 Book 1, Chapter 13 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 13, Arrival at and Departure of the Ships from Oolitea, with an account of what happened there, and of Oedidii, one of the natives coming away in the Resolution, 1773 September. The chief was no sooner gone than we made sail for Oolitea, where I intended to stop a few days. Arriving off the harbour of Oham-Maneno, at the close of the day, we spent the night making short boards. It was dark, but we were sufficiently guided by the fishers' lights on the reefs and shoals of the isles. The next morning, after making a few trips, we gained the entrance of the harbour, and as the wind blew directly out, I sent a boat to lie in soundings, that we might know when to anchor. As soon as the signal was made by her, we borrowed close to the south point of the channel, and with our sail-sit, shooting within the boat, we anchored in seventeen fathoms' water. We then carried out anchors and horses to warp in by, and as soon as the Resolution was out of the way, the adventure came up in like manner, and warped in by the Resolution. The warping in and mooring the ships took up the whole day. We were no sooner at anchor at the entrance of the harbour, than the natives crowded round us in their canoes with hogs and fruit. The latter they exchanged for nails and beads. The former we refused as yet, having already as many on board as we could manage. Several we were, however, obliged to take. As many of the principal people brought off little pigs, pepper, or a voa root, and young plantain trees, and handed them into the ship, or put them into the boats alongside, whether we would or know. Or if we refused to take them on board, they would throw them into the boats. In this manner did these good people welcome us to their country. I had forgot to mention that Tupia was much inquired after at Oahene, but at this place everyone asked about him and the occasion of his death, and, like true philosophers, were perfectly satisfied with the answers we gave them. And as we had nothing but the truth to tell the story was the same, by whom so ever told. Next morning we paid a formal visit to Oreo, the chief of this part of the isle, carrying with us the necessary presents. We went through no sort of ceremony at landing, but were at once conducted to him. He was seated in his own house, which stood near the water-side, where he and his friends received us with great cordiality. He expressed much satisfaction at seeing me again, and desired that we might exchange names which I accordingly agreed to. I believe this is the strongest mark of friendship they can show to a stranger. He inquired after Tupia, and all a gentleman by name, who were with me when I first visited the island. After we had made the chief and his friends the necessary presents, we went on board with the hog and some fruit, received from him in return, and in the afternoon he gave me another hog, still larger, without asking for the least acknowledgement. Exchanges for fruit, etc., were mostly carried on alongside the ships. I attempted to trade for these articles on shore, but did not succeed, as the most of them were brought in canoes from distant parts and carried directly to the ships. After breakfast on the tenth, Captain Ferneau and I paid the chief a visit, and were entertained by him with such a comedy or dramatic hiva, as is generally acted in these aisles. The music consisted of three drums, the actors were seven men and one woman, the chief's daughter. The only entertaining part in the drama was the theft committed by a man at his accomplice, in such a masterly manner, as sufficiently displayed the genius of the people in this vice. The theft is discovered before the thief has time to carry off his prize. Then a scuffle ensues with those set to guard it, who, though four to two, are beat off the stage, and the thief and his accomplices bear away their plunder in triumph. I was very attentive to the whole of this part, being in full expectation that it would have ended very differently. For I had before been informed that Tito, that is the thief, was to be acted, and had understood that the theft was to be punished with death, or a good tipara-heying or beating, a punishment we are told they inflict on such as are guilty of this crime. Be this as it may, strangers are certainly excluded from the protection of this law. Them they rob within punity on every occasion that offers. After the play was over we returned on board to dinner. And in the cool of the evening took a walk on shore, where we learnt from one of the natives that nine small islands, two of which were uninhabited, lay to the westward, at no great distance from hence. In the eleventh early in the morning I had a visit from Arao and his son, a youth about twelve years of age. The latter brought me a hog and some fruit, for which I made him a present of an axe, and dressed him in a shirt and other things, which made him not a little proud of himself. Having stayed some hours they went on shore, as I also did soon after but to another part. The chief hearing I was on shore came to the place where he found the boat, into which he put a hog and a quantity of fruit, without saying a word to anybody, and with some of his friends came on board and dined with us. After supper I had a visit from Ooroo, the principal chief of the isle. He was introduced to us by Orio, and brought with him as a present a large hog, for which I made him a handsome return. Orio employed himself in buying hogs for me, for we now began to take of them, and he made such bargains as I had reason to be satisfied with. At length they all took leave after making me promise to visit them next morning, which I accordingly did, in company with several of the officers and gentlemen. Orio ordered a heaver to be acted for our entertainment, in which two very pretty young women were the actresses. This heaver was somewhat different from the one I saw before, and not so entertaining. Orio, after it was over, accompanied us on board, together with two of his friends. The next day was spent much in the same manner, and early in the morning on the 14th I sent Mr. Pickersgill, with the resolution's launch, and adventures cut her, to Ootaha, to procure an additional supply of bananas, and plantains, for a sea-store, for we could get little more of these articles at Ullitea, than were sufficient for present consumption. Orio and some of his friends paid me a pretty early visit this morning. I acquainted the chief that I would dine with him, and desired he would order two pigs to be dressed after their manner, which he accordingly did, and about one o'clock. I and the officers and gentlemen of both ships went to partake of them. When we came to the chief's house we found the cloth laid, that is, green leaves were strewn thick on the floor. On them we seated ourselves, presently one of the pigs came over my head, soose upon the leaves, and immediately after the other, both so hot as hardly to be touched. The table was garnished round with hot bread, fruit and plantains, and a quantity of coconuts brought for drink. Each man being ready, with his knife in his hand, we turned to without ceremony, and it must be owned in favour of their cookery, that vitals were never cleaner, nor better dressed. Four, though the pigs were served up whole, and one weighed between fifty and sixty pounds, and the other about half as much, yet all the parts were equally well done, and eat much sweeter than if dressed in any of our methods. The chief and his son and some other of his male friends eat with us, and pieces were handed to others who sat behind, for we had a vast crowd about us, so that it might be truly said we dined in public. The chief never failed to drink his glass of Madeira whenever it came to his turn, not only now, but at all other times when he dined with us, without ever being once affected by it. As soon as we had dined the boat's crew took the remainder, and by them and those about them the whole was consumed. When we rose up many of the common people rushed in to pick up the crumbs which had fallen, and for which they searched the leaves very narrowly. This leads me to believe that though there is plenty of pork at these aisles, but little falls to their share, some of our gentlemen being present when these pigs were killed and dressed, observed the chief to divide the entrails, lard, etc., into ten or twelve equal parts and serve it out to certain people. Several daily attended the ships and assisted the butchers, for the sake of the entrails of the hogs we killed. Probably little else forced the share of the common people. It however must be owned, that they are exceedingly careful of every kind of revision, and waste nothing that can be eaten by man, flesh and fish especially. In the afternoon we were entertained with a play. Plays indeed had been acted almost every day since we had been here, either to entertain us, or for their own amusement, or perhaps both. Next morning produced some circumstances which fully prove the timorous disposition of these people. We were surprised to find that none of them came off to the ships as usual. Two men belonging to the adventure having stayed unsure all night, contrary to orders, my first conjectures were that the natives had stripped them, and were now afraid to come near us lest we should take some step to revenge the insult. But in order to be a very satisfied Captain Ferneau and I went ashore to Orio's house, which we found quite empty, he and all his family gone, and the whole neighborhood in a manner quite deserted. The two men belonging to the adventure made their appearance, and informed us that they had been very civilly treated by the natives, but could give no account of the cause of their precipitated flight. All that we could learn from the very few that did come near us was that several peoples were killed, others wounded by our guns, pointing out to us where the balls went in and out of the body, etc. This relation gave me a good deal of uneasiness for the safety of our people gone to Ota-ha, fearing that some disturbance had happened at that island. However, in order to be better informed I determined if possible to see the Chief himself. Finally we embarked in our boat, having one of the natives with us, and rode along shore to the Northwood, the way we were told he was gone. We soon came in sight of the canoe in which he was, but before we could come up with her he had gone on shore. We landed presently after and found he was gone still further, and immense crowd, however, waited our landing, who entreated me to follow him. One man offered to carry me on his back, but the whole story appearing rather more mysterious than ever, and being all unarmed I did not choose to separate myself from the boat, but embarked again and rode after him. We soon came before the place where our guide told us he was and put in the boat accordingly. It grounded at some distance from the shore, where we were met by a venerable old lady wife to the Chief. She threw herself into my arms and wept bitterly, in so much that it was not possible to get one plain word from her. With this old lady in my hand I went to shore, contrary to the advice of my young man from Otehiti, who was more afraid than any of us, probably believing every word the people had told us. I found the Chief seated under the shade of a house, before which was a large