara and Long Island where we were obliged to anchor. But presently after a breeze springing up at north we weighed again, turned out of the sound and stood over for Cape Terawite. During our stay in the sound we were plentifully supplied with fish procured from the natives at a very easy rate and besides the vegetables our own gardens afforded we found everywhere plenty of scurvy grass and celery which I caused to be dressed every day for all hands. By this means they had been mostly on a fresh diet for the three preceding months and at this time we had neither a sick nor scorbotic man on board. It is necessary to mention for the information of others that we had now some pork on board salted at Ulitea and as good as any I ever ate. The manner in which we cured it was this. In the cool of the evening the monks were killed, dressed, cut up. The bones cut out and the flesh salted while it was yet hot. The next morning we gave it a second salting, packed it into a cask and put to it a sufficient quantity of strong pickle. Great care is to be taken that the meat be well covered with pickle otherwise it will soon spoil. The morning before we sailed I wrote a memorandum setting forth the time we last arrived, the day we sailed, the route I intended to take and such other information as I thought necessary for Captain Ferneau in case he should put into the sound and buried it in a bottle under the root of a tree in the garden, which is in the bottom of the cove, in such a manner as must be found by him or any other European who might put into the cove. I, however, had little reason to hope it would fall into the hands of the person for whom it was intended, thinking hardly possible that the adventure could be in any port in New Zealand as we had not heard of her all this time. Nevertheless I was resolved not to leave the coast without looking for her where I thought it most likely for her to be. It was with this view that I stood over Cape Terawite and afterwards ran along shore from point to point to Cape Palliser, firing guns every half hour, but all to no effect. At eight o'clock we brought two for the night, Cape Palliser bearing southeast by East Distant Three Leagues, in which situation we had fifty fathoms water. I had now an opportunity of making the following remarks on the coast between Cape Terawite and Cape Palliser. The bay which lies on the west side of the last Cape does not appear to run so far inland to the northward, as I at first thought. The deception being caused by the land in the bottom being low. It is, however, at least five leagues deep and full as wide at the entrance. Though it seems to be exposed to southerly and south-westerly winds, it is probable there may be places in the bottom of it sheltered even from these. The bay or inlet on the east side of Cape Terawite, before which we anchored, lies in north, inclining to the west, and seem to be sheltered from all winds. The middle cape or point of land that disjoins these two bays rises to a considerable height, especially inland. For close to the sea is a skirt of low land which lies on pointed rocks, but so near to the shore has to be no ways dangerous. Indeed, the navigation of this side of the strait seems much safer than the other, because the tides here are not near so strung. Cape Terawite and Cape Palliser lie in the direction of north 69 degrees west and south 69 degrees east from each other, distant ten leagues. The cape which disjoins the two bays above mentioned lies within, or north of this direction. All the land near the coast between and about these capes is exceedingly barren, probably owing to its being so much exposed to the cold southerly winds. From Cape Terawite to the two brothers which lie off Cape Kaomuru the course is nearly six by west distant sixteen miles. North of Cape Terawite between Eaton entry island is an island lying pretty near the shore. I judge this to be an island when I saw it in my form of voyage, but not being certain, left it undetermined in my chart of the strait, which is the reason of my taking notice of it now, as also of the bays etc. above mentioned. At daylight in the morning on the 26th we made sail around Cape Palliser firing guns as usual as we ran along the shore. In this manner we proceeded till we were three or four leagues to the north east of the Cape. When the wind shifted to north east we bore away for Cape Campbell on the other side of the strait. Soon after seeing a smoke ascend at some distance inland away to the north east and continued to ply till six o'clock in the evening, which was several hours after the smoke disappeared, and left us not the least signs of people. Everyone being unanimously of opinion that the adventure could neither be stranded on the coast, nor be in any of the harbours thereof, I gave up looking for her and all thoughts of seeing her any more during the voyage. As no rendezvous was absolutely fixed upon after leaving New Zealand, nevertheless this did not discourage me from fully exploring the southern parts of the Pacific Ocean in the doing of which I intended to employ the whole of the ensuing season. On our quitting the coast and consequently all hopes of being joined by our consort I had the satisfaction to find that not a man was dejected or thought the dangers through were in the least increased by being alone, but as cheerfully proceeding to the south or whether I may think proper to lead them, as if the adventure or even more ships had been in our company. End of Book 2, Chapter 5 Recording by David Cole Medway, Massachusetts Book 2, Chapter 6 Part 1 of A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume 1 by James Cook This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Recording by David Cole Chapter 6 Route of the Ship from New Zealand in search of a continent with an account of the various obstructions met with from the ice and the methods pursued to explore the southern Pacific Ocean 1773, November At 8 o'clock in the evening of the 26th we took our departure from Cape Palliser and steered to the south inclining to the east having a favourable gale from the north west and south west We daily saw some rockweeds seals, Port Egmont hens, albatrosses, pinterdows and other petrels. 1773, December And on the 2nd of December being in the latitude of 48 degrees 23 minutes south longitude 179 degrees 16 minutes west we saw a number of red-billed penguins which remained about us for several days. On the 5th being in the latitude 50 degrees 17 minutes south longitude 179 degrees 40 minutes east the variation was 18 degrees 25 minutes east. At half an hour past 8 o'clock the next evening we reckoned ourselves antipodes to our friends in London consequently as far removed from them as possible. On the 8th being in the latitude 55 degrees 39 minutes longitude 178 degrees 30 minutes west we ceased to see penguins and seals and concluded that those we had seen retired to the southern parts of New Zealand whenever it was necessary for them to be at land. We had now a strong gale at northwest and a great swell from southwest. This swell we got as soon as the south point of New Zealand came in that direction at quarter the six preceding days. But on the contrary it had been at east north and northwest. I conclude there can be no land to the southward under the meridian of New Zealand but what must lie very far to the south. The two following days we had very stormy weather sleet and snow winds between the north and southwest. The 11th the storm abated and the weather clearing up we found the latitude to be 61 degrees 15 minutes south longitude 173 degrees four minutes west. This fine weather was of short duration. In the evening the wind increased to a strong gale at southwest. Blue in squalls attended with thick snowshowers, hail and sleet. The mercury in the thermometer consequently the weather was very cold and seemed to indicate that ice was not far off. At four o'clock the next morning being in the latitude of 62 degrees ten minutes south longitude 172 degrees west we saw the first ice island 11 and a half degrees further south than the first ice we saw the preceding year after leaving the Cape of Good Hope. At the time we saw this ice we also saw an Antarctic petrol some grey albatrosses and our old companions pinterdose and blue petrels. The wind kept veering from southwest by the northwest to north northeast for the most part of fresh gale attended with thick haze and snow on which account we steered to the southeast and east keeping the wind always on the beam that it might be our power to return back nearly on the same track should our course have been interrupted by any danger whatever. For some days we had a great sea from the northwest and southwest so that it is not probable there can be any land near between these two points. We fell in with two large islands on the 14th and about noon with a quantity of loose ice through which we sailed latitude 64 degrees 55 minutes south longitude 163 degrees 20 minutes west. Grey albatrosses blue petrels, pinterdose and the fulmers were seen. As we advanced to the southeast by east with a fresh gale at west we found the number of ice islands increased fast upon us. Between noon and 8 in the evening we saw about 2 but before 4 o'clock in the morning of the 15th we had passed 17 besides a quantity of loose ice which we ran through. At 6 o'clock we were obliged to haul to the northeast in order to clear an immense field that laid to the south and southeast. The ice in most part of it lay close packed together. In other places there appeared partitions in the field and a clear sea beyond it. However I did not think it's safe to venture through as the wind would not permit us to return the same way that we must go in. Besides as it blew strong and the weather at times was exceedingly foggy it was the more necessary for us to get clear of this loose ice, which is rather more dangerous than the great islands. It was not such ice as is usually found in bays or rivers and near shore, but such as breaks off from the islands and may not improperly be called pairings of the large pieces or the rubbish or fragments which fall off when the great islands break loose from the place where they are formed. We had not stood long to the northeast before we found ourselves embayed by the ice and were obliged to tack and stretch to the southwest having the field or loose ice to the south and many huge islands to the north. After standing two hours on this tack the wind very luckily veering to the westward we tacked, stretched to the north and soon got clear of the loose ice but not before we had received several hard knocks from the larger pieces which with all our care we could not avoid. After clearing one dangers we still had another to encounter. The weather remained foggy and many large islands lay in our way so that we had to laugh for one and bear up for another. Once we were very near falling aboard of and if it had happened this circumstance would never have been related. These difficulties together with the improbability of finding land farther south and the impossibility of exploring it on account of the ice if we should find any determined me to get more to the north. At the time we last tacked we were in the longitude of 159 degrees 20 minutes west and in the latitude of 66 degrees 0 minutes south. Several penguins were seen on some of these islands and a few Antarctic petrels on the wing. We continued to stand to the north with a fresh gale at west and tended with thick snow showers till 8 o'clock in the evening when the wind abated the sky began to clear up and at 6 o'clock in the morning of the 16th it fell calm. Four hours later it was succeeded by a breeze at northeast with which we stretched to the southeast having thick hazy weather with snow showers and all our rigging coated with ice. In the evening we attempted to take some up out of the sea but were obliged to desist the sea running too high and the pieces being so large that it was dangerous for the boat to come near them. The next morning being the 17th we succeeded better for falling in with a quantity of loose ice we hoisted out two boats and by noon got on board as much as we could manage. We then made sail for the east with a gentle breeze northerly attended with sleet and snow which froze to the rigging at this time we were in the latitude of 64 degrees 41 minutes south longitude 155 degrees 44 minutes west the ice we took up proved to be none of the best being chiefly