area and surrounded by a vast number of people. As soon as I came to him he threw his arms about me and burst into tears in which he was accompanied by all the women and some of the men, so that the lamentation became general. Astonishment alone kept me from joining with them. It was some time before I could get a word from anyone, at last all my inquiries gave me no other information than that they were alarmed on account of our boats being absent, thinking that the people in them had deserted from us and that I should take some violent means to recover them. For when we assured them that the boats would return back they seemed cheerful and satisfied and to a man denied that anyone was hurt, either of their own or our people, and so it afterwards proved. Nor did it appear that there was the least foundation for these alarms, nor could we ever find out by what means this general consternation. First took its rise. After a stay of about an hour I returned on board, three of the natives coming along with us, who proclaimed the peace as we rode along shore to all they saw. First matters were again restored to their form of footing, and the next morning they came off to the ships as usual. After breakfast Captain Fernot and I paid the chief a visit. We found him in his own house perfectly easy, in so much that he and some of his friends came on board and dined with us. I was now told that my Ohtahitan young man, Porio, had taken a resolution to leave me. I have just mentioned before, his being with us when I followed Orio, and his advising me not to go on shore. He was so much afraid at that time that he remained in the boat, till that he heard all matters were reconciled. Then he came out, and presently after met with a young woman, for whom he had contracted a friendship. Having my powder horn in keeping, he came and gave it to one of my people, who was by me, and then went away with her, and I saw him no more. In the afternoon our boats returned from Ohtaha, pretty well laid with plantains, an article we were most in want of. They made the circuit of the island, conducted by one of the irees, whose name was Boba, and were hospitably entertained by the people, who provided them with vitals and lodging. The first night they were entertained with a play, the second their repose was disturbed by the natives stealing their military chest. This put them on making reprisals, by which means they recovered the most of what they had lost. Having now got on board a large supply of refreshments, I determined to put to sea the next morning, and made the same known to the chief, who promised to see me again before we departed. At four o'clock we began to unmoor, and as soon as it was light, Orio, his son and some of his friends came aboard. Many canoes also came off with fruit and hogs, the latter they even begged of us to take from them, calling them Tia Boa Atoi, I am your friend take my hog and give me an axe. But our decks were already so full of them that we could hardly move, having on board both ships between three and four hundred. By the increase of our stock, together with what we had salted and consumed, I judged that we got at this island four hundred upwards. Many indeed were only roasters, others again weighed one hundred pounds or upwards, but the general run was from forty to sixty. It is not easy to say how many we might have got, could we have found room for all that were offered us. The chief and his friends, who did not leave me till we were under sail, and before he went away, pressed me much to know, if I would not return and when. Questions which were daily put to me by many of these islanders. My Ota-Heaton's use, leaving me, proved of no consequence, as many young men of this island voluntarily offered to come away with us. I thought profit to take on board one, who was about seventeen or eighteen years of age, named Odidi, a native of Bola Bola, and a near-relation of the great Oponi, chief of that island. Soon after we were out of the harbour, and had made sail, we observed a canoe following us, conducted by two men. Whereupon I brought two, and they presently came alongside, having brought me a present of roasted fruit and roots from Orio. I made them a proper return before I dismissed them, and then set sail to the west with the adventure in company. End of Book One, Chapter 13, Recording by David Cole, Medway, Massachusetts. Book One, Chapter 14, of A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume One by James Cook. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Recording by David Cole, Chapter 14, an account of a Spanish ship visiting Otahiti, the present state of the islands, with some observations on the diseases and customs of the inhabitants, and some mistakes concerning the women corrected, 1773 September. I shall now give some further account of these islands, for although I have been pretty minute in relating the daily transactions, some things which are rather interesting have been omitted. Soon after our arrival at Otahiti, we were informed to the ship about the size of the resolution, had been at Oahuayahura, harbour, near the southeast end of the island, where she remained about three weeks, and had been gone about three months before we arrived. We were told that four of the natives were gone away with her, whose names were Debe Debea, Pa'au Dou, Tana Dou'i, and Oahuayah. At this time we conjectured this was a French ship, but on our arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, we learned she was a Spaniard, which had been sent out from America. The Otahitans complained of a disease communicated to them by the people in this ship, which they said affected the head, throat, and stomach, and at length killed them. They seemed to dread it much, and were continually inquiring if we had it. This ship they distinguished by the name of Pahai No Pepe, and call the disease Apano Pepe, just as they call the venereal disease Apano Pretanae, English disease, although they, to a man, say it was brought to the Isle by Monsio de Bougainville, but I have already observed that they thought Monsio de Bougainville came from Pretanae, as well as every other ship which has touched at the Isle. Were it not for this assertion of the natives and none of Captain Wallace's people being afflicted with the venereal disease, either while they were at Otahiti or after they left it, I should have concluded that long before these islanders were visited by Europeans, this or some disease which is near akin to it, had existed among them. For I have heard them speak of people dying of a disorder which we interpreted to be the pox before that period. But be this as it will, it is now far less common amongst them, than it was in the year 1769 when I first visited these isles. They say they can cure it and so it fully appears, for notwithstanding most of my people had made pretty free with the women, very few of them were afterwards afflicted with the disorder, and those who were had it in so slight a manner that it is easily removed. But among the natives whenever it turns to a pox they tell us it is incurable. Some of our people pretend to have seen some of them who had this last disorder in a high degree, but the surgeon who made it his business to inquire could never satisfy himself in this point. These people are and were, before Europeans visit them, very subject to scoffulous diseases, so that a seaman might easily mistake one disorder for another. The island of Otehite, which in the years 1767 and 1768 as it were, swarmed with hogs and fowls, was now so ill-supplied with these animals that hardly anything could induce the owners to part with them. The few they had at this time among them seemed to be at the disposal of the kings. For while we lay at Oatehpehe Bay, in the kingdom of Tearabu, or lesser peninsula, every hog and fowl we saw, we were told, belonged to Wahiatua, and all we saw in the kingdom of Oporendu, or the greater peninsula, belonged to Oatu. During the seventeen days we were at this island we got but twenty-four hogs, the half of which came from the two kings themselves. And I believe the other half was sold to us by their permission or order. We were, however, abundantly supplied with all the fruits the island produces, except breadfruit, which was not in season either at this or the other isles. Coconuts and plantains were what we got the most of, the latter together with a few yams and other roots, to us a sacadamia, for bread. At Oatehete we got great plenty of apples, and a fruit like nectarine, called by them Ahiva. This fruit is common to all the isles, but apples we got only at Oatehete, and found them of infinite use to the Scorbotic people. Of all the seeds that have been brought to these islands by Europeans, none have succeeded but pumpkins, and these they do not like, which is not to be wondered at. The scarcity of hogs at Oatehete may be owing to two causes, first to the number which have been consumed and carried off by the shipping which have touched here of late years, and secondly to the frequent wars between the two kingdoms. We know of two since the year 1767. At present a peace subsists between them, though they did not seem to entertain much friendship for each other. I never could learn the cause of the late war, nor who got the better in the conflict. In the battle which put an end to the dispute, many were killed on both sides. On the part of Oporennu fell Tutah and several other chiefs who were mentioned to me by name. Tutah lies interred in the family Marai at Opari, and his mother and several other women, who were of his household, are now taken care of by Oatu the reigning prince. A man who, at first, did not appear to us to much advantage. I know but little of Wahi atua of Tiarabu. This prince, who is not above twenty years of age, appeared with all the gravity of a man of fifty. His subjects do not uncover before him, or pay him any outward obeisance as he is done to Oatu. Nevertheless, they seem to show him full as much respect, and he appeared in rather more state. He was attended by a few middle-aged or elderly men, who seemed to be his counsellors. This is what appeared to me to be the then state of Odahiti. The other islands, that is, Wahiine, Ulitea and Otaha, were in a more flourishing state than they were when I was there before. Since that time they had enjoyed the blessing of peace. The people seemed to be as happy as any under heaven, and while they may, for they possessed not only the necessaries, but many of the luxuries of life in the greatest perfusion. When my young man told me that hogs, fowls and fruits are in equal plenty at Bola Bola, a thing which Tupir would never allow, to clear up this seeming contradiction I must observe that the one was prejudiced against and the other in favour of this isle. The produce of the islands, the manners and customs of the natives, etc., having been treated large in the narrative of my former voyage, it will be unnecessary to take notice of these subjects in this, unless where I can add new matter, or clear up any mistakes which may have been committed. As I had some reason to believe that, amongst their religious customs, human sacrifices were sometimes considered as necessary. I went one day to a Marai in Mataiwai, in company with Captain Fernet, having with us as I had upon all other occasions, one of my men who spoke their language terribly well, and several of the