composed of frozen snow on which account it was porous and had imbibed a good deal of salt water but this drained off after lying a while on deck and the water then yielded was fresh we continued to stretch to the east with a piercing cold northerly wind attended with a thick fog snow and sleet that decorated all our rigging with icicles we were hourly meeting with some of the large ice islands which in these high latitudes render navigation so very dangerous at 7 in the evening falling in with a cluster we narrowly escaped running a board of one and with difficulty wore clear of the others we stood back to the west until 10 o'clock at which time the fog cleared away and we resumed our course to the east at noon the next day we were in the latitude of 64 degrees 49 minutes south longitude 149 degrees 19 minutes west after our longitude by observed distance of the sun and moon was 149 degrees 19 minutes west by Mr. Kendall's watch 148 degrees 36 minutes and by my reckoning 148 degrees 43 minutes latitude 64 degrees 48 minutes south the clear weather and the wind veering to northwest tempted me to steer south continued till 7 in the morning of the 20th when the wind changing to northeast and the sky becoming clouded we hauled up southeast in the afternoon the wind increased to a strong gale attended with a thick fog snow-sleek and rain which constitutes the very worst of weather our rigging at this time was so loaded with ice that we had enough to do to get our top sails down to double the reef at 7 o'clock in the evening in the longitude of 147 degrees 46 minutes we came the second time within the Antarctic or polar circle continuing our course to the southeast till 6 o'clock the next morning at that time being in the latitude of 67 degrees 5 minutes south all at once we got in among a cluster of very large ice islands and a vast quantity of loose pieces and as the fog was exceedingly thick it was with the utmost difficulty we wore clear of them this done we stood to the northwest till noon when the fog being somewhat dissipated we resumed our course again to the southeast the ice islands we met with in the morning were very high and rugged forming at their tops many peaks whereas the most of them we had seen before were flat at top and not so high though many of them were between 2 and 300 feet in height and between 2 and 3 miles in circuit with perpendicular cliffs or sides astonishing to behold most of our winged companions had now left us the grey albatrosses only remained and instead of the other birds we were visited by a few Antarctic Petrels the 22nd we steered east-southeast with a fresh gale at north blowing in squalls one of which took hold of the Misen Topsel tore it all to rags and rendered it forever after useless at 6 o'clock in the morning the wind veering towards the west east northerly at this time we were in the latitude of 67 degrees 31 minutes the highest we had yet been in longitude 142 degrees 54 minutes west we continued our course to the east by north till noon the 23rd when being in the latitude of 67 degrees 12 minutes longitude 138 degrees 0 minutes we steered southeast having then at 23 ice islands in sight from off the deck and twice that number from the mast head and yet we could not see above 2 or 3 miles around us at 4 o'clock in the afternoon in the latitude of 67 degrees 20 minutes longitude 137 degrees 12 minutes we fell in with such a quantity of field or loose ice as covered the sea in the whole distance from south to east and were so thick and close as wholly to obstruct our passage at this time the wind being pretty moderate and the sea smooth we brought two at the outer edge of the ice hoisted out two boats and sent them to take some up in the meantime we laid hold of several large pieces alongside and got them on board with our tackle the taking up ice proved such cold work that it was 8 o'clock by the time the boats had made two trips when we hoisted them in and made sail to the west under double reef topsoil and courses the strong gale at north attended with sleet and snow which froze to the rigging as it fell making the ropes like wires and the sails like boards or plates of metal the sheaves also were frozen so fast in the block that it required our utmost efforts to get a top sail down and up the cold so intense as hardly to be endured the whole sea in a manner covered with ice a hard gale and a thick fog under all these unfavorable circumstances it was natural for me to think of returning more to the north seeing no probability of finding any land here nor a possibility of getting further south and to have proceeded to the east in this latitude must have been wronged not only on account of the ice but because we must have left a vast space of sea to the north unexplored a space of 24 degrees of latitude in which a large tract of land might have lain whether such a supposition could only be determined by visiting those parts while we were taking up ice we got two of the Antarctic petrol so often mentioned by which our conjectures were confirmed of their being of the petrol tribe they are about the size of a large pigeon the feathers of the head back and part of the upper side of the wings are of a light brown the belly and underside of the wings are white the tail feathers are also white but tipped with brown at the same time we got another new petrol smaller than the former and all of a dark grey plumage we remarked that these birds were full of feathers than any we had either to see such care has nature taken to clothe them suitably to the climate in which they live at the same time we got two of the colored albatrosses these as well as the petrol's above mentioned we nowhere saw but among the ice hence one may with reason conjected that there is land to the south if not I must ask where these birds breathe a question which perhaps will never be determined for hitherto we have found these lands if any quite inaccessible besides these birds we saw a very large seal which kept playing about us some time one of our people who had been at Greenland called it a seahorse but everyone else took it for what I have said since our first falling in with the ice the mercury in the thermometer had been from 33 to 31 at noonday on the 24th