natives, one of whom appeared to be an intelligent, sensible man. In the Marai was a Tupapau, on which lay a corpse and some viens, so that everything promised success to my inquiries. I began with asking questions relating to the several objects before me, if the plantains, etc., were for the Eatua. If they sacrificed the Eatua, hogs, dogs, fowls, etc., to all of which he answered the affirmative. I then asked if they sacrificed men to the Eatua. He answered Tata, Inno, that is, bad men, they first did Teparehe, or beating them till they were dead. I then asked him if good men were put to death in this manner. His answer was no, only Tata, Inno. I asked him if any Eres were. He said they had hogs to give to the Eatua, and again repeated Tata, Inno. I next asked if Tautau's, that is, servants or slaves who had no hogs, dogs, or fowls, but yet were good men. If they were sacrificed to the Eatua. His answer was no, only bad men. I asked him several more questions, and all his answers seemed to tend to this one point, that men for certain crimes were condemned to be sacrificed to the gods, provided they had not were with all to redeem themselves. This I think implies that on some occasions human sacrifices are considered as necessary, particularly when they take such men as have by the laws of their country forfeited their lives and have nothing to redeem them, and such will generally be found among the lower class of people. The manner of whom I made these inquiries, as well as some others, took some pains to explain the whole of this custom to us, but we were not masters enough of their language to understand them. I have since learned from Omai that they offer human sacrifices to the supreme being. According to his account what men shall be so sacrificed depends on the Caprice of the High Priest who, when they are assembled on any solemn occasion, retires alone into the house of God and stays there some time. When he comes out he informs them that he has seen and conversed with their great God, the High Priest alone having that privilege, and that he has asked for human sacrifice and tells them that he has desired such a person, naming a man present, whom most probably the priest has an antipathy against. He is immediately killed and so falls a victim to the priest's resentment, who, no doubt if necessary, has addressed enough to persuade the people that he was a bad man. If I accept their funeral ceremonies, all the knowledge that has been obtained of their religion has been from information, and as their language is but imperfectly understood, even by those who pretend to the greatest knowledge of it, very little on this head is yet known with certainty. The liquor which they make from the plant called Ava Ava is expressed from the root and not from the leaves, as mentioned in the narrative of my former voyage. The manner of preparing this liquor is as simple as it is disgusting to a European. It is thus, several people take some of the root and chew it till it is soft and pulpy, then they spit it out into a platter or other vessel, every one into the same. When a sufficient quantity is chewed, more or less water is put to it, according as it is to be strong or weak. The juice thus diluted is strained through some fibrous stuff like fine shavings, after which it is fit for drinking, and this is always done immediately. It has a pepperish taste, drinks flat and rather insipid. But though it is intoxicating, I only saw one instance where it had that effect, as they generally drink it with great moderation and but little at a time. Sometimes they chew this root in their mouths, as Europeans do tobacco, and swallow their spittle, and sometimes I have seen them eat it wholly. At Ullitea they cultivate great quantities of this plant, at Ullitea but very little. I believe there are but few islands in this sea that do not produce more or less of it, and the natives apply it to the same use as appears by La Mer's account of Horn Island, in which he speaks of the natives making a liquor from a plant in the same manner as above mentioned. Great injustice has been done the women of Ullitea, and the society isles, by those who have represented them, without exception, as ready to grant the last favour to any man who will come up to their price. But this is by no means the case, the favours of married women and also the unmarried of the better sort are as difficult to be obtained here as in any other country whatsoever. Neither can the charge be understood indiscriminately of the unmarried of the lower class, for many of these admit of no such familiarities. That there are prostitutes here, as well as in other countries, is very true, perhaps more in proportion, and such were those who came on board the ships to our people, and frequented the post we had unsure. By seeing these mix indiscriminately with those of a different turn, even of the first rank, one is at first inclined to think that they are all disposed the same way, and that the only difference is in the price. But the truth is, the woman who becomes a prostitute does not seem, in their opinion, to have committed a crime of so deeper die as to exclude her from the esteem and society of the community in general. On the whole a stranger who visits England might, with equal justice, draw the characters of the women there, from those which he might meet with on board the ships in one of the naval ports, or in the perlews of Covent Garden and Drury Lane. I must, however, allow that they are all completely versed in the art of cockatry, and that very few of them fix any bounds to their conversation. It is therefore no wonder that they have obtained the character of Libertines. To what has been said of the geography of these isles, in the narrative of my former voyage, I shall now only add that we found the latitude of Oatkihi Pihar Bay, in Otahiti, to be 17 degrees 43 minutes 26 seconds south, and the longitude 0 degrees 21 minutes 25 and a half seconds east from Point Venus, or 149 degrees 13 minutes 24 seconds west from Greenwich. The difference both of latitude and longitude between Point Venus and Otahiti Pihar is greater than I supposed it to be, when I made the circuit of the island in 1769 by two miles and four and three-quarter miles respectively. It is therefore highly probable that the whole island is of a greater extent than I at that time estimated it to be. The astronomers set up their observatory and made their observations on Point Venus, the latitude of which they found to be 17 degrees 29 minutes 13 seconds south. This differs but two seconds from that which Mr. Green and I found, and its longitude, Viz, 149 degrees 34 minutes 49 and a half seconds west. For anything that is yet known to the contrary is as exact. Mr. Kendall's watch was found to be gaining on meantime eight seconds eight sixty-three per day, which is only zero seconds one forty-two, less than a Queen Charlotte sound. Consequently its error in longitude was trifling. Book II Reached from Ulitea to the friendly islands with an account of the discovery of Herveys Island and the incidents that happened at Middleburg, 1773 September. After leaving Ulitea as before mentioned I steered to the west inclining to the south to get clear of the tracks of former navigators and to get into the latitude of the islands of Middleborough and Amsterdam, for I intended to run as far west as these islands and to touch there if I found it convenient before I hauled up for New Zealand. I generally lay to every night, lest we might pass any land in the dark. Part of the 21st and 22nd the wind blew from northwest, attended with thunder, lightning and rain, having a large swell from south-south-east and south, which kept up for several days, an indication that no land was near us in that direction. On the 23rd at ten o'clock in the morning land was seen from the top-mast head, and at noon from the deck, extending from south by west to south-west by south. We hauled up for it with a wind at south-east and found it to consist of two or three small islets, connected together by breakers like most of the low isles in the sea, lying in a triangular form and about six leagues in circuit. These were clothed with wood, among which were many coconut trees. We saw no people or science of inhabitants and had reason to think there weren't on. The situation this isle, which is in the latitude of nineteen degrees, eighteen minutes south, longitude one fifty-eight degrees, fifty-four minutes west, is not very different from that assigned by Mr. Dalrymple to Lad Desena. But as this is a point not easily determined, I named it Hervey's Island in honour of the honourable captain Hervey of the navy, one of the lords of the Admiralty, and afterwards Earl of Bristol. As the landing on this isle, if practicable, would have caused a delay which I could ill-spare at this time, we resumed our course to the west. And on the twenty-fifth we again began to use our sea biscuits, the fruit which had served as succa danaeum, being all but consumed, but our stock of fresh pork still continued, each man having as much every day as was needful. In our route to the west we now and then saw men of war and tropic birds, and a small sea bird, which is seldom seen but near the shores of the isles. We therefore conjectured that we had passed some land at no great distance. As we advanced to the west, the variation of the compass gradually increased, so that on the twenty-ninth, being in the latitude of twenty-one degrees twenty-six minutes south, longitude one seventy degrees forty minutes west, it was ten degrees forty-five minutes east. 1773 October At two o'clock p.m. on the first of October we made the island of Middelburg bearing west-south-west. At six o'clock it extended from south-west by west to north-west, distant four leagues, at which time another land was seen in the direction of north-northwest. The wind being at south-south-east I hauled to the south in order to get round the south end of the island before the morning. But at eight o'clock a small island was seen lying off it, and not knowing but that they might be connected by a reef, the extent of which we must be ignorant of, I resolved to spend the night where we were. At daybreak the next morning we bore up for the south-west side of Middelburg, passing between it and the little island above mentioned, where we found a clear channel two miles broad. After ranging the south-west side of the greater isle to about two-thirds of its length, at a distance of half a mile from the shore, without seeing the least prospect of either anchorage or landing place, we bore away for Amsterdam, which we had in sight. We had scarcely turned our sails before we observed the shores of Middelburg to assume another aspect, seeming to offer both anchorage and landing. On this we hauled the wind and plied in under the island. In the meantime two canoes, each conducted by two or three men, came boldly alongside, and some of them entered the ship without hesitation. This mark of confidence gave me a good opinion at these islanders, and determined me to visit them if possible. After making a few trips we found good anchorage and came to, in twenty-five fathoms water, and gravel bottom, at three cables length from the shore. The highest land on the island bore south-east by east, the north point north-east to half-east, and the west south by west to half-west, and the island of Amsterdam extending from north by west to half-west to north-west to half-west. We had scarcely got to an anchor before we were surrounded by a great number of canoes full of people, who had brought with them cloth and other curiosities, which they exchanged for nails, etc. Several came on board, among them was one whom, by the authority he seemed to have over the others, I found was a chief, and accordingly made him a present of a hatchet, spiked nails and several other articles, with which he was highly pleased. Thus they obtained the friendship of this chief, whose name was Ti-Uni. Soon after a party of us embarked in two boats, in company with Ti-Uni, who conducted us to a little creek formed by the rocks, right abreast of the ships, where landing was extremely easy, and the boats secure against the surf. Here we found an immense crowd of people, who welcomed us on shore with loud acclamations. Not one of them had so much as a stick or any other weapon in their hands, an indubitable sign of their pacific intentions. They thronged so thick round the boats with cloth, matting, etc., to exchange for nails, that it was some time before we could get room to land. They seemed to be more as desirous to give than receive, for many who could not get near the boats through into them, over the other's heads, whole bales of cloth, and then retired without either asking or waiting for anything in return. At length the chief caused them to open to the right and left, and make room for us to land. He then conducted us up to his house, which was situated about three hundred yards from the sea, at the head of a fine lawn, and under the shade of some shaddock trees. The situation was most delightful. In front was the sea, and the shifts at anchor. Behind on each side were plantations, in which were some of the richest productions of nature. The floor was laid with mats, on which we were seated, and the people seated themselves in the circle round us on the outside. Having the backpipes with us, I ordered them to be played, and in return the chief directed three young women to sing a song, which they did with a very good grace. And having made each of them a present, this immediately set all the women in the circle singing. Their songs were musical and harmonious, and no wise harsh or disagreeable. After sitting here some time we were, at our own request, conducted into one of the adjoining plantations, where the chief had another house, into which we were introduced. The dishes and coconuts were set before us to eat, and a bowl of liquor prepared in our presence of the juice of the Ava for us to drink. Pieces of the root were first offered to us to chew, but as we excused ourselves from assisting in the operation, this was performed by others. When sufficiently chewed, it was put into a large wooden bowl then mixed with water in the manner already related, and as soon as it was properly strained for drinking, they made cups by folding of green leaves, which held near half a pint, and presented it to each of us one of these filled with the liquor. But I was the only one who tasted it, the manner of brewing it having quenched the thirst of every one else. The bowl was, however, soon emptied of its contents of which both men and women partook. I observed that they never filled the same cup twice, nor did two persons drink out of the same. Each had a fresh cup and fresh liquor. This house was seated at one corner of the plantation, and had an airy before it on which we were seated. The whole was planted round with fruit and other trees, whose spreading branches afforded an agreeable shade, and whose fragrance diffused a pleasing odour through the air. Before we had well viewed the plantation it was noon, and we turned on board to dinner with the chief in our company. He sat at table but ate nothing, which as we had fresh pork roasted was a little extraordinary. After dinner we landed again, and were received by the crowd as before, Mr. Forster with his botanic party, and some of the officers and gentlemen walked into the country. Captain Ferneau and myself were conducted to the chief's house, and a fruit and some greens, which had been stewed, were set before us to eat. As we had but just dined it cannot be supposed we ate much, but OEDD and OMAI, the man on board the adventure, did honour to the feasts. After this we signified our desire of seeing the country. T'uni very readily assented and conducted us through several plantations which were laid out with great judgement, and being closed with very neat fences made of reeds. They were all in very good order and well planted with various fruit trees, roots, etc. The chief took some pains to let us know that most of them belonged to himself. Near some of the houses and in the lanes that divided the plantations were running about some hogs and very large fowls, which were the only domestic animals we saw. And these they did not seem willing to part with, nor did anyone during the whole day offer in exchange any fruit or roots worth mentioning, which determined me to leave this island and to visit that Amsterdam. The evening brought everyone on board, highly delighted with the country and the very obliging behaviour of the inhabitants, who seemed to vie with each other in doing what they thought would give us pleasure. The ships were crowded with people the whole day trafficking with those on board, in which the greatest good order was observed, and I was sorry that the season of the year would not admit of my making a longer stay with them. Early the next morning, while the ships were getting under sail, I went on shore with Captain Fernau and Mr. Forster to take leave of the chief. He met us at the landing-place and would have conducted us to his house had we not excused ourselves. We therefore were seated on the grass, where we spent about half an hour in the midst of a vast crowd of people. After making the chief at present, consisting of various articles and an assortment of garden seeds, I gave him to understand that we were going away, at which he seemed not at all moved. He and two or three more came into our boat in order to accompany us on board. But seeing the resolution under sail, he called to a canoe to put alongside, into which he and his friends went and returned on shore. While he remained in our boat, he continued to exchange fish hooks for nails, and engrossed the trade in a manner holy to himself. But when on shore, I never saw him make the least exchange. End of Book 2, Chapter 1, Recording by David Cole, Medway, Massachusetts. The Arrival of the Ships at Amsterdam, a description of a place of worship, and an account of the incidents which happened while we remained at that island, 1773 October. As soon as I was on board, we made sail down to Amsterdam. The people of this isle were so little afraid of us that some met us in three canoes about midway between the two isles. They used their utmost efforts to get on board, but without effect, as we did not shorten sail for them, and the rope which we gave them broke. They then attempted to board the adventure, and met with the same disappointment. We ran along the south-west coast of Amsterdam at half a mile from shore, on which the sea broke in a great surf. We had an opportunity by the help of our glasses, to view the face of the island, every part of which seemed to be laid out in plantations. We observed the natives running along the shore, displaying small white flags, which we took for ensigns of peace, and answered them by Hoistiges and Georges Ensign. Three men belonging to Middelburg, who, by some means or other, had been left on board the adventure, now acquitted her and swam to the shore. Not knowing that we intended to stop at this isle, and having no inclination, as may be supposed to go away with us. As soon as we opened the west side of the isle, we were met by several canoes, each conducted by three or four men. They came boldly alongside, presented us with some java-root, and then came on board without further ceremony, inviting us, by all the friendly signs they could make, to go to their island, and pointing to the place where we should anchor. At least we so understood them. After a few boards we anchored in Van Diemen's road, in eighteen fathoms' water, little more than a cable-zenth from the breakers, which lined the coast. We carried out the coasting anchor and cable to Seaward, to keep the ship from tailing on the rocks, in case of a shift of wind or a calm. This last anchor lay in forty-seven fathoms' water, so steep was the bank, on which we anchored. By this time we were crowded with people, some came off in canoes and others swam, but like those of the other isle, brought nothing with them but cloth, nothing, etc., for which the seamen only bartered away their clothes. As it was probable they would soon feel the effects of this kind of traffic, with a view to put a stop to it, and to obtain the necessary refreshments. I gave orders that no sort of curiosities should be purchased by any person whatsoever. The good effect of this order was found in the morning, for, when the natives saw we would purchase nothing but edibles, they brought off bananas and coconuts in abundance, some fowls and pigs, all of which they exchanged for small nails and pieces of cloth. Even old rags of any sort was enough for a pig or a fowl. Matters being thus established and proper persons appointed to trade under the direction of the officers to present disputes. After breakfast I landed, accompanied by Captain Ferneau, Mr. Forster, and several of the officers. Having along with us a chief or person of some note, whose name was a Targo, who had detached himself to me from the first moment of his coming on board, which was before we anchored. I know not how he came to discover that I was the commander, but certain it is that he was not long on deck before he singled me out from all the gentlemen, making me a present of some cloth and other things he had about him, and as a greater testimony of friendship we now exchanged names, a custom which is practiced though at Ota Hiti and the Society Isles. We were lucky, or rather we may thank the natives, for having anchored before a narrow creek in the rocks which lie on the shore. To this creek we were conducted by my friend the Targo, and there we landed dry on the beach and within the breakers, in the face of a vast crowd of people who received us in the same friendly manner that those of Middelburg had done. As soon as we were landed all the gentlemen set out into the country accompanied by some of the natives, but the most of them remained with Captain Ferneau and me, who amused ourselves some time distributing presents amongst them, especially to such as a Targo pointed out which were not many, but who I afterwards found were of superior rank to himself. At this time, however, he seemed to be the principal person and to be obeyed as such. After we had spent some time on the beach, as we complained of the heat, a Targo immediately conducted and seated us under the shade of a tree, ordering the people to form a circle round us. This they did and never once attempted to push themselves upon us, like the Ota Hittins. After sitting here some time and distributing some presents to those about us, we signified our desire to see the country. The chief immediately took the hint and conducted us along a lane that led to an open green, on the one side of which was a house of