the wind abated veering to the northwest and the sky cleared up in the latitude of 67 degrees 0 minutes longitude 138 degrees 15 minutes as we advanced to the north-east with a gentle gale at northwest the ice islands increased so fast upon us that this day at noon we could see near 100 round us besides an immense number of small pieces perceiving that it was likely to be calm I got the ship into as clear a birth as I could where she drifted along with the ice and by taking the advantage of every light air of wind was kept from falling aboard any of these floating isles here it was that we spent Christmas day much in the same manner as we did the preceding one we were fortunate in having continual daylight in clear weather for had it been as foggy as on some of the preceding days nothing less than a miracle could have saved us from being dashed to pieces in the morning of the 26th the whole sea was in the manner covered with ice 200 large islands and upwards being seen within the compass of four or five miles which was the limits of our horizon besides smaller pieces innumerable our latitude at noon was 66 degrees 15 minutes longitude 134 degrees 22 minutes by observation we found that the ship had drifted or gone about 20 miles to the northeast or east northeast whereas by the ice islands it appeared that she had gone little or nothing from which we concluded the ice drifted nearly in the same direction and at the same rate at four o'clock a breeze sprang up at west southwest and enabled us to see a north the most probable course to extricate ourselves from these dangers we continued our course to the north with a gentle breeze at west attended with clear weather till four o'clock the next morning when meeting with a quantity of loose ice we brought to and took on board as much as filled all our empty casks and for several days present expense this done we made sail and steered northwest with a gentle breeze at northeast clear frosty weather our latitude at this time was 65 degrees 53 minutes south longitude 133 degrees 42 minutes west islands of ice not half so numerous as before at four in the morning of the 28th the wind having veered more to the east and southeast increased to a fresh scale and was attended with snow showers our course was north until noon the next day being then in the latitude of 62 degrees 24 minutes longitude 134 degrees 37 minutes we steered northwest by north some hours after the sky cleared up and the wind debating veered more to the south on the 30th had little wind westerly dark gloomy weather with rain and sleet at times several whales seen playing about the ship but very few birds islands of icing plenty and a swell from west northwest on the 31st little wind from the westward fair and clear weather which afforded an opportunity to air the spare sails and to clean and smoke the ship between decks at noon our latitude was 59 degrees 40 minutes south longitude 135 degrees 11 minutes west our observation today gave us reason to conjecture that we had a southerly current indeed this was no more than what might reasonably be supposed to account for such huge masses of ice being brought from the south in the afternoon we had a few hours calm succeeded by a breeze from the east which enabled us to resume our northwest by north course 1774 January January 1st the wind remained not long at east but veered round by the south the west blue fresh attended with snow showers in the evening being in the latitude of 58 degrees 39 minutes south we passed two islands of ice after which we saw no more till we stood again to the south at 5 o'clock in the morning on the second it fell calm being at this time in the latitude of 58 degrees 2 minutes longitude 137 degrees 12 minutes the calm being succeeded by a breeze at east we steered northwest by west my reason for steering this course was to explore part of the great space of sea between us and our track to the south on the third it noon being in latitude 56 degrees 46 minutes longitude 139 degrees 45 minutes the weather became fair and the wind veered to southwest at about this time we saw a few small divers as we call them of the petrol tribe which we judged to be such as are usually seen near land especially in the bays and on the coast of New Zealand I cannot tell what to think of these birds had there been more of them I should have been ready enough to believe that they were at this time not very far from land as I never saw one so far from known land before probably these few had been drawn thus far by some show of fish for such were certainly about us by the vast number of trills, albatrosses and such other birds as are usually seen in the great ocean all are most of which left us before night two or three pieces of seaweed were also seen but these appeared old and decayed at 8 o'clock in the evening being in latitude of 56 degrees south longitude 140 degrees 31 minutes west the wind fixing in the westerly forward obliged us to steer northeasterly and laid me under the necessity of leaving unexplored a space of sea to the west containing nearly 40 degrees of longitude and half that of latitude had the wind continued favourable I intend to have run 15 or 20 degrees of longitude more to the west in the latitude we were then in and back again to the east in the latitude of 50 degrees this route would have so intersected the space above mentioned as hardly to have left room for the bare supposition of any kind of land lying there indeed as it was we have little reason to believe that there is but rather the contrary from the great hollow swell we had had for several days from the west and northwest though the wind had blown from a contrary direction great part of the time which is a great sign that we had not been covered by any land between these two points while we were in the high latitudes many of our people were attacked with a slight fever occasioned by coals it happily yielded to the simplest remedies was generally removed in a few days and at this time we had not above one or two on the sick list we proceeded northeast by north till the sixth at noon being then in the latitude of 52 degrees zero minutes south longitude 135 degrees 32 minutes west and about 200 leagues from our track to Otahiti in