worship, built on a mount that had been raised by the hand of man, about sixteen or eighteen feet above the common level. It had an oblong figure and it was enclosed by a wall or parapet of stone, about three feet in height. From this wall the mount rose with a gentle slope and was covered with a green turf. On the top of it stood the house, which had the same figure as the mount, about twenty feet in length and fourteen or sixteen broad. As soon as we came before the place, everyone seated himself on the green, about fifty or sixty yards from the front of the house. Presently came three elderly men, who seated themselves between us and it, and began a speech, which I understood to be a prayer, it being wholly directed to the house. This lasted about ten minutes, and then the priests, for such I took them to be, came and sat down along with us, when we made them presence of such things as were about us. Nothing then made signs to them that we wanted to review the premises. My friend Atargo immediately got up, and going with us, without showing the least backwardness, gave us full liberty to examine every part of it. In the front were two stone steps leading to the top of the wall. From this the ascent to the house was easy, round which was a fine gravel walk. The house was built in all respects, like to their common dwelling-houses, that is, with posts and rafters and covered with palm-thatch. The eaves came down within about three feet of the ground, which space was filled up with strong matting, made of palm-leaves, as a wall. The floor of the house was laid with fine gravel, except in the middle, where there was an oblong square of blue pebbles raised about six inches higher than the floor. At one corner of the house stood an image rudely carved in wood, and on one side lay another, each about two feet in length. I, who had no intention to offend either them or their gods, did not so much as touch them, but asked Atargo as well as I could, if they were yatuas or gods. Whether he understood me or no, I cannot say. But he immediately turned them over and over, in as rough a manner as he would have done any other log of wood, which convinced me that they were not there as representatives of the divinity. I was curious to know if the dead were interred there, and asked Atargo several questions relative there, too. But I was not sure that he understood me. At least I did not understand the answers he made well enough to satisfy my inquiries. For the reader must know that to our first coming among these people, we hardly could understand a word they said. Even my own Tehetan youth, and the man on board the adventure, were equally at a loss, but more of this by and by. Before we quitted the house we thought it necessary to make an offering at the altar. Accordingly we laid down upon the blue pebbles some meddles, nails and several other things, which we had no sooner done than my friend Atargo took them up and put them in his pocket. The stones with which the walls were made that enclosed this mount were some of them nine or ten feet by four and about six inches thick. It is difficult to conceive how they can cut such stones out of the coral rocks. This mount stood in a kind of grove open only on the side which fronted the high road, and the green on which the people were seated. At this green or open place was a junction of five roads, two or three of which appeared to be very public ones. The groves were composed of several sorts of trees. Among others was the Itoa tree, as it is called an Otahiti, of which are made clubs, etc., and a kind of low palm, which is very common in the northern parts of New Holland. After we had done examining this place of worship, which in their language is called Afia Tuakar, we desired to return, but instead of conducting us to the water side as we expected, they struck into a road leading into the country. This road, which was about sixteen feet broad and as level as a bowling green, seemed to be a very public one, there being many other roads from different parts leading into it, all enclosed on each side with neat fences made of reeds, and shaded from the scorching sun by fruit trees. I thought I was transported into the most fertile plains in Europe. There was not an inch of waste ground. The roads occupied no more space than was absolutely necessary. The fences did not take up above four inches each, and even this was not wholly lost, for in many were planted some useful trees or plants. It was everywhere the same. Change of place altered not the scene. Nature assisted by a little art. Nowhere appears in more splendor than at this isle. In these delightful walks we went numbers of people. Some travelling down to the ships were their burdens of fruit, others returning back empty. They all gave us the road by turning eyes through the right or left, and sitting down or standing with their backs to the fences till we had passed. At several of the crossroads or at the meeting of two or more roads were generally affecature cars, such as already described, with this difference the mounts were palisade-o'd around, instead of a stone wall. At length, after walking several miles, we came to one larger than common, near to which was a large house belonging to an old chief in our company. At this house we were desired to stop, which we accordingly did, and were treated with fruit, etc. We were no sooner seated in the house than the eldest of the priests began a speech or prayer, which was first directed to the affecature car, and then to me, and alternately. When he addressed me he paused at every sentence, till I gave a nod of approbation. I, however, did not understand one single word he said. At times the old gentleman seemed to be at a last what to say, or perhaps his memory failed him, for every now and then he was prompted by one of the other priests who sat by him. Thus during this prayer and the former one the people were silent but not attentive. At this last place we made but a short stay. Our guides conducted us down to our boat, and we returned with a targo to our ship for dinner. We had no sooner got on board than an old gentleman came alongside, who, I understood from a targo, was some king or great man. He was accordingly ushered on board, when I presented him with such things as he most valued, being the only method to make him my friend, and seated him at table to dinner. We now saw that he was a man of consequence, for a targo would not sit down and eat before him, but got to the other end of the table. And as the old chief was almost blind he sat there, and ate with his back towards him. Once the old man had eaten a bit of fish, and drunk two glasses of wine he returned ashore. As soon as a targo had seen him out of the ship he came and took his place at table, finished his dinner, and drank two glasses of wine. When dinner was over we all went ashore, where we found the old chief, who presented me with a hog, and he and some others took a walk with us into the country. Before we set out I happened to go down with a targo to the landing place, and there found Mr. Wales in a laughable, though distressed situation. The boat which brought us on shore, not being able to get near the landing-place for one to the sufficient depth of water, he pulled off his shoes and stockings to walk through, and as soon as he got on dry land he put them down betwixt his legs to put on again, but they were instantly snatched away by a person behind him, who he immediately mixed with the crowd. It was impossible for him to follow the man barefooted over the sharp coral rocks which composed the shore, without having his feet cut to pieces. The boat was put back to the ship. His companions each made his way through the crowd, and he left in this condition alone. A targo soon found out the thief, recovered his shoes and stockings, and set him at liberty. Our route into the country was by the first mentioned Afiat Tuka, before which we again seated ourselves, but had no prayers, although the old priest was with us. Our stay here was but short. The old chief probably thinking that we might want water on board, conducted us to a plantation hard by, and showed us a pool of fresh water, though we had not made the least inquiry after any. I believe this to be the same that Tasman calls the washing place for the king and his nobles. From hence we have conducted down to the shore of Maria Bay, or northeast side of the isle, where in the boathouse was shown to us a fine large double canoe not yet launched. The old chief did not fail to make us sensible it belonged to himself. Night now approaching we took leave of him, and returned on board, being conducted by a targo down to the water side. Mr. Forster and his party spent the day in the country botanizing, and several of the officers were out shooting. All of them were very civilly treated by the natives. We had also a brisk trade for bananas, coconuts, yams, pigs and fowls, all of which were procured for nails and pieces of cloth. A boat from each ship was employed in trading ashore and bringing off their cargoes as soon as they were laden, which was generally in a short time. By this method we got cheaper and with less trouble a good quantity of fruit as well as other refreshments, from people who had no canoes to carry them off to the ships. Pretty early in the morning on the fifth my friend brought me a hog and some fruit, which I gave him a hatchet, a sheet and some red cloth. The pinnace was sent ashore to trade as usual, but soon returned. The officer informed me that the natives were for taking everything out of the boat, and in other respects were very troublesome. The day before they stole the grappling at the time the boat was riding by it, and carried it off undiscovered. I now judged it necessary to have a guard on shore, to protect the boats and people whose business required their being there, and accordingly sent the marines under the command of Lieutenant Edgecombe. Soon after I went myself with my friend Otago and Captain Ferneau and several other gentlemen. At landing we found the chief who presented me with a pig. After this Captain Ferneau and I took a walk into the country with Mr. Hodges to make drawings of such places and things as were most interesting. When this was done we returned on board to dinner with my friend and two other chiefs, one of which sent a hog on board the adventure for Captain Ferneau, some hours before, without stipulating for any return, the only instance of this kind. My friend took care to put me in mind of the pig the old king gave me in the morning, for which I now gave a checked shirt and a piece of red cloth. I had tied them up for him to carry ashore, but with this he was not satisfied. He wanted to have them put on him, which was known as sooner done, than he went on deck, and showed himself to all his countrymen. He had done the same thing in the morning with the sheet I gave him. In the evening we all went on shore again, where we found the old king, who took to himself everything my friend and the others had got. The different trading parties were so successful today as to procure for both ships a tolerably good supply of refreshments, in consequence of which I, the next morning, gave everyone leave to purchase what curiosities and other things they pleased. After this it was astonishing to see with what eagerness everyone courted everything he saw. It even went so far as to become the ridicule