which space it was not probable all circumstances considered there is any extensive land and it being still less probable any lay to the west from the great mountainous billows that we had had and still continued to have from that quarter I therefore steered northeast with a fresh gale at west southwest at eight o'clock in the morning on the seventh being in the latitude of 50 degrees 49 minutes south we observed several distances of the sun and moon which gave the longitude as follows by Mr. Wales 133 degrees 24 minutes 0 seconds west Gilbert 133 degrees 10 minutes 0 seconds clock 133 degrees 0 minutes 0 seconds Smith 133 degrees 37 minutes 25 seconds myself 133 degrees 37 minutes 0 seconds 133 degrees 21 minutes 43 seconds by the watch 133 degrees 44 minutes 0 seconds west my reckoning 133 degrees 39 minutes 0 seconds variation of the compass 6 degrees 2 minutes 0 seconds east thermometer 50 degrees the next morning we observed again we were agreeable to the preceding observations allowing for the ship's run I must here take notice that our longitude can never be erroneous while we have so good a guide as Mr. Kendall's watch this day at noon we steered east northeast a half east being then in the latitude 49 degrees 7 minutes south longitude 131 degrees 2 minutes west on the ninth in latitude 48 degrees 70 minutes south longitude 127 degrees 10 minutes west we steered east with a fine fresh gale at west attended with clear present weather and a great swell from the same direction as the wind in the morning of the tenth having but little wind we put a boat in the water in which some of the officers went and shot several birds these afforded us a fresh meal they were of the petrol tribe and such as I usually see at any distance from land indeed neither birds nor any other thing was to be seen that could give us the least hopes of finding any and therefore at noon the next day being then in the latitude of 47 degrees 51 minutes south longitude 122 degrees 12 minutes west and a little more than 200 leagues from my track to Otehiti in 1769 I altered the course and steered southeast with a fresh gale at southwest by west in the evening when our latitude was 48 degrees 22 minutes south longitude 121 degrees 29 minutes west we found the variation to be 2 degrees 34 minutes east which is the least variation we had found without the tropic in the evening of the next day we found it to be 4 degrees 30 minutes east our latitude at that time was 50 degrees 5 minutes south longitude 119 degrees half west our course was now more southerly till the evening of the 13th when we were in the latitude of 53 degrees 0 minutes south longitude 118 degrees 3 minutes west the wind being then at northwest a strong gale with a thick fog and rain which made it unsafe to steer large I holed up southwest and continued this course till noon the next day when our latitude was 56 degrees 4 minutes south longitude 122 degrees 1 minute west the wind having veered to the north and the fog continuing I hauled to the east under courses and closed reef topsoils but this sail we could not carry long for before 8 o'clock in the evening the wind increased to a perfect storm and obliged us to lie too under the mason stay cell till the morning of the 16th when the wind having a good deal abated and veered to west we set the courses reef topsoils and stood to the south soon after the weather cleared up and in the evening we found the latitude to be 56 degrees 48 minutes south longitude 119 degrees 8 minutes west we continued to steer to the south inclining to the east till the 18th when we stood to the southwest with the wind at southeast being at this time in the latitude of 61 degrees 9 minutes south longitude 116 degrees 7 minutes west at 10 o'clock in the evening it felt calm which continued till to the next morning when a breeze sprung up at north which soon after increased to a fresh gale and fixed at northeast with this we steered south till noon on the 20th when being now in the latitude of 62 degrees 34 minutes south longitude 116 degrees 24 minutes west we were again be calmed end of book 2 chapter 6 part 1 book 2 chapter 6 part 2 of a voyage towards the south pole and round the world volume 1 by James Cook this LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by David Cole book 2 chapter 6 route of the ship from New Zealand in search of a continent part 2 in this situation we had two ice islands in sight one of which seemed to be as large as any we had seen it could not be less than 200 feet in height and terminated in a peak not unlike the cupola of St Paul's church at this time we had a great westerly swell which made it improbable that any land should lie between us and the meridian of 133.5 degrees which was our longitude under the latitude we were now in when we stood to the north in all this route we had not seen the least thing that would induce us to think we were ever in the neighbourhood of any land we had indeed frequently seen pieces of seaweed but this I am well assured is no sign of the vicinity of land for weed is seen in every part of the ocean after a few hours calm we got a wind from south east but it was very unsettled and attended with thick snow showers at length it fixed at south east and we stretched to the east the wind blew fresh was piercing cold and attended with snow and sleet on the 22nd being in the latitude of 62 degrees 5 minutes south longitude 112 degrees 24 minutes west we saw an ice island an Antarctic petrol several blue petrol and some other known birds but no one thing that gave us the least hopes of finding land on the 23rd at noon we were in the latitude of 62 degrees 22 minutes south longitude 110 degrees 24 minutes in the afternoon we passed an ice island the wind which blew fresh continued to veer to the west and at 8 o'clock the next morning it was to the north of west and I steered south by west and south south west at this time we were in the latitude of 63 degrees 20 minutes south longitude 108 degrees 7 minutes west and had a great sea from south west we continued this course till noon the next day the 25th when we steered south our latitude at this time was 65 degrees 24 minutes south with 109 degrees 31 minutes west the wind was at north the weather mild