of the natives, who offered pieces of sticks and stones to exchange. One waggish boy took a piece of human excrement on the end of a stick, and held it out to everyone he met with. This day a man got into the master's cabin, through the outside scuttle, and took out some books and other things. He was discovered just as he was getting out into his canoe, and pursued by one of our boats, which obliged him to quit the canoe and take to the water. The people in the boat made several attempts to lay a hold of him, but he as often dived under the boat, and at last having unshipped the rudder which rendered her ungovernable. By this means he got clear off. Some other very daring thefts were committed at the landing-place. One fellow took a seamen's jacket out of the boat and carried it off, in spite of all that our people in her could do. Till he was both pursued and fired at by them, he would not part with it, nor would he have done it then, had not his landing been intercepted by some of us who were unsure. The rest of the natives, who were very numerous, took very little notice of the whole transaction, nor were they the least alarmed when the man was fired at. My friend, Otago, having visited me again next morning as usual, brought with him a hug, and assisted me in purchasing several more. After as we went ashore, visited the old king with whom we stayed till noon, then returned on board to dinner with Otago, who never once left me. Intending to sail next morning I made up a present for the old king and carried it on shore in the evening. As soon as I landed I was told by the officers who were on shore that a far greater man than any we had yet seen was come to pay us a visit. Mr. Pickersgill informed me that he had seen him in the country, and found that he was a man of some consequence, by the extraordinary respect paid him by the people. Someone they approached him fell on their faces and put their head between their feet, and no one durst pass him without permission. Mr. Pickersgill, and another of the gentlemen, took hold of his arms, and conducted him down to the landing-place, where I found him seated with so much sullen and stupid gravity, that notwithstanding what had been told me, I really took him for an idiot, whom the people, from some superstitious notions, were ready to worship. I saluted and spoke to him, but he neither answered nor took the least notice of me. Nor did he alter a single feature of his countenance. This confirmed me in my opinion, and I was just going to leave him, when one of the natives, an intelligent youth, undertook to undeceive me, which he did in such a manner as left me no room to doubt that he was the king, or principal man on the island. Accordingly I made him the presence I intended for the old chief, which consisted of a shirt and axe, a piece of red cloth, a looking-glass, some nails, medals, and beads. He received these things, or rather suffered them to be put upon him, and laid down by him without losing a bit of his gravity, speaking one word, or turning his head either to the right or left, sitting the whole time like a statue. In which situation I left him to return on board, and he soon after retired. I had not been long on board, before word was brought me, that a quantity of provisions had come from this chief. A boat was sent to bring it from the shore, and it consisted of about twenty baskets of roasted bananas, sourbred in yams, and a roasted pig of about twenty pounds weight. Mr. Edgecombe and his party were just re-embarking, when these were brought to the water side, and the bearer said it was a present from the Ariki, that is the king of the island, to the Ariki of the ship. After this I was no longer to doubt the dignity of this sullen chief. Early in the morning of the seventh, while the ships were unmooring, I went ashore with Captain Ferno and Mr. Forster, in order to make some return to the king for his last night's present. We now sooner landed than we found a targo, of whom we inquired for the king, whose name was Kohaji, To Falangu. He accordingly undertook to conduct us to you with him. But whether he mistook the man we wanted, or was ignorant where he was, I know not. Certain it is that he took us a wrong road, in which he had not gone far before he stopped, and after some little conversation between him and another man, we returned back, and presently after the king appeared, with very few attendants. As soon as a targo saw him coming, he sat down under a tree and desired us to do the same. The king seated himself on a rising ground, about twelve or fifteen yards from us. Here we sat facing one another for some minutes. I waited for a targo to show us the way. What seeing he did not rise, Captain Ferno and I got up, went and saluted the king, and sat down by him. We then presented him with a white shirt, which we put on his back. A few yards of red cloth, a brass kettle, a saw, two large spikes, three looking glasses, a dozen of medals, and some strings of beads. All this time he sat with the same sullen stupid gravity as the day before. He even did not seem to see or know what we were about. His arms appeared immovable at his sides. He did not so much as raise them when we put on the shirt. I told him, both by words and signs, that we were going to leave his island. He scarcely made the least answer to this, or any other thing we either said or did. We therefore got up and took leave, but I yet remained near him to observe his actions. Soon after he entered into conversation with a targo and an old woman, whom he took to be his mother. I did not understand any part of the conversation. It, however, made him laugh, in spite of his assumed gravity. I, say, assumed because it exceeded everything of the kind I ever saw, and therefore think it could not be his real disposition, unless he was an idiot. Indeed, as these islanders, like all the others we had lately visited, have a great deal of levity, and he was in the prime of life. At last he rose up and retired with his mother and two or three more. A targo conducted us to another circle, where were seated the aged chief and several respectable old persons of both sexes, among whom was the priest, who was generally in company with his chief. We observed that his reverent father could walk very well in the morning, but in the evening was obliged to be led home by two people. By this we concluded that the juice of the pepper-root had the same effect upon him, that wine and other strong liquors have on Europeans who drink a large portion of them. It is very certain that these old people seldom sat down without preparing a bowl of this liquor, which is done in the same manner as an ulitia. We, however, must do them the justice to believe that it was meant to treat us. Nevertheless the greatest part, if not the whole, generally fell to their share. I was not well prepared to take leave of this chief, having exhausted almost all our store on the other. However, after rummaging our pockets and treasury bag, which was always carried with me wherever I went, we made up a tolerable present, both for him and his friends. This old chief had an air of dignity about him that commanded respect which the other had not. He was grave but not sullen, would crack a joke, talk on indifferent subjects, and endeavour to understand us and be understood himself. During this visit the old priest repeated a short prayer or speech, the purport of which we did not understand. Indeed he would frequently at other times break out in prayer, but I never saw any attention paid to him by any one presence. After a stay of near two hours we took leave and returned on board, with a targo and two or three more friends, who stayed in breakfasted with us, after which they were dismissed loaded with presents. A targo was very importunate with me, to return again to this isle, and bring with me cloth, axes, nails, etc., etc. Telling me that I should have hogs, fowls, fruits and roots in abundance. He particularly desired me more than once to bring him such a suit of clothes as I had on, which was my uniform. This good-natured islander was very serviceable to me on many occasions during our store's stay. He constantly came on board every morning soon after it was light, and never quitted us till the evening. He was always ready, either on board or on shore, to do me all the service in his power. His fidelity was rewarded at a small expense, and I find my account in having such a friend. In heaving in the coasting cable it parted in the middle of its length, being chafed by the rocks. By this accident we lost the other half, together with the anchor, which lay in forty fathoms' water, without any buoy to it. The best bower cable suffered also by the rocks, by which a judgment may be formed of this anchorage. At ten o'clock we got under sail, but as our decks were much encumbered with fruit, etc., we kept plying under the land till they were cleared. The supplies we got at this isle were about one hundred and fifty pigs, twice that number of fowls, as many bananas and coconuts as we could find room for, with a few yams, and had our stay been longer, we no doubt might have got a great deal more. This in some degree shows the fertility of the island, of which, together with a neighboring one of Middelburg, I shall now give a more particular account. End of Book Two, Chapter Two, Recording by David Cole, Medway, Massachusetts. Book Two, Chapter Three, of A Voice Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume One by James Cook. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Recording by David Cole. Chapter Three, A Description of the Islands and Their Produce, With the Cultivation, Houses, Canoes, Navigation, Manufactures, Weapons, Customs, Government, Religion, and Language of the Inhabitants, 1773, October. These islands were first discovered by Captain Tasman in January 1642-3 and by him called Amsterdam and Middelburg. But the format is called by the natives Tonga Tavu and the latter Ioui. They are situated between the latitude of 21 degrees 29 minutes and 21 degrees 3 minutes south, and between the longitude of 174 degrees 40 minutes and 175 degrees 15 minutes west, deduced from observations made on the spot. Middelburg or Ioui, which is a southernmost, is about ten leagues in circuit and of a height sufficient to be seen twelve leagues. The skirts of this isle are mostly taken up in the plantations, the southwest and northwest sides especially. The interior parts are what little cultivated, though very fit for cultivation. However, the want of it added greatly to the beauty of the isle, for here are agreeably dispersed, groves of coconut and other trees, lawns covered with thick grass, here and there plantations, and paths leading to every part of the island, in such beautiful disorder as greatly enlivens the prospect. The anchorage, which I named English Road, being the first who anchored there, is on the northwest side in latitude 21 degrees 20 minutes 30 seconds south. The bank is of a coarse sand, it extends two miles from the land, and on it there is from 20 to 40 fathoms water. The small creek before it affords convenient landing for boats at all times of the tide, which here, as well as at the other islands, rises about four or five feet, and is high water on the full and change days about seven o'clock. The island of Tonga Tabu is shaped something like an isosceles triangle. The longest sides we're off are seven leagues each, and the shortest four. It lies nearly in the direction of east-south, east and west-northwest, is nearly all of an equal height, rather low, not exceeding 60 or 80 feet above the level of the sea. This island, and also that of Yi-Uwi, is guarded from the sea by a reef of coral rocks, extending out from the shore one hundred fathoms, more or less. On this reef the force of the sea is spent before it reaches the land or shore. Indeed, this is in some measure the situation of all the tropical isles in this sea that I have seen, and thus nature has effectually secured them from the encroachments of the sea. Though many of them are mere points when compared to this vast ocean, Van Diemen's road, where we anchored, is under the north-west part of the island, between the most northern and western points. There lies a reef of rocks without it, burying north-west by west, over which the sea breaks continually. The bank does not extend more than three cables length from the shore. Without that is an unfathomable depth. The loss of an anchor and the damage our cable sustained are sufficient proofs that the bottom is none of the best. On the east side of the north point of the island, as Mr. Gilbert, whom I sent to survey the parts, informed me, is a very snug harbor of one mile or more in extent, wherein is seven, eight, and ten fathoms water, with a clean sandy bottom. The channel, by which he went in and out, lies close to the point, and has only three fathoms water. But he believes that farther to the north-east is a channel with a much greater depth, which he had not time to examine. Indeed it would have taken up far more time than I could spare to have surveyed these parts minutely, as there lies a number of small islets and reefs of rocks along the north-east side of the island, which seem to extend to the north-east farther than the eye could reach. The island of Amsterdam, or Tonga Tabu, is wholly laid out in plantations in which are planted some of the richest productions of nature, such as breadfruit, coconut trees, plantains, bananas, shaddocks, yams, and some other roots. Sugarcane and a fruit like a nectarine, called by them Fighia and a Dota Hiti Ahuia. In short, here are most of the articles which the Society Islands produce, besides some which they have not. Mr. Forster tells me that he not only found the same plants here that are at Ota Hiti and at the neighboring isles, but several others which are not to be met with there, and I probably have added to their stock of vegetables by leaving with them an assortment of garden seeds, pulses, etc. Breadfruit here, as well as at all the other isles, was not in season, nor was this the time for roots and shaddocks. We got the latter only at Middelburg. The produce and cultivation of this isle is the same as it Amsterdam, with this difference that a part only of the former is cultivated, whereas the whole of the latter is. The lanes or roads necessary for travelling are laid out in so judicious a manner as to open a free and easy communication from one part of the island to the other. Here are no towns or villages. Most of the houses are built in the plantations with no other order than what convenience he requires. They are neatly constructed, but do not exceed those in the other isles. The materials of which they are built are the same, and some little variation in the disposition of the framing is all the difference in their construction. The floor is a little raised and covered with thick strung mats. The same sort of matting serves to enclose them on the windward side, the other being open. They have little areas before the most of them, which are generally pranted round with trees or sharps of ornament, whose fragrancy perfumes the very air in which they breathe. Their household furniture consists of a few wooden platters, coconut shells, and some neat wooden pillows shaped like four-footed stools or forms. Their common clothing, with the addition of a mat, serves them for bedding. We got from them two or three earthen vessels, which were all we saw among them. One was in the shape of a bombshell, with two bowls in it, opposite to one another. The others were like pipkins, containing about five or six pints, and had been in use on the fire. I am of opinion they are the manufacture of some other isle, for if they were of their own, we ought to have seen more of them. Nor am I to suppose they came from Tasman ships. The time is too long for brittle vessels like these to be preserved. We saw no other domestic animals amongst them but hogs and fowls. The former are of the same sort as that the other isles in this sea, but the latter are far superior, being as large as any we have in Europe, and their flesh equally good, if not better. We saw no dogs and believed they have none, as they were exceedingly desirous of those we had on board. My friend Otago was complimented with a dog and a bitch, the one from New Zealand, the other from Oolitea. The name of the dog with them is Kuri or Guri, the same as at New Zealand, which shows that they are not wholly strangers to them. We saw no rats in these isles, nor any other wild quadrupeds except small lizards. The land birds are pigeons, turtle doves, parrots, parakeets, owls, bald coots with a blue plumage, a variety of small birds, and large bats in abundance. The produce of the sea we know but at love. It is reasonable to suppose that the same sorts of fish are found here as at the other isles. Their fishing instruments are the same, that is, hooks made mother of pearl, gigs with two, three or more prongs, and nets made of a very fine thread, with the meshes wrought exactly like ours. But nothing can be a more demonstrative evidence of their ingenuity than the construction and make of their canoes, which in point of neatness and workmanship exceed everything of this kind we saw in the sea. They are built of several pieces sewn together with bandage, in so neat a manner that on the outside it is difficult to see the joints. All the fastenings are on the inside and pass through cants or ridges, which are wrought on the edges and ends of the several boards which compose the vessel for that purpose. They are of two kinds, viz, double and single. The single ones are from twenty to thirty feet long, and about twenty or twenty-two inches broad in the middle. The stern terminates in a point, and the head something like the point of a wedge. At either end is a kind of deck for about one-third part of the whole length, and open in the middle. In some the middle of the deck is decorated with a row of white shells, stuck on little pegs wrought out of the same piece, which composes it. These single canoes have all outriggers, and are sometimes navigated with sails, but more generally with paddles, the blades of which are short and broadest in the middle. The two vessels which compose the double canoe are each about sixty or seventy feet long, and four or five broad in the middle, and each end terminates nearly in a point, so that the body or hull differs a little in construction from the single canoe, but is put together exactly in the same manner. These have a rising in the middle round the open part in the form of a long trough, which is made of boards closely fitted together and well secured to the body of the vessel. Two such vessels are fastened to, and parallel to each other, about six or seven feet sunder by strong crossbeams secured by bandages to the upper part of the risings above mentioned. Over these beams and others which are supported by stanchions fixed on the bodies of the canoes, is laid a boarded platform. All the parts which compose the double canoe are made as strong and light, as the nature of the work will admit, and may be immersed in water to the very platform without being in danger of filling. Or is it possible, under any circumstances whatever, for them to sink so long as they hold together? Thus they are not only vessels of burden, but fit for distant navigation. They are rigged with one mast which steps upon the platform and can easily be raised or taken down, and are sailed with a Latin sail, or triangular one, extended by a long yard which is a little bent or crooked. The sail is made of mats. The rope they make use of is exactly like ours, and some of it is four or five inch. On the platform is built a little shed or hut, which screens the crew from the sun and weather, and serves for other purposes. They also carry a movable fire half, which is a square but shallow trough of wood filled with stones. The way into the hold of the canoe is from off the platform, down a sort of uncovered hatchway in which they stand to bail out the water. I think these vessels are navigated either end foremost and that, in changing tax, they have only occasion to shift or jib around the sail. But of this I was not certain, as I had not then seen any under sail, or with a mast in sail an end. But what were a considerable distance from us? Their working tools are made of stone, bone, shells, etc., as at the other islands. When we view the work which is performed with these tools we are struck with admiration at the ingenuity and patience of the workmen. Their knowledge of the utility of iron was no more than sufficient to teach them to prefer nails to beads and such trifles. Some but very few would exchange a pig for a large nail or a hatchet. Old jackets, shirts, cloth and even rags were in more esteem than the best edge tool we could give them. Consequently they got but few axes from us but what were given as presents. But if we include the nails which were given by the officers and crews of both ships for curiosities, etc., those given for refreshments, they cannot have got less than five hundred weight, great and small. The only piece of iron we saw among them was a small broad awl which had been made of a nail. Both men and women are of a common size with Europeans, and their colour is that of a lightish copper, and more uniformly so than amongst the inhabitants of Otehiti and the society Isles. Some of our gentlemen would have opinion these were a much handsomer race, others maintained a contrary opinion of which number I was one. Be this as it may they have a good shape and regular features and are active brisk and lively. The women in particular are the merriest creatures I ever met with and will keep chattering by one side without the least invitation or considering whether they are understood, provided one does but seems pleased with them. In general they appear to be modest, although there was no want of those of a different stamp, and as we had yet some venereal complaints on board, I took all possible care to prevent the disorder being communicated to them. On most occasions they showed a strong propensity to pylfring in which they were full as expert as the Otehitans. Their hair in general is black, but more especially that of the women. Different colours were found among the men, sometimes on the same head, caused by something they put upon it, which stainted white, red and blue. Both sexes were very short. I saw but two exceptions to this custom, and the most of them combed it upwards. Many of the boys had it cut very close, except a single lock on the top of the head, and a small quantity on each side. The men cut or shaved their beards quite close, which operation is performed with two shells. They had fine eyes and in general good teeth, even to an advanced age. The