and not unpleasant and not a bit of ice in view this we thought a little extraordinary as it was but a month before and not quite 200 leagues to the east that we were in a manner blocked up with large islands of ice in this very latitude saw a single pinterdough petrol some blue petrol patrosses in the evening being under the same meridian and in the latitude of 65 degrees 44 minutes south the variation was 19 degrees 27 minutes east but the next morning in the latitude of 66 degrees 20 minutes south longitude the same as before it was only 18 degrees 20 minutes east probably the mean between the two is the nearest the truth at this time we had nine small islands in view and soon after we came the third time within the Antarctic polar circle in the longitude of 109 degrees 31 minutes west about noon seeing the appearance of land to the south east we immediately trimmed our sails and stood towards it soon after it disappeared but we did not give it up till 8 o'clock the next morning when we were well assured that there was nothing but clouds or a fog bank and then we resumed our course to the south with a gentle breeze at north east attended with a thick fog snow and sleet we now began to meet with ice islands more frequently than before and in the latitude of 69 degrees 38 minutes south longitude 108 degrees 12 minutes west we fell in with the field of loose ice as we began to be in want of water I hoisted out two boats and took up as much as yielded about 10 tons this was cold work but it was now familiar to us as soon as we had done we hoisted in the boats and there afterwards made shortboards over that part of the sea we had in some measure made ourselves acquainted with for we had now so thick a fog that we could not see 200 yards round us and as we knew not the extent of the loose ice I did not steer to the south till we had clear weather thus we spent the night or rather that part of 24 hours which answered tonight for we had no darkness but what was occasioned by fogs at 4 o'clock in the morning of the 29th the fog began to clear away and the day becoming clear and serene we again steered to the south with a gentle gale at north east and north north east the variation was found to be 22 degrees 41 minutes east this was in the latitude of 69 degrees 45 minutes south longitude 108 degrees 5 minutes west and in the afternoon being in the same longitude and in the latitude of 70 degrees 45 minutes south it was 24 degrees 31 minutes east soon after the sky became clouded and the air very cold we continued our course to the south and passed a piece of weed covered with barnacles which a brown albatross was picking off at 10 o'clock we passed a very large ice island it was not less than 3 or 4 miles in circuit there was no more being seen ahead and the weather becoming foggy we hauled the wind to the northward but in less than 2 hours the weather cleared up and we again stood south on the 30th at 4 o'clock in the morning we perceived the clouds over the horizon to the south to be of an unusual snow white brightness which we knew denounced our approach to field ice soon after it was seen the top massed head and at 8 o'clock we were close to its edge it extended east and west far beyond the reach of our sight in the situation we were in just the southern half of our horizon was illuminated by the rays of light reflected from the ice to a considerable height 97 ice hills were distinctly seen within the field besides those on the outside many of them very large and looking like a ridge of mountains rising one above another till they were lost in the clouds the outer or northern edge of this immense field was composed of loose or broken ice close back together so that it was not possible for anything to enter it this was about a mile broad within which was solid ice in one continued compact body it was rather low and flat except the hills but seen to increase in height as you traced it to the south in which direction it extended beyond our sight such mountains of ice as these I believe were never seen in the Greenland seas at least not that I ever heard or read of so that we cannot draw comparisons between the ice here and there it must be allowed that these prodigious ice mountains must add such additional weight to the ice fields and close them as cannot but make a great difference between the navigating this ICC and that of Greenland I will not say it was impossible anywhere to get farther to the south but the attempting it would have been a dangerous and rash enterprise and what I believe no man in my situation would have thought of it was indeed my opinion as well as the opinion of most that this ice extended quite to the pole or perhaps joined on some land to which it had been fixed from the earliest time and that it is here that is to the south of this parallel where all the ice we find scattered up and down to the north is first formed and afterwards broken off by gales of wind or other causes and brought to the north by the currents which we always found to set in that direction in the high latitudes as we drew near this ice some penguins were heard but non-seen and but few other birds or any other thing that it would induce us to think that any land was near and yet I think there must be some to the south behind this ice but if there is it can afford no better retreat for birds or any other animals than the ice itself with which it must be wholly covered I who had had ambition not only to go farther than anyone had been before but as far as it was possible for man to go was not sorry at meeting with this interruption as it in some measure relieved us at least shorten the dangers and hardships inseparable from the navigation of the southern polar regions since therefore we could not proceed one inch farther south no other reason need be assigned for my tacking and standing back to the north being at this time in the latitude of 71 degrees 10 minutes south longitude 106 degrees 54 minutes west it was happy for us the weather was clear when we fell in with this ice and that we discovered it as soon as we did for we had no soon attacked than we were involved in the thick fog the wind was at east and blew a fresh breeze so that we were unable to return back over that space we had already made ourselves equated with at noon the mercury in the thermometer stood at 32.5 degrees and we found the air exceedingly cold the thick fog continuing with shards of snow gave a coat of ice to our rigging of near an inch thick in the afternoon of the next day the fog cleared away at intervals but the weather was cloudy and gloomy and the air excessively cold however the sea within our horizon was clear of ice 1774 February we continued to stand to the north with the wind easterly till the afternoon on the first of February when falling in with some loose ice which had been broken from an island to windward we hoisted out two boats and having taken some on board resumed our course to the north and northeast with gentle breezes from southeast attended sometimes with fair weather and at other times with snow in sleet on the fourth we were in the latitude of 65 degrees 42 minutes south longitude 99 degrees 44 minutes the next day the wind was very unsettled both in strength and position and attended with snow in sleet at length on the sixth after a few hours calm we'd got a breeze at south which soon after freshened fixed at west southwest and was attended with snow in sleet I now came to the resolution to proceed to the north and to spend the ensuing winter within the tropic if I met with no employment I came there I was now well satisfied no continent was to be found in this ocean but what must lie so far to the south as to be wholly inaccessible on account of ice and that if one should be found in the southern Atlantic ocean it would be necessary to have the whole summer before us to explore it on the other hand upon a supposition that there is no land there we undoubtedly might have reached good hope by April and so have put an end to the expedition so far as it related to the finding a continent which indeed was the first object of the voyage but for me at this time to have quitted the southern pacific ocean with a good ship expressly sent out on discoveries a healthy crew and not in want either of stores or of provisions would have been betraying not only a want of perseverance but also of judgment in supposing the south pacific ocean to have been so well explored that nothing remained to be done in it this however was not my opinion although I had proved that there was no continent but what must lie far to the south there remained nevertheless room for very large islands in places wholly unexamined and many of those which were formally discovered are but imperfectly explored and their situations as imperfectly known I was besides of opinion that my remaining in this sea some time longer would be productive of improvements in navigation and geography as well as in other sciences I had several times communicated my thoughts on this subject to Captain Ferneau but as it then wholly depended on what we might meet with to the south we had to take in orders without running a risk of drawing us from the main object since now nothing had happened to prevent me from carrying these views into execution my intention was first to go in search of the land said to have been discovered by Juan Fernandez above a century ago in about the latitude of 38 degrees if I should fail in finding this land then to go in search of Easter Island whose situation was known with so little certainty that the attempts lately made to find it had miscarried I next intended to go within the tropic and then proceed to the west touching at and settling the situations of such islands as we might meet with till we arrive to Dota Hiti where it was necessary I should stop to look for the adventure I had also thoughts of running as far west as the Tierra Austral de Espirito Santo discovered by Churras and to which Monsieur de Bougainville calls the great Cyclades Churras speaks of this land as being large or lying in the neighbourhood of large lands and as this was a point which Monsieur de Bougainville had neither confirmed nor refuted I thought it was worth clearing up from this land my design was to steer to the south and so back to the east between the latitudes of 50 and 60 degrees intending if possible to be the length of Cape Horn in November next when we should have the best part of a summer before us to explore the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean Great as this design appeared to be I however thought it possible to be executed and when I came to communicate it to the officers I had the satisfaction to find that they all heartily concurred in it I should not do these gentlemen justice if I did not take some opportunity to declare that they always showed the utmost readiness to carry into execution in the most effectual manner every measure I thought proper to take under such circumstances it is hardly necessary to say that the seamen were always obedient and alert and on this occasion they were so far from wishing the voyage at an end that they rejoiced at the prospect of its being prolonged another year and have soon enjoying the benefits of a milder climate I now steered north inclining to the east and in the evening we were overtaken with a furious storm to west-south-west attended with snow in sleet it came so suddenly upon us that before we could take in our sails two altopsals which we had bent to the yards were blown to pieces and the other sails much damaged the gale lasted without the least intermission till the next morning when it began to abate it continued however to blow very fresh till noon on the twelfth when it ended in a calm at this time we were in the latitude of 50 degrees 40 minutes south longitude 95 degrees 18 minutes west some birds being about the ship we took the advantage of the calm to put a boat in the water and shot several birds on which we feasted the next day one of these birds was of that sort which has been so often mentioned in this journal under the name of Port Egmont Hens they are of the gold kind about the size of a raven with a dark brown plumage on the other side of each wing where there are some white feathers the rest of the birds were albatrosses and sheer waters after a few hours calm having got a breeze at northwest we made a stretch to the southwest for 24 hours in which route we saw a piece of wood, a bunch of weed and