custom of tattooing, or puncturing the skin, prevails. The men are tattooed from the middle of the thigh to above the hips. The women have it only on their arms and fingers, and there but very slightly. The dress of both sexes consists of a piece of cloth or matting wrapped around the waist and hanging down below the knees. From the waist upwards they are generally naked, and it seemed to be accustomed to anoint these parts every morning. My friend Otago never failed to do it, but whether out of respect to his friend or from custom I will not pretend to say, although I rather think the latter, as he was not singular in the practice. Their ornaments are amulets, necklaces, and bracelets of bones, shells, and beads of mother of pearl, tortoise shell, et cetera, which are worn by both sexes. The women also wear on their fingers neat rings made of tortoise shell, and pieces in their ears about the size of a small quill. But ear ornaments are not commonly worn, though all have their ears pierced. They have also a curious apron made of the outside fibers of the coconut shell, and composed of a number of small pieces sewed together in such a manner as to form stars, half moons, little squares, et cetera. It is studded with beads of shells and covered with red-bread feathers so as to have a pleasing effect. They make the same kind of cloth and of the same materials as at Ota Hiti, though they have not such a variety, nor do they make any so fine. But as they have a method of glazing it, it is more durable, and will resist rain for some time, which Ota Hiti cloth will not. Their colors are black, brown, purple, yellow, and red, all made from vegetables. They make various sorts of matting, some of a very fine texture which is generally used for clothing, and the thick and stronger sort serves to sleep on, and to make sails for their canoes, et cetera. Among other useful utensils they have various sorts of baskets. Some are made of the same materials as their mats, and others of the twisted fibers of coconuts. These are not only durable but beautiful, being generally composed of different colors and studded with beads made of shells or bones. They have many little knack-knacks amongst them, which shows that they neither want taste or design nor skill to execute whatever they take in hand. How these people amuse themselves in their leisure hours, I cannot say, as we are but little acquainted with their diversions. The women frequently entertained us with songs in a manner which was agreeable enough. They accompanied the music by snapping their fingers so as to keep time to it. Not only their voices, but their music was very harmonious, and they have a considerable compass in their notes. I saw but two musical instruments amongst them. One was a large flute made of a piece of bamboo, which they fill with their noses as at Otahiti, but these have four holes or stops, whereas those of Otahiti have only two. The other was composed of ten or eleven small reeds of unequal lengths bound together side by side, as the Doric pipe of the ancients is said to have been, and the open ends of the reeds into which they blow with their mouths are of equal height or inner line. They have also a drum which, without any impropriety, may be compared to a hollow log of wood. The one I saw was five feet six inches long and thirty inches in girth, and had a slit in it from the one end to the other about three inches wide by means of which it had been hollowed out. They beat on the side of this log with two drumsticks and produce a hollow sound, not quite so musical as that of an empty cask. The common method of saluting one another is by touching or meeting noses, as is done in New Zealand, and their sign of peace to strangers is the displaying a white flag or flags. At least such were displayed to us when we first drew near the shore. But the people who came first on board brought with them some of a pepper-plant and sent it before them into the ship, a stronger sign of friendship than which one could not wish for. One their unsuspicious manner of coming on board and of receiving us at first on shore, I am of opinion they are seldom disturbed by either foreign or domestic troubles. They are, however, not unprovided with very formidable weapons, such as clubs and spears, made of hard wood, or so bows and arrows. The clubs are from three to five feet in length and of various shapes. Their bows and arrows are but indifferent, the form of being very slight, and the latter made only of a slender reed pointed with hard wood. Some of their spears have many barbs and must be very dangerous weapons where they take effect. On the inside of the bow is a groove in which is put the arrow, from which it would seem that they use but one. They have a singular custom of putting everything you give them to their heads by way of thanks as we conjectured. This manner of paying a compliment is taught them from their very infancy, for when we gave things to little children, the mother lifted up the child's hand to its head. They also use this custom in their exchange with us. Whatever we gave them for their goods was always applied to the head, just as if it had been given them for nothing. Perhaps they would look at our goods, and if not approved, return them back. But whenever they applied them to the head, the bargain was infallibly struck. When I had made a present to the chief of anything curious, I frequently saw it handed from one to another, and every one into his whose hands it came, put it to the head. Very often the women would take hold of my hand, kiss it, and lift it to their heads. From all this it would seem that this custom, which they call fagafeti, has various significations according as it is applied, all, however, complimentary. It must be observed that the sullen chief or king did not pay me any of these compliments for the presents I made him. A still more singular custom prevails in these aisles. We observed that the greater part of the people, both men and women, had lost one or both their little fingers. We endeavored but in vain to find out the reason of this mutilation, for no one would take any pains to inform us. It was neither peculiar to rank, age, or sex, nor is it done at any certain age, as we saw those of all ages on whom the amputation had been just made. And except some young children, we found few who had both hands perfect. As it was more common among the age than the young, some of us were of opinion that it was occasioned by the death of their parents or some other near relations. But Mr. Wales one day met with a man whose hands were both perfect of such an advanced age that it was hardly possible his parents could be living. They also burn or make incisions in their cheeks near the cheekbone. The reason of this was equally unknown to us. In some the wounds were quite fresh, in others they could only be known by the scars or color of the skin. I saw one either sick nor lame amongst them. All appeared healthy, strong, and vigorous, a proof of the goodness of the climate in which they live. I have frequently mentioned a king, which implies the government being in a single person, without knowing for certain whether it is so or no. Such a one was, however, pointed out to us, and we had no reason to doubt it. From this and other circumstances I am of opinion that the government is much like that of Otahiti, that is, in a king or great chief, who is here called Ariki, with other chiefs under him, who are lords of certain districts and perhaps self-proprietors, to whom the people seem to pay great obedience. I also observed a third rank, which had not a little authority over the common people. My friend Otago was one of these. I am of opinion that all the land on Tonga Tabu is private property, and that there are here, as at Otahiti, a set of people who are servants or slaves and have no property in land. It is unreasonable to suppose everything in common in a country so highly cultivated as this, interest being the greatest spring which animates the hand of industry, few would toil in cultivating and planting the land, if they did not expect to reap the fruit of their labor, where it otherwise the industrious man would be in a worse state than the idle sluggard. I frequently saw parties of six, eight or ten people bring down to the landing-place fruit and other things to dispose of, where one person, a man or woman, superintended the sale of the whole. No exchanges were made but with his or her consent, and whatever we gave in exchange was always given them, which I think plainly showed them to be the owners of the goods, and the others no more than servants. Though benevolent nature has been very bountiful to these aisles, it cannot be said that the inhabitants are wholly exempt from the curse of our forefathers. Part of their bread must be earned by the sweat of their brows. The high state of cultivation their lands are in must have conspired to them immense labor. This is now amply rewarded by the great produce of which every one seems to partake. No one wants the common necessaries of life. Joy and contentment are painted in every face. Indeed it can hardly be otherwise, and easy freedom prevails among all ranks of people. They feel no once which they do not enjoy the means of gratifying, and they live in a climb where the painful extremes of heat and cold are equally unknown. If nature has been wanting in anything, it is in the article Fresh Water, which as it is shut up in the bowels of the earth they are obliged to dig for. A running stream was not seen, and but one well at Amsterdam. At Middelburg we saw no water but what the natives had in vessels. And as it was sweet and cool I have no doubt of its being taken up upon the island, and probably not far from the spot where I saw it. So little do we know of their religion that I hardly dare mention it. The buildings called Afiatoukas before mentioned are undoubtedly set apart for this purpose. Some of our gentlemen were of opinion that they were merely burying places. I can only say from my own knowledge that there are places to which particular persons directed set speeches, which I understood to be prayers, as hath been already related, joining my opinion with that of others. I was inclined to think that they were set apart to be both temples and burying places, as it hath to Hiti or even in Europe. But I have no idea of the images being idols, not only from what I saw myself, but from Mr. Wales's informing me that they set one of them up for him and others to shoot at. One circumstance showed that these Afiatoukas were frequently resorted to for one purpose or another, the areas or open places before them being covered with the green sod, the grass on which was very short. This did not appear to have been cut or reduced by the hand of man, but to have been prevented in its growth by being often trod or set upon. It cannot be supposed that we could know much either of their civil or religious policy in so short a time as four or five days, as especially as we understood but little of their language. Even the two islands we had on board could not at first understand them, and yet as we became the more acquainted with them, we found their language was nearly the same spoken at Ohtahiti and the society's isles. The difference not being greater than what we find betwixt the most northern and western parts of England, as will more fully appear by the vocabulary.