a diving petrol the wind having veered more to the west made us tack and stretch to the north till noon on the fourteenth at which time we were in the latitude of 49 degrees 32 minutes south longitude 95 degrees 11 minutes west we had now calms and light breezes succeeding each other till the next morning when the wind freshened at west northwest and was attended with a thick fog and drizzling rain the three following days during which time we stretched to the north inclining to the east and crossed my track to Otahiti in 1769 I did intend to have kept more to the west but the strong winds from that direction put it out of my power on the eighteenth the wind veered to southwest and blew very fresh but was attended with clear weather which gave us an opportunity to ascertain our longitude by several lunar observations made by Messers Wales, Clark Gilbert and Smith the mean result of all was 94 degrees 19 minutes 30 seconds west Mr Kendall's watch at the same time gave 94 degrees 46 minutes west our latitude was 43 degrees 53 minutes south the wind continued not long at southwest before it veered back to the west and west northwest as we advanced to the north we felt a most sensible change in the weather the twentieth at noon we were in the latitude of 39 degrees 58 minutes south longitude 94 degrees 37 minutes west the day was clear and pleasant and I may say the only summers day we had had since we left New Zealand the mercury in the thermometer rose to 66 we still continued to steer to the north the wind remained in the old quarter and the next day at noon we were in the latitude of 37 degrees 54 minutes south which was the same that Juan Fernandez discovery is said to lie in we however had not the least signs of any land lying in our neighbourhood the next day at noon we were in latitude 36 degrees 10 minutes south longitude 94 degrees 56 minutes west at noon after the wind veered to south south east and enabled us to see a west southwest which I thought the most probable direction to find the land of which we were in search and yet I had no hopes of succeeding as we had a large hollow swell from the same point we however continued this course to the 25th when the wind having veered again round to the westward I gave it up and stood way to the north in order to get into the latitude of Easter Island our latitude at this time was 37 degrees 52 minutes longitude 101 degrees 10 minutes west I was now well assured that the discovery of Juan Fernandez if any such was ever made can be nothing but a small island there being hardly room for a large land as will fully appear by the tracks of Captain Bougainville of the Endeavour and this of the resolution whoever wants to see an account of the discovery in question will meet with it in Mr. Dalrymple's collection of voyages to the South Seas this gentleman places it under the meridian of 90 degrees which I think it cannot be for Montseor de Bougainville seems to have run down under that meridian and we had now examined the latitude in which it is said to lie from the meridian of 94 degrees to 101 degrees it is not probable it can lie to the east of 90 degrees because if it did it must have been seen one time or other by ships bound from the north and to the southern parts of America Mr. Pongray in a little treatise concerning the transit of Venus published in 1768 gives some account of land having been discovered by the Spaniards in 1714 in the latitude of 38 degrees and 550 leagues from the coast of Chile which is the longitude of 110 or 111 degrees west and within a degree or two of my track in the Endeavour so that this can hardly be its situation in short the only probable situation it can have must be about the meridian of 106 degrees or 108 degrees west and then it can only be a small isle as I have already observed I was now taken ill of the bilious colic which was so violent as to confine me to my bed so that the management of the ship was left to Mr. Cooper, the first officer who conducted her very much to my satisfaction it was several days before the most dangerous symptoms of my disorder were removed during which time Mr. Pat and the surgeon was to me, not only a skillful physician, but an affectionate nurse and I should ill-deserve the care he bestowed on me if I did not make this public acknowledgement when I began to recover a favourite dog belonging to Mr. Forster fell a sacrifice to my tender stomach we had no other fresh meat on board and I could eat of this flesh as well as broth made of it when I could taste nothing else thus I received nourishment and strength from food which would have made most people in Europe sick so true it is that necessity is governed by no law on the 28th in the latitude of 33 degrees 7 minutes south longitude 102 degrees 33 minutes west we began to see flying fish egg birds and noddies which are said not to go above 60 or 80 leagues from land but of this we have no certainty no one yet knows to what distance any of the oceanic birds go to sea for my own part I do not believe there is one in the whole tribe that can be relied on in pointing out the vicinity of land in the latitude of 30 degrees 30 minutes south longitude 101 degrees 45 minutes west we began to see men of war birds in the latitude of 29 degrees 44 minutes longitude 100 degrees 45 minutes west we had a calm of nearly 2 days together during which time the heat was intolerable but what ought to be remarked there was a great swell from the south west 1774 march on the 6th of march the calm was succeeded by an easterly wind with which we steered north west till noon the 8th when being in the latitude of 27 degrees 4 minutes south longitude 103 degrees 58 minutes west we steered west meeting every day with great numbers of birds such as men of war tropic and egg birds bodies, shearwaters etc and once we passed several pieces of sponge and a small dried leaf not unlike a bay one soon after we saw a sea snake in every respect like those we had before seen at the tropical islands we also saw plenty of fish but we were such bad fishers that we caught only 4 albacores which were very acceptable to me especially who was just recovering from my late illness End of Book 2 Chapter 6 Part 2 Recording by David Cowell Medway, Massachusetts